Mitochondrial DNA mosaicism in normal human somatic cells.

Somatic cells accumulate genomic alterations with age; however, our understanding of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mosaicism remains limited. Here we investigated the genomes of 2,096 clones derived from three cell types across 31 donors, identifying 6,451 mtDNA variants with heteroplasmy levels of ≳0.3%.

Quantitative and qualitative mutational impact of ionizing radiation on normal cells.

The comprehensive genomic impact of ionizing radiation (IR), a carcinogen, on healthy somatic cells remains unclear. Using large-scale whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of clones expanded from irradiated murine and human single cells, we revealed that IR induces a characteristic spectrum of short insertions or deletions (indels) and structural variations (SVs), including balanced inversions, translocations, composite SVs (deletion-insertion, deletion-inversion, and deletion-translocation composites), and complex genomic rearrangements (CGRs), including chromoplexy, chromothripsis, and SV by breakage-fusion-bridge cycles. Our findings suggest that 1 Gy IR exposure causes an average of 2.

Robust anion exchange membranes based on ionic liquid grafted chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol/quaternary ammonium functionalized silica for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells.

In this study, 1-bromohexyl-1methylpiperidinium bromide (Br-6-MPRD) ionic liquid grafted quaternized chitosan (QCS) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) blends were composited with glycidyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (GTMAC) quaternized silica (QSiO) at different dosages. Glutaraldehyde (GA) crosslinked the membranes and then processed into hydroxide form with an aqueous potassium hydroxide solution. The resultant IL-QCS/PVA/QSiO membranes exhibit significantly improved ionic conductivity, moderate water absorption and swelling ratio compared with the pristine IL-QCS/PVA anion exchange membrane (AEM).

Widespread somatic L1 retrotransposition in normal colorectal epithelium.

Throughout an individual's lifetime, genomic alterations accumulate in somatic cells. However, the mutational landscape induced by retrotransposition of long interspersed nuclear element-1 (L1), a widespread mobile element in the human genome, is poorly understood in normal cells. Here we explored the whole-genome sequences of 899 single-cell clones established from three different cell types collected from 28 individuals.

Chronic physical exercise alleviates stress-associated amygdala metabolic activity in obese women: A prospective serial F-FDG PET/CT study.

Background: Psychological stress is considered as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Chronic exercise is known to reduce CVD risk partly through attenuating psychological stress. Obesity has been linked with increased levels of psychological stress.

Metabolic Activity of Visceral Adipose Tissue Is Associated with Metastatic Status of Lymph Nodes in Endometrial Cancer: A F-FDG PET/CT Study.

Obesity contributes to increased cancer incidence and aggressiveness in patients with endometrial cancer. Inflamed metabolic activity of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is regarded as a key underlying mechanism of adverse consequences of obesity. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between inflammatory metabolic activity of VAT evaluated by F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-FDG PET/CT) and metastatic status of lymph nodes (LN) in patients with endometrial cancer.

Changes in treatment intent and target definition for preoperative radiotherapy after F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in rectal cancer: A Meta-analysis.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) on changes in treatment plan and target definition for preoperative radiotherapy in patients with rectal cancer.

Methods: Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library were searched up to November 2020 for all studies investigating the role of preoperative FDG PET in patients who underwent neoadjuvant radiotherapy before curative-intent surgery. The proportion of patients whose treatment plan (curative vs.

SP-1154, a novel synthetic TGF-β inhibitor, alleviates obesity and hepatic steatosis in high-fat diet-induced mice.

Objective: Obesity-induced inflamed visceral adipose tissue (VAT) secretes pro-inflammatory cytokines thereby promoting systemic inflammation and insulin resistance which further exacerbate obesity-associated nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β /Smad3 signaling plays a crucial role in the inflammatory events within the VAT. Here, we investigate whether SP-1154, a novel synthetic verbenone derivative, can inhibit TGF-β/Smad3 signaling thereby exhibiting a therapeutic effect against obesity-induced inflamed VAT and subsequent NAFLD in high-fat diet-induced mice.

Dissecting single-cell genomes through the clonal organoid technique.

The revolution in genome sequencing technologies has enabled the comprehensive detection of genomic variations in human cells, including inherited germline polymorphisms, de novo mutations, and postzygotic mutations. When these technologies are combined with techniques for isolating and expanding single-cell DNA, the landscape of somatic mosaicism in an individual body can be systematically revealed at a single-cell resolution. Here, we summarize three strategies (whole-genome amplification, microdissection of clonal patches in the tissue, and in vitro clonal expansion of single cells) that are currently applied for single-cell mutational analyses.

Clustering subtypes of breast cancer by combining immunohistochemistry profiles and metabolism characteristics measured using FDG PET/CT.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of combining immunohistochemical profiles and metabolic information to characterize breast cancer subtypes.

Methods: This retrospective study included 289 breast tumors from 284 patients who underwent preoperative  F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/ computed tomography (PET/CT). Molecular subtypes of breast cancer were classified as Hormonal, HER2, Dual (a combination of both Hormonal and HER2 features), and triple-negative (TN).

Stress-Related Amygdala Metabolic Activity Is Associated With Low Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Women: A Pilot F-FDG PET/CT Study.

Background: Psychological stress is associated with postmenopausal osteoporosis. However, the underlying mechanism of stress-related brain neural activity with osteoporosis is not fully elucidated. F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-FDG PET/CT) is an established method to evaluate the metabolic activity of brain amygdala, a region involved in stress.

Association of Inflammatory Metabolic Activity of Psoas Muscle and Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Preliminary Observational Study with F-FDG PET/CT.

