• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.248-256
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• 2014

Purpose: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in children has become an important public health issue because of its high prevalence and severity. Several noninvasive methods for estimating NAFLD are under investigation. We aimed to evaluate the usefulness of serum ferritin as a biomarker of severity of pediatric NAFLD patients. Methods: A total of 64 NAFLD patient were enrolled from Severance Children's Hospital from March 2010 to February 2013. Serum ferritin levels, liver related laboratory tests, liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (2-dimensional [2D] proton density-fat fraction) and NAFLD severity markers were compared between obese group and overweight group. Correlation analyses were performed between serum ferritin and laboratory values including NAFLD severity markers. Results: In obese group, serum ferritin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin, international normalized ratio (INR), MRI 2D proton density-fat fraction, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to platelet ratio index (APRI) and fibrosis- 4 (FIB-4) (an index score calculated from platelet count, ALT, AST and age) were significantly higher than those of overweight group. NAFLD severity markers, APRI and FIB-4, and liver specific important laboratory values, AST, ALT, INR, cholesterol, triglyceride and low density lipoprotein show significant correlation with serum ferritin in NAFLD patients. Conclusion: Serum ferritin concentrations could be a candidate of useful severity marker in the pediatric NAFLD patients.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.299-307
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• 2008

Soybean seed ferritin is essential for human iron supplementation and iron deficiency anemia prevention because it contains abundant bioavailable iron and is frequently consumed in the human diet. However, it is poorly understood in regards its several properties, such as iron mineralization, subunit assembly, and protein folding. To address these issues, we decided to prepare the soybean seed ferritin complex via a recombinant DNA approach. In this paper, we report a rapid and simple Escherichia coli expression system to produce the soybean seed ferritin complex. In this system, two subunits of soybean seed ferritin, H-2 and H-1, were encoded in a single plasmid, and optimal expression was achieved by additionally coexpressing a team of molecular chaperones, trigger factor and GroEL-GroES. The His-tagged ferritin complex was purified by $Ni^{2+}$ affinity chromatography, and an intact ferritin complex was obtained following His-tagged enterokinase (His-EK) digestion. The purified ferritin complex synthesized in E. coli demonstrated some reported features of its native counterpart from soybean seed, including an apparent molecular weight, multimeric assembly, and iron uptake activity. We believe that the strategy described in this paper may be of general utility in producing other recombinant plant ferritins built up from two types of subunits.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.196-203
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• 2012

Objectives: Even though experimental studies have suggested that iron can be involved in generating oxidative stress, epidemiologic studies on the association of markers of body iron stores with cardiovascular disease or cancer remain controversial. This study was performed to examine the association of serum ferritin and transferrin saturation (%TS) with all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular mortality. Methods: The study subjects were men aged 50 years or older and postmenopausal women of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1988-1994. Participants were followed-up for mortality through December 31, 2006. Results: Serum ferritin was not associated with all-cause, cancer, or cardiovascular mortality for either men or postmenopausal women. However, all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular mortality were inversely associated with %TS in men. Compared with men in the lowest quintile, adjusted hazard ratios for all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular mortality were 0.85, 0.86, 0.76, and 0.74 ($p$ for trend < 0.01), 0.82, 0.73, 0.75, and 0.63 ($p$ for trend < 0.01), and 0.86, 0.81, 0.72, and 0.76 ($p$ for trend < 0.01), respectively. For postmenopausal women, inverse associations were also observed for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, but cancer mortality showed the significantly lower mortality only in the 2nd quintile of %TS compared with that of the 1st quintile. Conclusions: Unlike speculation on the role of iron from experimental studies, %TS was inversely associated with allcause, cancer and cardiovascular mortality in men and postmenopausal women. On the other hand, serum ferritin was not associated with all-cause, cancer, or cardiovascular mortality.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.254-258
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• 2005

