Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of green tea extract containing dentifrice on oral disease-causing bacteria. Methods: The antibacterial activity of green tea extract containing dentifrice was examined on the gram-positive bacteria Actinomyces israelii, Enterococcus faecalis, Filifactor alocis, Streptococcus mutans, and gram-negative bacteria Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis. A. israelii, E. faecalis, F. alocis, S. mutans, F. nucleatum, and P. gingivalis were cultured with green tea extract containing dentifrice or control dentifrice; they were then incubated at 37°C under anaerobic conditions and cultured. Following incubation, a microplate reader was used to measure the absorbance and observe the number of bacteria. Statistical significance tests were conducted using the Mann-Whitney test and SPSS 24.0. Results: Green tea containing dentifrice has antibacterial activity against A. israelii, E. faecalis, F.alocis, S. mutans, F. nucleatum, and P. gingivalis. Furthermore, green tea containing dentifrice killed more than 99.99% of 4 strains of gram-positive bacteria and 2 strains of gram-negative bacteria. Conclusions The detergent with green tea extract is significantly reduced the bacteria applied in this experiment; dentifrice has a bactericidal and antibacterial effect against oral bacteria. Therefore, the detergent with green tea extract is thought to be helpful in preventing dental caries and periodontal disease.

Objectives: This study investigated the effects of mouthwashes containing cetylpyridinium chloride and zinc acetate on oral health. Methods: A total of 60 participants were included in the study. Fifty-three participants (27 and 26 participants in the experimental and control groups, respectively) were retained, excluding seven candidates who dropped out. The mouthwash used for the study was spat out after 10-15 ml of mouth-washing for 3 s in the oral cavity after breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Oral examination indices included the gingival (gingival index, PMA index), the patient hygiene performance (PHP index, Turesky plaque index), and the bad breath (BB checker, Oral chroma) indices. Five measurements were taken after 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks and compared. Results: Measurements of the gingival index showed a statistically significant difference between the experimental and the control groups after 4 weeks, and the PMA index from eight weeks (P<0.05). Measurements of the PHP and Turesky plaque indices showed a significant difference in the experimental and control groups after 4 weeks (P<0.05). Compared to the PHP index before the experiment, that of the experimental group showed a significant index decrease after 2 weeks (P<0.05). Results of measuring bad breath through a BB checker showed a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups after 4 weeks (P<0.05). Conclusions Oral mouthwash products containing cetylpyridinium chloride and zinc acetate relieves gingivitis, removes bacterial plaque, and reduces bad breath.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Experimental studies using porcine non- heart beating donors to ameliorate graft injuries in liver transplantation has been conducted. Recently, it has been reported that cellular calcium may have an important role in ischemic injury, which consists of damage during ischemia and impairment at the time of reperfusion. therefore, it is possible that calcium channel blocker might prevent warm ischemic injury of the graft in liver transplantation when administered to the donor before harvesting and to the recipient at reperfusion. the purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of a calcium channel blocker diltiazem (DTZ) on hepatic ischemic injury using a porcine model. METHODS: Twenty pigs weighing 20 to 30 kg were enrolled in this study. Cardiac death was induced by direct cardiac injection of potassium chloride. The perfusion of UW (University of Wisconsin) solution started after 30 min of cardiac arrest. Orthotopic liver transplantation was perforated. Group A (experimental group) was administrated of DTZ at a dose of 70microgram/kg bolus iv injection before hepatic ischemia, perfused of 70microgram/L in UW solution and thereafter infused continuously 70microgram/L in 5% dextrose solution. RESULTS: Two ones death occurred among the ten transplant pigs. 24 hour survival rates were 80%. DTZ administrated group showed the hepatic blood flow and arterial ketone body ratio better compared with untreated controls (p<0.05). In addition, the increase of plasma lactate level was suppressed after ischemia (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that DTZ has a protective effect on ischemic induced hepatic damage and might be useful in the prevention of primary graft failure caused by warm ischemia in liver transplantation.
Calcium ; Calcium Channels ; Death ; Diltiazem ; Glucose ; Heart ; Heart Arrest ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Lactic Acid ; Liver Transplantation* ; Liver* ; Perfusion ; Plasma ; Potassium Chloride ; Reperfusion ; Survival Rate ; Swine ; Tissue Donors* ; Transplants ; Warm Ischemia

