Direct Detection of Drug-Resistant Hepatitis B Virus in Serum Using a Dendron-Modified Microarray.

Background/aims: Direct sequencing is the gold standard for the detection of drug-resistance mutations in hepatitis B virus (HBV); however, this procedure is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and difficult to adapt to high-throughput screening. In this study, we aimed to develop a dendron-modified DNA microarray for the detection of genotypic resistance mutations and evaluate its efficiency.

Methods: The specificity, sensitivity, and selectivity of dendron-modified slides for the detection of representative drug-resistance mutations were evaluated and compared to those of conventional slides.

A doubly signal-amplified DNA detection method based on pre-complexed [Ru(bpy)3]2+-doped silica nanoparticles.

Easy detection: The target DNA in a 10-100 aM range can be detected by pre-complexed nanoparticles without additional amplification or target labeling. The [Ru(bpy)(3)](2+)-doped silica nanoparticles are hybridized to form a complex with highly enhanced sensitivity (see scheme). This method will be a significant improvement over conventional microarray/fluorescence readout systems.

Polymorphisms of IL-1B, IL-1RN, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-gamma genes in the Korean population.

Cytokines play a crucial role in regulating the immune and inflammatory responses. The collective influence of several cytokines can regulate immune responses as complex as those underlying allograft rejections or autoimmune diseases. Polymorphisms in the regulatory regions of the cytokine genes may influence their expression.

Association of TAP and HLA-DM genes with psoriasis in Koreans.

To investigate the possible involvement of antigen-processing genes in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, we analyzed the polymorphisms of the TAP1, TAP2, LMP2, LMP7, DMA, and DMB genes in 98 Korean psoriasis patients and compared them with 184 healthy controls. The frequencies of TAP2*B/B [relative risk (RR)=3.6, p<0.

Distribution of MICA alleles and haplotypes associated with HLA in the Korean population.

The MICA (MHC class I chain-related gene A) is a polymorphic gene located 46 kb centromeric of the HLA-B gene, and is preferentially expressed in epithelial cells and intestinal mucosa. The MICA gene, similar to human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I, displays a high degree of genetic polymorphism in exons 2, 3, 4, and 5, amounting to 54 alleles. In this study, we investigated the polymorphisms at exons coding for extracellular domains (exons 2, 3, and 4), and the GCT repeat polymorphism at the transmembrane (exon 5) of MICA in 199 unrelated healthy Koreans.