Identification of biomarkers for preterm delivery in mid-trimester amniotic fluid

OBJECTIVE

We investigated whether the level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and inflammatory markers in mid-trimester amniotic fluid have predictive value for spontaneous preterm birth in singleton pregnancy.

METHOD

Our subjects were 72 pregnant women who were undertaken with amniocentesis from 16 to 19 weeks of gestation. 36 cases were women with preterm delivery, and other 36 cases were matched women with full-term delivery. Stored amniotic fluid was investigated after the delivery. The levels of matrix metalloproteinases-8 (MMP-8), interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and VEGF were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot.

RESULTS

The levels of MMP-8 and IL-6 in preterm group were significantly higher than control group (5.76 ± 1.53 ng/ml vs 4.89 ± 1.77 ng/ml and 170.54 ± 55.69 pg/ml vs 141.92 ± 57.21 pg/ml, respectively) (p < 0.05). In terms of VEGF, the levels were elevated in preterm group (30.76 ± 4.06 pg/ml vs 22.36 ± 7.03 pg/ml) (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that elevated levels of IL-6 and MMP-8 in amniotic fluid at mid-trimester are predictive of preterm delivery, and that VEGF which is representative of angiogenesis can be a new and useful predictor of preterm delivery.

Effects of quality grade on the chemical, physical and sensory characteristics of Hanwoo (Korean native cattle) beef

The effects of quality grade (which reflects relative marbling) on the chemical, physical and sensory properties was investigated using Korean native cattle (Hanwoo) beef. Thirty-six Hanwoo cows were slaughtered and the carcasses were graded at 24h postmortem according to the Korean carcass grading system. The quality grade 1 (high quality), grade 2 and grade 3 (low quality) were based on the marbling score of longissimus dorsi (LD) muscles. The effects of quality grade on the meat quality parameters of beef LD muscle were assessed during aging. Loin-eye area, fat thickness and yield grade were all similar for the three quality groups. Mean lean color, fat color and maturity scores did not differ among quality grade groups (P>0.05). pH, Sarcomere length, WHC, collagen content, cooking loss, shear force and MFI were not affected by quality grade groups. Drip loss for grade 1 group was significantly lower than that for grade 3 groups (P<0.05). At initial tenderness evaluation of steaks, no differences among the three grades were observed; however, with additional days of storage, grade 1 steaks had higher tenderness score than grade 3 steaks (P<0.05). Increased postmortem aging time improved tenderness attributes regardless of quality groups. No significant differences were found among the quality grade groups for flavor (P>0.05). The grade 1 group had the highest juiciness score, and grade 3 groups had the lowest score (P<0.05), but postmortem aging did not influence flavor and juiciness. The quality grades were more strongly related to juiciness than tenderness or flavor.

Differential effects of colchicine in blood mononuclear cells of patients with Behçet disease in relation to colchicine responsiveness

BACKGROUND

Colchicine, a first-line drug for the treatment of Behçet disease (BD), inhibits caspase-1 activation and inflammatory cytokine production. However, therapeutic and preventive effects are not observed in some patients with BD.

OBJECTIVE

To explore whether the effects of colchicine on proinflammatory cytokine expression and cell death in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with BD are associated with responsiveness to colchicine.

METHODS

Activation of caspase-1, transcription and secretion of interleukin (IL)-1β, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and IL-6, and release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in PBMCs isolated from healthy controls and patients with BD were analysed in the presence or absence of colchicine and upon stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus a caspase-1 activator.

RESULTS

Colchicine significantly modulated monosodium urate-induced IL-1β release, LPS-stimulated LDH release, and basal transcript levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in healthy controls and BD colchicine responders, but not in BD colchicine nonresponders. Notably, colchicine showed contrasting effects on LPS-stimulated IL-1β transcription, i.e. it increased in responders but decreased in nonresponders. Also, higher levels of TNF-α and IL-6 transcripts were observed in LPS-stimulated PBMCs from nonresponders compared with responders.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows different effects of colchicine on PBMCs from patients with BD according to their responsiveness to colchicine. Predicting responsiveness to colchicine in patients with BD may, therefore, be possible by examining alterations in IL-1β transcript levels in LPS-stimulated PBMCs after colchicine treatment.

Multiple-electrode radiofrequency ablations using Octopus® electrodes in an in vivo porcine liver model

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to determine the in vivo efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in porcine liver using Octopus® electrodes for creating a large coagulation compared with RFA using clustered electrodes.

