• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.164-168
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• 1999

Background: Wilson disease (WD) is an autosomal recessive disorder of copper transport and characterized by degenerative changes in the brain, liver dysfunction, and Kayser-Fleischer rings due to toxic accumulation of copper. Since the identification of Wilson disease gene (ATP7B), more than 80 mutations have been detected among the different ethnic groups. Methods: Twenty three children with Wilson disease were included in this study. They were all diagnosed by low serum ceruloplasmin and increased 24 hour urinary copper excretion with characteristic clinical findings. We analysed WD gene mutation by assessing the nucleotide sequence of exon 7, 8, 9 and 10 including intron-exon boundaries of ATP7B gene from genomic DNA. Results: Arg778Leu mutation was identified in 16 WD patients; three were homozygous and 13 were heterozygous for this mutation. Of the 46 alleles, 19 alleles had a Arg778Leu mutation (19/46=41%). Homozygote patients had neurologic forms of WD. Arg778Leu mutation was not found among 50 normal healthy persons. Conclusion: Arg778Leu mutation is a common mutation in Korean WD gene. Arg778Leu mutation screening might be used as a useful supplementary diagnostic test in some patients to confirm Wilson disease in Korea.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제39권2호
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• pp.247-256
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• 1999

A disease of young Holstein calves characterized by recurrent pneumonia, ulcerative and granulomatous stomatitis, enteritis with bacterial overgrowth, periodontitis, delayed wound healing, persistent neutrophilia and death at an early age had been originally described in 1983 and again in 1987. Most of these calves had stunted growth and a persistent, progressive neutrophilia (often exceeding 100,000/ml). By investigation of pedigrees, all of the affected calves have now been traced to a common sire and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic DNA testing to be homozygous carriers of a defective allele for bovine CD18. Neutrophils from these calves have several functional deficits and, most importantly, fail to adhere in a ${\beta}_2$-integrin dependent manner. The ${\beta}_2$-integrins represent a family of glycoproteins which participate in various leukocyte adhesion reactions during host defense. The presence or absence of ${\beta}_2$-integrin molecules can be demonstrated on the surface of neutrophils, monocytes and lymphocytes from normal or affected calves using specific monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry, or by colloidal gold immunolabeling and scanning electron microscopy in backscatter mode. Deficiency of the ${\beta}_2$-integrins on all leukocyte types in Holstein calves is analogous to leukocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD) seen in humans. Neutrophils in bovine (BLAD) and human LAD patients are unable to adhere to the endothelial lining of the cardiovascular system thus interrupting egression of neutrophils into infected tissues. Other leukocytes, while still deficient in expression of the ${\beta}_2$-integrins, are still able to efficiently egress from the blood stream due to interactions of other adhesion molecules that are not as highly expressed on neutrophils. Both BLAD cattle and LAD children (who do not receive bone marrow transplants) often die at an early age as a result of the failure of neutrophils to extravasate into infected tissues. In 1991, Shuster, et $al^{27}$, identified two point mutations within the alleles encoding bovine CD18 in a Holstein calf afflicted with leukocyte adhesion deficiency. One mutation causes an aspartic acid to glycine substitution at amino acid 128 (D128G) in an extracellular region of this adhesion glycoprotein that is highly conserved (> 95% identity) between humans, cattle and mice. The other mutation is silent. Numerous calves with clinical symptoms of leukocyte adhesion deficiency have since been tested and all have been found homozygous for the D128G allele. In addition, calves homozygous far the D128G allele have been identified during widespread DNA testing in the United States. All cattle with the mutant allele are related to one bull, who through artificial insemination (A.I.), sired many calves in the 1950's and 1960's. The carrier frequency of the D128G CD18 allele among U.S. Holstein cattle had reached approximately 15% among active A.I. bulls and 8% among cows. By 1993, the organization of the dairy industry and the diagnostic test developed to genotype cattle, enabled virtually complete eradication of bovine leukocyte adhesion deficiency among current and future A.I. bulls.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.1-5
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• 2007

