The hOGG1 mutant genotype is associated with prostate cancer susceptibility and aggressive clinicopathological characteristics in the Korean population

BACKGROUND

The gene encoding human 8-oxoguanine glycosylase 1 (hOGG1) is involved in DNA base excision repair from oxidatively damaged DNA. A case-control study was conducted to evaluate the correlation between the susceptibility and clinicopathological outcomes of prostate cancer (CaP) and hOGG1 genotype.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Subjects were recruited from 266 CaP patients and 266 age-matched benign prostatic hyperplasia patients. The hOGG1 codon 326 genotype was determined by peptide nucleic acid-mediated PCR clamping and compared with Gleason score and tumor stage.

RESULTS

The Cys allele at codon 326 of hOGG1 was associated with an increased risk of CaP in comparison with the Ser allele (P = 0.005). Gleason scores of 8 or higher were observed more often in patients with the mutant genotypes Ser/Cys and Cys/Cys than in those with a wild-type genotype (P = 0.045), and the Cys/Cys homozygous genotype was associated with a significantly higher risk of metastatic disease in comparison with the Ser/Ser genotype (P = 0.017).

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that hOGG1 is associated with the susceptibility to CaP and its aggressive clinicopathological characteristics.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of H1N1-associated pneumonia among adults in South Korea

BACKGROUND

Pneumonia has been reported to be the most life-threatening complication of influenza virus infection.

OBJECTIVE

to describe clinical characteristics and determine risk factors for death among patients with H1N1-associated pneumonia.

DESIGN

A retrospective cohort study included all adult patients diagnosed and treated with H1N1-associated pneumonia in 14 participating institutions between 1 May 2009 and 28 February 2010 in South Korea. Clinical outcomes were summarised and predictors for death evaluated through univariate and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 269 adult patients with H1N1-associated pneumonia were diagnosed and treated. Hospital visits or admissions peaked in November 2009, coinciding with the peak in the 2009 H1N1 epidemic in South Korea. The patients' median age was 48 years; 143 were male. Most (n = 266, 98.9%) were admitted for treatment: 97 (36.1%) required intensive care and 28 (10.4%) needed mechanical ventilation. Despite the use of antiviral and antibacterial agents, 19 patients (7.1%) died. Risk factors predictive of death included presence of malignancy (aOR 12.0, 95%CI 2.8-51.5), and pneumonia severity index (PSI) score (aOR 1.03, 95%CI 1.01-1.04).

CONCLUSION

Deaths among adult patients with H1N1-associated pneumonia were not rare. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of a poor prognosis among H1N1-associated pneumonia patients with underlying malignancy or high PSI score.

Thickness reduction effect in obtaining ultrafine-grained microstructure from oxygen-free copper using high-ratio differential speed rolling

This study has demonstrated a novel method of fabricating ultrafine-grained oxygen free copper sheets by applying high-ratio differential speed rolling (HRDSR) at room temperature that induces severe plastic deformation. Temperature rise of the sample due to friction and plastic deformation during deformation by HRDSR was significant such that beyond a thickness reduction > 65%, the grain refining efficiency was reduced. The proposed processing method holds great potential for continuous production of ultrafine-grained copper alloy sheets.

Three phenotypes of obstructive lung disease in the elderly

SETTING

Eleven referring hospitals in South Korea.

OBJECTIVE

To classify the phenotypes in elderly subjects with obstructive lung disease (OLD).

METHODS

We analysed 191 subjects aged ≥ 60 years with chronic respiratory symptoms and either obstructive spirometry or bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Factor analysis was performed using commonly measured variables and revealed four significant variables: 1) the ratio of inspiratory capacity to total lung capacity, 2) the total score on the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire, 3) the volume fraction of the lung less than 950 Hounsfield Unit at full inspiration on volumetric computed tomography and 4) post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1)) changes. We performed a cluster analysis on these four variables.

RESULTS

The mean age was 68.5 (± 5.2 SD) years and the mean post-bronchodilator FEV(1) was 52.4% (± 16.5) predicted. Three clusters with the following phenotypes were identified: Cluster 1 included subjects with moderate to severe airflow obstruction and bronchodilator reversibility; Cluster 2 subjects had moderate airflow obstruction without bronchodilator reversibility, and Cluster 3 subjects had severe airflow obstruction without bronchodilator reversibility.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified three phenotypes in elderly subjects with OLD. Follow-up studies are needed to explore the clinical significance of each phenotype.