METHODS

A total of 39 coagulations were created using a 200-W generator and clustered electrodes or Octopus electrodes during laparotomy in 19 pigs. Radiofrequency was applied to the livers using four protocols: (1) Group A-1, monopolar mode using a clustered electrode (n=11); (2) Group A-2, monopolar mode using an Octopus electrode (n=11); (3) Group B-1, consecutive monopolar mode using three, clustered electrodes (n=8); and (4) Group B-2, switching monopolar mode using two Octopus electrodes (n=9). The energy efficiency, shape, diameters (D) and volume (V) of the coagulation volume were compared in each of the two groups.

RESULTS

The mean maximum D and V of the coagulations in Group A-2 (4.7 cm and 33.1 cm(3), respectively) were significantly larger than those in Group A-1 (4.1 cm and 20.3 cm(3), respectively) (p<0.05). Furthermore, the mean minimum D, maximum D and V of the coagulations in Group B-2 were significantly larger than those in Group B-1, i.e. 5.3 vs 4.0 cm, 6.6 vs 4.9 cm and 66.9 vs 30.2 cm(3), respectively (p<0.05). The energy efficiencies were also significantly higher in Groups A-2 and B-2 than in Groups A-1 and B-1 (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

The Octopus electrodes were more efficient for creating a large ablation zone than clustered electrodes, and the efficacy of RFA with Octopus electrodes can be amplified in the switching monopolar mode.

Molecular and functional properties of three different peroxiredoxin isotypes in Chinese cabbage

Peroxiredoxins (Prxs), which are classified into three isotypes in plants, play important roles in protection systems as peroxidases or molecular chaperones. The three Prx isotypes of Chinese cabbage, namely C1C-Prx, C2C-Prx, and C-PrxII, have recently been identified and characterized. The present study compares their molecular properties and biochemical functions to gain insights into their concerted roles in plants. The three Prx isotype genes were differentially expressed in tissue- and developmental stage-specific manners. The transcript level of the C1C-Prx gene was abundant at the seed stage, but rapidly decreased after imbibitions. In contrast, the C2C-Prx transcript was not detected in the seeds, but its expression level increased at germination and was maintained thereafter. The C-PrxII transcript level was mild at the seed stage, rapidly increased for 10 days after imbibitions, and gradually disappeared thereafter. In the localization analysis using GFP-fusion proteins, the three isotypes showed different cellular distributions. C1C-Prx was localized in the cytosol and nucleus, whereas C2C-Prx and C-Prx were found mainly in the chloroplast and cytosol, respectively. In vitro thiol-dependent antioxidant assays revealed that the relative peroxidase activities of the isotypes were CPrxII > C2C-Prx > C1C-Prx. C1C-Prx and C2C-Prx, but not C-PrxII, prevented aggregation of malate dehydrogenase as a molecular chaperone. Taken together, these results suggest that the three isotypes of Prx play specific roles in the cells in timely and spatially different manners, but they also cooperate with each other to protect the plant.

P1-01-07: ErbB-2 Peptide Vaccination Suppresses Spontaneous Tumorigenesis and Tumor Stem Cell Expansion in MMTV-PyVT Transgenic Mouse

Immunization targeting ErbB-2 could have considerable therapeutic potential by controlling growth and metastasis of highly aggressive tumor cells in the earlier preclinical and clinical studies. Just a few studies have examined preventive potential of ErbB-2 vaccines in preclinical studies. However, animal model systems used in the previous studies were tumor transplantation or neu-transgenic mouse, which were not relevant to human HER-2 positive breast tumorigenesis. In this study, active immunotherapy against tumor antigen ErbB-2/neu for primary prevention of breast cancer was tested using FVB/N-Tg (MMTV-PyVT) transgenic mice model. Mice were grouped to receive either ErbB-2 peptide vaccine, immune adjuvant only, tetanus toxoid, or PBS every 2 weeks for 3 times and monthly thereafter. The MMTV-PyVT transgenic mice in control groups (PBS, immune adjuvant only, or tetanus toxoid peptide) developed spontaneous mammary adenocarcinomas in 12 to 15 weeks, but vaccination against ErbB-2 strongly suppressed tumor formation by 30 weeks of observation. Further pathologic examination showed complete prevention of tumorigenesis was observed in ErbB-2 vaccinated mice, whereas the mice in control groups developed highly aggressive ErbB-2 overexpressing tumors similar to human breast cancer. The tumor protective effect of peptide vaccination was associated with induction of ErbB-2-specific humoral immune responses as well as T cell responses. Additionally, role of signal through ErbB-2 pathway and the relationship with stemness of cancer cells were determined by Aldefluor assay, mammosphere formation assay using Mouse mammary carcinoma (MMC) cells in vitro, and level of nestin expression determined by Western blot analysis. Further analysis of mammosphere formation capacity of MMC cells using immune sera showed that sera from ErbB2 vaccinated mice had a significant inhibitory effect on mammosphere formation in ErbB-2 overexpressing MMC cells. These results suggest that ErbB-2 targeting by cancer vaccination might be useful adjuvant to standard therapy, helping to prevent relapse in patients with ErbB-2-overexpressing tumors by suppressing stem/progenitor cell population.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-01-07.