Unprecedented amount of genetic information being generated from the result of Human Genome Project (HGP) and advances in genetic research is already forcing changes in the paradigm of health and disease. The ultimate goal of genetic medicine is to use genetic information and technology to develop new ways of treatment or even prevention of the disease on an individual level for 'personalized medicine'. Genetics is play ing an increasingly important role in the diagnosis, monitoring and management of common multifactorial diseases in addition to rare single-gene disorders. While wide range of genetic testing have provided benefits to patients and family, uncertainties surrounding test interpretation, the current lack of available medical options for the diseases, and risks for discrimination and social stigmatization may remain to be resolved. However an increasing number of genetic tests are becoming commercially available, including direct to consumer genetic testing, yet public is often unaw are of their clinical and social implications. The personal nature of information generated by a genetic test, its power to affect major life decisions and family members, and its potential misuse raise important ethical considerations. Therefore appropriate genetic counseling is needed for patient to be informed with the benefits, limitations and risks of genetic tests, prior to informed consent for the tests. Physician also should be familiar with the legal and ethical issues involved in genetic testing to tell patients how w ell a particular genetic risk factor relates with likelihood of disease, and be able to provide appropriate genetic counseling. Genetic counseling become a mandatory requirement as global standard for many genetic testing such as prenatal diagnosis, presymtomatic DNA diagnostic tests and cancer susceptibility gene test for familial cancer syndrome. In oder to meet the challenge of genetic medicine of 21 century in korean health care system, professional education program and certification board for medical genetics specialist including non-MD genetic counselors should be addressed by medical society and regulatory policy of national health insurance reimbursement for genetic counseling to be in place to promote the implementation of clinical genetic service including genetic counseling for proper genetic testing.

• 대한세포병리학회지
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.1-11
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• 1996

19세기말과 20세기초에 각각 비르효와 파파니콜로에 의해 명료하게 된 세포 병리학과 탈락세포학의 개념에서 오늘날의 암진단의 일차적인 방법이 발전해 왔다. 파파니콜로의 탈락세포학의 개념에서 1960년대 초반에 세침흡인 세포검사가 개발되었다. 이 세침흡인 세포검사는 주된 진단방법이 되어져, 절개생검을 감소하게 하고 의료비용의 효과적인 이용에 공헌하였다. 1980년대에는 면역생화학적 기술들이 암 진단에 보충역활을 하게 되었다. 단 클론 항체를 이용하는 면역과산화효소법이 먼저 암의 본성을 밝히는 보조적인 방법으로 쓰여졌다. 특정 단클론 항체들이 이용가능하게 되어 세포산물이나 표면 표지자들을 인지하는 것을 훨씬 용이하게 하였다. 예를 들면 중간세사에 대한 항체들이 분화가 나쁜 종양의 조직기원을 결정하는데 가치가 있는 것이 증명되었다. 종양표지자들은 종양존재의 생화학적 표시자로 이용될 수도 있는데 이러한 종양표지자들은 혈장이나 다른 체액들에서 검출할 수 있다. 이 종양표지자들을 농출한 것을 진단적 검사에 이용하여 이미 진단된 암의 임상 경과를 추적하고 암 발생의 위험이 있는 집단에서 특정 종양을 발견해 내기 위한 선별검사로써 이용할 수 있다. 유세포 검사는 백혈병이나 림프종 세포들의 면역표현형을 알아내고, 종양세포들의 DNA함유량을 알아내며, 세포증식율을 알아내는 등의 몇가지의 세포의 특성을 분류해내는데 유용한 도구이다. 분자생물학적 방법들은, 암 환자를 진료하는데 있어 진단, 예후평가 및 치료 등의 분야에서 일보 전진하게 하였다. 핵산교잡법이 Southern blots, Nothern blot, Dot blot 및 in situ hybridization으로 이용된다. 분자생물학 및 그 기술이 암종 생물학을 이해하고 유전자 조작을 기초로한 치료법을 계획하는데 밝은 새로운 지평선을 열어줄 수 있을 것이다.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제72권6호
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• pp.475-480
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• 2012

