• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.679-682
• /
• 2015

Background: Studies indicate the immediate early response gene 3 (IER3) is involved in many biological processes. Recently, it was discovered that IER3 plays an important role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Thus it may be a valuable biomarker in tumor. This study was designed to investigate the expression status of IER3 in primary hepatocarcinoma (PHC) and correlation with clinicopathological parameters. Materials and Methods: Real-time PCR was performed to evaluate the expression levels of IER3 in 62 pathologically diagnosed human PHC specimens. Results: A statistically significant association was disclosed between the expression of IER3 and P53 mutant protein (short for P53), Ki-67, EGFR and the biggest diameter, differentiation grade of tumor. Conclusions: This work is the first to shed light on the potential clinical usefulness of IER3, as an efficient tumor biomarker in PHC.

• Genomics & Informatics
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.42.1-42.17
• /
• 2021

Salivary gland carcinoma (SGC) is rare cancer, constituting 6% of neoplasms in the head and neck area. The most responsible genes and pathways involved in the pathology of this disorder have not been fully understood. We aimed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), the most critical hub genes, transcription factors, signaling pathways, and biological processes (BPs) associated with the pathogenesis of primary SGC. The mRNA dataset GSE153283 in the Gene Expression Omnibus database was re-analyzed for determining DEGs in cancer tissue of patients with primary SGC compared to the adjacent normal tissue (adjusted p-value < 0.001; |Log2 fold change| > 1). A protein interaction map (PIM) was built, and the main modules within the network were identified and focused on the different pathways and BP analyses. The hub genes of PIM were discovered, and their associated gene regulatory network was built to determine the master regulators involved in the pathogenesis of primary SGC. A total of 137 genes were found to be differentially expressed in primary SGC. The most significant pathways and BPs that were deregulated in the primary disease condition were associated with the cell cycle and fibroblast proliferation procedures. TP53, EGF, FN1, NOTCH1, EZH2, COL1A1, SPP1, CDKN2A, WNT5A, PDGFRB, CCNB1, and H2AFX were demonstrated to be the most critical genes linked with the primary SGC. SPIB, FOXM1, and POLR2A significantly regulate all the hub genes. This study illustrated several hub genes and their master regulators that might be appropriate targets for the therapeutic aims of primary SGC.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
• /
• v.48 no.1
• /
• pp.2.1-2.12
• /
• 2023

Objectives: In this study, natural substances were introduced as primary dental pulp caps for use in pulp therapy, and the antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties of these substances were investigated. Materials and Methods: In this in vitro study, the antimicrobial properties of calcium-enriched mixture (CEM) cement, propolis, and propolis individually combined with the extracts of several medicinal plants were investigated against Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. Then, the cytotoxicity of each substance or mixture against pulp stem cells extracted from 30 primary healthy teeth was evaluated at 4 concentrations. Data were gathered via observation, and optical density values were obtained using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) test and recorded. SPSS software version 23 was used to analyze the data. Data were evaluated using 2-way analysis of variance and the Tukey test. Results: Regarding antimicrobial properties, thyme alone and thyme + propolis had the lowest minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against the growth of S. aureus, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa bacteria. For E. faecalis, thyme + propolis had the lowest MIC, followed by thyme alone. At 24 and 72 hours, thyme + propolis, CEM cement, and propolis had the greatest bioviability in the primary dental pulp stem cells, and lavender + propolis had the lowest bioviability. Conclusions: Of the studied materials, thyme + propolis showed the best results in the measures of practical performance as a dental pulp cap.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.161-172
• /
• 2008

Purpose: This study was to classify patient severity score for hemodialysis patients. Method: The subject of this study was 1,575 patients. To study the severity of the patients, we used t-test and ANOVA. The congruity was measured by Kappa coefficient and the severity in each medical facility was analyzed by ANOVA. Result: The results showed that there was a significant difference according to the levels of medical center (F=171.187, p<.0001). Categorizing the severity of the patients in each medical facility, group II and III of the secondary medical institution had higher ratio than the primary medical institution. There was not a single patient coming under group IV in both of the primary or secondary medical institutions. However, the tertiary medical institutions had more subjects in group II and III than the primary and secondary medical institutions. The group IV with the highest severity had 11 patients(1.5%), demonstrating that the tertiary medical institution had higher severity patients than the primary or secondary medical institutions. Conclusion: The results of this study appropriately reflects the repayment system of medical expenses by the government. Also, it provides the fundamental information to develop nursing fee system taken into account of the systemic differences among the primary, secondary and tertiary medical institutions.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.250-257
• /
• 2017

Vitamin D is a cofactor responsible for autoimmune disorders. There is no agreement in the studies investigating the association between vitamin D and fibromyalgia. This study aims to combine the conflicting results of the primary studies which compared these patients with control groups regarding the serum concentration of vitamin D. This meta-analysis has been designed based on PRISMA guidelines. Relevant keywords were searched in PubMed, Science direct, Scopus, Cochrane, and Google scholar and primary studies were selected. After screening the eligible studies according to inclusion/exclusion criteria, we investigated the risk of bias in the selected studies and also the heterogeneity between the primary results using Cochrane (Q) and I-squared ($I^2$) indices. The primary results were combined using inverse variance method and Cohen statistics as well as a random effects model. Publication bias was assessed using Egger test. Sensitivity analysis was applied to investigate the influence of each primary study on the final result of the meta-analysis. Suspected factors in the heterogeneity were assessed using meta-regression models. We entered 12 eligible studies in the meta-analysis including 851 cases compared with 862 controls. The standardized mean difference of Vitamin D between the two groups was -0.56 (95% confidence interval: -1.05, -0.08). Our meta-analysis showed that vitamin D serum levels of patients with fibromyalgia was significantly lower than that of control group.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.20-26
• /
• 2020

