• Annals of Clinical Microbiology
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.37-43
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• 2015

배경: 결핵은 전세계적으로 단일 원인균으로는 가장 높은 치사율을 가진 질병이다. 결핵의 치료에 있어서 마이코박테리아를 빠르고 정확하게 확인하는 것이 필수적이다. 본 연구에서는 임상 객담 검체의 도말 슬라이드에서 결핵균과 비결핵 항산균의 감별을 위해 Peptide Nucleic Acid (PNA) Probe를 이용한 FISH assay를 평가하고자 한다. 방법: 결핵균과 비결핵 항산균의 16s rRNA를 타겟으로 한 PNA probe를 합성하였다. 각 probe의 특이도는 표준 균주인 Mycobacterium tuberculosis ATCC 13950, M. kansasii ATCC 12479, 임상 검체에서 분리된 마이코박테리아 3종(M. abscessus, M. avium, and M. intracellulare) 그리고 호흡기계에서 흔히 분리되는 10종류의 박테리아를 이용하였다. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)의 Acid fast bacili (AFB) 염색 기준상 trace 이상인 128개의 임상 객담 검체를 이용하여 Probe의 성능을 평가하였다. PNA FISH와 항산균 염색결과는 CDC 기준에 따라 단계를 분류하고 서로 비교하였다. 결과: 결핵균과 비결핵 항산균 특이 PNA probe는 결핵균과 M. kansasii 표준 균주 그리고 임상검체에서 분리된 3종의 마이코박테리아에 대해 특이적인 반응을 보였고 다른 박테리아와 교차반응을 보이지 않았다. 또한 89개의 결핵균 배양 양성 객담 검체와 29개의 비결핵 항산균 배양 양성 객담 검체에 각각 특이적인 반응을 보였고 CDC 기준에 따라 분류한 PNA FISH와 AFB염색 결과는 2+ 이상의 검체에서 서로 잘 일치하였다. 결론: PNA FISH 방법은 임상 객담 검체에서 결핵을 진단하고, 항산균과 비결핵 항산균을 구분하는데 있어서 민감하고 정확한 결과를 보였다.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제70권1호
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• pp.21-27
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• 2011

Background: Although the gold standard method for research trials on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations has been direct sequencing, this approach has the limitations of low sensitivity and of being time-consuming. Peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-mediated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) clamping is known to be a more sensitive detection tool. The aim of this study was to compare the detection rate of $EGFR$ mutation and EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) responsiveness according to $EGFR$ mutation status using both methodologies. Methods: Clinical specimens from 112 NSCLC patients were analyzed for $EGFR$ mutations in exons 18, 19, 20, and 21. All clinical data and tumor specimens were obtained from 3 university hospitals in Korea. After genomic DNA was extracted from paraffin-embedded tissue specimens, both PNA-mediated PCR clamping and direct-sequencing were performed. The results and clinical response to $EGFR$-TKIs were compared. Results: Sequencing revealed a total of 35 (22.9%) mutations: 8 missense mutations in exon 21 and 26 deletion mutations in exon 19. PNA-mediated PCR clamping showed the presence of genomic alterations in 45 (28.3%) samples, including the 32 identified by sequencing plus 13 additional samples (6 in exon 19 and 7 in exon 21). Conclusion: PNA-mediated PCR clamping is simple and rapid, as well as a more sensitive method for screening of genomic alterations in $EGFR$ gene compared to direct sequencing. This data suggests that PNA-mediated PCR clamping should be implemented as a useful screening tool for detection of $EGFR$ mutations in clinical setting.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.52-60
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• 2016

Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) that bridge innate and adaptive immune responses, thereby leading to immune activation. DCs have been known to recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and nucleic acids via their pattern recognition receptors, which trigger signaling of their maturation and effector functions. Furthermore, DCs take up and process antigens as a form of peptide loaded on the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and present them to T cells, which are responsible for the adaptive immune response. Conversely, DCs can also play a role in inducing immune suppression under specific circumstances. From this perspective, the role of DCs is related to tolerance rather than immunity. Immunologists refer to these special DCs as tolerogenic DCs (tolDCs). However, the definition of tolDCs is controversial, and there is limited information on their development and characteristics. In this review, we discuss the current concept of tolDCs, cutting-edge methods for generating tolDCs in vitro, and future applications of tolDCs, including clinical use.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제69권4호
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• pp.271-278
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• 2010

