Acute Pulmonary Embolism and Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: Clinical and Serial CT Pulmonary Angiographic Features.

In acute pulmonary embolism (PE), circulatory failure and systemic hypotension are important clinically for predicting poor prognosis. While pulmonary artery (PA) clot loads can be an indicator of the severity of current episode of PE or treatment effectiveness, they may not be used directly as an indicator of right ventricular (RV) failure or patient death. In other words, pulmonary vascular resistance or patient prognosis may not be determined only with mechanical obstruction of PAs and their branches by intravascular clot loads on computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA), but determined also with vasoactive amines, reflex PA vasoconstriction, and systemic arterial hypoxemia occurring during acute PE. Large RV diameter with RV/left ventricle (LV) ratio > 1.0 and/or the presence of occlusive clot and pulmonary infarction on initial CTPA, and clinically determined high baseline PA pressure and RV dysfunction are independent predictors of oncoming chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). In this pictorial review, authors aimed to demonstrate clinical and serial CTPA features in patients with acute massive and submassive PE and to disclose acute CTPA and clinical features that are related to the prediction of oncoming CTEPH.

Novel Levofloxacin-Resistant Multidrug-Resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotype 11A Isolates, South Korea.

Of 608 Streptococcus pneumoniae clinical strains isolated at a hospital in South Korea during 2009-2014, sixteen (2.6%) were identified as levofloxacin resistant. The predominant serotype was 11A (9 isolates). Two novel sequence types of multidrug-resistant S. pneumoniae with serotype 11A were identified, indicating continuous diversification of resistant strains.

Pharmacogenetic distribution of warfarin and its clinical significance in Korean patients during initial anticoagulation therapy.

During warfarin treatment, determining the optimal dose and maintaining the target PT-INR are challenging. Increasing evidence supports the theory that genotypic polymorphisms influence an individual's warfarin dose requirement. In this study, we evaluated allele frequencies and effects of CYP2C9 and VKORC1 on warfarin response during initial anticoagulation therapy in Korean patients. We enrolled patients who had initiated warfarin therapy and undergone PT-INR testing at least three times within the first month of anticoagulation therapy. All the participating patients were tested for the detection of CYP2C9*3 (c.1075A>C) and VKORC1-1639G>A. A melting-curve analysis after real-time PCR was performed using CYP2C9*3 and VK1639 genotyping kits (Idaho Technology, US). A total of 37 patients were enrolled in this study. CYP2C9*1/*1 (87%) and VKORC1-1639AA genotypes (89%) were predominant in Korea. The CYP2C9*3 and VKORC1-1639G alleles were found in five (13%) and four patients (11%), respectively. Patients with the CYP2C9*3 allele received a lower warfarin dose (P = 0.018) and tended to show more rapid PT-INR increase than CYP2C9*1/*1 genotype. Patients with the VKORC1-1639G allele nonsignificantly received higher warfarin dose than those without. The CYP2C9*3 and VKORC1-1639G alleles influenced warfarin response during the first month of anticoagulation therapy. Considering these results, CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genotyping can be an useful tool to estimate initial warfarin dose and frequency of PT-INR monitoring during the first month of anticoagulation therapy.

