Prevalence of α-thalassaemia genotypes in pregnant women in northern Thailand.

Background & Objectives: Alpha-thalassaemias are genetic disorders with high prevalence in northern Thailand. However, common genotypes and current data on the prevalence of α-thalassaemias have not been reported in this region. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of α-thalassaemia genotypes in pregnant women in northern Thailand.

Predominant mucosal IL-8 mRNA expression in non-cagA Thais is risk for gastric cancer.

Aim: To study gastric mucosal interleukine-8 (IL-8) mRNA expression, the cytotoxin-associated gene A (cagA) mutation, and serum pepsinogen (PG) I/II ratio related risk in Thai gastric cancer.

Methods: There were consent 134 Thai non-cancer volunteers who underwent endoscopic narrow band imaging examination, and 86 Thais advance gastric cancer patients who underwent endoscopic mucosal biopsies and gastric surgery. Tissue samples were taken by endoscopy with 3 points biopsies.

Comparison of variations between percentage of body fat, body mass index and daily physical activity among young Japanese and Thai female students.

Background: In our series of investigations concerning the causes of seasonal change in fat accumulation in young university students, we could not find any contribution of seasonal variation in the ratio of carbohydrate and fat metabolism to that of body fat percentage in Japanese and Thai participants. After our previous study, we examined the effect of daily physical activity on body fat percentage to look for the major causes of seasonal change in fat accumulation in young university students.

Findings: In this study, we measured participants' (young Japanese and Thai university students) daily physical activity by a uniaxial accelerometer in addition to the measurements of body fat percentage and body mass index by a bioelectrical impedance meter.

Comparison of seasonal variation in the fasting respiratory quotient of young Japanese, Polish and Thai women in relation to seasonal change in their percent body fat.

Background: From the viewpoint of human physiological adaptability, we previously investigated seasonal variation in the amount of unabsorbed dietary carbohydrates from the intestine after breakfast in Japanese, Polish and Thai participants. In this investigation we found that there were significant seasonal variations in the amount of unabsorbed dietary carbohydrates in Japanese and Polish participants, while we could not find significant seasonal variation in Thai participants. These facts prompted us to examine seasonal variations in the respiratory quotient after an overnight fast (an indicator of the ratio of carbohydrate and fat oxidized after the last meal) with female university students living in Osaka (Japan), Poznan (Poland) and Chiang Mai (Thailand).

Ginger extract inhibits human telomerase reverse transcriptase and c-Myc expression in A549 lung cancer cells.

The rhizome of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) has been reputed to have many curative properties in traditional medicine, and recent publications have also shown that many agents in ginger possess anticancer properties. Here we show that the ethyl acetate fraction of ginger extract can inhibit the expression of the two prominent molecular targets of cancer, the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and c-Myc, in A549 lung cancer cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. The treated cells exhibited diminished telomerase activity because of reduced protein production rather than direct inhibition of telomerase.

Helicobacter pylori infection in combination with the serum pepsinogen I/II ratio and interleukin-1beta-511 polymorphisms are independent risk factors for gastric cancer in Thais.

Background: Thailand has the lowest incidence of gastric cancer in the world. Helicobacter pylori infection, a low serum pepsinogen I/II ratio, and interleukin (IL)-1beta-511 polymorphisms are suspected to be risk factors for gastric cancer.

Methods: A total of 167 Thais, comprising 56 cancer patients and 111 volunteers without cancer, underwent an esophagogastroduodenoscopic examination and three fixed-point biopsies; a cancer tissue biopsy was also done, and blood samples were collected.

Production of a mouse hybridoma secreting monoclonal antibody highly specific to hemoglobin Bart's (gamma4).

Hemoglobin (Hb) Bart's (gamma4) was isolated and purified from Hb Bart's hydrops fetalis syndrome blood by CM-Sephadex C-50 chromatography. The isolated Hb Bart's was analyzed for its purity by high performance liquid chromatography. Balb/c mice were immunized intraperitoneally with Hb Bart's.

Intracellular growth and drug susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in macrophages.

Intracellular growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in human and rabbit monocytes and in mouse and guinea pig macrophages was evaluated. Monocytes or macrophages were infected with M. tuberculosis H37Rv with the multiplicity of infection at 10 mycobacteria per monocyte.

The influence of pH on the G-quadruplex binding selectivity of perylene derivatives.

Three new perylene derivatives with branched ionizable side chains were synthesized, and their G-quadruplex binding specificities were compared by spectroscopic and electrophoretic analysis with two well-studied G-quadruplex ligands: PIPER and TmPyP4. The value of pH and consequent charge formation and self-aggregation of these perylene derivatives influences not only the type of G-quadruplex formation, but also the G-quadruplex binding selectivity.