• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.156-161
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• 2017

Transcriptome analysis has been widely used to make biomarker panels to diagnose cancers. In breast cancer, the age of the patient has been known to be associated with clinical features. As clinical transcriptome data have accumulated significantly, we classified all human genes based on age-specific differential expression between normal and breast cancer cells using public data. We retrieved the values for gene expression levels in breast cancer and matched normal cells from The Cancer Genome Atlas. We divided genes into two classes by paired t test without considering age in the first classification. We carried out a secondary classification of genes for each class into eight groups, based on the patterns of the p-values, which were calculated for each of the three age groups we defined. Through this two-step classification, gene expression was eventually grouped into 16 classes. We showed that this classification method could be applied to establish a more accurate prediction model to diagnose breast cancer by comparing the performance of prediction models with different combinations of genes. We expect that our scheme of classification could be used for other types of cancer data.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.177-185
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• 2015

Although rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease, diagnosis of RA is currently based on clinical manifestations, and there is no simple, practical assessment tool in the clinical field to assess disease activity and severity. Recently, there has been increasing interest in the discovery of new diagnostic RA biomarkers that can assist in evaluating disease activity, severity, and treatment response. Proteomics, the large-scale study of the proteome, has emerged as a powerful technique for protein identification and characterization. For the past 10 years, proteomic techniques have been applied to different biological samples (synovial tissue/fluid, blood, and urine) from RA patients and experimental animal models. In this review, we summarize the current state of the application of proteomics in RA and its importance in identifying biomarkers and treatment targets.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.339-343
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• 2011

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are well known environmental carcinogens. PAH metabolites, especially BaP-7,8- dihydrodiol, 9,10 epoxide, initiate carcinogenesis via high specificity binding to DNA to form DNA adducts. The Korean red ginseng (KRG) from Panax ginseng has been suggested to protect against damages due to PAH exposure but the mechanism is unknown. Therefore, we investigated effects of KRG on PAH exposure using toxicokinetic methods and changes of PAH-induced oxidative damage during a 2 week-clinical trial (n=21 healthy young female, $23.71{\pm}2.43$ years). To analyze antioxidative effects of KRG, we measured changes in the levels of urinary malondialdehyde (MDA) before and after KRG treatment. We observed a significant positive association between levels of urinary MDA and 1-hydroxypyrene, a biomarker of PAH exposures (slope=1.47, p=0.03) and confirmed oxidative stress induced by PAH exposures. A reverse significant correlation between KRG treatment and level of urinary MDA was observed (p=0.03). In summary, results of our clinical trial study suggest that KRG plays a significant role in antioxidative as well as toxicokinetic pathways against PAHs exposure.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.56 no.7
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• pp.271-274
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• 2013

Brain insults, including neurotrauma, infection, and perinatal injuries such as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, generate inflammation in the brain. These inflammatory cascades induce a wide spectrum of cytokines, which can cause neuron degeneration, have neurotoxic effects on brain tissue, and lead to the development of seizures, even if they are subclinical and occur at birth. Cytokines are secreted by the glial cells of the central nervous system and they function as immune system mediators. Cytokines can be proinflammatory or anti-inflammatory. Interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$ and IL-8 are proinflammatory cytokines that activate additional cytokine cascades and increase seizure susceptibility and organ damage, whereas IL-1 receptor antagonist and IL-10 act as anti-inflammatory cytokines that have protective and anticonvulsant effects. Therefore, the immune system and its associated inflammatory reactions appear to play an important role in brain damage. Whether cytokine release is relevant for the processes of epileptogenesis and antiepileptogenesis, and whether epileptogenesis could be prevented by immunomodulatory treatment should be addressed in future clinical studies. Furthermore, early detection of brain damage and early intervention are essential for the prevention of disease progression and further neurological complications. Therefore, cytokines might be useful as biomarkers for earlier detection of brain damage in high-risk infants.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.171-178
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• 2008

수백여 종의 개별물질이 불완전 연소 혹은 유기물의 열분해로 인해 발생되는 다환방향족 탄화수소(PAHs)는 환경에서 중요한 오염원이 되고 있다. 본 연구는 다양한 바이오마커를 이용하여 수서생태계에 벤조피렌(benzo[a]pyrene)과 같은 다환방향족 탄화수소의 영향을 분석하였고, 이에 대한 통합적 결과 모델을 도출하였다. 즉, 잉어(Cyprinus carpio)를 이용하여 여러 농도의 벤조피렌(3, 12, $34{\mu}g/L$, 측정농도 기준)에 10일간 노출시킨 다음, DNA single-strand break, ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD), acetylcholine esterase (AChE)와 vitellogenin (VTG)의 농도를 측정하였다. 벤조피렌은 잉어의 DNA 손상을 유도하였고, 낮은 농도에서 EROD와 VTC의 유의적인 활성을 보였으나, 신경전달물질과 관련이 깊은 AChE 효소활성에는 영향을 미치지 않았다. 이 결과를 star plot를 이용하여 통합 및 분석하였으며, 노출농도에 따른 통합 반응지수(integrated biomarker response value: IBR)로 나타내었다. 이런 다양한 바이오마커의 결과들은 벤조피렌에 대한 어류의 영향과 수생태 모니터링 자료로 이용 가능할 것으로 여겨지며, 통합반응지수는 생태위해성평가에서 유용한 도구로 쓰일 가치가 있는 것으로 평가된다.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.351-354
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• 2013