Utility of CT radiomics for prediction of PD-L1 expression in advanced lung adenocarcinomas.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to assess if quantitative radiomic features can predict programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in advanced stage lung adenocarcinoma. METHODS: This retrospective study included 153 patients who had advanced stage (>IIIA by TNM classification) lung adenocarcinoma with pretreatment thin section computed tomography (CT) images and PD-L1 expression test results in their pathology reports. Clinicopathological data were collected from electronic medical records. Visual analysis and radiomic feature extraction of the tumor from pretreatment CT were performed. We constructed two models for multivariate logistic regression analysis (one based on clinical variables, and the other based on a combination of clinical variables and radiomic features), and compared c-statistics of the receiver operating characteristic curves of each model to identify the model with the higher predictability. RESULTS: Among 153 patients, 53 patients were classified as PD-L1 positive and 100 patients as PD-L1 negative. There was no significant difference in clinical characteristics or imaging findings on visual analysis between the two groups (P > 0.05 for all). Rad-score by radiomic analysis was higher in the PD-L1 positive group than in the PD-L1 negative group with a statistical significance (-0.378 ± 1.537 vs. -1.171 ± 0.822, P = 0.0008). A prediction model that uses clinical variables and CT radiomic features showed higher performance compared to a prediction model that uses clinical variables only (c-statistic = 0.646 vs. 0.550, P = 0.0299). CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative CT radiomic features can predict PD-L1 expression in advanced stage lung adenocarcinoma. A prediction model composed of clinical variables and CT radiomic features may facilitate noninvasive assessment of PD-L1 expression. KEY POINTS: Significant findings of the study Quantitative CT radiomic features can help predict PD-L1 expression, whereas none of the qualitative imaging findings is associated with PD-L1 positivity. What this study adds A prediction model composed of clinical variables and CT radiomic features may facilitate noninvasive assessment of PD-L1 expression.

Growth of thymic epithelial tumors and thymic cysts: Differential radiological points.

BACKGROUND: The growth rate of thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) and thymic cysts was investigated to determine whether they can be differentiated and clinico-radiological predictors of interval growth was identified. METHODS: This retrospective study included 122 patients with pathologically proven thymic cysts (n = 56) or TETs (n = 66) who underwent two serial chest computed tomography scans at least eight weeks apart. Average diameters and attenuation were measured, volume-doubling times (VDTs) were calculated, and clinical characteristics were recorded. VDTs were compared using the log-rank test. Predictors of growth were analyzed using the log-rank test and Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: The frequency of growth did not differ significantly between TETs and thymic cysts (P = 0.279). The VDT of thymic cysts (median 324 days) was not significantly different from that of the TETs (median 475 days; P = 0.808). Water attenuation (≤ 20 Hounsfield units) predicted growth in thymic cysts (P = 0.016; hazard ratio 13.2, 95% confidence interval 1.6-107.3), while lesion size (> 17.2 mm) predicted growth in TETs (P = 0.008 for size, P = 0.029 for size*time). For the growing lesions, the positive and negative predictive values of water attenuation for thymic cysts were 93% and 80%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The frequencies of interval growth and VDTs were indistinguishable between TETs and thymic cysts. Water attenuation and lesion size predicted growth in thymic cysts and TETs, respectively. Among the growing lesions, water attenuation was a differential feature of thymic cysts.

Depolarization ratio and attenuated backscatter for nine cloud types: analyses based on collocated CALIPSO lidar and MODIS measurements.

This paper reports on the relationship between lidar backscatter and the corresponding depolarization ratio for nine types of cloud systems. The data used in this study are the lidar returns measured by the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) aboard the Cloud- Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellite and the collocated cloud products derived from the observations made by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard Aqua satellite. Specifically, the operational MODIS cloud optical thickness and cloud-top pressure products are used to classify cloud types on the basis of the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) cloud classification scheme. While the CALIPSO observations provide information for up to 10 cloud layers, in the present study only the uppermost clouds are considered. The layer-averaged attenuated backscatter (gamma') and layer-averaged depolarization ratio (delta) from the CALIPSO measurements show both water- and ice-phase features for global cirrus, cirrostratus, and deep convective cloud classes. Furthermore, we screen both the MODIS and CALIPSO data to eliminate cases in which CALIPSO detected two- or multi-layered clouds. It is shown that low gamma' values corresponding to uppermost thin clouds are largely eliminated in the CALIPSO delta-gamma' relationship for single-layered clouds. For mid-latitude and polar regions corresponding, respectively, to latitude belts 30 degrees -60 degrees and 60 degrees -90 degrees in both the hemispheres, a mixture of water and ice is also observed in the case of the altostratus class. MODIS cloud phase flags are also used to screen ice clouds. The resultant water clouds flagged by the MODIS algorithm show only water phase feature in the delta-gamma' relation observed by CALIOP; however, in the case of the ice clouds flagged by the MODIS algorithm, the co-existence of ice- and water-phase clouds is still observed in the CALIPSO delta-gamma' relationship.

