• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.168-174
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• 2015

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease, which is mainly characterized by disease of joints affected with synovial hyperplasia, pathological immune response, and progressive destruction; all of which represent an important social health problem. These provide new insights in its pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis and disease progression in molecular changes. This review focuses on new serological and immunological markers which seem to be useful in early diagnosis and prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore, such tests are widely conducted for serological biomarkers and the developments with such immunological factors to identify patients who are at risk for disease progression. This evidence of the disease based on laboratory medicine could provide the best outcome for patients. Finally, data from recent studies will help to refine the ultimate usefulness of this novel approach for early diagnosis, treatment, and helping clinicians to optimize therapy by using this approach.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2008

Estrogens, a group of steroid compounds functioning as the primary female sex hormone, play an important role in the development and progression of breast cancer. In this study, using a novel annealing control primer-based GeneFishing PCR technology, five differentially expressed genes (DEGs), expressed using 10nM mitogenic estrogens, $17{\beta}$-estradiol (E2) and $16{\alpha}$-hydroxyestrone ($16{\alpha}$-OHE1), were selected from the estrogen receptor (ER)-positive MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. The DEGs, MRPL42, TUBA1B, SSBP1, KNCT2, and RUVBL1, were identified by comparison with the known genes via direct sequencing and sequence homology search in BLAST. Quantitative real-time PCR data showed that two DEGs, tubulin ${\alpha}1b$ and kinetochore associated 2, were greater than 2-fold upregulated by E2 or $16{\alpha}$-OHE1. Both genes could be new biomarkers for the treatment and prognosis of cancers, and further study may provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying development and progression of breast cancer.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.371-381
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• 2006

New proteomic techniques have been pioneered extensively in recent years, enabling the high-throughput and systematic analyses of cellular proteins in combination with bioinformatic tools. Furthermore, the development of such novel proteomic techniques facilitates the elucidation of the functions of proteins under stress or disease conditions, resulting in the discovery of biomarkers for responses to environmental stimuli. The ultimate objective of proteomics is targeted toward the entire proteome of life, subcellular localization biochemical activities, and the regulation thereof. Comprehensive analysis strategies of proteomics can be classified into three categories: (i) protein separation via 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) or liquid chromatography (LC), (ii) protein identification via either Edman sequencing or mass spectrometry (MS), and (iii) proteome quantitation. Currently, MS-based proteomics techniques have shifted from qualitative proteome analysis via 2-DE or 2D-LC coupled with off-line matrix assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) and on-line electrospray ionization (ESI) MS, respectively, toward quantitative proteome analysis. In vitro quantitative proteomic techniques include differential gel electrophoresis with fluorescence dyes. protein-labeling tagging with isotope-coded affinity tags, and peptide-labeling tagging with isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation. In addition, stable isotope-labeled amino acids can be in vivo labeled into live culture cells via metabolic incorporation. MS-based proteomics techniques extend to the detection of the phosphopeptide mapping of biologically crucial proteins, which ale associated with post-translational modification. These complementary proteomic techniques contribute to our current understanding of the manner in which life responds to differing environment.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.217-226
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• 2006

Malignant gliomas are the most common type of primary brain tumor and are in great need of novel therapeutic approaches. Advances in treatment have been very modest, significant improvement in survival has been lacking for many decades, and prognosis remains dismal. Despite "gross total" surgical resections and currently available radio-chemotherapy, malignant gliomas inevitably recur due to reservoirs of notoriously invasive tumor cells that infiltrate adjacent and non-adjacent areas of normal brain parenchyma. In principle, the immune system is uniquely qualified to recognize and target these infiltrative pockets of tumors cells, which have generally eluded conventional treatment approaches, In the span of the last 10 years, our understanding of the cancer-immune system relationship has increased exponentially; and yet we are only beginning to tease apart the intricacies of the central nervous system and immune cell interactions. This article reviews the complex associations of the immune system with brain tumors. We provide an overview of currently available treatment options for malignant gliomas, existing gaps in our knowledge of brain tumor immunology, and strategies that might be exploited for improved design of "custom immunotherapeutics." We will also examine major new immunotherapy approaches that are being actively investigated to treat patients with malignant glioma, and identify some current and future research priorities in this area.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.412-422
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study investigates correlations between circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) and obesity-related parameters among young women (aged 20-30 years old) in Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We analyzed TaqMan low density arrays (TLDAs) of circulating miRNAs in 9 lean (body mass index [BMI] < 25 kg/㎡) and 15 obese (BMI > 25 kg/㎡) women. We also performed gene ontology (GO) analyses of the biological functions of predicted miRNA target genes, and clustered the results using the database for annotation, visualization and integrated discovery. RESULTS: The TLDA cards contain 754 human miRNAs; of these, the levels of 8 circulating miRNAs significantly declined (> 2-fold) in obese subjects compared with those in lean subjects, including miR-1227, miR-144-5p, miR-192, miR-320, miR-320b, miR-484, miR-324-3p, and miR-378. Among them, miR-484 and miR-378 displayed the most significant inverse correlations with BMI (miR-484, r = -0.5484, P = 0.0056; miR-378, r = -0.5538, P = 0.0050) and visceral fat content (miR-484, r = -0.6141, P = 0.0014; miR-378, r = -0.6090, P = 0.0017). GO analysis indicated that genes targeted by miR-484 and miR-378 had major roles in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. CONCLUSION: Our result showed the differentially expressed circulating miRNAs in obese subjects compared to lean subjects. Although the mechanistic study to reveal the causal role of miRNAs remains, these miRNAs may be novel biomarkers for obesity.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.1365-1372
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• 2019

