Shiang-Bin Jong

Decreased Plasma Visfatin Concentrations in Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Objective: To test the hypothesis that plasma visfatin concentrations will be lower in women with gestational diabetes mellitus, we evaluated women with gestational diabetes mellitus and healthy pregnant women, and then correlated their plasma visfatin concentrations with body mass index (BMI) and various other parameters. Methods: A total of 40 women were evaluated: 20 women with gestational diabetes mellitus and 20 healthy pregnant women to serve as control subjects. Plasma visfatin concentrations were analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Plasma visfatin concentrations were significantly lower in the gestational diabetes mellitus group (9.4 ± 3.8 ng/mL) than in the healthy control group (12.6 ± 4.5 ng/mL) (P = .023). A negative correlation was found between plasma visfatin concentrations and maternal (age (r = -0.399, P = .011), first trimester body weight (r = -0.350, P = .027), and first trimster BMI (r = -0.336, P = .034). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that maternal age (P = .017) and gestational diabetes mellitus/no gestational diabetes mellitus (P = .044) were independently related to plasma visfatin concentrations. However, no relationship was found with either gestational age at the time of sampling or first trimester BMI. Conclusions: Our results show that there are decreased concentrations of plasma visfatin in gestational diabetes mellitus subjects and this may indicate that visfatin plays a role in the pathogenesis of gestational diabetes mellitus. However, further experiments are needed to clarify this role.

Correlations between umbilical and maternal serum adiponectin levels and neonatal birthweights

Objective.  To measure adiponectin levels in maternal serum and umbilical cord serum at delivery, and examine whether or not there are correlations between adiponectin levels and neonatal birthweights, maternal body weights and body mass indexes.

Increased Serum Retinol-Binding Protein 4 Concentrations in Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

The authors hypothesized that serum retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) concentrations will be higher in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) subjects. This study tested both women with GDM and healthy pregnant women and correlated their serum RBP4 concentrations with body mass index (BMI) and a variety of other parameters. Also, since there is no information on the relationship between RBP4 concentrations in maternal and fetal serum, this study measured these at delivery and examined whether there were correlations between the cord serum RBP4 levels and maternal serum RBP4 concentrations, neonatal birth weights, and gestational age at delivery. A total of 40 women were evaluated: 20 women with GDM and 20 healthy pregnant women to serve as control subjects. Serum RBP4 concentrations were analyzed with the use of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Serum RBP4 concentrations at glucose challenge test (GCT) were significantly higher in the GDM group (42.4 ± 13.8 ng/mL) than in the healthy control group (32.0 ± 8.7 ng/mL; P = .007). BMI at GCT (P = .003) and GDM/no GDM (P = .014) were significantly correlated to serum RBP4 concentrations at GCT by multiple linear regression analysis. In GDM subjects, serum RBP4 concentrations immediately after delivery were significantly lower than those at GCT (30.1 ± 11.0 ng/mL, 42.4 ± 13.8 ng/mL; P < .001), but there was no such difference in normal subjects (30.9 ± 10.0 ng/mL, 32.0 ± 8.7 ng/mL; P = .581). Cord serum RBP4 concentrations were significantly lower than maternal serum RBP4 concentrations at delivery (10.9 ± 3.8 ng/mL, 30.5 ± 10.4 ng/mL; P < .001). Only fetal birth weight (P = .049) was independently related to cord serum RBP4 concentrations at delivery by multiple linear regression analysis. This study found increased serum RBP4 concentrations at GCT in GDM subjects, and GDM was significantly correlated to serum RBP4 levels after adjustment for the effect of BMI. Lower RBP4 concentrations were found at delivery in GDM subjects. Maternal serum RBP4 concentrations were significantly higher than cord serum RBP4 concentrations, and fetal birth weights were independently correlated to cord serum RBP4 concentrations. These findings may indicate that RBP4 plays a role in the pathogenesis of GDM. However, further experiments are required to clarify this role and find a possible regimen for GDM treatment.

