• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.345-349
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• 2017

Diabetes mellitus is associated with a variety of adverse health outcomes, including metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases. Recently, diabetes has been receiving increased scientific attention because of the rapid increase in the diabetic population. One of the features of type-2 diabetes mellitus is an elevated glucose level in blood. Fasting glucose level, which is the most basic test, is widely used as a diagnostic indicator of diabetes. Several previous studies reported that TLR4 expression is relatively high in the heart. However, few studies have investigated the association between TLR4 variants and fasting blood glucose to date. Thus, this study tested the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TLR4 gene and fasting glucose in the Korean population. A total of 994 subjects recruited from Seoul were used for the present study. When compared to fasting blood glucose, the TLR4 gene region was shown as a linkage disequilibrium owing to the relatively large gene range. This region also presented as several LD blocks. We found that specific SNPs in the TLR4 gene were associated with the mean fasting glucose (p<0.01). The minor allele frequency of rs1329067 was 16.4%, and individuals with the AA genotype had a higher fasting blood glucose level than those with the GG genotype, suggesting that genetic variants in TLR4 influence glucose levels in Korean adults.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.147-152
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• 1996

his study was undertaken to assess the residual interventricular shunt following surgical closure of the isolated ventricular septal defect. From January 1989 through December 1993, 211 patients underwent surgical closure of the isolated ventricular septal defect. All patients had 2D-Echocardlo-graphic study after operation to rule out residual ventricular septal defect. There was a 9.5% incidence of a definite residual shunt. The type of ventricular septal defect, closure method of the defect and cardiopulmonary bypass time showed no significant differences between two groups. The sue of ventricular septal defect (6.3 $\pm$ 3.7mm versus 10.6 $\pm$ 5.8mm : p : 0.0034), aortic cross-clamping time(32.6 $\pm$ 15.0 minutes versus 48.5 $\pm$ 20.0 minutes, p : 0.0003), pulmonary-to-systemic pressure ratio(0.31 $\pm$ 0.22 versus 0.51 $\pm$ 0.33, p=0.019) and mean pulmonary artery pressure(20.3 $\pm$ 11.9 mmHg versus 29.1 $\pm$ 16.2 mmHg, p : 0.009) were meaningfully different between two groups. There were 9 insta ces of spontaneous closure of the residual shunts at mean 21 months of following up (ranged 1 ~43 months). In conclusion, we suggest that the size of ventricular septal defect, aortic cross-clamping time and mean pulmonary artery pressure may play an important role in occurance of residual ventricular septal defect.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.564-568
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• 1996

Pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta following cardiac surgery is very unusual and it is poten- tially fatal. We report here a fourteen year-old female patient with pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta following a repair of a congenital ventricular septal defect at other hospital 50 months ago. Although she had a mild superficial wound infection postoperatively, she enjoyed uneventful. life until she visited our hospital for a generalized weakness and exertional dyspnea which developed a month ago. Chest CT and echocardiogram showed partially calcified pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta. Two aortic defects were located on the anterolateral ascending aortic wall wkere it was suspected as a previous sites of aortic and cardioplegic cannulation. The internal wall of the pseudoaneurysm was covered with neoendothelium and intervened by septal tissue. Two defects on he aortic wall were oval in shape and about 1.5cm in the greatest diameter The defects were trimmed to make a one large de- fect and it was reconstructed with patch designed from 22mm collagen impregnated double velour Dacron graft. The postoperative course was uneventful.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.148-153
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• 2012

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is associated with the variety of disorders of myocardial function. The effect, however, of myocardial infarction (MI) on ANP has not been fully described. Thus, this study investigated the effect of experimental MI, induced by left coronary artery ligation, on ANP secretion. Male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 60 d underwent ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery to induce MI and were compared with a group that underwent a sham operation. Rats of sham operation had a similar procedure without having the suture tightened around the coronary artery. Animals were sacrificed at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 18 h or 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, and 30 d after the procedure. MI size was assessed by planimetry and perimetry, and plasma ANP levels were determined by radioimmunoassay. Mean infarct size was 39.6-44.5% of the left ventricle after coronary occlusion in experimental groups. No significant differences were observed in infarct size among groups. In contrast, the concentration of plasma ANP was significantly higher at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 h after left coronary artery ligation than in sham animals. This parameter, however, did not differ significantly at 3, 5, 7, 14, and 30 d after ligation compared with sham-ligated controls. These results demonstrate that plasma ANP levels are markedly increased in the early phase of MI in the male rat and can be a useful biomarker for diagnosis in acute MI.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.420-425
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• 2004

