Hye Jung Lee

Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of the Metabolic Syndrome in Middle-Aged Korean Adults

Background The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence and clinical characteristic of the metabolic syndrome of adults, over 40 years old, living in Korea. Methods This study was carried out for 2 years, 2003-2004, on total 5,330 individuals (2,197 men and 3,133 women) selected by the stratified random cluster sampling among adults over 40 years old. Metabolic syndrome was defined based on both the NCEP-ATP III criteria and Modified ATP III criteria applying the WHO-APR (Asian Pacific Region)s abdominal obesity criteria (waist circumference > 90 cm in men, 80 cm in women) instead of NCEP-ATP III criteria. Results Using NCEP-ATP III criteria, the age-adjusted overall prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 24.8% (17.6% in men, 30.0% in women). Age-adjusted overall prevalence of metabolic syndrome as defined by modified-ATP III criteria was 34.3% (26.3% in men, 40.1% in women). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome for each age group (40-49, 50-59, 60-69, ≥ 70) in men was as follows: 18.8%, 17.4%, 18.3%, 14.5%. In women: 22.3%, 32.7%, 39.9%, 39.3%. The prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia (triglycerides ≥ 1.7 mmol/l) was well correlated with the changing pattern of the prevalence of metabolic syndrome both in men and women. Conclusions The peak age of metabolic syndrome in men was age 40 through 49, and the prevalence decreased with aging. Therefore, early intervention for risk factors of metabolic syndrome might be required in men. On the other hand, prevention for cardiovascular disease will be needed for perimenopausal women due to considerably increased prevalence in the age 50 through 59.

Transforming growth factor-β induces epithelial to mesenchymal transition and suppresses the proliferation and transdifferentiation of cultured human pancreatic duct cells†‡

Pancreatic duct cells are considered a potential source of β‐cell regeneration, and transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) has been suggested to perform an important role in these processes, but the underlying mechanism of the signal pathways, especially in humans, remains poorly understood. To evaluate the role of TGF‐β1, pancreatic duct cells were isolated from three brain‐dead organ donors. Pancreatic cell clusters harvested after islet isolation were dispersed to single cells and cultured in monolayers, then treated with TGF‐β1. We analyzed the characteristics of the cultured cells, the TGF‐β1 intracellular signaling pathway, the proliferation, and transdifferentiation rates of the duct cells. We also evaluated the genes and protein expression patterns after TGF‐β1 treatment. After TGF‐β1 treatment, typical morphologic changes representative of EMT were observed and Erk1/2, JNK, and AKT phosphorylation, Ras downstream effectors, were increased. β cell‐specific transcription factors including PDX‐1, Beta2/NeuroD, Ist‐1, and NGN3 were markedly suppressed and the rate of transdifferentiation into β cells was also suppressed. Genomic and proteomic analyses suggested that TGF‐β1 induces marked changes in a variety of structural genes and proteins associated with EMT. In conclusion, TGF‐β1 induces EMT in cultured human pancreatic duct cells, but suppresses its proliferation and transdifferentiation into β cells. Our results are the first report of TGF‐β1 effects for EMT and ductal cell transdifferentiation and proliferation at the protein level in human pancreatic duct cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 112: 179–188, 2011.

Comparison of pharmacokinetic characteristics of sildenafil citrate chewable tablets and film-coated tablets in healthy male subjects

UI14SDF100CW is a chewable tablet of sildenafil citrate, which was developed to improve compliance through convenience of administration. The purpose of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of sildenafil citrate chewable tablets (UI14SDF100CW) and conventional sildenafil citrate film-coated tablets (Viagra®, Pfizer). A randomized, open-label, single dose, two-treatment, two-period, two-way crossover study was conducted in 60 healthy male volunteers. In each period, the subjects received a single oral dose of UI14SDF100CW or Viagra® (both tablets contain 140.45 mg of sildenafil citrate, which is equivalent to 100 mg of sildenafil). Serial blood samples were collected up to 24 h post-dose for PK analysis. The plasma concentration of sildenafil was determined using a validated HPLC-MS/MS assay. PK parameters of sildenafil were calculated using non-compartmental methods. The plasma concentration-time profiles of sildenafil in both formulations were similar. For UI14SDF100CW, the Cmax and AUClast of sildenafil were 1068.69 ± 458.25 (mean ± standard deviation) mg/L and 3580.59 ± 1680.29 h·mg/L, and the corresponding values for Viagra® were 1146.84 ± 501.70 mg/L and 3406.35 ± 1452.31 h·/L, respectively. The geometric mean ratios (90% confidence intervals) of UI14SDF100CW to Viagra® for Cmax and AUClast were 0.933 (0.853–1.021) and 1.034 (0.969–1.108), respectively, which met the bioequivalence criteria of Korean regulatory agency. In conclusion, UI14SDF100CW and Viagra® showed similar PK properties. Therefore, UI14SDF100CW can be an alternative to sildenafil for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, providing better compliance.

Nonparametric Method in One-way Layout for Umbrella Alternatives based on Placement

The treatment effect in clinical tests depending on dose of the drug; however, it can show a decreasing trend in fixed dose level due to side effects. The trend is known as an umbrella pattern; in addition, the method for the umbrella alternative is quite useful when the tendency is predicted in advance. In this paper, we propose a nonparametric method of umbrella alternatives for a one-way layout by using linear placement described in Orban and Wolfe (1982). The Monte Carlo simulation is adapted to compare the power of proposed procedure with previous methods.