The association between gender difference with metabolic syndrome,metabolic syndrome score and serum vitamin D levels in Korean adults

This study assessed the association between gender difference with metabolic syndrome (MetS), metabolic syndrome score (MSS) and serum vitamin D levels in Korean adults. Analyses were restricted to 5147 adults (2162 men; 2985 women) aged 20 and older, using the 2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) data. In the non-adjusted model, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels were inversely associated with MetS (p?=?.001) and MSS (p?=?.009) in men, but positively associated with MetS (p?=?.002) and MSS (p?001) in women. However, when adjusted for related variables (including age), serum 25(OH)D levels were inversely associated with MetS (p?001) and MSS (p?001) in men, but were not associated with MetS (p?=?.200) and MSS (p?=?.541) in women. In conclusion, increases in MetS and its components were inversely associated with the serum vitamin D concentration in men.     

CD80CD86 deficiency disrupts regulatory CD4+FoxP3+T cell homoeostasis and induces autoimmune‐like alopecia

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disease that results in spot baldness in humans. Adequate animal models for AA are currently lacking. The objective of this study was to elucidate the mechanism of autoimmune-like alopecia (ALA) in C57BL/6.CD80CD86-deficient (B6.CD80CD86^−/−) mice. Incidence and severity of alopecia were analysed in 58 B6.CD80CD86^−/− mice using histological examination, flow cytometry, multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, quantitative RT-PCR and CD25 inhibition test. Both male and female B6.CD80CD86^−/− mice showed almost 100% incidence of hair loss at 40 weeks of age. Moreover, CD4+FoxP3+Treg (Treg) cell population in B6.CD80CD86^−/− mice was significantly lower than in B6 mice, which presumably underlined autoimmune reaction. Histologically, B6.CD80CD86^−/− mice showed CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell infiltration around terminal follicle region and exhibited hair follicle destruction in the anagen or catagen stage. Negative correlation between the number of CD4+FoxP3+ Tregs and ALA was confirmed by the CD25 depletion test in B6 mice, as follicle destruction was similar to that observed in B6.CD80CD86^−/− animals. CD80CD86 deficiency disrupted CD4+FoxP3+ Treg homoeostasis and prompted the development of ALA. We demonstrated that B6.CD80CD86^−/− mice might have several advantages as an ALA model, because they exhibited high incidence of disease phenotype and epipathogenesis similar to that observed in human AA.     

Influence of Transforming Growth Factor-��1 Gene Polymorphism at Codon 10 on the Development of Cirrhosis in Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Carriers

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 is a key cytokine producing extracellular matrix. We evaluated the effect of TGF-β1 gene polymorphism at codon 10 on the development of cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B. One hundred seventy eight patients with chronic hepatitis (CH, n=57) or liver cirrhosis (LC, n=121), who had HBsAg and were over 50 yr old, were enrolled. The genotypes were determined by single strand conformation polymorphism. There were no significant differences in age and sex ratio between CH and LC groups. HBeAg positivity and detection rate of HBV DNA were higher in LC than in CH groups (P=0.055 and P=0.003, respectively). There were three types of TGF-β1 gene polymorphism at codon 10: proline homozygous (P/P), proline/leucine heterozygous (P/L), and leucine homozygous (L/L) genotype. In CH group, the proportions of P/P, P/L, and L/L genotype were 32%, 51%, and 17%, respectively. In LC group, the proportions of those genotypes were 20%, 47%, and 33%, respectively. The L/L genotype was presented more frequently in LC than in CH groups (P=0.017). Multivariate logistic regression analysis confirms that detectable HBV DNA (odds ratio [OR]: 3.037, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.504-6.133, P=0.002) and L/L genotype (OR: 3.408, 95% CI: 1.279-9.085, P=0.014) are risk factors for cirrhosis.     

CaMKII control of spine size and synaptic strength: Role of phosphorylation states and nonenzymatic action

CaMKII is an abundant synaptic protein strongly implicated in plasticity. Overexpression of autonomous (T286D) CaMKII in CA1 hippocampal cells enhances synaptic strength if T305/T306 sites are not phosphorylated, but decreases synaptic strength if they are phosphorylated. It has generally been thought that spine size and synaptic strength covary; however, the ability of CaMKII and its various phosphorylation states to control spine size has not been previously examined. Using a unique method that allows the effects of overexpressed protein to be monitored over time, we found that all autonomous forms of CaMKII increase spine size. Thus, for instance, the T286D/T305D/T306D form increases spine size but decreases synaptic strength. Further evidence for such dissociation is provided by experiments with the T286D form that has been made catalytically dead. This form fails to enhance synaptic strength but increases spine size, presumably by a structural process. Thus very different mechanisms govern how CaMKII affects spine structure and synaptic function.     

