Infrared thermographic changes after decompression surgery in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome

BACKGROUND

Digital infrared thermal imaging (DITI), which detects infrared rays emitted from body surface to create a body heat map, has been utilized at various musculocutaneous conditions. Notably, DITI can demonstrate autonomic vasomotor activity in the nerve-innervated area, and thus may be of use in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). In this study, we compared DITI findings before and after carpal tunnel release (CTR) surgery in patients with unilateral CTS to investigate the corresponding neurophysiological changes.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, DITI parameters such as the temperature differences between the median and ulnar nerve territories and median nerve-innervated digital anisometry were measured. Subjective symptom duration, pain scale, and ultrasonographic findings were also compared before and after CTR. Patients were evaluated before and 6 weeks after CTR, respectively.

RESULTS

A total of 27 patients aged 59.0 ± 11.2 years were finally included. After CTR, median nerve-innervated thermal anisometry was improved (2.55 ± 0.96 °C to 1.64 ± 1.34 °C; p = 0.003). The temperature differences between the median and ulnar nerve territories were not significantly changed. Subjective pain, the Simovic Weinberg Clinical Scale, and palmar bowing of the flexor retinaculum were also significantly improved (p <  0.001 for all comparisons).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrated that DITI findings could reflect an improvement in autonomic function after CTR. Therefore, DITI can be an objective method to assess pre- and post-operative neurophysiologic changes in CTS.

Feeling Blue and Getting Red: An Exploratory Study on the Effect of Color in the Processing of Emotion Information

Specific emotions and colors are associated. The current study tested whether the interference of colors with affective processing occurs solely in the semantic stage or extends to a more complex stage like the lexical processing of emotional words. We performed two experiments to determine the effect of colors on affective processing. In Experiment 1, participants completed a color-emotion priming task. The priming stimulus included a color-tinted (blue, red, and gray) image of a neutral face, followed by a target stimulus of gray-scaled emotional (angry and sad) and neutral faces after 50 ms. Experiment 2 used a modified emostroop paradigm and superimposed emotion words on the center of the color-tinted emotional and neutral faces. Results showed the priming effect of red for the angry face compared to the control, but not in blue for the sad face compared to the control. However, responses to the blue-sad pair were significantly faster than the red-sad pair. In the color-emostroop task, we observed a significant interaction between color and emotion target words in the modified emostroop task. Participants detected sad targets more accurately and faster in blue than red, but only in the incongruent condition. The results indicate that the influence of color in the processing of emotional information exists at the semantic level but found no evidence supporting the lexical level effect.

Electrophysiological markers of mind wandering: A systematic review

The ability to mentally wander away from the external environment is a remarkable feature of the human mind. Although recent years have witnessed a surge of interest in examining mind wandering using EEG, there is no comprehensive review that summarizes and accounts for the variable findings. Accordingly, we conducted a systematic review that synthesizes evidence from EEG studies that examined the electrophysiological measures of mind wandering. Our search yielded 42 studies that met eligibility criteria. The reviewed literature converges on a reduction in the amplitude of canonical ERP components (i.e., P1, N1 and P3) as the most reliable markers of mind wandering. Spectral findings were less robust, but point towards greater activity in lower frequency bands, (i.e., delta, theta, and alpha), as well as a decrease in beta band activity, during mind wandering compared to on-task states. The variability in these findings appears to be modulated by the task context. To integrate these findings, we propose an electrophysiological account of mind wandering that explains how the brain supports this inner experience. Conclusions drawn from this work will inform future endeavours in basic science to map out electrophysiological patterns underlying mind wandering and in translational science using EEG to predict the occurrence of this phenomenon.

A Preliminary Study for Translation and Validation of the Korean Version of The Cognitive, Affective, and Somatic Empathy Scale in Young Adults

OBJECTIVE

The cognitive, Affective, and Somatic Empathy Scale (CASES) suggests novel three components structure of empathy. Although CASES developed to assess the trait empathy of both children and adult, the validation in adult sample is not yet conducted. This study developed Korean version of CASES (CASES-K) and examined the psychometric properties in young adult for first time.

