BACKGROUND: Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is initiated when alloreactive donor T cells are primed by host APCs to undergo clonal expansion and maturation. Since there is a controversy regarding the role of nonhematopoietic cells in GVHD, we wanted to investigate the influence of MHC disparity on nonhematopoietic cells on the pathogenesis of GVHD in the MHC-haplomismatched C57BL/6 (H-2(b)) or DBA/2 (H-2(d))-->unirradiated (C57BL/6xDBA/2) F(1)(BDF(1); H-2(b/d)) murine model of acute GVHD (aGVHD) or chronic GVHD (cGVHD). METHODS: We generated (BDF(1)-->C57BL/6), (BDF(1)-->DBA/2), and (BDF(1)-->BDF(1)) chimeras and examined GVHD-related parameters and donor cell engraftment in those chimeras. RESULTS: Using this experimental system, we found that 1) severe aGVHD across MHC Ag barrier depends on the expression of nonhematopoietically rather than hematopoietically derived alloAgs for maximal GVHD manifestations; 2) host APCs were sufficient to break B cell tolerance to self molecules in cGVHD, whereas host APCs were insufficient to induce autoimmunity in aGVHD; 3) donor cell engraftment was greatly enhanced in the host with MHC-matched nonhematopoietic cells. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our results provide an insight into how MHC disparity on GVHD target organs contribute to the pathogenesis of GVHD.
Autoimmunity ; Chimera ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Humans ; Immune Tolerance ; T-Lymphocytes ; Tissue Donors

BACKGROUND: There have been many efforts to rectify lifestyles that contribute to obesity using a variety of methodologies in heterogeneous settings, but effective and sustainable interventions that are suitable for children are still needed. We developed a smartphone application called "HAPPY ME" for guiding health behavior decisions, which employs gamification and self-monitoring strategies. The aim of this paper is to outline the rationale and methods for the development and feasibility test of "HAPPY ME". METHODS: The study consisted of two phases: 1) description of theory-based conceptual framework and rationales for smartphone application development and 2) outline of a pre- and post-test design in 4th-6th grade of healthy elementary school students for 4 weeks. The students will be delivered missions or messages on a daily basis, which is to stretch the knowledge and skills for action. They will simultaneously be engaged in self-monitoring their eating and physical activities to clear daily quests. To measure acceptability and feasibility we will monitor usability, compliance, and satisfaction for a 4-week study period and evaluate the intervention effects on self-efficacy, readiness, and intention to engage in healthy behavior. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the feasibility study will show whether the smartphone application "HAPPY ME" for children is acceptable, as well as if it is usable and feasible for self-directed health management. The results will provide preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of smartphone application-supported child behavioral modification for child obesity prevention and management.
Child Behavior ; Child* ; Compliance ; Eating ; Feasibility Studies ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Intention ; Life Style ; Missions and Missionaries ; Motor Activity ; Obesity ; Pediatric Obesity* ; Smartphone

