Background: Mutation in NPM1 gene has been reported to be the most common genetic mutation in de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML). AML with NPM1 gene mutation usually presents with higher initial leukocyte and blast cell counts and negative CD34 expression. We aimed to investigate the difference of initial leukocyte counts, bone marrow blast cell counts and expression of CD34 among patients wi...

Response gene to complement 32 (RGC-32) is activated by transforming growth factor- β (TGF-β) and plays an important role in smooth muscle cell (SMC) differentiation from neural crest Monc-1 cells. The molecular mechanism governing TGF-β activation of RGC-32, however, remains to be determined. The present studies indicate that TGF-β regulates RGC-32 gene transcription. Sequence analysis reveale...

Mutation of the ATRX gene leads to X-linked alpha-thalassemia/mental retardation (ATR-X) syndrome and several other X-linked mental retardation syndromes. We report the first case of ATR-X syndrome documented here in Korea. A 32-month-old boy came in with irritability and fever. He showed dysmorphic features, mental retardation and epilepsy, so ATR-X syndrome was considered. Hemoglobin H inclus...

Colorectal cancer is a heterogeneous disorder than arises via multiple distinct pathways, from tubular adenomas (TAs) and sessile serrated adenomas (SSAs), which are clinically, morphologically, and molecularly different. We examined PIK3CA amplification in colorectal precancerous legions, including TAs and SSAs. DNA was isolated from paired normal and tumoral tissues in 64 TAs and 32 SSAs. PIK...

The recently discovered JAK2 V617F point mutation, found in 50-60% of ET patients, has been reported to be associated with a higher risk of thrombotic events. In this study, we explored if JAK2 V617F mutation, or coexisting thrombophilic and hemostatic risk factors, contributed to these complications. We examined 32 patients with ET, and looked for pathogenetic JAK2 V617F mutation and prothromb...

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status of lung cancer is important because it indicates induction of EGFR-TKI (tyrosine kinase inhibitor) treatment. EGFR mutation has been reported to be strongly related with never-smoker, female, adenocarcinoma and Asians (Lynch et al., 2004; Paez et al., 2004; Pao et al., 2004). There is a striking difference in the frequency of EGFR mutation...

We develop a new method for estimating effective population sizes, Ne, and selection coefficients, s, from time-series data of allele frequencies sampled from a single diallelic locus. The method is based on calculating transition probabilities, using a numerical solution of the diffusion process, and assuming independent binomial sampling from this diffusion process at each time point. We appl...

Obesity is a clinical syndrome which is driven by interactions between multiple genetic and environmental factors. Monogenic obesity is a rare type of obesity which is caused by a mutation in a single gene. Patients with monogenic obesity may develop early onset of obesity and severe metabolic abnormalities. In this study, we screened mutations of LEP in a total of 135 Chinese individuals inclu...