• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.181-185
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• 2004

This study was conducted to examine whether activation treatments, source of oocytes and culture conditions affect in vitro developmental ability of caprine oocytes. Mature Korean native goats were pretreated with intravaginal CIDR for 10 days. The goats were then treated with a single intramuscular injection of 1,000 IU PMSG on Day 8 or twice daily injection of a total of 70 mg FSH for 3 days from Day 8 of CIDR insertion for superovulation. All the goats were injected with 10 mg PGF/sub 2a/ on Day 8 and 400 IU hCG on Day 10 of CIDR. Oocytes were surgically collected by oviduct flushing(in vivo maturation) or direct follicle aspiration(in vitro maturation) through mid-ventral incision at 35 h after hCG injection. Fifteen to twenty oocytes were placed in TCM-199 medium containing 25 mM Hepes and hormones under mineral oil at 39℃ in a humudified atmosphere of 5% CO₂ in air for 22 to 24 h. After maturation, the oocytes were activated by electric stimulation or ionomycin + 6-DMAP. The activated oocytes were then cultured in M16, TCM-199 and mSOF media supplemented with proteins at 39℃ for 6 to 7 days. Activation treatments did not affect cleavage of the oocytes. The cleavage rates were 64.1% (41/64) in oocytes activated by electric stimulation and 76.5% (218/285) in oocytes activated by ionomycin + 6-DMAP. The proportion of development to blastocyst was 15.6% (34/218) in oocytes activated by ionomycin + 6-DMAP, but activation by electric stimulation did not support embryos developed beyond morula stage. There were no differences in the cleavage rates of activated oocytes experiencing in vivo (86.8%, 66/76) and in vitro maturation (69.0%, 127/184). However, the development rate to blastocyst stage was significantly (P<0.05) higher for oocytes matured in vivo (50.0%, 33/66) compared to in vitro (0.8%, 1/127). Culture conditions did not affect the cleavage of -activated oocytes. The cleavage rates were 51.6% (49/95) in M16, 64.3% (18/28) in TCM-199 and 81.0% (145/179) in mSOF, respectively. By contrast, the development rate of activated oocytes to stage was greater (P<0.05) for oocytes cultured in mSOF medium (23.4%, 34/145) than in M16 or TCM-199 (0.0%). Our results suggest that source of oocytes and culture conditions are major factors affecting in vitro development of caprine parthenogenetic oocytes.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.143-155
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• 2011

Lately electronic tagging policy for the sexual offenders was introduced in order to reduce and prevent sexual offences. However, most sexual offences against children happening these days are committed by the tagged offenders whose identities have been released. So, for the crime prevention, we need measures with which we could minimize the suffers more promptly and actively. This paper suggests a new system to relieve the sexual abuse related anxiety of the children and solve the problems that electronic bracelet has. Existing bracelets are only worn by serious criminals, and it's only for risk management and positioning, there is no way to protect the children who are the potential victims of sexual abuse and there actually happened some cases. So we suggest also letting the students(children) wear the LBS(Location Based Service) and USN(Ubiquitous Sensor Network) technology based electronic bracelets to monitor and figure out dangerous situations intelligently, so that we could prevent sexual offences against children beforehand, and while a crime is happening, we could judge the situation of the crime intelligently and take swift action to minimize the suffer. And by checking students' attendance and position, guardians could know where their children are in real time and could protect the children from not only sexual offences but also violent crimes against children like kidnapping. The overall system is like follows : RFID Tag for children monitors the approach of offenders. While an offender's RFID tag is approaching, it will transmit the situation and position as the first warning message to the control center and the guardians. When the offender is going far away, it turns to monitoring mode, and if the tag of the child or the offender is taken off or the child and offender stay at one position for 3~5 minutes or longer, then it will consider this as a dangerous situation, then transmit the emergency situations and position as the second warning message to the control center and the guardians, and ask for the dispatch of police to prevent the crime at the initial stage. The RFID module of criminals' electronic bracelets is RFID TAG, and the RFID module for the children is RFID receiver(reader), so wherever the offenders are, if an offender is at a place within 20m from a child, RFID module for children will transmit the situation every certain periods to the control center by the automatic response of the receiver. As for the positioning module, outdoors GPS or mobile communications module(CELL module)is used and UWB, WI-FI based module is used indoors. The sensor is set under the purpose of making it possible to measure the position coordinates even indoors, so that one could send his real time situation and position to the server of central control center. By using the RFID electronic roll book system of educational institutions and safety system installed at home, children's position and situation can be checked. When the child leaves for school, attendance can be checked through the electronic roll book, and when school is over the information is sent to the guardians. And using RFID access control turnstiles installed at the apartment or entrance of the house, the arrival of the children could be checked and the information is transmitted to the guardians. If the student is absent or didn't arrive at home, the information of the child is sent to the central control center from the electronic roll book or access control turnstiles, and look for the position of the child's electronic bracelet using GPS or mobile communications module, then send the information to the guardians and teacher so that they could report to the police immediately if necessary. Central management and control system is built under the purpose of monitoring dangerous situations and guardians' checking. It saves the warning and pattern data to figure out the areas with dangerous situation, and could help introduce crime prevention systems like CCTV with the highest priority. And by DB establishment personal data could be saved, the frequency of first and second warnings made, the terminal ID of the specific child and offender, warning made position, situation (like approaching, taken off of the electronic bracelet, same position for a certain time) and so on could be recorded, and the data is going to be used for preventing crimes. Even though we've already introduced electronic tagging to prevent recurrence of child sexual offences, but the crimes continuously occur. So I suggest this system to prevent crimes beforehand concerning the children's safety. If we make electronic bracelets easy to use and carry, and set the price reasonably so that many children can use, then lots of criminals could be prevented and we can protect the children easily. By preventing criminals before happening, it is going to be a helpful system for our safe life.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.151-162
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• 1984

