Novel Associations between Related Proteins and Cellular Effects of High-Density Lipoprotein

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Recent studies have examined the structure-function relationship of high-density lipoprotein (HDL). This study aimed to identify and rank HDL-associated proteins involved in several biological function of HDL. METHODS: HDLs isolated from 48 participants were analyzed. Cholesterol efflux capacity, effect of HDL on nitric oxide production, and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 expression were assessed. The relative abundance of identified proteins in the highest vs. lowest quartile was expressed using the normalized spectral abundance factor ratio. RESULTS: After adjustment by multiple testing, six proteins, thyroxine-binding globulin, alpha-1B-glycoprotein, plasma serine protease inhibitor, vitronectin, angiotensinogen, and serum amyloid A-4, were more abundant (relative abundance ratio ≥2) in HDLs with the highest cholesterol efflux capacity. In contrast, three proteins, complement C4-A, alpha-2-macroglobulin, and immunoglobulin mu chain C region, were less abundant (relative abundance ratio <0.5). In terms of nitric oxide production and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 expression, no proteins showed abundance ratios ≥2 or <0.5 after adjustment. Proteins correlated with the functional parameters of HDL belonged to diverse biological categories. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, this study ranked proteins showing higher or lower abundance in HDLs with high functional capacities and newly identified multiple proteins linked to cholesterol efflux capacity.ope

Study of international development cooperation support for the development of dentistry in LAOS PDR

학위논문(박사)--서울대학교 대학원 :치의학대학원 치의학과,2020. 2. 이승표.연구목적: 대한민국은 전 세계 국가 중 원조 수원국에서 공여국으로 바뀐 유일한 나라로 국제사회에서 여러 의미를 가지고 있다. 이러한 사례는 저개발 혹은 개발도상국들에게 시사하는 점이 많으며, 이들 국가들로부터 발전 경험을 공유하고자 하는 다양한 요청을 받고 있다. 공적 원조의 하나인 국제개발협력은 저개발 및 개발도상국의 발전 지원을 통해 빈곤과 차별의 문제를 해결하고자 하는 국제 사회의 활동을 뜻한다. 이미 오래전부터 적절한 치과진료를 위한 치의학 발전의 필요성은 계속 인정되어 왔지만 지금까지 대한민국의 치의학 분야 국제개발협력 실적은 거의 전무한 상황이다. 따라서 이번 논문에서는 글로벌교육지원사업의 진행과 성과에 대한 평가를 통하여 개발도상국 치의학 분야의 수요를 확인하고 교육분야 개발협력사업의 발전 방향을 모색하고자 한다. 연구방법: 교육부 글로벌교육지원사업 중 라오스 보건과학대학 치의학부 역량강화를 위한 수요조사 및 예비 타당성 조사 사업을 통해 작성된 자료들에 기초하였다. 1차 대면 설문조사는 교수 및 강사 15명, 6학년 학생 3명에 대하여 설문이 진행되었고, 2차 서면 설문조사는 교수 및 강사 28명, 학생은 73명에게 조사하였다. 일부 항목에 대하여 교수진과 학생 간의 의견차이 확인을 위하여 t-test 또는 일원배치분산분석법을 이용하여 분석하였다. 통계 프로그램은 SPSS 20.0을 사용하였다. 연구결과: 본 연구를 통하여 UHS FoD의 수요를 파악하고 필요한 사항을 확인할 수 있었다. UHS FoD 구성원들은 임상 치과의사 양성과 교수들의 역량 강화를 필요로 하였다. 교육공간에 대해서 교수진은 실습 공간이 부족하다 하였고, 학생들은 강의실 개선을 요구하였다. 실습 교육에서는 임상전단계실습의 필요성이 가장 높게 나왔고, 교수들은 임상 강의에 대한 수요가 높았다. 개별과목에 대해서는 교수진과 학생 사이 차이가 있었으나, 임상 과목에 대한 수요가 높았고 강의보다는 임상실습이 더욱 필요하다고 응답하였다. 치과의사 역량 평가 및 졸업 후 재교육에 대한 수요도 매우 높았다. 결론: 이러한 결과를 토대로 물적, 인적 지원이 아우러지는 종합적인 대책이 필요하였으며, 우선적으로 임상전단계실습 지원이 필요하다는 결론을 얻었다.1. Objectives: The expansion of Koreas presence in the international community has led to remarkable developments and it is the only country in the world that has been able to shift from recipient to donor country status. International development cooperation entails the actions and support the international community provides in order to alleviate poverty and discrimination in developing countries. There has been needs for qualified dental treatment service and related knowledge development but no cooperation action from Korea. Therefore this study is analyze the result of global education supporting project and find the needs of developing country about dentistry. 2. Methods: The data from global education supporting project were used. Interview survey, 15 staffs and three students were involved and document survey, 28 staffs and 73 students were involved. T-test and ANOVA were used for the statistical comparison of answers between staffs and students. 3. Results: Briefly interviewee needs increased number of clinical dentist and capacity empowerment of professors. Genereally, staffs needs preclinical practice and clinical contents lectures. Regarding subjects, the needs for clinical subjects and practice were higher than basic and lecture, respectively. Also, needs for the evaluation of dentists capacity and life-long education. 4. Conclusions: In conclusion, UHS FoD needs supply of both hardware and software and most of all, preclinical practice support was needed.국문초록 1 목차 3 서론 4 연구대상 및 자료수집 14 연구결과 23 고찰 47 참고문헌 60 영문초록 65 부록 67Docto