Analytical and Clinical Performance Evaluation of the Abbott Architect PIVKA Assay.

Protein induced by vitamin K absence (PIVKA) is measured using various assays and is used to help diagnose hepatocellular carcinoma. The present study evaluated the analytical and clinical performances of the recently released Abbott Architect PIVKA assay. Precision, linearity, and correlation tests were performed in accordance with the Clinical Laboratory Standardization Institute guidelines. Sample type suitability was assessed using serum and plasma samples from the same patients, and the reference interval was established using sera from 204 healthy individuals. The assay had coefficients of variation of 3.2-3.5% and intra-laboratory variation of 3.6-5.5%. Linearity was confirmed across the entire measurable range. The Architect PIVKA assay was comparable to the Lumipulse PIVKA assay, and the plasma and serum samples provided similar results. The lower reference limit was 13.0 mAU/mL and the upper reference limit was 37.4 mAU/mL. The ability of the Architect PIVKA assay to detect hepatocellular carcinoma was comparable to that of the alpha-fetoprotein test and the Lumipulse PIVKA assay. The Architect PIVKA assay provides excellent analytical and clinical performance, is simple for clinical laboratories to adopt, and has improved sample type suitability that could broaden the assay's utility.

Pseudooutbreak of Pantoea species bacteremia associated with contaminated cotton pledgets.

A total of 22 isolates of Pantoea strains, unusual causative agents of clinical infection, was isolated from blood cultures from 9 patients and 1 ear swab from 1 of the patients within a period of 1 month in a tertiary-care hospital. Pseudooutbreak was suspected because specimens were collected from a limited number of places and the patients did not show consistent signs or symptoms of bacterial sepsis. Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and partial 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing were performed to determine the clonal relationship among the isolates. Screening environmental cultures revealed that cotton pledgets were contaminated with Pantoea species. Molecular typing suggested that 2 different clones of Pantoea strains were responsible for the pseudooutbreak. Cotton materials may be a possible source of Pantoea pseudooutbreak. Molecular typing is useful for investigating epidemics and identifying unusual clinical isolates.

Association between the methicillin resistance of clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, their staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) subtype classification, and their toxin gene profiles.

Virulence and antimicrobial resistance are important determinators of the clinical manifestations and of the treatments of bacterial infections. Here, we studied the associations between the methicillin resistance of clinical Staphylococcus aureus isolates, their classifications as particular staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) subtypes, and their toxin gene profiles. In total, 252 S. aureus isolates were collected from 13 healthcare facilities in 6 Korean provinces. The overall prevalence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was 63%. SCCmec typing and toxin gene analysis were performed by multiplex polymerase chain reaction. One or more staphylococcal toxin genes were found in 190 (75.4%) strains. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains carried toxin genes more frequently than methicillin-susceptible S. aureus strains (85.5% versus 53.8%). SCCmec subtypes differed in terms of their frequencies of toxin gene carriage (95.9% in SCCmec II, 74.4% in SCCmec III, and 68.8% in SCCmec IV). Specific SCCmec subtypes frequently harbored particular toxin gene combinations: 77.3% of SCCmec II strains carried sec and tst genes, 48.8% of SCCmec III strains carried sea and see genes, and 46.9% of SCCmec IV carried sea and seb genes. Indeed, the most prevalent combination in MRSA strains, that of sec and tst, was only observed in SCCmec II strains, and these strains failed to show the coexistence of sea and see or sea and seb genes. Thus, the SCCmec subtypes of S. aureus revealed specific staphylococcal toxin profiles. We revealed that certain staphylococcal toxin gene profiles are associated not only with the methicillin resistance of S. aureus but also with their SCCmec subtypes.

