Reducible poly(amido ethylenimine)-based gene delivery system for improved nucleus trafficking of plasmid DNA.

In a nonviral gene delivery system, localization of a plasmid DNA in the nucleus is a prerequisite for expression of a desired therapeutic protein encoded in the plasmid DNA. In this study, a reducible polymer-based gene delivery system for improved intracellular trafficking and nuclear translocation of plasmid DNA is introduced. The system is consisted of two components, a plasmid DNA having repeated binding sequence for a karyophilic protein, NFkappaB, and a reducible polymer.

Non-viral systemic delivery of Fas siRNA suppresses cyclophosphamide-induced diabetes in NOD mice.

A membrane receptor, Fas (CD95), and its ligand FasL have been considered as key players in diabetes pathogenesis. They are known to mediate interactions between beta cells and cytotoxic T cells, which results in apoptotic cell death. We hypothesized that the interruption of Fas-FasL interactions by suppressing Fas expression in beta cells would affect the development of diabetes.

A new technique for dural suturing with fascia graft for cerebrospinal fluid leakage in transsphenoidal surgery.

Objective: One of the most common postoperative complications of surgery using a transsphenoidal approach is cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage, which typically results from inadequate repair of a CSF fistula created at the time of the initial operation. Most techniques use autologous tissue grafts of fat, muscle, or fascia lata, with or without the use of postoperative lumbar CSF drainage; however, patients demonstrate a relatively high incidence of CSF rhinorrhea, especially after extended procedures. We have developed a new technique of dural suturing with fascia graft using special suture-tying microinstruments.

Relationship between body mass index and insulin resistance in patients treated with second generation antipsychotic agents.

Second generation antipsychotics (SGAs) can increase weight gain and weight-induced insulin resistance. Recent studies have suggested weight-independent effects of certain SGAs on insulin resistance; however the magnitude of these effects and the relationship between BMI and insulin resistance in patients on SGAs are not established. To evaluate, the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and insulin resistance in 54 patients being stably treated with olanzapine (n=19), risperidone (n=16), or aripiprazole (n=19) was compared with data from a large reference population (n=201) not on SGAs.

The utility of fluorescence in situ hybridization for detection of bladder urothelial carcinoma in routine clinical practice.

To evaluate the ability of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in detecting bladder urothelial carcinoma (BUC), FISH and cytology were compared for the evaluation of 308 consecutive urine samples from patients suspected of having BUC. All patients underwent cystoscopy for identification of bladder lesions. The FISH results were compared with the cytology assessment.

Exogenous sucrose utilization and starch biosynthesis among sweet potato cultivars.

Three sweetpotato cultivars were investigated for their starch content and amylose/amylopectin ratio. Ym starch contains 87.2% amylopectin and 12.

Discrepant immunophenotypic characteristics between the lymph node and bone marrow in two mixed-phenotype acute leukemia patients.

The immunophenotypic profile of hematological malignancies is usually consistent among different sites of involvement; this consistency allows reliable diagnosis from peripheral blood, bone marrow, or lymph node, especially in cases of acute leukemia. Although in a minority of lymphoma patients, two or more different populations with discordant immunophenotypes have been described, either at the same or distinct sites. Here, we report two Korean patients with acute leukemia where the results of immunophenotypic analysis of the bone marrow specimen were different from those of immunohistochemical studies of a biopsy sample of a cervical lymph node, particularly with respect to myeloperoxidase and CD3.

[Clinical utility of fluorescence in-situ hybridization profile test in detecting genetic aberrations in acute leukemia].

Background: Cytogenetic abnormalities are one of the most reliable prognostic factors in acute leukemia. Combination of conventional chromosome analysis (CCA) and FISH provides higher sensitivity in detecting these genetic abnormalities, and it is effective to apply several FISH probes as a profile test. The objective of this study was to investigate the utility of FISH profile analyses in the initial diagnosis of acute leukemia.

Comparative proteomic analysis of the short-term responses of rice roots and leaves to cadmium.

