• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권3호
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• pp.781-784
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• 2012

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the adenovirus-mediated double suicide gene (CD/TK) for selective killing of gastric cancer cells. Gastric cancer cells SCG7901 and normal gastric epithelial cell lines were infected by adenoviruses Ad-survivin/GFP and Ad-survivin/CD/TK. GFP expression and CD-TK were detected by fluorescence microscopy and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), respectively. After treatment of the infected cells with the pro-drugs ganciclovir (GCV) and/or 5-FC, the cell growth status was evaluated by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay. Cell cycle changes were detected using flow cytometry. In nude mice bearing human gastric cancer, the recombinant adenovirus vector was injected directly into the tumor followed by an intraperitoneal injection of GCV and/or 5-FC. The subsequent tumor growth was then observed. The GFP gene driven by survivin could be expressed within the gastric cancer line SCG7901, but not in normal gastric epithelial cells. RT-PCR demonstrated the presence of the CD/TK gene product in the infected SCG7901 cells, but not in the infected normal gastric epithelial cells. The infected gastric cancer SCG7901, but not the gastric cells, was highly sensitive to the pro-drugs. The CD/TK fusion gene system showed significantly greater efficiency than either of the single suicide genes in killing the target cells (P<0.01). Treatment of the infected cells with the pro-drugs resulted in increased cell percentage in G0-Gl phase and decreased percentage in S phase. In nude mice bearing SCG7901 cells, treatment with the double suicide gene system significantly inhibited tumor growth, showing much stronger effects than either of the single suicide genes (P<0.01). The adenovirus-mediated CD/TK double suicide gene driven by survivin promoter combined with GCV an 5-FC treatment could be an effective therapy against experimental gastric cancer with much greater efficacy than the single suicide gene CD/TK combined with GCV or 5-FC.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권10호
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• pp.4923-4926
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• 2012

Aim: To investigate whether XRCC1 and ADPRT polymorphisms might be associated with outcomes of breast cancer. Methods: A prospective study was conducted with a total of 335 breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy consecutively collected from Jan. 2005 to Jan. 2008. Genotyping of XRCC1 and ADPRT polymorphisms was conducted by PCR-RFLP assay. Results: All 335 patients were followed up until death or the end of Jan. 2012, with a median follow-up period of 38.8 (2-64) months. It was shown that the variant genotype of XRCC1 399Gln/Gln was strongly significantly associated with a decreased risk of death from breast cancer, with an HR (95% CI) of 0.52 (0.28-0.91). Similarly, individuals carrying the ADPRT 762Ala/Ala demonstrated longer survival compared to ADPRT 762 Val/Val, with an HR (95% CI) of 0.58 (0.31-0.97). Individuals with combination genotypes of XRCC1 399Gln allele and ADPRT 762Ala/Ala presented with a longer survival, the HR (95% CI) being 0.56 (0.32-0.97). Conclusion: We found a significant association between XRCC1399Gln/Gln and ADPRT 762Ala/Ala polymorphisms and clinical outcomes. These two genotypes could be used as a surrogate markers of clinical outcome in glioma cases receiving chemotherapy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권5호
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• pp.1771-1777
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• 2012

The impact of anatomic resection (AR) as compared to non-anatomic resection (NAR) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as a factor for preventing intra-hepatic and local recurrence after the initial surgical procedure remains controversial. A systematic review and meta-analysis of nonrandomized trials comparing anatomic resection with non-anatomic resection for HCC published from 1990 to 2010 in PubMed and Medline, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Science Citation Index were therefore performed. Intra-hepatic recurrence, including early and late, and local recurrence were considered as primary outcomes. As secondary outcomes, 5 year survival and 5 year disease-free survival were considered. Pooled effects were calculated utilizing either fixed effects or random effects models. Eleven non-randomized studies including 1,576 patients were identified and analyzed, with 810 patients in the AR group and 766 in the NAR group. Patients in the AR group were characterized by lower prevalence of cirrhosis, more favorable hepatic function, and larger tumor size and higher prevalence of macrovascular invasion compared with patients in the NAR group. Anatomic resection significantly reduced the risks of local recurrence and achieved a better 5 years disease-free survival. Also, anatomic resection was marginally effective for decreasing the early intra-hepatic recurrence. However, it was not advantageous in preventing late intra-hepatic recurrence compared with non-anatomic resection. No differences were found between AR and NAR with respect to postoperative morbidity, mortality, and hospitalization. Anatomic resection can be recommended as superior to non-anatomic resection in terms of reducing the risks of local recurrence, early intra-hepatic recurrence and achieving a better 5 year disease-free survival in HCC patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권10호
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• pp.5019-5022
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• 2012