Alendronate affects cartilage resorption by regulating vascular endothelial growth factor expression in rats

This study was performed to determine effects of alendronate on the tibial proximal epiphyseal cartilage undergoing endochondral ossification and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) from the cartilage. Alendronate was injected subcutaneously every other day in postnatal Day 1 Sprague Dawley rats. The rats were sacrificed 3, 5, 7, and 10 days after the first injection. The effect of alendronate treatment for 10 days was demonstrated from the morphological change that the area of the secondary ossification center in the epiphysis was significantly smaller in the alendronate group than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Strong immunoreactivity to VEGF was observed in the hypertrophied chondrocytes and some proliferating chondrocytes in the epiphyseal cartilage at postnatal Day 5 and was decreased after the alendronate treatment for 5 days. Immunoreactivity was observed in not only hypertrophied cells but also the peripheral cartilaginous matrix adjacent to the vascular canals invading into the central portion of the cartilage at postnatal Day 7. This reactivity was also reduced considerably by the alendronate treatment for 7 days. The level of VEGF expression was reduced by the alendronate treatment at both the transcription and translation levels. However, the transcriptional level of the flt-1 and flk-1 receptors was relatively unaltered by the treatment. These results suggest that VEGF expression is required for vascular invasion into the developing cartilage and alendronate can affect its resorption by downregulating VEGF expression.

Association of COPD candidate genes with computed tomography emphysema and airway phenotypes in severe COPD

The principal determining factors influencing the development of the airway disease and emphysema components of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have not been clearly defined. Genetic variability in COPD patients might influence the varying degrees of involvement of airway disease and emphysema. Therefore, we investigated the genetic association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in COPD candidate genes for association with emphysema severity and airway wall thickness phenotypes. Polymorphisms in six candidate genes were analysed in 379 subjects of the National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT) Genetics Ancillary Study with quantitative chest computed tomography (CT) data. Genetic association with per cent of lung area below -950 HU (LAA950), airway wall thickness, and derived square root wall area (SRWA) of 10-mm internal perimeter airways were investigated. Three SNPs in EPHX1, five SNPs in SERPINE2 and one SNP in GSTP1 were significantly associated with LAA950. Five SNPs in TGFB1, two SNPs in EPHX1, one SNP in SERPINE2 and two SNPs in ADRB2 were associated with airway wall phenotypes in NETT. In conclusion, several COPD candidate genes showed evidence for association with airway wall thickness and emphysema severity using CT in a severe COPD population. Further investigation will be required to replicate these genetic associations for emphysema and airway wall phenotypes.

Washoff behavior of in-sewer deposit in combined sewer system through artificial flushing experiment

In-sewer deposits in combined sewer systems (CSSs) are closely related with the behavior of first foul flush and combined sewer overflows. However, the research paying attention to the role of in-sewer deposits is quite rare, furthermore, their contributions for the washoff patterns of each pollutant including pathogenic microorganisms are almost never discussed so far. The artificial flushing experiment separating the washoff of in-sewer deposits from the inflow of surface pollutants was carried out to simulate the first foul flush in a CSS. The washoff behaviors of each pollutant including bacterial indicators and enteric viruses were investigated. Several morphological analyses for the concentration and load curves of each parameter were conducted and all patterns were classified according to their washoff characteristics and first foul flush patterns. The washoff behaviors of each pollutant and microorganism are different from each other and categorized into several groups according to their (i) time-series concentration and load curves and (ii) concentration vs. flow rate curves, respectively. The first foul flush patterns of each parameter were to be categorized into typical 3 groups; strong-, partial-, and no first foul flush group. The order of these groups signifies the strength of the first foul flush phenomena and the runoff priority as well.

Parasympathectomy induces morphological changes and alters gene-expression profiles in the rat submandibular gland

OBJECTIVE

The chorda-lingual (CL) nerve carries parasympathetic fibers to the hilum of the sublingual and submandibular glands (SMGs) and evokes the secretion of saliva. The effect of cutting the CL nerve on the biological processes in SMGs was investigated by examining the gene-expression profiles in the SMGs after a surgical parasympathectomy.

METHODS

At day 3 after the CL nerve cut, the changes in the SMGs at both the experimental cut and contralateral control sides were analysed by microarray and light microscopy. The expression levels of 6 selected genes were confirmed by real-time PCR, Western blot and immunofluorescence staining.

RESULTS

The wet weight of the parasympathectomised SMGs decreased significantly compared to that of the contralateral side (p<0.05). Histological analyses after the parasympathectomy showed a widened interacinar space as well as some atropic changes to the acini of the SMGs in the cut side. Microarray analysis revealed that twofold differential expression in mRNA expression in the parasympathectomized SMGs were detected in 88 genes (0.004%): 41 genes were overexpressed, 11 were underexpressed and 36 were unknown. Changes of the expression of 6 selected genes detected by Western blot and/or real-time PCR were consistent with the microarray data.

