• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.48.1-48.8
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• 2023

Liver cancer is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. Well-known risk factors include hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus, along with exposure to aflatoxins, excessive alcohol consumption, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Genomic variants play a crucial role in mediating the associations between these risk factors and liver cancer. However, the specific variants involved in this process remain under-explored. This study utilized a bioinformatics approach to identify genetic variants associated with liver cancer from various continents. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with liver cancer were retrieved from the genome-wide association studies catalog. Prioritization was then performed using functional annotation with HaploReg v4.1 and the Ensembl database. The prevalence and allele frequencies of each variant were evaluated using Pearson correlation coefficients. Two variants, rs2294915 and rs2896019, encoded by the PNPLA3 gene, were found to be highly expressed in the liver tissue, as well as in the skin, cell-cultured fibroblasts, and adipose-subcutaneous tissue, all of which contribute to the risk of liver cancer. We further found that these two SNPs (rs2294915 and rs2896019) were positively correlated with the prevalence rate. Positive associations with the prevalence rate were more frequent in East Asian and African populations. We highlight the utility of this population-specific PNPLA3 genetic variant for genetic association studies and for the early prognosis and treatment of liver cancer. This study highlights the potential of integrating genomic databases with bioinformatic analysis to identify genetic variations involved in the pathogenesis of liver cancer. The genetic variants investigated in this study are likely to predispose to liver cancer and could affect its progression and aggressiveness. We recommend future research prioritizing the validation of these variations in clinical settings.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.379-389
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• 2012

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to improve the practice level on dental hygienists'infection prevention by examining the actual condition of dental hygienists'infection control and analyzing factors of having influence upon this. Methods : A questionnaire survey was carried out from July 18, 2011 to August 26 targeting dental hygienists who work at medical institutions where are located in Daegu, Busan and Ulsan Metropolitan Cities and Gyeongsangnam buk-do. After then, the following conclusions were obtained. Results : 1. As a result of surveying practice by item in the practice level of infection prevention, the items with high practice level in the management of infectious diseases were surveyed to be 12 months(89.6%) for health-checkup cycle and to be having experience of vaccination(78.0%) for hepatitis type B. The items with high practice level in the management and practice of washing hands were indicated to be in order of regularly paper towel(87.7%) and hands cleaning after regular medical examination(80.5%). In the item of the practice on wearing and managing individual protection equipment, regularly wearing(93.1%) rubber globes given washing implements was indicated to be high. 2. As a result of analyzing working career, working institution, working region, and practice level of infectious-disease management, the appearance of fulfilling infection control guidelines at medical institution and the experience of education for infection control were indicated to have difference depending on working institution. Regularly health checkup was indicated to have difference depending on respondents' working career and working institution. 3. The whole average in the practice level of infection prevention according to working career, working institution, and working region was indicated to be 2.55 out of 3-point perfection. 4. Wearing latex gloves was indicated to have statistically significant difference depending on working institution(p<0.001) and working region(p<0.001). The exchange of latex gloves every patient and the use of paper apron had statistically significant difference depending on working region(p<0.001). 5. As a result of comparing the frequency of using protection equipment for preventing infection according to the management of infectious diseases, the statistically significant difference was shown depending on the appearance of infection control guidelines at medical institution(p<0.001), the appearance of having experience of health checkup(p<0.01), and the appearance of having experience of vaccination for hepatitis type B(p<0.05). Conclusions : The above-mentioned findings showed that the denture satisfaction of the denture-wearing senior citizens was linked to their subjective oral health awareness. Therefore it will be possible to improve denture-wearing elderly people's quality of life when oral health plans geared toward boosting their denture satisfaction are carried out.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.12 no.12
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• pp.313-320
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• 2012

