Search

Poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PDMAEMA) was grafted onto the bromine-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) by applying an atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The PDMAEMA-functionalized MWNT was characterized by Fourier transform infrared, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, and four-probe resistivity meter. The wt % of PDMAEMA present in the PDMAEMA-functionalized MWNT was estimated by applying the thermogram results for thermal gravimetric analysis. Variations of PDMAEMA content in the PDMAEMA-functionalized MWNT were tried by changing the ATRP process conditions such as the type of ligand and copper complex, the amount of DMAEMA based on the weight of bromine-functionalized MWNT, and the polymerization temperature. The phase behavior of PDMAEMA-functionalized MWNT in water depending on temperature and pH value was analyzed, and the PDMAEMA-functionalized MWNT showed the amphipathic nature. The PDMAEMA-functionalized MWNT clearly showed an antibacterial effect against E. coli as well as S. aureus. The highest viability loss of E. coli achieved in this study was ∼ 42% with the PDMAEMA-functionalized MWNT containing 53.9 wt % of PDMAEMA. The PDMAEMA-functionalized MWNT showed sheet resistance less than ∼ 9.68 × 103 Ω/sq. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci., 2013

원자이동 라디칼중합(atom transfer radical polymerization: ATRP) 반응을 이용하여 poly(methyl methacrylate)(PMMA)와 poly((2-dimethyl amino)ethyl methacrylate)(PDMAEMA) 등의 아크릴계 고분자가 각각 multi-walled carbon nanotube(MWNT) 표면에 그래프팅된 MWNT/PMMA 및 MWNT/PDMAEMA 나노복합체를 제조하였다. FTIR과 XRD 분석을 통하여 나노복합체에 존재하는 아크릴계 고분자의 특성피크를 확인하였으며 열중량분석법(TGA) 가열감량 곡선 분석을 통하여 ATRP 반응의 라디칼 리빙성이 유지됨을 확인하였다. 투과전자현미경(TEM)분석을 통하여 아크릴계 고분자가 MWNT에 그래프팅된 나노복합체의 형태(morphology)를 확인하였으며 Raman 분광분석을 수행함으로써 MWNT/PMMA 및 MWNT/PDMAEMA 나노복합체에서 고분자와 MWNT 사이에 공유결합이 형성되어 나타나는 스펙트럼 상의 D 밴드 및 G 밴드의 위치 및 세기 변화를 확인하였다.

Mechanical properties of steel–concrete interfaces are evaluated on the basis of three existing experimental evidences. The properties include bond strength, unbonded and bonded friction parameters, residual level of the friction parameter, normal fracture energy release rate, bonded and unbonded slip fracture energy release rates under different levels of normal stress, and shape parameters defining the geometrical shape of the failure envelope. For this purpose, a typical type of constitutive model for describing steel–concrete interface behavior is presented based on a hyperbolic three-parameter failure criterion. The constitutive model depicts the strong dependency of interface behavior on bonding condition of the interface, bonded or unbonded. Mechanical roles of the interface parameters are discussed with reference to those of the presented interface constitutive model. Values of the interface parameters are determined through interpretation of existing experimental results, geometry of the failure envelope and sensitivity analyses. These values are applied to push-out tests of concrete-infilled rectangular steel columns with three different cases of interface lengths. The failure process of concrete-infilled rectangular steel columns is discussed through comparison of experimental measurements with numerical results.

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) nanoparticles were prepared via a miniemulsion polymerization process. The chemical oxidative polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) occurred in the presence of β-1,3-glucan with the injection of an aqueous oxidant solution, and the nanodroplets of EDOT were transformed to PEDOT nanoparticles dispersed in the aqueous medium. The aqueous emulsion of PEDOT nanoparticles showed relatively long emulsion stability (> 8 weeks), and the recovered solid nanoparticles were also redispersible in deionized water without deposition. The size and size distribution of PEDOT nanoparticles could be controlled by adjusting the operating conditions of the ultrasonifier before the polymerization process. The building-up of a shearing force decreases the size of the PEDOT nanoparticles and also causes the occurrence of a multimodal size distribution for the PEDOT nanoparticles. The electrical conductivity of the PEDOT nanoparticles was 0.28–1.20 S cm−1. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011

