• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.194-200
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• 2014

Ginsan, polysaccharide isolated from the root of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, has been shown to be a potent immunomodulator, producing several cytokines and stimulating lymphoid cells to proliferate. In this study, ginsan was orally inoculated into BALB/c mice up to 39 days and the activity of immune cells containing macrophages and T cells was analyzed. Moreover, the production of cytokines, e.g., tumor necrotic factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), interferon-${\gamma}$ (IFN-${\gamma}$), GM-CSF and IL-12 was also analyzed. In results, the phagocytosis of macrophages was increased. About 13% cytotoxicity of NK cells was observed in 22 days and 29 days of administration. But, oral administration did not highly affect the proliferation of T cells. In cytokine analysis, 150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg at 22 days and 29 days showed three times more increase in TNF-${\alpha}$ than the controls. IFN-${\gamma}$ showed 1.07 and 1.16 times more increase at 150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg over 22 days, respectively more than the controls. 32 days of 150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg induced GM-CSF of about 1.3 times more than the controls. IL-12 was not induced in samples more than the controls. Ginsan could be a potential immunostimulator. Therefore, our study suggests that it can be adapted as an immunostimulator that requires a relatively short oral administration.

• 생물정신의학
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.165-172
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• 2004

Objective:Although polymorphism of dopamine transporter gene(DAT1) has been considered to be implicated in the pathogenesis of social phobia, previous investigations have been inconsistent and controversial. The authors investigated the relationship between DAT1 polymorphism and social phobia in Koreans. Methods:DAT1 and alleles of fifty subjects who met DSM-IV criterion of social phobia, and those of age- & sex- matched fifty normal controls in Korea were compared. Additionally, patients were grouped into generalized(33) and nongeneralized(17) types and DAT1 polymorphism was compared with that of age- & sex- matched controls. DAT1 with variable number of tandem repeats(VNTR) were determined by using polymerase chain reaction. To compare the distribution of the DAT1 polymorphism between different groups, Fisher's exact test was used. Results:There were no significant differences in either genotypic(p=0.451) or allelic(p=0.452) distributions between the social phobia patients and the controls. There also were no differences in genotypic distribution between subtypes of social phobia patients and the controls. Conclusion:We couldn't find any association between DAT1 polymorphism and social phobia. Further studies including larger number of samples and diverse clinical variables should be conducted to elucidate the present findings.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.61-69
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was designed to investigate correlations between physical fitness, antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GPX), lipid peroxidation levels (MDA), lipid profiles, lactate levels and cardiovascular variables in an exercising group and a control group. Methods: Twelve healthy young males (Exercise group: 6, Controls: 6). All subjects took physical fitness tests and blood samples were collected while subjects were resting. Results: In the exercise group, there were several significant correlations: between back strength and SOD enzyme levels (r=0.82, p=0.04), back strength and MDA (r=0.94, p=0.00), agility and GPX (r=0.81, p=0.04), and balance and GPX (r=0.81, p=0.04). In the control group, there were significant correlations between: dominant grip strength and MDA (r=-0.84, p=0.03), and agility and GPX (r= -0.82, p=0.04). In the exercise group, there were no significant correlations between physical fitness factors, TC, TG, HDL-C and lactate levels. In the control group, there were significant correlations between: back strength and TG (r=0.88, p=0.01), and agility and HDL-C (r= -0.84, p=0.03). In the exercise group, there were significant correlations between: non-dominant grip strength and SBP (r=0.94, p=0.00), dominant grip strength and SBP (r=0.85, p=0.03), and power and SBP (r=0.82, p=0.04). In controls, there were significant correlations between: dominant grip strength and DBP (r=-0.85, p=0.03), muscular endurance and ST level (r=-0.93, p=0.00), and muscular endurance and HR (r=-0.88, p=0.01). Conclusion: That cardiovascular patients and controls who participated in regular exercise maintained their antioxidant capacity suggests that long-term physical activity can counteract the negative dysfunction that characterizes sedentary lifestyle, probably by maintaining plasma antioxidant defenses and thereby preventing oxidative stress.