METHODS

Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to test whether the factor structure suggested in initial development study is valid in Korean young adult population. 350 young adults participated, and 44 of them also answered to other empathy scales for validation. The construct validity was ascertained through a series of correlational analysis with widely used trait empathy scales.

RESULTS

The result of confirmatory factor analysis supports the three-factor model of empathy consists of affective, cognitive and somatic facets. The construct validity was ascertained through a series of correlational analysis with widely used trait empathy scales. The result of correlational analysis supports the validity of CASES-K, and especially the separation of somatic empathy from affective empathy.

CONCLUSION

The current study provides the first evidence of the validity and utility of the CASES-K in young adult population. The result also supports the commonality of three factor structure of empathy in both East Asian and Caucasian, from the children to adults.

Growth disturbance after lengthening of the lower limb and quantitative assessment of physeal closure in skeletally immature patients with achondroplasia

This study evaluated the effect of limb lengthening on longitudinal growth in patients with achondroplasia. Growth of the lower extremity was assessed retrospectively by serial radiographs in 35 skeletally immature patients with achondroplasia who underwent bilateral limb lengthening (Group 1), and in 12 skeletally immature patients with achondroplasia who did not (Group 2). In Group 1, 23 patients underwent only tibial lengthening (Group 1a) and 12 patients underwent tibial and femoral lengthening sequentially (Group 1b). The mean lengthening in the tibia was 9.2 cm (59.5%) in Group 1a, and 9.0 cm (58.2%) in the tibia and 10.2 cm (54.3%) in the femur in Group 1b. The mean follow-up was 9.3 years (8.6 to 10.3). The final mean total length of lower extremity in Group 1a was 526.6 mm (501.3 to 552.9) at the time of skeletal maturity and 610.1 mm (577.6 to 638.6) in Group 1b, compared with 457.0 mm (411.7 to 502.3) in Group 2. However, the mean actual length, representing the length solely grown from the physis without the length of distraction, showed that there was a significant disturbance of growth after limb lengthening. In Group 1a, a mean decrease of 22.4 mm (21.3 to 23.1) (4.9%) was observed in the actual limb length when compared with Group 2, and a greater mean decrease of 38.9 mm (37.2 to 40.8) (8.5%) was observed in Group 1b when compared with Group 2 at skeletal maturity. In Group 1, the mean actual limb length was 16.5 mm (15.8 to 17.2) (3.6%) shorter in Group 1b when compared with Group 1a at the time of skeletal maturity. Premature physeal closure was seen mostly in the proximal tibia and the distal femur with relative preservation of proximal femur and distal tibia. We suggest that significant disturbance of growth can occur after extensive limb lengthening in patients with achondroplasia, and therefore, this should be included in pre-operative counselling of these patients and their parents.

Expression of HMGI(Y) associated with malignant phenotype of human gastric tissue

AIMS

We evaluated the association between HMGI(Y) expression and the detection of malignant cells by simple reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and correlated the level of HMGI(Y) expression and the clinicopathological data in gastric cancer.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We analysed HMGI(Y) expression in 62 gastric cancer tissues and 28 normal gastric tissues by RT-PCR and immunohistochemical study. HMGI(Y) expression evidenced by RT-PCR was observed in 42 (67.7%) of 62 gastric cancer samples, whereas eight (28.6%) of 28 normal gastric tissues were positive (P = 0.001). In immunohistochemical staining for HMGI(Y), 48 (77.4%) of 62 gastric cancers were positive for HMGI(Y), whereas four (6.5%) of 62 normal gastric mucosae around the tumour were weakly positive, particularly in cells of some hyperplastic glands (P < 0.001). There was no significant correlation between the levels of HMGI(Y) expression and stage, tumour size, histological grade, invasion depth, or lymph node metastasis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that HMGI(Y) expression could be associated with malignant phenotype in human gastric tissue, and that HMGI(Y) may contribute to gastric tumorigenesis.

