Kyung-A Lee

Novel interleukin 1β polymorphism increased the risk of gastric cancer in a Korean population

BackgroundPolymorphisms in the gene for interleukin 1β (IL-1B) have been found to increase the risks of gastric cancer and its precursors in response to Helicobacter pylori infection in white populations. However, there has been no independent confirmation of the role of IL-1B markers in gastric cancer patients from Asian populations. Moreover, there have been conflicting data regarding the effect of IL-1B-511/-31 on the risk of gastric cancer or its precursors in Asian populations. Therefore, we assessed an additional polymorphism in the promoter region of IL-1B at position-1473 with the IL-1B-511/-31 polymorphisms in a Korean population.MethodsIn a case-control study, including 331 gastric cancer cases and 433 controls, we assessed the association between the three polymorphisms and the risk of gastric cancer. All genotyping was performed in duplicate. To assess the DNA-binding activity of IL-1B-1473 in vitro, we performed an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA).ResultsWhen cases were divided according to the histologic type of the tumor, a significant difference in genotype frequencies for IL-1B-1473 was observed only between intestinal-type cases and controls (odds ratio [OR], 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0–3.5 and OR 2.1 and 95% CI, 1.1–4.2 in the CG and GG genotypes, respectively). In the cases, there was a deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in the IL-1B-511/-31 loci confined to the intestinal type, due to the excess of heterozygotes. The IL-1B-1473G allele showed decreased binding to nuclear extract, indicating a wearker promoter activity on EMSA.ConclusionsWe identified a novel single-nucleotide polymorphism, 1473C→G, in the IL-1B promoter that was significantly associated with gastric cancer among Koreans. Our results also suggest that the association between IL-1B polymorphism and an increased risk of gastric cancer may depend on the histologic type of gastric cancer.

MDGAs interact selectively with neuroligin-2 but not other neuroligins to regulate inhibitory synapse development

The MAM domain-containing GPI anchor proteins MDGA1 and MDGA2 are Ig superfamily adhesion molecules composed of six IG domains, a fibronectin III domain, a MAM domain, and a GPI anchor. MDGAs contribute to the radial migration and positioning of a subset of cortical neurons during early neural development. However, MDGAs continue to be expressed in postnatal brain, and their functions during postnatal neural development remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that MDGAs specifically and with a nanomolar affinity bind to neuroligin-2, a cell-adhesion molecule of inhibitory synapses, but do not bind detectably to neuroligin-1 or neuroligin-3. We observed no cell adhesion between cells expressing neuroligin-2 and MDGA1, suggesting a cis interaction. Importantly, RNAi-mediated knockdown of MDGAs increased the abundance of inhibitory but not excitatory synapses in a neuroligin-2–dependent manner. Conversely, overexpression of MDGA1 decreased the numbers of functional inhibitory synapses. Likewise, coexpression of both MDGA1 and neuroligin-2 reduced the synaptogenic capacity of neuroligin-2 in an artificial synapse-formation assay by abolishing the ability of neuroligin-2 to form an adhesion complex with neurexins. Taken together, our data suggest that MDGAs inhibit the activity of neuroligin-2 in controlling the function of inhibitory synapses and that MDGAs do so by binding to neuroligin-2.

Three cases of childhood nocturnal asthma due to buckwheat allergy

Background: Buckwheat flour (BF) is known as a potent food allergen. Sensitization to it usually occurs by ingestion but also by inhalation in occupational or domestic exposure. Buckwheat chaff‐stuffed pillows (BCP) can be contaminated with BF during the process of pilling, and many Korean children and adults use BCP for health reasons.

Single bolus of intravenous ketamine for anesthetic induction decreases oculocardiac reflex in children undergoing strabismus surgery

Background:  Oculocardiac reflex (OCR) is a major complication of pediatric strabismus surgery. The aim of the present study was to determine whether a single bolus of intravenous (i.v.) ketamine for anesthetic induction can decrease OCR in children undergoing strabismus surgery.

On detecting the presence of fetal R-wave using the moving averaged magnitude difference algorithm

An efficient algorithm for detecting the presence of a fetal QRS complex is presented. The proposed fetal QRS detection method computes the averaged magnitude of the difference between the fetal ECG signal and the reference signal to detect the fetal QRS event. The detected signal fetal QRS complexes are exponentially averaged to generate the template signal which can track the slowly varying shape of the fetal ECG signal. As an effort to obtain improved detection performances, two approaches of normalizing the fetal ECG signal and the template are considered.<<ETX>>

PutidaNET: Interactome database service and network analysis of Pseudomonas putida KT2440