Background: Pyrazinamide (PZA) is an effective antitubercular drug that becomes toxic to Mycobacterium tuberculosis when converted to pyrazinoic acid by pyrazinamidase (PZase), encoded by mycobacterial pncA. A strong association was noted between the loss of PZase activity and PZA resistance. The causative organisms in extrapulmonary tuberculosis are rarely cultured and isolated. To detect pncA mutations in specimens from extrapulmonary tuberculosis as confirmative diagnosis of mycobacterial infection and alternative susceptibility test to PZA. Methods: Specimens were collected from clinically proven extrapulmonary tuberculosis. pncA was sequenced and compared with wild-type pncA. Results: pncA from 30 specimens from 23 donors were successfully amplified (56.6% in specimens, 59% in donors). Six mutations in pncA were detected (20.0% in amplified specimens, 26.1% in specimen donors) at nucleotide positions of 169, 248 and 419. The mutation at position 169 results in substitution of aspartic acid for histidine, a possible allelic variation of M. bovis that have intrinsic PZA resistance. The mutation at position 248 changes proline into arginine and that at position 419, arginine into histidine. Conclusion: DNA-based diagnosis using pncA may be simultaneously useful for the early diagnosis of mycobacterial infection and the rapid susceptibility to PZA in extrapulmonary tuberculosis. A potential implication of pncA allelic variation at 169 might be suggested as a rapid diagnostic test for M. bovis infection or Bacille Calmette-Gu$\acute{e}$rin (BCG) reactivation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권12호
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• pp.7433-7438
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• 2013

Aim: To identify new biomarkers for NPC diagnosis with an anti-EBV Western blot test kit. Methods: Serum samples from 64 NPC patients and healthy subjects with four specific VCA-IgA/EA-IgA profiles were tested with an anti-EBV Western blot test kit from EUROIMMUN AG. Proteins were quantified with scores of intensity visually assigned to the protein bands. The markers which showed statistical differences between the NPC and non-NPC subjects were further evaluated in another 32 NPC patients and 32 controls in comparison with established biomarkers including VCA-IgA, EA-IgA, EBV-related protein IgG, and EBV DNA. Results: Among the markers screened, EA-D p45-IgG showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between NPC and non-NPC subjects with VCA-IgA positivy. In 32 VCA-IgA positive NPC patients and 32 control subjects, the diagnostic accuracy of EA-D p45-IgG was 78.1% with a positive predictive value of 77.8% and a negative predictive value of 78.6%. In the verification experiment, the specificity and sensitivity of EA-D p45-IgG were 75.0% and 90.6 %, respectively. Conclusions: EA-D p45-IgG might be a potential biomarker for NPC diagnosis, especially among VCA-IgA positive subjects.

• 한국축산식품학회지
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.349-354
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• 2004

돼지 골격근 근소포체의 $Ca^{2+}$ 방출통로(calcium - release channel)를 지정하는 ryanodine receptor (RYR1) 유전자의 이상은 악성고열증(malignant hyperthermia, MH)을 유발하고, RYR1 유전자의 점 돌연변이는 돼지 스트레스 증후군(porcine stress syndrome, PSS)과 밀접하게 관련되어 있다. PSS 유전인자 보유 돼지의 90% 이상은 PSE 돈육을 생산하는 것으로 알려져 있어 물퇘지 발생과 생산성 하락으로 경제적 손실을 초래하는 유전적 원인의 PSS 유전자를 검사하여 제거하는 것은 고품질 돼지고기 생산 및 국내 양돈산업의 경쟁력 향상에 매우 중요한 과제라고 할 수 있다. 따라서, 본 연구는 PCR-RFLP 및 PCR-SSCP 기법을 이용하여 PSE 돈육을 생산 하는 PSS 돼지 유전자 진단기술을 개발하고 이를 이용한 국내 종돈 및 교잡 비육돈의 PSS 유전자형 출현빈도를 파악하고자 수행하였다. 돼지 PSS의 원인이 되는 RYR 유전자의 단일염기 돌연변이 (RYR1 C1843T)를 포함하는 DNA 영역을 PCR로 증폭한 후 RFLP 및 SSCP 기법을 이용하여 분석한 결과 동형접합체의 정상 개체(N/N), 이형접합체의 잠재성 개체(N/n)그리고 열성의 돌연변이 유전자를 동형접합체 상태로 갖는 PSS 감수성 개체(n/n)에 각각 특이적인 RFLP 및 SSCP 유전자형이 검출되어 PSS 저항성, 잠재성 및 감수성 개체의 정확한 판별이 가능하였다. 돼지 주요 품종 집단내 PSS유전자형 출현빈도를 조사한 결과 Landrace는 PSS저항성 개체가 57.1%, 잠재성 개체가 35.7%그리고 PSS 감수성 개체의 출현 비율은 7.1%로 분석되었고 L. Yorkshire는 82.5, 15.8 및 1.7%, Duroc은 95.2, 4.8 및 0.0%로 각각 조사되었다. 비육용 교잡돈은 정상 개체가 72.0%, 잠재성 개체가 22.7% 그리고 PSS 감수성 개체는 5.3%였다. 특히, PCR-SSCP 기법을 이용한 RYR1 유전자 돌연변이 검출 방법은 보다 신속 간편하면서도 상대적으로 분석비용이 저렴한 정확성이 높은 PSS 돼지 진단기술로서 대규모 돼지집단 검색이나 RFLP 방법으로 판정이 불확실한 시료의 재검에 효율적으로 이용할 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제50권1호
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• pp.63-67
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• 2012