Association of maspin expression with the high histological grade and lymphocyte-rich stroma in early-stage breast cancer

AIMS

Maspin is a recently described member of the serpin family or protease inhibitors that is known to be a tumour suppressor gene product. Loss of maspin expression has been found in most breast cancer cases and is correlated with cell motility and tumour invasiveness. However, its precise role in human breast cancer remains to be discovered. We aimed to evaluate the role of maspin in early-stage breast cancer.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We analysed the expression of maspin in 192 stage I and II primary breast cancers by immunohistochemistry. Of these cases, 34.4% showed maspin expression. Maspin expression was more frequently found in invasive ductal carcinoma (36.4%) than in invasive lobular carcinoma (7.1%). High maspin expression was demonstrated in breast cancers showing high histological grade or lymphocyte-rich stroma (P < 0.05). Maspin expression was not associated with overall and disease-free survival rate of breast cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that different biological mechanisms may be responsible for maspin expression in histologically distinct types of breast cancer. Our survey suggests that maspin expression in breast cancer might have a compensatory role rather than prognostic one.

Caspase-3/CPP32 immunoreactivity and its correlation with frequency of apoptotic bodies in human prostatic carcinomas and benign nodular hyperplasias

AIMS

Apoptosis is mediated by apoptosis-specific genes, certain oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes. Caspase-3, a group of cystein proteases, is involved in the induction of apoptosis and has been considered to correlate with apoptosis. The aim of this study was to determine whether caspase-3 is expressed in prostatic carcinoma and benign prostatic hyperplasia, and correlated with the apoptosis.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We studied the apoptotic index and caspase-3 immunoreactivity in 40 cases of benign nodular hyperplasia (BPH) and 40 cases of prostate carcinoma (PCA) by in-situ labelling and immunohistochemistry. The mean number of apoptotic bodies in cases with BPH was not significantly different from cases with PCA I (Gleason score 2-4), but samples from patients with PCA II (Gleason score 5-7) and PCA III (Gleason score 8-10) showed a significantly higher apoptotic number than cases with BPH. Positive staining for caspase-3 was seen in 42.5% (17/40) of the BPH, and 27.5% (11/40) of the PCA: PCA I was 41.7% (5/12), PCA II 14.3% (2/14) and PCA III was 28.6% (4/14).

CONCLUSIONS

Based on our results, the number of apoptotic bodies was not correlated with the caspase-3 expression and there was no relationship between caspase-3 expression and Gleason score. However, the number of apoptotic bodies was significantly higher in cases with intermediate (Gleason score 5-7) and high-grade (Gleason score 8-10) PCAs than cases with BPH and low-grade PCAs (Gleason score 2-4).

Mutation and expression of the p27KIP1 and p57KIP2 genes in human gastric cancer

Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKI) are negative regulators of cell cycle progression by binding the cyclin-CDK complex and inhibiting the CDK activity. Genetic alteration in the CDKI genes has been implicated for carcinogenesis. To test the genetic alteration in the p27 and p57 genes, KIP family CDKI genes, 30 gastric tumor-normal pairs and 8 gastric cancer cell lines were analyzed for mutations by polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP). No mutation was detected in these genes although length polymorphisms in the proline-alanine repeat of the p57 gene were detected. When the p27 and p57 mRNAs were analyzed in gastric cancer cell lines by RT-PCR, the p27 mRNA was expressed considerably high in tumor cells but expression of the p57 mRNA was much low in gastric cancer cell lines compared to that of normal cells. The result suggests that inactivation of gene expression rather than mutations in the p57 gene accounts possibly for the involvement of this gene in tumorigenesis of gastric cancer. However, expression of the p27 gene seems to be essential for cell survival.