Changes in gamma- and theta-band phase synchronization patterns due to the difficulty of auditory oddball task

We analyze the pattern of inter-regional functional association between cortical activities during auditory oddball tasks, and the influence of task difficulty on it. Event-related electroencephalograms were recorded from 17 subjects during auditory oddball tasks with two task difficulty levels. The task difficulty was controlled by changing the difference between the frequencies of standard and target tones. The changes in behavioral response and P300 component due to the difficulty were consistent with previous findings, whereby successful control of difficulty was verified. Significant gamma- and theta-band phase synchronization (PS) was observed primarily between frontal and posterior electrodes along the midline, which is interpreted as functional connectivity among cortical regions devoted to the task execution. Apparent differences in PS were identified between two difficulties in both gamma- and theta-bands. On the whole, the number of electrode pairs showing significant PS was much smaller for higher task difficulty. The overall result is in agreement with our recent study which reported similar difference in PS due to the difficulty of ‘visual’ oddball task.     

The Utility of Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization for Detection of Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma in Routine Clinical Practice

To evaluate the ability of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in detecting bladder urothelial carcinoma (BUC), FISH and cytology were compared for the evaluation of 308 consecutive urine samples from patients suspected of having BUC. All patients underwent cystoscopy for identification of bladder lesions. The FISH results were compared with the cytology assessment. In all, 122 patients had confirmed BUC. Among them, 68 (55.7%) were FISH-positive, while only 33 (27%) were positive on cytology. According to disease stage (superficial vs. invasive) and grade (low vs. high), the sensitivities of FISH were also significantly higher than those of cytology in all categories. Moreover, in 36 patients who had no visible tumor with flat, erythematous mucosa (suspicious lesion), FISH was more sensitive than cytology for the detection of BUC (83.3% vs. 33.3%, P=0.002). The FISH was negative in 168 (90.3%) of 186 patients with no histological evidence of BUC or negative cystoscopy findings. The sensitivity of FISH for detecting BUC was superior to that of cytology, regardless of tumor stage and grade. FISH is a significant additional and complementary method for detection of BUC in patients who have suspicious lesions on cystoscopy.     

Giant Mesenteric Lipoma As an Unusual Cause of Abdominal Pain: A Case Report and a Review of the Literature

We report a rare case of giant mesenteric lipoma presenting with colicky abdominal pain. A 29-yr-old woman underwent laparoscopic resection for a giant mesenteric lipoma causing compression of the ileal loop. The resected ileal segment was encased by a giant fatty tissue, and normal mucosal fold patterns of the resected ileum were effaced by the mass. Microscopically, the mass was characterized by homogenous mature adipose tissue without cellular atypia, which was compatible with the diagnosis of a mesenteric lipoma. Despite the benign nature of this tumor, total excision with or without the affected intestinal loop should be considered if intestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain are present.     

Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale – Second Edition: initial validation of the Korean version

Title.  Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale – Second Edition: initial validation of the Korean version.
Aim.  This paper is a report of a study conducted to test the validity and reliability of the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale – Second Edition in Korean culture.
Background.  Depression is a significant mental health problem in adolescents. The Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale – Second Edition has been shown to be a useful tool to assess depression in adolescents, with extensive research on this measure having been conducted in western cultures. Measures developed in western cultures need to be tested and validated before being used in Asian cultures.
Method.  The participants were a convenience sample of 440 Korean adolescents with a mean age of 13·78 years ( sd  = 0·95) from grades 7 to 9 in three public middle schools in South Korea. A cross-sectional design was used. Back-translation was used to create the Korean version, with additional testing for cultural meaning and comprehension. The data were collected at the end of 2004.
Results.  Internal consistency reliability for the Korean version of the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale – Second Edition was 0·89, with subscale reliability ranging from 0·66 to 0·81. Evidence for criterion-related, convergent and discriminant validity for the Korean version of the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale – Second Edition was found. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the 4-factor structure of Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale – Second Edition.
Conclusion.  Our results support the validity and reliability for the Korean version of the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale – Second Edition as a measure of depression and suggest that it can be used to screen students and to evaluate the effectiveness of preventive interventions in school settings.