ADIPOQ Gene Variants Associated with Susceptibility to Obesity and Low Serum Adiponectin Levels in Healthy Koreans

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to measure the association between the adiponectin, C1Q and collagen domain-containing (ADIPOQ) gene variants and obesity in Koreans. METHODS: Three single nucleotide polymorphisms located in the ADIPOQ gene were genotyped in a population-based cross-sectional study of 986 healthy Koreans. Three different case-control groups (i.e. G1, G2, and G3) were defined according to body mass index (BMI) and serum adiponectin levels. Allelic and genotypic associations of this gene with obesity were measured using multivariate logistic regression analyses in each group. RESULTS: The G allele of -11377C>G, a polymorphism located in the promoter region of the ADIPOQ gene (odds ratio (OR), 1.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-1.94) and most haplotypes including this allele significantly increased the risk for obesity. However, the OR decreased from 3.98 (G1 group) to 2.90 (G2 group) and 2.30 (G3 group) when a less strict definition of obesity was used. Most haplotypes, including this allele, significantly increased the risk of obesity. The statistical evidence from the GG genotype of -11377C>G (OR, 3.98) and the GT/GT diplotype composed of -11377G>C and +45T>G (OR, 5.20) confirmed the contribution of the G allele toward a predisposition for obesity. CONCLUSION: These results suggest the contribution of the ADIPOQ gene toward susceptibility to obesity in healthy Koreans. The high-risk genotypes and haplotypes identified here may provide more information for identifying individuals who are at risk of obesity.ope

Evaluation of the UniCel™ DxI 800 Immunoassay Analyzer in Measuring Five Tumor Markers

∙ The authors have no financial conflicts of interest. © Copyright: Yonsei University College of Medicine 2012 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Licens

MSX1 Polymorphism Associated with Risk of Oral Cleft in Korea: Evidence from Case-Parent Trio and Case-Control Studies

Orofacial clefts, including cleft lip with or without palate (CL/P) and cleft palate (CP), are one of the most common congenital malformations in Asian populations, where the rate of incidence is higher than in European or other racial groups. A number of candidate genes have been identified for orofacial clefts, although no single candidate has been consistently identified in all studies. We performed case-parent trio and case-control studies on 6 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the MSX1 gene using a sample of 52 CL/P and CP probands from Korea. In the case-control study, the allele frequencies of 6 MSX1 SNPs were compared between 52 oral cleft cases and 96 unmatched controls. For the case-parent trio study, single-marker and haplotype-based tests of transmission disequilibrium using allelic and genotypic tests revealed significant evidence of linkage in the presence of disequilibrium for 1170 G/A of exon 2. With the GG genotype as a reference group among GG, GA, and AA genotypes at 1170G/A, the disease risk decreased with the presence of the A allele (AA genotype: OR = 0.26, 95% CI = 0.10-0.99). These results are consistent with evidence from other studies in the US and Chile and confirm the importance of the MSX1 genotype in determining the risk of CL/P and CP in Koreans

Formulation optimization and in vivo proof-of-concept study of thermosensitive liposomes balanced by phospholipid, elastin-like polypeptide, and cholesterol.

One application of nanotechnology in medicine that is presently being developed involves a drug delivery system (DDS) employing nanoparticles to deliver drugs to diseased sites in the body avoiding damage of healthy tissue. Recently, the mild hyperthermia-triggered drug delivery combined with anticancer agent-loaded thermosensitive liposomes was widely investigated. In this study, thermosensitive liposomes (TSLs), composed of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC), 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[methoxy(polyethyleneglycol)-2000] (DSPE-PEG), cholesterol, and a fatty acid conjugated elastin-like polypeptide (ELP), were developed and optimized for triggered drug release, controlled by external heat stimuli. We introduced modified ELP, tunable for various biomedical purposes, to our thermosensitive liposome (e-TSL) to convey a high thermoresponsive property. We modulated thermosensitivity and stability by varying the ratios of e-TSL components, such as phospholipid, ELP, and cholesterol. Experimental data obtained in this study corresponded to results from a simulation study that demonstrated, through the calculation of the lateral diffusion coefficient, increased permeation of the lipid bilayer with higher ELP concentrations, and decreased permeation in the presence of cholesterol. Finally, we identified effective drug accumulation in tumor tissues and antitumor efficacy with our optimized e-TSL, while adjusting lag-times for systemic accumulation

List of all simulations.

<p>List of all simulations.</p

DOX release profile of the liposome with the formulations.

<p>DPPC:DSPE-PEG:cholesterol = 55∶2∶15 in the presence/absence of SA-V3 (molar ratio∶0.41). The amounts of DOX release were measured after 5 min incubation at desired temperature from 25 to 55°C by fluorometry at Ex. 490 nm/Em. 615 nm. Data is shown as mean ± S.D. (n = 3).</p

Schematic diagram of e-TSL and the chemical structure of ELP-lipid conjugates.

<p>Schematic diagram of e-TSL and the chemical structure of ELP-lipid conjugates.</p

Antitumor efficacy of e-TSL and free DOX in the presence/absence of mild hyperthermia.

<p>e-TSL and free DOX were administered (5 mg DOX/kg) into tumor bearing BALB/c mice 5 min after preheating (30 min of water bath) and followed by mild hyperthermia (42°C, water bath) after 6 hrs. *, <i>p</i><0.05, significant difference compared to free DOX and PBS (control).</p

Snapshots at the (A) beginning (0 ns) and (B) end (2 µs) of the simulation of the bilayer system.

<p>The molar ratio of liposome formulation is DPPC:DSPE-PEG:cholesterol:SA-Vn 55∶2∶15∶0.41. Gray, red, dark-, and light-blue colors respectively represent the lipid-head phosphate, PEG, ELP head (peptide), and tail (carbon chain) groups. For clarity, lipid tail, water, and ion beads are omitted. The images were created with Visual Molecular Dynamics <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0103116#pone.0103116-Humphrey1" target="_blank">[29]</a>.</p