Psychological characteristics of premedical students in the situation of COVID-19 and educational effect of self reflection meditation / 의료커뮤니케이션

Background@#: In the situation of the national crisis caused by Covid-19, healthcare providers face leadership challenges and professional composure for the benefit of the community. This article aims to find out that self-reflection meditation class for premedical students improves medical leadership and resilience needed for healthcare providers. @*Methods@#: The sample was comprised of 109 premedical students at Pusan National University. We lectured ‘Physicians and leadership’ class focused on self-reflection and meditation for six weeks. We surveyed stress factors, self-reflection, self-esteem, and expectations for life before the class and asked about course satisfaction and changes after the class. A total of 109 questionnaires were retrieved to analyze the data and derive the results of the study. @*Results@#: In the questionnaires about stress factors and self-reflections, grades and exams and questions related to expectations for life recorded the highest average, and negative thinking about self-esteem has the lowest score. In the questionnaire, which asked students to describe their feelings and changes through meditation, most students answered that they could learn to empty negative feelings and be emotionally calm and stable. These were also found in the reflection note analysis. Students experienced ‘self-understanding through deep reflection’ and ‘resolve vague anxiety and fear’ through meditation. This also leads to increase self-awareness and self-satisfaction. @*Conclusion@#: Self-reflection meditation class improved emotional and psychological stability for students and fostered self-leadership to drive their lives in the direction they want. This facilitates interpersonal relationships, leadership, and resilience needed as a healthcare provider.

Identification of mono- or poly-specific monoclonal antibody to Porphyromonas gingivalis heat-shock protein 60

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to define the immunoreactive specificity of Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) heat shock protein (HSP) 60 in periodontitis and atherosclerosis. METHODS: In an attempt to define the cross-reactive bacterial heat-shock protein with human self-antigen at molecular level, we have introduced a novel strategy for cloning hybridoma producing anti-P. gingivalis HSP 60 which is polyreactive to bacterial HSPs or to the human homolog. RESULTS: Five cross-reactive clones were obtained which recognized the #19 peptide (TLVVNRLRGSLKICAVKAPG) among 37 synthetic peptides (20-mer, 5 amino acids overlapping) spanning the whole molecule of P. gingivalis HSP 60. We have also established three anti-P. gingivalis HSP 60 monoclonal antibodies demonstrating mono-specificity. These clones recognized the #29 peptide (TVPGGGTTYIRAIAALEGLK). CONCLUSIONS: Peptide #19 and #29 of P. gingivalis HSP 60 might be important immunoreactive epitopes in the immunopathogenic mechanism of bacterial antigen-triggered autoimmune diseases.

Comparative Quantification of Plasma hnRNP B1 mRNA in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients by Real-time PCR / 대한진단검사의학회지

BACKGROUND: Circulating cell-free nucleic acids are known to be a noninvasive diagnostic tool for cancer detection. Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) B1, a nuclear core complex, is overexpressed in early stage lung cancer. We intended to evaluate the usefulness of plasma hnRNP B1 mRNA in differentiating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from other benign lung diseases, especially pulmonary tuberculosis, which is highly prevalent in Korea and often difficult to distinguish from lung cancer. METHODS: Plasma RNA was extracted from 30 patients with NSCLC, 30 patients with benign lung diseases including pulmonary tuberculosis, and 10 healthy controls. Plasma hnRNP B1 mRNA was measured by TaqMan Gene Expression Assay (Applied Biosystems, USA), and pre-developed beta-actin (ACTB) mRNA was used for normalization. We analyzed the relative gene expression data using the delta-delta Ct method. RESULTS: Plasma hnRPN B1 mRNA was measurable in 93.3% (28/30) of NSCLC patients. Normalized 2-DeltaDeltaCt of plasma hnRPN B1 mRNA was 62.2 (95%Cl, 6.4-210.1) in NSCLC patients and 2.7 (95%Cl, 0.5-13.6) in benign lung disease patients (P<0.001, Mann-Whitney U test). CONCLUSIONS: Plasma hnRNP B1 mRNA was significantly increased in patients with lung cancer compared with that in patients with other benign lung diseases. Plasma hnRNP B1 mRNA may be useful as a potential marker for the detection of NSCLC.

The Differential Effects of Cyclophosphamide on Dendritic Cells and Tissue Macrophages / 대한해부학회지

This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of cyclophosphamide (CY) on dendritic cells (DCs) and ED2 positive tissue macrophages in adult rat lymphoid and non-lymphoid organs. A single dose of CY (150 mg/kg) was administered to Sprague-Dawley rats by intraperitoneal injection. After the rats were sacrificed in groups of three at 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks and 1 month, the tongue, heart, urinary bladder, thymus, spleen and cervical lymph nodes were removed. The immunocytochemical characterization of the cells was carried out using the monoclonal antibodies OX6, OX62 and ED2 in cryostat-cut sections. CY elicited a decrease in number of intraepithelial and interstitial DCs in urinary bladder and in number of interdigitating DCs in all the lymphoid organs examined in this study, whereas CY did not cause any alteration in the number and distribution pattern of dendritic cells in tongue and hearts. CY increased the size and number of tissue macrophages in all the organs examined in this study. Most of these features began to appear from the first day and reached the maximun on the third and seventh day, but two weeks after CY administration, these phenomena declined. In conclusion, CY has differential effects on the rat DCs and macrophages and also on the subpopulations of DC according to the location and the functional state.