• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.16
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• pp.7211-7217
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• 2015

Background: The aims of this study were to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic roles of serum osteopontin (OPN) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the OPN promoter in patients with hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Materials and Methods: Four groups were studied, which included 157 patients with HCC, 73 with liver cirrhosis (LC) and 97 with chronic hepatitis (CH), along with 80 healthy subjects. Serum OPN and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels were measured. The SNPs -66 T/G, -156 G/${\Delta}G$ and -433 C/T within the OPN promoter were determined by direct sequencing. Results: Serum OPN levels were significantly higher in patients with HCC than in the other groups. Area under receiver operating characteristics curves in distinguishing HCC from chronic liver disease (CLD; CH and LC) were 0.782 (95% CI; 0.729-0.834) for OPN and 0.888 (95% CI; 0.850-0.927) for AFP. Using the optimal cut-off value (70 ng/mL), OPN had sensitivity and specificity of 72% and 71%, respectively. Serum OPN was superior to AFP in detecting early-stage HCC (68% vs. 46%). A combination of both markers yielded an improved sensitivity for detecting early HCC to 82%. A high OPN level was significantly correlated with advanced BCLC stage and was an independent prognostic factor for HCC. The SNPs -156 and -443 were associated with susceptibility to HCC, but were not related to overall survival. Conclusions: Serum OPN is a useful diagnostic and prognostic marker for HCC. The combined use of serum OPN and AFP improved the diagnosis of early HCC. Genetic variation in the OPN promoter is associated with the risk, but not the prognosis of HCC.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.3937-3940
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• 2013

Objective: To explore the expression and significance of estrogen receptor (ER), progestrone receptor (PR), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), CA15-3, CA125 and carcinoma embryonic antigen (CEA) expression in judging the prognosis of breast cancer. Materials and Methods: Sixty-five patients with breast cancer undergoing operations in the general surgery department were considered as the observation group, and 50 healthy outpatients of our hospital as the control group. Cubital venous blood was drawn in the morning from fasting patients in the two groups and chemiluminescence immunoassays were used to detect the levels of CA15-3, CA125 and CEA in serum. The follow-up duration was from 4 months to 2 years, and change in levels of the indicators was detected by dynamically drawing blood. After surgery, cancer tissue samples of patients in observation group remained on file (the non-recurrent patients were biopsied). Immunohistochemistry was applied to determine the expression of ER, PR and VEGF in tissue. Results: The effective rate of 12 patients with negative ER and PR expression was 33.3% in the observation group, being associated with prognosis to varying extents. Serum CA15-3, CA125 and CEA in the observation group were all significantly higher than in control group (p<0.01). With increase in pathological staging, levels of serum CA15-3, CA125 and CEA gradually increased (p<0.01). Levels in patients with lymph node metastasis were markedly higher than in those without (p<0.01). In addition, values with distal lymph node metastasis were notably higher than with adjacent lymph node metastasis (p<0.01). The postoperative follow-up results revealed that positive VEGF and levels of serum VEGF, CA15-3, CA125 and CEA in recurrence group were obviously higher than in non-recurrence group (p<0.01). Conclusions: Joint detection of ER and PR expression as well as levels of serum VEGF, CA15-3, CA125 and CEA is meaningful and can guide the diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2008

Lipid soluble ginseng extract was administered by oral route in doses of 600 mg/patient daily in cancer patients over 2 months and 6 months. The administration of ginseng extract in cancer patients maintained the ratio of CD4/CD8 and number of the natural killer cell in the normal range during the administration period. Also its administration showed a positive effect on tumor values in 87.5% of patients in 2 month-group and in 50% of patients in 6 month-group, as determined by various cancer markers. Liver and kidney functions maintained normal condition during administration period of 6 months. Although there was no statistical significance, these data suggest that lipid soluble ginseng extract may be useful as an adjuvant therapeutic agent and nutritional supplement for the improvement of immune function and health in cancer patients. This study would provide the basis for the research in which the antitumor and immunopotential activity of lipid soluble ginseng extract for cancer patients are evaluated in formal clinical trial with statistically significant patient number.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.76 no.5
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• pp.218-225
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• 2014