BackgroundPseudomonas putida KT2440 (P. putida KT2440) is a highly versatile saprophytic soil bacterium. It is a certified bio-safety host for transferring foreign genes. Therefore, the bacterium is used as a model organism for genetic and physiological studies and for the development of biotechnological applications. In order to provide a more systematic application of the organism, we have constructed a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis system of P. putida KT2440.ResultsPutidaNET is a comprehensive interaction database and server of P. putida KT2440 which is generated from three protein-protein interaction (PPI) methods. We used PSIMAP (Protein Structural Interactome MAP), PEIMAP (Protein Experimental Interactome MAP), and Domain-domain interactions using iPfam. PutidaNET contains 3,254 proteins, and 82,019 possible interactions consisting of 61,011 (PSIMAP), 4,293 (PEIMAP), and 30,043 (iPfam) interaction pairs except for self interaction. Also, we performed a case study by integrating a protein interaction network and experimental 1-DE/MS-MS analysis data P. putida. We found that 1) major functional modules are involved in various metabolic pathways and ribosomes, and 2) existing PPI sub-networks that are specific to succinate or benzoate metabolism are not in the center as predicted.ConclusionWe introduce the PutidaNET which provides predicted interaction partners and functional analyses such as physicochemical properties, KEGG pathway assignment, and Gene Ontology mapping of P. putida KT2440 PutidaNET is freely available at http://sequenceome.kobic.kr/PutidaNET.

Multicentre study of robotic intersphincteric resection for low rectal cancer

There is a lack of information regarding the oncological safety of robotic intersphincteric resection (ISR) with coloanal anastomosis. The objective of this study was to compare the long‐term feasibility of robotic compared with laparoscopic ISR.

TP53BP2 locus is associated with gastric cancer susceptibility.

We investigated the association of the TP53BP2 locus with gastric cancer susceptibility in a Korean population. We assayed 9 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in an 82.5 kb region that included the TP53BP2 locus in 233 male gastric cancer patients and 390 unaffected healthy male controls. The allelic frequencies of 4 SNP within TP53BP2, g.206692C>T, g.198267A>T, g.164895G>A and g.152389A>T, differed significantly between cases and controls (p ≤ 0.0376). When compared to carriers of non‐risk alleles, individuals homozygotic for each of the risk alleles had a 50% increase in risk of gastric cancer (age‐adjusted odds ratio [OR] =≥ 1.48; p ≤ 0.0371). Furthermore, these 4 significantly associated SNP were in strong linkage disequilibrium (r2 ≥ 0.51). Haplotype analysis showed that individuals with the CAGA haplotype, consisting of the risk alleles at each SNP, had a 1.55‐fold higher risk for gastric cancer than individuals with the haplotype TTAT, consisting of the non‐risk alleles at each SNP (OR = 1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.13–2.14; p = 0.00705). Two other SNP were not polymorphic in the study subjects, whereas the other 3 SNP, located toward the outside of the TP53BP2 locus, were not associated with gastric cancer susceptibility. Although the location of the pathogenic variant is not yet known, our results suggest that the TP53BP2 locus is associated with susceptibility to gastric cancer in the Korean population.

JAK2 V617F/C618R mutation in a patient with polycythemia vera: a case study and review of the literature.

The acquired Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) V617F mutation shows a high frequency in diverse BCR/ABL-negative chronic myeloproliferative disorders (CMPD), and it is typically associated with polycythemia vera (PV). The frequency of JAK2 V617F mutation is about 90% in patients with PV, 50-60% in patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET), primary myelofibrosis (PMF), and less in patients with other myeloid neoplasms, while extremely rare in lymphoid malignancies. About 20 kinds of novel mutations of JAK2 other than V617F have been reported recently in the literature. Among these mutations, only one case of JAK2 V617F/C618R has been reported in a 67-year-old patient with PV. Here, we report a rare case of JAK2 V617F/C618R in a 41-year-old Korean male patient with review of the relevant literature on JAK2 mutations other than V617F. Although the frequency of JAK2 mutations other than the V617F is very low, this study emphasizes the need for assiduous analysis of the JAK2 gene to characterize new mutations, to determine their frequency, and to improve understanding of the clinical phenotypes as well as prognostic and biologic features associated with these mutations.

Preceding orbital granulocytic sarcoma in an adult patient with acute myelogenous leukemia with t(8;21): a case study and review of the literature

A 25-year old man with a 30 month history of proptosis and pain of the right eye was referred to Severance Hospital of Yonsei University. Orbital computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a huge mass in the right retrobulbar orbit; an incisional biopsy and orbitotomy were performed for diagnosis and orbital soft tissue decompression. Subsequent histopathology disclosed sheets of mononuclear cells in the orbital mass, and immunohistochemical stains demonstrated positive results for myeloperoxidase and CD43, which supported the diagnosis of granulocytic sarcoma (GS). After his 1-year follow-up, the patient presented with pancytopenia, and an ensuing bone marrow aspiration revealed markedly hypercellular marrow replaced by many large abnormal myeloblasts. The patient was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia with t(8;21) preceded by orbital GS. Orbital GS is primarily a disease of children, and extremely rare in adults. To the best of our knowledge, only four cases of this disease in adults have been reported in the literature. Our case is the first report of preceding orbital GS in an adult patient with a complex karyotype including t(8;21).