• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.99-103
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• 2018

Mammary Paget's disease (MPD) is usually accompanied by underlying breast malignancy; however, a few cases have been reported as only skin lesions without any evidence of malignancy of the breast on imaging tests and microscopic examination of surgical specimen. Here, we describe a 47-year-old woman who visited our hospital who had an eczematous lesion on right nipple and areola for over 10 years. The lesion was diagnosed as Paget's disease by punch biopsy; however, imaging studies demonstrated no breast malignancy or lymph node metastasis. The patient underwent surgery of on the nipple and areola including underlying breast tissue. No underlying malignancy was found upon microscopic examination, except for Paget's disease. Immunohistochemical stains revealed that the tumor cells were positive for cytokeratin 7, and negativity for p63, cytokeratin 5/6, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. We report a case of MPD without underlying malignancy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the third case reported in Korea.

• 대한종양외과학회지
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.108-115
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• 2018

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the results of treatment with adjuvant trastuzumab for 9 months versus 12 months in human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer patients. The primary endpoint was disease-free survival. Secondary endpoints included cardiac safety, tolerability, and overall survival. Methods: The study included 60 non-metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer patients. All study patients underwent surgery, received adjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormonal therapy if indicated. Thirty patients were randomized in each group. Group I patients received adjuvant trastuzumab for 12 months, while group II patients received adjuvant trastuzumab for 9 months. Patients were assessed by clinical examination and Echocardiography during treatment. Results: After median follow-up of 12 months, 90% of the patients in group I were disease free and 83.3% of patients in group II were disease free (P=0.402). All studied population in both groups I and II were alive at the end of the 1-year follow-up period after the completion of adjuvant trastuzumab treatment thus overall survival is 100%. Conclusion: Trastuzumab is tolerable and its side effects are reversible. Nine months of adjuvant trastuzumab treatment is more cost effective than the standard 12 months.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제57권4호
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• pp.445-450
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• 2019

Human infections due to the monkey malaria parasite Plasmodium knowlesi is increasingly being reported from most Southeast Asian countries specifically Malaysia. The parasite causes severe and fatal malaria thus there is a need for urgent measures for its control. In this study, the level of polymorphisms, haplotypes and natural selection of full-length pkmsp8 in 37 clinical samples from Malaysian Borneo along with 6 lab-adapted strains were investigated. Low levels of polymorphism were observed across the full-length gene, the double epidermal growth factor (EGF) domains were mostly conserved, and non-synonymous substitutions were absent. Evidence of strong negative selection pressure in the non-EGF regions were found indicating functional constrains acting at different domains. Phylogenetic haplotype network analysis identified shared haplotypes and indicated geographical clustering of samples originating from Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo. This is the first study to genetically characterize the full-length msp8 gene from clinical isolates of P. knowlesi from Malaysia; however, further functional characterization would be useful for future rational vaccine design.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제38권1호
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• pp.27-33
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• 2021

The gut is a complex organ that has played an important role in digestion, absorption, endocrine functions, and immunity. The gut mucosal barriers consist of the immunologic barrier and nonimmunologic barrier. During critical illnesses, the gut is susceptible to injury due to the induction of intestinal hyperpermeability. Gut hyperpermeability and barrier dysfunction may lead to systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Additionally, gut microbiota are altered during critical illnesses. The etiology of such microbiome alterations in critical illnesses is multifactorial. The interaction or systemic host defense modulation between distant organs and the gut microbiome is increasingly studied in disease research. No treatment modality exists to significantly enhance the gut epithelial integrity, permeability, or mucus layer in critically ill patients. However, multiple helpful approaches including clinical and preclinical strategies exist. Enteral nutrition is associated with an increased mucosal barrier in animal and human studies. The trophic effects of enteral nutrition might help to maintain the intestinal physiology, prevent atrophy of gut villi, reduce intestinal permeability, and protect against ischemia-reperfusion injury. The microbiome approach such as the use of probiotics, fecal microbial transplantation, and selective decontamination of the digestive tract has been suggested. However, its evidence does not have a high quality. To promote rapid hypertrophy of the small bowel, various factors have been reported, including the epidermal growth factor, membrane permeant inhibitor of myosin light chain kinase, mucus surrogate, pharmacologic vagus nerve agonist, immune-enhancing diet, and glucagon-like peptide-2 as preclinical strategies. However, the evidence remains unclear.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.410-427
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• 2023

Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have provided novel tools for rapid and precise pathologic diagnosis. The introduction of digital pathology has enabled the acquisition of scanned slide images that are essential for the application of AI. The application of AI for improved pathologic diagnosis includes the error-free detection of potentially negligible lesions, such as a minute focus of metastatic tumor cells in lymph nodes, the accurate diagnosis of potentially controversial histologic findings, such as very well-differentiated carcinomas mimicking normal epithelial tissues, and the pathological subtyping of the cancers. Additionally, the utilization of AI algorithms enables the precise decision of the score of immunohistochemical markers for targeted therapies, such as human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 and programmed death-ligand 1. Studies have revealed that AI assistance can reduce the discordance of interpretation between pathologists and more accurately predict clinical outcomes. Several approaches have been employed to develop novel biomarkers from histologic images using AI. Moreover, AI-assisted analysis of the cancer microenvironment showed that the distribution of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes was related to the response to the immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy, emphasizing its value as a biomarker. As numerous studies have demonstrated the significance of AI-assisted interpretation and biomarker development, the AI-based approach will advance diagnostic pathology.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제25권7호
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• pp.623-633
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• 2024

This study systematically reviewed the role of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the assessment of molecular prognostic biomarkers in breast cancer, focusing on the correlation of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) with hormone receptor status and prognostic biomarkers. Our meta-analysis includes data from 52 studies examining ADC values in relation to estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and Ki-67 status. The results indicated significant differences in ADC values among different receptor statuses, with ER-positive, PgR-positive, HER2-negative, and Ki-67-positive tumors having lower ADC values compared to their negative counterparts. This study also highlights the potential of advanced DWI techniques such as intravoxel incoherent motion and non-Gaussian DWI to provide additional insights beyond ADC. Despite these promising findings, the high heterogeneity among the studies underscores the need for standardized DWI protocols to improve their clinical utility in breast cancer management.