Background: Recent studies have demonstrated that the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) genotype is the most important predictive marker to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and first-line gefitinib treatment will be approved in the near future for use in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with the EGFR mutation. Direct sequencing is known to be the standard for detecting EGFR mutations; however, it has limited sensitivity. Peptide nucleic acids (PNA)-mediated PCR clamping method is a newly introduced method for analyzing EGFR mutations with increased sensitivity and stability. Methods: A total of 71 NSCLC patients were analyzed for EGFR mutations using the PNA-mediated PCR clamping technique. Sixty-nine patients were analyzed for clinicopathologic correlation with EGFR genotype; 2 patients with indeterminate results were excluded. In order to determine EGFR-TKI drug response, 57 patients (42 gefitinib, 15 erlotinib) were included in the analysis. Results: The EGFR mutation rate was 47.8%. Being female, a non-smoker, and having adenocarcinoma were favorable clinicopathologic factors, as expected. However, more than a few smokers (33.3%), male (28.1%), and patients with non-adenocarcinoma (28.6%) had the EGFR mutation. Having a combination of favorable clinicopathologic factors did not increase the EGFR mutation rate significantly. Drug response to EGFR-TKIs showed significant differences depending on the EGFR genotype; ORR was 14.3% for wild type vs 69.0% for mutant type; DCR is 28.6% for wild type vs 96.6% for mutant type. The median EGFR-TKI treatment duration is 7.6 months for mutant type group and 1.4 months for wild type group. Conclusion: EGFR genotype determined using the PNA-mediated PCR clamping method is significantly correlated with the clinical EGFR-TKI responses and PNA-mediated PCR.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제28권12호
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• pp.1774-1783
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• 2015

Milk lysozyme is the ubiquitous enzyme in milk of mammals. In this study, the cDNA sequence of a new chicken-type (c-type) milk lysozyme gene (YML), was cloned from yak mammary gland tissue. A 444 bp open reading frames, which encodes 148 amino acids (16.54 kDa) with a signal peptide of 18 amino acids, was sequenced. Further analysis indicated that the nucleic acid and amino acid sequences identities between yak and cow milk lysozyme were 89.04% and 80.41%, respectively. Recombinant yak milk lysozyme (rYML) was produced by Escherichia coli BL21 and Pichia pastoris X33. The highest lysozyme activity was detected for heterologous protein rYML5 (M = 1,864.24 U/mg, SD = 25.75) which was expressed in P. pastoris with expression vector $pPICZ{\alpha}A$ and it clearly inhibited growth of Staphylococcus aureus. Result of the YML gene expression using quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that the YML gene was up-regulated to maximum at 30 day postpartum, that is, comparatively high YML can be found in initial milk production. The phylogenetic tree indicated that the amino acid sequence was similar to cow kidney lysozyme, which implied that the YML may have diverged from a different ancestor gene such as cow mammary glands. In our study, we suggest that YML be a new c-type lysozyme expressed in yak mammary glands that plays a role as host immunity.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• 제37권5호
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• pp.396-402
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• 2011

Introduction: Epidermal growth factor is a single-chain polypeptide consisting of 53 amino acids with potent mitogenic activity that stimulates the proliferation of a range of normal and neoplastic cells through an interaction with its specific receptor (epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR). This interaction plays a key role in tumor progression including the induction of tumor cell proliferation. An increased EGFR copy number have been associated with a favorable response to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors therapy. In contrast, K-ras mutations tend to predict a poor response to such therapy. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between the clinicopathological factors and the up-regulation of EGFR expression and Kras mutations in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Materials and Methods: This study examined the immunohistochemical staining of EGFR, K-ras mutation detection with peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-based real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) clamping in 20 specimens from 20 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Results: 1. In the immunohistochemical study of poorly differentiated and invasive oral squamous cell carcinoma, a high level of EGFR staining was observed. The correlation between immunohistochemical EGFR expression and histological differentiation, as well as the tumor size of the specimens was significant (Pearson correlation analysis, significance [r] >0.5, P<0.05). 2. In PNA-based real-time PCR clamping analysis, a K-ras mutation was not detected in all specimens. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the up-regulation of the EGFR may play a role in the progression and invasion of oral squamous cell carcinoma that is, independent of a K-ras mutation.