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of Lycii radicis CORTEX extract on rheumatoid related factors in CIA-induced Rheumatoid Arthritis model of DBA/1 mice. Lycii radicis CORTEX extract was administered orally at doses of 200 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks after direct injection of CIA into the mice' right paw. We evaluated the treatment effects based on serum biomarkers, morphological and histopathological analyses of the paw. Compared with those in control mice, the Lycii radicis CORTEX extract treatments significantly reduced the serum concentration of cytokine, kemokine and immunoglobulin levels. In addition, the Lycii radicis CORTEX extract treatments effectively preserved the paw bone joint, that in the H&E staining and masson-trichrome staining showed that there were histopathological improvements in Lycii radicis CORTEX extract treated group compared to those of control group. The results indicate that Lycii radicis CORTEX extract alleviated rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. Thus, Lycii radicis CORTEX extract may be a novel therapeutic option for the management of rheumatoid arthritis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.2793-2800
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• 2015

In molecular-targeted cancer therapy, acquired resistance to gemcitabine is a major clinical problem that reduces its effectiveness, resulting in recurrence and metastasis of cancers. In spite of great efforts to reveal the overall mechanism of acquired gemcitabine resistance, no definitive genetic factors have been identified that are absolutely responsible for the resistance process. Therefore, we performed a cross-platform meta-analysis of three publically available microarray datasets for cancer cell lines with acquired gemcitabine resistance, using the R-based RankProd algorithm, and were able to identify a total of 158 differentially expressed genes (DEGs; 76 up- and 82 down-regulated) that are potentially involved in acquired resistance to gemcitabine. Indeed, the top 20 up- and down-regulated DEGs are largely associated with a common process of carcinogenesis in many cells. For the top 50 up- and down-regulated DEGs, we conducted integrated analyses of a gene regulatory network, a gene co-expression network, and a protein-protein interaction network. The identified DEGs were functionally enriched via Gene Ontology hierarchy and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses. By systemic combinational analysis of the three molecular networks, we could condense the total number of DEGs to final seven genes. Notably, GJA1, LEF1, and CCND2 were contained within the lists of the top 20 up- or down-regulated DEGs. Our study represents a comprehensive overview of the gene expression patterns associated with acquired gemcitabine resistance and theoretical support for further clinical therapeutic studies.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.3861-3864
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• 2016

Background: Adipokines are bioactive proteins that mediate metabolism, inflammation and angiogenesis. Changes in the secretion of key serum adipokines - adiponectin and letpin - may be associated with obesity, cancer and metabolic disorders. Thyroid cancer is one of the most important types of endocrine cancer. Therefore, investigating the association between serum levels of adiponectin and leptin and thyroid cancer might be important. The purpose of this study was to assess adiponectin and leptin levels in medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) cases in order to identify novel tumor markers. Materials and Methods: This research was based on a case-control study, including 45 patients with medullary thyroid cancer (21 men and 24 women) and 45 healthy controls (24 males and 21 females). Adiponectin and leptin levels were measured by ELISA in both groups. Height and weight were measured and body mass index (kg/m2) was calculated. Results: Adiponectin and leptin levels were not significantly different between medullary thyroid carcinomas and the control group. Also, there was no correlation among age and body mass index and the disease. Conclusions: These results suggest that changes in serum adiponectin and leptin levels do not play an important role in the diagnosis or could act as as biomarkers for medullary thyroid cancer.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.181-187
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• 2015

Osteoporosis is one of the diseases caused by accumulation of effects from complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Aging is the major cause for osteoporosis, which normally increases skeletal fragility and bone fracture especially among the elder. "Omics" refers to a specialized research field dealing with high-throughput biological data, such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics or metabolomics. Integration of data from multi-omics has been approved to be a powerful strategy to colligate biological phenomenon with multiple aspects. Actually, integrative analyses of "omics" datasets were used to present pathogenesis of specific diseases or casual biomarkers including susceptible genes. In this study, we evaluated the proposed relationship of novel susceptible genes (TREML2, HTR1E, and GLO1) with osteoporosis, which genes were obtained using multi-omics integration analyses. To this end, SNPs of the susceptible genes in the Korean female cohort were analyzed. As a result, one SNP of HTR1E and five SNPs of TREML2 were identified to associate with osteoporosis. The highest significant SNP was $rs6938076^*$ of TREML2 (OR=0.63, CI: 0.45~0.89, recessive P=0.009). Consequently, the susceptible genes identified through the multi-omics analyses were confirmed to have association with osteoporosis. Therefore, multi-omics analysis might be a powerful tool to find new genes associated with a disease. We further identified that TREML2 has more associated with osteoporosis in females than did HTR1E.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.6435-6439
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• 2012

Chemoresistance to cancer therapy is a major obstacle to the effective treatment of human cancers with cisplatin (DDP), but the mechanisms of cisplatin-resistance are not clear. In this study, we established a cisplatin-resistant human ovarian cancer cell line (COC1/DDP) and identified differentially expressed proteins related to cisplatin resistance. The proteomic expression profiles in COC1 before and after DDP treatment were examined using 2-dimensional electrophoresis technology. Differentially expressed proteins were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem MS (NanoUPLC-ESI-MS/MS). 5 protein spots, for cytokeratin 9, keratin 1, deoxyuridine triphosphatase (dUTPase), aarF domain containing kinase 4 (ADCK 4) and cofilin1, were identified to be significantly changed in COC1/DDP compared with its parental cells. The expression of these five proteins was further validated by quantitative PCR and Western blotting, confirming the results of proteomic analysis. Further research on these proteins may help to identify novel resistant biomarkers or reveal the mechanism of cisplatin-resistance in human ovarian cancers.