An Electrochemical Enzyme Immunochip Based on Capacitance Measurement for the Detection of IgG

Yi, Seung-Jae,Choi, Ji-Hye,Kim, Hwa-Jung,Chang, Seung-Cheol,Park, Deog-Su,Kim, Kyung-Chun,Chang, Chulhun L. Korean Chemical Society 2011 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.32 No.4

This study describes the development of an electrochemical array immunochip for the detection of IgG. Interdigitated immunochip platforms were fabricated by sputtering gold on a glass wafer by using MEMS process and then were coated with Eudragit S100, an enteric polymer, forming an insulating layer over the working area of immunochips. The breakdown of the polymer layer was exemplified by the catalytic action of urease which, in the presence of urea, caused an alkaline pH change. This subsequently caused an increase of the double layer capacitance of the underlying electrode. Used in conjunction with a competitive immunoassay format, this allowed the ratio of initial to final electrode capacitance to be directly linked with the concentration of analyte, i.e. IgG. Responses to IgG could be detected at IgG concentration as low as $250\;ngmL^{-1}$ and showed good linearity up to IgG concentration as high as $20\;{\mu}gmL^{-1}$.

Influence of Residential Environment and Lifestyle on Multiple Primary Malignancies in Taiwan

Chang, Chih-Chun,Chung, Yi-Hua,Liou, Ching-Biau,Lee, Yi-Chen,Weng, Wei-Ling,Yu, Yun-Chieh,Yen, Tzung-Hai,Wu, Jiann-Ming Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.8

Background: Multiple primary malignancies (MPM) have become increasingly prevalent worldwide. This investigation was aimed at establishing the clinicopathological characteristics of MPM patients and evaluating the impact of the living environment on MPM in the Taiwanese population. Materials and Methods: From January 2009 to December 2013, a total of 8,268 cancer patients were identified in our institutional center. Of these, 125 were diagnosed as MPM and thus enrolled. Data for clinicopathological features and treatment approaches for these MPM patients living in urban or suburb zone were obtained. Findings for the air pollution status in Taiwan were also collected. Results: The most common cancer match of MPM was esophageal cancer with hypopharyngeal cancer (12.8%), followed by colorectal cancer with gastric cancer (6.4%) and colorectal cancer with breast cancer (5.6%). The air quality was significantly worse in the urban than in the suburban zone and there was a remarkably higher portion of MPM patients in the urban zone suffering from grade III and IV post-chemotherapeutic neutropenia (30.8% vs 15.1%, P=0.036). Conclusions: The tumor frequency and site distribution should be taken into the clinical evaluation because there is a relatively high risk of developing MPM. This study also highlighted the potential influence of environmental factors on post-chemotherapeutic neutropenia for patients with MPM.

High Quality Partially Relaxed SiGe Film Grown on Silicon-on-Insulator Substrate by Ultra-High Vacuum Chemical Vapor Deposition

Chang Chun Chen,Wen Tao Huang,Zhi Hong Liu,Ji Lin Wang,Xiao Yi Xiong,Yi Lin Shan,Wei Zhang,Jun Zhu,Pei Hsin Tsien 대한금속학회 2004 METALS AND MATERIALS International Vol.10 No.3

Risk and Outcome of Stroke in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis: Two Nationwide Studies

( Yi-chun Chou ),( Chien-chang Liao ),( Chun-chuan Shih ) 대한간학회 2016 춘·추계 학술대회 (KASL) Vol.2016 No.1

Aims: The association between liver cirrhosis (LC) and stroke was not completely understood. The purpose of this study is to evaluate stroke risk and post-stroke outcomes in patients with LC. Methods: Using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified 6944 adults aged ≥20 years diagnosed with LC in 2000-2005. Non-LC cohort consisted of 27776 adults randomly selected and matched by age and sex (case-control ratio=1:4). Incident events of stroke occurring after LC from January 1, 2000, through the end of 2009 were identified in the follow-up period. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of stroke associated with LC were calculated. We conducted another nested cohort study consisted of 21267 patients with hospitalization due to stroke between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2010. We calculated the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs of 30-day mortality after stroke in patients with and without LC during admission. Results: The incidences of stroke for people with and without LC were 7.5 and 4.9 per1000 person-years, respectively (P<0.0001). Compared to people without LC, patients with LC had increased risk of stroke (HR 1.75, 95% CI 1.52-2.01). The association was significant in both sexes. In the nested cohort study, LC was associated with post-hemorrhage mortality (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.63-2.05) and epilepsy (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.09-1.56). Conclusions: Patients with LC showed higher risks of stroke and post-stroke mortality. Our findings suggest the urgency of preventing and managing LC by a multidisciplinary medical team for this specific population.

