Abnormal Human Sperm Parameters Contribute to Sperm DNA Fragmentation in Men with Varicocele.

Purpose: This study was performed to evaluate and compare threshold sperm parameters and sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI), and further analyzed whether sperm DFI could be predicted from sperm parameters in men with varicocele.

Materials And Methods: A total of 157 semen samples underwent both semen analysis and sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) testing in men with varicocele. Sperm parameters were assessed using the World Health Organization guidelines.

An Insight into Ginsenoside Metabolite Compound K as a Potential Tool for Skin Disorder.

Ginsenosides are the major bioactive natural compounds derived from . Several studies report the pharmaceutical benefits of several ginsenosides, including antidementia, antitumor, and anti-inflammatory activity. Biotransformations by gut microbiome contribute to the biological function of these ginsenosides.

Prospective observations study protocol to investigate cost-effectiveness of various prenatal test strategies after the introduction of noninvasive prenatal testing.

Background: Among the non-invasive screening methods for the identification of fetal aneuploidy, NIPT (non-invasive prenatal testing) shows the highest sensitivity and specificity in high-risk pregnancies. Due to the low false positive rate of NIPT, it is assumed that the implementation of NIPT as a primary screening method may reduce the number of invasive fetal tests and result in a similar or lowered cost in the overall detection of Down syndrome. However, most previous studies are based on theoretical economic analysis.

Author Correction: Mutant p53 stimulates cell invasion through an interaction with Rad21 in human ovarian cancer cells.

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.

Change in rates of prenatal tests for chromosomal abnormality over a 12-year period in women of advanced maternal age.

Objective: In 2007, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommended that all pregnant women be offered screening or diagnostic tests for chromosomal abnormalities regardless of their age. Noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for common chromosomal aneuploidies was introduced as a screening test in case of high-risk pregnancies. We assessed the rates of prenatal tests in women aged 35 years and older.

The level of vitamin D using the LC-MS/MS method and related factors in healthy Korean postmenopausal women.

Aim: The main purposes of the study were (i) to evaluate serum vitamin D concentration in the forms of 25(OH)D , 25(OH)D and total 25(OH)D in Korean postmenopausal women using the LC-MS/MS method, which offers increased sensitivity and selectivity; (ii) to determine the relationship between the bone turnover marker, parathyroid hormone (PTH) and 25(OH)D , total 25(OH)D separately; and (iii) to determine the factors that may be associated with vitamin D deficiency using body composition analysis and laboratory blood tests.

Method: A total of 200 postmenopausal women were recruited from November 2012 to March 2014. To control for seasonal ultraviolet exposure time differences in serum 25(OH)D, laboratory tests were performed only from November to March when vitamin D is not synthesized.

Alteration of microRNA profiling in sphere-cultured ovarian carcinoma cells.

Ovarian cancer is an aggressive and lethal cancer, which in part, can be attributed to complications in the effective detection of this disease during early stages of progression. Frequently, epithelial ovarian cancer is disseminated to the abdominal cavity and forms multicellular aggregates. This unique early metastatic event, and formation of the multicellular aggregate is implicated to provide a basis for understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of metastasis in ovarian cancer.

Concurrent TSHR mutations and DIO2 T92A polymorphism result in abnormal thyroid hormone metabolism.

Deiodinase 2 (DIO2) plays an important role in thyroid hormone metabolism and its regulation. However, molecular mechanism that regulates DIO2 activity remains unclear; only mutaions in selenocysteine insertion sequence binding protein 2 and selenocysteine tranfer RNA (tRNA) are reported to result in decreased DIO2 activity. Two patients with clinical evidence of abnormal thyroid hormone metabolism were identified and found to have TSHR mutations as well as DIO2 T92A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP).

Assessment of Quality of Life and Safety in Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Letrozole as an Early Adjuvant Treatment.

Purpose: There are few reports from Asian countries about the long-term results of aromatase inhibitor adjuvant treatment for breast cancer. This observational study aimed to evaluate the long-term effects of letrozole in postmenopausal Korean women with operable breast cancer.

Methods: Self-reported quality of life (QoL) scores were serially assessed for 3 years during adjuvant letrozole treatment using the Korean version of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast questionnaires (version 3).

Novel Mutation in PTHLH Related to Brachydactyly Type E2 Initially Confused with Unclassical Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism.

Background: Autosomal-dominant brachydactyly type E is a congenital abnormality characterized by small hands and feet, which is a consequence of shortened metacarpals and metatarsals. We recently encountered a young gentleman exhibiting shortening of 4th and 5th fingers and toes. Initially, we suspected him having pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism (PPHP) because of normal biochemical parameters, including electrolyte, Ca, P, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels; however, his mother and maternal grandmother had the same conditions in their hands and feet.

Fas and FasL genetic polymorphisms in women with recurrent pregnancy loss: a case-control study.

Aberrant apoptosis at the trophoblast-maternal interface and abnormal expression of Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) have been reported in complicated pregnancies with recurrent pregnancy losses (RPL) and preeclampsia. We assessed the prevalence of Fas and FasL genetic polymorphisms in Korean women with RPL and in fertile controls. In total, 306 women with RPL and 298 fertile controls were enrolled.

Integrative analyses of genes and microRNA expressions in human trisomy 21 placentas.

Background: The most frequent chromosomal aneuploidy is trisomy 21 (T21) that is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21. The imbalance of whole genome including genes and microRNAs contributes to the various phenotypes of T21. However, the integrative association between genes and microRNAs in the T21 placenta has yet to be determined.