CONCLUSION

The important genes involved in biological processes for salivation were identified through a large-scale gene expression analysis.

Effects of bisphosphonate on the endochondral bone formation of the mandibular condyle

The development of the mandibular condylar cartilage is important for the overall growth of the mandible. However, there have been a few researches into medical approaches aimed at controlling condylar growth. This study examined the effects of bisphosphonate on the growth of the condylar cartilage. Alendronate (3.5 mg/kg/week) was administered to postnatal day 1 SD rats for 7 and 10 days. The thickness of each chondrocyte layer and the level of MMP-9 expression were measured. The anteroposterior diameter of the developing condyle was unaffected by the alendronate treatment for 7 days (P > 0.05). The total thickness of the cartilage layers was also unaffected by the treatment for 7 days (P > 0.05). In particular, there was no change in the thickness of the perichondrium and reserve cell layer at the measured condylar regions (P > 0.05). However, the thickness of the proliferating cell layer was reduced significantly, whereas the thickness of hypertrophied cartilage layer was increased (P < 0.05). The number of chondroclasts engaged in hypertrophied cartilage resorption was reduced significantly by the alendronate treatment (P < 0.05). The level of MMP-9 expression was reduced at both the transcription and translation levels by the alendronate treatment for 7 and 10 days. These results indicate that alendronate (>3.5 mg/kg/week) inhibits the longitudinal growth of the mandibular condyle by inhibiting chondrocyte proliferation and the resorption of hypertrophied cartilage for ossification.

Measurement of the short-range attractive force between Ge plates using a torsion balance

We have measured the short-range attractive force between crystalline Ge plates, and found contributions from both the Casimir force and an electrical force possibly generated by surface patch potentials. Using a model of surface patch effects that generates an additional force due to a distance dependence of the apparent contact potential, the electrical force was parametrized using data at distances where the Casimir force is relatively small. Extrapolating this model, to provide a correction to the measured force at distances less than 5 microm, shows a residual force that is in agreement, within experimental uncertainty, with five models that have been used to calculate the Casimir force.

Expression of DCC in differentiating ameloblasts from developing tooth germs in rats

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the expression pattern of the Deleted-in-colorectal-carcinoma (DCC) gene in developing rat tooth germs.

METHODS

Rat pups at 4, 7 and 10 d postpartum were used in this study. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunofluorescent localization were used to determine the level of DCC expression during tooth development.

RESULTS

There was more than 2-fold higher level of DCC mRNA in the rat 2nd maxillary molar tooth germs on 10 d postpartum, which was the root stage, than in the rat 3rd maxillary molar tooth germ, which was at the cap/early bell development stage. In addition, the levels of DCC mRNA in the 2nd maxillary molar germs at 4, 7 and 10 d postpartum increased gradually according to tooth development. Interestingly, immunoreactivity against DCC was specifically detected in the differentiating ameloblasts. DCC was observed in the lateral and apical sides of the newly differentiating and secretory stage ameloblasts. Afterwards, DCC was localized only in the apical side of the maturation stage ameloblasts, not in the lateral side.

CONCLUSION

DCC is expressed in the differentiating ameloblasts, which suggests that this molecule plays a crucial role in amelogenesis.

Nonlinear optical properties of mushroom-shaped CdSe/CdS coreshells

The third-order nonlinear optical susceptibilities of mushroom-shaped CdSe/CdS coreshells as a function of concentration have been investigated using polarization- and concentration-resolved degenerate four-wave mixing in a resonant region. The effective third-order nonlinear optical susceptibilities, /chi(3)xxxx/ and /chi(3)xyyx/ of CdSe/CdS coreshells were estimated to be approximately 1.86 x 10(-21)-1.03 x 10(-20) m2/V2, and approximately 0.45 x 10(-21)-6.15 x 10(-21) m2/V2, respectively, for various concentrations of approximately 0.64 x 10(-3)-4.95 x 10(-3) mol/m3. The second hyperpolarizabilities, /<gammah>xxxx/ and /<gammah>xyyx/, of CdSe/CdS coreshells were extracted to be approximately 2.37 x 10(-41) m5/V2 and approximately 1.29 x 10(-41) m5/V2, respectively.