Diagnostic Role of Serum Free-to-Total Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) Ratio in Prostate Cancer with Serum Total Concentration of PSA below 4 ng/mL

Chang, Chih-Chun,Lee, Yi-Chen,Tsai, Huang-Wen,Yii, Shyi-Chun,Yen, Tzung-Hai,Chu, Fang-Yeh Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.13

Purpose: To examine the effectiveness of serum free-to-total prostate specific antigen ratio (%fPSA) for the detection of prostate cancer (PCa) in men with different serum total PSA (tPSA) categories. Materials and Methods: From January 2010 to December 2013, a total of 225 patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) underwent tPSA and %fPSA measurements. Histological examination with calculation of Gleason score and whole body bone scans were performed in identified cases of PCa. Results: PCa was diagnosed in 44 (19.6%) patients and the remaining 181 patients had benign prostate disease. PCa was detected in 5 (23.8%), 13 (8.7%) and 26 (47.3%) cases with tPSA level ranges ${\leq}4ng/ml$, 4 to 10 ng/ml and >10 ng/ml, respectively. The average Gleason score was $7.2{\pm}0.2$. Some 6 (13.6%) out of 44 PCa patients had bone metastases. The sensitivity was 80% and specificity was 81.3% at the cut-off %fPSA of 15% in PCa patients with a tPSA level below 4 ng/mL. A lower %fPSA was associated with PCa patients with Gleason score ${\geq}7$ than those with Gleason score ${\leq}6$ ($11.7{\pm}0.98$ vs. $16.5{\pm}2.25%$, P=0.029). No obvious relation of %fPSA to the incidence of bone metastasis was apparent in this study. Conclusions: The clinical application of %fPSA could help to discriminate PCa from benign prostate disease in men with a tPSA concentration below 4 ng/mL.

Antioxidative and Hepatoprotective Effects of Magnolol on Acetaminophen-induced Liver Damage in Rats

Yung-Hsiang Chen,Feng-Yen Lin,Po-Len Liu,Yi-Tsau Huang,Jen-Hwey Chiu,Yi-Chun Chang,Kee-Ming Man,Chuang-Ye Hong,Yen-Yi Ho,Ming-Tsung Lai 대한약학회 2009 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.32 No.2

Acute liver failure (ALF), an often fatal condition characterized by massive hepatocyte necrosis, is frequently caused by drug poisoning, particularly with acetaminophen (N-acetyl-p-aminophenol/APAP). Hepatocyte necrosis is consecutive to glutathione (GSH) depletion and mitochondrial damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction. Magnolol, one major phenolic constituent of Magnolia officinalis, have been known to exhibit potent antioxidative activity. In this study, the anti-hepatotoxic activity of magnolol on APAP-induced toxicity in the Sprague-Dawley rat liver was examined. After evaluating the changes of several biochemical parameters in serum, the levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were elevated by APAP (500 mg/kg) intraperitoneal administration (8 and 24 h) and reduced by treatment with magnolol (0.5 h after APAP administration; 0.01, 0.1, and 1 μg/kg). Histological changes around the hepatic central vein, lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance/TBARS), and GSH depletion in liver tissue induced by APAP were also recovered by magnolol treatment. The data show that oxidative stress followed by lipid peroxidation may play a very important role in the pathogenesis of APAP-induced hepatic injury; treatment with lipid-soluble antioxidant, magnolol, exerts anti-hepatotoxic activity. Our study points out the potential interest of magnolol in the treatment of toxic ALF.