Objective: To evaluate the predictive value of GST gene polymorphisms with regard to prognosis of breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Methods: A total of 159 patients were included in our study between January 2005 and January 2007. All the patients were followed up until January 2012. Genotyping was based upon the duplex polymerase-chain-reaction with the PCR-CTPP method. Results: Patients with null GSTM1 and GSTP1 Val/Val genotypes had significantly had better response rates to chemotherapy when compared with non-null GSTM1 and GSTP1 Ile/Ile genotypes (OR=1.96 and OR=2.14, respectively). Patients with the GSTM1 null genotype had a longer average survival time and significantly lower risk of death than did those with non-null genotypes (HR=0.66). Similarly, those carrying the GSTP1 Val/Val genotype had 0.54-fold the risk of death of those with GSTP1 Ile/Ile (HR=0.54). Conclusion: A significant association was found between GSTM1 and GSTP1 gene polymorphisms and clinical outcomes in breast cancer cases.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.607-615
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• 2003

Many organisms are known to survive in icy environments. These include both over wintering terrestrial insects and plants as well the marine fish inhabiting high latitudes. The adaptation of these organisms is both a fascinating and important topic in biology. Marine teleosts in particular, can encounter ice-laden seawater that is approximately $1^{\circ}C$ colder than the colligative freezing point of their body fluids. These animals produce a unique group of proteins, the antifreeze proteins (AFPs) or antifreeze glycoproteins (AFGPs) that absorb the ice nuclei and prevent ice crystal growth. Presently, there are at least four different AFP types and one AFGP type that are isolated from a wide variety of fish. Despite their functional similarity, there is no apparent common protein homology or ice-binding motifs among these proteins, except that the surface-surface complementarity between the protein and ice are important for binding. The remarkable diversity of these proteins and their odd phylogenetic distribution would suggest that these proteins might have evolved recently in response to sea level glaciations just 1-2 million years ago in the northern hemisphere and 10-30 million years ago around Antarctica. Winter flounder, Pleuronectes americanus, has been used as a popular model to study the regulation of AFP gene expression. It has a built-in annual cycle of AFP expression controlled negatively by the growth hormone. The signal transduction pathways, transcription factors and promoter elements involved in this process have been studied in our laboratory and these studies will be presented.

• 대한한의학원전학회지
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• 제24권6호
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• pp.169-186
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• 2011

1. In Sui, Tang and Five Dynasty, a discourse related to sleep was published in various big Fang Shu(方書)'s that later became a valuable historical data. Notably, the importance of good sleep began to be properly discussed in "Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang(備急千金要方)" of 'Sun Si Miao(孫思邈)', etc. 2. During Two Song era, achievements in the previous eras were accepted and diseases related to sleep were explored in more details. 3. In Jin and Yuan(金元) era, Liu He Jian(劉河間), in "Su Wen Xuan Ji Yuan Bing Shi(素問玄機原病式)", recognized 'anger' as the cause for various sleep disorders and Li Dong Yuan(李東垣), in "Pi Wei Lun(脾胃論)", believed 'lethargy' and 'Shi Hou Ji Hun Mao Yu Shui(食後卽昏冒欲睡)' are related to narcolepsy linked with stomach. Zhang Cong Zheng(張從正) observed 'insomnia' as an isolated disease whereas Zhu Dan Xi(朱丹溪), in "Ge Zhi Yu Lun(格致餘論)" argued about somnambulism based on the relationship between Xiang Huo(相火) and Xin huo(心火).

• 대한한의학원전학회지
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.9-21
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• 2011

