• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.909-913
• /
• 2013

Purpose: The liver is the organ to which colorectal carcinomas (CRCs) most commonly metastasize, and surgical resection has been established as the most effective and potentially curative treatment for CRC with liver metastasis (LM). Therefore, surveillance of LM is vital for improvement of prognosis of CRC patients. In this study, we aimed to explore the potential value of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and marker enzymes in indicating LM with CRC. Methods: Three groups of eligible patients with metastatic cancers were retrospectively included: CRC patients with LM (CRC-LM) or without LM (CRC-NLM), and non-CRC patients with LM (NCRC-LM). All metastatic lesions were identified by CT or MRI. Data on characteristics of the patients, the primary site, the locations of metastasis, CA 19-9, CEA, and biochemical parameters were collected for analysis. Results: A total of 493 patients were retrospectively included. More alcohol consumption was found in CRC-LM than CRC-NLM. Some biochemical enzymes were found to be significantly higher in groups with LM than without (CRC-LM or NCRC-LM v.s CRC-NLM). Both CEA and CA 19-9 were much higher in CRC-LM than CRC-NLM or NCRC-LM. For CRC patients, CA 19-9, ${\gamma}$-glutamyl transpeptidase, CEA and alcohol consumption were identified as independent factors associated with LM. Conclusion: Our analysis suggested the CA 19-9 might be a potential valuable indicator for LM of CRC in the clinic.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.447-456
• /
• 2008

Background: Caspase-3 is a cysteine protease that plays a major role in the process of apoptotic cell death. The dysregulated expression of c-myc contributes to the tumorigenesis in a variety of human cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate the expressions of caspase-3 and c-myc and their significances as prognosis markers in patients with completely resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Material and Method: A total 130 consecutive patients who had undergone complete resection without pre-operative radio-therapy or chemotherapy between May 1996 and December 2003 for NSCLC were retrospectively reviewed. The median follow-up period of the patients was 50 months (range: $3{\sim}128$ months). The expressions of caspase-3 and c-myc were immuno-histochemically examined, and these were correlated with the clinico-pathologic data. Result: The prevalence of caspase-3 and c-myc expressions in the patients was 68% (88/130) and 59% (77/130), respectively. Significant association was found between the frequency of the expressions of caspase-3 and c-myc (p=0.025). The caspase-3 and c-myc expressions were not significantly associated with the prognosis in all the patients. However, according to stages, a positive caspase-3 expression was significantly correlated with a favorable prognosis for patients with stage IIIa disease (median survival period: 35 months vs. 10 months, p=0.021). Multivariate analysis showed the pathologic stage to be significantly correlated with a good prognosis in all the patients (p=0.024), and with a positive caspase-3 expression, well differentiated tumor and negative neuronal invasion in the patients with stage llla disease (p=0.005, p=0.003, p=0.004, respectively). Conclusion: Caspase-3 and c-myc were frequently expressed in NSCLC, suggesting its possible involvement in tumor development. The caspase-3 expression, as determined with performing immunohistochemical staining, may be a favorable prognostic indicator in patients with completely resected NSCLC an advanced stage (IIIa).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.344-352
• /
• 2006

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a daily regimen of green vegetable drink supplementation to male subjects improves the blood pressure and enhances other antioxidant enzyme status, lipid profiles and liver functionalities. Twenty nonsmokers and 19 smokers aged $23{\sim}60$ were given 240 mL of green vegetable drink every day for 8 weeks in addition to their normal diet, and blood samples were drawn before and after the intervention. The 8 weeks of green vegetable drink consumption resulted in a significant decrease of diastolic blood pressure in smokers (p<0.05) as well as in nonsmokers (p<0.01), and systolic blood pressure in smokers (p<0.05). Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was significantly increased in both nonsmokers and smokers after the trials. Plasma total cholesterol (TC) level was decreased in smokers and plasma TC and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were decreased in nonsmokers while triglyceride (TG) and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) was not affected in both nonsmokers and smokers by green vegetable drink consumption. Plasma glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), a marker of liver function was significantly reduced in both nonsmokers and smokers and plasma glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) level was significantly reduced in nonsmokers after the supplementation. These results support the hypothesis that green vegetable drink exerts a blood pressure reducing effect and affects not only the activity of antioxidant enzymes, lipid profiles but also plasma GOT and/or GPT levels.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.45 no.5
• /
• pp.703-710
• /
• 2003