Effects of alendronate on a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs expression in the developing epiphyseal cartilage in rats

A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS) have been reported to play a role in the degradation of aggrecan, a major component of cartilage. This study was performed to examine the effects of alendronate on the expression of ADAMTS in developing femoral epiphyseal cartilage. Primary cultured chondrocytes from this cartilage were treated with alendronate in vitro and postnatal day 1 rats were injected subcutaneously with alendronate (1 mg/kg) every second day in vivo. The number of cultured chondrocytes and their aggrecan mRNA levels were unaffected by the alendronate treatment at 10(-6) to 10(-4) M concentrations. The mRNA levels of ADAMTS-1, -2 and -9 in chondrocytes were also unaffected. However, the levels of ADAMTS-5 and -4 were reduced significantly by the same treatment. The thickness of the proliferating chondrocyte layers and the aggrecan mRNA levels in the epiphysis were unaffected by the alendronate treatment in vivo. However, the hypertrophied chondrocyte layers became significantly thicker, and the size of the secondary ossification centre was reduced significantly by the same treatment (P < 0.05). Both ADAMTS-4 and -5 mRNA expressions were also reduced significantly in vivo. The immunoreactivity against ADAMTS-4 was seen in hypertrophied chondrocytes and reduced significantly by the alendronate treatment. These results suggested that alendronate can inhibit the degradation of aggrecan in the articular cartilage by downregulating the expression of matrix enzymes such as ADAMTS-4 and -5.

Diurnal fluctuation of indicator microorganisms and intestinal viruses in combined sewer system

Combined sewer overflow (CSO) has been considered to be a source of pathogenic microorganisms for aquatic environment. For the effective control and treatment of CSOs, the microbial behavior in combined sewer system (CSS) needs to be investigated. In this study, whole-day extensive monitoring of indicator microorganisms and intestinal viruses in dry weather flow (DWF) was conducted at a small residential urban drainage area with CSS. All indicator bacteria represented similar diurnal variations in the two different monitoring campaigns; their concentrations gradually decreased to the minimum at the dawn (around 5 a.m.), increased sharply to the maximum around 7 to 8 a.m., and remained rather constant from noon to midnight. On the other hand, neither coliphages nor intestinal viruses showed any concentration peaks in the morning. The maximum/minimum load ratios ranged from 18 to 42 for total coliforms, fecal coliforms and E. coli, whereas those ratios for coliphages, enteroviruses and noroviruses G2 showed greater values than those for indicator bacteria. These results indicate that the diurnal variation patterns of bacterial and viral concentrations in DWF should be considered, which affect the discharge characteristics of each microorganism and the loads of bacteria and viruses in CSOs significantly vary with the overflow time as well.

Non-viral delivery of interleukin-2 and soluble Flk-1 inhibits metastatic and primary tumor growth in renal cell carcinoma

Treatments for renal cell carcinoma, while promising, are still limited by toxicity and cost. In the hopes of finding a novel compound or combination, we developed a plasmid containing the genes for interleukin-2 (IL-2) and soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (msFlk1). The plasmid, p2CMVIL2/msFlk1, demonstrated similar in vitro transgene expression of IL-2 or msFlk1 compared to their single-agent counterparts. Subcutaneous tumor growth was significantly inhibited in the p2CMVIL2/msFlk1 group when delivered locally by the non-viral water soluble polymer, WSLP and exhibited a 50% increase in survival over glucose and single-agent controls. In vivo experimentation demonstrated that WSLP/msFlk1 decreased microvessel density in pCMVmsFlk1 and p2CMVIL2/msFlk1 treated groups. Furthermore, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes expressing CD45RO and CD68 were increased within the tumor microenvironment upon p2CMVIL2/msFlk1 treatment. To determine the effects of p2CMVIL2/msFlk1 in an experimental RENCA lung metastases model, therapeutic DNA was delivered systemically following complexation with the angiogenic endothelial-targeting polymer PEI-g-PEG-RGD. The p2CMVIL2/msFlk1 treatment significantly reduced metastases by 56% over single-agent therapy and increased survival proportions by 50% over all groups. Our work clearly demonstrates that non-viral delivery of p2CMVIL2/msFlk1 can inhibit RENCA growth in a synergistic manner and may represent a new treatment for renal carcinoma.