Bacteria isolated from Korean black raspberry vinegar with low biogenic amine production in wine.

A high concentration of histamine, one of the biogenic amines (BAs) usually found in fermented foods, can cause undesirable physiological side effects in sensitive humans. The objective of this study is to isolate indigenous Acetobacter strains from naturally fermented Bokbunja vinegar in Korea with reduced histamine production during starter fermentation. Further, we examined its physiological and biochemical properties, including BA synthesis. The obtained strain MBA-77, identified as Acetobacter aceti by 16S rDNA homology and biochemical analysis and named A. aceti MBA-77. A. aceti MBA-77 showed optimal acidity % production at pH 5; the optimal temperature was 25°C. When we prepared and examined the BAs synthesis spectrum during the fermentation process, Bokbunja wine fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed that the histamine concentration increased from 2.72 of Bokbunja extract to 5.29mg/L and cadaverine and dopamine was decreased to 2.6 and 10.12mg/L, respectively. Bokbunja vinegar prepared by A. aceti MBA-77 as the starter, the histamine concentration of the vinegar preparation step was decreased up to 3.66mg/L from 5.29mg/L in the wine preparation step. To our knowledge, this is the first report to demonstrate acetic acid bacteria isolated from Bokbunja seed vinegar with low spectrum BA and would be useful for wellbeing vinegar preparation.

Association between Image Characteristics on Chest CT and Severe Pleural Adhesion during Lung Cancer Surgery.

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between image characteristics on preoperative chest CT and severe pleural adhesion during surgery in lung cancer patients. We included consecutive 124 patients who underwent lung cancer surgeries. Preoperative chest CT was retrospectively reviewed to assess pleural thickening or calcification, pulmonary calcified nodules, active pulmonary inflammation, extent of emphysema, interstitial pneumonitis, and bronchiectasis in the operated thorax. The extent of pleural thickening or calcification was visually estimated and categorized into two groups: localized and diffuse. We measured total size of pulmonary calcified nodules. The extent of emphysema, interstitial pneumonitis, and bronchiectasis was also evaluated with a visual scoring system. The occurrence of severe pleural adhesion during lung cancer surgery was retrospectively investigated from the electrical medical records. We performed logistic regression analysis to determine the association of image characteristic on chest CT with severe pleural adhesion. Localized pleural thickening was found in 8 patients (6.5%), localized pleural calcification in 8 (6.5%), pulmonary calcified nodules in 28 (22.6%), and active pulmonary inflammation in 22 (17.7%). There was no patient with diffuse pleural thickening or calcification in this study. Trivial, mild, and moderate emphysema was found in 31 (25.0%), 21 (16.9%), and 12 (9.7%) patients, respectively. Severe pleural adhesion was found in 31 (25.0%) patients. The association of localized pleural thickening or calcification on CT with severe pleural adhesion was not found (P = 0.405 and 0.107, respectively). Size of pulmonary calcified nodules and extent of emphysema were significant variables in a univariate analysis (P = 0.045 and 0.005, respectively). In a multivariate analysis, moderate emphysema was significantly associated with severe pleural adhesion (odds ratio of 11.202, P = 0.001). In conclusion, severe pleural adhesion might be found during lung cancer surgery, provided that preoperative chest CT shows substantial pulmonary calcified nodules or emphysema.

Abnormalities in Chromosomes 1q and 13 Independently Correlate With Factors of Poor Prognosis in Multiple Myeloma.

