The common exon 3 polymorphism of the growth hormone receptor gene and the effect of growth hormone therapy on growth in Korean patients with Turner syndrome

Objective Recombinant human growth hormone (GH) can achieve final adult height gain in girls with Turner syndrome (TS), but its efficacy varies widely across individuals. The exon 3‐deleted polymorphism of growth hormone receptor (d3‐GHR) has been reported to be associated with responsiveness to GH therapy. The short‐term growth response of Turner patients to GH therapy was analysed according to their GHR‐exon 3 polymorphism genotype. Design and patients This was a retrospective study of 175 TS patients. Auxological and endocrine parameters were measured, and the GHR‐exon 3 genotype was analysed. Allelic frequencies of GHR‐exon 3 genotype were compared between patients with TS and control individuals. GH had been administered to 147 patients, 115 of which remained pre‐pubertal after the first follow‐up year. Changes in height standard deviation score (SDS), height velocity (HV), body mass index (BMI), IGF‐1 and IGF binding protein‐3 (IGFBP‐3) concentrations were compared between these patients, grouped according to genotype, after the first follow‐up year. Results There was no difference in GHR‐exon 3 genotype frequency between the TS and control groups of Koreans. According to the GHR‐exon 3 genotype (fl/fl group vs. d3/fl and d3/d3 group), HV gain and height SDS gain did not differ significantly at the first year of GH therapy. Moreover, changes in IGF‐1, IGFBP‐3 concentration and BMI showed no significant difference between the groups with and without d3‐GHR after 1 year of GH therapy. Conclusion The distribution of the GHR‐exon 3 genotype was similar in the TS and control groups in a Korean population. The growth promotion efficacy of GH therapy did not differ significantly between TS patients with and without the d3‐GHR allele. These findings indicate that the GHR‐exon 3 genotype may not be a major factor to affect the GH response in Korean Turner patients.     

Mucinous Adenocarcinoma Involving the Ovary: Comparative Evaluation of the Classification Algorithms using Tumor Size and Laterality

For intraoperative consultation of mucinous adenocarcinoma involving the ovary, it would be useful to have approaching methods in addition to the traditional limited microscopic findings in order to determine the nature of the tumors. Mucinous adenocarcinomas involving the ovaries were evaluated in 91 cases of metastatic mucinous adenocarcinomas and 19 cases of primary mucinous adenocarcinomas using both an original algorithm (unilateral ≥10 cm tumors were considered primary and unilateral <10 cm tumors or bilateral tumors were considered metastatic) and a modified cut-off size algorithm. With 10 cm, 13 cm, and 15 cm size cut-offs, the algorithm correctly classified primary and metastatic tumors in 82.7%, 87.3%, and 89.1% of cases and in 80.6%, 84.9%, and 87.1% of signet ring cell carcinoma (SRC) excluded cases. In total cases and SRC excluded cases, 98.0% and 97.2% of bilateral tumors were metastatic and 100% and 100% of unilateral tumors <10 cm were metastatic, respectively. In total cases and SRC excluded cases, 68.4% and 68.4% of unilateral tumors ≥15 cm were primary, respectively. The diagnostic algorithm using size and laterality, in addition to clinical history, preoperative image findings, and operative findings, is a useful adjunct tool for differentiation of metastatic mucinous adenocarcinomas from primary mucinous adenocarcinomas of the ovary.     

