Chromosomal alterations are frequent events in lung cancer progression. Although gains and losses of chromosomal position have been reported, the association between copy number alteration and lung cancer patient survival has not been extensively investigated. In this study, we performed a meta-analysis of public cBioPortal datasets spanning 25 lung cancer studies to identify putative cancer driver genes with copy number alterations associated with overall patient survival. Ten copy-number altered genes enriched in deceased lung cancer patients were identified. Seven of these putative driver genes were located in the 7p11.2 chromosomal location, and two were in the 9p21.3 cytoband. Among these genes, the mitochondrial ribosomal protein S17 (MRPS17) amplification was significantly associated with a lower patient survival rate (P = 1.47e-7). To investigate the functional role of MRPS17, small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown was performed in two non-small cell lung cancer cell lines, A549 and NCI-H460. MRPS17 knockdown significantly reduced cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and anchorage-independent growth in both cell lines. Furthermore, knockdown of MRPS17 decreased the activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathway, suggesting its role in driving lung cancer progression through this critical oncogenic pathway. Our findings highlight MRPS17 as a potential cancer therapy target and a prognostic biomarker that may improve the survival rates of lung cancer patients. Future studies should explore its inhibition as a therapeutic strategy as well as elucidate its molecular mechanisms in cancer progression.

Chromosomal alterations are frequent events in lung cancer progression. Although gains and losses of chromosomal position have been reported, the association between copy number alteration and lung cancer patient survival has not been extensively investigated. In this study, we performed a meta-analysis of public cBioPortal datasets spanning 25 lung cancer studies to identify putative cancer driver genes with copy number alterations associated with overall patient survival. Ten copy-number altered genes enriched in deceased lung cancer patients were identified. Seven of these putative driver genes were located in the 7p11.2 chromosomal location, and two were in the 9p21.3 cytoband. Among these genes, the mitochondrial ribosomal protein S17 (MRPS17) amplification was significantly associated with a lower patient survival rate (P = 1.47e-7). To investigate the functional role of MRPS17, small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown was performed in two non-small cell lung cancer cell lines, A549 and NCI-H460. MRPS17 knockdown significantly reduced cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and anchorage-independent growth in both cell lines. Furthermore, knockdown of MRPS17 decreased the activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathway, suggesting its role in driving lung cancer progression through this critical oncogenic pathway. Our findings highlight MRPS17 as a potential cancer therapy target and a prognostic biomarker that may improve the survival rates of lung cancer patients. Future studies should explore its inhibition as a therapeutic strategy as well as elucidate its molecular mechanisms in cancer progression.

Chromosomal alterations are frequent events in lung cancer progression. Although gains and losses of chromosomal position have been reported, the association between copy number alteration and lung cancer patient survival has not been extensively investigated. In this study, we performed a meta-analysis of public cBioPortal datasets spanning 25 lung cancer studies to identify putative cancer driver genes with copy number alterations associated with overall patient survival. Ten copy-number altered genes enriched in deceased lung cancer patients were identified. Seven of these putative driver genes were located in the 7p11.2 chromosomal location, and two were in the 9p21.3 cytoband. Among these genes, the mitochondrial ribosomal protein S17 (MRPS17) amplification was significantly associated with a lower patient survival rate (P = 1.47e-7). To investigate the functional role of MRPS17, small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown was performed in two non-small cell lung cancer cell lines, A549 and NCI-H460. MRPS17 knockdown significantly reduced cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and anchorage-independent growth in both cell lines. Furthermore, knockdown of MRPS17 decreased the activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathway, suggesting its role in driving lung cancer progression through this critical oncogenic pathway. Our findings highlight MRPS17 as a potential cancer therapy target and a prognostic biomarker that may improve the survival rates of lung cancer patients. Future studies should explore its inhibition as a therapeutic strategy as well as elucidate its molecular mechanisms in cancer progression.