BACKGROUND: We comprehensively profiled cytogenetic abnormalities in multiple myeloma (MM) and analyzed the relationship between cytogenetic abnormalities of undetermined prognostic significance and established prognostic factors. METHODS: The karyotype of 333 newly diagnosed MM cases was analyzed in association with established prognostic factors. Survival analysis was also performed. RESULTS: MM with abnormal karyotypes (41.1%) exhibited high international scoring system (ISS) stage, frequent IgA type, elevated IgG or IgA levels, elevated calcium levels, elevated creatine (Cr) levels, elevated ß2-microglobulin levels, and decreased Hb levels. Structural abnormalities in chromosomes 1q, 4, and 13 were independently associated with elevated levels of IgG or IgA, calcium, and Cr, respectively. Chromosome 13 abnormalities were associated with poor prognosis and decreased overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to demonstrate that abnormalities in chromosomes 1q, 4, and 13 are associated with established factors for poor prognosis, irrespective of the presence of other concurrent chromosomal abnormalities. Chromosome 13 abnormalities have a prognostic impact on overall survival in association with elevated Cr levels. Frequent centromeric breakpoints appear to be related to MM pathogenesis.

Quantification of Aortic Valve Calcifications Detected During Lung Cancer-Screening CT Helps Stratify Subjects Necessitating Echocardiography for Aortic Stenosis Diagnosis.

No study has been published on aortic valve calcification (AVC) extent at lung cancer screening low-dose CT (LDCT) and its relationship with aortic stenosis (AS). The purpose of this study was to estimate the cutoff value of AVC on LDCT for detecting AS in asymptomatic Asian subjects. Six thousand three hundred thirty-eight subjects (mean age, 55.9 years ±â€Š8.6) self-referred to health-promotion center underwent LDCT, coronary calcium scoring CT (CSCT), and echocardiography. AVC was quantified using Agatston methods on CT. AVC extent on LDCT was compared with that on CSCT, and AVC threshold for diagnosing AS was calculated. Clinical factors associated with AS and AVC were sought.AVC was observed in 403 subjects (64.9 years ±â€Š8.7) on LDCT (6.4%), and AVC score measured from LDCT showed strong positive correlation with that from CSCT (r = 0.83, P < 0.0001). Of 403 subjects, 40 (10%) were identified to have AS on echocardiography. Cutoff value of AVC score for detecting AS was 138.37 with sensitivity of 90.0% and specificity 83.2%. On multivariate analysis, age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.09-1.12) and hypertension (OR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.10-1.76) were associated with the presence of AVC, whereas AVC extent at LDCT (OR = 104.32, 95% CI: 16.16-673.70) was the only significant clinical factor associated with AS; AVC extent on LDCT (OR = 104.32, 95% CI: 16.16-673.70) was the significant clinical factor associated with AS.The AVC extent on LDCT is significantly related to the presence of AS, and we recommend echocardiography for screening AS based on quantified AVC values on LDCT.

High incidence of complement C9 deficiency in Koreans.

Complement 9 deficiency is the most common complement deficiency in Japan, but it is rare in western countries. Because of Korea's geographical proximity to Japan, C9 deficiency in Korea has also been assumed to be common although this has never before been proven. We investigated complement deficiency in the serum samples of 6,159 Korean hospital outpatients. The deficiency was screened by a sensitive hemolytic assay and was confirmed by immunoassay of each complement component. Three C9-deficient individuals were found, giving an incidence of 0.049%, which is lower than that in Japan but still a considerable figure. Complement deficiencies other than that of C9 were not detected in this study. It is therefore necessary to consider the possibility of C9 deficiency in the interpretation of unexpectedly low complement-mediated hemolytic activity in East Asians.

Pure ground glass nodular adenocarcinomas: Are preoperative positron emission tomography/computed tomography and brain magnetic resonance imaging useful or necessary?