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare aripiprazole versus bupropion augmentation therapy in older adult patients with major depressive disorder unresponsive to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors(SSRIs).METHODS: This is a post-hoc analysis of a 6-week, randomized prospective open-label multi-center study in thirty older adult patients with major depressive disorder. Participants were randomized to receive aripiprazole(N=16, 2.5–10mg/day) or bupropion(N=14, 150–300mg/day) for 6 weeks. Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating scale(HAM-D17), Iowa Fatigue Scale, Drug-Induced Extrapyramidal Symptoms Scale, Psychotropic-Related Sexual Dysfunction Questionnaire scores, and Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) were obtained at baseline and after one, two, four, and six weeks. Changes on individual items of HAM-D17 were assessed as well as on composite scales(anxiety, insomnia and drive), and on four core subscales that capture core depression symptoms.RESULTS: There was a significantly greater decrease in MADRS scores in aripiprazole group compared to bupropion group at 4(p<0.05) and 6(p<0.05) weeks. There were significantly higher response rate at week 4(p<0.05) and 6(p<0.05) and remission rate at week 6 in aripiprazole group compared to bupropion group. Individual HAM-D17 items showing significantly greater change with adjunctive aripiprazole than bupropion: insomnia, late(ES=0.81 vs. −0.24, p=0.043), psychomotor retardation(ES=1.30 vs. 0.66, p=0.024), general somatic symptoms(ES=1.24 vs. 0.00, p=0.01). On three composite scales, adjunctive aripiprazole was significantly more effective than bupropion with respect to mean change for drive(p=0.005).CONCLUSION: Results of this study suggested that aripiprazole augmentation have superior efficacy in treating general and core symptoms of depression in older adult patients. Aripiprazole augmentation is associated with greater improvement in specific symptoms of depression such as psychomotor retardation, general somatic symptoms and drive.
Adult ; Aripiprazole ; Bupropion ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Iowa ; Prospective Studies ; Serotonin ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: This study was implemented to develop and validate the semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (SQ-FFQ) to assess energy, carbohydrates, fat, protein, minerals, and vitamins as well as fatty acids and alcohol in Korean adults. METHODS: The SQ-FFQ consisted of 88 food items, and 12 food groups were selected based on information of frequently consumed foods from the Korean Health and Nutrition Examination survey. Each portion size was categorized as one of three amounts: small (0.5 times), medium (1 time), and large (1.5 times). A total of 111 subjects finished 3-day diet records and the SQ-FFQ. The relative validity of SQ-FFQ was assessed by comparison with the 3-day diet records. RESULTS: The mean nutrient intakes obtained from the SQ-FFQ were estimated to be greater than those of the two 3-day dietary records. Spearman's correlation coefficient between the two methods was the highest for energy (r = 0.583; p < 0.001) and lowest for saturated fatty acid (r = 0.121). Correlation coefficients were energy (r = 0.583; p < 0.001), carbohydrates (r = 0.500; p < 0.001), protein (r = 0.466; p < 0.001), fat (r = 0.411; p < 0.001), dietary fiber (r = 0.467; p < 0.001), alcohol (r = 0.527; p < 0.001), calcium (r = 0.409; p < 0.001), phosphorus (r = 0.499; p < 0.001), potassium (r = 0.418; p < 0.001), magnesium (r = 0.427; p < 0.001), and zinc (r = 0.464; p < 0.001), respectively, for all subjects. CONCLUSION: The developed SQ-FFQ in this study seems to be useful for estimating nutritional status, particularly energy, carbohydrates, protein, fat, dietary fiber, alcohol, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and zinc of Korean adults.
Adult ; Calcium ; Carbohydrates ; Diet Records ; Dietary Fats ; Dietary Fiber ; Fatty Acids ; Humans ; Magnesium ; Minerals ; Miners ; Nutritional Status ; Phosphorus ; Portion Size ; Potassium ; Vitamins ; Zinc

Background: This study aimed to explore the relationship between fruit intake, changes in fruit intake, and changes in cardiometabolic factors in people with obesity. Methods: A total of 21,270 subjects (8,718 men, 12,552 women) aged 40 years and over, from the Korean-based Genome and Epidemiology Study, were followed up for an average of 4.4 years. Fruit intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire at baseline and the second follow-up. The beta coefficient and confidence intervals for changes in cardiometabolic risk factors according to fruit consumption were calculated using a linear regression model. Results: In men, the abdominal circumference decreased with changes in fruit intake (P=0.029). Fruit intake and increased fruit intake in men were associated with a lower systolic blood pressure (P=0.012 and P=0.02, respectively) and lower triglyceride levels (P=0.002 and P<0.001, respectively). In women, abdominal circumference decreased with both fruit intake and increased fruit intake (P<0.001 and P=0.013, respectively). Systolic blood pressure and triglycerides tended to decrease only with fruit intake (P=0.048 and P<0.001, respectively). Unlike in men, fasting blood glucose tended to decrease in women with both fruit intake and increased fruit intake (P=0.011 and P=0.005, respectively). Conclusion Fruit intake and increased fruit intake may have beneficial effects on cardiometabolic risk factors among individuals who are obese.

