• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.12
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• pp.1577-1584
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• 2002

Purpose : Airway inflammation is considered to be a characteristic feature of asthma, and eosinophils are recognized as the most important inflammatory cells. This study aims to assess the importance of blood eosinophil count and serum eosinophil cationic protein(ECP) levels as a noninvasive marker of bronchial hyperresponsiveness(BHR) in children with suspected asthma. Methods : This study used data from 87 subjects with asthma-like symptoms(6-18 years old). The $FEV_1$ and provocative concentration producing a 20% fall in $FEV_1(PC_{20})$ on methacholin inhalation challenge test were measured. Four groups were classified based on $PC_{20}$[Group I : <2 mg/mL; Group II : 2-8 mg/mL; Group III : 8-18 mg/mL; Group IV : (18 mg/mL], and blood eosinophil count and serum ECP levels were analyzed. In addition, subjects were classified based on the cutoff value of $PC_{20}$(BHR positive group : <18 mg/mL; BHR negative group : (18 mg/mL). Then blood eosinophil count and serum ECP level were compared between these two groups. Results : Likelihood ratio test for trends revealed a significant association between the blood eosinophil count or serum ECP level, and the degree of BHR as measured by methacholine $PC_{20}$. Blood eosinophil count or serum ECP level was significantly higher in the BHR(+) group than in the BHR(-) group. Blood eosinophil count had a positive correlation with serum ECP level. Conclusion : Blood eosinophil count and serum ECP level may be a useful non-invasive clinical marker of BHR in subjects with suspected asthma. This supports the hypothesis that BHR in asthma is a consequence of airway eosinophilic inflammation.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.52.1-52.10
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• 2024

Importance: Kidney disease is prevalent among veterinary species, including zoo animals; however, investigations into this condition in striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) are scarce. Diagnostic tools for kidney diseases in this species also remain limited. Objective: This study aimed to assess the utility of symmetric dimethylarginine as a biomarker for kidney disease in captive striped skunks in Korea. Methods: This retrospective study analysed 11 striped skunks housed at the Everland Zoo between 2017 and 2021. Blood samples were collected during health checks. Kidney function was assessed through blood analysis and diagnostic ultrasound, with necropsies conducted on deceased animals. Symmetric dimethylarginine levels were measured in 27 plasma samples collected from 11 skunks. Results: Over the study period, seven skunks were diagnosed with kidney disease. Analysis of 27 blood samples revealed a concurrent increase in SDMA levels with concentrations of blood urea nitrogen and blood creatinine. In 3 of the 7 skunks with kidney disease, symmetric dimethylarginine exceeded 14 ㎍/dL prior to the elevation of blood urea nitrogen and blood creatinine above the upper reference limit. Conclusions and Relevance: To our knowledge, this is the first study investigating symmetric dimethylarginine in captive striped skunks in Korea. Our findings suggest that symmetric dimethylarginine may serve as an early and consistent biomarker for renal dysfunction in striped skunks. Further studies with larger clinical sample size from striped skunks are needed to validate the clinical utility of blood symmetric dimethylarginine concentration.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.214.4-215
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• 2003

In galactose metabolic pathway : there are three inborn metabolic disorders galactokinase deficiency (galactosemia type II), galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase(GALT) daficiency (galactosemia type I ), uridine diphosphate galactose-4-epimerase deficiency (galactosemia typeIII). Among these disorders GALT deficiency is the most severe and common. Infants with GALT deficiency fail to metabolize galactose-1-phosphate. As a consequence, galactose-1-phosphate and galactose are accumulated in blood in which GALS enzyme plays the role of a pathognomonic marker. (omitted)

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.167-172
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• 2009

The protective effects of Phaleria macrocarpa (PM) against oxidative stress in diabetic rats were investigated. Diabetes was induced in male Sprague Dawley rats using alloxan (150 mg/kg i.p). After the administration of PM fractions for two weeks the diabetic symptoms, nephropathy and renal antioxidant enzymes were evaluated. The results showed that the oral PM treatments reduced blood glucose levels in diabetic rats. The PM fractions decreased kidney hypertrophy and diminished blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in diabetic rats. Malondialdehyde (MDA), a lipid peroxidation marker, was increased in diabetic animals, but was suppressed by the PM treatments. In addition, the superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities, and glutathione (GSH) level in the alloxan-induced diabetic rats were significantly decreased compared with those in the normal rats, but were restored by PM treatments. The PM fractions also suppressed the level of MDA in the kidney. In conclusion, the anti hyperglycemic and anti-nephropathy of P. macrocarpa may be correlated to the increased renal antioxidant enzyme activity in the kidney.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.7 s.80
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• pp.1109-1111
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• 2006

The present study was carried out to investigate the blood markers of the Korean native horse. A total number of 158 horses were tested using microhaemagglutination with 11D system reagents (Da, Db, Dc, Dd, De, Df, Dg, Dh, Dk, Dm and Dn). Of the 158 horses, 3 horses showed an unusual D system phenogroups; these phenogroups may be silent (null) alleles, De or Dk and Dc, respectively. Dacdfgm, Dacdfgmn, and Ddegmn phenogroups were recognized. These results present basic information for detecting the genetic markers among the Korean native and alien horses.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.229-234
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• 2008

