• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.62-81
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• 2017

Objectives: As interests in the beauty of skin is growing continuously, more people are focusing on white and clean skin. Melanin is the major factor that determines skin color. The abnormal concentration of melanin causes various skin diseases such as vitiligo, freckles, and melasma. This study investigated the inhibitory effect of Eriobotryae Folium extracts (EF) with phreatic water (PW) on the melanin synthesis. Methods: The effect of EF on melanin synthesis was evaluated by using mouse melanoma cells (B16F10). To define the mechanisms, real-time PCR and western blot were used. We also evaluated the inhibitory effects of EF and PW on melanin synthesis by using HRM-2 melanin-possessing hairless mice. After UVB irradiation, melanin differences between the skin parts that were treated and untreated with EF and PW. Levels of mRNA were measured by real-time quantitative PCR and histological analysis of the dorsal skin was conducted by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Results: EF inhibited various mechanisms of melanogenesis, and the effect was increased when combined with PW. In vitro experiments have shown that EF inhibited the expressions of tyrosinase related protein-1 (TRP-1) mRNA, tyrosinase mRNA, microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) mRNA and the tyrosinase inhibitory activation, but it stimulated the extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) mRNA expression. In vivo experiments have shown that EF prevented melanogenesis in the mice dorsal skin and inhibited TRP-1 mRNA expression. Also these effects were increased when combined with PW. Conclusions: EF and PW might be a new and effective treatment for whitening and treating pigmentation of skin.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6727-6731
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• 2013

Homologous recombination (HR) repair has a crucial role to play in the prevention of chromosomal instability, and it is clear that defects in some HR repair genes are associated with many cancers. To evaluate the potential effect of some HR repair gene polymorphisms with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), we assessed Rad51 (135G>C), Rad52 (2259C>T), XRCC2 (R188H) and XRCC3 (T241M) polymorphisms in Iranian DTC patients and cancer-free controls. In addition, haplotype analysis and gene combination assessment were carried out. Genotyping of Rad51 (135G>C), Rad52 (2259C>T) and XRCC3 (T241M) polymorphisms was determined by PCR-RFLP and PCR-HRM analysis was carried out to evaluate XRCC2 (R188H). Separately, Rad51, Rad52 and XRCC2 polymorphisms were not shown to be more significant in patients when compared to controls in crude, sex-adjusted and age-adjusted form. However, results indicated a significant difference in XRCC3 genotypes for patients when compared to controls (p value: 0.035). The GCTG haplotype demonstrated a significant difference (p value: 0.047). When compared to the wild type, the combined variant form of Rad52/XRCC2/XRCC3 revealed an elevated risk of DTC (p value: 0.007). It is recommended that Rad52 2259C>T, XRCC2 R188H and XRCC3 T241M polymorphisms should be simultaneously considered as contributing to a polygenic risk of differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.5019-5022
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• 2014

Recently, mutations in the genes involved in cell cycle control, including CHEK2, are being considered as etiological factors in different kinds of cancers. The CHEK2 protein plays an important role in protecting damaged DNA from entering mitosis. In this study the potential effects of two common mutations $IVS2+1G{\rightarrow}A$ and Ile157Thr of CHEK2 gene in differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) were evaluated. A total of 100 patients admitted to the Research Institute for Nuclear Medicine were diagnosed with DTC based on pathology reports of surgery samples. An additional 100 people were selected as a control group with no cancer history. PCR-HRM (high resolution melting) analysis was performed to deal with each of mutations in all case and control samples separately. During the analysis of $IVS2+1G{\rightarrow}A$ and Ile157Thr mutations of CHEK2 gene in the case and control groups, all the samples were identified as wild homozygote type. The finding suggests that $IVS2+1G{\rightarrow}A$ and Ile157Thr mutations of CHEK2 gene do not constitute a risk factor for DTC in the Iranian population. However, further studies with larger population are required to confirm the outcome.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.6-12
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• 2015

Medicinal plants resources are becoming important assets since their usages have been expanded to the development of functional foods for human health, more attractive cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. However, their phylogenetic origins and names are different from each country and quite often they are mixed each other resulting in the confusion for consumers. In particular, when they are very similar based on their morphological characteristics and distributed as dried roots, it is extremely difficult to differentiate their origins even by specialists. Recently, "DNA barcodes" have been extensively applied to identify their origin of medicinal plant species. In this review, we tried to overview the current research achievements for the development of suitable "DNA barcodes" regarding to the differentiation of medicinal plant species. Furthermore, more advanced techniques including amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS)-PCR, multiplex single base extension (MSBE), high-resolution melting (HRM) curve analyses are also discussed for their practical applications in the authentification of particular medicinal plant species.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.77-83
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• 2008