Activity-dependent neuroprotector homeobox protein: A candidate protein identified in serum as diagnostic biomarker for Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimers disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia of late life. To enhance our understanding of AD proteome, the serum proteins were analyzed using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) combined with nano-high performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (nano-HPLC-ESI-MS/MS) followed by peptide fragmentation patterning. In this study, six protein spots with differential expression were identified. Five up-regulated proteins were identified as actin, apolipoprotein A-IV (Apo A-IV), inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H4 (ITIH4), alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT), and antithrombin-III (AT-III); one protein, activity-dependent neuroprotector homeobox protein (ADNP) was down-regulated in AD patients. These proteins with differential expression in the serum may serve as potential indicators of AD. Our results suggested that ADNP may play an important role in slowing the progression of clinical symptoms of AD.

Amniotic fluid and maternal serum leptin levels in pregnant women who subsequently develop preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVES To study the correlation between amniotic fluid leptin levels and maternal serum leptin levels during the early second trimester, and to determine whether the ratios of amniotic fluid leptin levels to maternal serum leptin levels are elevated in pregnant women who subsequently develop preeclampsia. STUDY DESIGN Samples from 120 pregnant women were included in this prospective study, of which 20 were from pregnant women who subsequently developed preeclampsia and 100 were from normal pregnant women. Both the amniotic fluid and the maternal serum leptin levels were ascertained by radioimmunoassay (RIA). RESULTS A strong correlation between amniotic fluid leptin levels and maternal serum leptin levels was observed in both preeclamptic and normal pregnant women. In addition, the ratios of amniotic fluid leptin levels to maternal serum leptin levels were positively correlated to amniotic fluid leptin levels, but negatively correlated to maternal serum leptin levels. Furthermore, the ratios of amniotic fluid leptin levels to maternal serum leptin levels in preeclamptic women were significantly higher than those in normal pregnant women. CONCLUSIONS Amniotic fluid leptin levels correlated with maternal serum leptin levels during the early second trimester. The ratios of amniotic fluid leptin levels to maternal serum leptin levels were elevated in preeclamptic women. However, the maternal serum leptin levels themselves showed no such elevation. Therefore, this elevated ratio may be a marker at the early stage of pregnancy in preeclamptic women.

Serum Adiponectin Levels Increase after Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Treatment during in vitro Fertilization

Aims: To determine whether or not serum adiponectin concentrations are influenced by ovarian hyperstimulation during in vitro fertilization (IVF). Methods: This study involved 52 women who were participating in IVF-ET cycles. Adiponectin levels in serum were determined by radioimmunoassay and compared. Results: Serum adiponectin levels fell from Day-basal to Day-hCG (p = 0.047), and then rose on Day-OR and again on Day-7ET (p < 0.001; p < 0.001). Estradiol levels on Day-hCG were significantly and positively correlated with serum adiponectin levels on Day-OR and Day-7ET (r = 0.325, p = 0.019; r = 0.372, p = 0.007). Progesterone levels on Day-OR positively correlated with serum adiponectin levels on Day-basal (r = 0.278, p = 0.046). There was also a positive correlation between progesterone levels on Day-7ET and serum adiponectin levels on Day-OR (r = 0.289, p = 0.038). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that adiponectin levels on Day-OR and Day-7ET were negatively correlated with age and body mass index after adjustment was made for concomitant diseases. Conclusions: To sum up, following gonadotropin treatment, serum adiponectin levels decrease as a result of the negative effect of high estradiol levels on adiponectin production. Conversely, serum adiponectin levels increase following human chorionic gonadotropin treatment.

Proteomic Profiling of Neuroblastoma Cells Adhesion on Hyaluronic Acid-Based Surface for Neural Tissue Engineering

The microenvironment of neuron cells plays a crucial role in regulating neural development and regeneration. Hyaluronic acid (HA) biomaterial has been applied in a wide range of medical and biological fields and plays important roles in neural regeneration. PC12 cells have been reported to be capable of endogenous NGF synthesis and secretion. The purpose of this research was to assess the effect of HA biomaterial combining with PC12 cells conditioned media (PC12 CM) in neural regeneration. Using SH-SY5Y cells as an experimental model, we found that supporting with PC12 CM enhanced HA function in SH-SY5Y cell proliferation and adhesion. Through RP-nano-UPLC-ESI-MS/MS analyses, we identified increased expression of HSP60 and RanBP2 in SH-SY5Y cells grown on HA-modified surface with cotreatment of PC12 CM. Moreover, we also identified factors that were secreted from PC12 cells and may promote SH-SY5Y cell proliferation and adhesion. Here, we proposed a biomaterial surface enriched with neurotrophic factors for nerve regeneration application.