Purpose: In a preclinical study using a swine myocardial infarction (MI) model, a delayed enhancement (DE)-multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) scan was performed using a hybrid system alongside diagnostic invasive coronary angiography (ICA) without the additional use of a contrast agent, and demonstrated an excellent correlation in the infarct area compared with histopathologic specimens. In the present investigation, we evaluated the feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of a myocardial viability assessment by DE-MDCT using a hybrid system comprising ICA and MDCT alongside diagnostic ICA without the additional use of a contrast agent. Materials and Methods: We prospectively enrolled 13 patients (median age: 67 years) with a previous MI (>6 months) scheduled to undergo ICA. All patients underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging before diagnostic ICA. MDCT viability scans were performed concurrently with diagnostic ICA without the use of additional contrast. The total myocardial scar volume per patient and average transmurality per myocardial segment measured by DE-MDCT were compared with those from DE-CMR. Results: The DE volume measured by MDCT showed an excellent correlation with the volume measured by CMR (r=0.986, p<0.0001). The transmurality per segment by MDCT was well-correlated with CMR (r=0.900, p<0.0001); the diagnostic performance of MDCT in differentiating non-viable from viable myocardium using a 50% transmurality criterion was good with a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of 87.5%, 99.5%, 87.5%, 99.5%, and 99.1%, respectively. Conclusion The feasibility of the DE-MDCT viability assessment acquired simultaneously with conventional ICA was proven in patients with chronic MI using DE-CMR as the reference standard.

Purpose: Renal tumors account for approximately 7% of all childhood cancers. These include Wilms tumor (WT), clear cell sarcoma of the kidney (CCSK), malignant rhabdoid tumor of the kidney (MRTK), renal cell carcinoma (RCC), congenital mesoblastic nephroma (CMN) and other rare tumors. We investigated the epidemiology of pediatric renal tumors in Korea. Materials and Methods: From January 2001 to December 2015, data of pediatric patients (0–18 years) newly-diagnosed with renal tumors at 26 hospitals were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Among 439 patients (male, 240), the most common tumor was WT (n=342, 77.9%), followed by RCC (n=36, 8.2%), CCSK (n=24, 5.5%), MRTK (n=16, 3.6%), CMN (n=12, 2.7%), and others (n=9, 2.1%). Median age at diagnosis was 27.1 months (range 0-225.5) and median follow-up duration was 88.5 months (range 0-211.6). Overall, 32 patients died, of whom 17, 11, 1, and 3 died of relapse, progressive disease, second malignant neoplasm, and treatment-related mortality. Five-year overall survival and event free survival were 97.2% and 84.8% in WT, 90.6% and 82.1% in RCC, 81.1% and 63.6% in CCSK, 60.3% and 56.2% in MRTK, and 100% and 91.7% in CMN, respectively (p < 0.001). Conclusion The pediatric renal tumor types in Korea are similar to those previously reported in other countries. WT accounted for a large proportion and survival was excellent. Non-Wilms renal tumors included a variety of tumors and showed inferior outcome, especially MRTK. Further efforts are necessary to optimize the treatment and analyze the genetic characteristics of pediatric renal tumors in Korea.

The aim of this study was to investigate relationships between acute exacerbation and Forced Expiratory Volume 1 second (FEV1) improvement after treatment with combined long-acting beta-agonist (LABA) and inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A total of 137 COPD patients were classified as responders or nonresponders according to FEV1 improvement after 3 months of LABA/ICS treatment in fourteen referral hospitals in Korea. Exacerbation occurrence in these two subgroups was compared over a period of 1 yr. Eighty of the 137 COPD patients (58.4%) were classified as responders and 57 (41.6%) as nonresponders. Acute exacerbations occurred in 25 patients (31.3%) in the responder group and in 26 patients (45.6%) in the nonresponder group (P=0.086). FEV1 improvement after LABA/ICS treatment was a significant prognostic factor for fewer acute exacerbations in a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model adjusted for age, sex, FEV1, smoking history, 6 min walk distance, body mass index, exacerbation history in the previous year, and dyspnea scale.Three-month treatment response to LABA/ICS might be a prognostic factor for the occurrence of acute exacerbation in COPD patients.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones/*therapeutic use ; Adrenergic beta-2 Receptor Agonists/*therapeutic use ; Bronchodilator Agents/*therapeutic use ; Budesonide/therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Fluticasone/therapeutic use ; Forced Expiratory Volume/drug effects/*physiology ; Formoterol Fumarate/therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/*drug therapy/physiopathology ; Recurrence ; Republic of Korea ; Salmeterol Xinafoate/therapeutic use ; Smoking ; Spirometry ; Treatment Outcome

No abstract available.
Adult ; Behcet Syndrome/*complications/therapy ; Colitis/*etiology/therapy ; Female ; *Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes/*complications/therapy ; Transplantation, Homologous

