• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권11호
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• pp.5463-5467
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• 2012

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is contagious with transmissiobn vertically or horizontally by blood products and body secretions. Over 50% of Iranian carriers contracted the infection prenatally, making this the most likely route of transmission of HBV in Iran. To evaluate the resistance to adefovir (ADV) therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection, a study was conducted on 70 patients (63 males and 7 females), who had received in first line lamivudine and second line adefovir. All were tested for the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B envelope antigen (HBeAg), serum alanine amino transferase (ALT) level and HBV DNA load before and after treatment with ADV. In all samples, resistance to lamivudine and ADV was tested with real time PCR. Among seventy patients with chronic hepatitis B infection, 18 (25.7%) were resistant to LAM and 8 (11.4%) were resistant to ADV. Only one patient was negative for the presence of HBS-Ag (5.6%) and two were negative for HBe-Ag (11.1%). In this study we used a new method (ALLGIO probe assay) that has high sensitivity in detection of adefovir resistance mutants, which we recommend to other researchers. Mutant strains of the YMDD motif of HBV polymerase can be found in some patients under treatment with lamivudine and ADV. ADV has been demonstrated to be efficient in patients with lamivudine resistant HBV.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제84권3호
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• pp.237-244
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• 2021

Background: The emergence of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB), is a major menace to cast off TB worldwide. Line probe assay (LPA; GenoType MTBDRplus ver. 2) and Xpert MTB/RIF assays are two rapid molecular TB detection/diagnostic tests. To compare the performance of LPA and Xpert MTB/RIF assay for early diagnosis of rifampicin-resistant (RR) TB in acid-fast bacillus (AFB) smear-positive and negative sputum samples. Methods: A total 576 presumptive AFB patients were selected and subjected to AFB microscopy, Xpert MTB/RIF assay and recent version of LPA (GenoType MTBDRplus assay version 2) tests directly on sputum samples. Results were compared with phenotypic culture and drug susceptibility testing (DST). DNA sequencing was performed with rpoB gene for samples with discordant rifampicin susceptibility results. Results: Among culture-positive samples, Xpert MTB/RIF assay detected Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in 97.3% (364/374) of AFB smear-positive samples and 76.5% (13/17) among smear-negative samples, and the corresponding values for LPA test (valid results with Mtb control band) were 97.9% (366/374) and 58.8% (10/17), respectively. For detection of RR among Mtb positive molecular results, the sensitivity of Xpert MTB/RIF assay and LPA (after resolving discordant phenotypic DST results with DNA sequencing) were found to be 96% and 99%, respectively. Whereas, specificity of both test for detecting RR were found to be 99%. Conclusion: We conclude that although Xpert MTB/RIF assay is comparatively superior to LPA in detecting Mtb among AFB smear-negative pulmonary TB. However, both tests are equally efficient in early diagnosis of AFB smear-positive presumptive RR-TB patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권7호
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• pp.3211-3217
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• 2014

Background: The current study investigated the effects of Piper longumine on radio-sensitization of human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells and underlying mechanisms. Materials and Methods: Human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells were cultured in vitro and those in logarithmic growth phase were selected for experiments divided into four groups: control, X-ray exposed, Piper longumine, and Piper longumine combined with X-rays. Conogenic assays were performed to determine the radio-sensitizing effects. Cell survival curves were fitted by single-hit multi-target model and then the survival fraction (SF), average lethal dose ($D_0$), quasi-threshold dose ($D_q$) and sensitive enhancement ratio (SER) were calculated. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). Western blot assays were employed for expression of apoptosis-related proteins (Bc1-2 and Bax) after treatment with Piper longumine and/or X-ray radiation. The intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was detected by FCM with a DCFH-DA probe. Results: The cloning formation capacity was decreased in the group of piperlongumine plus radiation, which displayed the values of SF2, D0, Dq significantly lower than those of radiation alone group and the sensitive enhancement ratio (SER) of D0 was1.22 and 1.29, respectively. The cell apoptosis rate was increased by the combination treatment of Piper longumine and radiation. Piper longumine increased the radiation-induced intracellular levels of ROS. Compared with the control group and individual group, the combination group demonstrated significantly decreased expression of Bcl-2 with increased Bax. Conclusions: Piper longumine at a non-cytotoxic concentration can enhance the radio-sensitivity of MDA-MB-231cells, which may be related to its regulation of apoptosis-related protein expression and the increase of intracellular ROS level, thus increasing radiation-induced apoptosis.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제17권2호통권82호
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• pp.167-173
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• 2007

생쥐 신경교세포 유래 신경영양인자 유도성 전사인자(mGIF)의 발현조절에 필요한 전사기작을 연구하기 위하여 mGIF cDNA를 탐침자로 이용하여 genomic clone을 분리하였다. 전체 유전자 13-kb 영역 중 전사개시점에서 4-kb 상류영역의 유전자 서열을 파악한 결과, 프로모터 영역에서 TATA box와 CAAT box는 발견할 수 없었으며 G+C content는 높은 것으로 나타났고 여러 개의 Sp1 전사인자 결합영역이 있었다. 또한 mGIF 유전자는 AP2 결합에 필요한 보존적 영역이 있었다. mGIF 유전자의 프로모터 영역의 단편들을 프로모터가 없는 pGL2-Basic 플라스미드의 luciferase 유전자의 상류에 연결하여 서로 다른 5종류의 결손 돌연변이체를 제조하고 NB41A3 세포주를 이용하여 전사활성을 측정하였다. Transient expression assays 결과, 모든 결손 돌연변이체에서 전사활성이 나타났으며 -213과 -129사이에 전사촉진 영역이 존재하며 -806과 -214사이에 전사억제 영역이 있는 것으로 나타났다. 신경세포주인 NB41A3과 신경교세포주인 C6 그리고 간세포주인 HepG2에서 mGIF 유전자 프로모터의 높은 활성이 관찰되었으며, 근육세포주인 C2C12에서는 낮은 활성이 관찰되었다. 따라서 mGIF 유전자는 조직특이적으로 발현하며 도파민 수용체 유전자와 구조적, 기능적 유사성이 있는 것을 알 수 있었다.