• 한국식품과학회지
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• 제48권1호
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• pp.66-71
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• 2016

델피니딘은 양전하를 뛰는 diphenylpropane의 polyphenolic ring 구조를 가진 주요한 안토시아닌 색소 중에 하나이다. 최근 연구에서 델피니딘은 항산화, 항염증 뿐만 아니라 항암 효능을 가진다고 보고되었다. 본 연구에서는 전립샘 암에서 종양의 성장과 신생혈관생성에 관련된 중요한 인자인 VEGF 발현에 대한 델피니딘의 억제 효과를 조사하였다. RT-PCR을 통해 델피니딘을 처리한 PC3M 전립샘 암세포 세포에서 EGF로 유도한 VEGF mRNA 발현 수준이 감소됨을 확인하였다. 또한 델피니딘은 VEGF의 전사인자인 HIF-$1{\alpha}$와 STAT3가 세포 핵으로 전위되는 것을 효과적으로 억제하였다. 한편 luciferase assay을 통해 HRE-promoter 활성을 확인해 본 결과, 델피니딘이 HIF-$1{\alpha}$의 전사 활성을 억제시켜 VEGF 발현을 감소시키는 것을 알 수 있었다. 그리고 델피니딘은 EGFR의 발현에는 영향을 미치지 않고, Akt, p70S6K, 4EBP1의 인산화를 특이적으로 억제하는 것으로 나타났다. 결론적으로 델피니딘이 HIF-$1{\alpha}$와 STAT3, VEGF 발현을 억제를 통하여 암세포 증식억제와 신생혈관형성을 억제하는 역할을 새롭게 확인하였다.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제43권1호
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• pp.18-32
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• 2022

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the safety, effects on proliferation of hair papilla cells, and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms of Artemisia sieversiana Ehrh. ex Willd. (AS) extract. Methods: Safety tests through purity testing, acute toxicity tests, and repeated toxicity tests were performed using AS extract (ASE) which had been dried for over two years. Cell culture and proliferation tests were conducted; VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor), bFGF (basic fibroblast growth factor), and EGF (epidermal growth factor) and protein expression analyses were performed for mechanistic evaluation; and inhibitory effects of ASE on the RNA expression of testosterone, 5𝛼-reductase, and aromatase was assessed. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant efficacy of ASE was confirmed by measuring the levels of nitric oxide, inflammatory mediators (TNF-𝛼 and PGE2), inflammatory cytokines (IL-1𝛽, IL-6, and IL-8), and chemokine MCP-1. Results: The safety of ASE was confirmed. The mechanism of cell proliferation in human hair follicle dermal papilla cells involved the promotion of VEGF, bFGF, and EGF expression. ASE decreased mRNA expression of testosterone, 5𝛼-reductase, and aromatase-1 in a concentration-dependent manner. PGE2 and TNF-𝛼 production by inflammatory mediators was also significantly decreased in a concentration-dependent manner, and inflammatory cytokine and chemokine expression was inhibited. Conclusions: ASE is suggested to promote papillary cell growth at the cellular level, to suppress expression of various enzymes involved in hair cycle and cell death, and to inhibit hair loss through anti-androgen, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제17권8호
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• pp.4019-4023
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• 2016

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) or bowel cancer is one of the most important cancer diseases, needing serious attention. The cell surface receptor gene human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) may have an important role in provoking CRC. In this pharmaceutical era, it is always attempted to identify plant-based drugs for cancer, which will have less side effects for human body, unlike the chemically synthesized marketed drugs having serious side effects. So, in this study the authors tried to assess the activity of two important plant compounds, ferulic acid (FA) and p-coumaric acid (pCA), on CRC. Materials and Methods: FA and pCA were tested for their cytotoxic effects on the human CRC cell line HCT 15 and also checked for the level of gene expression of EGFR by real time PCR analysis. Positive results were confirmed by in silico molecular docking studies using Discovery Studio (DS) 4.0. The drug parallel features of the same compounds were also assessed in silico. Results: Cytotoxicity experiments revealed that both the compounds were efficient in killing CRC cells on a controlled concentration basis. In addition, EGFR expression was down-regulated in the presence of the compounds. Docking studies unveiled that both the compounds were able to inhibit EGFR at its active site. Pharmacokinetic analysis of these compounds opened up their drug like behaviour. Conclusions: The findings of this study emphasize the importance of plant compounds for targeting diseases like CRC.

• BMB Reports
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• 제46권11호
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• pp.527-532
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• 2013

Gangliosides are complex glycosphingolipids that are the major component of cytoplasmic cell membranes, and play a role in the control of biological processes. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have received considerable attention as alternative sources of adult stem cells because of their potential to differentiate into multiple cell lineages. In this study, we focus on various functional roles of gangliosides in the differentiation of hMSCs into osteoblasts or neuronal cells. A relationship between gangliosides and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation during osteoblastic differentiation of hMSCs was observed, and the gangliosides may play a major role in the regulation of the differentiation. The roles of gangliosides in osteoblast differentiation are dependent on the origin of hMSCs. The reduction of ganglioside biosynthesis inhibited the neuronal differentiation of hMSCs during an early stage of the differentiation process, and the ganglioside expression can be used as a marker for the identification of neuronal differentiation from hMSCs.