The purpose of this study was to detect association between genetic variation and economic trait in the porcine heart type fatty acid-binding protein gene as a candidate gene for the traits related with growth and meat quality in pigs. The H-FABP is a 15-kDa protein expressed in several tissues with high demand for fat metabolism such as cardiac and skeletal muscle and lactating mammary gland. H-FABP is small intracellular protein involved in fatty acid transport from the plasma membrane to the site of $\beta$-oxidation and/or triacylglycerol or phospholipid synthesis. In this study, H-FABP PCR-RFLP was performed in F$_2$ population composed of 214 individuals from an intercross between Korean Native Boars and Landrace sows. PCR products from two primer sets within H-FABP gene were amplified in 850bp and 700bp. Digestion of PCR products with the restriction digestion enzymes HaeⅢ and HinfⅠ, revealed fragment length polymorphisms(RFLPs). The genotype frequencies from H-FABP/HaeⅢ was .29 for genotype DD, .53 for genotype Dd, and .15 for genotype dd, respectively. The genotype frequencies of HH, Hh, and hh from H-FABP/HinfⅠ was .38, .41 and .20, respectively, in the population. Relationships between their genotypes and economic traits were estimated. In H-FABP/HaeⅢ locus, there were specific genotypes(Dd and dd) associated with economic traits such as body weights at 3, 5, 12, and 30 week of age (p〈.05 to .001). The ‘d’ allele was associated with gaining of body weight. In H-FABP/HinfⅠ locus, Genotypes of HH and Hh associated with growth traits such as body weights at 5, 12, and 30 week of age (p〈.05 or p〈.001) and back fat thickness, body fat including abdominal and trimmed fat (p〈.001) and intramuscular fat(p〈.05) The ‘H’ allele was positively associated with gaining of body weight and fatness deposition. In conclusion, a significant association of the H-FABP gene from its genetic variation was found on body weight, intramuscular fat and backfat thickness.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.52 no.2
• /
• pp.107-116
• /
• 2002

Background: Matrix metalloproteinases(MMP) are essential enzymes for tumor invasion and metastasis. Among the MMP family, elevated MMP-9 and stromelysin-3(STR-3) expression have been reported to be poor prognostic factors in lung cancer patients. To evaluate the possibility of a molecular diagnosis of lung cancer using peripheral blood, the mRNA expression level of MMP-9 and STR-3 was measured using a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in patients with lung cancer. Methods : Ninety six patients(44 patients with lung cancer, 19 pulmonary infection, and 33 control) were included. To detect MMP-9 and STR-3 mRNA expression, RT-PCR was performed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. ELISA was also used to measure the serum level of MMP-9. Results : MMP-9 was expressed more frequently in patients with a pulmonary infection(18/19, 94.7%) compared to lung cancer patients(26/44, 59.1%) or the controls (23/33, 69.7%) (p=0.018). On the other hand, STR-3 expression was observed more frequently in patients with lung cancer(37/44, 84.1%) compared to the lung infection patients(8/19, 42.1%) or control(20/33, 60.6%) (p=0.003). Among the lung cancer patients, MMP-9 was expressed more frequently when a tumor invaded the lymph nodes(17/24, 70.8%) compared to when a tumor did not(3/13, 23.1%) (p=0.005). The MMP-9 and STR-3 expression levels had no relationship with age, sex, tumor size, distant metastasis, or tumor histology. The serum MMP-9 concentration was not higher in lung cancer patients compared to patients with a pulmonary infection or the control subjects. Conclusion : STR-3 may be used as a diagnostic marker in the peripheral blood of lung cancer patients using RT-PCR. Further studies to evaluate the clinical significance of elevated STR-3 expression in lung cancer patients is recommended.