Expression of Myelin-Associated Glycoprotein (MAG) in the Aged Rat Cerebrum

조익현,박창현,이종환,배춘식,예상규,이법이,박승화,고기석,김진석,장병준,Cho, Ik-Hyun,Park, Chang-Hyun,Lee, Jong-Hwan,Bae, Chun-Sik,Ye, Sang-Kyu,Lee, Beob-Yi,Park, Seung-Hwa,Koh, Ki-Seok,Kim, Jin-Suk,Chang, Byung-Joon Korean Society of Electron Microscopy 2006 Applied microscopy Vol.36 No.2

신경섬유의 수초화의 초기단계에 있어서 마이엘린의 형성에 중요한 역할을 한다고 알려져 있는 마이엘린연합 당단백질(MAG)이 정상적으로 노화된 흰쥐의 대뇌에서도 발현되는지를 알아보고자 하였다. 성숙흰쥐의 대뇌피질에서 MAG가 높은 농도로 발현되었으나 노화흰쥐의 대뇌피질에서는 유의하게 감소하였다. 대뇌에서 MAG면역양성반응 세포는 두 성숙흰쥐의 대뇌피질에서 주로 돌기를 가진 큰 세포였으며 노화흰쥐의 경우에는 주로 세포질과 돌기가 거의 없는 작고 둥근 세포였다. 성숙흰쥐의 백색질내 신경로에서 MAG면역양성 반응 세포는 많이 관찰되었으나 노화흰쥐에서는 거의 관찰되지 않았다. MAG면역반응은 galatocerebroside의 면역반응과 일치하였다. 이상의 결과로부터 노화에 의한 MAG 발현의 변화는 노화시에 나타나는 희소돌기아교세포와 마이엘린 퇴행성 변화와 관계가 있을 뿐만이 아니라 MAG는 노화시에 희소돌기아교세포의 기능 연구를 위한 적절한 marker로서 사용될 수 있음을 의미하며 앞으로 이에 대한 자세한 연구가 필요할 것으로 사료된다. Myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) has been known to have a crucial role to the formation of myelin sheath during initial stage of myelination. In the present study, we investigated the aging-related expressional changes of MAG in the rat cerebrum. MAG expression was markedly decreased in cerebral cortex by aging. In the adult rat cerebrum, MAG-positive rolls were process-bearing cells with large nucleus, and extensively distributed. However, in the aged rat brain, MAG-positive cells showed small and round morphology with little cytoplasm and few processes. MAG was co-expressed with galatocerebroside, but not with Iba-1, or GFAP. These results suggest that the expressional change of MAG-positive cells is associated with degeneration of oligodendrocyte-myelin system by aging, and that MAG is likely to be a reliable marker for the mature oligodendrocytes in the aged rat brain.

Environmental Risk Assessment of Watermelon Grafted onto Transgenic Rootstock Resistant to Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus (CGMMV) on Non-Target Insects in Conventional Agro-Ecosystem

Yi, Hoon-Bok,Park, Ji-Eun,Kwon, Min-Chul,Park, Sang-Kyu,Kim, Chang-Gi,Jeong, Soon-Chun,Yoon, Won-Kee,Park, Sang-Mi,Han, Sang-Lyul,Harn, Chee-Hark,Kim, Hwan-Mook The Ecological Society of Korea 2006 Journal of Ecology and Environment Vol.29 No.4

We investigated the impact of watermelon grafted onto Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus (CGMMV)-resistant transgenic watermelon rootstock on insects as non-target organisms in a greenhouse in 2005. We quantitatively collected insect assemblages living on leaves and flowers, and we used sticky traps to collect alate insects. We compared the patterns of insect assemblages and community composition, cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii Glover) on watermelon leaves and western flower thrip (Frankliniella occidentalis Trybom) on watermelon male flowers, between CGMMV-resistant transgenic watermelon (TR) and non-transgenic watermelon (nTR). Non-parametric multidimensional scaling (NMS) ordination verified that insect assemblages on leaves and sticky traps were different between TR and nTR (P<0.05). The insect assemblages on male flowers were not statistically significant. Multi-response permutation procedures proofed our results from NMS results (P>0.05). Conclusively, TR watermelons appear to have some adverse effects on the population of cotton aphids on leaves and sticky traps, but watermelon male flowers do not show an adverse effect. Further research is required to assess the effect of TR on the aphid and western flower thrip. Life table experiments might support the specific reason for the adverse effects from leaf assemblages. Assessment of non-target impacts is an essential part of the risk assessment of non-target insects for the impact of transgenic organisms.