Urinary protein profiling by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry: ADAM28 is overexpressed in bladder transitional cell carcinoma

Bladder cancer is the most common urological cancer with higher incidence rate in the endemic areas of Blackfoot disease (BFD) in southern Taiwan. The aim of this study was to utilize the proteomic approach to establish urinary protein patterns of bladder cancer. The experimental results showed that most patients with bladder cancer had proteinuria or albuminuria. The urine arsenic concentrations of bladder cancer patients in BFD areas were significantly higher than those patients from non-BFD areas. In the proteomic analysis, the urinary proteome was identified by nano-high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (nano-HPLC/ESI-MS/MS) followed by peptide fragmentation pattern analysis. We categorized 2782 unique proteins of which 89 proteins were identified with at least three unique matching peptide sequences. Among these 89 proteins, thirteen of them were not found in the control group and may represent proteins specific for bladder cancer. In this study, three proteins, SPINK5, ADAM28 and PTP1, were also confirmed by Western blotting and showed significant differential expression compared with the control group. ADAM28 may be used as a possible biomarker of bladder cancer.

Higher Basal Adiponectin Levels Are Associated with Better Ovarian Response to Gonadotropin Stimulation during in vitro Fertilization

Aims: To measure adiponectin levels in the serum samples from day 3 of the menstrual cycle prior to the administration of gonadotropin during in vitro fertilization, and to measure any correlations between adiponectin levels and the number of oocytes retrieved, body weights and body mass indexes. Also, to examine whether there is a difference in adiponectin levels between women who conceive and those who do not. Methods: In a case-control design, 56 women undergoing in vitro fertilization procedures were included in this study: 28 women who conceived were matched with 28 women who did not conceive. Adiponectin levels in serum were determined by radioimmunoassay and compared. Results: The adiponectin levels were positively correlated with the number of oocytes retrieved (r = 0.306, p = 0.022), but negatively correlated with body mass index and body weight (r = –0.367, p = 0.005; r = –0.326, p = 0.014). No significant correlations were found between the number of oocytes retrieved and body mass index or body weight (r = 0.020, p = 0.882; r = 0.069, p = 0.613). We further observed that adiponectin levels in women who conceived (23.0 ± 2.0 µg/ml) were found to be significantly higher (p = 0.026) than those in women who did not conceive (17.3 ±1.4 µg/ml). The number of oocytes retrieved from women who conceived (13.3 ± 0.9) was also higher than that in women who did not (10 ± 1.2; p = 0.029). Conclusions: The number of oocytes retrieved was found to correlate positively with the adiponectin levels on the day prior to the administration of gonadotropin. In addition, basal adiponectin levels were significantly higher in those women who conceived. Therefore, adiponectin is a better marker of adequate follicular development during in vitro fertilization than is body weight or body mass index.

Rapid determination of technetium-99 by automatic solid phase extraction and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Technetium-99 (99Tc) is a key nuclide, produced by the fission of uranium-235 (235U) and plutonium-239 (239Pu), through a cascade decay process, and is one kind of target element in environmental analysis due to its long half-life (t1/2 = 2.1 × 105 years). This study developed a 99Tc analytical technique using automatic solid phase extraction (SPE) with TEVA resin and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The chemical recovery of 99Tc was 94.15 ± 3.14% and the minimum detectable activity (MDA) for cement solidified samples spiked with 99Tc was 1.5 mBq g−1 (2.4 pg mL−1). In this study, standard reference material (SRM), an environmental sample was measured by this analytical method. The proposed method is more convenient than traditional radiochemical methods in terms of reducing the time required for analysis, the consumption of reagents, and radiation exposure of operators.