Epidemiological investigation of a measles outbreak in a preschool in Incheon, Korea, 2006]

OBJECTIVES: This study describes a plan that was designed to prevent a measles outbreak that showed a changed outbreak pattern. This study is based on the epidemiological investigation of a measles outbreak in a preschool in Incheon, Korea, 2006. METHODS: The subjects were 152 students at a preschool where a measles outbreak occurred. A questionnaire survey was conducted and serological testing for measles specific IgM was preformed. RESULTS: Of the fifteen confirmed, identified cases, eleven patients had been vaccinated with one dose, one patient had received two doses and three patients were unvaccinated. The three unvaccinated cases consisted of one 5-year-old child, one 3-year-old child and one 16-month-old infant. For the cases with one dose of the vaccination, there were 11 cases, which consisted of six 5-year-old children, two 4-year-old children, two 3-year-old children and one 2-year-old child. The case with two doses of the vaccination was one 4-year-old child. The attack rate of measles was 100% in the 0-dose group, 11.2% in the 1-dose group and 2.0% in the 2-dose group. The vaccine's efficacy was 88.8% in the 1-dose group and 98.0% in the 2-dose group. The vaccine effectiveness for the 2-dose group was higher than that of the 1-dose group. CONCLUSIONS: High coverage with a 2-dose vaccination should be maintained, and the vaccination should be given at the suitable time to prevent a measles outbreak with a changed outbreak pattern.     

Ginsenosides inhibit EGF-induced proliferation of renal proximal tubule cells via decrease of c-fos and c-jun gene expression in vitro

Recent epidemiological studies have demonstrated that ginseng intake is associated with a reduced risk for environmentally related cancers. However, the effects of ginsenosides on the proliferation of renal proximal tubule cells have not yet elucidated. This study investigated the effect of total ginsenosides, protopanaxatriol (PT) saponin, and protopanaxadiol (PD) saponin fraction on epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced renal cell proliferation and, furthermore, c-fos and c-jun gene expression. In the present study, total ginsenosides (10 -6 g/ml) completely blocked EGF-induced DNA synthesis and cell growth. In contrast, the PT and PD fractions partially blocked it. In addition, the EGF-induced increase of c-fos and c-jun gene expression was completely blocked by total ginsenosides and partially by PT and PD saponins. In conclusion, ginsenosides, in part, inhibit EGF-induced cell proliferation via decrease of c-fos and c-jun gene expression in primary cultured rabbit renal proximal tubular cells (PTCs). Abbreviations. EGF:epidermal growth factor PD:protopanaxadiol PT:protopanaxatriol PTCs:primary cultured renal proximal tubule cells     

Isoflavonoids from the rhizomes of Belamcanda chinensis and their effects on aldose reductase and sorbitol accumulation in streptozotocin induced diabetic rat tissues

Aldose reductase, the key enzyme of the polyol pathway, is known to play important roles in the diabetic complication. The inhibitors of aldose reductase, therefore, would be potential agents for the prevention of diabetic complications. To evaluate active principles for the inhibition of aldose reductase from the rhizomes of Belamcanda chinensis, twelve phenolic compounds were isolated and tested for their effects on rat lens aldose reductase. As a result, isoflavones such as tectorigenin, irigenin and their glucosides were found to show a strong aldose reductase inhibition. Tectoridin and tectorigenin, exhibited the highest aldose reductase inhibitory potency, their IC50 values, being 1.08 x 10(-6) M and 1.12 x 10(-6) M, respectively, for DL-glyceraldehyde as a substrate. Both compounds, when administered orally at 100 mg/kg for 10 consecutive days to streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, caused a significant inhibition of sorbitol accumulation in the tissues such as lens, sciatic nerves and red blood cells. Tectorigenin showed a stronger inhibitory activity than tectoridin. From these results, it is suggested that tectorigenin is attributed to be a promising compound for the prevention and/or treatment of diabetic complications.     

Pharmacological activities of a new glycosaminoglycan,acharan sulfate isolated from the giant African snail Achatina fulica

Acharan sulfate (AS) is a glycosaminoglycan (GAG) prepared from the giant African snail, Achatina fulica. In this study, some biological activities of AS were evaluated on the basis of structural similarities to heparin/heparan sulfate and the biological functions of GAGs. We demonstrated that it exhibited strong immunostimulating activities as measured by carbon clearance test in mice and in vivo phagocytosis. It also exhibited a significant hypoglycemic activity in epinephrine (EP)-induced hyperglycemia as well as antifatigue effects by weight-loaded forced swimming test. And it showed hypolipidemic activities in cholesterol-rich mixture induced hyperlipidemia in rats. The above results indicate that AS has diverse biological activities and suggest therapeutically important target molecules.     