Smoking Exposure in Early Pregnancy and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: Usefulness of Urinary Tobacco-Specific Nitrosamine Metabolite 4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-Pyridyl)-1-Butanol Levels.

Objectives: The aim was to investigate the effect of -maternal smoking exposure assessed by urinary tobacco-specific nitrosamine metabolite 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-a1-butanol (NNAL) with adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Methods: A total of 251 pregnant women were recruited. Urinary cotinine and NNAL were measured.

Potential of testicular sperm to support embryonic development to the blastocyst stage is comparable to that of ejaculated sperm.

Purpose: Recent studies have shown that improved clinical outcomes can be achieved by transferring blastocysts rather than cleavage-stage embryos. However, blastocyst transfer is not performed in all patients. The aim of this study was to compare clinical outcomes of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles using testicular sperm (TE) with those of ICSI cycles using ejaculated sperm (EJ).

Sudden unexpected cardio-respiratory arrest after venipuncture in children.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the clinical and socioenvironmental characteristics of sudden cardiorespiratory arrest after venipuncture in children.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective email-based survey of all members of the Korean Pediatric Society. The questionnaire included items on patient demographics, socioenvironmental circumstances of the venipuncture, type of cardiorespiratory arrest, symptoms and signs, treatment, prognosis, and presumed cause of the arrest.

Interactions among the variants of insulin-related genes and nutrients increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Asians easily develops type 2 diabetes (T2DM) since they have insufficient glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in insulin resistant states. Since this may be associated with genetic background, the hypothesis of this study was that inter-genetic and gene-nutrient interactions may explain the low insulin secretory capacity of Asians. Accordingly, we identified the best gene-gene and gene-nutrient interactions using generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) in a large Korean cohort (n=8,842).

The likelihood of achieving pregnancy through timed coitus in young infertile women with decreased ovarian reserve.

Objective: To evaluate the pregnancy rate and time to pregnancy after timed coitus with or without superovulation in infertile young women younger than 35 years old with low serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels (<25th percentile).

Methods: A total of 202 patients younger than 35 years old were recruited retrospectively between 2010 and 2012. Ninety-eight women had normal serum AMH levels (25-75th percentile), 75 women had low serum AMH levels (5th≤&<25th percentile) and 29 women had very low serum AMH levels (<5th percentile), according to reference values for their age group.

Comparison of human papillomavirus genotyping and cytology triage, COMPACT Study: Design, methods and baseline results in 14 642 women.

Although cytology-based screening programs have significantly reduced mortality and morbidity from cervical cancer, the global consensus is that primary human papillomavirus (HPV) testing for cervical screening increases detection of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and invasive cancer. However, the optimal triage strategy for HPV-positive women to avoid over-referral to colposcopy may be setting specific. As Japan requires data that have been generated domestically to modify screening guidelines, we conducted a 3-year prospective study, COMparison of HPV genotyping And Cytology Triage (COMPACT), to evaluate the potential role of HPV16/18 partial genotyping and cytology for primary HPV screening.

Coping styles in individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis: Associations with cognitive appraisals.

Maladaptive coping may play an important role in the manifestation of symptoms, functioning, and overt psychosis onset in individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis. To determine the factors associated with coping strategies, the relationships between cognitive appraisals and coping styles were investigated in UHR individuals. Sixty-five UHR individuals and 83 healthy controls were assessed for coping styles and cognitive appraisals of attribution bias as a primary appraisal and self-efficacy and perceived social support as a secondary appraisal.

Clinical Efficacy of Solifenacin in the Management of Diabetes Mellitus-Associated Versus Idiopathic Overactive Bladder Symptoms: A Multicenter Prospective Study.

Purpose: To compare the clinical efficacy of anticholinergics for managing diabetes mellitus-associated overactive bladder (DM OAB) versus idiopathic overactive bladder (OAB) in Korean women.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter, prospective, parallel-group, open-label, 12-week study. Women (20-65 years old) with OAB symptoms for over 3 months were assigned to the DM OAB and idiopathic OAB groups.

Validation of the health literacy scale for diabetes as a criterion-referenced test with standard setting procedures.

Objective: To develop and examine the psychometric properties of the Korean Health Literacy Scale for Diabetes Mellitus (KHLS-DM), and to establish reasonable cutoff scores.

Methods: Initially, 299 items were generated to measure diabetes-related words, numeracy, and information utilization. Content validity assessment and preliminary tests were conducted.

nc886 is induced by TGF-β and suppresses the microRNA pathway in ovarian cancer.

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling and microRNAs (miRNAs) are important gene regulatory components in cancer. Usually in advanced malignant stages, TGF-β signaling is elevated but global miRNA expression is suppressed. Such a gene expression signature is well illustrated in a fibrosis (or mesenchymal) subtype of ovarian cancer (OC) that is of poor prognosis.

The relationship between age of onset and risk factors including family history and life style in Korean population with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

[Purpose] The purpose of the present study was to assess the relationship between age of onset and risk factors including family history and life style in Korean population with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). [Subjects and Methods] Subjects with T2D patients who received outpatient care for blood sugar control were randomly sampled at 13 general hospitals and 969 subjects were included. Cox proportional hazard models were used to confirm associations between age of onset and risk factors including family history and life style in Korean population with T2D.

Phosphorylation-dependent stabilization of MZF1 upregulates N-cadherin expression during protein kinase CK2-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a critical process in invasion and metastasis of cancer cells. E-cadherin to N-cadherin switching is considered a molecular hallmark of EMT. Recently, we reported that increased CK2 activity fully induces E-cadherin to N-cadherin switching, but the molecular mechanisms of N-cadherin upregulation are unknown.