Single-day FISH procedure for paraffin-embedded tissue sections using a microwave oven.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Hee-Jin Kim.
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Complement C7 deficiency is an autosomal recessive disorder well known to be associated with increased susceptibility to meningococcal infection and has mostly been reported in Caucasians. In the Korean population, no case of C7 deficiency has been reported to date. Recently we experienced an 11-yr-old girl with meningococcal meningitis who was diagnosed as having C7 deficiency based upon the undetectable serum C7 protein on radial immunodiffusion and the undetectable serum total and C7 hemolytic activities. To identify the genetic basis of the C7 deficiency of the patient, we performed a mutation analysis for the C7 gene and found two novel mutations; a point mutation at the 3' splice acceptor site of intron 4 (c.281-1G>T) and a large deletion mutation encompassing almost the whole C7 gene from exon 1 to exon 17 (c.1-?_2350+?del). A haplotype analysis showed that the large deletion mutation was inherited from the patient's father. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first confirmed case of C7 deficiency in Korea.
Gene amplification is a relatively rare event in hematologic malignancies. The ABL gene on chromosome band 9q34 is a proto-oncogene and is the well-known translocation partner of the BCR gene on 22q11 giving rise to t(9;22)(q34;q11), which is the hallmark of chronic myeloid leukemia and is the most common chromosomal abnormality in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Amplification of ABL is an exceedingly rare event, with only less than 5 cases reported in the literature. The p16(INK4a) (or CDKN2A) gene on 9p21 is a tumor suppressor gene, and deletion thereof is recently recognized as one of the most common genetic abnormalities in ALL. The authors herein describe an 8-year-old male patient with precursor T-cell ALL harboring both ABL gene amplification and p16(INK4a) gene deletion. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis using BCR/ABL probes revealed five or more ABL signals, indicating amplification in 51.5% of interphase nuclei. FISH using p16(INK4a) gene probes showed heterozygous p16(INK4a) deletion in 71.0%. On conventional cytogenetic analysis, however, only 10 metaphases were available, which showed the normal karyotype, 46,XY[10], serving no evidence for the findings on FISH. This is the first report of an ALL case with ABL amplification, and the authors speculate that both ABL proto-oncogene amplification and the p16(INK4a) tumor suppressor gene deletion have been implicated in leukemogenesis in the present case, although whether the ABL amplification truly contributes to the leukemogenesis or merely an epiphenomenon representing underlying genomic instability remains to be determined.
BACKGROUND: Previous study has shown that fentanyl attenuates acetylcholine-induced vasorelaxation. The goal of the current in vitro study was to identify the muscarinic receptor subtype that is mainly involved in the fentanyl-induced attenuation of endothelium-dependent relaxation elicited by acetylcholine. METHODS: The effects of fentanyl and muscarinic receptor antagonists on the acetylcholine concentration-response curve were assessed in aortic vascular smooth muscle ring preparations precontracted with phenylephrine. In the rings pretreated independently with pirenzepine, 4-diphenylacetoxyl-N-methylpiperidine methiodide, and naloxone, acetylcholine concentration-response curves were generated in the presence and absence of fentanyl. The effect of fentanyl on the concentration-response curve for calcium ionophore A23187 was assessed. RESULTS: Fentanyl (0.297 x 10 0.785 x 10 m) attenuated acetylcholine-induced vasorelaxation in ring preparations with or without 10 m naloxone. Pirenzepine (10 to 10 m) and 4-diphenylacetoxyl-N-methylpiperidine methiodide (10 to 10 m) produced a parallel rightward shift in the acetylcholine concentration-response curve. The concentrations (-log M) of pirenzepine and 4-diphenylacetoxyl-N-methylpiperidine methiodide necessary to displace the concentration-response curve of an acetylcholine by twofold were estimated to be 6.886 +/- 0.070 and 9.256 +/- 0.087, respectively. Methoctramine, 10 m, did not alter the acetylcholine concentration-response curve. Fentanyl, 0.785 x 10 m, attenuated acetylcholine-induced vasorelaxation in the rings pretreated with 10 m pirenzepine but had no effect on vasorelaxation in the rings pretreated with 10 m 4-diphenylacetoxyl-N-methylpiperidine methiodide. Fentanyl, 0.785 x 10 m, did not significantly alter calcium ionophore A23187-induced vasorelaxation. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that fentanyl attenuates acetylcholine-induced vasorelaxation via an inhibitory effect at a level proximal to nitric oxide synthase activation on the pathway involving endothelial M3 muscarinic receptor activation in rat aorta.
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A variation of the trapezius muscle was observed in a Korean female adult cadaver during routine student dissection. The lateral, upper three-fourths of the descending portion of the trapezius muscle were separated from the remainder of the muscle. This single, isolated bundle fused above the insertion of the midpoint of the clavicle, and attached to the clavicle as a separate tendon. The remaining descending portion inserted into the clavicle and scapula as usual. This abnormal muscle bundle is considered as a variant of the cleido-occipitalis cervicalis, and formation of this variation is discussed based on the embryological development of the relative muscular structures.