• KSBB Journal
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.80-88
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• 2009

glandular kallikrein에 광범위한 상동성을 가지는 인간 전립성 산성 인산 가수분해 효소는, 전립선암의 대표적인 혈청 biomarkers이다. 수지상세포는 유력한 항원 제시 세포이며, 바이러스, 미생물 병원체 및 종양에 대하여 면역 계통에서 강력한 T 세포 응답을 유도할 수 있다. 따라서, 종양 특이적인 항원으로 감작된 수지상세포를 이용한 면역요법은 anti-tumor 면역 유도를 위한 강력한 방법중의 하나이다. 크레아젠(주)에서 개발된 CTP (세포막 투과성 펩티드) 기술은 세포 내로의 높은 침투 효율성을 가지며 핵산이나 단백질과 같은 생체 고분자 물질을 접합하여 세포내로 수송할 수 있는 기술이다(36). 하지만 활성형의 인간 전립성 산성 인산 가수분해 효소는 세포사멸을 매개할 수 있기 때문에, 본 연구진은 항암 치료용 백신으로의 수지상세포 감작을 위해 비활성형 형태의 다중체 (multimer) 항원을 개발하였다. 본 연구에서, 수지상 세포의 감작과 활성화에 안전하고 효율적인 다중체 형태 (multimeric form)의 세포막 투과성 펩티드가 융합된 인간 전립성 산성 인산 가수분해 효소를 얻기 위한 정제공정을 기법을 개발하였고 젤 여과 크로마토그래피, western blot과 Dynamic Light Scattering을 이용하여 확인하였다. 아울러, 정제된 다중체 형태 (multimeric form)의 세포막 투과성 펩티드가 융합된 인간 전립성 산성 인산 가수분해 효소는 수지상 세포의 감작시 세포질 내로 효과적으로 침투되었다. 결과적으로 세포의 사멸의 부작용이 없이 MHC class I 분자를 통해 수지상세포의 표면으로 효과적으로 제시되었다.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제30권9호
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• pp.772-782
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• 2020

골격근의 분화 또는 근육 분화는 근육량과 신진대사 항상성을 유지하기 위해 중요하다. 근육 특이적 microRNAs (miRNAs)는 골격근 분화에 중요한 역할을 한다. 본 연구에서는 rat miRNAs 마이크로어레이를 사용하여 rat L6 근아세포의 근육 분화 과정에서의 miRNAs 발현 양상을 조사했다. 우리는 miR-128의 발현 증가를 발견했고, 동시에 이미 알려진 근육 분화 조절 miRNAs인 miR-1, miR-133b와 mi-206의 발현 증가를 확인했다. 이 microarray 결과를 확인하기위해 우리는 Quantitative RT-PCR 기술을 사용하였고, microarray 결과와 유사하게 발현 초기 mRNAs와 발현 후 성숙 miRNAs에서 모두 miR-128의 발현 증가를 확인했다. 또한 Rat L6 근아세포로의 miR-128 발현 향상은 muscle creatine kinase (MCK), myogenin, myosin heavy chain (MHC)와 같은 근육분화 표지 유전자 발현을 유발했고, 또한 MHC의 단백질 발현을 증가시켰다. 억제 PNAs를 사용한 miR-128의 작용 억제는 이러한 근육 분화 표지 유전자들의 발현을 차단했다. 또한, miR-128 발현 향상은 Erk와 Akt 단백질의 인슐린 자극에 의한 인산화를 증가시켰고, 고인슐린혈증과 고혈당증으로 인해 유도된 인슐린 저항성으로 인한 Erk와 Akt의 억제된 인산화를 회복했다. 이러한 발견은 miR-128이 근육분화와 인슐린 작용에 중요한 역할을 할 수 있다는 것을 시사한다.