Yeo Joo Kim

Increased Expression of Focal Adhesion Kinase in Thyroid Cancer: Immunohistochemical Study

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a tyrosine kinase that is found in cellular structures called focal adhesions. FAK appears to be a key element in signal transduction pathways involved in cell adhesion and locomotion. FAK is overexpressed in various tumors, including tumors derived from regions of the head and neck, colon, breast, prostate, and liver. In this study, we investigated immunohistochemically whether FAK expression was increased in thyroid cancers. FAK staining was not seen in any of the 20 normal thyroid tissues or the 6 nodular hyperplasia specimens. In contrast, FAK staining was observed in all of 17 papillary carcinomas, 9 follicular carcinomas, 8 medullary carcinomas, and 2 anaplastic carcinomas. Nine of 17 follicular adenomas showed FAK immunoreactivity. FAK was not expressed in normal tissue and nodular hyperplasia, but was expressed in some of the follicular adenoma, and all of the follicular, papillary, medullary and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. This result indicates that the up-regulation of FAK may play a role in the development of thyroid carcinogenesis.

A Case of Idiopathic Granulomatous Hypophysitis

Granulomatous hypophysitis is a rare pituitary condition that commonly presents with enlargement of the pituitary gland. A 31-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital with a severe headache and bitemporal hemianopsia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an 18 × 10-mm sellar mass with suprasellar extension and compression of the optic chiasm. Interestingly, brain MRI had shown no abnormal finding 4 months previously. On hormonal examination, hypopituitarism with mild hyperprolactinemia was noted. The biopsy revealed granulomatous changes with multinucleated giant cells. We herein report this rare case and discuss the relevant literature.

Aldosterone-producing adrenocortical carcinoma without hypertension.

Although adrenocortical tumors are common, adrenocortical carcinomas are rare. Moreover, aldosterone-producing adrenocortical carcinomas without hypertension are exceedingly rare, with only two previously reported cases.

Resistance to Thyroid Hormone with Missense Mutation (V349M) in the Thyroid Hormone Receptor Beta Gene

Resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH) is a syndrome characterized by reduced sensitivity to the thyroid hormone. It is generally caused by mutations in the thyroid hormone receptor β (TRβ) gene. On the basis of its clinical features, two different forms of this syndrome have been described: generalized resistance and pituitary resistance. A total of 122 TRβ gene mutations have been identified thus far. A 38-year-old woman presented with intermittent palpitation. Thyroid function tests revealed elevated levels of free T4 and TSH. TSH α-subunit levels were 0.41 mIU/mL, and magnetic resonance images of the sellar region evidenced no abnormal findings. The TSH response to TRH stimulation was found to be normal. The sequence analysis of the TRβ gene verified a missense mutation in exon 11, and the observed amino acid alteration was a substitution of a valine for a methionine at codon 349. We report the first case of a woman with RTH, which was found to be caused by a missense mutation (V349M) in the TRβ gene.

Endoscopic comparison of alendronate alone and the enteric-coated alendronate with calcitriol combination in postmenopausal Korean females.

Background/Aims This study was performed to compare the mucosal findings after esophagogastroduodenoscopy in two groups before and after the use of alendronate only and following administration of the enteric-coated alendronate (5 mg) and calcitriol (0.5 µg) combined drug (Maxmarvil, Yuyu Co.). Methods The study population consisted of 33 postmenopausal healthy female volunteers, aged 50 to 70 years (mean age, 58 ± 5) without gastrointestinal symptoms and with normal baseline endoscopic findings. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed at baseline and was repeated 2 weeks later after daily intake of Maxmarvil (n = 17 subjects) or alendronate only (n = 16 subjects). Mucosal injury scores were reported by an endoscopist after 2 weeks of treatment with each medication schedule. Results Esophageal mucosal injuries developed in two of 16 subjects in the alendronate only group and 0 of 17 in the Maxmarvil group. Gastric mucosal injuries developed in eight subjects in the alendronate group and four subjects in the Maxmarvil group; this difference was statistically significant. Conclusions The mucosal damage scores for the alendronate group (total score 24) were significantly higher than those for the Maxmarvil group (total score 9) in the esophagus and stomach. Therefore, this study suggested that enteric-coated Maxmarvil is less harmful to gastrointestinal mucosa than alendronate, and may improve the tolerability of osteoporosis medication in clinical practice.

Retroperitoneal Bronchogenic Cyst Presenting Paraadrenal Tumor Incidentally Detected by 18F-FDG PET/CT

A follow-up 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/CT scan of a 57-year-old asymptomatic male who had undergone total thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer revealed a 5.0 × 4.0-cm, well-defined, ovoid-shaped mass around the left adrenal gland without definite FDG uptake. On the adrenal CT scan, the left paraadrenal tumor showed high attenuation on the precontrast scan without enhancement. The average Hounsfield unit (HU) was 58.1 on the precontrast scan and 58.4 on the postcontrast scan. The patient underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy for resection of the left paraadrenal tumor. The final histopathologic examination revealed a bronchogenic cyst. Although retroperitoneal bronchogenic cysts are rare, they should be considered in the differential diagnosis of retroperitoneal cystic tumors. The preoperative diagnosis is difficult, but a contrast-enhanced CT scan or 18F-FDG PET/CT scan may be useful for differentiating hyperattenuated cysts from other soft tissue masses.