We have conducted in vitro reconstitution study of ferritin from its subunits FerH and FerL. For the reconstitution, FerH was produced from an expression vector construct in Escherichia coli and was purified from a heat treated cell extract by using one-step column chromatography. FerL was expressed as inclusion bodies. The denatured form of FerL was obtained by a simple washing step of the inclusion bodies with 3 M urea. The reconstitution experiment was conducted with various molar ratios of urea-denatured FerH and FerL to make the ferritin nanoparticle with a controlled composition of FerH and FerL. SDS-PAGE analysis of the reconstituted ferritins revealed that the reconstitution required the presence of more than 40 molar$\%$ of FerH in the reconstitution mixture. The assembly of the subunits into the ferritin nanoparticle was confmned by the presence of spherical particles with diameter of 10 nm by the atomic force microscopic image. Further analysis of the particles by using a transmission electron microscope revealed that the reconstituted particles exhibited different percentages of population with dense iron core. The reconstituted ferritin nanoparticles made with molar ratios of [FerH]/[FerL]=l00/0 and 60/40 showed that 80 to $90\%$ of the particles were apoferritin, devoid of iron core. On the contrary, all the particles formed with [FerH]/[FerL]=85/ 15 were found to contain the iron core. This suggests that although FerH can uptake iron, a minor portion of FerL, not exceeding $40\%$ at most, is required to deposit iron inside the particle.

• Genes and Genomics
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• v.40 no.12
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• pp.1287-1300
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• 2018

Hydrogen sulfide ($H_2S$), a small bioactive gas, has been proved functioning in plant growth and development as well as alleviation of abiotic stresses, which including promoting seed germination, accelerating embryonic root growth, regulating flower senescence, inducing stomatal closure, and defending drought, heat, heavy metals and osmotic stresses etc. However, the molecular functioning mechanism of $H_2S$ was still unclear. The primary objective of this research was to analyze the transcriptional differences and functional genes involved in the $H_2S$ responses. In details, 4-week-old plantlets in tissue culture of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) cultivar 'Zuoyouhong' were sprayed with 0.1 mM NaHS for 12 h, and then transcriptome sequencing and qRT-PCR analysis were used to study the transcriptional differences and functional genes involved in the $H_2S$ responses. Our results indicated that 650 genes were differentially expressed after $H_2S$ treatment, in which 224 genes were up-regulated and 426 genes were down-regulated. The GO enrichment analysis and KEGG enrichment analysis results indicated that the up-regulated genes after $H_2S$ treatment focused on carbon metabolism, biosynthesis of amino acids, and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and the down-regulated genes were mainly in metabolic pathways, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and plant hormone signal transduction. Analyzing the transcription factor coding genes in details, it was indicated that 10 AP2/EREBPs, 5 NACs, 3 WRKYs, 3 MYBs, and 2 bHLHs etc. transcription factor coding genes were up-regulated, while 4 MYBs, 3 OFPs, 3 bHLHs, 2 AP2/EREBPs, 2 HBs etc. transcription factor coding genes were down-regulated. Taken together, $H_2S$ increased the productions in secondary metabolites and a variety of defensive compounds to improve plant development and abiotic resistance, and extend fruits postharvest shelf life by regulating the expression of AP2/EREBPs, WRKYs, MYBs, CABs, GRIP22, FERRITINs, TPSs, UGTs, and GHs etc.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.263-267
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• 2019

BACKGROUD/OBJECTIVES: Obesity is globally a major public health issue. Evidence suggests that elevated ferritin levels are associated with obesity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. This study was undertaken to examine the relationship between the serum ferritin level and depression in Korean male adults with respect to classification of the prevailing obesity. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This was a case-control study; subjects were classified into obese group (${\geq}25.0kg/m^2$, 28 subjects) and normal group ($18.5-22.9kg/m^2$, 27 subjects). A survey was conducted to assess the depression levels as per the guidelines suggested by the Center program for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D). Blood was collected from each group for assessing biomarkers, and isolated plasma was evaluated for fasting glucose, insulin, quantitative insulin sensitivity check index, and ferritin levels. Data were analyzed, and groups were compared with respect to Body Mass Index (BMI), depression scale and biomarkers. RESULTS: The average depression score of the obesity group was 16.86, which was higher than the normal group (12.56). Subjects scoring more than 16 points comprised 53.6% of the population in the obese group, which was more than double that in the normal group, as assessed by the CES-D program. Furthermore, the serum ferritin level of the obesity group was 207.12 ng/mL, which was higher than that of the normal group (132.66 ng/mL). Lastly, the BMI appeared to be significantly correlated with both depression (r = 0.320, P = 0.017) and elevated ferritin levels (r = 0.352, P = 0.008). CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence of existing correlation between ferritin and depression with obesity.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 2015