The risk of recurrence after laparoscopy-assisted radical gastrectomy (LAG) was investigated. Clinical data of 398 consecutive patients who underwent radical gastrectomy with R0 resection for gastric cancer at Gyeongsang National University Hospital between January 2005 and December 2007 were reviewed retrospectively. Of the patients, 65.4% (n = 261) and 34.6% (n = 138) underwent LAG and open radical gastrectomy (OG), respectively. Of the LAG cases, 73.2% (n = 192), 10.7% (n = 28), 12.6% (n = 33), and 3.1% (n = 8) had stage I, II, III, and IV gastric cancer, respectively. All patients were followed up for a mean of 36.8 ± 13.7 months, and 14.6% (n = 58) had recurrence during the follow-up period. Univariate analysis revealed that tumor size, tumor–node–metastasis (TNM) stage, method of approach (LAG versus OG), and operation type were associated significantly with recurrence. Multivariate analysis revealed that only high TNM stage was significantly associated with recurrence (P = 0.00). While patients who underwent OG had higher incidence of recurrence than patients who underwent LAG, OG was not significantly associated with recurrence on multivariate analysis (P = 0.06). LAG and OG did not differ significantly in terms of recurrence, even when used in advanced gastric cancer cases. Multivariate analysis revealed that high TNM stage was significantly associated with recurrence. Thus, LAG appears to be a safe and feasible procedure that has the potential to be an alternative to open surgery, even for advanced gastric cancer.

Background Palliative chemotherapy has been shown to have a survival benefit for patients with recurrent or metastatic gastric cancer. 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatin have been widely used in a variety of combinations. We conducted a phase II study of combination chemotherapy with new agents, S-1 and oxaliplatin (SOx), in advanced gastric cancer patients in an effort to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of this regimen. Method Histologically confirmed recurrent or metastatic gastric cancer were treated by the oral administration of S-1 80 mg/m2/day on days 1–28, and oxaliplatin 85 mg/m2 administered as a 90-min intravenous infusion on days 1, 15, and 29. Treatment courses were repeated every 6 weeks. Patients received a maximum of four cycles. Results From Feb 2006 to May 2008, 41 patients were enrolled in this study. The ratio of males to females was 28 to 13. The median patient age was 61 years (range, 36–74 years), and 85.4% (35/41) of the patients had a performance status (ECOG) of 1. The median number of chemotherapy cycles administered was 3 (range, 1–4). According to the results of our Intent-to-Treat analysis, 22 patients (53.7%) achieved a partial response (95% CI, 38–70%). 15 patients (36.6%) evidenced a stable disease, and 1 patient (2.4%) progressed during the course of the treatment. 3 patients were lost to follow-up prior to evaluation. The median time to progression and overall survival time were 4.6 months (95% CI, 3.4–5.8 months) and 7.8 months (95% CI, 6.9–8.7 months) from the start of the chemotherapy, respectively. A total of 114 cycles were assessed for toxicity. The major hematologic toxicities included grade 2 anemia (41.2%), grade 1-2 neutropenia (28.1%), and grade 1 thrombocytopenia (23.7%). Only 1 cycle of neutropenic fever occurred. The non-hematological toxicities observed were grade 3 vomiting (12.2%) and grade 3 diarrhea (4.9%). No treatment-related deaths occurred in our patient population during the study period. Conclusion The SOx regimen evidenced a relatively high response rate and was well tolerated as a first-line therapy for advanced gastric cancer.

R&D Center, MIDAS IT, Seongnam 462-807, KoreaABSTRACT Mechanical properties of steel-concrete interface were evaluated on the basis of experimental observations. Theproperties included bond strength, unbounded and bonded friction angles, residual level of friction angle, mode I fracture energy,mode II bonded fracture energy and unbonded slip-friction energy under different levels of normal stress, and shape parametersto define geometrical shape of failure envelope. For this purpose, a typical type of constitutive model of describing steel-concreteinterface behavior was presented based on a hyperbolic three-parameter Mohr-Coulomb type failure criterion. The constitutivemodel depicts the strong dependency of interface behavior on bonding condition of interface, bonded or unbounded. Values of theinterface parameters were determined through interpretation of experimental results, geometry of failure envelope and sensitivityanalysis. Nonlinear finite element analysis that incorporates steel-concrete interface as well as material nonlinearities of concreteand steel were performed to predict the experimental results. Keywords : steel-concrete interface, interface parameter, Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion, confining pressure, interface finite ele-ment analysis

Experiments on steel-concrete interface are performed to investigate and determine the mechanical roles and prop- erties of interface parameters. The intrinsic different nature of bonded and unbonded interfaces are addressed based on the exper- imental observations that were obtained from two types of tests considering bonded and unbonded interfaces. The unbonded tests are performed for the specimens that are in unbonded when the initially bonded specimens are tested first. Four cases of lateral confinements including pure slip, and low and medium levels of lateral pressure are taken into account to investigate the effects of lateral confinements on interface behavior. It is shown that the maximum shear strengths, the levels of residual strengths and the Mode II fracture energy release rates are linearly related to the confinement levels. Based on the experimental evidences obtained from this study, the values of interface parameters required in a steel-concrete interface constitutive model will be pre- sented in the companion paper.

