• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.2051-2055
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• 2014

Background: To evaluate the performance of Siriraj liquid-based cytology (LBC) for cervical neoplasia screening after increasing use of this technology. Materials and Methods: Cytological reports of 103,057 Siriraj-LBC specimens obtained in 2007-2009 were compared with those of 23,676 specimens obtained in 2006. Results: Comparing with the year 2006, the 2007-2009 patients were slightly older ($43.4{\pm}12.yr$ vs $42.7{\pm}12.2yr$, p <0.001), and their specimens had much lower proportion of unsatisfactory slides (OR=0.06, 95%CI 0.04-0.09) with comparable detection rates (3.96% vs 3.70%, p=0.052) but different proportions of various cytological abnormalities (p<0.001). The 2007-2009 Siriraj-LBC had a negative predictive value (NPV) for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2+ (CIN2+) of 97.6% and an overall positive predictive value (PPV) of 43.9%. The PPV for CIN2+ varied with types of abnormal cytology, from 13.7% to 93.8% in atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), atypical squamous cells cannot exclude HSIL (ASC-H), high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), atypical glandular cells (AGC), to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), respectively. The PPVs for CIN2+ in ASCUS and LSIL were comparable, but the PPV for CIN1 was higher for LSIL than for ASCUS (41.63% vs 16.32%). Conclusions: Siriraj-LBC has demonstrated a stable detection rate and NPV for CIN2+ of >95% since the first year of use. The comparable PPVs for CIN2+ of ASCUS and LSIL suggests that these two conditions may undergo similar management; other cytological abnormalities need immediate evaluation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.1725-1731
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• 2020

Objective: An initial RNA-Sequencing study revealed that UDP-galactose-4-epimerase (GALE) was one of the most promising candidates for milk protein concentration in Chinese Holstein cattle. This enzyme catalyzes the interconversion of UDP-galactose and UDP-glucose, an important step in galactose catabolism. To further validate the genetic effect of GALE on milk protein traits, genetic variations were identified, and genotypes-phenotypes associations were performed. Methods: The entire coding region and the 5'-regulatory region (5'-UTR) of GALE were re-sequenced using pooled DNA of 17 unrelated sires. Association studies for five milk production traits were performed using a mixed linear animal model with a population encompassing 1,027 Chinese Holstein cows. Results: A total of three variants in GALE were identified, including two novel variants (g.2114 A>G and g.2037 G>A) in the 5'-UTR and one previously reported variant (g.3836 G>C) in an intron. All three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were associated with milk yield (p<0.0001), fat yield (p = 0.0006 to <0.0001), protein yield (p = 0.0232 to <0.0001) and protein percentage (p<0.0001), while no significant associations were detected between the SNPs and fat percentage. A strong linkage disequilibrium (D' = 0.96 to 1.00) was observed among all three SNPs, and a 5 Kb haplotype block involving three main haplotypes with GAG, AGC, and AGG was formed. The results of haplotype association analyses were consistent with the results of single locus association analysis (p<0.0001). The phenotypic variance ratio above 3.00% was observed for milk protein yield that was explained by SNP-g.3836G >C. Conclusion: Overall, our findings provided new insights into the polymorphic variations in bovine GALE gene and their associations with milk protein concentration. The data indicate their potential uses for marker-assisted breeding or genetic selection schemes.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.3147-3153
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• 2016

Background: Many strategies are required for cervical cancer reduction e.g. provision of education cautious sexual behavior, HPV vaccination, and early detection of pre-invasive cervical lesions and invasive cancer. Basic health data for cervical cytology/ HPV DNA and associated factors are important to make an appropriate policy to fight against cervical cancer. Aims: To assess the prevalence of abnormal cervical cytology and/or HPV DNA and associated factors, including sexual behavior, among Bangkok Metropolitan women. Materials and Methods: Thai women, aged 25-to-65 years old, had lived in Bangkok for ${\geq}5$ years were invited into the study. Liquid-based cervical cytology and HPV DNA tests were performed. Personal data were collected. Main Outcomes Measures: Rates of abnormal cytology and/ or high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) and factors associated with abnormal test (s) were studied. Results: Abnormal cytology and positive HR-HPV were found in 6.3% (279/4442 women) and 6.7% (295/4428), respectively. The most common abnormal cytology was ASC-US (3.5%) while the most common HR-HPV genotype was HPV 16 (1.4%) followed by HPV 52 (1.0%), HPV 58 (0.9%), and HPV 18 and HPV 51 at equal frequency (0.7%). Both tests were abnormal in 1.6% (71/4428 women). Rates of HR-HPV detection were directly associated with severity of abnormal cytology: 5.4% among normal cytology and 13.0%, 30.8%, 40.0%, 39.5%, 56.3% and 100.0% among ASC-US, ASC-H, AGC-NOS, LSIL, HSIL, and SCC, respectively. Some 5% of women who had no HR-HPV had abnormal cytology, in which 0.3% had ${\geq}$ HSIL. Factors associated with abnormal cytology or HR-HPV were: age ${\leq}40$ years, education lower than (for cytology) or higher than bachelor for HR-HPV), history of sexual intercourse, and sexual partners ${\geq}2$. Conclusions: Rates for abnormal cytology and HR-HPV detection were 6.3% and 6.7% HR-HPV detection was directly associated with severity of abnormal cytology. Significant associated factors were age ${\leq}40$ years, lower education, history of sexual intercourse, and sexual partners ${\geq}2$.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.92-99
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• 2001