PURPOSE: There are some methods for preventing massive intraoperative blood loss during major hepatic resection such as temporary vascular occlusion, but this can consequently lead to ischemia and reperfusion injury in the remnant liver. The purpose of this study is to assess ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in a porcine hepatectomy model with continuous or intermittent inflow occlusion of a prolonged duration. METHODS: We performed right hepatic lobectomy in a porcine model with a liver ischemia lasting 120 mins; there was continuous (n=4) or intermittent (8 subsequent periods of 12 min ischemia and 3 min recirculation; n=4) inflow occlusion, and this was followed by 6 hours of reperfusion. We assessed hepatocytic injury by the serum levels of liver enzymes (AST, ALT, LDH), and we assessed the hepatocellular functions by the indocyanine green clearance test, inflammatory reactions by the serum levels of IL-6, and injury to the SECs (sinusoidal endothelial cell) by hyaluronic acid uptake. We compared these parameters during a preischemic period, a ischemic period and reperfusion period between the two groups. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the serum AST levels, IL-6 levels and HA uptake between the continuous and intermittent occlusion groups. In the intermittent occlusion group, we observed 1) less severe hepatocytic injury (p= 0.041) ; 2) more preserved HA uptake meaning less I/R injury (p=0.031) ; and 3) less inflammatory responses in the reperfusion period (p=0.045). CONCLUSION: During prolonged hepatic ischemia in a porcine model, the intermittent inflow occlusion method seemed to cause less hepatocellular injury and less SEC injury when compared to the continuous occlusion method. This means that we can expect less reperfusion injury in the intermittent inflow occlusion during a major hepatic resection with a prolonged ischemia.
Hepatectomy ; Hyaluronic Acid ; Indocyanine Green ; Interleukin-6 ; Ischemia ; Liver* ; Reperfusion ; Reperfusion Injury*

Objective: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the preferred treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, compliance with CPAP therapy varies among studies, and studies on its predictors are insufficient in Korea. This study aimed to identify factors that predict compliance with CPAP therapy in patients with OSA. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records, polysomnography (PSG) records, and self-report questionnaires of patients w ith OSA. Criteria for compliance was the use of CPAP devices for ≥4 h per night for ≥70% of the consecutive 30 nights (i.e., 21 days) during the first 3 months of treatment initiation. The patients were classified into two groups: compliant and non-compliant. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the clinical factors and PSG parameters associated with CPAP compliance. Results: Of the 188 participants, 80 were classified into the compliant group and 108 into the non-compliant group. The ratios of stage N1 (p=0.011) and health insurance coverage (p=0.007) were significantly associated with compliance with CPAP, with an explanatory power of 18.6% (R2=0.186, p<0.001). Conclusion Stage N1 ratio and health insurance coverage were significant predictors of CPAP compliance. It is necessary to confirm whether the relationship between a high stage N1 ratio and compliance can be reproduced in a larger sample and in individuals from other countries.