Inhibition by acharan sulphate of angiogenesis in experimental inflammation models

1. The effects of acharan sulphate, a glycosaminoglycan isolated from the giant African snail Achatina fulica, on angiogenesis in the granulation tissue were analysed using an air pouch-type carrageenin-induced inflammation model in rats and a cotton thread-induced inflammation model in mice. 2. In the carrageenin-induced inflammation model in rats, intra-pouch injections of acharan sulphate (5 and 50 micro g) inhibited the pouch fluid accumulation and the granulation tissue formation as well as the angiogenesis in the granulation tissue at day 6 in a dose-dependent manner. 3. The inhibitory effects of acharan sulphate at 50 micro g on the pouch fluid accumulation and the leucocyte infiltration into the pouch fluid was not so effective as that of the cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor indomethacin at 100 micro g, but the inhibitory effects of acharan sulphate at 50 micro g on the granulation tissue formation and angiogenesis in the granulation tissue were almost the same as those of indomethacin at 100 micro g. 4. Acharan sulphate did not affect levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the granulation tissue and in the pouch fluid at day 6, but indomethacin significantly lowered them. 5. In the cotton thread-induced inflammation model in mice, injections of acharan sulphate (10 micro g) at the site of the cotton thread implantation inhibited the granulation tissue formation and angiogenesis as indomethacin (20 micro g) did. Acharan sulphate (10 micro g) did not affect levels of VEGF in the cotton thread-induced granulation tissue at day 5, but indomethacin (20 micro g) significantly lowered them. 6. In culture of human vascular endothelial cells, acharan sulphate at 10 and 100 micro g ml(-1) inhibited VEGF-induced capillary tube formation. 7. These findings suggest that the inhibitory effect of acharan sulphate on angiogenesis in carrageenin- and cotton thread-induced granulation tissues is not due to the inhibition of VEGF protein induction, but is due to the inhibition of VEGF-induced vascular tube formation.     

Acute interstitial nephritis due to nicergoline (Sermion)

We report a case of acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) due to nicergoline (Sermion). A 50-year-old patient admitted to our hospital for fever and acute renal failure. Before admission, he had been taking nicergoline and bendazac lysine due to retinal vein occlusion at ophthalmologic department. Thereafter, he experienced intermittent fever and skin rash. On admission, clinical symptoms (i.e. arthralgia and fever) and laboratory findings (i.e. eosinophilia and renal failure) suggested AIN, and which was confirmed by pathologic findings on renal biopsy. A lymphocyte transformation test demonstrated a positive result against nicergoline. Treatment was consisted of withdrawal of nicergoline and intravenous methylprednisolone, and his renal function was completely recovered. To our knowledge, this is the first report of nicergoline-associated AIN.     

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) inhibits growth of Caco-2 colon cancer cells: possible mediation by oleamide

We have previously observed that dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) inhibited colon tumorigenesis induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine in rats. The present study was performed to determine the mechanisms by which CLA inhibits colon cancer cell growth. CLA markedly inhibited Caco-2 cell growth, while linoleic acid (LA) slightly increased growth. Both CLA and LA increased the production of material reactive to antibodies against prostaglandin (PG)E2 and leukotriene (LT)B4, estimated by a competitive enzyme immunoassays (EIA), in a dose-dependent manner. However, the magnitude of the increase was markedly higher with CLA than that with LA, suggesting that this material was not PGE2 or LTB4. The active compound was isolated by thin-layer chromatography and the nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectra revealed that the structure was identical to that of oleamide. The purified oleamide inhibited cell growth and cross-reacted with the EIA. These results indicate that inhibition of Caco-2 cell growth by CLA may be due in part to increased oleamide production.