Cadmium (Cd) is a non-essential heavy metal that is recognized as a major environmental pollutant. While Cd responses and toxicities in some plant species have been well established, there are few reports about the effects of short-term exposure to Cd on rice, a model monocotyledonous plant, at the proteome level. To investigate the effect of Cd in rice, we monitored the influence of Cd exposure on root and leaf proteomes.

Ascitic fluid infection in patients with hepatitis B virus-related liver cirrhosis: culture-negative neutrocytic ascites versus spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

Background And Aim: Ascitic fluid infection (AFI) consists of culture-negative neutrocytic ascites (CNNA) and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). The present study compared the clinical characteristics and prognosis of CNNA and SBP in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related cirrhotic patients.

Methods: We analyzed 130 consecutive patients hospitalized due to the first episode of AFI between January 1998 and December 2007.

Identification of potential DREB2C targets in Arabidopsis thaliana plants overexpressing DREB2C using proteomic analysis.

The dehydration responsive element binding protein 2C (DREB2C) is a dehydration responsive element/C-repeat (DRE/CRT)-motif binding transcription factor that induced by mild heat stress. Previous experiments established that overexpression of DREB2C cDNA driven by the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter (35S:DREB2C) resulted in increased heat tolerance in Arabidopsis. We first analyzed the proteomic profiles in wild-type and 35S:DREB2C plants at a normal temperature (22 degrees C), but could not detect any differences between the proteomes of wild-type and 35S:DREB2C plants.

Predicting recurrence of nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas.

Context: Nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas are commonly diagnosed as large tumors. Most are detected incidentally during imaging studies or as a result of neurological manifestations. Depending on severity, most patients with large tumors require surgery and adjunctive therapies because of the high rate of tumor recurrence.

Discovery of tricyclic 5,6-dihydro-1H-pyridin-2-ones as novel, potent, and orally bioavailable inhibitors of HCV NS5B polymerase.

A novel series of non-nucleoside small molecules containing a tricyclic dihydropyridinone structural motif was identified as potent HCV NS5B polymerase inhibitors. Driven by structure-based design and building on our previous efforts in related series of molecules, we undertook extensive SAR studies, in which we identified a number of metabolically stable and very potent compounds in genotype 1a and 1b replicon assays. This work culminated in the discovery of several inhibitors, which combined potent in vitro antiviral activity against both 1a and 1b genotypes, metabolic stability, good oral bioavailability, and high C(12) (PO)/EC(50) ratios.

Utility of homeostasis model assessment of beta-cell function in predicting diabetes in 12,924 healthy Koreans.

Objective: It is unclear how well homeostasis model assessment of beta-cell function (HOMA-beta) predicts diabetes development beyond its components, especially glucose.

Research Design And Methods: We identified 12,924 nondiabetic Koreans who had fasting plasma glucose and insulin concentrations measured in 2003 and again in 2008. To minimize the impact of differences in baseline glucose concentration, individuals were divided into three glucose categories: normal fasting glucose (NFG, glucose <5.

Calcium intake is inversely associated with metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women: Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey, 2001 and 2005.

Objective: Calcium intake is known to be associated with the risk of having metabolic syndrome. However, the previous studies did not take into account the fact that intestinal absorption and urinary excretion of calcium are estrogen dependent, and intestinal absorption efficiency and renal conservation of calcium deteriorate after menopause. Therefore, we performed a menopause status-specific analysis of the association between calcium intake and metabolic syndrome.

Anti-inflammatory effects of Artemisia princeps in antigen-stimulated T cells and regulatory T cells.

Objectives: The aim was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of Artemisia princeps extract on the activity of anti-CD3/CD28-stimulated CD4(+)CD25(-) T cells and antigen-expanded regulatory T cells.

Methods: CD4(+)CD25(-) T cells were activated with coated anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 and cultured in the presence or absence of various concentrations of A. princeps extract.

Osteopontin expression correlates with invasiveness in cervical cancer.

