• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.233-237
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• 2003

Calcifying aponeurotic fibroma is a benign, aggressive fibrous tumor seen in childhood or adolescence that most commonly affects the palm. We report our experience in treating calcifying aponeurotic fibroma in the hand of fifteen-year-old boy. He was presented with a recurrent mass in hypothenar area of his left hand. He had a history of local excision of the mass 7 years ago in local clinic. The palpable mass was hard, tender and movable. The simple X-ray revealed multifocally scattered microcalcifications in the mass. The excised mass showed the features of dense fibrotic soft tissue tumor with multiple small whitish calcifications. The microscopic sections showed a lobulated and a poorly circumscribed proliferation of dense fibrous tissue, containing islands of metaplastic chondroid differentiation with prominent calcification. The recommended treatment of this lesion is wide excision allowing for sparing of functional or vital structures, but high recurrence rate as this case has been reported to be more than 50 percent.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.124-135
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• 2012

Purpose : The objective of this study was to investigate the differences of hippocampal volume and shape as well as the functional change between long life experienced taxi drivers and controls of Korean population. Materials and Methods: Three-dimensional T1-weighted images and blood oxygen level dependent functional MRI(fMRI) were obtained from 8 subjects, consisting of 4 experienced (20-30 years) taxi drivers and 4 age-matched controls. The hippocampal volume and shape were analyzed with three-dimensional T1-weighted images. In addition, neuronal activities of brain were analyzed using a blood oxygen level dependent fMRI between the two groups. Results: The hippocampal volume showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups (p > 0.05). The left hippocampi of the taxi drivers were slightly elongated with larger head and tail portions than those of the controls (p < 0.05, uncorrected). For the functional MRI, fusiform gyrus was specifically activated in taxi drivers, compared with the control group. Conclusion: The structural and functional changes of taxi driver's hippocampus indicate the functional differentiation as a result of occupational dependence on spatial navigation. In other words, the continuous usage of spatial navigation performance may diminish degeneration of hippocampus and the related brain regions.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1140-1146
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• 2018

Dual-specificity phosphatases (DUSPs) play a role in cell growth and differentiation by modulating mitogen-activated protein kinases. DUSPs are considered targets for drugs against cancers, diabetes, immune diseases, and neuronal diseases. Part of the DUSP family, DUSP19 modulates c-Jun N-terminal kinase activity and is involved in osteoarthritis pathogenesis. Here, we report screening of cavity-creating mutants and the crystal structure of a cavity-creating L75A mutant of DUSP19 which has significantly enhanced enzyme activity in comparison to the wild-type protein. The crystal structure reveals a well-formed cavity due to the absent Leu75 side chain and a rotation of the active site-bound sulfate ion. Despite the cavity creation, residues surrounding the cavity did not rearrange significantly. Instead, a tightened hydrophobic interaction by a remote tryptophan residue was observed, indicating that the protein folding of the L75A mutant is stabilized by global folding energy minimization, not by local rearrangements in the cavity region. Conformation of the rotated active site sulfate ion resembles that of the phosphor-tyrosine substrate, indicating that cavity creation induces an optimal active site conformation. The activity enhancement by an internal cavity and its structural information provide insight on allosteric modulation of DUSP19 activity and development of therapeutics.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.9
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• pp.1227-1234
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• 2011

We investigated the immunostimulatory effects of doenjang, a famous Korean traditional food made from fermented soybean paste, on the immunohistochemical reaction in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and immune response in mice. Male C57BL/6N mice (6 weeks-old) were divided into 4 experimental diet treatment groups and a basal diet (control) group, and fed with different diets for 4 weeks. The immunoreactive density of $CD4^+/CD8^+$ lymphocytes were strongly stained in the jejunum and colon in Group III. The immunoreactivity of universal nitric oxide synthase (uNOS) was strongly stained in the myenteric plexus in the colon of all doenjang-fedgroups (I, II and III). The colonic immunoreactive density of protein kinase C-${\alpha}$ (PKC-${\alpha}$) was strongly increased in Groups II and III, while that of stem-cell factor (c-kit) was increased in colonic mucosa of all doenjang-fedgroups (I, II and III) and especially increased in the colonic muscle layer of Group III. These morphological and immunological results indicated that the intake of doenjang could improve the mucosal immune reaction, gastrointestinal motility, blood circulation in the GI tract, and the immuneactivity of the body. These results provide experimental evidence about the health benefits of doenjang.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.185-191
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• 2019

