Cardiovascular Genetic Medicine: The Genetics of Coronary Heart Disease

Advances in genomic technologies have provided researchers with an unprecedented opportunity to identify genes that may contribute to the development of coronary heart disease. The power of these technologies lies in their ability to survey the entire genome in a nonbiased fashion to find genes and gene variants associated with coronary heart disease. This article reviews different genomic approaches for studying coronary heart disease and the clinical implications of using genetic information.     

Topoisomerase Mutations in Fluoroquinolone-Resistant and Methicillin-Susceptible and -Resistant Clinical Isolates of Staphylococcus aureus

The incidence of the various mutations in the genes encoding topoisomerase IV and DNA gyrase in fluoroquinolone-resistant clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus is not known. Using restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and DNA sequencing, we found that in fluoroquinolone- and methicillin-resistant strains, mutations in grlA and gyrA are quite likely to be present together. For fluoroquinolone-resistant but methicillin-susceptible strains, mutations in grlA alone are more common.     

Subhyaloid hemorrhage treated with SF6 gas injection.

A 72-year old woman with a premacular subhyaloid hemorrhage could not be treated by laser photodisruption due to a thick posterior cortical vitreous. Pure sulfur hexafluoride (SF6, 0.3 mL) gas was injected intravitreally without recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, and facedown positioning was recommended for 5 days. Posterior vitreous detachment was induced and the hemorrhage dispersed into the vitreous cavity. Eight weeks later, her visual acuity had recovered from hand motions to 20/40. Fluorescein angiography revealed an arterial macroaneurysm in the inferotemporal retina. Intravitreal SF6 gas injection without recombinant tissue plasminogen activator may be an alternative method for treating a relatively new subhyaloid hemorrhage.     

A Hydroxyurea-induced Leg Ulcer

Hydroxyurea is a cytostatic agent that has recently become the drug of choice in the treatment of various myeloproliferative diseases. The cutaneous side effects of hydroxyurea include xerosis, hyperpigmentation, nail discoloration, and scaling. Leg ulcers have only rarely been reported in association with hydroxyurea treatment. A 75-year-old woman presented with leg ulcers, nail discoloration, and xerosis. The leg ulcers were refractory to conventional treatment. She had been taking oral hydroxyurea since being diagnosed with essential thrombocytosis in 2002. Hence, we suspected hydroxyurea-induced leg ulcers and discontinued her hydroxyurea treatment; the ulcers gradually healed thereafter. We present a rare case of hydroxyurea-induced leg ulcers in Korea.     

Odor attributes change in relation to the time of the year. Cinnamon odor is more familiar and pleasant during Christmas season than summertime

Aim of the present study was to examine whether odor attributes like pleasantness and familiarity change in relation to the time of the year. In the first part of the study a total of 100 subjects answered to questions without odor presentation whether a certain odor was more related to summertime or Christmas season. Another 41 and 51 subjects rated the familiarity and hedonicity of 12 odors either during summertime or Christmas season, respectively. Importantly, this investigation was performed at the same place within a science museum during stable environmental conditions. Subjects reported that rose odor was more related to summertime, whereas orange, cinnamon, and cloves were more associated with Christmas season with cinnamon being most intimately connected to this time of the year. Moreover, subjects showed significantly higher familiarity and pleasantness ratings when they smelled cinnamon during the Christmas season than during summertime. Taken together, this study demonstrated that attributes of some odors change throughout the year.     

Potential risks of the natural nanoparticles from the acid mine drainage and a novel approach for their toxicity assessment

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a serious environmental problem due to its acidic pH and high contents of heavy metal ions. Thus, assessment of AMD toxicity has been widely investigated at individual, physiological and molecular levels using various test organisms. However, most studies focused on the toxicity of whole AMD while very few studies identified the toxicity of natural nanoparticles (NPs) originated from AMD. In AMD systems, natural NPs such as amorphous hydroxides, ferrihydrites, schwertmannite and goethite seemed to be formed, which could induce letahl and sublethal toxicity toward aquatic organisms. In this review, we summerized the toxicity of whole AMD and manufactured NPs, and suggested a novel approach for toxicity assessment of natural NPs from AMD.