Inflamed skeletal muscle promotes chronic inflammation in atherosclerotic plaques, thereby contributing to the increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). In this study, we evaluated the metabolic activity of psoas muscle, using F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), and its association with carotid artery inflammation and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In total, 90 participants (32 AMI, 33 chronic stable angina (CSA), and 25 control) were enrolled in this prospective study.

Effect of Exercise on Inflamed Psoas Muscle in Women with Obesity: A Pilot Prospective F-FDG PET/CT Study.

Obesity increases inflammation in skeletal muscle thereby promoting systemic inflammation which leads to increased risk of cardiometabolic disease. This prospective study aimed to evaluate whether the metabolic activity of psoas muscle (PM) was associated with systemic inflammation, and whether physical exercise could reduce the PM metabolic activity evaluated by F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in women with obesity. A total of 23 women with obesity who participated in a 3-month physical exercise program were enrolled.

Recent Survey of Effective Doses of F-18 FDG Torso PET/CT in Korea and the Current Recommendations for CT Protocols of PET/CT.

Purpose: This study aimed to construct a database of the effective doses (ED) from F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) torso positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in Korea to provide data that supports the reduction of the CT dose of PET/CT and optimization of PET/CT protocols in Korea.

Methods: We investigated data of ED and CT parameters of FDG PET/CT. The data were analyzed by body weight groups.

Biallelic mutations in ABCB1 display recurrent reversible encephalopathy.

The clinical phenotype linked with mutations in ABCB1, encoding P-glycoprotein, has never been reported. Here, we describe twin sisters with biallelic mutations in ABCB1 who showed recurrent reversible encephalopathy accompanied by acute febrile or afebrile illness. Whole-exome sequencing was performed on one of the twin and her healthy parents, and revealed compound heterozygous loss-of-function variants in ABCB1.

Prognostic Value of Metabolic Information in Advanced Gastric Cancer Using Preoperative F-FDG PET/CT.

Purpose: This study evaluated the usefulness of semiquantitative and volumetric PET parameters for predicting prognosis in patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC).

Methods: We enrolled 213 patients who underwent F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-FDG PET/CT) prior to curative surgery for AGC. Maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and tumor-to-liver uptake ratio (TLR) were measured in all patients.

Urinary transglutaminase 2 as a potent biomarker to predict interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy of kidney allograft during early posttransplant period in deceased donor kidney transplantation.

Purpose: Transglutaminase type 2 (TG2) is an extracellular matrix crosslinking enzyme with a pivotal role in kidney fibrosis. We tested whether quantification of urinary TG2 may represent a noninvasive method to estimate the severity of kidney allograft fibrosis.

Methods: We prospectively collected urine specimens from 18 deceased donor kidney transplant recipients at 1-day, 7-day, 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month posttransplant.

Composite criteria using clinical and FDG PET/CT factors for predicting recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after living donor liver transplantation.

Objectives: Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT is effective for predicting recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation. This study aimed to design composite criteria for predicting post-transplantation recurrence using clinical and FDG PET/CT factors.

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 239 patients who underwent living donor transplantation in two independent centers between 2005 and 2013.

Comparison of Clinical Outcomes Between Preemptive Transplant and Transplant After a Short Period of Dialysis in Living-Donor Kidney Transplantation: A Propensity-Score-Based Analysis.

BACKGROUND The permissible extent of pretransplant dialysis for patient and allograft survival is unclear. We assumed that a short period of dialysis before living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) will show the similar results as preemptive kidney transplantation (PKT). MATERIAL AND METHODS We retrospectively evaluated the outcomes of LDKT according to pretransplant dialysis duration in both unmatched cohorts (n=1984) and propensity-score-matched cohorts (n=986) cohorts.

A composite of urinary biomarkers for differentiating between tubulointerstitial inflammation and interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy in kidney allografts.

Backgrounds/aims: Compared with a single urinary biomarker, a composite of multiple urinary biomarkers may be more helpful for differentiating tubulointerstitial inflammation from interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy (IFTA) in kidney allografts.

Methods: In this cross-sectional cohort study, we collected urine samples from 115 patients with for-cause biopsy, 53 patients with stable allografts, and 50 living kidney donors. We measured the urinary levels of transglutaminase 2 (TG2), syndecan-4 (SDC4), alpha 1 microglobulin (A1M), interferon-inducible protein 10 (IP-10), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1).

Predictive Value of Preoperative Volume-Based 18F-2-Fluoro-2-Deoxy-d-Glucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Parameters in Patients with Resectable Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG), which are volume-based PET parameters, using F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-FDG PET/CT) in patients with surgically resectable lung adenocarcinoma.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 149 patients with lung adenocarcinoma who underwent F-FDG PET/CT before surgical resection. Maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), MTV, and TLG of the primary tumor with threshold value of SUVmax 30, 40, and 50% were calculated, respectively.

Preoperative Nodal F-FDG Avidity Rather than Primary Tumor Avidity Determines the Prognosis of Patients with Advanced Gastric Cancer.

Purpose: This study investigated whether the metabolic avidity of primary tumors and/or metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) measured by F-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) was related to survival after surgery in patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC).

Materials And Methods: One hundred sixty-eight patients with AGC who underwent preoperative F-FDG PET/CT and curative resection were included. The F-FDG avidity of the primary gastric tumor and LNs was determined quantitatively and qualitatively.

Does Enteric Conversion Affect Graft Survival After Pancreas Transplantation with Bladder Drainage?

BACKGROUND Although bladder drainage is effective for monitoring urine amylase levels to detect graft rejection, enteric drainage is performed more frequently. The optimal method for monitoring pancreatic enzyme secretions remains unclear. We investigated graft survival in recipients of bladder drainage and assessed the risk of graft rejection and failure after enteric conversion.