Challenges and insights of early oncology drug development in the Asia-Pacific region: introduction of phase I oncology clinical trial center and experience sharing for early clinical trials in Seoul National University Hospital, Korea.

Korea has become the hub of clinical trials in the world. Korea Good Clinical Practice was legislated in 1995, with an amendment in 2001 to adopt International Council of Harmonization (ICH)-Good Clinical Practive (GCP). New Clinical Trial Authorization (CTA) process, which was introduced in 2002 to streamline the regulatory process along with faster study start up, facilitated clinical trials registration in Korea.

Unprocessed Meat Consumption and Incident Cardiovascular Diseases in Korean Adults: The Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES).

Meat consumption has been shown to be associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in Western societies; however, epidemiological data are limited on the Korean population. Therefore, we examined the associations between unprocessed meat consumption and CVD incidence in Korea. Data were derived from the Ansung-Ansan cohort (2001-2012), including 9370 adults (40-69 years) without CVD or cancer at baseline.

Association between Genetic Variations Affecting Mean Telomere Length and the Prevalence of Hypertension and Coronary Heart Disease in Koreans.

In this study, we investigated whether the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with telomere length (TL) were associated with the incidence of hypertension (HTN)/coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiovascular risk factors in the Korean population. Data from 5,705 (ages 39-70) participants in the Korean Genome Epidemiology Study (rural Ansung and urban Ansan cohorts) were studied. Twelve SNPs known to be associated with telomere biology were tested for an association with HTN/CHD.

Consumption of whole grains and legumes modulates the genetic effect of the APOA5 -1131C variant on changes in triglyceride and apolipoprotein A-V concentrations in patients with impaired fasting glucose or newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

Background: The apolipoprotein A5 gene (APOA5) -1131 T > C polymorphism is associated with mild hypertriglyceridemia in type 2 diabetic subjects, and interacts with dietary fat in the determination of triglyceride concentrations. We examined whether a substitution of whole grains and legumes for refined rice in a high carbohydrate diet (about 65% of energy derived from carbohydrate) may modify the effect of this variant on changes in apolipoprotein A-V (apoA-V) and triglyceride concentrations.

Methods: We genotyped the APOA5 -1131 T > C in individuals with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, who were randomly assigned to either a group ingesting whole grain and legume meals daily or a control group for 12 weeks.

Mild weight loss reduces inflammatory cytokines, leukocyte count, and oxidative stress in overweight and moderately obese participants treated for 3 years with dietary modification.

Obesity-induced oxidative stress and inflammation are involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. We investigated whether diet-induced, long-term, mild weight loss improved proinflammatory cytokine levels, leukocyte count, and oxidative stress. Overweight/obese participants (25 ≤ body mass index < 34 kg/m(2), N = 122, 30-59 years) joined a 3-year-long clinical intervention involving daily 100-kcal calorie deficits.

Increased oxidative stress in normal-weight postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome compared with metabolically healthy overweight/obese individuals.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess whether the metabolically healthy overweight/obese phenotype is associated with decreased oxidative stress compared with normal-weight individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Materials/methods: Plasma oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) and urinary 8-epi-prostaglandin F2α (8-epi-PGF2α) were analyzed in a cross-sectional study of 1846 healthy postmenopausal women. Participants were classified by presence (n=569) or absence (n=1277) of MetS and by BMI (18.

Supervised exercise program, BMI, and risk of type 2 diabetes in subjects with normal or impaired fasting glucose.

Objective: To determine the association of regular exercise, BMI, and fasting glucose with the risk of type 2 diabetes and to predict the risk.

Research Design And Methods: Korean subjects (n = 7,233; 40-79 years old) who were not diagnosed with diabetes at baseline were enrolled through the National Health Insurance Corporation. All participants underwent biennial examinations, and 1,947 of 7,233 subjects also underwent a 6-month program of moderate-intensity exercise (300 min/week) without dietary advice.

Association of Lp-PLA(2) activity and LDL size with interleukin-6, an inflammatory cytokine and oxidized LDL, a marker of oxidative stress, in women with metabolic syndrome.

Objective: We investigated an association between lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A(2) (Lp-PLA(2)) activity, inflammation, and oxidative stress in women with metabolic syndrome (MS).

Methods: We performed a case-control study in MS women (n=368) and non-MS women (n=854). Lp-PLA(2) activity LDL particle size; leukocyte number; ox-LDL, LDL-cholesterol, TNF-α, IL-6, and CRP levels were measured.