Background: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an extremely aggressive tumor with a poor clinical course. Although many efforts have been made to improve patients' survival rates, patients who survive longer than 2 years after chemotherapy are still very rare. We examined the baseline characteristics of patients with long-term survival rates in order to identify the prognostic factors for overall survivals. Methods: A total of 242 patients with cytologically or histologically diagnosed SCLC were enrolled into this study. The patients were categorized into long- and short-term survival groups by using a survival cut-off of 2 years after diagnosis. Cox's analyses were performed to identify the independent factors. Results: The mean patient age was 65.66 years, and 85.5% were males; among the patients, 61 of them (25.2%) survived longer than 2 years. In the multivariate analyses, CRP (hazard ratio [HR], 2.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.25-6.06; p=0.012), TNM staging (HR, 3.29; 95% CI, 1.59-6.80; p=0.001), and progression-free survival (PFS) (HR, 11.14; 95% CI, 2.98-41.73; p<0.001) were independent prognostic markers for poor survival rates. Conclusion: In addition to other well-known prognostic factors, this study discovered relationships between the long-term survival rates and serum CRP levels, TNM staging, and PFS. In situations with unfavorable conditions, the PFS would be particularly helpful for managing SCLC patients.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.11-16
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• 2010

Objective : Oriental medicines have been combined oriental medical theory which based on the seven modes of emotions. Notopterygium incisum (N. incisum) and Clematis manshurica (C. manshurica) have been used as an anti-rheumatic and analgesic medicine for the treatment of rheumatism, headache, cold, etc. In this study, we evaluate the synergistic anti-inflammatory effect of N. incisum and C. manshurica. Method : To evaluate the synergistic anti-inflammatory effect of a herbal mixture N. incisum and C. manshurica, we examined the changed ear thickness in 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced mouse ear edema model after topical application of herbal mixture. In addition, the levels of markers for inflammation, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$, prostaglandin $G_2$ ($PGE_2$), and nitric oxide (NO) were measured by ELISA assay and Griess reagent in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated Raw 264.7 cells. Results : Our results showed that aqueous extracts of N. incisum and C. manshurica combination significantly inhibited the mouse ear edema induced by TPA. Moreover, the aqueous extracts of N. incisum and C. manshurica combination exhibited synergistic effects in down-regulating TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-$1{\beta}$, $PGE_2$ level, but not NO. Conclusions : This study suggested that combined treatment of N. incisum and C. manshurica, based on seven methods in prescription compatibility, has a synergistic effect in down-regulating inflammatory response both in vitro and in vivo models.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.171-174
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• 2009

Purpose: Cancerous death rate 1 place from 2008 year domestic is the lung cancer. The body count which is caused by in the lung cancer every year is increasing. At this lung cancer is the most non small cell lung cancer. $Monototal^{TM}$ test is short reaction time. it is known as the experiment where the example standard of living is high about non small cell lung cancer. This is the study evaluate usefulness of $Monototal^{TM}$ kit. Materials and Methods: $Monototal^{TM}$ were measured using IRMA kit, using 40 CEA positive patients sample which are diagnosed NSCLC, 15 SCC positive patients sample which are diagnosed NSCLC, 40 Cyfra 21-1 positive sample, 20 negative sample in Seoul national university from March to April, 2009. Results: According to result of the $Monototal^{TM}$ test, which is benignancy rate 87.5% in CEA positive patients sample, 93.3% SCC positive patients sample and 100% Cyfra 21-1 positive sample Conclusions: We recommend that using of $Monototal^{TM}$ parallel with different tumor markers. It was useful that diagnosis and convalescence presumption of Non small cell lung cancer.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.241-246
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• 2008

Patient's respiration can have an effect on movement of tumor range and peripheral organs. Therefore, the respiratory signal was acquired by relation between external markers and movement of patient's abdomen during radiational therapy in order to minimize the effect of respiration. Based on this technique, many studies of rational therapy to irradiate at particular part of stable respiratory signals have executed and they have been clinically applied. Nevertheless, the phase-based method is preferred to the amplitude-based method for the rational therapy related to respiration. Because stabilization of the respiratory signal are limited. In this study, a in-house respiratory signal analysis program was developed for the phase reassignment and the analysis of the irregular respiratory signals. Various irregular respiratory patterns was obtained from clinical experimental volunteers. After then, the in-house program analyzed the factors affecting to phase assignment which is directly related to irradiated sector. Subsequently, accuracy of phase assignment was improved with removement of irregular signals by self-developed algorithm. This study is considered to be useful for not only image reconstruction and elevation of irradiating accuracy through phase assignment of RPM system but also analysis of respiratory signals. Moreover, development of 4D CT image is planed with phantom researches or clinical experiments based on this program.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.196-202
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• 2011