Association of opioid receptor gene polymorphisms with drinking severity and impulsivity related to alcohol use disorder in a Korean population

AIMS: Recent evidence suggests that the opioid system is implicated in the pathophysiology of alcohol use disorder (AUD). We aimed to examine the genetic influence of opioid receptors on susceptibility to AUD and its clinical and psychological characteristics including harmful drinking behavior and various aspects of impulsivity in AUD patients. METHODS: Three μ-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1) variants and two κ-opioid receptor gene (OPRK1) variants were examined in 314 male patients with AUD and 324 male controls. We applied the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS), and Alcohol Dependence Scale. AUD patients also completed the stop-signal task, delay discounting task, balloon analogue risk task, and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale version 11 (BIS-11). RESULTS: No significant differences in genotype distributions or haplotype frequencies were found between AUD patients and controls. However, OPRK1 SNP rs6473797 was significantly related to the severity of alcohol-related symptoms as measured by AUDIT and OCDS and a haplotype containing rs6473797 was also related to OCDS scores in AUD patients. For other psychological traits, OPRM1 SNP rs495491 was significantly associated with scores on the motor subfactor of the BIS-11. CONCLUSION: Genetic variations in opioid receptors may contribute to symptom severity and impulsivity in AUD patients.ope

Two patients with acute myocardial infarction presenting with simultaneous acute ischemic stroke

Myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke often share the same risk factors and pathogenic mechanism. Sometimes they can occur in the same patient proximately, occurring days or weeks apart. However, the simultaneous occurrence of MI and stroke is rare and presents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Specifically, an acute stroke can alter typical features of MI. Thus, recognition of the coexistence of these two events requires a high threshold of suspicion. The authors describe two patients who presented with simultaneous stroke and MI development. The two events developed on the same day in both patients. The second patient did not have chest pain, whereas chest symptoms could not be assessed in the first patient secondary to altered mental status. After the diagnoses were made using clinical and laboratory findings, urgent percutaneous coronary intervention was performed in both patients.ope

Effects of Statins for Primary Prevention in the Elderly: Recent Evidence

The number of the elderly individuals is steeply increasing, and their absolute cardiovascular risk is higher than that of younger age groups. However, very few statin trials have included elderly patients alone. Recently, we published the SCOPE-75 study, which analyzed the effect of statins for primary prevention in elderly Koreans (>75 years). In this study, statin users showed significantly fewer cardiovascular events and a lower all-cause mortality rate, supporting more active use of statins in this population. In the current review, we further compare and discuss similar studies reported in the past decades and in recent years.ope

Deficiency of peroxiredoxin 2 exacerbates angiotensin II-induced abdominal aortic aneurysm