Objective: To assess the practical utility of pleural fluid carbonic anhydrase XII (CAXII) quantification for differential diagnosis of effusions. Materials and Methods: Fluid was collected prospectively from fifty patients presenting with lymphocytic pleural effusions for investigation and CAXII was quantified by ELISA. Results: Pleural fluid CAXII concentrations were significantly higher in lung cancer patients (n=30) than in tuberculous controls (n=20). The sensitivity and specificity of this biomarker were 60%and 75%, respectively. CAXII measurement was not inferior to cytological examination in the diagnosis and exclusion of pleural effusions from lung cancer patitents (sensitivity 60% vs. 57%; specificity 75% vs. 100%; positive predictive value 77%; negative predictive value 54%). In patients with negative cytology, it offered a sensitivity of 54%. Conclusions: Pleural fluid CAXII is elevated in pleural effusions from lung cancer patients. Measurement of CAXII may be used in the future as a valuable adjunct to cytology in the diagnostic assessment of patients with pleural effusions related to lung cancer, especially when cytological examination is inconclusive.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.247-256
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• 2016

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the relationships between the N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels with the sociodemographic and clinical factors, self-care behaviors, and the physical symptom experiences in patients with heart failure. Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized a convenience sample of adult outpatients and inpatients who attended a cardiology department in a tertiary hospital in Seoul, Korea. The data from 154 patients with heart failure were collected using a questionnaire, and their clinical data were extracted from their electronic medical records. Results: Compared with the patients with high NT-proBNP levels, those with low NT-proBNP levels had significantly lower physical symptom experiences scores. Patients with low- and mid-NT-proBNP levels were more likely to be employed compared with those with high NT-proBNP levels. Patients with low NT-proBNP levels had higher left ventricular ejection fractions, and were less likely to have arrhythmias and comorbidities. Conclusion: The results from this study showed that patients with more severe heart failure had higher physical symptom experiences scores; hence, individualizing treatment approaches based on heart failure severity is necessary.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.4813-4820
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• 2015

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common cancers, with high incidences in East Asia countries. Most GC patients have been reported with low early diagnosis rate and show extremely poor prognosis. Therefore, it is necessary to develop novel and more sensitive biomarkers to improve early diagnosis and therapy in order to provide longer survival and better quality of life for gastric cancer patients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in GC development and progression. miRNAs have emerged as a novel molecular biomarker for cancer diagnosis, prognosis and therapy with surprising stability in tissues, serum or other body fluids. This review summarizes major advances in our current knowledge about potential miRNA biomarkers for GC that have been reported in the past two years.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.254-277
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• 2019

Inflammation can be a causative factor for carcinogenesis or can result from a consequence of cancer progression. Moreover, cancer therapeutic interventions can also induce an inflammatory response. Various inflammatory parameters are used to assess the inflammatory status during cancer treatment. It is important to select the most optimal biomarker among these parameters. Additionally, suitable biomarkers must be examined if there are no known parameters. We briefly reviewed the published literature for the use of inflammatory parameters in the treatment of patients with cancer. Most studies on inflammation evaluated the correlation between host characteristics, effect of interventions, and clinical outcomes. Additionally, the levels of C-reactive protein, albumin, lymphocytes, and platelets were the most commonly used laboratory parameters, either independently or in combination with other laboratory parameters and clinical characteristics. Furthermore, the immune parameters are classically examined using flow cytometry, immunohistochemical staining, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay techniques. However, gene expression profiling can aid in assessing the overall peri-interventional immune status. The checklists of guidelines, such as STAndards for Reporting of Diagnostic accuracy and REporting recommendations for tumor MARKer prognostic studies should be considered when designing studies to investigate the inflammatory parameters. Finally, the data should be interpreted after adjusting for clinically important variables, such as age and cancer stage.

• The Korean journal of helicobacter and upper gastrointestinal research
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.162-167
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• 2018

Cancer specimens obtained via surgical resection or biopsy are generally used to understand tumor-associated alterations; however, those approaches cannot always be performed because of their invasive nature, and they may fail to reflect current tumor dynamics and drug sensitivity, which may change during the therapeutic process. Therefore, many research groups have focused on developing a non-invasive biomarker with the ability to monitor tumor dynamics. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are metastatic cells released from the primary tumor into the bloodstream. Hematogenous spreading of CTCs is a crucial step in the metastatic cascade, which leads to the formation of overt metastases. CTCs have attracted considerable attention because of their easy accessibility and their superiority over conventional tumor markers. Detecting CTCs is considered a valuable modality to determine prognosis and monitor response to systemic therapies in patients with gastric cancer. Moreover, molecular analyses of CTCs may provide important biological information for individual patients with cancer, which may lead to the development of personalized cancer treatment. In this article, we review potential roles and clinical applications of CTCs in patients with gastric cancer.