Stress as an influencing factor in psoriasis

Emotional stress may influence the development and exacerbation of psoriasis. The proportion of psoriasis patients who believe stress affects their skin condition (i.e., "stress responders") is considerably high, ranging from 37% to 78%. Stress may worsen psoriasis severity and may even lengthen the time to disease clearance. Although a pathogenic association appears likely, additional well-controlled studies are necessary to confirm such a causal relationship. Dysregulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal and sympathetic adrenomedullary systems has been proposed as one possible underlying cause of stress-induced flares of psoriasis. While stress may be an exacerbating factor, psoriasis itself may contribute to significant adverse psychological sequelae. Breaking this stress cycle may be an important part of any therapeutic approach. Thus, stress reduction through psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy may be useful in treating psoriatic patients who are stress responders.

Negative refraction power causes underestimation of peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in spectral-domain optical coherence tomography

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Although studies using optical coherence tomography (OCT) reported that the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness of myopic eyes was thinner than those of normal controls, it was unclear if this finding indicated the difference in actual structural thickness or that created by sources affecting accuracy of OCT measurement. This study's aim was to evaluate the effect of refraction power on the measurement of the RNFL thickness using spectral-domain OCT.

METHODS

OCT scans to measure RNFL thickness were repeated in 15 cycloplegic eyes of 15 participants, while different refraction powers were induced by wearing soft contact lenses of eight different dioptres (-6 to +8).

RESULTS

Measured RNFL thicknesses decreased significantly with soft contact lenses of higher plus dioptres and increased with those of more minus dioptres. This finding was consistent with or without controlling factors including the signal strength and test-retest variability of the machine. Measurement of peripapillary RNFL thicknesses was not varied between scans performed with and without plano contact lenses.

CONCLUSIONS

In spectral-domain OCT, RNFL thickness was underestimated in eyes with increasing negative refraction power and overestimated with increasing positive refraction power.

Characteristics of permanganate oxidation of TCE at low reagent concentrations

A controlled-release technique using potassium permanganate (KMnO4) has been recently developed as a long-term and semi-passive remediation scheme for dilute groundwater plumes of chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene. Batch experiments were performed to evaluate TCE removal efficiencies of a low concentration of permanganate (MnO4-) solution and to estimate the optimum dose of permanganate required to remove low levels of TCE from groundwater plumes without leaving intermediate organic forms. Experimental results indicated that when the molar ratio of [MnO4-]0/[TCE]0 was about 10, 95% of the TCE in the plume was removed within less than 90 min, and about 90% of the chloride in the organic forms was converted into inorganic ions, while the TCE removal rates and the chloride conversion rates were considerably lower when the [TCE]0/ [MnO4-]0 values were lower. These data suggested that the [MnO4-]0 and the [MnO4-]0/[TCE]0 values would have strong effects on the efficiency and completeness of TCE oxidation. Further detailed investigations of the effect of [MnO4-]0 and [MnO4-]0/[TCE]0 values on the removal efficiencies and completeness of the TCE oxidation are warranted for successful application of the controlled-release KMnO4 technique in practice.

Comparison of risk factors and clinical responses to proton pump inhibitors in patients with erosive oesophagitis and non-erosive reflux disease

BACKGROUND

There has been no report on the response to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy and on-demand or the relapse rate of non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) and erosive oesophagitis in Korea.

AIM

To compare the risk factors, clinical symptoms and PPI responses between patients with erosive oesophagitis and NERD patients.

METHODS

A survey was performed prospectively in the erosive oesophagitis (205 patients) and NERD group (200 patients). Clinical symptoms, risk factors and PPI responses were analysed. On-demand therapy and the relapse rate of GERD symptoms were investigated during a one-year follow-up.

