Hepatitis B virus preS1 deletion is related to viral replication increase and disease progression.

Aim: To investigate the clinical implications of hepatitis B virus (HBV) preS1 deletion.

Methods: We developed a fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) that can detect four genotypes (wild type, 15-bp, 18-bp and 21-bp deletion). The PCR method was used in two cohorts of Korean chronic HBV subjects with genotype C infections.

The Cytoprotective Effect of Petalonia binghamiae Methanol Extract against Oxidative Stress in C2C12 Myoblasts: Mediation by Upregulation of Heme Oxygenase-1 and Nuclear Factor-Erythroid 2 Related Factor 2.

This study was designed to examine the protective effects of the marine brown algae Petalonia binghamiae against oxidative stress-induced cellular damage and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. P. binghamiae methanol extract (PBME) prevented hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced growth inhibition and exhibited scavenging activity against intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by H2O2 in mouse-derived C2C12 myoblasts.

So-Cheong-Ryong-Tang induces apoptosis through activation of the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis pathways, and inhibition of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in non-small-cell lung cancer A549 cells.

Background: So-Cheong-Ryong-Tang (SCRT), a traditional Korean medicine containing eight species of medicinal plant, has been used to treat patients with bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis for hundreds of years; however, its anti-cancer potential is poorly understood. The present study was designed to evaluate the apoptotic effect of SCRT against human non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) A549 cells.

Methods: The effects of SCRT on cell growth and viability were evaluated by trypan blue dye exclusion and 3-(4, 5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazoliumbromide (MTT) assays, respectively.

Vegetable intake, but not fruit intake, is associated with a reduction in the risk of cancer incidence and mortality in middle-aged Korean men.

Background: Few prospective studies have examined the preventive role of fruit and vegetable intakes against cancer in Asian populations.

Objective: This prospective study evaluated the associations between total fruit intake, total vegetable intake, and total fruit and vegetable intake and total cancer incidence and mortality.

Methods: This prospective cohort study included 14,198 men 40-59 y of age enrolled in the Seoul Male Cohort Study from 1991 to 1993.

Effects of low-intensity ultrasound on oxidative damage in retinal pigment epithelial cells in vitro.

Oxidative stress in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is one of the key causative factors of RPE injury in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Low-intensity ultrasound (LIUS) less than 1 W/cm(2) in intensity has been found to have cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects in many cell types and diseases. In this study, we investigated for the first time the feasibility of using LIUS to protect RPE cells from oxidative damage.

Belching during gastroscopy and its association with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Belching may result from transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation; therefore, it has been proposed that belching may be a manifestation of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This study was conducted to investigate the frequency of belching during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and its association with GERD. A retrospective review was performed on prospectively collected clinical and endoscopic data from 404 subjects who underwent EGD without sedation from December 2012 to May 2013 in a training hospital in Korea.

Sargassum horneri methanol extract rescues C2C12 murine skeletal muscle cells from oxidative stress-induced cytotoxicity through Nrf2-mediated upregulation of heme oxygenase-1.

Background: Sargassum horneri, an edible marine brown alga, is typically distributed along the coastal seas of Korea and Japan. Although several studies have demonstrated the anti-oxidative activity of this alga, the regulatory mechanisms have not yet been defined. The aim of the present study was to examine the cytoprotective effects of S.

Essential oils purified from Schisandrae semen inhibits tumor necrosis factor-α-induced matrix metalloproteinase-9 activation and migration of human aortic smooth muscle cells.

Background: The migration of vascular smooth muscle cells from the tunica media to the subendothelial region may be a key event in the development of atherosclerosis after arterial injury. In this study, we investigated the potential mechanisms underlying the anti-atherosclerotic effects of Schisandrae Semen essential oil (SSeo) in human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs).

Methods: Metalloproteinase-2/9 (MMP-2/9) activity was evaluated by gelatin zymography and gelatinase activity assay kit.

Kind and estimated stocking amount of antidotes for initial treatment for acute poisoning at emergency medical centers in Korea.

Antidotes for toxicological emergencies can be life-saving. However, there is no nationwide estimation of the antidotes stocking amount in Korea. This study tried to estimate the quantities of stocking antidotes at emergency department (ED).

Anti-inflammatory potential of newly synthesized 4-[(butylsulfinyl)methyl]-1,2-benzenediol in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated BV2 microglia.

In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of newly synthesized 4-[(butylsulfinyl)methyl]-1,2-benzenediol (SMBD) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV2 microglia and the subsequent signaling events. Following stimulation with LPS, elevated production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) was detected in BV2 cells; however, SMBD pretreatment inhibited the production of NO and PGE2 through suppressing gene expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), respectively, at non-toxic concentrations. LPS-stimulated gene expression and production of interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were also significantly reduced by SMBD.

Gastrectomy for the treatment of refractory gastric ulceration after radioembolization with 90Y microspheres.

Transcatheter arterial radioembolization (TARE) with Yttrium-90 ((90)Y)-labeled microspheres has an emerging role in treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Although complication of TARE can be minimized by aggressive pre-evaluation angiography and preventive coiling of aberrant vessels, radioembolization-induced gastroduodenal ulcer can be irreversible and can be life-threatening. Treatment of radioembolization-induced gastric ulcer is challenging because there is a few reported cases and no consensus for management.

Fucoidan inhibits the proliferation of human urinary bladder cancer T24 cells by blocking cell cycle progression and inducing apoptosis.

Although fucoidan has been shown to exert anticancer activity against several types of cancer cell lines, no reports have explored fucoidan-affected cell growth in human urinary bladder cancer cells. In this study, we investigated the anti-proliferative effects of fucoidan in human bladder cancer T24 cells. Our results indicated that fucoidan decreased the viability of T24 cells through the induction of G1 arrest and apoptosis.

