Treatment of diabetic kidney disease: current and future targets.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a leading cause of end-stage renal disease in Korea and worldwide, and is a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular complications. The conventional treatments for DKD are control of blood glucose and blood pressure levels by inhibiting the renin-angiotensin system. However, the prevalence of DKD continues to increase and additional therapies are required to prevent or ameliorate the condition.

Comparison of pancreatic beta cells and alpha cells under hyperglycemia: Inverse coupling in pAkt-FoxO1.

Type 2 diabetes manifests beta cell deficiencies and alpha cell expansion which is consistent with relative insulin deficiency and glucagon oversecretion. The effects of hyperglycemia on alpha cells are not as understood in comparison to beta cells. Hyperglycemia increases oxidative stress, which induces Akt activation or FoxO activation, depending on cell type.

Dioscin suppresses TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition and suppresses A549 lung cancer migration and invasion.

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), an important cellular process, occurs during cancer development and progression, has a crucial role in metastasis by enhancing the motility of tumor cells. Dioscin is a polyphenolic component isolated from Phyllanthus amarus, which exhibits a wide range of pharmacological and physiological activities, such as anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, anti-fungal, and anti-viral activities. However, the possible role of dioscin in the EMT is unclear.

Relationship between fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of metabolic syndrome and its disorders in Korean women according to menopausal status.

Background And Objectives: The association between fruit and vegetable (FV) intake and risk of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) has not been elucidated fully, particularly by menopausal status. Method and Study Design: The study population was 2,999 women aged 40-64 years participating in the 4th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The definition of MetS and its components was based on the modified National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) for Koreans.

Interaction of iron status with single nucleotide polymorphisms on incidence of type 2 diabetes.

The objective of this study is to find single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with a risk of Type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Korean adults and to investigate the longitudinal association between these SNPs and T2D and the interaction effects of iron intake and average hemoglobin level. Data from the KoGES_Ansan and Ansung Study were used. Gene-iron interaction analysis was conducted using a two-step approach.

Electroacupuncture for insomnia disorder: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that affects many adults either transiently or chronically. The societal cost of insomnia is on the rise, while long-term use of current drug treatments can involve adverse effects. Recently, electroacupuncture (EA) has been used to treat various conditions including insomnia.

Genetic Predisposition of Polymorphisms in -Related Genes to Breast Cancer Prognosis in Korean Women.

Purpose: The high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein has roles in apoptosis and immune responses by acting as a ligand for receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), Toll-like receptors (TLRs), and triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1. In particular, HMGB1/RAGE is involved in tumor metastasis by inducing matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and MMP9 expression. We investigated the associations between genetic variations in -related genes and disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in Korean female breast cancer patients.

Pulmonary cryptococcosis manifesting as diffuse air-space consolidations in an immunocompetent patient.

Pulmonary cryptococcosis is an opportunity infection commonly occurred in the immunocompromised patients. However pulmonary cryptococcosis in the immunocompetent was reported up to 35% and these cases tend to show confined and localized radiologic findings than in immunocompromised patients. To our knowledge, extensive air-space consolidations have not frequently occurred in the immunocompetent patient.

Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Adrenal Insufficiency in a General Hospital.

Background: Adrenal insufficiency (AI) is a life-threatening disorder caused by the deficiency of adrenal steroid hormones. This retrospective cross-sectional study investigated the characteristics of patients with AI in Korea.

Methods: All consecutive patients with suspected AI who received care at a tertiary referral center in Korea in 2014 and underwent adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation or insulin-tolerance testing were identified through a review of medical charts.

Corrigendum: Author ORCID Number Correction. Dietary Sodium Intake in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

This corrects the article on p. 280 in vol. 40, PMID: 27550209.

CD3Z hypermethylation is associated with severe clinical manifestations in systemic lupus erythematosus and reduces CD3ζ-chain expression in T cells.

Objective: The importance of hypomethylation in SLE is well recognized; however, the significance of hypermethylation has not been well characterized. We screened hypermethylated marks in SLE and investigated their possible implications.

Methods: DNA methylation marks were screened in SLE whole-blood DNA by microarray, and two marks ( CD3Z and VHL hypermethylations) were confirmed by a methylation single-base extension method in two independent ethnic cohorts consisting of 207 SLE patients and 151 controls.

Combined SYBR Green real-time polymerase chain reaction and microarray method for the simultaneous determination of human papillomavirus loads and genotypes.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the principle of the Cheil HPV DNA Chip assay and evaluate its accuracy. In order to quantify the human papillomavirus (HPV) load and identify HPV genotypes simultaneously, this assay combined the two methods: SYBR Green quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA microarray.