Mankind spends a third of it's lifetime sleeping. Sleep deficiency can cause several psychological and physical complications - as well as death - if prolonged over extended periods. Therefore, sleep is a substantial part of life and essential to the preservation of human-life. In modern society, human-beings are having more difficulty with sleep than ever before. Consequently, the need for medical research on sleep has increased as well. There are no studies in current western medicine that focuses entirely on sleep alone. However, there have been ongoing research by traditional eastern medicine on sleep and sleep-related-dysfunctions since ancient times which has yielded diverse results. Undertaken a study of the sleep and sleep-related-dysfunction in traditional medicine of East-asia, I have summarized my studies into the following. 1. From ancient china to the age of the warring state(戰國時代) - ground on few data that we can get - humans have a simple and rough cognizance of sleep and sleep-related- dysfunction. But people are little removed from shamanism yet. 2. After Han(漢) dynasty, in "Huang Di Nei Jing(黃帝內經)" and "Shang Han Lun(傷寒論)" and "Jin Gui Yao Lue(金匱要略)", people present a basic physiology and pathology of sleep. 3. The theory has improved repeatedly in quality and quantity through "Zhen Jiu Jia Yi Jing(針灸甲乙經)" of Huang Fu Mi(皇甫謐) of Jin(晉) dynasty, "Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang(備急千金要方)" of Sun Si Miao(孫思邈) of Tang(唐) dynasty to "Tai Ping Sheng Hui Fang(太平聖惠方)" of Song(宋) dynasty.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.941-946
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• 2013

Objective: The nucleotide excision repair (NER) and base excision repair (BER) pathways, two DNA repair pathways, are related to platinum resistance in cancer treatment. In this paper, we studied the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of involved genes and response to platinum-based chemotherapy in epithelial ovarian cancer. Method: Eight SNPs in XRCC1 (BER), XPC and XPD (NER) were assessed in 213 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and primer-introduced restriction analysis-polymerase chain reaction (PIRA-PCR) techniques. Results: The median progression-free survival (PFS) of patients carrying the Lys/Lys and Lys/Gln+Gln/Gln genotype of the XPC Lys/Gln polymorphism were 25 and 12 months, respectively (P=0.039); and the mean overall survival (OS) of patients was 31.1 and 27.8 months, respectively (P=0.048). Cox's multivariate analysis suggested that patients with epithelial ovarian cancer with the Gln allele had an increased risk of death (HR=1.75; 95% CI=1.06-2.91) compared to those with the Lys/Lys genotype. There are no associations between the XPC PAT+/-, XRCC1 Arg194Trp, Arg280His, Arg399Gln, and XPD Asp312Asn, Lys751Gln polymorphisms and the survival of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer when treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. Conclusion: Our results indicated that the XPC Lys939Gln polymorphism may correlate with clinical outcome of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer when treated with platinum-based chemotherapy in Northern China.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권9호
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• pp.5133-5139
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• 2013

Background: Perineural invasion (PNI) has been reported as one of the sources of locoregional recurrence in resected pancreatic cancer (PC). However the impact of PNI in resected pancreatic cancer remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between PNI status and clinical outcomes. Methods: Publications were identified which assessed prognostic significance of PNI status in resected pancreatic cancer up to February 2013. A meta-analysis was performed to clarify the association between PNI status and clinical outcomes. Results: A total of 21 studies met the inclusion criteria, covering 4,459 cases. Analysis of these data showed that intrapancreatic PNI was correlated with reduced overall survival only in resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients (HR=1.982, 95%CI: 1.526-2.574, p=0.000). Extrapancreatic PNI was correlated with reduced overall survival in all resected pancreatic cancer patients (HR=1.748, 95%CI: 1.372-2.228, p=0.000). Moreover, intrapancreatic PNI status may be associated with tumor recurrence in all resected pancreatic cancer patients (HR=2.714, 95%CI: 1.885-3.906, p=0.000). Conclusion: PNI was an independent and poor prognostic factor in resected PDAC patients. Moreover, intrapancreatic PNI status may be associated with tumor recurrence.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제20권11호
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• pp.1471-1480
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• 2010

An extremely thermostable xylanase gene, xynB, from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima MSB8 was successful expressed in Kluyveromyces lactis. The response surface methodology (RSM) was also applied to optimize the medium components for the production of XynB secreted by the recombinant K. lactis. The secretion level (102 mg/l) and enzyme activity (49 U/ml) of XynB in the optimized medium (yeast extract, lactose, and urea; YLU) were much higher than those (56 mg/l, 16 U/ml) in the original medium (yeast extract, lactose, and peptone; YLP). The secretory efficiency of mature XynB was also improved when using the YLU medium. When the mRNA levels of 13 characterized secretion-related genes in the K. lactis cultured in YLP and YLU were detected using a semiquantitative RT-PCR method, the unfolded protein response (UPR)-related genes, including ero1, hac1, and kar2, were found to be up-regulated in the K. lactis cultured in YLU. Therefore, the nutrient ingredients, especially the nitrogen source, were shown to have a significant influence on the XynB secretory efficiency of the host K. lactis.