• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권4호
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• pp.1657-1663
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• 2015

Background: Early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most important step in successful treatment. However, it is usually rare due to the lack of a highly sensitive specific biomarker so that the HCC is usually fatal within few months after diagnosis. The aim of this work was to study the role of plasma nuclear factor kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$) and serum peroxiredoxin 3 (PRDX3) as diagnostic biomarkers for early detection of HCC in a high-risk population. Materials and Methods: Plasma nuclear factor kappa B level (NF-${\kappa}B$) and serum peroxiredoxin 3 (PRDX3) levels were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), in addition to alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in 72 cirrhotic patients, 64 patients with HCC and 29 healthy controls. Results: NF-${\kappa}B$ and PRDX3 were significantly elevated in the HCC group in relation to the others. Higher area under curve (AUC) of 0.854 (for PRDX3) and 0.825 (for NF-${\kappa}B$) with sensitivity of 86.3% and 84.4% and specificity of 75.8% and 75.4% respectively, were found compared to AUC of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (0.65) with sensitivity of 72.4% and specificity of 64.3%. Conclusions: NF-${\kappa}B$ and PRDX3 may serve as early and sensitive biomarkers for early detection of HCC facilitating improved management. The role of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$) as a target for treatment of liver fibrosis and HCC must be widely evaluated.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권24호
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• pp.10879-10882
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• 2015

Objective: To investigate the effect of intraoperative glucose fluctuation and postoperative interlukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), C-reactive protein (CRP) levels on the short-term prognosis of patients with intracranial supratentorial neoplasms. Materials and Methods: Eighty-six patients undergoing intracranial excision were selected in The Second Hospital of Jilin University. According to the condition of glucose fluctuation, the patients were divided into group A (glucose fluctuation <2.2 mmol/L, n=57) and group B (glucose fluctuation ${\geq}2.2mmol/L$, n=29). Glucose was assessed by drawing 2 mL blood from internal jugular vein in two groups in the following time points, namely fasting blood glucose 1 d before operation ($T_0$), 5 min after anesthesia induction ($T_1$), intraoperative peak glucose ($T_2$), intraoperative lowest glucose ($T_3$), 5 min after closing the skull ($T_4$), immediately after returning to intensive care unit (ICU) ($T_5$) and 2 h after returning to ICU ($T_6$). 1 d before operation and 1, 3 and 6 d after operation, serum IL-6 and TNF-${\alpha}$ levels were detected with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and CRP level with immunoturbidimetry. Additionally, postoperative adverse reactions were monitored. Results: There was no statistical significance between two groups regarding the operation time, anesthesia time, amount of intraoperative bleeding and blood transfusion (P>0.05). The glucose levels in both groups at $T_1{\sim}T_6$ went up conspicuously compared with that at $T_0$ (P<0.01), and those in group B at $T_2$, $T_4$, $T_5$ and $T_6$ were significantly higher than in group A (P<0.01). Serum IL-6, TNF-${\alpha}$ and CRP levels in both groups 1, 3 and 6 d after operation increased markedly compared with 1 d before operation (P<0.01), but the increased range in group A was notably lower than in group B (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Postoperative incidences of hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia and myocardial ischemia in group A were significantly lower than in group B (P<0.05), and respiratory support time obviously shorter than in group B (P<0.01). Conclusions: The glucose fluctuation of patients undergoing intracranial excision is related to postoperative IL-6, TNF-${\alpha}$ and CRP levels and those with small range of glucose fluctuation have better prognosis.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.163-177
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• 2008