Purpose: E-cadherin is an adhesion molecule essential for tight connection between cells, forming the cadherin/catenin complex. Truncated $\beta$-catenin disrupts the interaction between E-cadherin and $\alpha$-catenin, leading to the loss of intercellular adhesion. Met protein, the hepatocyte growth factor receptor, plays important roles in signal transduction. We investigated the relationships between the expressions of E-cadherin, $\beta$-catenin, and c-met protein and the clinicopathological and prognostic parameters in gastric adenocarcinomas. Materials and Methods: The patterns of E-cadherin, $\beta$-catenin, and c-met protein expression were studied using immunohistochemistry in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival tissues from 76 surgically resected gastric adenocarcinomas. Results: Increased expressions of E-cadherin, $\beta$-catenin, and c-met were more significantly correlated in early gastric cancers (EGC) than in advanced gastric cancers (AGC) (P=0.002, P=0.003 and P=0.026). The positive immunoreactivities of all three markers were markedly lower in signet ring-cell type and poorly differentiated type lesions than in intestinal-type lesions. Decreased expression of the $\beta$-catenin protein correlated well with increased tumor invasion depth (P=0.039), and increased lymph node metastasis correlated well with reduced expression of c-met (P=0.046). Conclusion: In gastric cancers, reduced expressions of the E-cadherin, $\beta$-catenin, and c-met proteins may play some role in poorer tumor differentiation, deeper tumor invasion, and increased lymph node metastasis. Also, the c-met gene is thought to play a specific role in the mechanism of the yet unknown catenin action.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.12
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• pp.75-91
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• 2023

In this study, we explore the use of ground penetrating radar (GPR) for the nondestructive survey of subsurface conduits, focusing on the challenges posed by multichannel environments. A key concern is the shadow regions created by conduits, which significantly impact survey results. The shadow regions, which are influenced by conduit position and diameter, hinder signal propagation, thereby making detection within these regions challenging. Using finite-difference time-domain numerical analysis, we examined the characteristics of conduit signals, which typically manifest in hyperbolic patterns. Particularly, we investigated three conduit arrangements: horizontal, vertical, and diagonal. Automatic gain control was applied to amplify the signals, enabling the analysis of variations in shadow regions and signal characteristics for each arrangement. In the horizontal arrangement, the proximity of the two conduits resulted in the emergence of a new hyperbolic pattern between the existing conduits. In the vertical arrangement, the lower conduit could be detected using hyperbolic signals on either side, but the detection was challenging when the upper conduit diameter exceeded that of the lower conduit. In the diagonal arrangement, signal characteristics varied based on the position of shadow regions relative to the detection range of the equipment. Asymmetrical signal patterns were observed when the shadow regions fell within the detection range, whereas the signals of the two conduits were minimally impacted when the shadow regions were outside the detection range. This study provides vital insights into accurately detecting and characterizing subsurface multichannel conduits using GPR-a significant contribution to the field of subsurface exploration and management.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.681-689
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• 2023

Objective: Three-dimensional rotational angiography (3D-RA) is increasingly used for the evaluation of intracranial aneurysms (IAs); however, radiation exposure to the lens is a concern. We investigated the effect of head off-centering by adjusting table height on the lens dose during 3D-RA and its feasibility in patient examination. Materials and Methods: The effect of head off-centering during 3D-RA on the lens radiation dose at various table heights was investigated using a RANDO head phantom (Alderson Research Labs). We prospectively enrolled 20 patients (58.0 ± 9.4 years) with IAs who were scheduled to undergo bilateral 3D-RA. In all patients' 3D-RA, the lens dose-reduction protocol involving elevation of the examination table was applied to one internal carotid artery, and the conventional protocol was applied to the other. The lens dose was measured using photoluminescent glass dosimeters (GD-352M, AGC Techno Glass Co., LTD), and radiation dose metrics were compared between the two protocols. Image quality was quantitatively analyzed using source images for image noise, signal-to-noise ratio, and contrast-to-noise ratio. Additionally, three reviewers qualitatively assessed the image quality using a five-point Likert scale. Results: The phantom study showed that the lens dose was reduced by an average of 38% per 1 cm increase in table height. In the patient study, the dose-reduction protocol (elevating the table height by an average of 2.3 cm) led to an 83% reduction in the median dose from 4.65 mGy to 0.79 mGy (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences between dose-reduction and conventional protocols in the kerma area product (7.34 vs. 7.40 Gy·cm², P = 0.892), air kerma (75.7 vs. 75.1 mGy, P = 0.872), and image quality. Conclusion: The lens radiation dose was significantly affected by table height adjustment during 3D-RA. Intentional head off-centering by elevation of the table is a simple and effective way to reduce the lens dose in clinical practice.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.110-116
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• 2009