Expression of TGF-beta signaling proteins in normal placenta and gestational trophoblastic disease

The transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) is a vital regulator of placental development and functions. TGF-beta exerts several modulatory effects on trophoblast cells, such as inhibition of proliferation and invasiveness, and stimulation of differentiation by inducing multinucleated cell formation. In this study, we determine the expression patterns of TGF-beta signaling molecules in normal trophoblast, various hydatidiform mole types and choriocarcinoma. A total of 132 cases, including 51 normal placenta (20 first trimester, 11 second trimester, and 20 third trimester) and 81 gestational trophoblastic diseases (17 choriocarcinoma, and 64 hydatidiform moles: 39 complete, 6 partial, and 19 invasive) were immunohistochemically analyzed with anti-TGF beta1/2, TGF-beta receptor type I (TbetaRI), TbetaRII, Smad 2/3, and Smad 4 antibodies on paraffin blocks. In the case of normal placenta, maximal levels of all TGF-beta signaling molecules were observed in villous trophoblast in the first trimester, which decreased with gestational age. Expression of all the TGF-beta signaling proteins except Smad2/3, was significantly enhanced in various moles, relative to normal trophoblast. Moreover, TGF-beta signaling molecules were significantly downregulated in choriocarcinoma, compared to moles. In particular, TbetaRI and Smad2/3 levels were lower in choriocarcinoma than normal villous trophoblast (TbetaRI: p<0.025, Smad2/3: p<0.001). In conclusion, the TGF-beta signaling pathway plays an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of gestational trophoblastic disease, and may thus be employed as a potential therapeutic target and a diagnostic biomarker.

Characterization of the TSU-PR1 cell line by chromosome painting and flow cytometry

TSU-PR1 was originally reported as a prostatic carcinoma cell line derived from a lymph node metastasis. Recently, however, this cell line was reported to be derived from T24 bladder carcinoma cells, and thus further definition of its origin is needed. Conventional cytogenetic study of TSU-PR1 showed aneuploidy, ranging from 65 to 86 chromosome with a modal number of 80, and with 10 marker chromosomes, thus conventional cytogenetics cannot be used to determine which chromosomes or regions of chromosomes are critical in cancer development and progression of this cell line. The present study was conducted to characterize genetic changes of the cell line using comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and flow cytometry. CGH results showed that green-to-red fluorescence ratios were within the range of 0.85-1.15, except for a few chromosomes, which reflected near tetraploidy in TSU-PR1. Flow cytometric analysis of TSU-PR1 revealed a DNA index of 3.46n, which is close to the 3.48n calculated from a modal number of 80. The copy numbers of chromosomes 4, 6, 7, 17, and 20 determined by the DNA index and the CGH analyses were 2.85 +/- 0.09, 3.22 +/- 0.77, 3.01 +/- 0.26, 4.05 +/- 0.44, and 4.99 +/- 0.48, respectively. These numbers are also in accordance with the chromosome copy numbers determined with FISH: 2.98 +/- 0.23, 2.91 +/- 0.44, 2.74 +/- 0.44, 3.93 +/- 0.38, and 5.05 +/- 0.78 for chromosomes 4, 6, 7, 17, and 20, respectively (P > 0.05).

Varying Ti-6Al-4V surface roughness induces different early morphologic and molecular responses in MG63 osteoblast-like cells

Osteoblast response to Ti implants depends not only on the chemistry of the implant but also on the physical properties of the implant surface, such as microtopography and roughness. This study was undertaken to examine early changes in cell morphology and gene expression during the early phase of osteoblast interaction with titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) surfaces of two different roughnesses. MG63 osteoblast-like cells were cultured for 2, 6, 24, and 72 h on smooth (Ra=0.18+/-0.03 microm) and rough (Ra=2.95+/-0.23 microm) Ti-6Al-4V surfaces. Changes in cell proliferation were assessed by measuring cell number after 72 h in culture. Morphological characteristics were observed by scanning electron microscopy after 2, 6, and 24 h of culture. Changes in gene expression for extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (Erk2), type I collagen (alpha2[I] collagen), phospholipase C-gamma2 (Plc-gamma2), and beta-actin were measured by RT-PCR after 6 and 24 h in culture. Cell number was significantly higher on the smooth surface. In scanning electron micrographs, cells on smooth Ti-6Al-4V were spherical and raised up from the surface after 2 h in culture. In contrast, cells on the rough surface adopted an irregular, elongated shape that spanned across pits in the surface. At 24 h, cells on the smooth surface had flattened, become elongate, and covered the surface. In contrast, cells on the rough surface appeared more differentiated in shape and the margins of the cells were irregular, with many processes extending out, following the contour of the surface. Of the genes examined, only Erk2 and beta-actin showed a change in expression with surface roughness. Both genes were upregulated (p<0.05) on the rough surface at 6 h. These results indicate that Ti-6Al-4V surface roughness affects osteoblast proliferation, morphology, and gene expression, and that these effects can be measured after periods as short as 2-6 h.