Interferon-γ-Inducible Chemokines as Prognostic Markers for Lung Cancer.

Interferon (IFN)-γ-inducible chemokines in the CXCR3/ligand axis are involved in cell-mediated immunity and play a significant role in the progression of cancer. We enrolled patients with lung cancer (n = 144) and healthy volunteers as the controls (n = 140). Initial blood samples were collected and concentrations of IFN-γ and IFN-γ-inducible chemokines CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Of patients with lung cancer, 125 had non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 19 had small cell lung cancer. The area under the curve (AUC) (95% CI) of CXCL9 was 0.83 (0.80-0.89) for differentiating lung cancer patients from controls. The levels of all the markers were significantly higher in NSCLC patients with stage IV than in those with stages I-III. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that NSCLC cancer patients with higher levels of all markers showed poorer survival than those with lower levels. In Cox multivariate analysis of patients with NSCLC, independent prognostic factors for overall survival were CXCL9 and CXCL11. CXCL9 was the only independent prognostic factor for cancer-specific survival. Serum IFN-γ-inducible chemokines may be useful as clinical markers of metastasis and prognosis in NSCLC, and CXCL9 levels showed the most significant results.

TB Antigen-Stimulated CXCR3 Ligand Assay for Diagnosis of Tuberculous Lymphadenitis.

The diagnosis of tuberculous lymphadenitis (TB-LAP) is challenging. We evaluated the role of blood CXC chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3) ligands in its diagnosis. A total of 65 lymphadenopathy patients were enrolled and lymph node sampling was performed. We also recruited 113 control subjects, consisting of 27 with positive results and 86 with negative results, in the interferon (IFN)-γ release assay (IGRA). In all study subjects, whole-blood samples were collected using the IGRA methodology. After incubation, plasma levels of IFN-γ and two CXCR3 ligands, IFN-inducible T-cell a chemoattractant (I-TAC) and monokine induced by IFN-γ (MIG), were measured using immunoassay. Fifty-three TB-LAP patients were enrolled. TB antigen-stimulated IFN-γ, I-TAC, and MIG levels were all significantly higher in the TB-LAP patients than in the controls and non-TB-LAP patients. The levels of I-TAC and MIG, but not IFN-γ, showed significant differences between the TB-LAP patients and IGRA-positive controls. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs) of IFN-γ, I-TAC, and MIG were 0.955, 0.958, and 0.959, respectively, for differentiating TB-LAP from control group, and were 0.912, 0.956, and 0.936, respectively, for differentiating TB-LAP from non-TB-LAP. In conclusion, the TB antigen-stimulated MIG and I-TAC could be useful biomarkers in the diagnosis of TB-LAP.

Epidemiological investigation and physician awareness regarding the diagnosis and management of Q fever in South Korea, 2011 to 2017.

BACKGROUND: In South Korea, the number of Q fever cases has rapidly increased since 2015. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the epidemiological and clinical features of Q fever in South Korea between 2011 and 2017. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We analyzed the epidemiological investigations and reviewed the medical records from all hospitals that had reported at least one case of Q fever from 2011 to 2017. We also conducted an online survey to investigate physicians' awareness regarding how to appropriately diagnose and manage Q fever. The nationwide incidence rate of Q fever was annually 0.07 cases per 100,000 persons. However, there has been a sharp increase in its incidence, reaching up to 0.19 cases per 100,000 persons in 2017. Q fever sporadically occurred across the country, with the highest incidences in Chungbuk (0.53 cases per 100,000 persons per year) and Chungnam (0.27 cases per 100,000 persons per year) areas. Patients with acute Q fever primarily presented with mild illnesses such as hepatitis (64.5%) and isolated febrile illness (24.0%), whereas those with chronic Q fever were likely to undergo surgery (41.2%) and had a high mortality rate (23.5%). Follow-up for 6 months after acute Q fever was performed by 24.0% of the physician respondents, and only 22.3% of them reported that clinical and serological evaluations were required after acute Q fever diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Q fever is becoming an endemic disease in the midwestern area of South Korea. Given the clinical severity and mortality of chronic Q fever, physicians should be made aware of appropriate diagnosis and management strategies for Q fever.

Effectiveness of simulation-based interprofessional education for medical and nursing students in South Korea: a pre-post survey.