RESULTS

BMI > or = 25 (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.1-8.3), alcohol use (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.0-8.3), hiatal hernia (OR 5.0, 95% CI 1.2-20) and triglyceride > or =150 mg/dL (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.7-10) were more common in the erosive oesophagitis group than in the NERD group by multivariate analysis. The ratio of oesophageal to extra-oesophageal symptoms was higher in the erosive oesophagitis group compared with the NERD group (P < 0.001). The PPI response rates at 8 weeks were different (P = 0.02); refractory rates were higher in the NERD group (16.7%) compared with the erosive oesophagitis group (6.0%). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in on-demand therapy or the relapse rate.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of erosive oesophagitis and NERD are distinct.

Characteristics for electrochemical machining with nanoscale voltage pulses

Electrochemical machining has traditionally been used in highly specialized fields, such as those of the aerospace and defense industries. It is now increasingly being applied in other industries, where parts with difficult-to-cut material, complex geometry and tribology, and devices of nanoscale and microscale are required. Electric characteristic plays a principal function role in and chemical characteristic plays an assistant function role in electrochemical machining. Therefore, essential parameters in electrochemical machining can be described current density, machining time, inter-electrode gap size, electrolyte, electrode shape etc. Electrochemical machining provides an economical and effective method for machining high strength, high tension and heat-resistant materials into complex shapes such as turbine blades of titanium and aluminum alloys. The application of nanoscale voltage pulses between a tool electrode and a workpiece in an electrochemical environment allows the three-dimensional machining of conducting materials with sub-micrometer precision. In this study, micro probe are developed by electrochemical etching and micro holes are manufactured using these micro probe as tool electrodes. Micro holes and microgroove can be accurately achieved by using nanoscale voltages pulses.

Metabolic syndrome and quality of life (QOL) using generalised and obesity-specific QOL scales

OBJECTIVES

We investigated the association between metabolic syndrome (MS) and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) assessed using generalised and obesity-specific QOL instruments.

METHODS

We recruited 456 outpatients [age: 19-81 years, body mass index (BMI): 16.3-36.7 kg/m2] in the primary care division from 12 general hospitals in Korea. HRQOL was measured using EuroQol comprising the health states descriptive system (EQ-5D) and visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS) as a general instrument. The Korean Obesity-related QOL scale (KOQOL) composed of six domains was used as a disease-specific QOL instrument. MS was defined on the basis of International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria with Korean-specific waist circumference cutoffs (men: 90 cm, women: 85 cm).

RESULTS

Subjects with MS displayed significantly higher impairment of EQ-5D and KOQOL. Binary logistic regression analysis of MS patients with controls for age, gender, smoking, alcohol, exercise, education, income, marital status and medication history disclosed odds ratio (OR) values of 2.13 (1.33-3.41) for impaired total KOQOL, 2.07 (1.31-3.27) for impaired physical health, 1.63 (1.03-2.60) for impaired work-related health, 2.42 (1.45-4.04) for impaired routine life, 2.08 (1.27-3.40) for impaired sexual life and 2.56 (1.59-4.11) for diet distress. Among the EQ-5D dimensions, only pain/discomfort displayed a significantly increased OR of 1.60 (1.01-2.56) in MS group.

CONCLUSIONS

Subjects with MS displayed a significantly impaired HRQOL compared with those without MS. MS and HRQOL were more strongly associated in obesity-specific QOL than in generalised QOL.

Identification of glutathione conjugates and mercapturic acids of 1,2-dibromopropane in female BALB/c mice by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Based on recent results that 1,2-dibromopropane (1,2-DBP) causes hepatotoxicity and immunotoxicity in female BALB/c mice as well as a reduction of hepatic glutathione levels, the possible formation of glutathione conjugates and mercapturic acids of 1,2-DBP was investigated in vivo in the present studies. The following four metabolites were identified in the liver at 12 h after treatment with 1,2-DBP, by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/MS): M1, 2-hydroxypropylglutathione; M2, 2-oxopropylglutathione; M3, N-acetyl-S-(2-hydroxypropyl)-L-cysteine; and M4, N-acetyl-S-(2-oxopropyl)-L-cysteine. Ions of individual conjugates were observed at m/z 366, 364, 222 and 220, respectively. Characteristic product ions at m/z 237, 217, 204 and 202 for the identification of M1, M2, M3 and M4 were observed, respectively. In the sera isolated from the same animals, only mercapturic acids (M3 and M4) were observed by LC-ESI/MS. When female BALB/c mice were treated orally with 1,2-DBP at doses of 150, 300 and 600 mg kg(-1) once for 12 h, the production of glutathione conjugates and mercapturic acids in liver was apparently dose dependent, as were the concentrations of them in sera. When the production of metabolites from 1,2-DBP was investigated in liver following oral treatment with 600 mg kg(-1) 1,2-DBP for 6, 12, 24 and 48 h, metabolite concentrations were greatest at the first time point (6 h). The results explain the authors' previous studies that oral treatment with 1,2-DBP reduces the hepatic content of glutathione.

