To assess the safety and therapeutic efficacy of autologous human bone marrow cell (BMC) transplantation and the administration of granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), a phase I/II open-label and nonrandomized study was conducted on 35 complete spinal cord injury patients. The BMCs were transplanted by injection into the surrounding area of the spinal cord injury site within 14 injury days (n ‫؍‬ 17), between 14 days and 8 weeks (n ‫؍‬ 6), and at more than 8 weeks (n ‫؍‬ 12) after injury. In the control group, all patients (n ‫؍‬ 13) were treated only with conventional decompression and fusion surgery without BMC transplantation. The patients underwent preoperative and follow-up neurological assessment using the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS), electrophysiological monitoring, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The mean follow-up period was 10.4 months after injury. At 4 months, the MRI analysis showed the enlargement of spinal cords and the small enhancement of the cell implantation sites, which were not any adverse lesions such as malignant transformation, hemorrhage, new cysts, or infections. Furthermore, the BMC transplantation and GM-CSF administration were not associated with any serious adverse clinical events increasing morbidities. The AIS grade increased in 30.4% of the acute and subacute treated patients (AIS A to B or C), whereas no significant improvement was observed in the chronic treatment group. Increasing neuropathic pain during the treatment and tumor formation at the site of transplantation are still remaining to be investigated. Long-term and large scale multicenter clinical study is required to determine its precise therapeutic effect.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms in the largest number of Korean individuals examined to date. We analyzed cross-sectional data collected from 229,595 Korean adults aged 19 yr and above who participated in a Korean Community Health Survey conducted in 2009. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was used as the measurement tool for depressive symptoms (CES-D score over 16) and definite depression (CES-D score over 25). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify associations between sociodemographic factors and depressive symptoms. The percentages of depressive symptoms and definite depression in the total study population were 11% (7.8% for men, 14.0% for women) and 3.7%, (2.4% for men, 5.0% for women), respectively. Female gender, older age, disrupted marital status, low education and income level, multigenerational household composition and metropolitan residence were associated with greater risk of depressive symptoms. The present study provides a valid prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms, using the largest representative sample of the Korean general population to date. Various sociodemographic factors contribute to the prevalence and effects of depressive symptoms in Korea.

Mitochondrial proteins function as essential regulators in apoptosis. Here, we show that mitochondrial adenylate kinase 2 (AK2) mediates mitochondrial apoptosis through the formation of an AK2-FADD-caspase-10 (AFAC10) complex. Downregulation of AK2 attenuates etoposide- or staurosporine-induced apoptosis in human cells, but not that induced by tumour-necrosis-factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) or Fas ligand (FasL). During intrinsic apoptosis, AK2 translocates to the cytoplasm, whereas this event is diminished in Apaf-1 knockdown cells and prevented by Bcl-2 or Bcl-X(L). Addition of purified AK2 protein to cell extracts first induces activation of caspase-10 via FADD and subsequently caspase-3 activation, but does not affect caspase-8. AFAC10 complexes are detected in cells undergoing intrinsic cell death and AK2 promotes the association of caspase-10 with FADD. In contrast, AFAC10 complexes are not detected in several etoposide-resistant human tumour cell lines. Taken together, these results suggest that, acting in concert with FADD and caspase-10, AK2 mediates a novel intrinsic apoptotic pathway that may be involved in tumorigenesis.

These results demonstrate that the short VDR (27823*C/*C) protein may influence GAP susceptibility.

The prevalence of depressive symptoms are associated with the living arrangements of elderly Koreans. There are gender differences in these associations, that may stem from the different demands of social roles and relationships in the family.