Periodontal disease, a form of chronic inflammatory bacterial infectious disease, is known to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Porphyromonas gingivalis has been implicated in periodontal disease and widely studied for its role in the pathogenesis of CVD. A previous study demonstrating that periodontopathic P. gingivalis is involved in CVD showed that invasion of endothelial cells by the bacterium is accompanied by an increase in cytokine production, which may result in vascular atherosclerotic changes. The present study was performed in order to further elucidate the role of P. gingivalis in the process of atherosclerosis and CVD. For this purpose, invasion of human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMC) by P. gingivalis 381 and its isogenic mutants of KDP150 ($fimA^-$), CW120 ($ppk^-$) and KS7 ($relA^-$) was assessed using a metronidazole protection assay. Wild type P. gingivalis invaded HASMCs with an efficiency of 0.12%. In contrast, KDP150 failed to demonstrate any invasive ability. CW120 and KS7 showed relatively higher invasion efficiencies, but results for these variants were still negligible when compared to the wild type invasiveness. These results suggest that fimbriae are required for invasion and that energy metabolism in association with regulatory genes involved in stress and stringent response may also be important for this process. ELISA assays revealed that the invasive P. gingivalis 381 increased production of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$ and the chemotactic cytokines (chemokine) IL (interleukin)-8 and monocyte chemotactic (MCP) protein-1 during the 30-90 min incubation periods (P<0.05). Expression of RANTES (regulation upon activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted) and Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4, a pattern recognition receptor (PRR), was increased in HASMCs infected with P. gingivalis 381 by RT-PCR analysis. P. gingivalis infection did not alter interferon-$\gamma$-inducible protein-10 expression in HASMCs. HASMC nonspecific necrosis and apoptotic cell death were measured by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and caspase activity assays, respectively. LDH release from HASMCs and HAMC caspase activity were significantly higher after a 90 min incubation with P. gingivalis 381. Taken together, P. gingivalis invasion of HASMCs induces inflammatory cytokine production, apoptotic cell death, and expression of TLR-4, a PRR which may react with the bacterial molecules and induce the expression of the chemokines IL-8, MCP-1 and RANTES. Overall, these results suggest that invasive P. gingivalis may participate in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, leading to CVD.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.39-44
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• 2008

Objectives: Notopterygium incisum(N. incisum) and Saposhnikovia divaricata(S. divaricata) have been clinically used in traditional oriental medicine for treatment of inflammatory diseases. Also, a herbal mixture prepared with N. incisum and S. divaricata has been strongly linked to the anti-inflammatory effect. In this study, we evaluate the synergistic anti-inflammatory effect of N. incisum and S. divaricata. Methods: For evaluating the anti-inflammatory activity of a herbal mixture of N. incisum and S. divaricata in vivo, we measured the changed ear thickness in 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate(TPA)-induced mouse ear edema model after topical application of herbal mixture. In addition, the levels of markers for inflammation, such as tumore necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, interleukin (IL)-1${\beta}$, and nitric oxide(NO), were determined by ELISA assay in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated Raw 264.7 cells. Results: We reported that water extracts of N. incisum and S. divaricata combination significantly inhibited the mouse ear edema induced by TPA. Moreover, the water extracts of N. incisum and S. divaricata combination exhibited synergistic effects in down-regulating IL-1${\beta}$ level, but not TNF-${\alpha}$ and NO. Conclusions: These results suggest that combined treatment of N. incisum and S. divaricata, based on seven methods in prescription compatibility, has a synergistic effect in down-regulating inflammatory response both in vivo and in vitro models. Especially, it seems that IL-1${\beta}$ is a one of main target of the mixture of N. incisum and S. divaricata on anti-inflammatory activity.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.151-162
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• 2009

Herba Artemisiae Capillaris is the dried bud of Artemisia capillaris Thunb, which has been used for expelling heat to loosen the bowels and normalizing gallbladder function to cure jaundice in traditional oriental medicines. In the present study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of the aqueous extracts of Herba Artemisiae Capillaris (HAC) in LPS-activated Raw 264.7 cells. Cells were treated with $1\;{\mu}g/ml$ of LPS 1 h before adding HAC extract. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay, and the relative level of NO was measured with Griess reagent. TNF-$\alpha$, IL-$1{\beta}$, and IL-6 cytokines were detected by ELISA. During the entire experimental period, all three doses of HAC extract (0.03, 0.10 and 0.30 mg/ml) had no significant cytotoxicity. LPS-activated cells showed increased NO levels and iNOS expressions compared to control. However, these increases were dramatically attenuated by treatment with HAC extract. Moreover, the inhibitory effects of HAC extract occurred in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, HAC extract reduced the translocation of $NF{\kappa}B$ into nuclear. HAC reduced production of IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6 by LPS, although it had no effects on TNF-$\alpha$. These results demonstrate that liquiritigenin exerts anti-inflammatory effects, which results from the inhibition of $NF{\kappa}B$ activation in macrophages, thereby decreasing production of iNOS and proinflammatory cytokines. Taken together, these results indicate that the aqueous extracts of Herba Artemisiae Capillaris warrant further development as an anti-inflammatory agent for the treatment of gram-negative bacterial infections.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.31-46
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• 2016