Antibiogram and coagulase diversity in staphylococcal enterotoxin-producing Staphylococcus aureus from bovine mastitis

We investigated antibiogram and coagulase gene diversity in staphylococcal enterotoxin (StE)-producing Staphylococcus aureus isolated from raw milk samples of cows infected with mastitis from 140 dairy farms in Korea between 1997 and 2004. Of the 696 Staph. aureus isolates collected in this study, 164 isolates (23.6%) produced one or more staphylococcal enterotoxins (A to D), and 19 isolates (2.7%) were methicillin-resistant. The percentage of StE-producing Staph. aureus (SES) isolates resistant to methicillin, kanamycin, neomycin, amikacin, and tetracycline was greater than that of non-SES. Ten coagulase genotype patterns were observed, including 4 main types comprising I (25.4%), II (13.9%), VII (13.2%), and VIII (17.8%). More than 4 Staph. aureus types were isolated from each of 82 dairy farms in different geographic locations, and only 1 coagulase genotype pattern was observed in 39 of the herds (47.6%). There was no significant correlation between coagulase genotypes harbored by Staph. aureus and their specific StE type. The percentage of isolates producing major StE types (A, B, AC, and ABCD) and being resistant to cephalothin and methicillin was greater among the Staph. aureus isolates with the 4 predominant coagulase genotypes (I, II, VII, and VIII) than among the isolates harboring the 6 rare coagulase types (III, IV, V, VI, IX, and X). Based on coagulase gene polymorphisms, our data indicate that a broad distribution of identical or closely related enterotoxin-producing Staph. aureus strains seem to contribute to bovine mastitis in the Republic of Korea.

Association of CD94/NKG2A, CD94/NKG2C, and its ligand HLA-E polymorphisms with Behcet's disease

Inhibitory CD94/NKG2A and activating CD94/NKG2C receptors are expressed on natural killer, CD4, and CD8 T cells and recognize human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-E, resulting in the modulation of cytotoxic activity and cytokine production. An imbalance in cytotoxic activity and cytokine production has been implicated in Behcet's disease (BD). The results of this study showed that the NKG2A c.-4258*C, c.338-90*G, and CD94 c.-134*T alleles (P= 0.015, OR = 0.8; P < 0.0001, OR = 0.5; and P= 0.034, OR = 0.8, respectively) were associated with decreased risk and that NKG2A c.284-67_-62del, c.1077*C, and the activating receptor, NKG2C c.305*T were not associated with 345 patients with BD. But a significant difference in NKG2C c.305*T was detected among BD patients with ocular lesions and arthritis (P < 0.0001, OR = 2.1 and P= 0.0001, OR = 1.8, respectively). We already showed in our previous research that HLA-E*0101 also appears to contribute to a reduction in risk through the inhibitory CD94/NKG2A-mediated immune response. This result led us to the analyses of the combined risk of the HLA-E and the NKG2A for BD. Individuals harboring HLA-E*0101, NKG2A c.-4258*C, and c.338-90*G evidenced a reduced risk of BD compared with healthy controls (21.1% vs 40.1%, P < 0.0001, OR = 0.4). By way of contrast, individuals without the HLA-E*0101, NKG2A c.-4258*C, and c.338-90*G alleles evidenced a twofold increased risk of BD (P= 0.014, OR = 2.0). Individuals without HLA-E*0101, NKG2A c.-4258*G/*G, and c.338-90*G evidenced a 4.8-fold increase in BD risk (P= 0.0002, OR = 4.8). Although the effects of these single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) remain unclear, our results indicate that the SNPs of the inhibitory receptor CD94/NKG2A and its haplotypes, as well as its ligand HLA-E, are associated with BD immune systems.

Anatomy of the alar lobule in the Asian nose

OBJECTIVE

To provide details of the unique anatomical features on the alar lobule region in the Asian nose.