This study investigated the factors affecting the length of the minilaparotomy incision (LOMI) in laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy with Billroth I reconstruction. By using abdominal computed tomography scans, we measured the thickness of the rectus muscle (TRM), the thickness of the abdominal wall (TAW), and the distance from the gastroduodenal artery to the skin (GDAS) in 80 patients with early gastric cancer who had undergone surgery. There were positive correlations between the LOMI and body mass index (BMI), TRM, and TAW, and the LOMI increased significantly in patients with BMI > or =25 kg/m2, TAW > or =2.1 cm, and TRM > or =1.0 cm. These observations suggest that patients with two or more of the following clinical factors, BMI > or =25 kg/m2, TAW > or =2.1 cm, and TRM > or =1.0 cm, may require surgical procedures other than laparoscopy-assisted Billroth I, such as total laparoscopic intracorporeal Billroth I, Billroth II, or uncut Roux-en-Y reconstruction.

Appendicitis caused by a foreign body is quite rare; however, ingested foreign bodies that enter into the appendix may not be able to reenter the colon and may cause appendicitis or perforation. An accurate and prompt diagnosis is essential for minimizing morbidity. We report a case of a 39-year-old patient in whom ultrasonography was the key diagnostic tool in detecting appendicitis caused by a foreign body of dental origin.

The use of ultrasonography (USG) has become an essential part of endocrine surgical practice. We evaluated the value of USG in predicting malignancy of thyroid nodules. The accuracy of USG in 857 patients who underwent fine-needle aspiration (FNA) with or without surgery was analyzed in a prospective setting. The diagnostic accuracy of USG was compared to that of FNA and of combined models in 153 operated patients. The malignancy-predicting value of USG in follicular neoplasms and its relation to nodule size were also investigated. Sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy (OA) of USG were 84.9%, 95.5%, and 93.7%, respectively. In operated patients, USG had accuracy comparable to that of FNA and combined models (sensitivity 93.3%, specificity 90.6%, OA 92.0%) regardless of nodule size but showed a significant rate of indeterminate results (29.4%). For follicular neoplasms, the sensitivity, specificity, and OA of USG were 100%, 95.4%, and 96.1%, respectively, with indeterminate results for three malignant nodules (42.8%). This acceptable malignancy-predicting value of USG in thyroid nodules supports the potential role of USG for predicting malignancy in selected patients with thyroid nodules. However, the high rate of indeterminate results precludes it from being a standard independent diagnostic method for the present time.

We herein report a rare case of myositis ossificans originating from the abdominal rectus muscle, found in a 38-year-old woman who presented with a left upper abdominal mass. The mass was initially suspected to be a malignant neoplasm because no history of either operation or trauma existed for this patient. Moreover, the location of the mass was unusual and the enhancement patterns of the dynamic magnetic resonance images were similar to that of a malignant tumor. Based on the radiologic findings, a surgical exploration was performed. A well-circumscribed mass, which measured 3.2 x 2 cm, was found in the rectus muscle. Microscopic findings showed a typical zonal pattern with a fibroblastic central zone and a zone of ossification at the periphery. Although abdominal myositis ossificans is extremely rare, it is one of the causes of abdominal mass lesions and can be mistaken for a malignant tumor. Therefore, a thorough knowledge of the evolution of myositis ossificans is necessary and in cases with malignant suggestion on magnetic resonance imaging, like that seen in our case, we suggest that a surgical excision may be necessary for both the diagnosis and treatment.