The Usefulness of the Glycosylated Hemoglobin Level for the Diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in the Korean Population

Background An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is the current method used for screening and diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). OGTT is a relatively complicated procedure and is expensive. Thus, new strategies that do not require fasting or more than a single blood draw may improve the diagnosis of GDM and increase the rate of GDM testing. We investigated the utility of monitoring glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels for the diagnosis of GDM. Methods The data from 992 pregnant women with estimated gestational ages ranging from 24 to 28 weeks were retrospectively reviewed. There were 367 women with plasma glucose levels ≥140 mg/dL 1 hour after a 50-g OGTT. GDM was diagnosed according to the Carpenter-Coustan criteria for a 3-hour 100 g OGTT. A HbA1c assessment was performed at the same time. Results We enrolled 343 women in this study, and there were 109 women with GDM. The area under the curve the receiver operating characteristic curve for HbA1c detection of GDM was 0.852 (95% confidence interval, 0.808 to 0.897). A HbA1c cutoff value ≥5.35% had maximal points on the Youden index (0.581). The sensitivity was 87.2% and the specificity was 70.9% for diagnosing GDM. A threshold value ≥5.35% indicated that 163 patients had GDM and that 68 (41.7%) were false positive. The positive predictive value was 58.3% at this threshold value. Conclusion Despite substantial progress in methodology, HbA1c values cannot replace OGTT for the diagnosis of GDM.

Efficacy of two different self-expanding nitinol stents for atherosclerotic femoropopliteal arterial disease (SENS-FP trial): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundThere have been few randomized control trials comparing the incidence of stent fracture and primary patency among different self-expanding nitinol stents to date. The SMART™ CONTROL stent (Cordis Corp, Miami Lakes, Florida, United States) has a peak-to-valley bridge and inline interconnection, whereas the COMPLETE™-SE stent (Medtronic Vascular, Santa Rosa, California, United States) crowns have been configured to minimize crown-to-crown interaction, increasing the stents flexibility without compromising radial strength. Further, the 2011 ESC (European society of cardiology) guidelines recommend that dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and a thienopyridine such as clopidogrel should be administered for at least one month after infrainguinal bare metal stent implantation. Cilostazol has been reported to reduce intimal hyperplasia and subsequent repeat revascularization. To date, there has been no randomized study comparing the safety and efficacy of two different antiplatelet regimens, clopidogrel and cilostazol, following successful femoropopliteal stenting.Methods/DesignThe primary purpose of our study is to examine the incidence of stent fracture and primary patency between two different major representative self-expanding nitinol stents (SMART™ CONTROL versus COMPLETE™-SE) in stenotic or occlusive femoropopliteal arterial lesion. The secondary purpose is to examine whether there is any difference in efficacy and safety between aspirin plus clopidogrel versus aspirin plus cilostazol for one month following stent implantation in femoropopliteal lesions. This is a prospective, randomized, multicenter trial to assess the efficacy of the COMPLETE™-SE versus SMART™ CONTROL stent for provisional stenting after balloon angioplasty in femoropopliteal arterial lesions. The study design is a 2x2 randomization design and a total of 346 patients will be enrolled. The primary endpoint of this study is the rate of binary restenosis in the treated segment at 12 months after intervention as determined by catheter angiography or duplex ultrasound.DiscussionThis trial will provide powerful insight into whether the design of the COMPLETE™-SE stent is more fracture-resistant or effective in preventing restenosis compared with the SMART™ CONTROL stent. Also, it will determine the efficacy and safety of aspirin plus clopidogrel versus aspirin plus cilostazol in patients undergoing stent implantation in femoropopliteal lesions.Trial registrationRegistered on 2 April 2012 with the National Institutes of Health Clinical Trials Registry (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier# NCT01570803).

Preoperative serum thyroglobulin and changes in serum thyroglobulin during TSH suppression independently predict follicular thyroid carcinoma in thyroid nodules with a cytological diagnosis of follicular lesion

ABSTRACT Background: Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) cannot distinguish a follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) from a follicular adenoma in follicular lesions. We designed this study to determine whether the preoperative thyroglobulin (Tg) and change in serum Tg during thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) suppression can predict FTC in thyroid nodules with a cytological diagnosis of follicular lesion. Methods: Among 854 patients who underwent thyroid surgery, the 198 patients who presented with thyroid nodules with a cytological diagnosis of follicular lesion were analyzed. Predictive factors for malignancy were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression models. Subgroup analyses of patients with TSH suppression therapy by levothyroxine were also conducted. Results: Thirty-two patients (16%) had FTC, and 166 patients had confirmed benign nodules. The median preoperative serum Tg levels were significantly higher in patients with FTC compared to those with benign pathology (449 vs. 34 ng/mL, p < 0.001). The serum Tg (odds ratios (OR) 10.311, p < 0.001) and tumor volume (OR 4.500, p = 0.035) were found to be independent predictors for FTC in all patients with a cytological diagnosis of follicular lesion. Forty-eight patients received TSH suppression therapy. When we performed subgroup analyses on the patients with TSH suppression therapy, decrease less than 15% in serum Tg during TSH suppression was found to be an independent predictor of FTC (OR 13.918, p = 0.018). Conclusion: Preoperative serum Tg and changes in serum Tg during TSH suppression independently predict FTC in thyroid nodules with a cytological diagnosis of follicular lesion.