Background: High complication rate after open reduction and internal fixation can lead to use of primary total elbow replacement (TER) in treatment of complex distal humerus fractures in elderly patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the short-term outcomes and complications after primary TER in patients with complex distal humerus fracture. Methods: Nine patients with acute complex distal humerus fracture were treated by primary TER using the semiconstrained Coonrad-Morrey prosthesis. The mean age of patients was 72.7 years (range, 63-85 years). Clinical and radiographic outcomes were evaluated over a mean follow-up of 29.0 months (range, 12-65 months) using visual analog scale (VAS) score for pain; Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS); Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (Quick-DASH) score; and serial plain radiographs. Complications were also evaluated. Results: At the final follow-up, mean VAS, MEPS, and Quick-DASH scores were 1.2, 80.5, and 20, respectively. The mean range of motion was 127.7° of flexion, 13.8° of extension, 73.3° of pronation, and 74.4° of supination. There was no evidence of bushing wear or high-grade implant loosening on serial plain radiographs. Three complications (33.3%) comprising two periprosthetic fractures and one ulnar neuropathy were observed. Conclusions: Primary TER for treatment of complex distal humerus fractures in elderly patients yielded satisfactory short-term outcomes. However, surgeons should consider the high complication rate after primary TER.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.68-69
• /
• 2000

A case of primary hyperparathyroidism due to parathyroid adenoma is presented. A 14 year-old male was admitted to the hospital comptaining of voiding difficulty. The intravenous pyelogram demonstrated a stone in the proximal one third of the left ureter and marked hydronephrosis of the left kidney. The Tc-99m sestamibi nuclear scan demonstrated a hot spot below the lower pole of the left lobe of the thyroid. Laboratory study demonstrated hypercalcemia (12.4 mg/dL) and elevated parathyroid hormone (143.67 pg/mL). A parathyroid gland located below the lower pole of the left lobe of the thyroid was excised. A parathyroid adenoma, consisting of mainly chief cells was found on pathologic examination. Postoperatively the patient had transient hypocalcemic symptoms, which resolved with administration of calcium preparation and vitamin D.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.48 no.5
• /
• pp.448-451
• /
• 2010

Primary central nervous system (CNS) sarcomas are exceedingly rare, and, to the best of our knowledge, there has not yet been a report of intramedullary sarcoma. Here, we report a primary intradural intramedullary sarcoma of the spinal cord in a four-year-old boy who presented with low back pain and a radiculopathy involving both lower extremities. The tumor showed significant enhancement on magnetic resonance (MR) images due to its extreme vascularity. Gross total tumor removal was performed with microelectrical pulse recording, and the patient also received adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy. After the operation, the patient's sensory deficits were improved. Because CNS dissemination is common, entire neuraxis evaluation is essential, although there was no evidence of dissemination in this case. The prognosis of primary CNS sarcoma is poor due to infiltrative nature and early CNS dissemination is common, and the treatment of choice is radical surgical resection. Adjuvant therapy is also beneficial with radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.22 no.6
• /
• pp.497-502
• /
• 2014

In the present study, we found that the natural compound arctigenin inhibited hydrogen peroxide-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in rat primary astrocytes. Since hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) plays a critical role as an antioxidant defense factor in the brain, we examined the effect of arctigenin on HO-1 expression in rat primary astrocytes. We found that arctigenin increased HO-1 mRNA and protein levels. Arctigenin also increases the nuclear translocation and DNA binding of Nrf2/c-Jun to the antioxidant response element (ARE) on HO-1 promoter. In addition, arctigenin increased ARE-mediated transcriptional activities in rat primary astrocytes. Further mechanistic studies revealed that arctigenin increased the phosphorylation of AKT, a downstream substrate of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K). Treatment of cells with a PI3K-specific inhibitor, LY294002, suppressed the HO-1 expression, Nrf2 DNA binding and ARE-mediated transcriptional activities in arctigenin-treated astrocyte cells. The results collectively suggest that PI3K/AKT signaling pathway is at least partly involved in HO-1 expression by arctigenin via modulation of Nrf2/ARE axis in rat primary astrocytes.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.61-67
• /
• 1983

Two cases of primary malignant lymphoma of the brain and six cases of secondary CNS lymphoma seen at Yonsei cancer center, radiotherapy department for recent 4 years are presented. Primary lymphomas revealed single tumor mass on corpus callosum area and secondary lymphoma were intracranial (3 cases) or leptomeningeal type (3 cases). Histology of primary lymphoma were reticulum cell sarcoma and secondary lymphomas were either diffuse histiocytic or diffuse poorly differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma. All patients showed good response to radiation. Two patients with primary CNS lymphoma and two of six secondary CNS lymphoma are alive after radiotherapy (34, 31, 26, 12 months). But the prognosis of secondary CNS lymphoma is grave, because of progressive systemic disease. Incidence, risk factors, diagnosis and therapeutic management of CNS involvement are also discussed.