Nucleoporin 210 (Nup210) is associated with several physiological processes including muscle and neural cell differentiation, autoimmune diseases, and peripheral T cell homeostasis. Chicken Nup210 (chNup210) gene was originally identified as one of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the kidney tissues of chicken. To elucidate the role of Nup210 in metabolic disease of chicken, we studied the molecular characteristics of chNup210 and analyzed its gene expression under the stimulation of Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) ligands. The Nup210 genomic DNA and amino acid sequences of various species including fowls, fishes, and mammals were retrieved from the Ensemble database and subjected to bioinformatics analyses. The expression of Nup210 from several chicken tissues was probed through qRT-PCR, and chicken fibroblast DF-1 cell line was used to determine the change in expression of chNup210 after stimulation with TLR3 ligand, polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly (I:C)). The chNup210 gene was highly expressed in chicken lung and spleen tissues. Although highly conserved among the species, chNup210 was evolutionary clustered in the same clade as that of duck compared to other mammals. Furthermore, this study revealed that chNup210 is expressed in TLR3 signaling pathway and provides fundamental information on Nup210 expression in chicken. Future studies that offer insight into the involvement of chNup210 in the chicken innate immune response against viral infection are recommended.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.143-151
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• 2009

Purpose: Gastric cancer is prevalent in Korea, therefore the purpose of this study was to determine the clinicopathologic characteristics, 5-year survival rate, and prognostic factors for gastric patients who underwent gastrectomy by a single surgeon. Materials and Methods: A total of 1,435 patients diagnosed with gastric cancer who underwent gastrectomy in the Department of Korean Gastric Cancer Center at Seoul Paik Hospital between September 1998 and August 2003, and the gender, age, location and size of the tumor, visual and histologic analysis, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, invasion (perineural, venous, and lymphatic), and surgical method were examined retrospectively. Results: The ratio between males and females was 2.29 : 1, and the average age was 56.7 years. Based on the UICC TNM classification, the patients were distributed as follows: IA 35.4%, IB 14.1%, II 12.6%, IIIA 12.3%, IIIB 8.3% and IV 17.3%. The 5-year survival rate was 69.6%. The results of univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in the survival rate by age, location and size of tumor, Borrmann type, level of differentiation, Lauren's classification, depth of invasion, metastasis in lymph nodes, UICC TNM stage, invasion (perineural, venous, and lymphatic), and surgical method. Based on multivariate analysis, only the depth of invasion and lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic factors. Conclusion: Although various clinicopathologic characteristics affect the prognostic factors of the patients with gastric cancer, the results of this study showed that the stage of disease, such as depth of invasion and metastasis in lymph nodes, are the most critical factors. There is a need to establish the diagnosis of gastric cancer early and to study and develop various treatment methods based on the diagnostic factors in order to improve the survival of patients with gastric cancer.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.282-288
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• 2016

Protein-protein interactions regulate the subcellular localization and function of receptors, enzymes, and cytoskeletal proteins. Proteins containing the postsynaptic density-95/disks large/zonula occludens-1 (PDZ) domain have potential to act as scaffolding proteins and play a pivotal role in various processes, such as synaptic plasticity, neural guidance, and development, as well as in the pathophysiology of many diseases. Multi-PDZ domain protein 1 (MUPP1), which has 13 PDZ domains, has a scaffolding function in the clustering of surface receptors, organization of signaling complexes, and coordination of cytoskeletal dynamics. However, the cellular function of MUPP1 has not been fully elucidated. In the present study, a yeast two-hybrid system was used to identify proteins that interacted with the N-terminal PDZ domain of MUPP1. The results revealed an interaction between MUPP1 and Wdpcp (formerly known as Fritz). Wdpcp was identified as a planar cell polarity (PCP) effector, which is known to have a role in collective cell migration and cilia formation. Wdpcp bound to the PDZ1 domain but not to other PDZ domains of MUPP1. The C-terminal end of Wdpcp was essential for the interaction with MUPP1 in the yeast two-hybrid assay. This interaction was further confirmed in a glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down assay. When coexpressed in HEK-293T cells, Wdpcp was coimmunoprecipitated with MUPP1. In addition, MUPP1 colocalized with Wdpcp at the same subcellular region in cells. Collectively, these results suggest that the MUPP1-Wdpcp interaction could modulate actin cytoskeleton dynamics and polarized cell migration.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.193-204
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• 1992