Purpose: There are some reports presenting that peripheral blood contain circulating hematopoietic cells as well as, in significantly smaller quantities, mesenchymal stem cells. The purposes of this study is to isolate and characterize circulating mesenchymal progenitor cells with osteogenic potential from human peripheral blood. Methods: Human buffycoat containing mononuclear cells was harvested from peripheral blood of normal persons and isolated using a density gradient centrifugation and serially subcultured in osteogenic media for 1-4 weeks. The proliferation capability, phase-contrast microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, immunophenotype FACS analysis, Alizarin red staining and RT-PCR assays for osteogenic differentiation potential were performed. Results: The phenotype of cultured cells changed from small round or cuboidal cells at passage 1 into large spindle-shaped fibroblastic morphology cells at passage 4. Surface marker expressed CD14, but did not express CD34, CD80, CD83. Strong positive staining was observed for Alizarin reds in osteogenic medium on day 14, Using RT-PCR, the mRNA levels of bone- specific genes, such as ALP, c-bfa-1 and osteocalcin were detected. Conclusion: A new subset of peripheral blood derived progenitor cells described here has the ability to proliferate and differentiate into osteogenic cell lineages in vitro, and to be candidate for regenerative therapy.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.201-205
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• 2003

Purpose: Telomerase activity is generally absent in primary cell cultures and normal tissues. Telomerase is known to be induced upon immortalization or malignant transformation of human cells. Telomerase activity can be increased in immature lymphocytes and activated lymphocytes, but it is not detected in the peripheral blood of normal persons. The authors analyzed peripheral blood telomerase from patients of gastric cancer to evaluate the possibility of using it for diagnosis and as a prognostic factor. Materials and Methods: We obtained blood samples from 11 inflammatory patients and 64 gastric cancer patients. The telomerase activity was measured using the [PCR-ELISA] method. The results were correlated with the T, N, M stage, cell differentiation, vascular, neural, and lymphatic invasion, tumor size, and tumor location. Results: In the 11 inflammatory patients, telomerase activity was not detected while in the gastric cancer patients, a positive rate of $28.1\%$ was noted. The peripheral telomerase activity was not related with tumor size, tumor site, lymphatic and vascular invasion, stage, or histologic differentiation. Conclusion: The peripheral blood telomerase activity for patients of gastric cancer can be utilized as a marker for the diagnosis of not only advanced gastric cancer, but also relatively early stage gastric cancer, but not as a prognostic factor.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.301-309
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• 2002

This study was carried out to develop the breed-specific DNA markers for breed identification of Korean native goat meat using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP)-PCR techniques. The genomic DNAs of Korean native goat, imported black goat and four dairy goat breeds(Saanen, Alpine, Nubian and Toggenburg) were extracted from muscle tissues or blood. Genomic DNA was digested with a particular combination of two restriction enzymes with 4 base(Mse I and Taq I) and 6 base(EcoR I and Hind III) recognition sites, ligated to restriction specific adapters and amplified using the selective primer combinations. In AFLP profiles of polyacrylamide gels, the number of scorable bands produced per primer combination varied from 36 to 74, with an average of 55.5. A total of 555 bands were produced, 149(26.8%) bands of which were polymorphic. Among the ten primer combinations, two bands with 2.01 and 1.26 kb in M13/H13 primer and one band with 1.65 kb in E35/H14 primer were found to be breed-specific AFLP markers in Korean native goat when DNA bands were compared among the goat breeds. In the E35/H14 primer combination, 2.19, 2.03, 0.96 and 0.87 kb bands detected in imported black goat, 2.13 kb band in Saanen breed and 2.08 kb band in Nubian breed were observed as breed-specific bands showing differences between goat breeds, respectively. The E35/H14 primer combination produced four DNA bands distinguished between Korean native goat and Saanen breed. The is study suggested that the breed specific AFLP bands could be used as DNA markers for the identification of Korean native goat meat from imported black goat and dairy goat meats.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.18
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• pp.8197-8201
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• 2016

Background: To investigate the expression of the fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene in acute lymphoblastic leukemia and its clinical significance. Materials and Methods: The level of expressed FHIT mRNA in peripheral blood from 50 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and in 50 peripheral blood samples from healthy volunteers was measured via RT-PCR. Correlation analyses between FHIT gene expression and clinical characteristics (gender, age, white blood count, immunophenotype of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and percentage of blast cells) of the patients were performed. Results: The FHIT gene was expressed at $2.49{\pm}7.37$ of ALL patients against $14.4{\pm}17.9$ in the healthy volunteers. The difference in the expression levels between ALL patients and healthy volunteers was statistically significant. The rate of gene expression did not significantly vary with immunophenotype subtypes. Gene expression was also found to be correlated with increase of total leukocyte and decrease in platelets, but not with age, gender, immunophenotyping or percentage of blast cells. Conclusions: FHIT gene expression is low in acute lymphoblastic leukemia and could be a useful marker to monitor minimal residual disease. This gene is also a candidate target for the immunotherapy of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.406-412
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• 2012

The polymorphism (insertion, I or deletion, D) of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene is designated as the presence of a 287 bp Alu repeat. The D/D homozygote carrier is associated with high ACE activity, and this high activity has been implicated with hypertension, coronary artery disease, or diabetic nephropathy. We studied the clinical candidate marker in ACE gene polymorphism using chemical and hematological analysis. The subjects are divided into normotensive and hypertensive groups and ACE genotype in the group was confirmed by PCR method. Chemical analysis was preceded with Hitachi7060, and hematological analysis was performed using Mythic 22. In 116 targeted people, 17 (38.64%) of 44 I/I genotype group are hypertension, 15 (34.09%) in 44 with D/I, but, D/D type in the 28 cases is 15 patients (53.57%) in hypertension. In hypertension group, biochemical analysis (triglyceride, and alkaline phosphatase) and hematological analysis (white blood cell, platelet) are showed high value in D/D genotype of ACE gene. The relationship between hypertension and ACE genotype is the same results as previously reported and we thought that the high laboratory value of white blood cell, platelet, triglycerides, and alkaline phosphatase are also indicator of hypertension in D/D type of ACE.