• 대한불안의학회지
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• 제3권2호
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• pp.123-127
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• 2007

Objective : This study was conducted to evaluate the relation between symptoms and hippocampal volume in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods : Eight patients with PTSD and five normal controls were enrolled in the present study. The severity of PTSD symptoms was measured using the clinician administered PTSD scale (CAPS), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to measure hippocampal volume. Results : There were significant differences in the CAPS, HAMD, and HAMA scores between the PTSD patients and normal controls. The left and right hippocampal volumes were smaller in the PTSD patients than in the normal controls, but this difference was not statistically significant. The results showed that PTSD symptoms were not related to hippocampal volume. Conclusion : In this study, we could not identify a difference in hippocampal volume between normal controls and patients with PTSD at eight months after trauma. Future research with different subjects and a larger sample size is needed in order to confirm the difference in hippocampal volume.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권17호
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• pp.7407-7411
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• 2014

The incidence of urban female breast cancer has been continuously increasing over the past decade with unknown etiology. One hypothesis for this increase is carcinogen exposure from tobacco. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the risk of urban female breast cancer from tobacco smoke exposure. The matched case control study was conducted among Thai females, aged 17-76 years and living in Bangkok or its surrounding areas. A total of 444 pairs of cases and controls were recruited from the Thai National Cancer Institute. Cases were newly diagnosed and histologically confirmed as breast cancer while controls were selected from healthy women who visited a patient, matched by age ${\pm}5$ years. After obtaining informed consent, tobacco smoke exposure data and information on other potential risk factors were collected by interview. The analysis was performed by conditional logistic regression, and presented with odds ratio (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals(CI). From all subjects, 3.8% of cases and 3.4% of controls were active smokers while 11.0% of cases and 6.1% of controls were passive smokers. The highest to lowest sources of passive tobacco smoke were from spouses (40.8%), the workplace (36.8%) and public areas (26.3%), respectively. After adjusting for other potential risk factors or confounders, females with frequent low-dose passive smoke exposure (${\leq}7$ hours per week) from a spouse or workplace had adjusted odds ratio 3.77 (95%CI=1.11-12.82) and 4.02 (95%CI=1.04-15.50) higher risk of breast cancer compared with non-smokers, respectively. However, this study did not find any association of breast cancer risk in high dose passive tobacco smoke exposure, or a dose response relationship in cumulative passive tobacco smoke exposure per week, or in the active smoker group. In conclusion, passive smoke exposure may be one important risk factor of urban female breast cancer, particularly, from a spouse or workplace. This risk factor highlights the importance of avoiding tobacco smoke exposure as a key measure for breast cancer prevention and control.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권7호
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• pp.4427-4433
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• 2013

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women. HLA class I and II alleles polymorphisms have been shown to be associated with cervical cancer risk, but results have varied among different populations. In this study, the HLA-A, -B, and -DRB1 alleles among 100 southern Chinese women with cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) were compared to 254 controls. Our results showed that $B^*51$:01:02 allele frequency was significantly higher in patients with SCC than in healthy controls ($P=3.17{\times}10^{-5}$, $P_c$=0.005, OR=26.7). Statistical analysis also revealed a significantly decreased frequency of $B^*51$:01:02 ($P=7.01{\times}10^{-4}$, $P_c$=0.03, OR=0.12) in patients with SCC when compared with healthy controls. These results indicate that HLA-$B^*51$:01:02 may confer susceptibility to SCC and HLA-$B^*51$:01:02 may contribute to resistance to the development of SCC in Chinese women. None of the HLA-A-B or HLA-A-B-DRB1 haplotypes were significantly different in cases and controls after multiple testing corrections, indicating the individual allele associations to be independent of the identified haplotypes. These results support the hypothesis that some HLA-B alleles could be involved with susceptibility for developing SCC.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권7호
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• pp.4161-4165
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• 2013