OBJECTIVES: This retrospective study was performed to evaluate the clinical impact of diabetes mellitus on the prognosis in secondary space infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records, radiographic images, computed tomography, and microbial studies of 51 patients (25 diabetic patients and 26 non-diabetic patients) were reviewed. Patients were diagnosed as secondary fascial space infections with odontogenic origin and underwent treatment at Chonnam National University Hospital, in Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, from January 2007 to February 2009. RESULTS: Compared to patients without diabetes, patients with diabetes were presented with the following characteristics: older age (diabetic patients: 62.9 years, non-diabetic patients, 47.8 years), more spaces involved (diabetic patients, 60%; non-diabetic patients, 27.3%), more intense treatment, longer hospitalization (diabetic patients, 28.9 days; non-diabetic patients, 15.4 days), higher white blood cell and C-reactive protein values, higher incidence of complication (diabetic patients, 40%; non-diabetic patients, 7.7%), and distinctive main causative microorganisms. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the prognosis of diabetic patients is poorer than that of non-diabetic patients in secondary space infections since they had greater incidence rates of involved spaces, abnormal hematologic findings, more complications, and additional procedures, such as tracheostomy.
Abscess ; Bacterial Infections ; C-Reactive Protein ; Cellulitis ; Diabetes Complications ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leukocytes ; Medical Records ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Surgery, Oral ; Tracheostomy

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are characterized by a capacity for self-renewal, differentiation into multiple neural cell lineages, and migration toward damaged sites in the central nervous system (CNS). NSCs expanded in culture could be implanted into the brain where they integrate into host neural circuitry and stably express foreign genes. It hence appears that transplantation of NSCs has been proposed as a promising therapeutic strategy in neurological disorders. During hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury, factors are transiently elaborated to which NSCs respond by migrating to degenerating regions and differentiating towards replacement of dying neural cells. In addition, NSCs serve as vehicles for gene delivery and appear capable of simultaneous neural cell replacement and gene therapy (e.g. with factors that might enhance neuronal differentiation, neurites outgrowth, proper connectivity, neuroprotection, and/or immunomodulatory substances). When combined with certain synthetic biomaterials, NSCs may be even more effective in 'engineering' the damaged CNS towards reconstitution. Human NSCs were isolated from the forebrain of an aborted fetus at 13 weeks of gestation and were grown as neurospheres in cultures. After the characterization of human NSCs in preclinical testing and the approval of the IRB, a clinical trial of the transplantation of human NSCs into patients with severe perinatal HI brain injury has been performed. The existing data from these clinical trials have shown to be safe, well tolerated, and of neurologically-some benefits. Therefore, long-term and large scale multicenter clinical study is required to determine its precise therapeutic effect and safety.
Aborted Fetus ; Biocompatible Materials ; Brain ; Brain Injuries ; Cell Lineage ; Central Nervous System ; Ethics Committees, Research ; Genetic Therapy ; Humans ; Nervous System Diseases ; Neural Stem Cells ; Neurites ; Neurons ; Pregnancy ; Prosencephalon ; Tissue Therapy ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: Diamond Blackfan anemia (DBA), characterized by impaired red cell production, is a rare condition that is usually symptomatic in early infancy. The purpose of this study was to assess nationwide experiences of DBA encountered over a period of 20 years. METHODS: The medical records of 56 patients diagnosed with DBA were retrospectively reviewed from November 1984 to July 2010. Fifteen institutions, including 13 university hospitals, participated in this study. RESULTS: The male-to-female ratio of patients with DBA was 1.67:1. The median age of diagnosis was 4 months, and 74.1% were diagnosed before 1 year of age. From 2000 to 2009, annual incidence was 6.6 cases per million. Excluding growth retardation, 38.2% showed congenital defects: thumb deformities, ptosis, coarctation of aorta, ventricular septal defect, strabismus, etc. The mean hemoglobin concentration was 5.1+/-1.9 g/dL, mean corpuscular volume was 93.4+/-11.6 fL, and mean number of reticulocytes was 19,700/mm3. The mean cellularity of bone marrow was 75%, with myeloid:erythroid ratio of 20.4:1. After remission, 48.9% of patients did not need further steroids. Five patients with DBA who received hematopoietic transplantation have survived. Cancer developed in 2 cases (3.6%). CONCLUSION: The incidence of DBA is similar to data already published, but our study had a male predilection. Although all patients responded to initial treatment with steroids, about half needed further steroids after remission. It is necessary to collect further data, including information regarding management pathways, from nationwide DBA registries, along with data on molecular analyses.
Anemia ; Anemia, Diamond-Blackfan ; Aortic Coarctation ; Bone Marrow ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Diamond ; Erythrocyte Indices ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Hemoglobins ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Male ; Medical Records ; Registries ; Reticulocytes ; Retrospective Studies ; Steroids ; Strabismus ; Thumb ; Transplants