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), or epigallocatechin 3-gallate, is the ester of epigallocatechin and gallic acid, and is a type of catechin. EGCG may be therapeutic for many disorders including diabetics and some types of cancer. However it is unknown whether EGCG can induce transdifferentiation of pancreatic cells in pancreatitis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of EGCG on the expression of pancreatic regenerating related markers in pancreatic AR42J cells, a model of pancreatic progenitor cells. AR42J cells, differentiated with betacellulin and activin A, were cultured with/without EGCG in a time-dependent manner. Cell growth rate, levels of mRNA, and protein expression were examined with the MTT assay, quantitative PCR, and Western blots, respectively. The results showed that AR42J cell growth rates were inhibited by EGCG in a dose-dependent manner. mRNA and protein expression of amylase, insulin and neurogenin 3 (ngn 3) increased in AR42J cells treated with EGCG. Additionally, we demonstrated that the signal transduction pathway of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase is active in EGCG-treated AR42J cells. ERK and JNK phosphorylation decreased in cells treated with EGCG but not p38 phosphorylation. Activation of the p38 MAP kinase pathway was confirmed by specific MAP kinase pathways inhibitors: U0126 for ERK, SP600126 for JNK, and SB203580 for p38. Activated p38 phosphorylation was inhibited by the specific p38 inhibitor SB203580 but p38 phosphorylation was inhibited with increased EGCG treatment. The ERK and JNK MAP kinase pathways were not affected by EGCG treatment. Although further studies are needed, these results suggest that EGCG affects the induction of pancreatic cell regeneration by increasing the ngn 3 protein and mRNA expression and activating the p38 MAP kinase pathway.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.551-557
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• 2015

Background: Differentiating morphologic features based on hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining is the most common method to classify pathological subtypes of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, its accuracy and inter-observer reproducibility in pathological diagnosis of poorly differentiated NSCLC remained to be improved. Materials and Methods: We attempted to explore the role of immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining in diagnosing pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma (SQCC) with poorly differentiated features by HE staining or with elevated serum adenocarcinoma-specific tumor markers (AD-TMs). We also compared the difference of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation rate between patients with confirmed SQCC and those with revised pathological subtype. Logistic regression analyses were used to test the association between different factors and diagnostic accuracy. Results: A total of 132 patients who met the eligible criteria and had adequate specimens for IHC confirmation were included. Pathological revised cases in poor differentiated subgroup, biopsy samples and high-level AD-TMs cases were more than those with high/moderate differentiation, surgical specimens and normal-level AD-TMs. Moreover, biopsy sample was a significant factor decreasing diagnostic accuracy of pathological subtype (OR, 4.037; 95% CI 1.446-11.267, p=0.008). Additionally, EGFR mutation rate was higher in patients with pathological diagnostic changes than those with confirmed SQCC (16.7% vs 4.4%, p=0.157). Conclusions: Diagnosis based on HE staining only might cause pathological misinterpretation in NSCLC patients with poor differentiation or high-level AD-TMs, especially those with biopsy samples. HE staining and IHC should be combined as pathological diagnostic standard. The occurrence of EGFR mutations in pulmonary SQCC might be overestimated.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.125-131
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• 2006

Purpose: Free cancer cells exfoliated from cancer-invaded serosa contribute to peritoneal dissemination, the most frequent pattern of recurrence in patients with gastric cancer. To detect free cancer cells, CEA and CA19-9 were introduced as the markers of gastric cancer, and many methods, such as cytology, immunoassay, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), exist for detecting them. The aim of this study is to define the clinical significance of using immunoassay to measure the levels of CEA and CA19-9 in the peritoneal washings in patients with gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: The peritoneal washing fluids were obtained from 130 patients with gastric cancer who received a curative gastrectomy, palliative gastrectomy or open and closure. The pCEA and pCA19-9 levels were measured by using immunoassay and cytology. The results were compared with the clinicopathological data. Results: The pCEA and pCA19-9 levels were correlated with tumor invasion, lymph-node metastasis, and stage (P<0.05). Conclusion: A correlation was found between elevated pCEA and pCA19-9 levels measured by immunoassay and the TNM stage. Therefore, a combined pCEA and pCA19-9 assay could be a sensitive detector of peritoneal dissemination, as well as a predictor of postoperative prognosis. pCEA and pCA19-9 may also determine the adjuvant management strategy.