Objectives In this study, the effects of Ja-eum-gang-hwa-tang (JGT) on the increase in airway epithelial mucosubstances of rats and ATP- or PMA- or EGF- or TNF-${\alpha}$-induced MUC5AC mucin production and gene expression from human airway epithelial cells were investigated. Materials and Methods Hypersecretion of airway mucus was produced by exposure of $SO_2$ to rats for 3 weeks. The effect of orally-administered JGT for 2 weeks on increased epithelial mucosubstances from tracheal goblet cells of rats was assessed by using histopathological analysis after staining the epithelial tissue with Hematoxylin-eosin and PAS-alcian blue. Possible cytotoxicity of JGT was assessed by investigating the potential damage on kidneys and liver functions by measuring serum GOT/GPT activities and serum BUN concentration of rats and the body weight gain during experiment. Also, the effect of JGT on ATP- or PMA- or EGF- or TNF-${\alpha}$-induced MUC5AC mucin production and gene expression from human airway epithelial cells (NCI-H292) were investigated. Confluent NCI-H292 cells were pretreated for 30 min in the presence of JGT and treated with ATP ($200{\mu}M$) or PMA ($10ng/ml$) or EGF ($25ng/ml$) or TNF-${\alpha}$ (0.2 nM) for 24 hrs to assess the effect of JGT both on ATP- or PMA- or EGF- or TNF-${\alpha}$-induced MUC5AC mucin production by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and on gene expression by the same inducers using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results (1) JGT decreased the amount of intraepithelial mucosubstances of trachea of rats. (2) JGT did not show any renal and hepatic toxicities, and did not affect body weights either. (3) JGT significantly inhibited ATP-, PMA-, EGF-, and TNF-${\alpha}$-induced MUC5AC mucin productions from NCI-H292 cells. (4) JGT inhibited EGF-, and PMA-induced expression levels of MUC5AC gene in NCI-H292 cells. However, ATP- and TNF-${\alpha}$-induced MUC5AC gene expression levels were not affected in NCI-H292 cells. Conclusions The result from the present study suggests that JGT might control the production and gene expression of airway mucin observed in various respiratory diseases which accompanied by mucus hypersecretion. Also, JGT did not show liver toxicity or impact on kidney functions. The effect of JGT should be further studied by using animal experimental models which can show proper pathophysiology of airway diseases.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• 제31권2호
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• pp.1-13
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• 2017

Objectives In this study, the author intended to investigate whether Gami-cheongpetang (GCP), Gagam-jeongkitang (GJG), Gami-samooltang (GSM) and Gami-ijoongtang (GIJ) significantly affect in vivo (animal model) and in vitro (cultured cells) mucin secretion and MUC5AC gene expression in airway epithelial cells. Methods For in vivo experiment, the author induced hypersecretion of airway mucin in rats by introducing SO2 for 3 weeks. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to assess the effects of orally-administered GCP, GJG, GSM and GIJ in vivo mucin secretion from tracheal goblet cells of rats after 1 week. Also, the effects of the agents on TNF- or EGF-induced MUC5AC gene expression in human airway epithelial cells (NCI-H292) were investigated. Possible cytotoxicities of the agents were assessed by examining the rate of survival and proliferation of NCI-H292 cells. Results (1) GCP and GJG significantly inhibited hypersecretion of in vivo mucin, although GSM and GIJ did not affect hypersecretion of in vivo mucin; (2) GCP and GJG significantly increased in vitro mucin secretion from cultured HTSE cells. However, GSM and GIJ did not affect in vitro mucin secretion from HTSE cells; (3) GCP and GJG significantly inhibited the expression levels of EGF-induced MUC5AC gene in NCI-H292 cells. However, GSM and GIJ increased the expression levels of EGF-induced MUC 5AC gene in NCI-H292 cells; (4) GCP, GJG, GSM and GIJ did not significantly inhibit the survival and proliferation of NCI-H292 cells. Conclusions These results suggest that GCP, GJG, GSM and GIJ can not only affect the secretion of mucin but also affect the expression of mucin gene. The author suggests that the effects of GCP, GJG, GSM and GIJ with their components should be further investigated by using animal experimental models that simulate the diverse pathophysiology of pulmonary diseases.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• 제27권2호
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• pp.394-406
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• 2006