The intraoperative assessment of lymph node status is important when performing limited surgery in gastric cancer patients. Currently available techniques for this assessment are frozen section, imprint cytology, and other molecular methods; most current studies use the frozen-section method. In the present study, we focused on the accuracy and feasibility of imprint cytology as a tool to assess lymph node status intraoperatively in gastric cancer surgery.Between April 2001 and March 2003, we performed imprint cytology of the sentinel nodes in 260 consecutive patients. After review by an experienced cytopathologist, the sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy of the method were determined.The time required for the intraoperative imprint cytology was 8 min, and the sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy were 52.2%, 88.8%, and 73.8%, respectively.Imprint cytology could be a useful technique for the assessment of lymph node status intraoperatively if the sensitivity and specificity can be improved to an acceptable level.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a rare primary malignant liver tumor with an extremely poor prognosis. Recently its incidence has increased, however, little attention has been directed to factors related to its molecular carcinogenesis, including oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes and cell cycle-related proteins. ICC is generally characterized by strong proliferation, invasion and early metastasis. These biological behaviors of ICC, with respect to the genetic and molecular aspects, remain to be clarified. In this study, we performed a proteomic analysis to identify the proteomic alterations associated with carcinogenesis of ICC. Protein expression profiles of sixteen cases of ICC were compared with those of adjacent non-involved bile duct tissue. Among the 151 protein spots that showed a statistically significant expression difference (P

Although natural orifice extraction is now widely performed, there have been no reports of this procedure following subtotal gastrectomy for gastric cancer. This report describes trans-vaginal specimen extraction in four patients with early gastric cancer. The clinical data of four patients with early gastric cancer were reviewed. Totally laparoscopic subtotal gastrectomy and D1 + β lymph node dissection was performed using five trocars and a conventional procedure. Posterior colpotomy was performed by an experienced gynecologist, who retrieved the specimens in a retrieval bag via the trans-vaginal route. The colpotomy site was repaired immediately following specimen removal. Reconstruction was performed using the intracorporeal Billroth II method and an endo-GIA 60. Totally laparoscopic subtotal gastrectomy and trans-vaginal specimen extraction was successfully accomplished in all patients without intraoperative complications. The present technique may be a safe and feasible operative procedure for some limited groups of elderly female patients with early gastric cancer.

The aim of the present study was to describe a method of gastric lymphatic basin dissection for sentinel node biopsy using natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery with laparoscopic assistance (hybrid NOTES) in a porcine model. Lymph node dissection was performed in three healthy female domestic farm pigs (each around 40 kg) between October, 2007, and December, 2007. The pigs were administered a general anesthetic and laparoscopy-guided transvaginal colpotomy was performed. A two-channel endoscope was then inserted through the incision into the peritoneal cavity via the transvaginal route. An endoscope was inserted simultaneously into the mouth and indocyanine green solution was injected into the submucosal layer of the gastric wall at four sites. Dyed omentum and lymphatics were dissected using a laparoscopic dissector and the grasping forceps of a transvaginal endoscope. Lymphatics and omentum (mean 13.3 cm, range 8-20 cm) were removed transvaginally. The mean number of detected and resected sentinel nodes was 2.6 (range 1-4, diameter 2~12 mm). Sentinel lymphatic basin dissection was performed successfully and without intraoperative complications in all three cases. Hybrid NOTES is technically feasible, and this procedure may represent an alternative to laparoscopic sentinel lymph node dissection of the stomach.

We have recently developed an endoscopic thyroidectomy using a gasless axillary approach and report the surgical outcome of the procedure.The gasless axillary approach was performed through a 3-cm axillary incision using a retractor instead of carbon dioxide insufflation. We performed a total of 35 thyroidectomies using this technique in patients with benign thyroid nodules.Thirty-four cases were successfully completed with the gasless axillary approach; one case had to be converted to a conventional technique after intraoperative frozen section revealed papillary carcinoma. The mean operative time and mean hospital stay were 180.6 +/- 54.5 minutes and 7.1 +/- 0.9 days, respectively. The mean tumor size was 2.9 +/- 1.4 cm. There were three minor postoperative complications: one case each of wound seroma, transient voice change, and persistent wound pain. All patients were satisfied with the cosmetic result. The axillary scars were not visible when the ipsilateral arms were in their natural position.Endoscopic thyroidectomy using a gasless axillary approach is a safe procedure that offers a good cosmetic result and has the merits of minimal invasiveness even in patients with a large thyroid mass. It is a safe and feasible alternative to traditional thyroid surgery, especially in young female patients with a large thyroid mass.