Reduced expression of the cell-cycle inhibitor p27Kip1 is associated with progression and lymph node metastasis of gastric carcinoma

AIMS

p27Kip1 (p27), a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, plays an important role as inhibiting the progression of the cell cycle. Decreased expression of p27 is associated with high histological grade and aggressiveness of several human tumours. We aimed to evaluate the role of p27 in the progression and metastasis of gastric carcinoma.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We analysed the expression of p27 in 67 primary gastric carcinomas and 31 lymph node metastases by immunohistochemistry. Reduced expression of p27 was found more frequently in advanced gastric cancer (40.9%) than in early gastric cancer (15.6%) (P < 0.001). Decreased p27 expression correlated with large tumour size, high histological grade, lymphatic invasion, advanced stage, deep invasion, lymph node metastasis and recurrence. The expression of p27 showed an inverse correlation with the Ki67 labelling index. There was a significant reduction of p27 expression in metastatic tumour cells in lymph nodes (mean positive cells: 3. 7%) when compared to the corresponding primary gastric carcinomas (mean positive cells: 8.1%) (P = 0.008).

CONCLUSIONS

Alterations of p27 expression may play an important role in the progression and metastasis to lymph node of tumour cells in human gastric carcinoma.

Expression of the HMGI(Y) gene in human colorectal cancer

Expression of HMGI(Y), a nucleoprotein that binds to A/T rich sequences in the minor groove of the DNA helix, is observable in neoplastically transformed cells but not in normal cells. We have analyzed HMGI(Y) expression in colorectal cancer and evaluated its clinicopathologic significance. HMGI(Y) mRNA was measured by CRT-PCR (competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction). Immunohistochemical staining for HMGI(Y), p53 and Ki-67 was performed in the same colon cancer tissues, and the results in colorectal tissues were similar to those of RT-PCR. HMGI(Y) expression evidenced by RT-PCR was observed in 63 of 64 (98.4%) colorectal cancer samples, and 2 of 5 (40%) adenomatous polyps, whereas 21 normal colon samples were negative (p<0.001). High HMGI(Y) expression using CRT-PCR was found in colon cancers with a high Ki-67 labeling index (p<0.001). There was no significant correlation between the levels of HMGI(Y) expression and stage, tumor size, lymph node metastasis, histologic grade and immunohistochemical status of p53. Our results indicate that the HMGI(Y) expression may occur at an early stage of carcinogenesis and correlate with cell proliferation. Int. J. Cancer (Pred. Oncol.), 84:376-380, 1999.

Apoptosis induced by propolis in human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line

Propolis has been reported to exhibit a wide spectrum of activities including antibiotic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, immunostimulatory and tumor carcinostatic properties. We showed propolis induced apoptosis in a human hepatoma cell line (SNU449) by FITC-Annexin V/PI staining. We also compared the apoptosis inducing effect between Korean and Commercial (Sigma # p-1010) propolis. There was no difference on apoptosis between them.

p21 expression and mutation in gastric carcinoma: analysis by immunohistochemistry and PCR-SSCP

p21 protein has been reported to be a critical downstream effector of p53 and a potent inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases. Thus, the p21 gene is thought to play a central role in tumor suppression. In this study we investigated p21 protein expression and mutation in gastric adenocarcinoma. A total of 76 primary gastric carcinoma specimens were immunohistochemically stained for p21 protein expression and evaluated the correlations between p21 expression and clinicopathologic features. In a proportion of them (20 cases), we also analyzed the possible presence of p21 gene mutations using PCR-SSCP method. Fourty seven out of 76 cases (61.8%) were p21-negative, and the remaining twenty nine cases (38.2%) were p21 -positive on immunostains. There was a correlation between the expression of p21, and the depth of tumor invasion and lymph node metastasis (p<0.05). No mutation of the p21 gene was detected in all of 20 tumor tissues. These results suggest that the status of p21 expression may have prognostic value in gastric adenocarcinoma.

