Ubiquinol cytochrome c reductase binding protein (UQCRB) is important for mitochondrial complex III stability, electron transport, cellular oxygen sensing and angiogenesis. However, its potential as a prognostic marker in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine whether UQCRB can be used as a diagnostic molecular marker for CRC. The correlation between the expression of three genes (UQCRB, UQCRFS1 and MT-CYB) in the mitochondrial respiratory chain complex III and clinico-pathological features was determined. Compared to non-tumor tissues, UQCRB gene expression was upregulated in CRC tissues. Gene and protein expression of the genes were positively correlated. Copy number variation (CNV) differences in UQCRB were observed in CRC tissues (1.32-fold) compared to non-tumor tissues. The CNV of UQCRB in CRC tissues increased proportionally with gene expression and clinical stage. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the 3′-untranslated region of UQCRB (rs7836698 and rs10504961) were investigated, and the rs7836698 polymorphism was associated with CRC clinical stage. DNA methylation of the UQCRB promoter revealed that most CRC patients had high methylation levels (12/15 patients) in CRC tissues compared to non-tumor tissues. UQCRB overexpression and CNV gain were correlated with specific CRC clinico-pathological features, indicating clinical significance as a prognostic predictor in CRC. Gene structural factors may be more important than gene transcription repression factors with respect to DNA methylation in UQCRB overexpression. Our results provide novel insights into the critical role of UQCRB in regulating CRC, supporting UQCRB as a new candidate for the development of diagnostics for CRC patients.
Carrier Proteins ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; DNA Methylation ; Electron Transport ; Electron Transport Complex III ; Gene Expression ; Humans* ; Methylation ; Oxygen ; Repression, Psychology

OBJECTIVE: To identify the effects of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in stroke patients since OAB symptoms are common in such patients, but their effects on stroke rehabilitation over time are unclear. METHODS: This study included 30 post-acute stroke patients who had been admitted for rehabilitation treatments. All participants completed a questionnaire evaluating urinary symptoms, including the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) and general HRQOL with a Short-Form 36 (SF-36) health survey. We assessed their performance in terms of the Function Ambulation Category, Modified Rankin Scale (MRS), Modified Barthel Index, and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). All assessments were carried out twice at baseline and at 3 months. We divided patients into an OAB and non-OAB group with OABSS. A correlation analysis and multivariate regression were then performed. RESULTS: All performance scales showed an improvement over 3 months in the non-OAB group (n=18; p < 0.02), but, MRS and MMSE scores did not improve significantly in the OAB group (n=12) (p=0.15 and p=0.20, respectively). In the OAB group, the vitality and mental health scores significantly decreased over 3 months (p=0.011 and p=0,041, respectively), and the mental component summary (MCS) score showed a marginal decrease over 3 months (p=0.05). A multivariate regression analysis revealed that OAB symptoms were negatively correlated with the 3 months MCS score (B=−8.15, p=0.034). CONCLUSION: These results indicated that OAB symptoms could have negative effects on HRQOL and performance in patients suffering from a stroke.
Health Surveys ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Quality of Life* ; Rehabilitation ; Stroke* ; Urinary Bladder, Overactive* ; Walking ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVE: To identify the effects of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in stroke patients since OAB symptoms are common in such patients, but their effects on stroke rehabilitation over time are unclear. METHODS: This study included 30 post-acute stroke patients who had been admitted for rehabilitation treatments. All participants completed a questionnaire evaluating urinary symptoms, including the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) and general HRQOL with a Short-Form 36 (SF-36) health survey. We assessed their performance in terms of the Function Ambulation Category, Modified Rankin Scale (MRS), Modified Barthel Index, and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). All assessments were carried out twice at baseline and at 3 months. We divided patients into an OAB and non-OAB group with OABSS. A correlation analysis and multivariate regression were then performed. RESULTS: All performance scales showed an improvement over 3 months in the non-OAB group (n=18; p < 0.02), but, MRS and MMSE scores did not improve significantly in the OAB group (n=12) (p=0.15 and p=0.20, respectively). In the OAB group, the vitality and mental health scores significantly decreased over 3 months (p=0.011 and p=0,041, respectively), and the mental component summary (MCS) score showed a marginal decrease over 3 months (p=0.05). A multivariate regression analysis revealed that OAB symptoms were negatively correlated with the 3 months MCS score (B=−8.15, p=0.034). CONCLUSION: These results indicated that OAB symptoms could have negative effects on HRQOL and performance in patients suffering from a stroke.
Health Surveys ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Quality of Life* ; Rehabilitation ; Stroke* ; Urinary Bladder, Overactive* ; Walking ; Weights and Measures