Understanding the molecular background of breast cancer biology is critical in developing new biomarkers for earlier diagnosis and more optimized treatment. We performed a proteomic analysis of human breast carcinoma tissues to investigate the tumor-specific protein expression in breast carcinoma. Using 2-dimensional electorphoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), we were able to identify a list of proteins which are upregulated in cancerous tissue. There was significant increase of galectin-1 expression in all cancerous tissues compared to noncancerous tissues, and its increased expression was further confirmed by western blot immunostaining. Subsequent immunohistochemical staining against galectin-1 in 105 breast cancer specimens showed significant correlation between galectin-1 expression in cancer-associated stromal cells and tumor invasiveness, T stage, TNM stage, and axillary lymph node metastasis. Galectin-1 expressionin cancer cells showed no correlation to above-mentioned pathologic variables. Hormonal receptor status and galectin-1 expression showed no correlation. This study demonstrates the upregulation of galectin-1 in breast carcinoma tissues and the clinical significance of galectin-1 in breast cancer patients. Our data supports the recently highlighted roles of galectin-1 in cancer-associated stroma and in tumor immune privilege. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Billroth I gastroduodenostomy is an anastomotic procedure used widely after gastric resection for distal gastric cancer. As laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) gains increasing popularity, various techniques of laparoscopic gastroduodenal anastomosis are being introduced.To investigate the feasibility and benefit of their novel surgical technique of intracorporeal Billroth I stapled anastomosis using a hand access device (IBISA-HAD), the authors performed LADG using IBISA-HAD for 23 patients with distal gastric cancer and LADG using minilaparotomy Billroth I stapled anastomosis (MLBISA) for 10 patients.The time required for the anastomosis procedure of IBISA-HAD was 45.5 +/- 12.0 min, and the operative time, perioperative transfusion, and hospital stay were not significantly different between IBISA-HAD and MLBISA. The IBISA-HAD procedure provided a markedly enhanced vision of the stapling process, leading to less wound retraction and extension than MLBISA.The IBISA-HAD technique can provide a markedly enhanced view of the stapling procedure with the help of a current state-of-art laparoscopy system. The authors believe that this novel technique can guide an accurate laparoscopic anastomosis for the surgeon dealing with obese patients who have distal gastric cancer.

A malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) is a rare neoplasm arising from peripheral nerve sheath. Here, we report the first case of MPNST arising in the colon and also the youngest case of MPNST in the gastrointestinal tract. The patient was a 2-day-old neonate with symptoms and signs of intestinal obstruction. The patient had no family history or stigmata of neurofibromatosis type 1. A computed tomographic scan revealed a 5-cm-sized mass in ascending colon causing intestinal obstruction, and emergent right hemicolectomy was performed. The microscopic examination showed atypical spindle cells with hyperchromatic nuclei and high mitotic activity. The results of immunohistochemical staining, which showed positivity for S-100 and vimentin as well as negativity for smooth muscle actin, CD34, and c-Kit, supported the final diagnosis of MPNST. Genetic analysis of the patient revealed no abnormalities. After surgery, the patient recovered uneventfully and has been free of the disease for 17 months.

Backgrounds Angiosarcoma occurs very rarely in the gastrointestinal tract and can present great diagnostic difficulty, especially when it is associated with intraabdominal abscess or granulation tissue. Case presentation We report a case where the angiosarcoma was diagnosed after the occurrence of disseminated angiosarcoma and concurrent hemoperitoneum. The tumor developed in the fibrous capsule of a foreign body, which was possibly related to the previous appendectomy twenty years ago, and became a widely disseminated malignant neoplasm in the abdomen. After the operation, the patient's course was dominated by a fatal consumptive coagulapathy. Pathologic examination of the multiple intra-abdominal lesions showed the histological and immunohistological characteristics of the angiosarcoma. Conclusion Even though angiosarcoma in the gastrointestinal tract is extremely rare, when dealing with intraabdominal abscess or the gastrointestinal bleeding in patients who have undergone surgery or radiation therapy in the past, the possibility of angiosarcoma should be considered. To make the definite diagnosis of angiosarcoma and to avoid the misdiagnosis of foreign body granuloma, thorough histological examination and immunohistochemical staining may be prerequisite.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors of reflux associated complications (reflux symptoms, reflux esophagitis, and esophageal stricture) after gastrectomy for proximal gastric cancer. Methods: 150 patients with proximal gastric cancer were included from January 2005 to December 2008. Their medical and surgical records were retrospectively analyzed concerning clinical and pathologic characteristics, operation methods, morbidity, reflux associated complications and nutritional states. Results: Tumor sizes and operation methods were statistically significant in univariate analysis of risk factors for reflux associated complications (P＜0.05). However, only operation methods were statistically significant in multivariate analysis (P=0.00). We, thus, compared operation methods. There were no significant differences in morbidity, body weight, hemoglobin, serum cholesterol, protein and albumin between total gastrectomy groups and proximal gastrectomy groups (P＞0.05). However, reflux complications were significantly more common in proximal gastrectomy groups (72.4%) than in total gastrectomy groups (29.5%). Severe reflux esophagitis (LA classification C or D) was found in only proximal gastrectomy groups. Conclusion: Total gastrectomy is favorable for proximal early gastric cancer in terms of reduced esophageal reflux complications.

