Comparison of anthropometric data between end-stage renal disease patients undergoing hemodialysis and healthy adults in Korea

Immunotherapy of genitourinary malignancies

Most cancer patients are treated with some combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Despite recent advances in local therapy with curative intent, chemotherapeutic treatments for metastatic disease often remain unsatisfying due to severe side effects and incomplete long-term remission. Therefore, the evaluation of novel therapeutic options is of great interest. Conventional, along with newer treatment strategies target the immune system that suppresses genitourinary (GU) malignancies. Metastatic renal cell carcinoma and non-muscle-invasive bladder caner represent the most immune-responsive types of all human cancer. This review examines the rationale and emerging evidence supporting the anticancer activity of immunotherapy, against GU malignancies.

The mildly elevated serum bilirubin level is negatively associated with the incidence of end stage renal disease in patients with IgA nephropathy

Oxidative stress plays various roles in the development and progression of IgA nephropathy, while bilirubin is known as a potent antioxidant. We therefore hypothesized that serum bilirubin would be associated with renal prognosis in IgA nephropathy. The study subjects comprised 1,458 adult patients with primary IgA nephropathy in Korea. We grouped patients according to the following quartile levels of bilirubin: <0.4 mg/dL (Q1), 0.4-0.5 mg/dL (Q2), 0.6-0.7 mg/dL (Q3), and >0.8 mg/dL (Q4). The outcome data were obtained from the Korean Registry of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Eighty patients (5.5%) contracted ESRD during a mean follow-up period of 44.9 months. The ESRD incidences were 10.7% in Q1, 8.2% in Q2, 2.8% in Q3, and 2.8% in Q4 (p<0.001). The relative risk of ESRD compared to that in Q1 was 0.307 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.126-0.751) in Q3 and 0.315 (95% CI, 0.130-0.765) in Q4. The differences of ESRD incidence were greater in subgroups of males and of patients aged 35 yr or more, with serum albumin 4.0 g/dL or more, with normotension, with eGFR 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) or more, and with proteinuria less then 3+ by dipstick test. In conclusion, higher bilirubin level was negatively associated with ESRD incidence in IgA nephropathy.

Association of CHRNA2 polymorphisms with overweight/obesity and clinical characteristics in a Korean population

BACKGROUND

Genes correlated with nicotine may be important in obesity because of the role of nicotine in food intake.

METHODS

To determine if single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha2 subunit gene (CHRNA2) are associated with overweight/obesity, 156 non-obese and 200 overweight/obese Koreans were genotyped for four CHRNA2 SNPs using an Affymetrix Array Chip.

RESULTS

Of four SNPs, only one, rs2043063, was associated with overweight/obesity in the study population (co-dominant, p=0.049; dominant, p=0.027). Associations between the significant SNP and obesity-related clinical characteristics were observed, but these were not significant.

CONCLUSIONS

The CHRNA2 rs2043063 SNP might be a risk factor for overweight/obesity in Koreans. Therefore, further studies are needed to investigate whether mutations or common polymorphisms of the CHRNA2 gene represent a risk factor for obesity.