METHODS

We hypothesized that the shape of the alar lobule is dependent on its anatomy. The alar lobules were classified into flared type and straight type depending on their gross prominence and roundness. A total of 20 fresh cadaver noses (10 of each type) were dissected. Anatomical differences between the flared and straight types were investigated by gross and histologic studies.

RESULTS

The alar lobule consisted of three layers; external skin, muscle, and vestibular skin. The dilator naris anterior and dilator naris posterior muscles were well developed in the flared type alar lobules, whereas they were poorly developed in the straight type. The insertion of the dilator naris posterior muscle in the flared type was found to extend more anteriorly to the middle of alar lobule as well as to the alar base, whereas in the straight type the insertion was limited to the alar base only. External skin at the lateral end of the flared type was thicker than of the straight type. No significant differences were seen in other structures of the alar lobule region.

CONCLUSIONS

The gross appearance of the alar lobule is mainly affected by the volume of the dilator naris anterior muscle, the insertion of the dilator naris posterior muscle, and the thickness of the external skin at the lateral end of the alar circumference.

HLA-E*0101 and HLA-G*010101 reduce the risk of Behcet's disease

The nonclassical human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-E and -G molecules have previously been shown to inhibit natural killer- and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-mediated cell lysis and have also been shown to prevent the proliferation of CD4 T cells and secrete cytokines that appear to be important in the modulation of the Behcet's disease (BD) immune systems. Polymorphisms in the HLA-E and HLA-G genes have been associated with differential expression and function. Thus, we conducted an analysis of the HLA-E and HLA-G alleles using Amplification Refractory Mutation System-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism techniques in a study comprising 312 patients with BD and 486 controls. The HLA-E*0101 and HLA-G*010101 alleles were associated with a reduced risk of BD (P = 0.0002, odds ratio (OR) = 0.7 and P = 0.002, OR = 0.7, respectively). By way of contrast, the variants HLA-E*010302, HLA-G*010102, G*0105N alleles and 3741_3754ins14bp were all associated with an increased risk of BD (P < 0.0001, OR = 1.6; P = 0.002, OR = 1.8; P = 0.024, OR = 2.0 and P = 0.003, OR = 1.4, respectively). Individuals carrying both the HLA-E*0101 and the HLA-G*010101 alleles evidenced significantly lower frequency in the patients than in the controls (35.6% vs 49.6%; P < 0.0001, OR = 0.6). These results indicate that variant HLA-E and HLA-G molecules appear to function independently and synergistically, increasing the risk of BD, and may result in an imbalance of lymphocytic functions, which may culminate in the development of BD.

Health-related quality of life in disease-free survivors of breast cancer with the general population

BACKGROUND

Although most of the literature about health-related quality of life (HRQoL) focuses on breast cancer patients, few studies compared the HRQoL in disease-free breast cancer survivors with that of the general population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We administered the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 and Quality of Life Questionnaire Breast Cancer Module, McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory, and Brief Fatigue Inventory to 1933 disease-free survivors for over 1 year after being diagnosed with stage 0 to III breast cancer. We performed multivariate-adjusted analyses in all HRQoL comparisons.

RESULTS

The scores for some health-related quality of life [corrected] HRQoL scales were comparable for both disease-free breast cancer survivors and the general female population, but [corrected] there was a [corrected] clinically significant difference between the two groups [corrected] in cognitive and social functioning, fatigue, insomnia, financial difficulties, body image, future perspective, breast symptoms, and arm symptoms. [corrected]

CONCLUSIONS

Disease-free survivors of breast cancer had good HRQoL, which was less affected by the type of treatment than it was by demographic characteristics, time since surgery, comorbidity, fatigue, and depression.

Fabrication of fluorine-doped diamond-like carbon stamps for UV nanoimprint lithography

Two fluorine-doped diamond-like carbon (F-DLC) stamps with sub-100 nm line patterns were fabricated using a direct etching method. These were applied successfully to ultraviolet (UV) nanoimprint lithography without requiring an anti-adhesion layer coating. Tests were performed to determine the optimum fluorine concentration for the F-DLC stamps. The ideal stamp material consisted of 25 at.% F-DLC with a contact angle of 85°, UV transmittance of 16.4-26.8%, and hardness of 4.5 GPa. The O(2) plasma etch rate of the DLC was increased considerably by the fluorine doping, making it comparable to the etch rate of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). Thus, only PMMA was used as the etch mask in the fabrication of the stamps.