CD24 and S100A4 expression in resectable pancreatic cancers with earlier disease recurrence and poor survival.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to study the expression status of markers associated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) and to explore the prognostic value of these markers.

Methods: Immunohistochemical stains for CD24, CD44, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, Snail, S100A4, Vimentin, urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor, Ezrin, and matrix metalloproteinase 2 were performed on 67 resected PDACs.

Results: Proteins associated with EMT and metastasis were more frequently expressed in PDACs with poor differentiation, higher tumor stage, and lymphatic and perineural invasion.

Phylogenetic analysis of a swine influenza A(H3N2) virus isolated in Korea in 2012.

Influenza A virus (IAV) can infect avian and mammalian species, including humans. The genome nature of IAVs may contribute to viral adaptation in different animal hosts, resulting in gene reassortment and the reproduction of variants with optimal fitness. As seen again in the 2009 swine-origin influenza A H1N1 pandemic, pigs are known to be susceptible to swine, avian, and human IAVs and can serve as a 'mixing vessel' for the generation of novel IAV variants.

Cardiovascular health metrics and all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality among middle-aged men in Korea: the Seoul male cohort study.

Objectives: This study estimated the association of cardiovascular health behaviors with the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in middle-aged men in Korea.

Methods: In total, 12 538 men aged 40 to 59 years were enrolled in 1993 and followed up through 2011. Cardiovascular health metrics defined the following lifestyle behaviors proposed by the American Heart Association: smoking, physical activity, body mass index, diet habit score, total cholesterol, blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose.

Impact of internal spermatic artery preservation during laparoscopic varicocelectomy on recurrence and the catch-up growth rate in adolescents.

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of laparoscopic varicocelectomy (LV) in adolescents with varicocele and analyze the impact of internal spermatic artery (ISA) preservation on surgical outcomes.

Materials And Methods: Data on 92 adolescents with left varicocele who underwent LV between December 1998 and January 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. The mean age of the patients was 13.

Determination of the change of flavonoid components as the defence materials of Citrus unshiu Marc. fruit peel against Penicillium digitatum by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry.

A healthy fruit peel of Citrus unshiu Marc. and one infected by Penicillium digitatum were analysed for flavonoids via high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) in the positive mode with selected ion monitoring (SIM). Among 16 flavonoid components characterised in C.

Incidence of hip fractures in Jeju Island, South Korea: a prospective study (2002-2006).

Background: This study was performed to estimate the incidence of hip fractures of people older than 50 years in South Korea.

Methods: Information of patients over 50 years of age who had sustained a hip fracture were obtained from the records of eight hospitals in Jeju Island between 2002 and 2006 to calculate the incidence of hip fractures in this age group.

Results: There were 820 hip fractures during the study period.

Acute subdural hemorrhage associated with rifampicin-induced thrombocytopenia.

Thrombocytopenia is a major adverse effect of several drug treatments. Rifampicin has been recognized as a cause of immune thrombocytopenia. A 68-year-old woman diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis was taking the standard four-drug antituberculosis regimen for 4 months.

[6]-Gingerol suppresses interleukin-1 beta-induced MUC5AC gene expression in human airway epithelial cells.

Background: [6]-Gingerol is a major active component of ginger and a natural polyphenol compound. The present study investigated whether [6]-gingerol suppresses interleukin (IL)-1 beta-induced MUC5AC gene expression in human airway epithelial cells and, if so, examined whether the suppression of MUC5AC gene expression is mediated via the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal transduction pathway.

Methods: MUC5AC mRNA and protein were measured using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), real-time PCR, and Western blot analysis in cultured NCI-H292 human airway epithelial cells.

Mycobacterium paraseoulense sp. nov., a slowly growing, scotochromogenic species related genetically to Mycobacterium seoulense.

A previously unidentified, slowly growing, scotochromogenic Mycobacterium species, represented by strain 31118(T), was discovered during hsp65 sequence-based reidentification of Korean clinical isolates that had been previously identified as Mycobacterium scrofulaceum by conventional biochemical tests. Although the 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain 31118(T) was identical to that of the recently described Mycobacterium seoulense, phylogenetic analyses based on three independent alternative targets (rpoB, hsp65 and the 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer) showed that it was closely related to M. seoulense but was a distinct phylogenetic entity.

Effects of obesity and obesity-induced stress on depressive symptoms in Korean elementary school children.

Background: Obesity is becoming prevalent in Korean children. Because body image is becoming increasingly important, it is likely that obesity-induced stress has a significant effect on childhood depression.

Aims: To examine the correlation between obesity-induced stress and depressive symptoms in Korean elementary school students.

[Explaining cancer incidence in the Jejudo population].

Objectives: Using the population-based cancer registry in Jejudo, we found that Jejudo had lower incidence in stomach cancer than other regions in Korea. The aim of this study was to evaluate reasons for this difference.

Methods: Citrus is the leading agricultural production in Jejudo, suggesting that lower cancer incidence in Jejudo could be explained by citrus fruit intake.

Association between socioeconomic status and burn injury severity.

Background: It has been previously established that the incidence of burn is higher in lower socioeconomic (SES) groups. What is not clear, however, is whether or not the severity of burn is also higher in lower SES groups. The purpose of this study is to establish a relationship between household-level socioeconomic status (SES) and severity-based incidence of burn.

Promotion effect of Schisandra nigra on the growth of hair.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Schisandra nigra, a plant native to Jeju Island, South Korea, on the promotion of hair growth. When rat vibrissa follicles were treated with 85% ethanol (EtOH) extract of S. nigra, the hair-fiber lengths of the vibrissa follicles increased significantly.