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an inflammatory vascular disease characterized by structural deterioration of the aorta caused by inflammation and oxidative stress, leading to aortic dilatation and rupture. Peroxiredoxin 2 (PRDX2), an antioxidant enzyme, has been reported as a potential negative regulator of inflammatory vascular diseases, and it has been identified as a protein that is increased in patients with ruptured AAA compared to patients with nonruptured AAA. In this study, we demonstrated that PRDX2 was a pivotal factor involved in the inhibition of AAA progression. PRDX2 levels were increased in AAA compared with those in normal aortas in both humans and mice. Ultrasound imaging revealed that the loss of PRDX2 accelerated the development of AAA in the early stages and increased AAA incidence in mice infused with angiotensin II (Ang II). Prdx2-/- mice infused with Ang II exhibited increased aortic dilatation and maximal aortic diameter without a change in blood pressure. Structural deterioration of the aortas from Prdx2-/- mice infused with Ang II was associated with increases in the degradation of elastin, oxidative stress, and intramural thrombi caused by microhemorrhages, immature neovessels, and the activation of matrix metalloproteinases compared to that observed in controls. Moreover, an increase in inflammatory responses, including the production of cell adhesion molecules and the accumulation of inflammatory cells and proinflammatory cytokines due to PRDX2 deficiency, accelerated Ang II-induced AAA progression. Our data confirm that PRDX2 plays a role as a negative regulator of the pathological process of AAA and suggest that increasing PRDX2 activity may be a novel strategy for the prevention and treatment of AAA.ope

Acute heart failure after pericardiocentesis in a patient with malignant pericardial effusion

Pericardiocentesis and removal of the fluid in patients with pericardial effusion can cause several complications. Though rarely, rapid removal of effusion may alter the fluid dynamics resulting in circulatory complication. We describe a 40-year old male with malignant pericardial effusion associated with germ cell tumor. Twelve hours after massive drainage of fluid by pericardiocentesis, marked but transient left ventricular failure developed. After he was treated with mechanical ventilator support and inotropic agents, his cardiac function was normalized in 2 weeks. Gradual removal of pericardial fluid under hemodynamic monitoring is advisable in patients with large amount of pericardial effusion.ope

A case of acute myocardial infarction associated with Left main coronary artery thrombus in an 18 year-old male

Acute myocardial infarction in the adolescence is unusual. Moreover, the prevalence of left main coronary artery stenosis is rare in this population. We describe a case of acute ST elevation myocardial infarction in an 18 year-old male. He did not have history of congenital heart disease or other traditional risk factors for premature coronary disease. He was mildy overweight and showed normal laboratory tests except low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level and modestly elevated plasma homocysteine level. Coronary angiography revealed totally occluded left anterior descending artery and thrombus at the bifurcation of left main coronary artery. He underwent emergency coronary stenting at distal left main coronary artery and proximal left anterior descending artery. He was discharged without in-hospital cardiac event.ope

Update on Familial Hypercholesterolemia: Diagnosis, Cardiovascular Risk, and Novel Therapeutics

In recent studies, the reported prevalence of heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) has been higher than in previous reports. Although cascade genetic screening is a good option for efficient identification of affected patients, diagnosis using only clinical criteria is more common in real clinical practice. Cardiovascular risk is much higher in FH patients due to longstanding low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) burden and is also influenced by other risk factors. Although guidelines emphasize aggressive LDL-C reduction, the majority of patients cannot reach the LDL-C goal by conventional pharmacotherapy. Novel therapeutics such as proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors have shown strong lipid lowering efficacy and are expected to improve treatment results in FH patients.ope

Recovery from crescentic glomerulonephritis with bacterial endocarditis with antibiotics alone

A 59-year-old woman presented to our hospital with fever, petechiae, pyuria, gross hematuria, and rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (GN). She had a history of urinary tract infection. A renal biopsy specimen revealed crescentic GN and an echocardiogram showed a vegetation 3.15?.73 cm in size on the mitral valve and severe mitral valve regurgitation. Blood cultures grew Enterococcus faecalis. Treatment with antibiotics alone resulted in clinical improvement of the renal function and resolution of the fever. Three months after hospitalization, the echocardiogram showed mild mitral valve regurgitation. This case suggests that crescentic glomerulonephritis associated with even a huge vegetation of infectious endocarditis can be treated with antibiotics alone and result in stable renal functionope