• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.330-336
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• 2014

Thymosin beta4 (TB4) has multiple functions in cellular response in processes as diverse as embryonic organ development and the pathogeneses of disease, especially those associated with cardiac coronary vessels. However, the specific roles played by TB4 during heart valve development in vertebrates are largely unknown. Here, we identified a novel function of TB4 in endothelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) in cardiac valve endocardial cushions in zebrafish. The expressions of thymosin family members in developing zebrafish embryos were determined by whole mount in situ hybridization. Of the thymosin family members only zTB4 was expressed in the developing heart region. Cardiac valve development at 48 h post fertilization was defected in zebrafish TB4 (zTB4) morpholino-injected embryos (morphants). In zTB4 morphants, abnormal linear heart tube development was observed. The expressions of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 4, notch1b, and hyaluronic acid synthase (HAS) 2 genes were also markedly reduced in atrio-ventricular canal (AVC). Endocardial cells in the AVC region were stained with anti-Zn5 antibody reactive against Dm-grasp (an EMT marker) to observe EMT in developing cardiac valves in zTB4 morphants. EMT marker expression in valve endothelial cells was confirmed after transfection with TB4 siRNA in the presence of transforming growth factor ${\beta}$ ($TGF{\beta}$) by RT-PCR and immunofluorescent assay. Zn5-positive endocardial AVC cells were not observed in zTB4 morphants, and knockdown of TB4 suppressed TGF-${\beta}$-induced EMT in ovine valve endothelial cells. Taken together, our results demonstrate that TB4 plays a pivotal role in cardiac valve formation by increasing EMT.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.77 no.3
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• pp.116-123
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• 2014

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) obtained from bone marrow or adipose tissue can successfully repair emphysematous animal lungs, which is a characteristic of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Here, we describe the cellular distribution of MSCs that were intravenously injected into mice with elastase-induced emphysema. The distributions were also compared to the distributions in control mice without emphysema. Methods: We used fluorescence optical imaging with quantum dots (QDs) to track intravenously injected MSCs. In addition, we used a human Alu sequence-based real-time polymerase chain reaction method to assess the lungs, liver, kidney, and spleen in mice with elastase-induced emphysema and control mice at 1, 4, 24, 72, and 168 hours after MSCs injection. Results: The injected MSCs were detected with QD fluorescence at 1- and 4-hour postinjection, and the human Alu sequence was detected at 1-, 4- and 24-hour postinjection in control mice (lungs only). Injected MSCs remained more in mice with elastase-induced emphysema at 1, 4, and 24 hours after MSCs injection than the control lungs without emphysema. Conclusion: In conclusion, our results show that injected MSCs were observed at 1 and 4 hours post injection and more MSCs remain in lungs with emphysema.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.30-36
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• 1998

Squamous cell carcinoma is a neglected disease entity in orthopedic oncology. The purpose of this study was to analyze overall survival and the role of surgery on survival and to evaluate the significance of possible prognostic factors. From Oct, 1986 to Aug, 1996, 57 patients were enlisted and 42 patients ere eligible. Inclusion criteria included more than one year follow-up and no distant metastasis at the first visit. Staging and survival followed AJC classification and Kaplan-Meier plot. Stage II included 17 cases and stage III, 25 cases. Thirty-eight patients underwent operations, chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy, and the remaining four had operations only. The chemotherapeutic regimen was adriamycin-cisplatin. The average follow-up period was 45 months. The ten-year actuarial survival rate of whole patients was 65.4%. Location of primary lesion, stage, pathologic grading, and intensity of chemotherapy in the same stage showed a significant difference in survival. Nine out of 42 patients had local recurrence. Seven patients had inadequate wide margins and two had intralesional margins. Average period of recurrence from operation was 13(4-35)months. The operation itself had no impact on survival but a surgical margin of no less than 3cm from the lesion was important for local control. Pathological grade and staging were significant variables for long term survival. Acral lesion had a significantly higher chance of regional and distant metastasis but actual survival showed no difference. In stage II, aggressive chemotherapy could delay or reduce the chance of regional or distant metastasis.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.353-356
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• 2005

It has been recently reported that boron affects bone metabolism in humans and animals. In this study we examined whether boron affects the proliferation on various cell types, MG-63, HOS, Raw 264.7 and SK-N-SH. When treated with different concentrations of boron $(1,\;10,\;100{\mu}M)$ for 24 and 48 hr, the proliferation of MG-63 cells was enhanced at $10{\mu}M\;(p<0.05)$, for 24 hr. In HOS cells, boron had no effect on cell proliferation at 24 or 48 hr. In addition, treatment of pre-osteoclastic cells (Raw 264.7) with 1, 10, $100{\mu}M$ boron resulted in no effect on cell proliferation. Proliferation of neuronal cells (SK-N-SH) was enhanced by boron in a concentration dependent manner at low concentrations (0.1, 0.5, $1{\mu}M$). Besides proliferation activity, boron has an effect on the enhancement of NO production in SK-N-SH cells in a concentration-dependent manner. These studies showed that boron enhances proliferation of osteoblastic cells (especially MG-63), depending upon the concentration of boron. These results also provide further evidence of the positive effects of boron in neuronal disease.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.146-151
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• 2017

X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is a hereditary metabolic disease caused by the loss of phosphate through the renal tubules into the urine, and an associated decrease in serum calcium and potassium phosphate. Its dental features include spontaneous dental abscesses that occur in the absence of trauma or dental caries. The aim of this case report was to describe the dental problems of XLH patients and to evaluate limitations in their treatment. A 14 year old male and a 38 year old female with XLH were referred to the Department of Conservative Dentistry for endodontic treatment. The dental findings were periapical abscesses without obvious trauma or caries. Conservative endodontic treatment was performed in teeth with pulp necrosis and abscess. In case 1, the treated teeth showed improvements in bone healing, without clinical symptoms. However, in case 2, the implants and the treated tooth showed hypermobility, and the final restoration was therefore postponed. Early diagnosis, periodic examinations, and communication with the patient's pediatrician are important in the dental management of patients with XLH.

