Auricularia is one of the broadly cultivated edible mushrooms in Korea. Most of the Korean Auricularia strains used for cultivation and breeding are known as A. auricula-judae. Recently, this species has been reported to belong to a species complex. Therefore, this study was carried out to genetically clarify the bred and cultivated Korean A. auricula-judae strains. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and IGS1 rDNA region sequences were determined from 10 A. auricula-judae strains by PCR and sequencing. Variation in the nucleotide sequence and sequence length of the two rDNA regions were found among the seven A. auricula-judae strains. A maximum-likelihood (ML) phylogenetic tree based on the ITS sequences clearly placed all the 10 Korean A. auricula-judae strains in the A. heimuer clade of the A. auriculajudae complex. A. heimuer is diverged from A. auricula-judae. An ML phylogenetic tree based on the IGS1 sequences revealed the close relationship between Korean A. heimuer strains to Chinese A. heimuer strains. But each strain could be distinguishable by the IGS1 sequence. Furthermore, progeny strains in the seven Korean strains could be differentiated from their parental strains by the IGS1 sequence based phylogenetic tree. Our results are expected to be used to complement the distinction of domestic Auricularia cultivars.

Inflammation is thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). It has been suggested that the measurement of markers of inflammation may aid in predicting the risk of such events. Here, the relationship between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels and MACE in Korean patients with type 2 diabetes is assessed. A retrospective cohort study was conducted as a follow-up among 1,558 patients with type 2 diabetes and without cardiovascular diseases over a mean period of 55.5 months. A Cox proportional-hazards model was used to determine whether increased hs-CRP levels are useful as a predictor for future MACE. The hazard ratio of MACE was 1.77 (95% CI; 1.16-2.71) in subjects who had the highest hs-CRP levels (> 0.21 mg/dL) compared to subjects who had the lowest hs-CRP levels (< 0.08 mg/dL), after adjusting for age, regular physical activity, current smoking, and duration of diabetes. The present results indicate that high hs-CRP levels can act as a predictor for the MACE occurrence in Korean patients with type 2 diabetes.
Adult ; Aged ; Biological Markers/*blood ; C-Reactive Protein/*analysis ; Cardiovascular Diseases/blood/*epidemiology/etiology ; Cohort Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/blood/*complications/epidemiology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between weight-related attitudes and suicidal ideation among adults. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a cross-sectional national health survey. We used a nationally representative sample of 12287 Koreans older than 19 years of age (5266 men and 7021 women). We used the logistic regression model to examine the relationship between weight-related attitudes and suicidal ideation, controlling for demographics, depressive mood, perceived stress, and substance use. RESULTS: A significantly higher number of women than men reported suicidal ideation (women : 18.3%, men : 10.3%). In men, weight control behavior aimed at weight loss (vs. no control) showed an association with suicidal ideation. For women, weight control behavior aimed at maintaining a certain weight (vs. no control) and obesity (vs. being underweight), as determined by Body Mass Index category, showed an association with suicidal ideation. For both sexes, distortions regarding perceived weight did not significantly affect suicidal ideationn. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that weight-related attitudes, such as weight control behaviors, are useful indicators for identification of individuals at risk of committing suicide.
Adult* ; Body Mass Index ; Demography ; Female ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys ; Obesity ; Suicidal Ideation* ; Suicide ; Weight Loss

BACKGROUND: Early T-lymphocyte activation-1 (Eta-1) is a secreted phosphoprotein which regulates a variety of cells involved in the immune and nonimmune systems. It is unique in the sense that it regulates various immune functions, as well as acting as an extracellular matrix protein. The Eta-1 gene has been mapped to the same genetic locus as the Rickettsia resistance gene (Ric), and Eta-1 expression is a part of an early T-dependent response to Orientia tsutsugamushi infection in susceptible hosts. In an initial effort to study Eta-1's mechanism of protection against Orientia tsutsugamushi infection, we attempted to produce Eta-1 in E. coli and to produce monoclonal antibodies against recombinant Eta-1. METHODS: Expression plasmids containing GST-Eta-1 were generated by cloning the polymerase chain reaction-amplified N-and C-terminal Eta-1 fragments into the cloning sites of pGEX-3X. The expressed protein was purified using a GST column and injected into BALB/c mice. Hybridoma clones reactive to Eta-1 were produced and analyzed with ELISA and Western blot. RESULTS: Expression plasmids containing GST-Eta-1 were generated by cloning the polymerase chain reaction-amplified N-and C-terminal Eta-1 fragments into the cloning sites of pGEX-3X. N-and C-terminal fragments of Eta-1 were generated as bacterially expressed GST fusion proteins. However, the expression of full-length Eta-1 was very poor. We immunized BALB/c mice with purified Eta-1 N-terminal fragments. Their spleen cells were used for cell fusion. We obtained two hybridoma cell lines secreting antibodies against Eta-1, but not against GST. Conclusions:We produced Eta-1 protein produced in E. coli. The expression of C-terminal Eta-1 fragments was poor, therefore it appeared that this part of Eta-1 was toxic to E. coli. We obtained monoclonal antibodies which were reactive in ELISA test and Western blot. These monoclonal antibodies could be useful in the analysis of the function of Eta-1 in the pathogenesis of tsutsugamushi disease as well as other diseases.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Fusion ; Cell Line ; Clone Cells ; Cloning, Organism ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Escherichia coli* ; Escherichia* ; Extracellular Matrix ; Genetic Loci ; Hybridomas ; Mice ; Orientia tsutsugamushi ; Osteopontin ; Plasmids ; Rickettsia ; Scrub Typhus ; Spleen ; T-Lymphocytes