• BMB Reports
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• v.54 no.12
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• pp.601-607
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• 2021

Odorant receptors (ORs) account for about 60% of all human G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). OR expression outside of the nose has functions distinct from odor perception, and may contribute to the pathogenesis of disorders including brain diseases and cancers. Glioma is the most common adult malignant brain tumor and requires novel therapeutic strategies to improve clinical outcomes. Here, we outlined the expression of brain ORs and investigated OR expression levels in glioma. Although most ORs were not ubiquitously expressed in gliomas, a subset of ORs displayed glioma subtype-specific expression. Moreover, through systematic survival analysis on OR genes, OR51E1 (mouse Olfr558) was identified as a potential biomarker of unfavorable overall survival, and OR2C1 (mouse Olfr15) was identified as a potential biomarker of favorable overall survival in isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) wild-type glioma. In addition to transcriptomic analysis, mutational profiles revealed that somatic mutations in OR genes were detected in > 60% of glioma samples. OR5D18 (mouse Olfr1155) was the most frequently mutated OR gene, and OR5AR1 (mouse Olfr1019) showed IDH wild-type-specific mutation. Based on this systematic analysis and review of the genomic and transcriptomic profiles of ORs in glioma, we suggest that ORs are potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for glioma.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.181-192
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• 2023

Cystatin C, a low-molecular-weight protein synthesized by cells, is being explored as a valuable biomarker for assessing renal function in veterinary medicine. Although the relationship between cystatin C and heart disease remains unclear, some studies suggest a possible association. This retrospective case-control study aimed to investigate the role of cystatin C as a biomarker for heart disease and its correlation with diuretic use in veterinary clinical practice. A total of 39 dogs were included in this study, comprising 9 control dogs without a predisposition to heart disease and 30 dogs in the study group diagnosed with heart disease. Among the 30 dogs with heart disease, 18 exhibited symptoms indicative of heart failure. Results showed significantly higher cystatin C levels in the heart disease group compared to the control group (P<0.05). However, no significant differences were observed among different stages of heart disease severity in the control group. Furthermore, cystatin-C showed statistically positive correlations with BUN (r=0.478, P<0.01), creatinine (r=0.506, P<0.01), and furosemide (r=0.338, P<0.05). Diuretics are essential for managing congestive heart failure, and the observed associations between cystatin C and furosemide suggest potential impacts of diuretic use on renal function in dogs with heart failure. Monitoring renal function markers, such as cystatin C, can aid in predicting and managing potential renal complications, ultimately improving the overall health and quality of life of dogs with heart disease.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.4-28
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• 2024

Liquid biopsy, a minimally invasive procedure that causes minimal pain and complication risks to patients, has been extensively studied for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Moreover, it facilitates comprehensive quantification and serial assessment of the whole-body tumor burden. Several biosources obtained through liquid biopsy have been studied as important biomarkers for establishing early diagnosis, monitoring minimal residual disease, and predicting the prognosis and response to treatment in patients with cancer. Although the clinical application of liquid biopsy in gastric cancer is not as robust as that in other cancers, biomarker studies using liquid biopsy are being actively conducted in patients with gastric cancer. Herein, we aimed to review the role of various biosources that can be obtained from patients with gastric cancer through liquid biopsies, such as blood, saliva, gastric juice, urine, stool, peritoneal lavage fluid, and ascites, by dividing them into cellular and acellular components. In addition, we reviewed previous studies on the diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers for gastric cancer using liquid biopsy and discussed the limitations of liquid biopsy and the challenges to overcome these limitations in patients with gastric cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.513-517
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• 2015