Methods: We designed novel consensus primer sets that target the conserved region of the HPV L1 gene for quantifying and detecting a broad range of HPV types by quantitative real-time PCR.

Prevention and treatment effect of evogliptin on hepatic steatosis in high-fat-fed animal models.

Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) is an adipokine that interrupts insulin signaling. The resulting insulin resistance exacerbates hepatic steatosis. We previously reported that the novel DPP4 inhibitor evogliptin improves insulin resistance.

Gene expression profiles of human subcutaneous and visceral adipose-derived stem cells.

Subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissues show a different risk effect on metabolic disorders because they have distinct cellular properties. We isolated stem cells from the separate human adipose tissues to investigate that subcutaneous and visceral fat depots have metabolic differences. Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) were characterized by immunophenotype and differentiation potentials into adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic lineages.

Biokinetics of food additive silica nanoparticles and their interactions with food components.

Nanomaterials have been widely utilized in the food industry in production, packaging, sensors, nutrient delivery systems, and food additives. However, research on the interactions between food-grade nanoparticles and biomolecules as well as their potential toxicity is limited. In the present study, the in vivo solubility, oral absorption, tissue distribution, and excretion kinetics of one of the most extensively used food additives, silica (SiO) were evaluated with respect to particle size (nano vs bulk) following single-dose oral administration to rats.

Preoperative Body Mass Index May Determine the Prognosis of Advanced Gastric Cancer.

Radical gastrectomy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer causes serious nutritional impairment. Our study evaluated the clinical impact of body mass index (BMI) on the long-term outcomes of advanced gastric cancer (stage II and III). We analyzed 211 cases of stage II and III gastric cancer between January 2005 and December 2010 at Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

Repeated Glucose Deprivation/Reperfusion Induced PC-12 Cell Death through the Involvement of FOXO Transcription Factor.

Background: Cognitive impairment and brain damage in diabetes is suggested to be associated with hypoglycemia. The mechanisms of hypoglycemia-induced neural death and apoptosis are not clear and reperfusion injury may be involved. Recent studies show that glucose deprivation/reperfusion induced more neuronal cell death than glucose deprivation itself.

Dietary sodium and potassium intake in relation to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

A few epidemiological data are available assessing the associations of intakes of sodium (Na) and potassium (K) with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We aimed to examine the associations of dietary intake of Na and K with the prevalence of ultrasound-diagnosed NAFLD. We performed a cross-sectional study of 100 177 participants (46 596 men and 53 581 women) who underwent a health screening examination and completed a FFQ at the Kangbuk Samsung Hospital Total Healthcare Centers, South Korea, between 2011 and 2013.

Cochleariform Process Abutment on TBCT in Early Congenital Cholesteatoma.

Objectives: To study the influence of the cochleariform process abutment (CPA) of early congenital cholesteatomas (CC) (ECCs) on surgical outcomes.

Study Design: Retrospective case review.

Setting: University hospital otology referral clinic.

The Impact of High-Risk HPV Genotypes Other Than HPV 16/18 on the Natural Course of Abnormal Cervical Cytology: A Korean HPV Cohort Study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) other than HPV 16/18 on the natural course of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) or low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL).

Materials And Methods: The study population was derived from the Korean HPV cohort (2010-2014). Women aged 20 to 60 who satisfied the criteria of having both HPV infection and abnormal cervical cytology of either ASC-US or LSIL were recruited from five institutions nationwide.

C-reactive Protein Concentration Is Associated With a Higher Risk of Mortality in a Rural Korean Population.

Objectives: C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory biomarker, has been widely used as a preclinical marker predictive of morbidity and mortality. Although many studies have reported a positive association between CRP and mortality, uncertainty still remains about this association in various populations, especially in rural Korea.

Methods: A total of 23 233 middle-aged participants (8862 men and 14 371 women) who were free from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and acute inflammation (defined by a CRP level ≥10 mg/L) were drawn from 11 rural communities in Korea between 2005 and 2011.

Surgical and obstetrical outcomes after laparoscopic radical trachelectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy for early cervical cancer.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the surgical and obstetrical outcomes of patients with early cervical cancer who underwent laparoscopic radical trachelectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy.

Methods: We analyzed data from women who underwent laparoscopic radical trachelectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy between July 2000 and October 2014.

Results: Of a total of 12 patients, 91.

Fyn deficiency attenuates renal fibrosis by inhibition of phospho-STAT3.

The hallmark of renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis is the accumulation of myofibroblasts and extracellular matrix proteins. Fyn, a member of the Src family of kinases, has diverse biological functions including regulation of mitogenic signaling and proliferation and integrin-mediated interaction. Src family proteins promote pulmonary fibrosis by augmenting transforming growth factor-β signaling, but their role in renal fibrosis is less understood.