During the period between March 1983 and December 1990, 74 patients with esophageal carcinoma (EG) were treated with radiation therapy (RT) at the Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic University Medical College. Of these, 6 patients were lost to follow-up, and 13 patients were interrupted. So the remaining 55 patients were analyzed, retrospectively. 32 patients were irradiated with curative aim, 12 patients with palliative intent, 10 patients postoperatively, and 1 patient pre- and post-operatively. Among these 55 patients, 28 patients were treated with chemoradiation modality, and 27 patients with RT alone. All patients were followed for a minimum of 20 months or until death. Of 32 patients irradiated by curative aim, 22 patients (69%) showed partial remission (PR), 6 patients (19%) complete remission (CR). Overall mean survival and two-year survival rate were 15.6 months and 22%. With respect to sex, age, pathologic differentiation, tumor location, tumor size, stage, RT aim, RT response, RT dose, use of chemotherapy and functional categories (FC) of dysphagia at initiation of RT and at finishing RT: Tumor size, stage, RT response had great influences on prognosis and FC at finishing RT had a slight influence on prognosis. Especially, the mean survival and 2-year survival rate in patients with postoperative RT were 24.7 months and 63%, which could be compared with 29.1 months and 43% in radically treated patients with CR. And the mean survival duration and 2-year survival rate in patients irradiated with doses more than 60 Gy were 22.4 months and 29%, and 50~60 Gy were 12.2 months and 12%, respectively. However, no significant difference was shown statistically. Among 12 patients treated with palliative intent, 9 patients (75%) had good improvement in dysphagia and the mean duration of palliative response was 10.6 months.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2003

Purpose : To evaluate the efficacy of radiotherapy, and the factors affecting survival in patients of extrahepatic bile duct cancer, by analyzing the results of postoperative radiotherapy Materials and Methods : Between October 1991 and July 2001, 21 patients with extrahepatic bile duct cancer, who received radiotherapy after a radical resection, were retrospectively reviewed. The patients' ages ranged from 39 to 75 years, with a median of 61 years, and a male to female ratio of 16 to 5. The numbers of patients with proximal and distal bile duct cancer were 14 and 7, respectively. From the postoperative pathological examination, 19 of the patients were found to have microscopic residues, and 7 to be lymph node positive. Patients with AJCC stages I, II and III were 10, 10 and 1, respectively. The total radiation dose administered was 4,500$\~$6,300 cGy, with a median dose of 5,040 cGy. The follow up period was 20$\~$81 months, with a median of 57.5 months. Results : The overall and disease free survival rates at 3 and 5 years were 41.0 and 29.3$\%$, and 41.6 and 29.7$\%$, respectively. The influences of age, sex, tumor location, differentiation, microscopic residue, neural invasion, 7 and N stage, the stage itself, the dose of radiation and chemotherapy, on survival were evaluated. The T stage and the stage itself were found to be significant from a univariate analysis (p<0.05), but the degree of significance was limited by the small number of patients. A recurrence occurred in 12 patients (57.1$\%$), 5 in locoregional sites, 4 in distant sites and 3 in a combination of locoregional and distant sites, and the sites of distant metastasis were the liver, 6, and the bone, 1 Grade 2 or 3 acute leucopenias occurred in 2 patients and grade 2 chronic peptic ulcers occurred in 4, who were all recovered by conservative management. Conclusion : Postoperative radiotherapy is feasigbls in extrah데atic bile duct cancer, with tolerable toxicity, but prospective studies, with a large patient enrollment, are needed for the evaluation of the effects of postoperative radiotherapy and the related prognostic factors.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.165-175
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• 2010

Valproic acid (VPA) is a well-known anticonvulsive agent and has been used in the treatment of epilepsy for almost 30 years. VPA emerged in 1997 as an antineoplastic agent as well, when findings indicated the substance inhibited proliferation and induced differentiation of primitive neuroectocdermal tumor cells in vivo (Cinatl et al., 1997). Antitmor activity of VPA is associated with its targeting histone deacetylases. Bile acids and their synthetic derivatives induced apoptosis in various kinds of cancer cells and anticancer effects. It has been reported that the synthetic chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) derivatives showed apoptosis-inducing activity on various cancer cells in vitro. This study was undertaken to investigate the synergistic apoptotic effect of co-treatment with the histone deacetylases inhibitor, VPA and a CDCA derivative, HS-1200 on human osteosarcoma (HOS) cells. Cell viability was evaluated by trypan-blue exclusion. Induction and augmentation of apoptosis were confirmed by Hoechst staining, flow cytometry (DNA hypoploidy and MMP change), Westen blot analysis and immunofluorescent staining. In this study, HOS cells co-treated with VPA and HS-1200 showed several lines of apoptotic manifestation such as nuclear condensations, the reduction of MMP, the decrease of DNA content, the release of cytochrome c into cytosol, the translocation of AIF onto nuclei, and activation of caspase-7, caspase-3 and PARP whereas each single treated HOS cells did not. Although the single treatment of 1 mM VPA or $25\;{\mu}M$ HS-1200 for 48 h did not induce apoptosis, the co-treatment of them induced prominently apoptosis. Therefore our data provide the possibility that combination therapy of VPA and HS-1200 could be considered as a novel therapeutic strategy for human osteosarcoma.