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the usefulness of positron emission tomography (PET)-computed tomography (CT) in the pre-operative staging of gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: Between February 2006 and August 2008, PET-CT and CT were performed on 70 patients diagnosed with gastric cancer by gastrofiberscopic biopsy. The sensitivities, specificities, Positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of PET-CT and CT imaging for the detection of gastric cancer TNM staging were compared. Results: The detection rates for the primary tumor were as follows: PET-CT, 81.4% (57/70); and CT, 42.9% (30/70). For both early gastric cancer (EGC) and advanced gastric cancer (AGC), PET-CT was more accurate than CT in detecting the lesions. As the size of the tumor exceeded 3 cm, the detection rate increased. The sensitivities, specificities, PPV, and NPV of PET-CT for lymph node staging were 55.6%, 81%, 86.2%, and 45.9%, while the sensitivities, specificities, PPV, and NPV of CT were 40.0%, 85.7%, 85.7% and 40%, respectively. One case of multiple liver metastasis and two cases of dual primary cancer (rectal and pancreatic cancers) were detected by PET-CT. PET-CT also had a higher detection rate for all histologic types of primary tumors. PET-CT was more accurate than CT in detecting primary gastric cancer lesions. The detection of nodal metastasis by PET-CT was similar to CT; small-sized tumors or EGC detection rates were not high. However, PET-CT provided additional information to detect distant metastases and dual primary cancers and reduced unnecessary laparotomies to detect peritoneal seeding or carcinomatosis. Conclusion: It would be useful to make a pre-operative diagnosis of gastric cancer and determine treatment if PET-CT were added to other routine pre-operative studies.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.141-147
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• 2008

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the short-term operative outcomes of laparoscopy-assisted total gastrectomy (LATG) with those of open total gastrectomy (OTG) for patients suffering with advanced upper gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: Of the 47 patients who underwent LATG with $D1+{\beta}$ or D2 lymphadenectomy from July 2004 to March 2008, 29 patients with pathologically proven advanced gastric cancer were compared with 35 patients who underwent conventional OTG during the same time period. The comparison was based on the clinicopathological characteristics, the surgical outcome, the follow-up survival and tumor recurrence. Results: The patients' age, gender and body mass index were similar between the two groups. However, there were statistically differences in tumor size ($9.2{\pm}3.9$ vs $6.1{\pm}3.6cm$, P=0.002) and the proximal resected margin ($2.1{\pm}2.0$ vs $3.6{\pm}2.1cm$ P=0.004). There was no significant difference in most of the peri- and post-operative courses such as the time to first flatus, the time to starting a solid diet and the length of the hospital stay, except for a longer operating time (289.0 vs. 361.3 minutes, P<0.001) in the LATG group. The complication rate was higher in the LATG group (13.8%) than that in the OTG group (5.7%). The mean overall survival and disease free survival times were 32 and 31 months, and 24 and 28 months, respectively, with an average 18.8 months follow-up duration. The main recurrent sites were peritoneum and lymph node in both groups. Conclusion: The early results of the current study suggest that LATG for AGC is technically feasible and it does not show any inferiorities of the postoperative outcomes as compared to those of conventional open total gastrectomy.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.853-869
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• 2000

Background : Following several decades of decline, the incidence of tuberculosis has recent1y begun to increase in many countries of this the control of this disease has been impeded by the emergence of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). The development of rapid diagnostic methods and effective new drugs are needed to control MDR-TB. One of the new drugs for MDR-TB is rifabutin (RBU) which has been known to be effective in some patients with MDR-TB. A few reports showed that some types of mutations of the rpoB gene, which were known to be present in 96-98% of rifampicin-resistant M. tuberculosis, were associated with the rifampicin-resistant but RBU-susceptible phenotype. This study was performed to investigate the correlation between RBU susceptibility and the patterns of rpoB gene mutations in Korean MDR-TB. Methods : Sixty-five clinical isolates of multi-drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis, gathered from patients who visited the Asan Medical Center from July 1997 to June 1999, were investigated. Clinical responses to rifabutin-containing regimen were evaluated. An RBU susceptibility test and sequencing analysis of rpoB gene were performed, and the results were analyzed to confirm which mutations correlated with RBU-susceptible MDR-TB. Results : Fifty-three of 56 (95%) clinical isolates of MDR-TB had 60 mutations of the rpoB gene. The most frequent mutations were found at codon 531 (43%), and two mutations were combined in seven clinical isolates. Five of 53 (10%) clinical isolates showed the RBU-susceptible phenotype, and in them the characteristic patterns of point mutations were found at codon 509, 516, and 526. Conclusion : The frequency and pattern of mutations of the rpoB gene of Korean MDR-TB isolates were similar to those in western countries, where the prevalence of tuberculosis is low, but some show RBU-susceptible phenotypes. RBU-susceptible MDR-TB isolates showed the characteristic pattern of mutations of the rpoB gene which could be used to rapidly diagnose RBU susceptibility.