Plasma Amyloid-β Oligomerization Tendency Predicts Amyloid PET Positivity.

Purpose: Among other emerging amyloid-targeting blood-based biomarkers, Multimer Detection System-Oligomeric Amyloid-β (MDS-OAβ) measures dynamic changes in concentration of oligomeric amyloid-β (OAβ), which is considered the main pathogenic culprit of Alzheimer's disease (AD), in plasma after spiking with synthetic amyloid-β (Aβ). We aimed to investigate the predictability of MDS-OAβ on amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) positivity.

Patients And Methods: A total of 96 subjects who visited Seoul National University Bundang Hospital for medical check-up complaining of cognitive decline and had undergone extensive medical assessment were recruited.

Endogenous Aβ peptide promote Aβ oligomerization tendency of spiked synthetic Aβ in Alzheimer's disease plasma.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of age-associated dementia. Several studies have predicted that AD is caused by the production and deposition of the β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) in the brain, which is one of pathologic hallmarks of AD. In particular, Aβ oligomers are reportedly the most toxic and pathogenic of other peptide forms.

Blood Amyloid-β Oligomerization as a Biomarker of Alzheimer's Disease: A Blinded Validation Study.

Background: Oligomeric amyloid-β (Aβ) is one of the major contributors to the pathomechanism of Alzheimer's disease (AD); Aβ oligomerization in plasma can be measured using a Multimer Detection System-Oligomeric Aβ (MDS-OAβ) after incubation with spiked synthetic Aβ.

Objective: We evaluated the clinical sensitivity and specificity of the MDS-OAβ values for prediction of AD.

Methods: The MDS-OAβ values measured using inBlood™ OAβ test in heparin-treated plasma samples from 52 AD patients in comparison with 52 community-based subjects with normal cognition (NC).

Factors Influencing Self-Care Competence in Korean Women With Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Background: The incidence of many chronic diseases is increasing rapidly in South Korea. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease for which treatment by both doctors and long-term self-care by patients is deemed very important for successful disease management.

Purpose: This study is designed to examine and identify the factors influencing self-care competence in Korean women with rheumatoid arthritis.

Development of a Community-Based Palliative Care Model for Advance Cancer Patients in Public Health Centers in Busan, Korea.

Purpose: A feasible palliative care model for advance cancer patients is needed in Korea with its rapidly aging population and corresponding increase in cancer prevalence. This study describes the process involved in the development of a community-based palliative care (CBPC) model implemented originally in a Busan pilot project.

Materials And Methods: The model development included steps I and II of the pilot project, identification of the service types, a survey exploring the community demand for palliative care, construction of an operational infrastructure, and the establishment of a service delivery system.

The inhibitory effect of Duchesnea chrysantha extract on the development of atopic dermatitis-like lesions by regulating IgE and cytokine production in Nc/Nga mice.

Duchesnea chrysantha belongs to the Rosaceae family and has been used traditionally for the treatment of various diseases in Korea and other parts of East Asia. This study examined the antiinflammatory effect of Duchesnea chrysantha extract (DcE) on atopic dermatitis in vitro and in vivo. DcE inhibited the production of IL-6, IL-8 and MCP-1 in THP-1 cells and the release of IL-6 and MCP-1 in EoL-1 cells after treatment with house dust mite extract.

House dust mite, Dermatophagoides pteronissinus increases expression of MCP-1, IL-6, and IL-8 in human monocytic THP-1 cells.

The house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronissinus) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases, including atopic dermatitis, and asthma. Monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1/CCL2)/IL-6/IL-8 (CXCL8) plays a pivotal role in mediating the infiltration of various cells into the skin of atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of D.

Shewanella donghaensis sp. nov., a psychrophilic, piezosensitive bacterium producing high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acid, isolated from deep-sea sediments.

A Gram-negative, motile, rod-shaped, psychrophilic bacterium, LT17T, was isolated from deep-sea sediments (3300 m depth) of the East Sea (Sea of Japan). Optimal growth of LT17T requires the presence of 2.5 % (w/v) NaCl, a pH of 7.

Spotted fever group and typhus group rickettsioses in humans, South Korea.

The presence of the nucleic acid of the spotted fever group (SPG) and typhus group (TG) rickettsiae was investigated in 200 serum specimens seropositive for SFG rickettsiae by multiplex-nested polymerase chain reaction with primers derived from the rickettsial outer membrane protein B gene. The DNA of SFG, TG, or both rickettsiae was amplified in the 24 serum specimens, and sequence analysis showed Rickettsia conorii, R. japonica, and R.

Seroepidemiology of spotted fever group and typhus group rickettsioses in humans, South Korea.

The prevalence of spotted fever group (SFG) and typhus group (TG) rickettsioses was investigated in 3,362 sera by immunofluorescence assay. The serum samples were obtained from patients with acute febrile episodes in South Korea from December 1992 to November 1993. The number of polyvalent positive sera against SFG rickettsial agents at the level of 1: 40 dilution was 269 (8%) in Rickettsia sibirica, 482 (14.