Aim: Osteopontin is a secreted, integrin-binding glycophosphoprotein that is overexpressed in many types of cancers and appears to be involved in carcinogenesis and cancer progression. To understand the role of osteopontin in carcinogenesis of cervical cancer, this study was designed to determine whether osteopontin is expressed in cervical cancer and carcinoma in situ (CIS) tissue as well as in normal cervical tissue.

Methods: The expression of osteopontin was immunohistochemically analysed from 68 normal cervix, 55 CIS and 52 invasive cervical cancer tissues using a paraffin-embedded tissue array.

Proteomic analysis in cyclosporin A-induced overgrowth of human gingival fibroblasts.

Cyclosporin A (CsA) has been used as an immunosuppressive drug to prevent organ transplant rejection and to treat autoimmune diseases. CsA has a proliferative effect on human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) in vitro. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying CsA-induced proliferation in HGF remain to be elucidated.

A family of bioreducible poly(disulfide amine)s for gene delivery.

A family of bioreducible poly(disulfide amine)s, which differ in the length of polymethylene spacer [-(CH(2))(n)-] in the main chain and the side chain, has been synthesized. These bioreducible poly(disulfide amine)s exhibit local environment specific degradability and are associated with lower cytotoxicity than branched poly(ethylenimine) (bPEI, 25 kDa). These cationic polymers also show higher buffering capacity and protonation degree than bPEI, facilitating the endosomal escape of carried genetic materials.

Emergency endovascular stent graft and coil placement for internal carotid artery injury during transsphenoidal surgery.

Background: An internal carotid artery (ICA) injury is an uncommon but potentially fatal complication of transsphenoidal surgery.

Case Description: We report a 61-year-old male patient with a right cavernous ICA injury sustained during transsphenoidal surgery and who underwent endovascular Stent graft placement. The ICA trapping was not indicated because of the absence of the left A1 on preoperative magnetic resonance angiography.

High efficacy of a Listeria-based vaccine against metastatic breast cancer reveals a dual mode of action.

Most cancer vaccines induce CTL responses to tumor-associated antigens (TAA). Killing of tumor cells occurs through TAA-specific CTL-mediated cytolysis. Here, we show that one preventive followed by two therapeutic immunizations with an attenuated Listeria monocytogenes (LM)-based vaccine eradicates all metastases and almost the entire primary tumor in the syngeneic, aggressive mouse breast tumor model 4T1.

Plasma glucose and insulin regulation is abnormal following gastric bypass surgery with or without neuroglycopenia.

Background: Enhanced insulin sensitivity is commonly seen following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB) whereas symptomatic hypoglycemia post-RYGB seems to occur infrequently. It is unclear how different plasma glucose and insulin responses are in patients with symptomatic hypoglycemia (SX-RYGB) versus those who remain asymptomatic (ASX-RYGB), nor when compared with non-surgical controls with varying degrees of insulin sensitivity.

Methods: Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were determined following a 75-g oral glucose challenge in five groups: symptomatic and asymptomatic patients following RYGB (n = 9 each) and overweight/obese controls, divided into three subgroups (n = 30 each) on the basis of degree of insulin sensitivity measured by the insulin suppression test.

Current hormone therapy associated with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance in postmenopausal women.

Objective: This study evaluated the relationship between hormone therapy (HT) and squamous cytologic abnormalities of the cervix in postmenopausal Korean women.

Methods: Two hundred sixty-eight cases of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS), or more severe cervical lesions, and 4728 negative controls were included in this study. Hormone therapy status was analyzed as functions of 2 categories (current user and noncurrent user) and 3 categories (never user, past user, and current user).

Age at menarche in a Korean population: secular trends and influencing factors.

This study was designed to identify the secular trend in the age at menarche and to investigate the possible factors that influence the age at menarche using representative Korean data from the 2005 Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey. Three thousand five hundred sixty-two women born between 1920 and 1985 were enrolled to identify secular trends in the age at menarche and 620 girls born between 1986 and 1995 were recruited to evaluate the factors influencing the age at onset of menarche. Mean age at menarche decreased from 16.