Journal of Korean medical science
-
J. Korean Med. Sci. · Feb 2014
Microarray analysis for genes associated with angiogenesis in diabetic OLETF keratocytes.
The purpose of this study was to identify the differences in angiogenesis gene expression between normal and diabetic keratocytes stimulated with interleukin-1α (IL-1α) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Primarily cultured normal and diabetic keratocytes were treated with 20 ng/mL of IL-1a and TNF-α for 6 hr. cDNA was hybridized to an oligonucleotide microarray. Microarray analysis was used to identify differentially expressed genes that were further evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). ⋯ Agtr1 and Itga1 showed an increased expression in diabetic keratocytes compared with normal corneal keratocytes, especially after TNF-α treatment. Il6 appeared strong expression after interleukin-1α treatment, but showed down expression after TNF-α treatment. Further studies to analyze and confirm the significance of the identified angiogenetic genes of diabetes are needed.
-
Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), particularly during developmental periods, gives rise to a variety of adverse health outcomes. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a well-known EDC commonly found in plastic products including food and water containers, baby bottles, and metal can linings. This study investigates infant exposure to BPA and the effect of bottle-feeding on serum BPA levels in infants. ⋯ No significant correlations were found between serum BPA levels and age, body weight, birth weight, and gestational age. Bottle-feeding seems to increase the risk of infant exposure to BPA. Establishment of health policies to reduce or prevent BPA exposure in infants is necessary.
-
The purpose of this study was to examine trends in duplicate publication in Korean medical articles indexed in the KoreaMed database from 2004 to 2009, before and after a campaign against scientific misconduct launched by the Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors in 2006. The study covered period from 2007 to 2012; and 5% of the articles indexed in KoreaMed were retrieved by random sampling. Three authors reviewed full texts of the retrieved articles. ⋯ However, duplication rate steadily declined to 4.5% in 2007, 2.8% in 2008, and 1.2 % in 2009. Of all duplicated articles, 53.4% were classified as copies, 27.8% as salami slicing, and 18.8% as aggregation (imalas). The decline in duplicate publication rate took place as a result of nationwide campaigns and monitoring by KoreaMed and KoreaMed Synapse, starting from 2006.
-
J. Korean Med. Sci. · Feb 2014
Prevalence and risk factors for iron deficiency anemia in the korean population: results of the fifth KoreaNational Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
This study assessed the prevalence of, and risk factors for, iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) among participants of the fifth Korean Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2010. Of 8,958 participants, 6,758 individuals ≥10 yr had sufficient data for the analysis of anemia and iron status. ID was defined as a transferrin saturation <10% or serum ferritin <15 µg/L. ⋯ Compared to the prevalence of IDA in adult males 18-49 yr, the relative risks of IDA in adults ≥65 yr, lactating females, premenopausal females, and pregnant females were 8.1, 35.7, 42.8, and 95.5, respectively. Low income, underweight, iron- or vitamin C-poor diets were also associated with IDA. For populations with defined risk factors in terms of age, gender, physiological state and socioeconomic and nutritional status, national health policy to reduce IDA is needed.
-
J. Korean Med. Sci. · Feb 2014
Decreasing incidence of Trichophyton mentagrophytes in Korea: analysis of 6,250 cases during the last 21-year-period (1992-2012).
Trichophyton mentagrophytes is the second common dermatophyte in Korea. However, few reports have been issued on the epidemiological and mycological characteristics of T. mentagrophytes in Korea based on long-term, large-scale study. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the epidemiological and mycological characteristics of T. mentagrophytes in Korea. ⋯ Mycological analysis showed a powdery colony appearance was the most common, followed by persicolor and granular colonies. Toewebs were most frequently involved. This investigation on T. mentagrophytes provides insights into its incidence and characteristics.