• The KIPS Transactions:PartB
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• v.11B no.2
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• pp.133-140
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• 2004

Recently, the dental information systems were rapidly developed in order to store and process the data of patients. But, these systems should serve a doctor a good quality information against disease for diagnostic and surgery purpose so as to success in this field. This function of the system it important to persuade patients to undergo proper surgical operation they needed. Hence, 3D teeth model capable of simulating the dental surgery and treatment is necessary Teeth manipulation of dentistry is performed on individual tooth in dental clinic. io, 3D teeth reconstruction system should have the techniques of segmentation and 3D reconstruction adequate for individual tooth. In this paper, we propose the techniques of adaptive optimal segmentation to segment the individual area of tooth, and reconstruction method of tooth based on contour-based method. Each tooth can be segmented from neighboring teeth and alveolar bone in CT images using adaptive optimal threshold computed differently on tooth. Reconstruction of individual tooth using results of segmentation can be manipulated according to user's input and make the simulation of dental surgery and treatment possible.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.164-167
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• 2008

Frozen shoulder is known to be a self-limited disease, and it is associated with chronic pain and limitation of joint movement. Although its etiology is still unknown, frozen shoulder is associated with several diseases. The diagnosis is made based on the medical history, the clinical and radiological examinations and exclusion of other shoulder pathologies. The skeleton is one of the most common sites of metastasis in patients with lung cancer. It has been reported that the incidence of bone metastases in lung cancer patients is approximately 30-40%, and the median survival time of patients with such metastases is 6-7 months. We experienced a case of a 77-year-old female patient who complained of right shoulder pain and limited joint mobility, and these symptoms were due to metastatic lung cancer in the shoulder.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.319-325
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• 2015

Among solute carrier proteins, the organic anion transporters (OATs) play an important role for the elimination or reabsorption of endogenous and exogenous negatively charged anionic compounds. Among OATs, SLC22A9 (hOAT7) transports estrone sulfate with high affinity. The net decrease of estrogen, especially in post-menopausal women induces rapid bone loss. The present study was performed to search the SNP within exon regions of SLC22A9 in Korean females with osteoporosis. Fifty healthy controls and 50 osteoporosis patients were screened for the genetic polymorphism in the coding region of SLC22A9 using GC-clamped PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Six SNPs were found on the SLC22A9 gene from Korean women with/without osteoporosis. The SNPs were located as follows: two SNPs in the osteoporosis group (A645G and T1277C), three SNPs in the control group (G1449T, C1467T and C1487T) and one SNP in both the osteoporosis and control groups (G767A). The G767A, T1277C and C1487T SNPs result in an amino acid substitution, from synonymous vs nonsynonymous substitution arginine to glutamine (R256Q), phenylalanine to serine (F426S) and proline to leucine (P496L), respectively. The Km values and Vmax of the wild type, R256Q, P496L and F426S were 8.84, 8.87, 9.83 and $12.74{\mu}M$, and 1.97, 1.96, 2.06 and 1.55 pmol/oocyte/h, respectively. The present study demonstrates that the SLC22A9 variant F426S is causing inter-individual variation that is leading to the differences in transport of the steroid sulfate conjugate (estrone sulfate) and, therefore this could be used as a marker for certain disease including osteoporosis.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.105-113
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• 1991

The results of the investigation of literature were summerized as follows ; 1. Information of voice, the pharynx, the larynx, the epiglottis, the uvula and the hyoid bone were concerned. 2. In disorders of voice and speech, Lung channel, Stomach channel, Spleen channel, Heart channel, Liver channel, Kidney channel, Im channel (任脈), and Chung channel (衝脈) were concerned. 3. The disorders of voice and speech were showed as follows ; aphonia, ashasia, seong-shi (?嘶), seom-eo(?語) kwang-eo (狂語), jeong-seong (鄭?), dok-eo (獨語) and chak-eo (錯語). 4. The cause of Aphonia and Aphasia were freauently as follows ; abnormal rising of Liver energy (肝邪暴逆), excessive heart fire (心火太過), deficiency of heart-blood (心血太虛), apoplexy of heart spleen (心脾俱中風), consumption of lung fluid caused by heat evil (肺津被灼), deficiency of lung energy (肺氣虛寒) and dificiency of kidney energy (腎虛). 5. The cause of seom-eo, kwang-eo, Jeong-seong were as follows ; the heart of stomach (胃中熱), the heat evil attach the blood chamber (血人血室) and the consumption of healthy energy (精氣奪). 6. In disorders of voice and speech, flaceid tong with aphasia (舌?) and aphasia due to throat disease (喉?) were divided.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.120-125
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• 2020

Gorham-Stout syndrome is a rare bone disorder characterized by progressive massive osteolysis and proliferation of vascular and lymphatic vessels. A 15-year-old boy was initially diagnosed with Gorham-Stout at the age of 8 years based on clinical and radiological findings. Following diagnosis, he was treated with pamidronate, interferon alfa, propranolol, oral corticosteroids, and sirolimus. He developed proteinuria at the age of 15 and progressed into the nephrotic range 2 years later. A renal biopsy revealed focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, not otherwise specified variant. The sequential increase in proteinuria associated with medications suggested that the focal segmental glomerulosclerosis may be caused by pamidronate and sirolimus, but cannot completely rule out the possibility of kidney involvement of GSS itself.