Background: Growing evidence suggests that the members of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) are important for tumorigenesis. HERC4, one component, is a recently identified ubiqutin ligase. However, the expression level and function role of HERC4 in lung cancer remain unknown. Our objective was to investigate any correlation between HERC4 and development of lung cancer and its clinical significance. Materials and Methods: To determine HERC4 expression in lung cancer, an immunohistochemistry analysis of a tissue microarray containing samples of 10 lung normal tissues, 15 pulmonary neuroendocrine carcinomas, 45 squamous epithelial cancers and 50 adenocarcinomas was conducted. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was applied to obtain a cut-off point of 52.5%, above which the expression of HERC4 was regarded as "positive". Results: On the basis of ROC curve analysis, positive expression of HERC4 was detected in 0/10 (0.0%) of lung normal tissues, in 4/15 (26.7%) of pulmonary neuroendocrine carcinomas, in 13/45 (28.9%) of squamous epithelial cancers and in 19/50 (38.0%) of adenocarcinomas. It showed that lung tumors expressed more HERC4 protein than adjacent normal tissues (${\chi}^2$=4.675, p=0.031). Furthermore, HERC4 positive expression had positive correlation with pT status (${\chi}^2$=44.894, p=0.000), pN status (${\chi}^2$=43.628, p=0.000), histological grade (${\chi}^2$=7.083, p=0.029) and clinical stage (${\chi}^2$=72.484, p=0.000), but not age (${\chi}^2$=0.910, p=0.340). Conclusions: Our analysis suggested that HERC4 is likely to be a diagnostic biomarker for lung cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.15
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• pp.6215-6223
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• 2015

Tyrosine phosphorylation plays an important role in regulating human physiological and pathological processes. Functional stabilization of tyrosine phosphorylation largely contributes to the balanced, coordinated regulation of protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) and protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs). Research has revealed PTPs play an important suppressive role in carcinogenesis and progression by reversing oncoprotein functions. Receptor-type protein tyrosine phosphatase O (PTPRO) as one member of the PTPs family has also been identified to have some roles in tumor development. Some reports have shown PTPRO over-expression in tumors can not only inhibit the frequency of tumor cell division and induce tumor cell death, but also suppress migration. However, the tumor-suppression mechanisms are very complex and understanding is incomplete, which in some degree blocks the further development of PTPRO. Hence, in order to resolve this problem, we here have summarized research findings to draw meaningful conclusions. We found tumor-suppression mechanisms of PTPRO to be diverse, such as controlling G0/G1 of the tumor cell proliferation cycle, inhibiting substrate phosphorylation, down-regulating transcription activators and other activities. In clinical anticancer efforts, expression level of PTPRO in tumors can not only serve as a biomarker to monitor the prognosis of patients, but act as an epigenetic biomarker for noninvasive diagnosis. In addition, the re-activation of PTPRO in tumor tissues, not only can induce tumor volume reduction, but also enhance the susceptibility to chemotherapy drugs. So, we can propose that these research findings of PTPRO will not only support new study ideas and directions for other tumor-suppressors, importantly, but also supply a theoretical basis for researching new molecular targeting agents in the future.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.42-53
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• 2020

Objective: Recently, microRNA (miRNA) has been identified both as a powerful regulator involved in various biological processes through the regulation of numerous genes and as an effective biomarker for the prediction and diagnosis of various disease states. The objective of this study was to identify and validate miRNAs and their target genes involved in inflammation in placental tissue. Methods: Microarrays were utilized to obtain miRNA and gene expression profiles from placentas with or without inflammation obtained from nine normal pregnant women and 10 preterm labor patients. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blots were performed to validate the miRNAs and differentially-expressed genes in the placentas with inflammation. Correlations between miRNA and target gene expression were confirmed by luciferase assays in HTR-8/SVneo cells. Results: We identified and validated miRNAs and their target genes that were differentially expressed in placentas with inflammation. We also demonstrated that several miRNAs (miR-371a-5p, miR-3065-3p, miR-519b-3p, and miR-373-3p) directly targeted their target genes (LEF1, LOX, ITGB4, and CD44). However, some miRNAs and their direct target genes showed no correlation in tissue samples. Interestingly, miR-373-3p and miR-3065-3p were markedly regulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment, although the expression of their direct targets CD44 and LOX was not altered by LPS treatment. Conclusion: These results provide candidate miRNAs and their target genes that could be used as placental biomarkers of inflammation. These candidates may be useful for further miRNA-based biomarker development.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.341-348
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• 2023