A dental treatment room is always exposed to diverse kinds of pathogenic bacteria, and may be a mediating place of cross-infection given being contaminated the interior of a room through several routes in the form of patient's secretion and aerosol. The main agent of preventing cross-infection is a dental hygienist in the dental treatment and the dental treatment room where are scattered about a risk of cross-infection. A dental hygienist needs to have right recognition on infection control before being active as a clinical expert. This infection-control recognition level is influenced from the clinical practice. Accordingly, to survey recognition of infection control, a self-administered questionnaire research was conducted targeting 314 students who are fixed the clinical practice as regular subject in the junior course out of curriculum for the Department of Dental Hygiene at some of 4-year universities. Data collection was performed from December 9, 2011 to February 22, 2012. Except 11 copies of questionnaire with insincere response among the collected materials, 303 copies were finally analyzed by using SPSS WIN 20.0. The following conclusions were obtained. In the infection disease section, both on and off campus showed 4.89 points from 'the importance of recognizing the infections prevention', 4.65 points from 'recognizing the compulsory preventative injection for hepatitis type B', 4.77 points from 'recognizing the necessity of the preventative injection for hepatitis type B', 4.71 points from 'whether practice the prevention in reality or not', and 4.76 points from 'the educational helps to the prevention'. In other words, the section recorded the highest and meaningful points. It is considered to be needed the development in systematic and diverse infection-control educational programs and the differentiated education depending on school year for dental hygiene students.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.936-940
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• 2015

Human papillomavirus (HPV) type 52 is a high-risk HPV responsible for cervical cancer. HPV type 52 is common around the world and is the most common in some Asian regions. The available prophylactic HPV vaccines protect only from HPV types 16 and 18. Supplementing economical vaccines that target HPV type 52 may satisfactorily complement available prophylactic vaccines. A codon-adapted HPV 52 L1 gene was expressed in the methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha, which is used as an industrial platform for economical hepatitis B surface antigen particle production in China. We found that the recombinant proteins produced in this expression system could form virus-like particles (VLPs) with diameters of approximately 50 nm. This study suggests that the HPV 52 VLPs produced in this platform may satisfactorily complement available prophylactic vaccines in fighting against HPVs prevalent in Asia.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.469-478
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• 2020

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) propagation is highly dependent on cellular proteins. To identify the host factors involved in HCV propagation, we previously performed protein microarray assays and identified the LIM and SH3 domain protein 1 (LASP-1) as an HCV NS5A-interacting partner. LASP-1 plays an important role in the regulation of cell proliferation, migration, and protein-protein interactions. Alteration of LASP-1 expression has been implicated in hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the functional involvement of LASP-1 in HCV propagation and HCV-induced pathogenesis has not been elucidated. Here, we first verified the protein interaction of NS5A and LASP-1 by both in vitro pulldown and coimmunoprecipitation assays. We further showed that NS5A and LASP-1 were colocalized in the cytoplasm of HCV infected cells. NS5A interacted with LASP-1 through the proline motif in domain I of NS5A and the tryptophan residue in the SH3 domain of LASP-1. Knockdown of LASP1 increased HCV replication in both HCV-infected cells and HCV subgenomic replicon cells. LASP-1 negatively regulated viral propagation and thereby overexpression of LASP-1 decreased HCV replication. Moreover, HCV propagation was decreased by wild-type LASP-1 but not by an NS5A binding-defective mutant of LASP-1. We further demonstrated that LASP-1 was involved in the replication stage of the HCV life cycle. Importantly, LASP-1 expression levels were increased in persistently infected cells with HCV. These data suggest that HCV modulates LASP-1 via NS5A in order to regulate virion levels and maintain a persistent infection.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.253-265
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• 1994

We have studied the effects of serum concentration and initial cell density on hybridoma cell growth and monoclonal antibody (MAb) production at various media supplemented with different types of serum. The types of serum were fetal bovine sera, newborn bovine calf sera, calf sera including supplemented calf sera, horse serum, and goat serum. The concentrations of each serum were 0.5, 1.25, 2.5, and 5% (v/v) and the inoculum densities were $5{\times}10^4, 1{\times}10^5, 2{\times}10^5,$ cells/ml. The hybridoma cell growth and anti-Hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBsAg) MAb production were found to be enhanced by increasing the serum concentration and by increasing inoculum density regardless of serum type. We found that test sera purchased from different companies show different effects on cell growth and MAb production, although they are the same type of serum.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.67-77
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• 2019

