Plasma Protein Biomarkers of Spirometry Measures of Impaired Lung Function.

Background: Impaired pulmonary function carries significant risks for lung, cardiovascular, and metabolic disorders.

Research Question: Can circulating protein biomarkers of pulmonary function provide insight into the pathophysiologic features of lung function impairment and links to comorbidities?

Study Design And Methods: We analyzed plasma levels of 2,922 proteins in 32,493 UK Biobank participants (53% female; mean [SD] age, 57 [8] years) to investigate their associations with spirometry measures of lung function (FEV, FVC, FEV to FVC ratio), and with obstructive (n = 4,713) and restrictive (n = 3,886) spirometry patterns. Significant protein signatures were annotated functionally and validated externally in 740 Framingham Heart Study (FHS) participants.

Selective interactions of Co-Ca-concanavalin A with high mannose -glycans.

Concanavalin A (ConA) has an intrinsic binding affinity to carbohydrates. Here, we obtained Co-Ca-ConA (2.83 Å, PDB: 8I7Q) X-ray crystallography by substituting native ConA (Mn-Ca); it has binding selectivity for high-mannose -glycan similar to native ConA.

Tuberculous Lymphadenitis in a Patient Treated with Dupilumab: A Case Report.

Tuberculous lymphadenitis is among the most frequent presentations of extrapulmonary tuberculosis; the most common presentation is isolated chronic non-tender lymphadenopathy in young adults without systemic symptoms. Dupilumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody directed against interleukin-4 receptor-α that blocks the synergistic effects of interleukin-4 and interleukin-13 on allergic inflammation. Its well-known adverse events are allergic conjunctivitis, injection site reaction, and dupilumab facial redness.

Epigenome-wide DNA methylation association study of circulating IgE levels identifies novel targets for asthma.

Background: Identifying novel epigenetic signatures associated with serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) may improve our understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying asthma and IgE-mediated diseases.

Methods: We performed an epigenome-wide association study using whole blood from Framingham Heart Study (FHS; n = 3,471, 46% females) participants and validated results using the Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP; n = 674, 39% females) and the Genetic Epidemiology of Asthma in Costa Rica Study (CRA; n = 787, 41% females). Using the closest gene to each IgE-associated CpG, we highlighted biologically plausible pathways underlying IgE regulation and analyzed the transcription patterns linked to IgE-associated CpGs (expression quantitative trait methylation loci; eQTMs).

Integrative Mendelian randomization reveals the soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products as protective in relation to rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Given the critical roles of the immune system and inflammatory signals in the pathogenesis of CVD, we hypothesized that interrogation of CVD-related proteins using integrative genomics might provide new insights into the pathophysiology of RA. We utilized two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) for causal inference between circulating protein levels and RA by incorporating genetic variants, followed by colocalization to characterize the causal associations.

Case Study of a Patient with Trigger Finger after Conducting Pharmacopuncture according to the Progress.

Our study purpose was to report the clinical application of five different pharmacopunctures (Sweet BV, Scolopendrae Corpus, Chukyu, Cervi Parvum Cornu, and Hominis Placenta) for trigger finger. A patient was admitted to Ba-reun-mom S Korean Medicine Clinic and diagnosed with trigger finger. Because the effects of each pharmacopuncture have been confirmed in various acute to chronic cases, we treated a patient diagnosed with trigger finger using pharmacopunctures Sweet BV and Scolopendrae Corpus at the acute phase, Chukyu pharmacopuncture at the acute to chronic phase, and pharmacopunctures Cervi Parvum Cornu and Hominis Placenta at the chronic phase.

Transcriptome-wide association study of circulating IgE levels identifies novel targets for asthma and allergic diseases.

Measurement of circulating immunoglobulin E (IgE) concentration is helpful for diagnosing and treating asthma and allergic diseases. Identifying gene expression signatures associated with IgE might elucidate novel pathways for IgE regulation. To this end, we performed a discovery transcriptome-wide association study to identify differentially expressed genes associated with circulating IgE levels in whole-blood derived RNA from 5,345 participants in the Framingham Heart Study across 17,873 mRNA gene-level transcripts.

