BackgroundDiet is a major modifiable contributing factor in the etiology of dental caries. The purpose of this paper is to examine the reliability and cross-cultural validity of the Japanese version of the Food Frequency Questionnaire to assess dietary intake in relation to dental caries risk in Japanese.MethodsThe 38-item Food Frequency Questionnaire, in which Japanese food items were added to increase content validity, was translated into Japanese, and administered to two samples. The first sample comprised 355 pregnant women with mean age of 29.2 ± 4.2 years for the internal consistency and criterion validity analyses. Factor analysis (principal components with Varimax rotation) was used to determine dimensionality. The dietary cariogenicity score was calculated from the Food Frequency Questionnaire and used for the analyses. Salivary mutans streptococci level was used as a semi-quantitative assessment of dental caries risk and measured by Dentocult SM. Dentocult SM scores were compared with the dietary cariogenicity score computed from the Food Frequency Questionnaire to examine criterion validity, and assessed by Spearman’s correlation coefficient (rs) and Kruskal-Wallis test. Test-retest reliability of the Food Frequency Questionnaire was assessed with a second sample of 25 adults with mean age of 34.0 ± 3.0 years by using the intraclass correlation coefficient analysis.ResultsThe Japanese language version of the Food Frequency Questionnaire showed high test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.70) and good criterion validity assessed by relationship with salivary mutans streptococci levels (rs = 0.22; p < 0.001). Factor analysis revealed four subscales that construct the questionnaire (solid sugars, solid and starchy sugars, liquid and semisolid sugars, sticky and slowly dissolving sugars). Internal consistency were low to acceptable (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.67 for the total scale, 0.46-0.61 for each subscale). Mean dietary cariogenicity scores were 50.8 ± 19.5 in the first sample, 47.4 ± 14.1, and 40.6 ± 11.3 for the first and second administrations in the second sample. The distribution of Dentocult SM score was 6.8% (score = 0), 34.4% (score = 1), 39.4% (score = 2), and 19.4% (score = 3). Participants with higher scores were more likely to have higher dietary cariogenicity scores (p < 0.001; Kruskal-Wallis test).ConclusionsThese results provide the preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of the Japanese language Food Frequency Questionnaire.

Although genetic alterations in proto-oncogenes, tumor-suppressor genes, cell cycle regulators, and cell growth factors have been implicated in the process of human gastric carcinogenesis, the principle carcinogenic mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we used a proteomic approach to search for genes that may be involved in gastric carcinogenesis and that might serve as diagnostic markers. We identified nine proteins with increased expression and 13 proteins with decreased expression in gastric carcinomas. The two most notable groups included proteins involved in mitotic checkpoint (MAD1L1 and EB1) and mitochondrial functions (CLPP, COX5A, and ECH1). This suggested that there are links between dysfunctions in these processes and gastric carcinogenesis. We also observed the differential expression of HSP27 and CYR61 proteins in gastric carcinoma, whose expression is known to be altered in other types of tumors. Furthermore, the study identified proteins whose function in gastric carcinomas was previously unsuspected and that may serve as new molecular markers for gastric carcinomas. Importantly, immunohistochemical analyses confirmed that the levels of expression of MAD1L1, HSP27, and CYR61 were altered in gastric carcinoma tissues. Therefore, our study suggested not only that the proteins identified in this study can be useful diagnostic markers but also that a proteomics-based approach is useful for developing a more complete picture of the pathogenesis and function of gastric carcinomas.

The human ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter ABCG2 (BCRP/MXR1/ABCP) plays a critical role in cellular protection against xenobiotics as well as pharmacokinetics of drugs in our body. In the present study, we aimed to analyze the quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) latently residing in ABCG2-drug interactions. We first established standard methods for expression of human ABCG2 in insect cells, quality control of plasma membrane samples by using electron microscopy techniques, and high-speed screening of ABCG2 inhibition with test compounds. Plasma membrane vesicles prepared from ABCG2-expressing Sf9 cells were used as a model system to measure the ATP-dependent transport of [ 3 H]methotrexate (MTX). Forty-nine different therapeutic drugs and natural compounds were tested for their ability to inhibit ABCG2-mediated MTX transport. Based on their inhibition profiles, we performed QSAR analysis using chemical fragmentation codes deduced from the structures of test compounds. Multiple linear regression analysis delineated a relationship between the structural components and the extent of ABCG2 inhibition, allowing us to identify one set of structure-specific chemical fragmentation codes that are closely correlated with the inhibition of ABCG2 transport activity. Based on the QSAR analysis data, we predicted the potency of gefitinib to inhibit ABCG2. The validity of our QSAR-based prediction for gefitinib was examined by actual experiments. Our kinetic analysis experiments suggest that the ABCG2-ATP complex binds gefitinib. The present study provides a new strategy for analyzing ABCG2-drug interactions. This strategy is considered to be practical and useful for the molecular designing of new ABCG2 modulators.

Abstract. in order to evaluate the relationship between clinical markers of glycemia and glucose excursion, we performed 48-hour continuous glucose monitoring (Cgm) in 43 diabetic patients. For the clinical markers, hba1c, glycoalbumin (ga), and 1,5-anhydroglucitol (1,5-ag) were measured, and for the parameters of glucose excursion from Cgm, average glucose (ag), standard deviation of glucose (SD), the area under the curve for glucose levels >180 mg/dL (auC>180), and the difference between the maximum and minimum glucose levels during 48 hours (ΔG48hr) were analyzed. all patients were treated without any changes of the dosages of oral anti-diabetic agents or insulin for at least the previous 6 months with coefficient of variation (CV) of HbA1c less than 4 %. in results, while hba1c did not show any single correlation with ag, SD, auC>180, or ΔG48hr, both GA and 1,5-AG were significantly related to all these parameters. Furthermore, GA significantly correlated to all CGM parameters, and SD significantly correlated to GA in multiple regression analyses. These results suggest that ga may be a different marker from hba1c for diabetic complications, because ga, but not hba1c, may reflect not only short-term average glucose but also fluctuation of glucose.Key words: glycoalbumin, glycated hemoglobin, 1,5-anhydroglucitol, Continuous glucose monitoringThe sTAble frAcTion of glycated hemoglobin (hba 1c ) is routinely measured in the majority of patients with diabetes around the world, since hba 1c reflects the mean glucose level over the preceding 3 months [1]. hba 1c is not only used to determine whether a patient's metabolic control has been maintained within the target range, but also to estimate the risk of chronic diabetic complications in each patient. Previous the large-scale prospective studies of diabetic patients have used hba 1c as a marker of glycemic control to evaluate the association of consistent hyperglycemia with the development or progression of chronic diabetic complications [2,3]. however, recent studies have indicated that postprandial hyperglycemia or fluctuations of the glucose level may be an independent risk factor for macrovascular complications in diabetic patients, which cannot be evaluated by measuring hba 1c alone [4]. Since hba 1c is a marker of the average level of glycemia, it does not reflect acute glucose fluctuations and is poorly correlated with glucose excursions [5]. Therefore, in order to assess the risk of diabetic complications, especially macrovascular complications, it may be necessary to evaluate not only the mean level of glycemic control, but also the extent of glucose excursions such as glucose fluctuations or postprandial elevation of glucose.To assess daily blood glucose excursions, portable devices for self-monitoring of blood glucose (Smbg) are now widely used by insulin-treated diabetic patients. although such devices are helpful, the number of measuring times is limited. Recently, a continuous subcutaneous glucose monitoring (Cgm) device was developed to evaluate the...