• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.8-16
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• 2010

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the antitumor effects of water extracts of Panax notoginseng (WEPN) in NCI-H460 human lung cancer cell xenografted nude mice. Materials and Methods: We cultured NCI-H460 cell lines and xenografted them to nude mice. The mice were divided into 3 groups; positive control group, NCI-H460+150 mg/kg WEPN-treated group, and NCI-H460+300 mg/kg WEPN-treated group. They had been raised and treated in 28 days. We checked their body weight and tumor weight and volumes twice a week and their absolute organ weight and microhistological observation at the final day. We also calculated their tumor inhibition rate (I.R.), mean survival time and percent increase in life span (% ILS). Results: Body weight of WEPN (300 mg/kg) treated mice tended to slightly greater increase than those of the positive control group, but had no significance. Tumor volume (measurement with a caliper) of WEPN-treated mice tended to be lower than that of the positive control group. Inhibition rate (I.R.) of the WEPN group decreased more than the positive control group, but had no significance. Results of tumor weights and volume (plethysmography) had no significance. Mean survival time and percent increase in life span (% ILS) in the WEPN 300 mg/kg treatment group were higher than those of any other group (p<0.05). In absolute organ weights, the WEPN (150-300 mg/kg) treatment group decreased liver weights (p<0.05). Liver tissue of mice treated with WEPN (300 mg/kg) did not show any specific lesions. Conclusion: We suggest that WEPN may have potential as a growth inhibitor of solid tumors induced by NCI-H460 without any side effects. However, this study has limitations in proving anti-tumor effects of WEPN, so further studies to overcome those limitations will be needed.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.1797-1808
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• 2021

Objective: To determine whether volumetric CT texture analysis (CTTA) using fully automatic tumor segmentation can help predict recurrence-free survival (RFS) in patients with intrahepatic mass-forming cholangiocarcinomas (IMCCs) after surgical resection. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study analyzed the preoperative CT scans of 89 patients with IMCCs (64 male; 25 female; mean age, 62.1 years; range, 38-78 years) who underwent surgical resection between January 2005 and December 2016. Volumetric CTTA of IMCCs was performed in late arterial phase images using both fully automatic and semi-automatic liver tumor segmentation techniques. The time spent on segmentation and texture analysis was compared, and the first-order and second-order texture parameters and shape features were extracted. The reliability of CTTA parameters between the techniques was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Intra- and interobserver reproducibility of volumetric CTTAs were also obtained using ICCs. Cox proportional hazard regression were used to predict RFS using CTTA parameters and clinicopathological parameters. Results: The time spent on fully automatic tumor segmentation and CTTA was significantly shorter than that for semi-automatic segmentation: mean ± standard deviation of 1 minutes 37 seconds ± 50 seconds vs. 10 minutes 48 seconds ± 13 minutes 44 seconds (p < 0.001). ICCs of the texture features between the two techniques ranged from 0.215 to 0.980. ICCs for the intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility using fully automatic segmentation were 0.601-0.997 and 0.177-0.984, respectively. Multivariable analysis identified lower first-order mean (hazard ratio [HR], 0.982; p = 0.010), larger pathologic tumor size (HR, 1.171; p < 0.001), and positive lymph node involvement (HR, 2.193; p = 0.014) as significant parameters for shorter RFS using fully automatic segmentation. Conclusion: Volumetric CTTA parameters obtained using fully automatic segmentation could be utilized as prognostic markers in patients with IMCC, with comparable reproducibility in significantly less time compared with semi-automatic segmentation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.81 no.3
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• pp.707-713
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• 2020

Tumor thrombus in the portal vein without any liver parenchymal abnormality is extremely rare. In the liver, the primary tumor most frequently presenting with intravascular tumor thrombi is hepatocellular carcinoma and lymphoma is rarely considered. Even though thrombosis occurs quite often in lymphoma, cases of tumor thrombus are rare and cases of tumor thrombus in the portal vein are even rarer. Only four cases of lymphoma with portal vein tumor thrombosis have been reported to date and all cases were the result of direct extensions of a dominant nodal or extra-nodal mass. To our knowledge, there has been no report on diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) presenting only within the lumen of the portal vein and not intravascular B-cell lymphoma. We present the first case of DLBCL presenting only within the lumen of the portal vein in an immunocompetent patient.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.38-42
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• 2000

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the utility of preoperative CT in predicting early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after partial hepatic resection. Materials and Methods: Preoperative three-phase helical CT scans in 53 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were retrospectively reviewed by two radiologists. In 27 patients (group I), HCC had recurred within six months, while 26 (group II) had remained disease free for at least two years. In each group, preoperative CT findings were evaluated in each group for the tumor size and number, the presence or absence of capsule, distinctness of tumor margin, perinodular extension, and the presence or absence of portal vein thrombosis. Results: In group I, a tumor capsule of tumor was seen in five of 27 patients (19%), and in group II, in 16 of 26 (62%) (p = .001). The tumor margin was distinct in eight patients (30%) in group I and in 20 (77%) in group II (p = .001). Multiple tumors, perinodular extension, and portal vein thrombosis were more frequently seen in group I but the differences were not statistically significant (p > .05). Tumor size was similar in each group (p > .05). Conclusion: Preoperative CT findings that may help predict the early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after surgical resection are an absence of capsule of tumors and an indistinct margin. Reference to these findings during preoperative CT can guide clinicians in their choice of treatment.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.15-27
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• 2007