The mechanism of the contractile response of longitudial muscle of rabbit ileum to substance P (SP) has been investigated. The contractions in rabbit ileum under various conditions were recorded isometrically The following results were obtained. 1) The contractions by SP increased according to concentrations. SP·induced contraction was not sustained but faded rapidly at $10^{-7}M$. The response to the commutative addition of SP was decreased in comparison to the response to separate administration of each concentration . 2) The response to $10^{-8}M$ SP after 5 min application cf $10^{-7}M$ SP was increased with increasing the time interval between the administration of $10^{-7}$ and $10^{-8}M$ SP. 3) The treatment of rabbit ileum by $10^{-7}M$ SP for 5 min didn't decrease the response to $10^{-6}M$ acetylcholine. 4) $10^{-6}M$ atropine had no effect of the contractile response to $10^{-7}M$ SP. The response to $10^{-7}M$ SP was normal or subnormal in the presence of 3 mM tetraethylammonium(TEA). 5) 100k solution, $10^{-4}M$ ouabain, and Na-free solution inhibited the response to $10^{-8}M$ SP and 3 mM TEA completely, and to $10^{-7}M$ SP incompletely. 3 mM TEA induced a considerable contraction in K-free solution, but $10^{-8}M$ SP didn't induce the contraction. $10^{-6}M$ norepinephrine decreased the contractile responses to SP and TEA. 6) The contractile response to $10^{-7}M$ SP was dependent on the extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentrations to 1.8 mM. 7) The contractile response to $10^{-7}M$ SP remained 15% of the maximal response after bathing the ileum in a Ca-free solution for 2.5 min. 8) The responsiveness to SP was completely lost within 10 min of bathing in Ca-free solution, but was restored by the exposure to $Ca^{2+}$. The restorative effect of $Ca^{2+}$ depended on the concentration of $Ca^{2+}$, and on time for which the tissue exposed to this $Ca^{2+}$ concentration. These results suggest that there are two mechanisms of the action by which the low concentrations of substance P causes the contraction of intestinal smooth muscle: the reduction of K conductance and a mechanism dependent on the extracellular $Ca^{2+}$, and that high concentration of SP may elicit a contraction by releasing $Ca^{2+}$ from an intracellular store, which is not as sensitive to removal of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ or as easily accessible to EGTA as the extracellular space of the muscle. The location of this store is not known; it may be associated with the internal side of the cell membrane.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.449-458
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• 2003