BACKGROUND: Effective collaboration and communication among health care team members are critical for providing safe medical care. Interprofessional education aims to instruct healthcare students how to learn with, from, and about healthcare professionals from different occupations to encourage effective collaboration to provide safe and high-quality patient care. The purpose of this study is to confirm the effectiveness of Interprofessional education by comparing students' attitudes toward interprofessional learning before and after simulation-based interprofessional education, the perception of teamwork and collaboration between physicians and nurses, and the self-reported competency differences among students in interprofessional practice. METHODS: The survey responses from 37 5th-year medical students and 38 4th-year nursing students who participated in an interprofessional education program were analyzed. The Attitude Towards Teamwork in Training Undergoing Designed Educational Simulation scale, the Jefferson Scale of Attitudes Toward Physician-Nurse Collaboration, and the Interprofessional Education Collaborative competency scale were used for this study. The demographic distribution of the study participants was obtained, and the perception differences before and after participation in interprofessional education between medical and nursing students were analyzed. RESULTS: After interprofessional education, student awareness of interprofessional learning and self-competency in interprofessional practice improved. Total scores for the Jefferson Scale of Attitudes Toward Physician-Nurse Collaboration did not change significantly among medical students but increased significantly among nursing students. Additionally, there was no significant change in the perception of the role of other professions among either medical or nursing students. CONCLUSIONS: We observed an effect of interprofessional education on cultivating self-confidence and recognizing the importance of interprofessional collaboration between medical professions. It can be inferred that exposure to collaboration situations through Interprofessional education leads to a positive perception of interprofessional learning. However, even after their interprofessional education experience, existing perceptions of the role of other professional groups in the collaboration situation did not change, which shows the limitations of a one-time short-term program. This suggests that efforts should be made to ensure continuous exposure to social interaction experiences with other professions.

Beneficial Function of Taurine on Bone Metabolism in Alcohol-Fed OVX Rat Model.

The present study investigates the effects of taurine on bone markers and bone mineral density (BMD) in alcohol-fed ovariectomized (OVX) rat model. We divided twenty four rats into Sham and OVX groups. These two groups were thereafter subdivided into two groups: control and experimental diet containing 2 g/kg of taurine. BMD and bone mineral content (BMC) were estimated by PIXImus. As bone markers, we measured serum calcium, phosphorus, ALP activity, osteocalcin and urine calcium, phosphorus and DPD crosslinks value. The results were as follows: weight gain showed no significant difference and serum calcium concentration was in normal range. Urine DPD crosslink value was significantly decreased in taurine-fed group (p < 0.05). Serum ALP activity and osteocalcin levels, and urine phosphorus concentration did not show any differences among groups. Also the mineral density and content of spinal and femural bone did not show any differences among groups. However, the femur BMD was significantly increased in taurine-fed group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, taurine supplemented diets may have positive results on bone metabolism in alcohol-fed OVX rat model.

Effects of Taurine and Vitamin D on Antioxidant Enzyme Activity and Lipids Profiles in Rats Fed Diet Deficient Calcium.

Calcium deficiency is a worldwide problem affecting both developed and developing countries. The deficiency in calcium leads to a marked decrease of superoxide dismutase. It is known that vitamin D protects cells against oxidative damages while taurine plays an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant role. In this study, we examined whether vitamin D and taurine supplementation had a protective effect on oxidative stress in rats fed calcium deficient diet. Female SD rats (mean weight 60 ∼ 70 g) were divided into four groups; control, taurine, vitamin D, taurine + vitamin D for 6 weeks (taurine: 2 g/100 g diet, vitamin D: 0.5 mg/100 g diet). We then analyzed the level of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) in serum and level of TC, TG in liver. We investigated antioxidative enzyme activities such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). We observed that weight gain was not significantly different in the experimental groups. Food efficiency ratio (FER) was significantly higher in the normal control group than the taurine and vitamin D groups (p < 0.05). The level of liver TC was significantly lower in taurine, vitamin D, taurine + vitamin D groups than control group (p < 0.05). The concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) was significantly lower in the taurine group than the control group. The activity of SOD was higher in taurine group than other experimental groups (p < 0.05), but GSH-Px and CAT were not significantly different. In conclusion, taurine has a positive effect on SOD activity but not on vitamin D. Also taurine and vitamin D have a protective effect as observed in liver TC in rats fed with a diet which lacks calcium.

Independent risk factors for mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who undergo comprehensive cardiac evaluations.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the impact of cardiovascular comorbidities on the prognosis of COPD is not well known. OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to investigate the effects of cardiovascular comorbidities on the prognosis of COPD. METHODS: We enlisted 229 patients with COPD who underwent comprehensive cardiac evaluations including coronary angiography and echocardiography at Ajou University Hospital between January 2000 and December 2012. Survival analyses were performed in this retrospective cohort. RESULTS: Kaplan-Meier analyses showed that COPD patients without left heart failure (mean survival = 12.5 ± 0.7 years) survived longer than COPD patients with left heart failure (mean survival = 6.7 ± 1.4 years; p = 0.003), and the survival period of nonanemic COPD patients (mean survival = 13.8 ± 0.8 years) was longer than that of anemic COPD patients (mean survival = 8.3 ± 0.8 years; p < 0.001). The survival period in COPD with coronary artery disease (CAD; mean survival = 11.37 ± 0.64 years) was not different from that in COPD without CAD (mean survival = 11.98 ± 0.98 years; p = 0.703). According to a multivariate Cox regression model, a lower hemoglobin level, a lower left ventricular ejection fraction, and the forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) were independently associated with higher mortality in the total COPD group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Hemoglobin levels and left ventricular ejection fraction along with a lower FEV1 were identified as independent risk factors for mortality in COPD patients who underwent comprehensive cardiac evaluations, suggesting that multidisciplinary approaches are required in the care of COPD.