OBJECTIVE: The utility of (18)F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) scanning and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a staging workup for lung adenocarcinoma manifesting as pure ground glass opacity (GGO) is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the utility of these 2 tests for preoperative staging of pure GGO nodular lung adenocarcinoma. METHODS: The study included 164 patients (male:female, 73:91; mean age, 62 years) with pure GGO nodular lung adenocarcinoma who underwent PET/CT (in 136 patients) and/or brain MRI (in 109 patients) before surgery. Pathologic N staging and dedicated standard imaging or follow-up imaging findings for M staging were used as reference standards. The median follow-up time was 47.9 months. RESULTS: On PET/CT scan, abnormal FDG uptake of lymph nodes was found in 2 of 136 patients (1.5%); both were negative on final pathology. Abnormal FDG uptake of the liver was detected in 1 patient, which was also confirmed to be negative by dedicated abdominal CT. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of PET/CT in detecting metastases were not applicable, 98% (95% confidence interval [CI], 94%-100%), 0% (95% CI, 0%-71%), 100% (95% CI, 97%-100%), and 98% (95% CI, 94%-100%), respectively. No brain metastasis was found in preoperative brain MRI of 109 patients. Of 109 patients, 1 (0.9%) developed brain metastasis 30 months after surgical resection. CONCLUSIONS: PET/CT and brain MRI is not necessary in the staging of pure GGO nodular lung adenocarcinoma.

Frequency and causes of failed MODIS cloud property retrievals for liquid phase clouds over global oceans.

Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) retrieves cloud droplet effective radius (re ) and optical thickness (τ) by projecting observed cloud reflectances onto a precomputed look-up table (LUT). When observations fall outside of the LUT, the retrieval is considered "failed" because no combination of τ and re within the LUT can explain the observed cloud reflectances. In this study, the frequency and potential causes of failed MODIS retrievals for marine liquid phase (MLP) clouds are analyzed based on 1 year of Aqua MODIS Collection 6 products and collocated CALIOP and CloudSat observations. The retrieval based on the 0.86 µm and 2.1 µm MODIS channel combination has an overall failure rate of about 16% (10% for the 0.86 µm and 3.7 µm combination). The failure rates are lower over stratocumulus regimes and higher over the broken trade wind cumulus regimes. The leading type of failure is the "re too large" failure accounting for 60%-85% of all failed retrievals. The rest is mostly due to the "re too small" or τ retrieval failures. Enhanced retrieval failure rates are found when MLP cloud pixels are partially cloudy or have high subpixel inhomogeneity, are located at special Sun-satellite viewing geometries such as sunglint, large viewing or solar zenith angles, or cloudbow and glory angles, or are subject to cloud masking, cloud overlapping, and/or cloud phase retrieval issues. The majority (more than 84%) of failed retrievals along the CALIPSO track can be attributed to at least one or more of these potential reasons. The collocated CloudSat radar reflectivity observations reveal that the remaining failed retrievals are often precipitating. It remains an open question whether the extremely large re values observed in these clouds are the consequence of true cloud microphysics or still due to artifacts not included in this study.

Changes in the incidence of Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteremia and its serotypes over 10 years in one hospital in South Korea.

Here, we examined the distribution of pneumococcal serotypes and the antibiotic susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae in clinical blood isolates. The serotypes of 91 S. pneumoniae blood isolates, collected from January 2003 to March 2014, were identified by multiplex PCR and sequencing. The most common serotypes were 19F, 19A, 3, 4, and 14, accounting for 53.8% of the total. The serotype coverage rates of pneumococcal conjugated vaccine (PCV) 7, PCV10, and PCV13 were different during three test periods: 38.7%, 70.9%, and 93.5% in period I (2003-2005), 46.8%, 50.0%, and 75.0% in period II (2006-2008), and 28.5%, 32.1%, and 64.2% in period III (2009-2014), respectively. By contrast, the number of non-PCV13 serotypes increased from 6.4% in period I to 25% and 35.7% in periods II and III, respectively. The susceptibility of non-PCV13 serotypes to antimicrobial agents (penicillin, erythromycin, cefotaxime, and meropenem) was higher than that of PCV serotypes. In particular, non-PCV13 serotypes showed 100% and 95% susceptibility to penicillin and cefotaxime, respectively. Serotypes 19A and 19F showed high prevalence (79.1%) among 24 multi-drug resistant (MDR) isolates. Notably, all serotype 19A isolates were MDR. From January 2003 to March 2014, the proportion of non-PCV13 serotype pneumococci in blood isolates increased whereas the coverage rate of PCV13 decreased. Effective pneumococcal vaccines are required to protect against MDR serotype 19A isolates and the increasing number of non-PCV13 serotypes.