Background : The poor prognostic factors of far-advanced pulmonary tuberculosis(FAPTB) are lymphocytopenia in the peripheral blood(PB)(< $1,000/mm^3$) and $T_4$-cell count ${\leq}500/mm^3$. However, the cause of PB lymphocytopenia in FAPTB is unclear. The aim of this study was to analyze the lymphocyte proportion and cytokines of the bone marrow(BM) in FAPTB patients with peripheral lymphocytopenia in order to clarify whether the limiting step of the lymphocytopenia occurs in production, differentiation, or circulation. Methods : This study included patients with FAPTB between August 1999 and August 2002 who visited Gachon Medical School Gil Medical Center. The exclusion criteria were old age(${\geq}65years$), cachexia or a low body weight, shock, hematologic diseases, or BM involvement of tuberculosis. The distributions of cells in PB and BM were analyzed and compared to the control group. The interleukin(IL)-2, IL-7, IL-10, TNF-${\alpha}$, Interferon-${\gamma}$, and TGF-${\beta}$ levels in the BM were measured by ELISA. Result : Thirteen patients(male : female=9:4) were included and the mean age was $42{\pm}12$years. The proportion and count of the lymphocytes in the PB were significantly lower in the FAPTB group ($7.4{\pm}3.0%$, $694{\pm}255/mm^3$ vs. $17.5{\pm}5.8%$, $1,377{\pm}436/mm^3$, each p=0.0001 and 0.002). The proportion of immature lymphocyte in the BM showed a decreasing trend in the FAPTB group($9{\pm}4%$ vs. $12{\pm}3%$, p=0.138). The IL-2($26.0{\pm}29.1$ vs. $112.2{\pm}42.4pg/mL$, p=0.001) and IL-10($3.4{\pm}4.7$ vs. $12.0{\pm}8.0pg/mL$, p=0.031) levels in the BM were significantly lower in the FAPTB group than those in control. The levels of the other cytokines in FAPTB group and control were similar. Conclusion : These results suggest that the cause of lymphocytopenia in PB is associated with a abnormality IL-2 and IL-10 production in the BM. More study will be needed to define the mechanism of a decreased reservoir in BM.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.455-462
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• 2000

The objective of this study was to examine the physicochemical characteristics of coagulation reaction between loess and red tide organisms (RTO) and its feasibility, in developing a technology for the removal of RTO bloom in coastal sea. The physicochemical characteristics of loess were examined for a particle size distribution, surface characteristics by scanning electron microscope, zeta potential, and alkalinity and pH variations in sea water. Two kinds of RTO that were used in this study, Cylindrothen closterium and Skeietonema costatum, were sampled in Masan bay and were cultured in laboratory. Coagulation experiments were conducted using various concentrations of loess, RTO, and a jar tester. The supernatant and RTO culture solution were analyzed for pH, alkalinity, RTO cell number. A negative zeta potential of loess increased with increasing pH at $10^(-3)M$ NaCl solution and had -71.3 mV at pH 9.36. Loess had a positive zeta potential of +1,8 mV at pH 1.98, which resulted in a characteristic of material having an amphoteric surface charge. In NaCl and $CaCl_2$, solutions, loess had a decreasing negative zeta potential with increasing $Na^+\;and\;Ca^(+2)$ ion concentration and then didn't result in a charge reversal due to not occurring specific adsorption for $Na^+$ ion while resulted in a charge reversal due to occurring specific adsorption for $Ca^(+2)$ ion. In sea water, loess and RTO showed the similar zeta potential values of -112,1 and -9.2 mV, respectively and sea sand powder showed the highest zeta potential value of -25.7 mV in the clays. EDLs (electrical double-layers) of loess and RTO were extremely compressed due to high concentration of salts included in sea water, As a result, there didn't almost exist EDL repulsive force between loess and RTO approaching each other and then LVDW (London-yan der Waals) attractive force was always larger than EDL repulsive force to easily form a floe. Removal rates of RTO exponentially increased with increasing a loess concentration. The removal rates steeply increased until $800 mg/l$ of loess, and reached $100{\%}$ at 6,400 mg/l of loess. Removal rates of RTO exponentially increased with increasing a G-value. This indicated that mixing (i.e., collision among particles) was very important for a coagulation reaction. Loess showed the highest RTO removal rates in the clays.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.65-73
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• 2007

