Changes in Gene Expression Related to Atopic Dermatitis in Mothers and Infants Following VOC Exposure.

Environmental pollutants, particularly volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are associated with various diseases, including atopic dermatitis (AD). However, despite numerous studies on AD, there is a lack of research on the impact of various environmental exposures on mothers and infants. This study, therefore, investigated the effects of maternal exposure to specific VOCs (toluene, xylene, and benzene) on the expression of AD-related genes in mothers and their infants.

Epigenetic Methylation Changes in Pregnant Women: Bisphenol Exposure and Atopic Dermatitis.

Bisphenol is a chemical substance widely used in plastic products and food containers. In this study, we observed a relationship between DNA methylation and atopic dermatitis (AD) in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of pregnant women exposed to bisphenol A (BPA) and its alternatives, bisphenol S (BPS) and bisphenol F (BPF). DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that regulates gene expression, which can be altered by environmental factors, and affects the onset and progression of diseases.

Stratum corneum lipid and cytokine biomarkers at age 2 months predict the future onset of atopic dermatitis.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) commonly occurs in children and can progress into severe phenotypes or atopic march, causing significant impairment in quality of life. It is important to find early biomarkers of future onset of AD before any clinical manifestations.

Objective: We sought to find early predictors of future onset of AD in skin stratum corneum (SC).

Simultaneous detection of SARS-CoV-2 and identification of spike D614G mutation using point-of-care real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is associated with high mortality and infectivity rates in humans since its emergence. Analysis using high-accuracy real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is recommended for the detection of general respiratory viruses including SARS-CoV-2, but it takes a long time (e.g.

Chromosomal abnormalities of 19,000 couples with recurrent spontaneous abortions: a multicenter study.

Objective: To investigate the demographic data and karyotypes of 19,000 couples who experienced recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA).

Design: A cross-sectional study of 19,000 couples.

Setting: Five hospitals.

Analysis of multi-omics data on the relationship between epigenetic changes and nervous system disorders caused by exposure to environmentally harmful substances.

Environmentally hazardous substances and exposure to these can cause various diseases. Volatile organic compounds can easily evaporate into the atmosphere, thereby exerting toxic effects through either the skin or respiratory tract exposures. Toluene, a neurotoxin, has been widely used in various industries.

Prenatal Exposure to Heavy Metals Affects Gestational Age by Altering DNA Methylation Patterns.

Environmental exposure is known to have toxic effects. Maternal environmental exposure not only affects mothers but also their fetuses in utero, which may interrupt their early development. Preterm birth, one of the outcomes of prenatal exposure, is a significant factor in lifelong health risks.

Application of droplet digital PCR method for DNA methylation-based age prediction from saliva.

The recent studies reported that DNA methylation markers show changes with age, and expected that the DNA methylation markers can be effectively used for estimation of age in forensic genetics. In this study, we applied droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) method to investigate the DNA methylation pattern in the CpG sites, and we constructed an age prediction model based on the ddPCR method. The ddPCR is capable of highly sensitive quantitation of nucleic acid and detection of sequence variations in gene by separating the sample into large number of partitions and clonally amplifying nucleic acids in each partition.

POCT Detection of 14 Respiratory Viruses Using Multiplex RT-PCR.

Over the past 6 years, acute respiratory infections have constituted an average of more than 70,000 cases in South Korea. It results in a high mortality rate in infants and the elderly with weak immunity. There are several types of respiratory viruses that invade the human respiratory tract and cause infectious disease.

Integrated analysis of multi-omics data on epigenetic changes caused by combined exposure to environmental hazards.

Humans are easily exposed to environmentally hazardous factors in industrial sites or daily life. In addition, exposure to various substances and not just one harmful substance is common. However, research on the effects of combined exposure on humans is limited.

Identification of a novel HLA-B*54 allele, HLA-B*54:01:08, in a Korean individual.

HLA-B*54:01:08 differs from B*54:01:01 by a synonymous mutation at codon 228 in exon 4.

Transcriptome dynamics of alternative splicing events revealed early phase of apoptosis induced by methylparaben in H1299 human lung carcinoma cells.

Methylparaben is most frequently used as an antimicrobial preservative in pharmaceuticals and foods. Methylparaben has been subjected to toxicological studies owing to the increasing concern regarding its possible impact on the environment and human health. However, the cytotoxicity and underlying mechanisms of methylparaben exposure in human lung cells have not been explored.

Design, Fabrication, and Testing of a Microfluidic Device for Thermotaxis and Chemotaxis Assays of Sperm.

Infertile couples needing assisted reproduction are increasing, so a fundamental understanding of motile sperm migration is required. This paper presents an advanced microfluidic device for sperm motion analysis utilizing chemotaxis and thermotaxis simultaneously for the first time. The proposed device is a transparent polydimethylsiloxane- and glass-based microfluidic chip system providing a low-cost, useful, and disposable platform for sperm analysis.