The paradigm of chronic liver diseases has been shifting. Although hepatitis B and C viral infections are still the main causes of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the introduction of effective antiviral drugs may control or cure them in the near future. In contrast, the burden of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been increasing for decades, and 25 to 30% of the general population in Korea is estimated to have NAFLD. Over 10% of NAFLD patients may have nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a severe form of NAFLD. NASH can progress to cirrhosis and HCC. NASH is currently the second leading cause to be placed on the liver transplantation list in the United States. NAFLD is associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and metabolic syndrome. The pathophysiology is complex and associated with lipotoxicity, inflammatory cytokines, apoptosis, and insulin resistance. The only proven effective treatment is weight reduction by diet and exercise. However, this may not be effective for advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis. Therefore, effective drugs are urgently needed for treating these conditions. Unfortunately, no drugs have been approved for the treatment of NASH. Many pharmaceutical companies are trying to develop new drugs for the treatment of NASH. Some of them are in phase 2 or 3 clinical trials. Here, pharmacologic therapies in clinical trials, as well as the basic principles of drug therapy, will be reviewed, focusing on pathophysiology.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.135-146
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• 2023

Viral oncology is focused on understanding the relationship between cancer and viruses, which are known to play a role in the development of certain types of cancer. Approximately 15-20% of human cancers are believed to be caused by oncogenic viruses, and as a result, there is significant interest in understanding how these viruses contribute to cancer development. There are several viruses that have been linked to cancer, including human papillomavirus, hepatitis B and C virus, Epstein-Barr virus, human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, and Merkel cell polyomavirus. Each of these viruses is associated with different types of cancer, and the mechanisms by which they contribute to cancer development are diverse. This article discusses these mechanisms as well as current and future strategies for preventing and treating virus-associated cancers with the goal of presenting a thorough review of the current state of knowledge in viral oncology and to highlight the importance of continued research in this field.

• Korean Journal of Transplantation
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.108-112
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• 2018

Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is a major complication after ABO-incompatible liver transplantation. According to the 2016 Banff Working Group on Liver Allograft Criteria for the diagnosis of acute AMR, a positive serum donor specific antibody (DSA) is needed. On the other hand, the clinical significance of the histological findings of AMR in the absence of DSA is unclear. This paper describes a 57-year-old man (blood type, O+) who suffered from hepatitis B virus cirrhosis with hepatocellular carcinoma. Pre-operative DSA and cross-matching were negative. After transplantation, despite the improvement of the liver function, acute AMR was observed in the protocol biopsy on postoperative day 7; the cluster of differentiation 19+ (CD19+) count was 0% and anti-ABO antibody titers were 1:2. This paper presents the allograft injury like AMR in the absence of DSA after ABOi living donor liver transplantation with low titers of anti-ABO antibody and depleted serum CD19+ B cells.

• Annals of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.34-41
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• 2024

Backgrounds/Aims: Liver transplantation (LT) provides a favorable outcome for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and was launched in Vietnam in 2004. In this study, we evaluated the short-term and long-term outcomes of LT and its risk factors. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed HCC patients who underwent LT at Viet Duc University hospital, Vietnam, from 01/2012-03/2022. The following data were gathered: demographics, virus infection, tumor characteristics, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, Child-Pugh and MELD scores, selection criteria, type of LT, complications, 30-day mortality, and disease-free and overall survival (DFS and OS). Results: Fifty four patients were included, the mean age was 55.39 ± 8.46 years. Nearly 90% had hepatitis B virus-related HCC. The median (interquartile range) AFP level was 16.2 (88.7) ng/mL. The average MELD score was 10.57 ± 5.95; the rate of Child-Pugh A and B were 70.4% and 18.5%, respectively. Nearly 40% of the patients were within Milan criteria, brain-dead donor was 83.3%. Hepatic and portal vein thrombosis occurred in 0% and 1.9%, respectively; hepatic artery thrombosis 1.9%, biliary leakage 5.6%, and postoperative hemorrhage 3.7%. Ninety-day mortality was 5.6%. Five-year DFS and OS were 79.3% and 81.4%, respectively. MELD score and ChildPugh score were predictive factors for DFS and OS (p < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, Child-Pugh score was the only significant factor (p < 0.05). Conclusions: In Vietnam, LT is an effective therapy for HCC with an acceptable complication rate, mortality rate, and good survival outcomes, and should be further encouraged.