Congenital $Neospora$ $caninum$ infection was diagnosed in two Saanen goat kids from two distinct herds with a history of abortion and weak newborn goat kids in the Southern region of the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The first kid was weak at birth, had difficulty to rise and was unable to nurse. Gross lesions of porencephaly and hydrocephalus ex vacuo were seen. Multifocal necrosis, gliosis and non-supurative encephalitis were observed in the brain. Several parasitic cysts with a thick wall that reacted strongly only with polyclonal antiserum to $Neospora$ $caninum$ were seen in the cerebral cortex, brain stem and cerebellum. The second kid was born from a $Neospora$ $caninum$ seropositive mother that aborted in the last pregnancy. It was born without clinical signs. The diagnosis of neosporosis was based on antibody titer of 1:800 to $N.$ $caninum$ by indirect fluorescence antibody test obtained from blood collected before the goat kid ingested the colostrum and $Neospora$ $caninum$ DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction and sequenced from placenta. This is the first report of neosporosis in goats in the southeast region of Brazil.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• 제2권4호
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• pp.273-278
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• 2006

95 squamous cell lung carcinoma samples (normal tissue: 40 samples, tumor: 55 samples) were analyzed with 8 K cDNA microarray. 1-way ANOVA test was employed to select differentially expressed genes in tumor with FDR<0.01. Among the selected 1,655 genes, final 212 genes were chosen according to the expression fold change and used for following analysis. The expression of up-regulated 64 genes was verified with Reverse Transcription PCR and 10 genes were identified as candidates for SCC markers. In our opinion, those candidates can be exploited as diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. Gene Ontology (GO) based analysis was performed using those 212 genes, and following categories were revealed as significant biological processes: Immune response (GO: 0006955), antigen processing (GO: 0030333), inflammatory response (GO: 0006954), Cell adhesion (GO: 0007155), and Epidermis differentiation (GO: 0008544). Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) also carried out on overall gene expression profile with 522 functional gene sets. Glycolysis, cell cycle, K-ras and amino acid biosynthesis related gene sets were most distinguished. These results are consistent with the known characteristics of SCC and may be interconnected to rapid cell proliferation. However, the unexpected results from ERK activation in squamous cell carcinoma gripped our attention, and further studies are under progress.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제4권4호
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• pp.161-166
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• 2006

The establishment of DNA microarray technology has enabled high-throughput analysis and molecular profiling of various types of cancers. By using the gene expression data from microarray analysis we are able to investigate diagnostic applications at the molecular level. The most important step in the application of microarray technology to cancer diagnostics is the selection of specific markers from gene expression profiles. In order to select markers of Immortalization and transformation we used c-myc and $H-ras^{V12}$ oncogene-transfected NIH3T3 cells as our model system. We have identified 8751 differentially expressed genes in the immortalization/transformation model by multivariate permutation F-test (95% confidence, FDR<0.01). Using the support vector machine algorithm, we selected 13 discriminative genes which could be used to predict immortalization and transformation with perfect accuracy. We assayed $H-ras^{V12}$-transfected 'transformed' cells to validate our immortalization/transformation dassification system. The selected molecular markers generated valuable additional information for tumor diagnosis, prognosis and therapy development.