In this study, basic skin characteristic data was measured by measuring skin hydration, skin sebum secretion rate, skin melanin index, skin redness index, skin redness image analysis, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), and amount of stratum corneum before and after creating a temporary high temperature and low humidity environments targeting Korean women in their 20s to 50s. Stratum corneum by tape stripping was collected at each measurement and skin biomarkers including total protein content, carbonylated protein, neutral lipid, and lipid peroxidation were analyzed. Based on the results, the differences before and after creating a high temperature and low humidity environments were confirmed, the correlation between skin characteristics and skin biomarkers was confirmed, and a new skin index was created based on this. The new skin index can be used in product efficacy evaluation, and the possibility of constructing a new clinical study method and using skin biomarker discovery research through additional research was confirmed.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.27.1-27.12
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• 2024

Background: A urethral obstruction (UO) is an emergency commonly observed in male cats, which can result in significant clinical and laboratory alterations, leading to complications and death. Objectives: This study aimed to correlate symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) with the urea, creatinine, potassium, and bicarbonate levels in cats with UO. In addition, the correlation between clinical score and time of obstruction was evaluated. Methods: Thirty male cats were selected and allocated into a control group (CG, n = 13) and an obstruction group (OG, n = 17). The laboratory analyses were conducted before treatment (M0) and at different times after treatment (12 h [M12], 24 h [M24], and 48 h [M48]). Correlations were established between SDMA and creatinine, urea, bicarbonate, potassium, time of obstruction, and the clinical score. Results: A strong correlation (r > 0.6) was observed between SDMA and creatinine, urea, and potassium in the OG. Furthermore, there was substantial agreement (kappa value) between SDMA and creatinine at M24. A higher clinical score was associated with a longer time of obstruction. In the OG, at M48, the SDMA and creatinine levels were 50% and 41.2% higher, respectively. Conclusions: A correlation was observed between SDMA and creatinine in obstructed cats, and significant agreement between these values was observed 24 h after the unblocking treatment. A correlation among SDMA, urea, and potassium was observed. Approximately 9% more cats continued to have elevated SDMA levels after 48 h of treatment compared to creatinine. This suggests a slightly lower sensitivity of the latter biomarker but does not exclude the possibility of congruent and normalized values after a longer evaluation period.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.7
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• pp.393-400
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• 2009

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is a proven biomarker for the monitoring of changes in antioxidant and anti-inflammation capability of body fluids. The beneficial virtues of HDL are highly dependent on its lipids and protein compositions, and their ratios. In normal state, the HDL particle is enriched with lipids and several HDL-associated enzymes, which are responsible for its antioxidant activity. Lower HDL-cholesterol levels (<40 mg/dL) have been recognized as an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease, as well as being a known component of metabolic syndrome. Functional and structural changes of HDL have been recognized as factors pivotal to the evaluation of HDL-quality. In this review, I have elected to focus on the functional and structural correlations of HDL and the roles of HDL-associated apolipoproteins and enzymes. Recent clinical applications of HDL have also been reviewed, particularly the therapeutic targeting of HDL metabolism and reconstituted HDL; these techniques represent promising emerging strategies for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, for drug or gene therapy.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.35-41
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• 2014

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) methods have been used extensively in clinical steroid analyses. Evaluating the metabolic ratios of precursors to products by accurate quantification of individual steroid levels in biological samples can reveal the activities of enzymes associated with steroid metabolism. This review article discusses the impact of GC-MS-based steroid profiling on our understanding of the biochemical role of steroids and their metabolic enzymes in hormone-dependent diseases, such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), cortisol-mediated hypertension, apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME), male-pattern baldness, and breast and thyroid cancers. Steroid profiling is a comprehensive analytical technique that can be applied whenever the highest specificity is required and may be a reasonable initial diagnostic approach.