Background: This study aimed to explore the relationship between fruit intake, changes in fruit intake, and changes in cardiometabolic factors in people with obesity. Methods: A total of 21,270 subjects (8,718 men, 12,552 women) aged 40 years and over, from the Korean-based Genome and Epidemiology Study, were followed up for an average of 4.4 years. Fruit intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire at baseline and the second follow-up. The beta coefficient and confidence intervals for changes in cardiometabolic risk factors according to fruit consumption were calculated using a linear regression model. Results: In men, the abdominal circumference decreased with changes in fruit intake (P=0.029). Fruit intake and increased fruit intake in men were associated with a lower systolic blood pressure (P=0.012 and P=0.02, respectively) and lower triglyceride levels (P=0.002 and P<0.001, respectively). In women, abdominal circumference decreased with both fruit intake and increased fruit intake (P<0.001 and P=0.013, respectively). Systolic blood pressure and triglycerides tended to decrease only with fruit intake (P=0.048 and P<0.001, respectively). Unlike in men, fasting blood glucose tended to decrease in women with both fruit intake and increased fruit intake (P=0.011 and P=0.005, respectively). Conclusion Fruit intake and increased fruit intake may have beneficial effects on cardiometabolic risk factors among individuals who are obese.

BACKGROUND: Suppressor of cytokine signaling genes (SOCS) are regarded as pivotal negative feedback regulators of cytokine signals, including the interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, and interleukin families, released by T cells. A detailed understanding of the involvement of SOCS genes in graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is critical to effectively manage GVHD, yet their expression patterns among recipients remain largely unexplored. METHODS: Expression levels of SOCS1 and SOCS3 were determined by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) in patients with acute GVHD (aGVHD) and chronic GVHD (cGVHD), in a severity-dependent manner, after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). A total of 71 recipients with AML (N=40), ALL (N=12), myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS; N=10), chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML; N=2), severe aplastic anemia (SAA; N=5), or others (N=2), who received allogeneic HSCT from human leukocyte antigen-identical siblings or unrelated donors between 2009 and 2011, were included in the present study. RESULTS: Overall, the expression levels of SOCS1 decreased in recipients with grade II to IV aGVHD and cGVHD when compared to normal donors and non-GVHD recipients. Interestingly, the expressions of SOCS1 decreased significantly more in cGVHD than in aGVHD recipients (P=0.0091). In contrast, SOCS3 expressions were similarly reduced in all the recipients. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to show that SOCS1 and SOCS3 are differentially expressed in recipients following allogeneic HSCT, suggesting a prognostic correlation between SOCS genes and the development of GVHD. This result provides a new platform to study GVHD immunobiology and potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets for GVHD.
Anemia, Aplastic ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; Interleukins ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; Leukocytes ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reverse Transcription ; Siblings ; Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling Proteins ; T-Lymphocytes ; Tissue Donors ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Unrelated Donors

BACKGROUND: Suppressor of cytokine signaling genes (SOCS) are regarded as pivotal negative feedback regulators of cytokine signals, including the interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, and interleukin families, released by T cells. A detailed understanding of the involvement of SOCS genes in graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is critical to effectively manage GVHD, yet their expression patterns among recipients remain largely unexplored. METHODS: Expression levels of SOCS1 and SOCS3 were determined by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) in patients with acute GVHD (aGVHD) and chronic GVHD (cGVHD), in a severity-dependent manner, after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). A total of 71 recipients with AML (N=40), ALL (N=12), myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS; N=10), chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML; N=2), severe aplastic anemia (SAA; N=5), or others (N=2), who received allogeneic HSCT from human leukocyte antigen-identical siblings or unrelated donors between 2009 and 2011, were included in the present study. RESULTS: Overall, the expression levels of SOCS1 decreased in recipients with grade II to IV aGVHD and cGVHD when compared to normal donors and non-GVHD recipients. Interestingly, the expressions of SOCS1 decreased significantly more in cGVHD than in aGVHD recipients (P=0.0091). In contrast, SOCS3 expressions were similarly reduced in all the recipients. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to show that SOCS1 and SOCS3 are differentially expressed in recipients following allogeneic HSCT, suggesting a prognostic correlation between SOCS genes and the development of GVHD. This result provides a new platform to study GVHD immunobiology and potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets for GVHD.
Anemia, Aplastic ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; Interleukins ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; Leukocytes ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reverse Transcription ; Siblings ; Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling Proteins ; T-Lymphocytes ; Tissue Donors ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Unrelated Donors