Structural and physicochemical properties of composites between starch nanoparticles and β-carotene prepared via nanoprecipitation.

To apply starch nanoparticles (SNP) as host materials for β-carotene encapsulation, aqueous SNP dispersions (10, 25, 50, and 100 mg/10 mL) and β-carotene in acetone (10, 50, 100, 150, and 200 μg/mL) were mixed. The acetone in the mixture was evaporated to prepare SNP and β-carotene composites, which were homogeneously dispersed in aqueous media with over 90 % solubility. When SNP content was higher than 50 mg, over 80 % of β-carotene was encapsulated in the composite matrix.

Association of 71 cardiovascular disease-related plasma proteins with pulmonary function in the community.

Rationale: It has been speculated that shared mechanisms underlie respiratory and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) including systemic inflammation or mutual risk factors. In this context, we sought to examine the associations of CVD-related plasma proteins with lung function as measured by spirometry in a large community-based cohort of adults.

Methods: The study included 5777 Framingham Heart Study participants who had spirometry and measurement of 71 CVD-related plasma proteins.

A 52 weeks dupilumab treatment for moderate to severe atopic dermatitis in Korea: long-term efficacy and safety in real world.

Previously, we have reported short term effectiveness and safety of dupilumab in Korea. In this study, we are trying to report the long-term effectiveness and safety of dupilumab in Korea. Ninety-nine patients with moderate to severe AD were analyzed.

Cardiovascular comorbidities of atopic dermatitis: using National Health Insurance data in Korea.

Background: It is well known that atopic dermatitis (AD) is associated with other allergic diseases. Recentely, links to diseases other than allergic disease have also been actively studied. Among them, the results of studies regarding AD comorbidities, especially cardiovascular disease (CVD), have varied from country to country.

Concanavalin A targeting -linked glycans in spike proteins influence viral interactions.

Lectins, which exhibit viral-interaction abilities, have garnered attention in the current pandemic era as potential neutralizing agents and vaccine candidates. Viral invasion through envelope proteins is modulated by N-linked glycosylation in the spike (S) protein. This study demonstrates the biophysical aspects between lectins and high-mannose and -galactose N-glycans to provide insights into binding events.

Integrative Genomic Analysis Reveals Four Protein Biomarkers for Platelet Traits.

Rationale: Mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet count (PLT) are platelet measures that have been linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality risk. Identifying protein biomarkers for these measures may yield insights into CVD mechanisms.

Objective: We aimed to identify causal protein biomarkers for MPV and PLT among 71 CVD-related plasma proteins measured in FHS (Framingham Heart Study) participants.

Cadmium-Substituted Concanavalin A and Its Trimeric Complexation.

Concanavalin A (ConA) interacts with carbohydrates as a lectin, and recent reports proposed its application for detecting a diversity of viruses and pathogens. Structural studies have detailed the interaction between ConA and carbohydrates and the metal coordination environment with manganese and calcium ions (Mn-Ca-ConA). In this study, ConA was crystallized with a cadmium-containing precipitant, and the refined structure indicates that Mn²⁺ was replaced by Cd²⁺ (Cd-Ca-ConA).

Pore Parameters-Dependent Adsorption Behavior of Volatile Organic Compounds on Graphene-Based Material.

Mesoporous graphenes (MPGs) with interpenetrating porous networks are successfully obtained by the pyrolysis of composite gel consisting of graphite oxide (GO) and the amphiphilic triblock copolymer (Pluronic P123) under Ar atmosphere, wherein P123 is used as a soft-template. The as-prepared composite gel is obtained following self-assembly and freeze-drying. The obtained MPGs have high BET specific surface area (531-746 m2 g-1 and ink-bottle like pores with three dimensional interconnected network.

Heterometal-Coordinated Monomeric Concanavalin A at pH 7.5 from Canavalia ensiformis.

The structure of concanavalin A (ConA) has been studied intensively owing to its specific interactions with carbohydrates and its heterometal (Ca²⁺ and Mn²⁺) coordination. Most structures from X-ray crystallography have shown ConA as a dimer or tetramer, because the complex formation requires specific crystallization conditions. Here, we reported the monomeric structure of ConA with a resolution of 1.