Purpose : Short stature is an important complication that impairs the quality of life in survivors of childhood brain tumors. We studied their final adult height (FAH) to evaluate risk factors for short stature. Methods : We reviewed the medical data of 95 survivors of childhood brain tumors (64 males and 31 females) who had been followed up from 1982 to 2006, reached FAH, and had a more than five year-disease-free survival. Results : Final adult height standard deviation score (FAHTSDS: $mean{\pm}SD$) of the patients was lower than those of general population ($-1.15{\pm}1.72$), HTSDS at diagnosis ($-0.13{\pm}1.57$), and target HTSDS ($-0.49{\pm}0.69$). FAHTSDS of craniopharyngioma patients did not decrease ($0.57{\pm}1.17$), but those of germ cell tumor and medulloblastoma patients were significantly reduced ($-1.20{\pm}1.45$, $-2.70{\pm}1.46$; P<0.05). The patients treated with craniospinal radiation or chemotherapy had lower FAHTSDS ($-1.93{\pm}1.58$, $-2.27{\pm}1.44$; P<0.01). In the spinal irradiation group, the younger the age at diagnosis was, the more the loss of FAH (r=0.442, P<0.01). Growth hormone replacement (GHR) didn't improve FAHTSDS, but starting GHR under 12 years was an independent factor for improving FAH once treatment methods were taken into account (P=0.01). Conclusion : The younger age at diagnosis, spinal radiation and chemotherapy were all important risk factors of height loss, and height gain was expected in patients who received GHR under the age of 12 years. Therefore, regular check-ups of growth and early intervention with growth hormones are needed for high risk groups to improve FAH.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1727-1734
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• 2005

The fermentation characteristics and mono- and di-saccharides compositions during the early stage of ensiling were studied with a temperate grass, Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) and a tropical grass, guineagrass (Panicum maximum Jacq.). The laboratory silos were kept in the room set at 25$^{\circ}C$, and then were opened on 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 days (14 days in Italian ryegrass) after ensiling, respectively. The Italian ryegrass silage showed a fast and large pH decrease caused by a fast and large production of lactic acid during the first 5 days of ensiling and succeeded to achieve lactic acid type fermentation; high lactic acid/acetic acid and lactic acid content at the end of ensiling (14 days), low values of pH (3.74), acetic acid, ethanol and ammonia-N/total nitrogen, none or only small amounts of Butyric acid, valeric acid and propionic acid. The guineagrass silage showed a slow decrease in pH and a slow increase in lactic acid content during the full ensiling period, causing a high final pH value, low contents of lactic acid, acetic acid, total volatile fatty acids and total organic acids. In Italian ryegrass silage, mono- and di-saccharides compositions decreased largely within the initial 0.5 day (12 h) of ensiling. Sucrose disappeared rapidly within the initial 0.5 day of ensiling, but fructose and glucose contents showed an initial rise by the activity of enzymes in plant tissues, and then decreased gradually. On the other hand, the contents of monoand di-saccharides in guineagrass showed the largest decreases due mainly to plant respiration within the initial 0.5 day of ensiling, and no initial rises in fructose and glucose contents during the early stage of ensiling because of the absence of fructans which are hydrolyzed into fructose and glucose in temperate grasses. In both silages, the rate of reduction in mono- and di-saccharides compositions within the initial 5 days of ensiling was ranked in the order of glucose>fructose>sucrose, suggesting that glucose and fructose might be more favorably utilized than sucrose by microorganisms and glucose is the first fermentation substrate. It was concluded that the silage made from Italian ryegrass with high moisture content had a good fermentation quality owing to the dominance of lactic acid bacteria and active lactic acid fermentation during the initial stage of ensiling. These results can be explained by rapid plant sap liberation and the high activity of plant enzyme hydrolyzed fructans into fructose and glucose within the initial 2 days of ensiling, which stimulate the homofermentative lactic acid bacteria growth. In ensiling a temperate grass, the physical characteristics may ensure the rapid onset of fermentation phase, which results from the smaller losses of water-soluble carbohydrates during the initial stage of ensiling and providing sufficient water-soluble carbohydrates for lactic acid bacteria. The silage made from guineagrass with intermediate dry matter and high initial mono- and di-saccharides content was stable silage. This could be explained by the higher incorporation of air during the very early stage of ensiling and the restriction of cell breakdown and juice release due to the properties of a tropical grass with coarse porosity and stemmy structures. These physical characteristics delayed the onset of lactic acid bacteria fermentation phase by extending the phases of respiration and aerobic microorganisms activity, causing the higher loss of water-soluble carbohydrates and the shortage of lactic acid bacteria fermentation substrates.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.469-477
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• 2016