Objectives: . Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine tumor, with rapidly increasing incidence worldwide. However, its transcriptomic characteristics associated with immunological signatures, driver fusions, and recurrence markers remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the transcriptomic characteristics of advanced papillary thyroid cancer. Methods: . This study included 282 papillary thyroid cancer tumor samples and 155 normal samples from Chungnam National University Hospital and Seoul National University Hospital. Transcriptomic quantification was determined by high-throughput RNA sequencing. We investigated the associations of clinical parameters and molecular signatures using RNA sequencing. We validated predictive biomarkers using the Cancer Genome Atlas database. Results: . Through a comparison of differentially expressed genes, gene sets, and pathways in papillary thyroid cancer compared to normal tumor-adjacent tissue, we found increased immune signaling associated with cytokines or T cells and decreased thyroid hormone synthetic pathways. In addition, patients with recurrence presented increased CD8+ T-cell and Th1-cell signatures. Interestingly, we found differentially overexpressed genes related to immune-escape signaling such as CTLA4, IDO1, LAG3, and PDCD1 in advanced papillary thyroid cancer with a low thyroid differentiation score. Fusion analysis showed that the PI3K and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways were regulated differently according to the RET fusion partner genes (CCDC6 or NCOA4). Finally, we identified HOXD9 as a novel molecular biomarker that predicts the recurrence of thyroid cancer in addition to known risk factors (tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and extrathyroidal extension). Conclusion . We identified a high association with immune-escape signaling in the immune-hot group with aggressive clinical characteristics among Korean thyroid cancer patients. Moreover, RET fusion differentially regulated PI3K and MAPK signaling depending on the partner gene of RET, and HOXD9 was found to be a recurrence marker for advanced papillary thyroid cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The relationships between the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) and the status of cirrhosis, complications of portal hypertension and the severity of cirrhosis are not clear. The aim of this study was to determine the relationships between HVPG and the complications or status of cirrhosis. METHODS: The HVPG, gastroesophageal varices, Child-Pugh score, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, presence of ascites, recent bleeding history and the status of cirrhosis were assessed in a cohort of 172 patients (156 males, 16 females) with liver cirrhosis. RESULTS: The HVPG was 15.6+/-5.1 (mean+/-SD) mmHg (4-33 mmHg) and was significantly higher in patients in the decompensated stage than in those in the compensated stage (16.6+/-4.3 vs. 10.8+/-6.1 mmHg, respectively; P<0.01). HVPG was higher in bleeders than in nonbleeders (16.9+/-4.5 vs. 12.8+/-5.3 mmHg, respectively; P<0.01), and in patients with ascites than in those without ascites (16.4+/-4.1 vs. 14.5+/-6.2 mmHg, respectively; P<0.05). HVPG was significantly lower in the presence of gastric varices than in their absence (14.0+/-3.4 vs. 16.0+/-5.3 mmHg, respectively; P<0.05); however, no significant correlation was detected between HVPG and the grade of esophageal varices (P>0.05). HVPG was significantly higher in Child's B cirrhosis (n=87, 15.6+/-4.7 mmHg) and Child's C cirrhosis (n=36, 18.4+/-4.7 mmHg) than in Child's A cirrhosis (n=49, 13.7+/-5.1 mmHg; P<0.01). HVPG also was strongly correlated with the MELD score (P<0.01). The time required to measure the HVPG was 11.2+/-6.4 min, and only three cases of minor complication occurred during the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: HVPG was correlated with the severity of liver cirrhosis, presence of ascites, and risk of variceal bleeding in patients with liver cirrhosis.
Adult ; Ascites/*complications ; Cohort Studies ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices/*complications/diagnosis ; Female ; Hepatic Veins/*physiopathology ; Humans ; Hypertension, Portal/complications/*physiopathology ; Korea ; Liver Cirrhosis/complications/*diagnosis/physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Predictive Value of Tests ; ROC Curve ; Severity of Illness Index ; Venous Pressure

Objectives: . The mitochondrial ribosomal protein L14 (MRPL14) is encoded by a nuclear gene and participates in mitochondrial protein translation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of MRPL14 in thyroid cancer. Methods: . We investigated the association between MRPL14 expression and clinicopathological features using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Chungnam National University Hospital (CNUH) databases. Functional studies of MRPL14, including proliferation, migration, invasion, mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, were performed in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) cell lines (B-CPAP and KTC-1). Results: . Based on the TCGA dataset, PTC tissues lost mitochondrial integrity and showed dysregulated expression of overall mitoribosomal proteins (MRPs) compared with normal thyroid tissues. Of 78 MRPs, MRPL14 was highly expressed in thyroid cancer tissues. MRPL14 overexpression was significantly associated with advanced tumor stage, extrathyroidal extension, and lymph node metastasis. MRPL14 increased cell proliferation of thyroid cancer and promoted cell migration via epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related proteins. Moreover, MRPL14 knockdown reduced the expression of oxidative phosphorylation complex IV (MTCO1) and increased the accumulation of ROS. Cotreatment with a ROS scavenger restored cell proliferation and migration, which had been reduced by MRPL14 knockdown, implying that ROS functions as a key regulator of the oncogenic effects of MRPL14 in thyroid cancer cells. Conclusion . Our findings indicate that MRPL14 may promote cell growth, migration, and invasion by modulating ROS in thyroid cancer cells.