Changwook Park

PURPOSE: We investigated the expression of high-mobility group box 2 (HMGB2) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its clinical effects with underlying mechanisms. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: HMGB2 mRNA levels were measured in 334 HCC patients by real-time reverse transcription-PCR and HMGB2 protein levels in 173 HCC patients by immunohistochemical studies. The HMGB2 expression level was measured by Western blotting for three HCC cell lines. To clarify the precise role of HMGB2 on cell pr

BNIP3 (BCL2/adenovirus E1B 19 kDa interacting protein 3) is an atypical BH3-only protein that is induced by hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF1) under hypoxia. BNIP3 is primarily regulated at the transcriptional level. However, little is known about the underlying mechanism of BNIP3 degradation. In this study, we found that BNIP3 was downregulated when hypoxia was accompanied by amino acid starvation. The BNIP3 downregulation did not occur at the transcription level and was independent of HIF1A. BN

Nicotinamide N-methyl transferase (NNMT) transfers a methyl group from S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) to nicotinamide (NAM), producing 1-methylnicotinamide (1MNA). NNMT has been implicated in several cancer types and recently in metabolism, but its role in autophagy regulation has not yet been investigated. In this study, we determined that NNMT negatively regulated autophagy at the stage of ULK1 activation through protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity. Specifically, NNMT knockdown increased PP2

Background: In 2015, the Korean Atopic Dermatitis Association (KADA) working group published consensus guidelines for treating atopic dermatitis (AD). Objective: We aimed to provide updated consensus recommendations for systemic treatment of AD in South Korea based on recent evidence and experience. Methods: We compiled a database of references from relevant systematic reviews and guidelines on the systemic management of AD. Evidence for each statement was graded and classified based on thestren

Background: It is often a difficult problem for dermatologists to treat verruca plana. Cimetidine is a H2 histamine receptor antagonist that has been used mainly to treat peptic ulcer disease. The successful use of cimetidine in the treatment of viral warts has been reported previously using doses of 40 mg/kg/day and has the advantage of being painless and easy to administer. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical effects of high dose cimetidine therapy for verruca pla

BACKGROUNDS: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) exists as population of closely related genetic variants known as quasispecies. HCV quasispecies diversity is strongly influenced by host immune pressure on virus. Quasispecies diversity is expected to decline as host immune response to HCV decreases over natural course of progressing from chronic hepatitis C (CHC) to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Ultradeep pyrosequencing (UDPS) was used to evaluate degree of quasispecies diversity in 49 patients i

Paragonimiasis is a foodborne tissue-invasive parasitic infection caused by Paragonimus westermani. The infection is closely related to eating habits, and in humans it results from eating freshwater crayfish or crabs, secondary intermediate hosts or the flesh of wild boar, the paratenic host contaminated with the metacercariae of paragonimus.1 Although paragonimiasis is primarily a pulmonary disease, ectopic infection can occur in unexpected sites because of the complexity of the migration route

Transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDSs) overcome the hurdle of an intact skin barrier by penetrating the skin to allow mole cules through. These systems reduce side effects associated with conventional hypodermic needles. Here, we introduce novel mi croneedle (MN) TDDSs that enhance drug delivery by creating micron-sized pores across the skin. Many MN TDDSs designed to deliver a diverse array of therapeutics, including allergen-specific immunotherapy, skin disease treatments, and vaccines, are

Sweet's syndrome (SS), also known as acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis, is characterized by the sudden onset of painful erythematous skin lesions together with fever and neutrophilia. SS can be associated with several disorders, such as malignancy, autoimmune disease, and infections. However, SS associated with liver cirrhosis is uncommon. We report a case of SS in a patient who was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis caused by chronic hepatitis B.

Research in LNG fueled ships are actively underway in the world. Accordingly, various materials were widely used as materials for storage tanks for ultra-low temperatures, and high manganese steel for ultra-low temperature was recently developed. In this paper, the transient thermal and residual stress analysis of the welding of 9% nickel steel and high manganese steel are presented. 9% nickel steel tended to have higher transverse direction stress and longitudinal direction stress than high man

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES : Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. Caffeine is one of the substances contained in coffee and it is well known to increase blood pressure and the peripheral vascular resistance, in part because it stimulates the sympathetic nervous system. Arterial stiffness is an important factor for the performance of the cardiovascular system and it is an independent prognosticator of cardiovascular disease. We investigated the acute effect of caffeine on arte