Research of New Biomarker for Breast Cancer Using Proteomic Patterns / 한국유방암학회지

PURPOSE: Early detection and treatment of cancer is a primary focus of health care. Many serum markers are available for breast cancer, but are not good enough for screening. Cancer antigen CA 15-3 is the most widely used biomarker for breast cancer. However, CA 15-3 has low sensitivity and specificity. This study was performed to analyze the serum proteomic pattern in breast cancer patients by surface-enhanced laser desoption/ionization time- of-flight (SELDI-TOF). METHODS: We screened for potential tumor biomarkers in 42 serum samples, including samples from a group of 23 breast cancer patients at different clinical stages [stage I (n=3), stage II (n=11), stage III (n=6), and stage IV (n=1)], and a control group of 19 healthy women. Diluted serum samples were applied to a C16 hydrophobic interaction chip (H4). Complex protein profiles of different groups were compared and analyzed using the Protein Chip software 2.1 (Ciphergen Biosystems). RESULTS: There were 7 significant protein peaks in the breast cancer group and 5 in the control group. Scoring the expression of each peak, the mean score was 8.5 in the cancer group and 3.5 in the control. The results of the combination of each peak were highly sensitive (91.2%) and specific (94.7%). These proteomic patterns did not correlate with tumor stage and hormonal receptor, c-erb B2. CONCLUSION: In this preliminary report, we identified protein profiles that were differentiated in breast cancer patients. After proper validation, serum proteomic pattern analysis may ultimately be applied in screening breast cancer as a stand-alone or combined with current options.

Studies on Hypertension in Korea: I. Clinical Study

An analytical observation was carried out on clinical features manifested by 435 patients admitted to Sacred Heart Hospital under a diagnosis of hypertension for a period of June 1968 to August 1972. The following results were obtained: 1. The occurence rate of hypertension was like to be higher in males than in females, showing a ratio of 3:2. The group of the 6th decade of age showed the densest distribution followed the groups in the 5th and the 7th decades, in either sex. 2. The average measurement of blood pressure in patients with hypertension for less than 2 years of duration was 174.8+/-25.14/114.0+/-18.72 mmHg. One who had suffered for over 10 years showed 189.7+/-32.02/126.6+/-23.95mmHg. The value had a tendency to increase as the ailment duration prolonged. 3. In eye fundus findings,hypertensive retinopathy of K-W stage II was the most frequent, observed in 39.0% of all. The appearing rate of hypertensive retinopathy increased and the change in the eye ground was accentuated as the ailment lingered longer. There was no noticeable correlative evidence between serum cholesterol and retinopathy by K-W classification, while the appearing rate of arteriosclerosis in the eye ground by Scheie's classification somewhat increased as serum cholesterol elevated. 4. Albuminuria was observed in 62.9% of all cases, a tendency of a higher appearing rate in parallel with the protraction of illness and a higher measurement of blood pressure. 5. The appearing rate of albuminuria increased as the change of eye fundus deepened. 6. The mean value of serum cholesterol was 192.0mg%, and there was no difference in cholesterol determination by age. 7. The ECG revealed an abnormal tracing in 78.0% of all cases, of which LVH was the most common abnormality appearing in 62.3%. The abnormalities in ECG were found more frequently as the illness protracted longer and blood pressure measured higher. 8. The chest X-ray showed abnormal findings in 55.6% of all cases, of which cardiomegaly was the most common change evidenced in 43.9%. 9. The cerebrovascular accident(22.9%), cardiac failure(8.6%) and renal insufficiency(7.9%) were the major complications of hypertension. The cerebrovascular accident was also found in higher occurence in the cases of longer duration of ailment with hypertension.