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PurposeTo identify altered patterns of retinal mRNA expression in a rat model of oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR).MethodsSprague-Dawley rats from P2 to P14 were exposed to hyperoxia (80% oxygen) to induce OIR and then returned to normoxic conditions. Control rats were sustained in room air. Retinal gene expression between the rats of OIR and the controls was compared using cDNA microarray analysis. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to verify the microarray results.ResultsAmong a total of 12,731 cDNAs analyzed by mircroarray, 13 genes were strongly up- or down-regulated (>2-fold change over controls) in the OIR rats. We found a significant increase in expression of 10 genes (CaM-kinase II inhibitor; acidic nuclear phosphoprotein 32 family, member A; vascular endothelial growth factor; interferon α-inducible protein 27-like; similar to enthoprotin, epsin 4, clathrin interacting protein; nidogen [entactin]; tubulin, β5; fibrillin-1; spectrin β2; and stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase 2) and a significant decrease in expression of 3 genes (myelin-associated oligodendrocytic basic protein, heat shock protein, and decorin) in OIR rats compared to controls.ConclusionsWe confirmed changes in expressions of various retinal genes in a rat model of OIR by microarray and RT-PCR. This study should contribute to the understanding of genetic indicators associeated with OIR.

Background:Patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis usually resulted in admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) during hospitalization. When admitted to the ICU, the mortality was high. The aim of this study is to identify multiple prognostic factors for mortality and to analyze the significance of prognostic survival model with each scoring system in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis who was admitted to the ICU.Methods: From January 2008 to December 2008, 60 consecutive patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis were admitted in the ICU and retrospectively reviewed. Prognostic models used were Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP), model for end-stage liver disease (MELD), model for end-stage liver disease with incorporation of serum sodium (MELD-Na), acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II, and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA). The predictive prognosis was analyzed using the area under the receiver's operating characteristics curve (AUC).Results: The median follow up period was 20 months, and ICU mortality was 17% (n = 10). A total of 24 patients (40%) died during the study period. The average survival of five prognostic models was related with the severity of the disease. All of the five systems showed significant differences in the cumulative survival rate, according to the scores on admission, and the MELD-Na had the highest AUC (0.924). Multivariate analysis showed that bilirubin and albumin were significantly related to mortality.Conclusions: The CPT, MELD, MELD-Na, APACHE II, and SOFA may predict the prognosis of patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis. The MELD-Na could be a better prognostic predictor than other scoring systems.Key Words: Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II), liver cirrhosis, model for end-stage liver disease (MELD), model for end-stage liver disease with incorporation of serum sodium (MELD-Na), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA). 서 론 간경변은 모든 만성 간질환의 최종 단계로서 증상이 없 는 시기를 대상성 간경변이라 하고, 문맥 고혈압으로 인한 복수, 정맥류 출혈, 간성 뇌병증 등의 합병증이 나타나는 시기를 비대상성 간경변이라 한다. 간경변의 정도를 평가하 고 예후를 예측하기 위한 방법들로는 전통적으로 Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) 점수가 흔히 이용되어 왔다. 하지만 CTP 변수 사이에 중복되는 부분이 있고, 복수나 간성 뇌병 증의 경우 검사자 마다 다른 판단을 내릴 수 있다는 단점 이 지적되어 왔다.[1] Model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) 점수는 경정맥 간내문맥 전신 단락술(tranasjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, TIPS)을 시행받은 간경변 환자들의 단기 사망률을 예 측하기 위해 개발되었고, 이후 여러 연구에서 간질환의 사 망률 예측을 위해 사용되고 있으며, 최근에는 간이식이 늘

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