Human leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein 1 (LRG1) was first identified as a trace protein in human serum. The primary sequence of LRG1 includes repeated leucine residues and putative membrane-binding domains. But, there is no published information on the genetic variation of this gene. In this study, LRG1 was identified as one of several upregulated genes in RA patients. We examined the expression levels of LRG1 between an RA patient and a healthy control by RT-PCR and validated that LRG1 was highly expressed in RA patients compared with controls. We identified the possible variation sites and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human LRG1 gene by direct sequencing and analyzed the association of genotype and allele frequencies between RA patients and a control group without RA. We further investigated the relationship between these polymorphisms and the level of RF or anti-CCP in RA patients. We identified a total of three SNPs(g.-678A>G, g.-404C>T and g.1427T>C) and two variation sites (g.-1198delA and g.-893delA) in the LRG1 gene. Our results suggest that polymorphisms of the LRG1 gene are not associated with the susceptibility of RA in the Korean population.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.2055-2060
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• 2016

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common causes of death worldwide and in Thailand. The X-ray repair cross-complementary protein 1 (XRCC1) is required for efficient DNA repair. The effects of this gene on survival in colorectal cancer remain controversial and have not been reported in Thailand. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of the XRCC1 gene with survival of colorectal cancer patients in a Thai population. Materials and Methods: Data and blood samples were collected from 255 newly diagnosed and pathologically confirmed CRC patients who were recruited during the period 2002 to 2006 and whose vital status was followed up until 31 October, 2014. Real-time PCR-HRM was used for genotype identification. The Kaplan-Meier method, the log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazard regression were used to estimate cumulative survival curves and compare various survival distributions and adjusted hazard ratios. Results: Most of the cases were males, and the median age was 55 years. The median survival time was 2.43 years. The cumulative 1-, 3-, 5-, 7-, and 10 year survival rates were 76.70%, 39.25%, 26.50%, 16.60% and 3.56%, respectively. After adjustment, female gender, ages 50-59 and ${\geq}60years$, tumour stage III+IV, a signet-ring cell carcinoma, and poor differentiation had significant associations with increased risk of CRC death. While the XRCC1 Arg/Arg homozygote appeared to be a risk factor for CRC death, the association was not significant. Conclusions: The genetic variant in the XRCC1 may not be associated with the survival of CRC patients in Thailand. Further studies are needed to verify our findings.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.18
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• pp.7965-7970
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• 2014

One of the goals of tumor immunotherapy is to generate immune cells with potent anti-tumor activity through in vitro techniques using peripheral blood collected from patients. However, cancer patients generally have poor immunological function. Thus using patient T cells, which have reduced in vitro proliferative capabilities and less tumor cell killing activity to generate lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells, fails to achieve optimal clinical efficacy. Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a potent activating cytokine for both T cells and natural killer cells. Thus, this study aimed to identify optimal donors for allogeneic LAK cell immunotherapy based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the IL-2 and IL-2R genes. IL-2 and IL-2R SNPs were analyzed using HRM-PCR. LAK cells were derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells by culturing with IL-2. The frequency and tumor-killing activity of LAK cells in each group were analyzed by flow cytometry and tumor cell killing assays, respectively. Regarding polymorphisms at IL-2-330 (rs2069762) T/G, LAK cells from GG donors had significantly greater proliferation, tumor-killing activity, and IFN-${\gamma}$ production than LAK cells from TT donors (P<0.05). Regarding polymorphisms at IL-2R rs2104286 A/G, LAK cell proliferation and tumor cell killing were significantly greater in LAK cells from AA donors than GG donors (P<0.05). These data suggest that either IL-2-330(rs2069762)T/G GG donors or IL-2R rs2104286 A/G AA donors are excellent candidates for allogeneic LAK cell immunotherapy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.14
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• pp.6111-6116
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• 2015

Background: Stomach cancer is one of leading causes of death worldwide. In Thailand, the incidence and mortality of stomach cancer are in the top ten for cancers. Effects of DNA repair gene X-ray repair cross complementary protein 1 (XRCC1) polymorphisms and clinicopathological characteristics on survival of stomach cancer in Thailand have not been previously reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of XRCC1 gene and clinicopathological characteristics on survival of stomach cancer patients in Thailand. Materials and Methods: Data and blood samples were collected from 101 newly diagnosed stomach cancer cases pathologically confirmed and recruited during 2002 to 2006 and followed-up for vital status until 31 October 2012. Genotype analysis was performed using real-time PCR-HRM. The data were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method to yield cumulative survival curve, log-rank test to assess statistical difference of survival and Cox proportional hazard models to estimate adjusted hazard ratio. Results: The total followed-up times were 2,070 person-months, and the mortality rate was 4.3 per 100 person-months. The median survival time after diagnosis was 8.07 months. The cumulative 1-, 3-, 5-years survival rates were 40.4%, 15.2 % and 10.1 % respectively. After adjustment, tumour stage were associated with an increased risk of death (p= 0.036). The XRCC1 Gln339Arg, Arg/Arg homozygote was also associated with increased risk but statistically this was non-significant. Conclusions: In addition to tumour stage, which is an important prognostic factor affecting to the survival of stomach cancer patients, the genetic variant Gln339Arg in XRCC1 may non-significantly contribute to risk of stomach cancer death among Thai people. Larger studies with different populations are need to verify ours findings.