Using Chlorophyll Fluorescence and Vegetation Indices to Predict the Timing of Nitrogen Demand in Pentas lanceolata

Chun-Wei Wu,Kuan-Hung Lin,Ming-Chih Lee,Yung-Liang Peng,Ting-Yi Chou,Yu-Sen Chang 한국원예학회 2015 원예과학기술지 Vol.33 No.6

The objective of this study was to predict the timing of nitrogen (N) demand through analyzing chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF), soil-plant analysis development (SPAD), and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), which are positively correlated with foliar N concentration in star cluster (Pentas lanceolata). The plants were grown in potting soil under optimal conditions for 30 d, followed by weekly irrigation with five concentrations (0, 4, 8, 16, and 24 mM) of N for an additional 30 d. These five N application levels corresponded to leaf N concentrations of 2.62, 3.48, 4.00, 4.23, and 4.69%, respectively. We measured 13 morphological and physiological parameters, as well as the responses of these parameters to various N-fertilizer treatments. The general increases in Dickson’s quality index (DQI), above-ground dry weight (DW), total DW, flowering rate, △F/Fm’, and qP in response to t reatment with 0 to 8 mM N were similar to those of SPAD, NDVI, and Fv/Fm. Consistent and s trong correlations (R² = 0.60 to 0.85) were observed between leaf N concentration (%) and SPAD, NDVI, △F/Fm’, and above-ground DW. Validation of leaf S PAD, NDVI, and △F/Fm’ revealed that these vegetation indices are accurate predictors of leaf N concentration that can be used for non-destructive estimation of the proper timing for N-solution irrigation of P. lanceolata. Moreover, irrigation with 8 mM N-fertilizer i s recommended w hen leaf N concentration, SPAD, NVDI, and △F/Fm’ ratios are reduced from their saturation values of 4.00, 50.68, 0.64, and 0.137%, respectively.

Poster Session : PS 1007 ; GI Motility : Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage and Post-Hemorrhage Mortality in Patients with ITP: Two Cohort Studies

( Yi Chun Chou ),( Chien Chang Lia ),( Ta Liang Chen ) 대한내과학회 2014 대한내과학회 추계학술대회 Vol.2014 No.1

Background: The relationship between immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and gastrointestinal hemorrhage is not determined. This study evaluated the risk of gastrointestinalhemorrhage and post-hemorrhage mortality in patients with ITP. Methods: Using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, we identifi ed 1033 adults aged =18 years diagnosed with ITP in 2000-2003. Non-ITP cohort consisted of 10330 adults were randomly selected and matched by age and sex from the same dataset. Events of gastrointestinal hemorrhage in 2000-2008 were ascertained from medical claims. Adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confi dence interval (CI) of gastrointestinal hemorrhage associated with ITP was calculated. Another nested cohort study consisted of 27369 patients with hospitalization due to gastrointestinal hemorrhage between 2004 and 2010. We calculated the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs of 30-day mortality after gastrointestinal hemorrhage in patients with and without ITP during admission. Results: During 78,073 person-years of follow-up, the incidences of gastrointestinal hemorrhage for people with and without ITP were 14.5 and 5.07 per 1000 person- years, respectively (p<0.0001). Compared to people without ITP, patients with ITP had increased risk of gastrointestinal hemorrhage (HR 2.61, 95% CI 2.05-3.32). In the nested cohort study, ITP was associated with post-hemorrhage mortality (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.09-3.59). Conclusions: Our two nationwide retrospective cohort studies investigated the increased gastrointestinal hemorrhage and post-hemorrhage mortality in patients with ITP.