A variation of the brachial plexus, characterized by the absence of the musculocutaneous nerve on the left arm, was found during the dissection of a 28-year old male cadaver. The whole lateral cord was joined to the median nerve, which it met in two points. One was a typical junction of both roots of the median nerve at the level of the coracoid process. The other was a junction of the remaining lateral cord and the median nerve, which was 92 mm away from the typical junction. This case provided some evidence about the absence of the musculocutaneous nerve, rather than a complete fusion of the median and musculocutaneous nerves. As the nerves are named due to their course or innervation, and not from their origin, it is reasonable to assume that the combined nerve was actually the median nerve, and that the musculocutaneous nerve did not exist.
For decades, the understanding of craniofacial development has been a central issue in odontology and developmental biology. As a consequence, a significant number of deformities are being studied for their variety of genotype and phenotype. Although there is little doubt about the essential roles of homeobox genes, transcription factors, and growth factors, we now know at least the fundamental strategy of craniofacial biology. The tooth as an organ performs a whole range of functions, each of which is truly indispensable for the maintenance of life. The possession of teeth is, therefore, obviously coupled with the complication of the natural structure of an individual organism. In the following, we shall focus on a brief history of tooth studies and some suggestions for obtaining a full understanding of teeth in the future.
Rearrangements of the MLL gene on chromosome 11, band q23, are one of the most common genetic changes in acute leukemia. Reciprocal translocation is the most common form of MLL rearrangement, and the partner genes in MLL translocation are notably diverse. Involvement of the SEPTIN6 gene on Xq24 in MLL rearrangements occurs very rarely, with only six cases having been documented in the literature. Of note, the MLL/SEPTIN6 rearrangements in these cases were cryptic or complex, and it was shown that the 5'-MLL/SEPTIN6-3' transcript resides on the derivative X chromosome rather than on the derivative chromosome 11 as in the majority of cases of MLL translocations. These observations suggested that MLL and SEPTIN6 reside on their respective chromosome loci in reverse orientation, that is, centromere-to-telomere and telomere-to-centromere, respectively. We here report a case of acute monocytic leukemia with inv ins(X;11)(q24;q23q13) in a 29-month-old child. Fluorescence in situ hybridization study revealed the break-apart 5'-MLL segment to be translocated to the derivative X chromosome, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction followed by sequencing analysis confirmed the 5'-MLL/SEPTIN6-3' chimeric transcript. This case is the first to provide direct cytogenetic evidence for the salient nature of the MLL/SEPTIN6 rearrangement. We reviewed clinical and cytogenetic features of all cases of 11q23 and Xq22-24 rearrangements reported up to now, including six cases where the involvement of the SEPTIN6 gene was confirmed by molecular techniques.
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A Korean herbal formulation, Honghwain-Jahage (HJ), which is comprised of a herb of Carthamus tinctorius L. seed and Hominis Placenta, was investigated for inhibiting effects on IL-1 beta-stimulated bone resorption in the fetal mouse bone culture system. Results of in vitro cytotoxicities showed that HJ extracts have no any cytotoxicities in concentrations of 1-200 microg/ml on the cultured osteoblast cells derived from mouse calvarial bone explants. Cell viability was not significantly affected by treatment with the indicated concentration of the extracts. The HJ extracts were shown to have inhibitory effects against the synthesis of PGE(2). We also examined the effect of the pretreatment with various concentrations of the HJ extracts then treated by the PGE(2)-induction agents. Pretreatment of the HJ extracts for 1 h, which by itself had little effect on cell survival, reduced the synthesis of PGE(2). Furthermore, the HJ extracts were shown to have protective effects against plasminogen dependent fibrinolysis induced by IL-1 beta. Pretreatment of the HJ extracts for 1 h did not enhance the plasminogen dependent fibrinolysis. Finally, co-treatment of HJ with calcitonin showed significant inhibitory activity on the IL-1 beta-stimulated bone resorption. From these results, it was found that HJ extracts inhibited IL-1 beta-induced bone resorption.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to clarify the anatomic variations of the intrathoracic nerve of Kuntz, and this should help delineate the resection margins during video-assisted thoracic sympathectomy. METHODS: Sixty-six thoracic sympathetic chains of 39 adult Korean cadavers were dissected on both sides of the thorax in 27 cadavers (54 sides) and on one side in 12 cadavers (12 sides). RESULTS: The intrathoracic nerve was observed in 45 (68.2%) sides and was present bilaterally in 48.1% of cadavers. No intrathoracic nerve or ascending ramus communicans arising from the second thoracic nerve was observed in only 5 (7.6%) sides. The diameter of the intrathoracic nerve was 1.25 plus minus 0.55 mm on average. The arising point of the intrathoracic nerve from the second thoracic nerve was 7.3 mm on average from the sympathetic trunk. Presence of the stellate ganglion was noted in 56 (84.8%) sides, and 6 (9.1%) sides showed a single large ganglion formed by the stellate and the second thoracic sympathetic ganglia. The second thoracic sympathetic ganglion was most commonly located (50%) in the second intercostal space. CONCLUSION: The anatomic variations of the intrathoracic nerve of Kuntz and the second thoracic sympathetic ganglion were characterized in human cadavers. It is hoped that this study will help to improve the recurrence of symptoms caused by the intrathoracic nerve in an upper thoracic sympathectomy for hyperhidrosis.