Objective: To investigate discriminating protein patterns and potential biomarkers in serum samples between pre/postoperative pancreatic cancer patients and healthy controls. Methods: 23 serum samples from PC patients (12 preoperative and 11 postoperative) and 76 from healthy controls were analyzed using matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) technique combined with magnetic beads-based weak cation-exchange chromatography (MB-WCX). ClinProTools software selected several markers that made a distinction between pancreatic cancer patients and healthy controls. Results: 49 m/z distinctive peaks were found among the three groups, of which 33 significant peaks with a P < 0.001 were detected. Two proteins could distinguish the preoperative pancreatic cancer patients from the healthy controls. About 15 proteins may be potential biomarkers in assessment of pancreatic cancer resection. Conclusion: MB-MALDI-TOF-MS method could generate serum peptidome profiles of pancreatic cancer and provide a new approach to identify potential biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of this malignancy.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제53권1호
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• pp.29-34
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• 2015

The aim of this cross sectional case control study was to examine the serofrequency and serointensity of Toxoplasma gondii (Tg) IgG, IgM, and DNA among patients with schizophrenia. A total of 101 patients with schizophrenia and 55 healthy controls from Sungai Buloh Hospital, Selangor, Malaysia and University Malaya Medical Center (UMMC) were included in this study. The diagnosis of schizophrenia was made based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). The presence of Tg infection was examined using both indirect (ELISA) and direct (quantitative real-time PCR) detection methods by measuring Tg IgG and IgM and DNA, respectively. The serofrequency of Tg IgG antibodies (51.5%, 52/101) and DNA (32.67%, 33/101) among patients with schizophrenia was significantly higher than IgG (18.2%, 10/55) and DNA (3.64%, 2/55) of the controls (IgG, P=0.000, OD=4.8, CI=2.2-10.5; DNA, P=0.000, OD=12.9, CI=2.17-10.51). However, the Tg IgM antibody between patients with schizophrenia and controls was not significant (P>0.005). There was no significant difference (P>0.005) in both serointensity of Tg IgG and DNA between patients with schizophrenia and controls. These findings have further demonstrated the strong association between the active Tg infection and schizophrenia.

• ALGAE
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• 제31권2호
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• pp.167-174
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• 2016

Biological response of cells to variable conditions should affect the expression level of certain genes. Quantification of these changes in target genes needs stable internal controls. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has traditionally used reference or ‘housekeeping’ genes, that are considered to maintain equal expression in different conditions, to evaluate changes in target genes between samples and experimental conditions. Recent studies showed that some housekeeping genes may vary considerably in certain biological samples. This has not been evaluated in red algae. In order to identify the optimal internal controls for real-time PCR, we studied the expression of eleven commonly used housekeeping genes; elongation factor 1-alpha, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, β-actin, polyubiquitin, 30S ribosomal gene, 60S ribosomal gene, beta-tubulin, alpha-tubulin, translation initiation factor, ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, and isocitrate dehydrogenase in different life-history stages of Bostrychia moritziana. Our results suggest that glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and 30S ribosomal gene, have the most stable gene expression levels between the different life history stages (male, female, carposporophyte, and tetrasporophyte), while the other genes are not satisfactory as internal controls. These results suggest that the combinations of GAPDH and 30S would be useful as internal controls to assess expression level changes in genes that may control different physiological processes in this organism or that may change in different life history stages. These results may also be useful in other red algal systems.

• 대한불안의학회지
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• 제5권2호
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• pp.120-124
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• 2009

Objectives : This pilot study examined the physical and psychological sequela of Korean War victims. Methods : Of 255 elderly who completed the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), we selected 16 subjects who suffered severe traumatic experiences during the Korean War and met more than 2 specified symptoms of PTSD in DSM-IV-TR and 16 controls. Demographic characteristics, medical history including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia and brain infarction, Geriatric Depression Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, suicide scale in MINI, and a scale for the assessment of somatic symptoms were compared between subjects with trauma experience and controls. Results : Subjects with trauma experience were more likely to have brain infarction and diabetes mellitus compared to control group. Depressive symptoms and suicidal risk were significantly higher in subjects with trauma experience than controls. Subjects with trauma experience showed significantly higher scores in Trait Anxiety scale and more complained of pain than controls. Conclusion : This study suggests that traumatic experience probably induce physical and psychological problem even 60 years later. Further studies are needed to confirm the results of this pilot study.