Purpose: Predicting life expectancy of terminally ill cancer patients is very important. In many studies, ferritin is detected at higher levels in the sera of cancer patients, and higher ferritin level correlates with aggressiveness of disease and poor outcomes of patients. This study evaluated a prognostic role of serum ferritin levels in terminally ill cancer patients. Methods: This study enrolled 65 terminally ill cancer patients from March through June 2012. We assessed routine laboratory findings including serum ferritin levels as well as demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients. To examine the association between serum ferritin levels and patient's characteristics, we used Spearman's correlation analysis, Wilcoxon's rank sum test or Kruskal-Wallis test, as appropriately. For multivariate analysis, Cox's proportional hazard regression model was used to evaluate significance of serum ferritin levels as a prognostic factor. Results: A negative correlation between serum ferritin levels and survival time was found. After adjusting for sex, age, performance status, creatinine levels and white blood cell counts, serum ferritin levels were significantly associated with survival time. Conclusion: Even at the very end of life of terminal cancer patients, serum ferritin levels were an independent prognostic factor for survival.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.72 no.2
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• pp.163-168
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• 2012

Background: Cigarette smoke induced release of iron could alter iron metabolism in the lungs of chronic smokers and contribute to the increase in the total oxidative burden on the lungs of smokers. In previous studies, ferritin levels of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in smokers were elevated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between serum ferritin concentration, smoking and lung function in Korean people. Methods: This study was based on the data acquired in the second year (2008) of the Forth National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey that was conducted from 2007 to 2009. The analysis included 2,244 subjects who were older than 20 years and had complete data from both lung function test and serum ferritin concentration. Among participants, 1,076 were male and 1,168 were female. Results: Mean serum ferritin concentrations in males were $120.3{\pm}80.1{\mu}g/L$ and $47.9{\pm}39.8{\mu}g/L$ in females. There were no differences in serum ferritin concentrations between non-smokers and smokers after adjusting for age, body mass index, and amounts of alcohol. Serum ferritin concentrations were associated with smoking amounts by simple linear regression but not associated with smoking amounts after adjustment with age, body mass index, and amounts of alcohol in both males and females. Lung function was not associated with serum ferritin concentrations. Conclusion: Our data suggested that serum ferritin concentrations are not related with smoking and lung function.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.162-168
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• 2002

Human ferritin H- and L-chain genes(hfH and hfL) were cloned into the yeast shuttle vector YEp352 with various promoters, and the vectors constructed were used to transform Saccharomyces cerevisiae 2805. Three different promoters fused to hfH and hfL were used: galactokinase 1 (GAL1) promoter, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase(GPD) promoter and alcohol dehydrogenase 1(ADH1 ) promoter. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting analyses displayed expression of the introduced hfH and hfL. In the production of both ferritin H and L subunits GAL1 promoter was more effective than GPD promoter or ADH1 promoter. Ferritin H and L subunits produced in S. cerevisiae were spontaneously assembled into its holoproteins as proven on native polyacrylamide gels. Both recombinant H and L-chain ferritins were catalytically active in forming iron core. When the cells were cultured in the medium containing 10 mM ferric citrate, the cell-associated concentration of iron was 174.9 $\mu\textrm{g}$ Per gram(dry cell weight) for the recombinant yeast YG-L and 148.8 $\mu\textrm{g}$ Per gram(dry cell weight) for the recombinant yeast YG-L but was 49.4 $\mu\textrm{g}$ Per gram(dry cell weight) in the wild type, indicating that the iron contents of yeast is improved by heterologous expression of human ferritin H-chain or L-chain genes.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.125-129
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• 2012

By employing soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and soft x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), the electronic structures of molecule-based nano bioparticles, such as Helicobacter pylori ferritin (H. pylori ferritin), Heme, $NaM[Fe(CN)_6]{\cdot}H_2O$-type Prussian Blue (M=Co, Ni) analogue, have been investigated. The measured Fe 2p XAS spectra reveal that Fe ions are trivalent ($Fe^{3+}$) in H. pylori ferritins, while they are in the $Fe^{2+}-Fe^{3+}$ mixed-valent states in $NaM[Fe(CN)_6]{\cdot}H_2O$ Prussian Blue analogues (M=Co, Ni). According to the Fe 2p XMCD spectrum of high-state H. pylori ferritin, all the $Fe^{3+}$ ions have the same local symmetry and their magnetic moments are aligned in the same direction. It is also found that the Fe 3d orbitals in $NaM[Fe(CN)_6]{\cdot}H_2O$ have a strong covalent bonding to $(CN)^-$ ligands, but with a very weak bonding to the 2p orbitals of O ligands.