Backgrounds and Objectives: Asthma is considered to be an inflammatory disease characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness and Pulmonary eosinophilia. And it is known the structure and function of IL-5, its receptor and the mechnism IL-5 triggered eosinophil accumulation and inflammaion of the airways. At this point of view, we assume which oriental materia medics can the splenocyte inhibit from secreting the IL-S in vitro. Material and Methosds: We used the splenocyte of mouse 8 weeks after its birth, and then cnltivated those into the 2 experimental groups and control group for 48 hours. The culture medium of experimental groups were made of $1{\mu}g/ml,\;10{\mu}g/ml$, oriental materia medics, representative. And the culture media of control group was given no oriental materia medica. Then, we assayed the quantity of cytokine-expression by the Sandwich ELISA. The quantifies of cytokine-expression of the experimental groups were compared with that of the control group which was standardized These method were used for the all of oriental materia medica treated. Results: In this study, we demonstrated that 12 oriental materia medica that inhibit the splenocyte from secreting the IL-5 in both $1{\mu}g/ml,\;and\;10{\mu}g/ml$ culture media. Those were Equiseti Herbs, Sophorae Subprostratae Radix, Moutan Radicis Cortex. Trichosanthis Radix, Buddleiae Flos. Cyperi Rhizoma. Benincasae Semen, Armeniacae Semen. Zedoariae Rhizoma, Astragali Semen, Dolichoris Semen. Lilii Bulbus, Asparagi Radix, Atractylodes Rhizoma White, Polygonati Officinallis Rhizoma. Conculusions: These findinga indicate that some oriental materia medica, specially Antipyretics, Herbs for Resolving Phlegm, Relieving Cough and Calming Wheezing and Herbs for Tonifring and Invigorating effects inhibit the splenocyte from secreting the IL-5. And further study experimented in vivo is needed for treating IL-5-driven inflammatory disease including asthma.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제42권4호
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• pp.231-236
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• 2009

Objectives : This study was conducted to determine the appropriate sampling time of the salivary stress markers, chromogranin A (CgA) and cortisol as objective indices of job stress assessment in adult females. Methods : The subjects were 20${\sim}$39-year-old women (13 office workers, 11 sales-service workers, and 11 college students) who were eligible for the study and free of acute and chronic medical conditions. Salivary CgA and cortisol levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Saliva samples were collected (2 $m{\ell}$ each) at 7:00, 8:00, 10:30, 12:00, 17:30, and 22:30 on a typical day. Salivary CgA and cortisol levels, according to sampling time, were compared among the three groups using general linear model. The full version of the Korean Occupational Stress Scale (KOSS), which includes socioeconomic characteristics, health behavior, workrelated characteristics, and BMI, was used to access the subjects' job stress. Multiple regression analysis of the job stressors identified by the KOSS was performed on salivary CgA and cortisol levels. Results : The salivary CgA level peaked at 7:00 (time of awakening), then decreased and were maintained at a low level throughout the day, and increased slightly at 17:30. The salivary cortisol level increased steeply within the 1st hour after awakening, followed by a gradual decrease by 12:00, and was then maintained at a low level throughout the day. The salivary cortisol levels of subjects who worked ${\leq}$5 days per week and graduated from the university were significantly lower at 8:00 (p=0.006). The salivary cortisol levels of non-smokers were significantly lower at 7:00 p=0.040) and 8:00 (p=0.003) compared to smokers. There were no significant differences in salivary CgA and cortisol levels at 10:30 and 12:00 in general characteristics. The regression coefficients on salivary CgA level were significant with interpersonal conflict at 17:30 and job insecurity at 22:30. Regression coefficients on salivary cortisol level were significant with organizational system and total job stressors at 17:30. Conclusions : We suggest that the appropriate sampling times for the salivary stress markers, CgA and cortisol, are at 7:00 (time of awakening), 8:00 (1 hour after awakening), 17:30 (early evening), and 22:30 (before sleep).

• Research in Plant Disease
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.101-106
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• 2002

For the detection of Tobacco masaic virus (TMV), Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), tomato seeds of 11 table tomato and 7 cherry tomato cultivars were assayed by DAS-ELISA. Among the cultivars, TMV and ToMV were detected from 9 cultivars at the rates lower than 20% and 16%, respectively. In the assay on seed transmission rates, ToMV and CMV were detected as high as 24% and 8% , respectively, but TMV was not detected. In field survey on these viruses from tomato plants of 10 different places in Chungbuk province, ToMV and CMV were detected from most fields. TMV was detected from only 3 fields. The highest detection rates of these viruses were recorded in Cheongwon for TMV Chungju for ToMV, and the other locality of Chungju far CMV. It was difficult to find any relationship between the growth stage of tomato and infection rates. TMV usually caused mosaic on leaves while ToMV caused various symptoms including yellows, necrosis, and mottling. CMV-infected tomato plants showed symptoms of shoestring, fern leaf, and yellows.