Effects of Rubus coreanus-Cheonggukjang on Bone Mineral Density and Bone Mineral Content in Growing Rats.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the bone-conserving effects of Rubus coreanus-Cheonggukjang (RC-CGJ) supplemented with more intensified phytochemicals compared to general Cheonggukjang (CGJ) in growing rats. Eighteen rats were divided into 3 treatment groups (Control, CGJ, and RC-CGJ) and were given experimental diets for 9 weeks. All of the rats in this study were fed a AIN-93G-based diet. Both CGJ groups were fed with 33.1% CGJ and RC-CGJ powder, respectively. The results of this study indicate that weight gain, mean food intake, and food efficiency ratio were not significantly different by the experimental diets among all groups. Spine bone mineral density (BMD) and femur BMD were not significantly different by the experimental diets. Spine bone mineral content (BMC) was significantly higher in the RC-CGJ and CGJ groups than in the control group, regardless of CGJ type. The femur BMC of the CGJ supplemented group was significantly higher compared with the control group and the RC-CGJ group. Compared with the control group, spine BMD and femur BMD per weight were markedly increased in the RC-CGJ and CGJ group regardless of CGJ type. Also, spine BMC per weight was significantly higher in the RC-CGJ group than in the CGJ group. However, femur BMC per weight was significantly higher in the CGJ group than in the RC-CGJ group. It can be concluded that RC-CGJ and CGJ supplemented diets have more beneficial effects on spine and femur peak bone mass in growing rats.

Analysis of the population genetic structure of the malaria vector Anopheles sinensis in South Korea based on mitochondrial sequences.

The population genetics of Anopheles sinensis, a major malaria vector in South Korea, was studied based on the nucleotide sequences of a 238-bp variable region of the mitochondrial control region. Three features of genetic variance were observed. First, the Taebaek and Sobaek mountain ranges may function as genetic barriers between the Northern Group (NG) and the Southern Group (SG). These mountain ranges are associated with the subdivision of the population, and significant and unique population differentiation was observed in the examined area. Second, the genetic cohesiveness observed within each group may have been caused by a recent expansion in the population rather than recurrent gene flow. Third, a marked dissimilarity in the genetic diversity between the two groups may also have resulted from several factors that caused a difference in the effective population sizes.

Complement-mediated tail degradation of Neodiplostomum seoulense cercariae.

The furcocercus cercariae of Neodiplostomum seoulense (Digenea: Neodiplostomidae) penetrate the skins of tadpoles and shed their tails. The speculated mechanism of this tail loss was physical efforts required to produce a vigorous zigzag motion during skin penetration; no other mechanism has been proposed. We examined the relationship between the host serum and cercarial tail loss. Cercariae of N. seoulense were collected from experimentally infected Segmentina hemisphaerula, and lots of 300 cercariae were cultured in medium 199 contained several types of sera. Cercarial tail degradation was induced in all media, but all the cercariae cultured except those cultured in media containing fetal bovine serum (FBS) died within 48 hr. After 72 hr cultivation in media containing FBS, cercarial tail degradation was induced in 67.0%; in continuous cultivation 13.3% of larvae survived for 7 days. Tail degradation did not occur in the absence of serum and when serum was heat inactivated at 56 degrees Celsius for 30 min. The addition of 20 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) blocked cercarial tail degradation completely. Moreover, the addition of 20 mM MgCl2 restored tail degradation blocked by EDTA. These results suggest that the alternative complement pathway is related with the N. seoulense cercarial tail degradation induced by serum.

Structural analyses of novel glycerophosphorylated alpha-cyclosophorohexadecaoses isolated from X. campestris pv. campestris.

Novel periplasmic anionic cyclic glucans produced by Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris were isolated by trichloroacetic acid treatment and various chromatographic techniques. No report has been made on the presence of substituted cyclic glucans of the Xanthomonas species. We show, for the first time, that X. campestris pv. campestris produces the anionic cyclic glucans with phosphoglycerol residues, the presence of which can be predicted by analyzing the sequence database with the aid of the NCBI RefSeq database. To analyze the structure of isolated anionic cyclic glucans analyses, we used NMR spectroscopy, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) and electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry (ESIMS). The results suggest that the novel anionic forms of the cyclic glucans of X. campestris pv. campestris are glycerophosphorylated alpha-cyclosophorohexadecaose with one or two phosphoglycerol substituents at the C-6 positions of the glucose residues.

Enantioseparation using sulfated cyclosophoraoses as a novel chiral additive in capillary electrophoresis.

Highly sulfated cyclosophoraoses (HS-Cys) were synthesized by the chemical modification of a family of neutral cyclosophoraoses isolated from Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii. The HS-Cys were then analytically characterized using Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy and elemental analysis. These HS-Cys were successfully used as a novel chiral additive, in low-pH aqueous background electrolytes, for capillary electrophoretic separation of five basic chiral drugs such as arterenol, atenolol, isoproterenol, propranolol, and metoprolol.