In Korea, hepatoma is the thirdly frequent cause of death from cancer occupying 17.2% among the whole deaths from cancer and the rate of death from hepatoma comes to about 21's persons per one-hundred thousand ones. This paper proposes an automatic method for the extraction of areas being suspicious as hepatoma from a CT scan and evaluates the availability as an auxiliary tool for the diagnosis of hepatoma. For detecting tumors in the internal of the liver from CT scans, first, an area of the liver is extracted from about $45{\sim}50's$ CT scans obtained by scanning in 2.5-mm intervals starting from the lower part of the chest. In the extraction of an area of the liver, after unconcerned areas outside of the ribs being removed, areas of the internal organs are separated and enlarged by using intensity information of the CT scan. The area of the liver is extracted among separated areas by using information on position and morphology of the liver. Since hepatoma is a hypervascular turner, the area corresponding to hepatoma appears more brightly than the surroundings in contrast-enhancement CT scans, and when hepatoma shows expansile growth, the area has a spherical shape. So, for the extraction of areas of hepatoma, areas being brighter than the surroundings and globe-shaped are selected as candidate ones in an area of the liver, and then, areas appearing at the same position in successive CT scans among the candidates are discriminated as hepatoma. For the performance evaluation of the proposed method, experiment results obtained by applying the proposed method to CT scans were compared with the diagnoses by radiologists. The evaluation results showed that all areas of the liver and liver tumors were extracted exactly and the proposed method has a high availability as an auxiliary diagnosis tools for the discrimination of liver tumors.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.456-465
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• 2023

Cervical tumors represent a prevalent form of cancer affecting women worldwide; current treatment options involve surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Angiogenesis, the process of new blood vessel formation, is a crucial factor in cervical tumor growth. The molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of the liver kinase B1 (LKB1/STK11) tumor suppressor protein on tumor angiogenesis have not been elucidated. Therefore, we investigated the role of LKB1 in cervical tumor angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo in this study. Our results demonstrated that LKB1 inhibited cervical tumor angiogenesis by suppressing the expression of angiogenesis-related factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hypoxia inducible factor-1α. LKB1 directly affected both carcinoma and vascular endothelial cells, resulting in a significant reduction in tumor growth and angiogenesis. Furthermore, LKB1 was found to bind to VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) and target the VEGFR-2-mediated protein kinase B/mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling pathway in endothelial cells, thereby reducing cervical tumor growth and angiogenesis. Our study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic effects of LKB1 in cervical cancer. These findings will help develop new therapeutic strategies for cervical cancer.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.79-84
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• 1998

Angiomyolipoma(AML) of the liver is a rare benign tumor; about 50 cases, almost solitary, have been reported. We present here a extremely rare case of multiple AML in the liver diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology(FNAC). Two large masses were found in a 51 year-old woman complaining of abdominal discomfort by computed tomography and several smaller masses are scattered in the liver. FNAC was performed, showing bundles of spindle shaped smooth muscle cells intermingled with mature fat cells. FNAC may be a valuable method for definitive diagnosis of hepatic AML. The diagnosis was further confirmed by histologic examination with immunohistochemical studies.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.66
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• pp.138-143
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• 2023

Liver fibrosis is caused by metabolic problems such as cholestasis, genetic problems, or viral infections. Inhibiting hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation or inducing selective apoptosis of activated HSCs is used as a treatment strategy for liver fibrosis. It has been reported that when HSCs are activated, their apoptosis sensitivity to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is enhanced because the expression of death receptor 5 is elevated. Finding a natural compound that can enhance the apoptotic effect of TRAIL on HSCs is a necessary strategy for liver fibrosis treatment. It was confirmed here that mangosteen-derived gartanin increased the effect of TRAIL-induced apoptosis by increasing the expression of DR5 in a p38-dependent manner in the hepatic stellate cell line LX-2. Combined treatment with gartanin and TRAIL accelerated DNA cleavage through caspase-3 activation and enhanced antifibrotic effects in LX-2 cells.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.143-146
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• 2015

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the small intestine is rare, and only 30 cases have been reported to date. This disease generally exhibits a very poor prognosis. Here we report the case of a 67-year-old man with a sarcomatoid carcinoma in the jejunum, who was hospitalized for diarrhea, fever, nausea, and vomiting. The tumor was located at the jejunum and had a large round shape with geographic necrosis. It involved the entire wall of the small intestine and had directly invaded the neighboring sigmoid colon. Both lobes of the liver had multiple metastases. The patient underwent surgical resection of the jejunum. On immunohistochemical analysis, the tumor was positive for epithelial and mesenchymal markers. The patient died from rapid progression of the liver metastases 6 weeks after the surgery.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.188-193
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• 2008

Angiomyolipoma of the liver is a rare benign tumor that's composed of variable mixtures of adipose tissue, smooth muscle and thick-walled blood vessels. We report here on the imprint cytologic features of a hepatic angiomyolipoma in a 47-year-old man. The smears showed spindle and epithelioid tumor cells in clusters, trabeculae and single cells. The spindle cells had elongated, cigar-shaped nuclei with finely granular chromatin and fibrillary cytoplasm. The epithelioid cells had round nuclei with a moderate amount of cytoplasm. Any adipose tissue was not found. Immunohistochemically, both the spindle and epithelioid cells revealed cytoplasmic positivity for smooth muscle actin and HMB-45.