Hepatitis B surface antigen positivity after twinrix vaccination: a case report.

Travelers might have an increased risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. We report a case of prolonged transient hepatitis B surface antigenemia in a healthy Canadian female 8 days after administration of a combined hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccine. Travel health providers providing hepatitis B vaccines need to be aware of this phenomenon and educate their patients accordingly.

Genetic polymorphisms and plasma levels of tissue factor and tissue factor pathway inhibitor in venous thromboembolism.

Tissue factor (TF) and tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) play important roles in coagulation. The aim of this study was to investigate the distributions of TF and TFPI polymorphisms in Koreans and to analyze the association of these genetic polymorphisms with plasma levels and development of venous thromboembolism (VTE). The polymorphisms TF 5466 A > G, TF -603 A > G, TFPI -287 T > C and TFPI -33 T > C were investigated in 40 Korean VTE patients and 40 age-matched and sex-matched controls by real-time PCR followed by melting curve analysis and DNA sequence analysis. Plasma levels of TF and TFPI were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The G allele of TF 5466 was not detected, and allelic frequencies of TF -603 G, TFPI -287 C and TFPI -33 C were 27.5, 67.5 and 16.2%, respectively. The distributions of TF and TFPI polymorphisms were not different between patients and controls. The presence of TF -603 G allele was correlated with low plasma TF levels (P = 0.029). Mean plasma TFPI levels were similar between TFPI genotypic groups. Although not statistically significant, plasma TF and TFPI levels were higher in patients than controls. The distributions of TF and TFPI polymorphisms in Koreans were considerably different from whites, suggesting ethnic variations. The TF -603 A > G polymorphism was significantly correlated with decreased plasma TF levels. Neither genetic polymorphisms in TF and TFPI nor their plasma levels seem to act as direct risk factors for VTE.

HMOX1 gene promoter polymorphism is not associated with coronary artery disease in Koreans.

BACKGROUND: The heme oxygenase-1 gene (HMOX1) promoter polymorphisms modulate its transcription in response to oxidative stress. This study screened for HMOX1 polymorphisms and investigated the association between HMOX1 polymorphisms and coronary artery disease (CAD) in the Korean population. METHODS: The study population consisted of patients with CAD with obstructive lesions (n=110), CAD with minimal or no lesions (n=40), and controls (n=107). Thirty-nine patients with CAD with obstructive lesions underwent follow-up coronary angiography after six months for the presence of restenosis. The 5'-flanking region containing (GT)n repeats of the HMOX1 gene was analyzed by PCR. RESULTS: The numbers of (GT)n repeats in the HMOX1 promoter showed a bimodal distribution. The alleles were divided into two subclasses, S25 and L25, depending on whether there were less than or equal to and more than 25 (GT)n repeats, respectively. The allele and genotype frequencies among groups were statistically not different. More subjects in the S25-carrier group had the low risk levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) for the CAD than those in the non-S25 carrier group (P=0.034). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the genotypes of (GT)n repeats were not related to CAD status. The restenosis group in the coronary angiography follow-up did not show any significant difference in HMOX1 genotype frequency. CONCLUSIONS: The HMOX1 genotypes were not found to be associated with CAD, but the short allele carrier group contained more individuals with hsCRP values reflecting low risk of cardiovascular disease in the Korean population.