To evaluate the $CO_2$ storage capacity for the reservoir rock, the laboratory scale technique to measure the amount of $scCO_2$, replacing pore water of the reservior rock after the $CO_2$ injection was developed in this study. Laboratory experiments were performed to measure the $scCO_2$ displacement efficiency of the conglomerate and the sandstone in Janggi basin, which are classified as available $CO_2$ storage rocks in Korea. The high pressurized stainless steel cell containing two different walls was designed and undisturbed rock cores acquired from the deep drilling site around Janggi basin were used for the experiments. From the lab experiments, the average $scCO_2$ displacement efficiency of the conglomerate and the sandstone in Janggi basin was measured at 31.2% and 14.4%, respectively, which can be used to evaluate the feasibility of the Janggi basin as a $scCO_2$ storage site in Korea. Assuming that the effective radius of the $CO_2$ storage formations is 250 m and the average thickness of the conglomerate and the sandstone formation under 800 m in depth is 50 m each (from data of the drilling profile and the geophysical survey), the $scCO_2$ storage capacity of the reservoir rocks around the probable $scCO_2$ injection site in Janggi basin was calculated at 264,592 metric ton, demonstrating that the conglomerate and the sandstone formations in Janggi basin have a great potential for use as a pilot scale test site for the $CO_2$ storage in Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.236-256
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• 2011

Forest carbon stocks change due to land use change is an important data required by UNFCCC(United Nations framework convention on climate change). Spatially explicit estimation of forest carbon stocks based on IPCC GPG(intergovernmental panel on climate change good practice guidance) tier 3 gives high reliability. But a current estimation which was aggregated from NFI data doesn't have detail forest carbon stocks by polygon or cell. In order to improve an estimation remote sensing and GIS have been used especially in Europe and North America. We divided research trends in main countries into 4 categories such as remote sensing, GIS, geostatistics and environmental modeling considering spatial heterogeneity. The easiest way to apply is combination NFI data with forest type map based on GIS. Considering especially complicated forest structure of Korea, geostatistics is useful to estimate local variation of forest carbon. In addition, fine scale image is good for verification of forest carbon stocks and determination of CDM site. Related domestic researches are still on initial status and forest carbon stocks are mainly estimated using k-nearest neighbor(k-NN). In order to select suitable method for forest in Korea, an applicability of diverse spatial data and algorithm must be considered. Also the comparison between methods is required.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.244-249
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• 2001

The transforming growth $factor-{\beta}$ ($TGF-{\beta}$) is a multifunctional cytokine modulating the onset and course of autoimmune disease as shown in experimental models. In synovial inflammation, there is a potential role for $TGF-{\beta}$ in repairment, the inhibition of cartilage and bone destruction, and the down-regulation of immune response. The biologic effects of $TGF-{\beta}$ depend on the cell type, the isoform and the availability of active $TGF-{\beta}$. We investigated $TGF-{\beta}$ expression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and compared to those of osteoarthritis (OA). And we determined a correlation between $TGF-{\beta}1$ and $TGF-{\beta}2$, and also the relationships between each $TGF-{\beta}$ isoform and the parameters for disease activity of RA. Methods: The study population consisted of 20 patients with RA and 20 patients with OA. The commercial ELISA kit was used to study $TGF-{\beta}1$ and $TGF-{\beta}2$ levels in peripheral blood (PB) and synovial fluids (SF). Results: 1) While PB $TGF-{\beta}1$ level was of no difference between RA and OA patient groups, SF $TGF-{\beta}1$ level was higher in RA group than OA group. Similarly, PB $TGF-{\beta}2$ levels of RA and OA groups was not different, but SF $TGF-{\beta}2$ levels was higher in RA group than OA group. 2) In patients with RA, the $TGF-{\beta}1$ levels were higher than $TGF-{\beta}2$ in both the PB and SF, while in patients with OA, there showed higher readings for $TGF-{\beta}1$ than $TGF-{\beta}2$ in SF but no difference between $TGF-{\beta}1$ and $TGF-{\beta}2$ levels in PB. 3) In patients with RA, there were no correlations between PB $TGF-{\beta}1$ and PB $TGF-{\beta}2$ levels, nor between SF $TGF-{\beta}1$ and SF $TGF-{\beta}2$ levels. At the same way, there was no correlation between PB $TGF-{\beta}1$ and SF $TGF-{\beta}1$ levels, nor between each levels of $TGF-{\beta}2$ in patients with RA. 4) There was also no correlation between each $TGF-{\beta}$ isoform and the parameters for disease activity such as ESR, CRP, tender joint count, swollen joint count, rheumatoid factor, and the duration of morning stiffness except between in PB $TGF-{\beta}1$ and disease duration of RA (r=0.637, p<0.01). Conclusion: Each $TGF-{\beta}$ isoforms were higher in synovial fluid of patients with RA than that of patients with OA. The data from the RA patients demonstrated different patterns of expressions of the isoforms depending on which compartment (PB or SF) was investigated. The quantification of different $TGF-{\beta}$ isoform is thought to be important when $TGF-{\beta}$ is measured under disease conditions of RA.