Relationship of transforming growth factor beta 1 to angiogenesis in gastric carcinoma

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) comprises a group of multifunctional regulatory proteins, whose effects include angiogenesis. The expression of TGF-beta 1 in gastric carcinomas (70 cases) has been determined and related to pathological features and microvessel count by immunohistochemical staining for TGF-beta 1 and Factor VIII related antigen. Prominent reactivity for TGF-beta 1 was associated with the depth of invasion (r = 0.2; p < 0.05) and increased microvessel count (r = 0.5; p < 0.05). Also, the microvessel count had a significant correlation with invasiveness (r = 0.34; p < 0.05) and lymph node metastasis (r = 0.28; p < 0.05). These findings indicate that TGF-beta 1 may have a role in tumor invasion and angiogenesis.

Transforming growth factor beta 1 expression in gastric carcinoma

Many types of human malignant tumor have been reported to amplify transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) gene and overexpress its protein. However, little work has been done about the content of TGF-beta 1 protein in tissue and blood of patients with malignant tumors. TGF-beta 1 protein of tissue (n = 29) and serum TGF-beta 1 levels in patients with gastric carcinoma (n = 62) were compared with those in normal subjects (n = 10) using a TGF-beta 1 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Also, expression of TGF-beta 1 mRNA (n = 20) and immunohistochemical distribution of the protein (n = 70) in gastric carcinoma tissues were studied. The immunohistochemical expression of TGF-beta 1 protein was significantly correlated with the tissue TGF-beta 1 content (r = 0.45 : p < 0.05). The content of TGF-beta 1 was 311 +/- 212 ng/g wet carcinoma tissue. TGF-beta 1 mRNA was expressed in gastric carcinoma cells. However, unexpectedly serum TGF-beta 1 levels in patients with gastric carcinoma were lower (97.1 +/- 29.4 ng/ml) than those in normal subjects (140.3 +/- 85.7 ng/ml, P < 0.05). Our results support that the tumor cells directly produce TGF-beta 1 and that semiquantitative immunohistochemical staining method for TGF-beta 1 protein is a validative method for TGF-beta 1 protein quantitation.

Expression of bFGF and VEGF in brain astrocytoma

Neovascularization is an important factor in the prognosis of brain tumor and many angiogenetic factors have been evaluated for prognostic significance. Among them, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are known as potent angiogentic factors and mitogens. We evaluated seven cases of grade II brain astrocytoma. Four, group A, was diagnosed as anaplastic progression at their second operation, and three, group B, did not. Using monoclonal antibodies to bFGF and VEGF in paraffin embedded tissue from first operation, their immunoreactivity and differences between two groups were examined. The growth fractions of these tumor were also measured by Ki-67 monoclonal antibodies (MIB1). Immunostaining for bFGF in tumor cells were observed in both nuclei and cytoplasm, and for VEGF, mainly observed in the cytoplasm. Mean cell count number +/- standard deviation per high power field in each were as follows: 1) for bFGF, 20.08 +/- 6.38 in group A and 0.87 +/- 0.90 in group B (P < 0.01), 2) for VEGF, 43.75 +/- 17.09 in group A, and 0.8 +/- 1.06 in group B (P < 0.05) and 3) for the proliferation index with Ki-67 antibodies, 3.20 +/- 0.81 in group A and 0.77 +/- 1.03 in group B (P < 0.05). This data supports the assertion that angiogenetic factor such as bFGF and VEGF may contribute to progressive change of astrocytoma by tumor angiogenesis.

A case of retroperitoneal teratoma with nephroblastoma

We present a case of retroperitoneal teratoma in a 4-year-old girl in which a Wilms' tumor-like element was predominant, unlike the usual pattern of the immature or malignant teratoma. Mature elements were composed of adipose tissue, neural plexus and ganglia, cartilage, smooth and skeletal muscles, and glandular epithelium of the respiratory and gastrointestinal types. Three months after complete excision of the mass, a recurrent tumor developed. It consisted of only nephroblastomatous elements without teratomatous components. Theories for the histogenesis of this rare tumor are discussed.