Purpose: Combined organ resection is a common operation in gastric cancer surgery. The aim of this study is to investigate the risk of combined minor organ resection (GB, gynecologic organ, appendix etc) in gastric cancer surgery. Methods: The clinical data from 673 consecutive patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer at a single center were retrospectively analyzed. We investigated clinical data between open groups (OG) and laparoscopy groups (LAG), and we divided the patients into 3 groups: no resection group, minor organ resection group and major organ (spleen, pancreas, and colon) resection group. Results: There were higher complication rates in major organ resection group (59.3%, 53.8%) than no resection (32.3%, 19.1%) or minor organ resection groups (38.7%, 20%) both in OG and LAG (P＜0.05). However, there were longer hospital stays in minor (22.2 days) and major resection groups (24.1) than no resection group (16.2) in OG, but stays were longer in major resection group (30.9) than minor (14.5) and no resection group (16.2) in LAG (P＜0.01). Operative times were longer in minor (287 min) and major organ resection group (310) than no resection group (243) in OG (P＜0.00). However, operation time was longer in major resection group (505) than minor (415) and no resection group (370) in LAG (P=0.00). Conclusion: Combined minor organ resection with gastrectomy does not increase morbidity, and there is no statistical difference in hospital stay and op time than no resection group in LAG.

Purpose: Intraoperative assessment of lymph node status is important when performing limited surgery in gastric cancer patients. Currently available techniques are frozen section, imprint cytology, and other molecular methods, and most current studies use the frozen section method. In the present study, the authors focused on the accuracy and the feasibility of imprint cytology as a tool to assess the lymph node status intraoperatively in gastric cancer surgery. Materials and Methods: Between April 2001 and March 2003, we performed imprint cytology of the sentinel nodes of 260 consecutive patients. After review by an experienced cytopathologist, the sensitivity, the specificity and the overall accuracy were determined. Results: The time required for intraoperative imprint cytology was 8 minutes, and the sensitivity, the specificity and the overall accuracy were 52.2%, 88.8%, and 73.8%, respectively. Conclusion: Imprint cytology can be a useful technique for assessing lymph node status intraoperatively if the sensitivity and the specificity can be improved to an acceptable level.

Purpose: Considering that nutritional state correlates to immunity, we performed this study to evaluate the correlation by assessing the numerical changes of the levels of serum albumin and lymphocyte subsets. Materials and Methods: The study was performed on patients who were diagnosed as having gastric cancer and who underwent curative surgery from August 1998 to August 2004 in the Gyeongsang National University Hospital and whose peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets were tested prior to surgery. The study population was a total of 150 cases. Results: The change in the lymphocyte subsets in relation to the change in the level of serum albumin in all patients with gastric cancer was determined, and was compared to disease stages. When patients were classified by using the level of serum albumin with 3.2 mg/dl as the cut-off point (low group: serum albumin 3.2 mg/dl), the number of peripheral blood lymphocytes, CD3+ cells, CD4+ cells, CD8+ cells, and CD16+ 56 cells were, significantly lower in the group with the level of serum albumin below 3.2 mg/dl (low group) than it was in the group with a serum albumin level above 3.2 mg/dl (normal group) (P

Purpose: The use of laparoscopic surgery for gastric disease has been gaining popularity. However, there has been the controversy over the indications and the standard techniques of laparoscopic gastric surgery in the early gastric cancer (EGC). The purposes of this study were to compare the clinical outcomes among a hand-assisted laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (HALDG), a laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG), and an open distal gastrectomy (ODG) and to discuss the role of these procedures in the treatment of EGC. Materials and Methods: Between August 2001 and July 2004, laparoscopic surgery was performed in our institution on 25 patients, LADG (n=7) and HALDG (n=18) with EGC. Analysis was performed on clinical data such as the operative time, the hospital stay, the start of oral intake, and the number of harvested lymph nodes. Patients were categorized into early and late groups by using the date of surgery and were also grouped by surgical procedure. To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of laparoscopic surgery for EGC, we compared the clinical data with those for ODGs performed during the same period. Results: There was no difference in the number of harvested lymph nodes between the laparoscopic group and the open group, but the operation time in the laparoscopic group was longer than that in the open group (P (P