No abstract available.
Basal Ganglia Diseases/diagnostic imaging/drug therapy/*etiology ; Calcinosis/diagnostic imaging/drug therapy/*etiology ; Calcium/therapeutic use ; Dietary Supplements ; Female ; Humans ; Hypoparathyroidism/*complications/diagnosis/drug therapy ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome ; Vitamin D/therapeutic use

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Dietary factors are important contributors to cardiometabolic and cancer mortality. We examined the secular trends of nine dietary factors (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, milk, red meat, processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, and calcium) and the associated burdens of cardiometabolic and cancer mortality in Korea using representative cross-sectional survey data from 1998 to 2016. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Using dietary data from Korean adults aged ≥ 25 years in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), we characterized secular trends in intake levels. We performed comparative risk assessment to estimate the population attributable fraction and the number of cardiometabolic and cancer deaths attributable to each dietary factor. RESULTS: A total of 231,148 cardiometabolic and cancer deaths were attributable to nine dietary risk factors in Korea from 1998 to 2016. Suboptimal intakes of fruits and whole grains were the leading contributors. Although the intakes of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains moderately improved over time, the intake levels in 2016 (192.1 g/d, 225.6 g/d, and 10.9 g/d, respectively) remained far below the optimal levels. Deaths attributable to the low intakes of nuts and seeds (4.5 g/d), calcium (440.5 mg/d), and milk (37.1 g/d) and the high intakes of red meat (54.7 g/d), processed meat (4.7 g/d), and sugar-sweetened beverages (33.0 g/d) increased since 1998. Compared with older age groups (≥ 45 years), more unfavorable changes in dietary patterns were observed in the younger population aged 25–44 years, including more sharply increased intakes of processed meat. CONCLUSIONS We observed improvement in the intakes of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and unfavorable changes in the intakes of processed meat and sugar-sweetened beverages over the past few decades. Our data suggest that to reduce the chronic disease burden in Korea, more effective nutritional policies and interventions are needed to target these dietary risk factors.

Objectives: Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are a core symptom in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The complexity of behavioral patterns has called for the creation of phenotypically homogeneous subgroups among individuals with ASD.The purpose of this study was 1) to investigate the different types of RRBs and 2) to explore whether subgroups created by RRBs would show unique levels of functioning in toddlers and young children with ASD. Methods: A total of 313 children with ASD, aged 12–42 months were included in the analysis. The Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised was used to obtain information on the different types of RRBs by grouping 15 items into six categories. The Vineland Adaptive Behaviors Scale, a parent-reported questionnaire, was used to measure adaptive functioning. A portion of the children were analyzed separately for verbal-related RRBs based on their expressive language level. Two-step cluster analysis using RRB groups as features was used to create subgroups. Analysis of covariance while covarying for age and language was performed to explore the clinical characteristics of each cluster group. Results: Sensory-related RRBs were the most prevalent, followed by circumscribed interests, interest in objects, resistance to change, and repetitive body movements. A subset of the children was analyzed separately to explore verbal-related RRBs. Four cluster groups were created based on reported RRBs, with multiple RRBs demonstrating significant delays in adaptive functioning. Conclusion Heterogeneity of RRBs emerges at a young age. The different patterns of RRBs can be used as valuable information to determine developmental trajectories with better implications for treatment approaches.

Objective: To investigate the long-term effects of 4-hexylresorcinol (4HR) on facial skeletal growth in growing male rats, with a focus on diabetic animal models. Methods: Forty male rats were used. Of them, type 1 diabetes mellitus was induced in 20 animals by administering 40 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ), and they were assigned to either the STZ or 4HR-injected group (STZ/4HR group).The remaining 20 healthy rats were divided into control and 4HR groups. We administered 4HR subcutaneously at a weekly dose of 10 mg/kg until the rats were euthanized. At 16 weeks of age, whole blood was collected, and microcomputed tomography of the skull and femur was performed. Results: All craniofacial linear measurements were smaller in the STZ group than in the control group. The mandibular molar width was significantly smaller in the 4HR group than in the control group (P = 0.031) but larger in the STZ/4HR group than in the STZ group (P = 0.011). Among the diabetic animals, the STZ/4HR group exhibited significantly greater cortical bone thickness, bone mineral density, and bone volume than the STZ group. Serum testosterone levels were also significantly higher in the STZ/4HR group than in the STZ group. Conclusions 4HR administration may have divergent effects on mandibular growth and bone mass in healthy and diabetic rats. In the context of diabetes, 4HR appears to have beneficial effects, potentially through the modulation of mitochondrial respiration.

PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate the association between immunoglobulin G (IgG) at birth and late-onset sepsis (LoS) in preterm infants. METHODS: Medical records of very-low-birth-weight infants, born at gestational age <28 weeks, between 2013 and 2016, were retrospectively reviewed. Subjects were divided into two groups based on the occurrence of LoS (LoS vs. non-LoS), and IgG levels at 1 day, and at 2 weeks and 4 weeks after birth were investigated. IgG levels, other perinatal factors, and clinical factors were compared in the two groups. The relationship between IgG levels and mortality among infants in the LoS group was also analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 105 infants were analyzed after exclusion of cases with early onset sepsis or death at < 72 hours of life. Gestational age in the LoS group was lower than in the non-LoS group (25.0±1.8 vs. 26.3±1.4 weeks, P=0.004). IgG levels at birth were similar between the two groups (236.4±96.4 vs. 282.0±104.7 mg/dL, P=0.078). Multivariate analysis showed that IgG at birth was not an independent risk factor for LoS. In the LoS group, IgG levels at birth were comparable between survivors and cases involving mortality. CONCLUSION: IgG levels at birth were not associated with the occurrence of LoS in extremely preterm infants.
Gestational Age ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Immunoglobulins* ; Infant* ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight* ; Medical Records ; Mortality* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Parturition* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sepsis* ; Survivors

OBJECTIVE: To identify the clinical characteristics of proper robot-assisted gait training group using exoskeletal locomotor devices in non-ambulatory subacute stroke patients. METHODS: A total of 38 stroke patients were enrolled in a 4-week robotic training protocol (2 sessions/day, 5 times/week). All subjects were evaluated for their general characteristics, Functional Ambulatory Classification (FAC), Fugl-Meyer Scale (FMS), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Modified Rankin Scale (MRS), Modified Barthel Index (MBI), and Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) at 0, 2, and 4 weeks. Statistical analysis were performed to determine significant clinical characteristics for improvement of gait function after robot-assisted gait training. RESULTS: Paired t-test showed that all functional parameters except MMSE were improved significantly (p<0.05). The duration of disease and baseline BBS score were significantly (p<0.05) correlated with FAC score in multiple regression models. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that a baseline BBS score of '9' was a cutoff value (AUC, 0.966; sensitivity, 91%-100%; specificity, 85%). By repeated-measures ANOVA, the differences in improved walking ability according to time were significant between group of patients who had baseline BBS score of '9' and those who did not have baseline BBS score of '9' CONCLUSION: Our results showed that a baseline BBS score above '9' and a short duration of disease were highly correlated with improved walking ability after robot-assisted gait training. Therefore, baseline BBS and duration of disease should be considered clinically for gaining walking ability in robot-assisted training group.
Classification ; Gait Disorders, Neurologic ; Gait* ; Humans ; Physical Therapy Modalities ; Rehabilitation ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Stroke* ; Walking

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Lower circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels are associated with a higher risk of hypertension (HTN); however, it remains unclear whether the relationship is causal. We aimed to evaluate the causal effects of circulating 25(OH)D levels on the prevalence of HTN in the Korean population using the Mendelian randomization (MR) approach. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Epidemiological data, serum 25(OH)D data, and genomic DNA biospecimens were obtained from 2,591 participants, a subset of the study population in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey 2011-2012. Five 25(OH)D-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; DHCR7 rs12785878, CYP2R1 rs10741657, CYP2R1 rs12794714, CYP24A1 rs6013897, and GC rs2282679), identified a priori from genome-wide association studies, were used as instrument variables (IVs) for serum 25(OH)D levels. In the MR analysis, we performed IV analyses using the two-stage least squares method. RESULTS: In the observational analysis, circulating 25(OH)D levels were found to be inversely associated with the HTN prevalence in ordinary least squares models (odds ratio: 0.97, 95% confidence interval: 0.96, 0.99) after adjusting for the potential confounders. There were differences in the circulating 25(OH)D levels across genotypes of individual SNPs. In the MR analysis, using individual SNPs as IVs, 25(OH)D levels were not associated with the HTN prevalence. CONCLUSIONS: We found no association between genetically determined circulating 25(OH)D levels and HTN in Korean adults. Our results are listed owing to the relatively small sample size and possible weak instrument bias; therefore, further studies are needed to confirm these results.
Adult ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Blood Pressure ; DNA ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Genotype ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Least-Squares Analysis ; Methods ; Nutrition Surveys ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Prevalence ; Random Allocation ; Sample Size ; Vitamin D ; Vitamin D3 24-Hydroxylase