PPARα-Target Gene Expression Requires TIS21 Gene in Liver of the C57BL/6 Mice under Fasting Condition.

The TIS21 gene belongs to the antiproliferative gene (APRO) family and exhibits tumor suppressive activity. However, here we report that TIS21 controls lipid metabolism, rather than cell proliferation, under fasting condition. Using microarray analysis, whole gene expression changes were investigated in liver of TIS21 knockout (TIS21-KO) mice after 20 h fasting and compared with wild type (WT).

A new approach of digital PCR system for non-invasive prenatal screening of trisomy 21.

Background: Non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPS) of trisomy 21 (T21) using digital PCR (dPCR) with several advantages will be very effective. Here, we developed a dPCR system for T21 screening which allows high sensitivity and real-time diagnosis and thus overcome sequence based analysis.

Methods: Cut-off value was established using DNA extracted from all 157 T21 negative samples including 47 pregnant woman samples and 3 T21 positive pregnant woman samples extracted from 4 different sample types.

Identification of time-dependent biomarkers and effects of exposure to volatile organic compounds using high-throughput analysis.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can be easily taken up by humans, leading to various diseases, such as respiratory system and central nervous system disorders. Environmental risk assessment is generally conducted using traditional tests, which may be time-consuming and technically challenging. Therefore, analysis of the effects of VOCs, such as toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene, may be improved by use of novel, high-throughput methods, such as microarray analysis.

High specific genotyping method using short target probe and helper probe.

Differentiating 1-bp differences using real-time PCR often leads to false-positive results. Therefore, we developed a fluorescence melting curve analysis (FMCA) method with a short target probe and helper probe labeled with a fluorophore and quencher, respectively. This fluorophore and quencher were designed to be near each other when the probes were hybridized to template DNA.

Magnetic bead-based nucleic acid purification kit: Clinical application and performance evaluation in stool specimens.

Two different methods - the semi-automated magnetic bead-based kit (SK, Stool DNA/RNA Purification kit®) and the manual membrane column-based kit (QS, QIAamp® DNA Stool Mini kit) - for purifying nucleic acids from clinical stool samples were compared and evaluated. The SK kit was more user-friendly than QS due to the reduced manual processing, partial automation, and short turnaround time with half cost. Furthermore, SK produced high yields in both DNA and RNA extractions but poor purity in RNA extraction.

Accumulation and temporal changes of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs in finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis) from Korean coastal waters: Tracking the effectiveness of regulation.

Temporal trend studies are useful to evaluate the effectiveness of regulations on local pollutants. The emission of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has been regulated by the Korean government in accordance with the Stockholm Convention. The accumulation and temporal trends of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs were investigated in finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis) collected in Korean waters.

Compound EGFR mutation is frequently detected with co-mutations of actionable genes and associated with poor clinical outcome in lung adenocarcinoma.

Compound EGFR mutations, defined as double or multiple mutations in the EGFR tyrosine kinase domain, are frequently detected with advances in sequencing technology but its clinical significance is unclear. This study analyzed 61 cases of EGFR mutation positive lung adenocarcinoma using next-generation sequencing (NGS) based repeated deep sequencing panel of 16 genes that contain actionable mutations and investigated clinical implication of compound EGFR mutations. Compound EGFR mutation was detected in 15 (24.

Genetic heterogeneity of actionable genes between primary and metastatic tumor in lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: Biopsy for lung cancer diagnosis is usually done at a single site. But it is unclear that genetic information at one biopsy site represents that of other lesions and is sufficient for therapeutic decision making.

Methods: Non-synonymous mutations and insertions/deletions of 16 genes containing actionable mutations, and intron 2 deletion polymorphism of Bcl2-like11 were analyzed in 41 primary tumor and metastatic lymph node (L/N) matched, pStage IIA ~ IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) samples using a next generation sequencing based technique.

Association analysis of toluene exposure time with high-throughput mRNA expressions and methylation patterns using in vivo samples.

The emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) resulting from outdoor air pollution can contribute to major public health problems. However, there has been limited research on the health effects in humans from the inhalation of VOCs. Therefore, this study conducted an in vivo analysis of the effects of toluene, one of the most commonly used chemicals in many industries, on gene expression and methylation over time using the high-throughput technique of microarray analysis.

Differentiation of Scomber japonicus from Scomber scombrus by using a single locked nucleic acid probe.

Mackerel is marketed at prices according to the species type, Scomber japonicus and Scomber scombrus. Distinguishing these two species with the naked eye is difficult, and their differentiation becomes more difficult after they are processed by cooking, thereby leading to counterfeiting issues. Thus, in this study, we developed a method to differentiate S.