Fistula between coronary artery and pulmonary artery is a type of coronary artery anomalies. It can cause atypical chest pain and fatigue, angina pectoris, endocarditis, finally myocardial steal can result in heart failure and myocardial infarction. But only 0.1-0.2% of coronary angiographic studies reveal the communications between coronary artery and other spaces. (heart chamber, pulmonary artery etc.) It is frequently congenital, but acquired types are increasing because chest and heart manipulations such as opertion of tetralogy of Fallot, endomyocardial biopsy, radiation therapy, or penetrating blunt trauma are increasing. There are reports about repair of fistula using thrombogenic tips, coil embolization and surgical intervention. We report a connection between coronary artery and pulmonary artery in 79 years old female. She was 30 pack-years smoker and suffered from dyspnea several years with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. She presented with atypical chest pain and palpitation after admission. Electrocardiography showed ST-T wave abnormality. Emergency coronary angiography and chest CT scan revealed coronary-pulmonary artery fistula. Transcatheter embolization was performed and she was relieved from discomforts.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.855-860
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• 1998

Background: Adequate exposure of the mitral valve is a prerequisite for mitral procedures including the repair. An extended transseptal approach in mitral valvular operations is known to have certain technical advantages in recent years because of the anatomic posterior location of the mitral valve, especially in reoperations and in the presence of the small atrium in spite of the possibility of arrhythmia due to injury of sinus nodal artery. Material and Method: We compared the preoperative status, operative, and postoperative factors among patients in two study groups, transseptal only (Group I, n=10) and extended transseptal approach(Group II, n=25). Result: There were no differences in age, sex, NYHA functional class, left atrial size, and left ventricular function. The incidence of the redo-operation was high and early postoperative arrhythmia, which was improved later, appeared in 3 patients in Group II, but not in Group I. Conclusion: We believe that atrial septal incision could be extended up to the atrial roof whenever exposure of the mitral valve during a transseptal approach is inadequate because the late results were similar.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.366-379
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• 2017

In this study, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify the effects of exercise on endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). We conducted database searches (Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, CINAHL, Scopus, KoreaMed, KISS, RISS, KMBASE) for the effect of exercise on cardiovascular disease, using heart disease, coronary artery disease, heart failure, cardiovascular disease, exercise, motor activity, rehabilitation, and endothelial progenitor cells as the keywords. Of the 539 studies identified, 9 met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 2.0 was used to analyze the effect size and the publication bias was checked with a funnel plot. Exercise was found to improve the VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor), CD34+KDR+, and endothelial function, assessed via FMD (flow-mediated dilation), in the exercise vs. control groups, viz. 2.008 (95% CI 0.204-3.812), 1.399 (95% CI 0.310-2.489), and 1.881 (95% CI 0.848-2.914), respectively. Exercise improved the VEGF, number of EPCs, and endothelial function in the CVD patients. Considering the increasing prevalence and mortality rates for cardiovascular disease in Korea, the findings of this study that analyzed the effects of exercise on EPCs might provide guidelines for planning exercise interventions for patients with CVD.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.12 s.257
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• pp.849-851
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• 2005

Mitral stenosis was developed after Duran ring annuloplasty in two growing children during follow up period of 8 years and 5 years respectively, which may be due to pannus overgrowth and patient's growing. Only removal of pannus and prosthetic ring has resulted in complete relieving of Mitral stenosis. With time, even adult-sized an-nuloplasty ring may induce stenosis in growing children.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1040-1044
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• 1996

A case with a bronchial foreign body(wood) which had an uncommon way of entry through a wound In the chest wall was described. A 41-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of chronic cough and profuse purulent sputum. He had been injured by a fragment of wood which penetrated his anterolateral chest wall at 30 years ago. A chest x-ray film reavealed a calcific foreign body, measuring 3.0 by 1.0 cm, in the posterobasal segment of the left lung. Computed nomograp y of the chest demonstrated a calcific foreign body with bronchiectatic change near the diaphragmatic pleura In the left lower lobe. Left lower lobectomy was performed, and the patient remains well without any thoracic symptoms after the operation.

• KIISE Transactions on Computing Practices
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2018

The assessment and rehabilitation of patients with cognitive dysfunction is a field that currently requires assistive technology. While the paper-and-pencil test, such as the line tracing test (LTT), is one of the most commonly used assessment methods for cognitive dysfunction, it has become time-consuming due to its manual characteristic. The aim of this study was therefore to establish a computer-based real-time assessment system for patients without compromising the usefulness of the conventional paper-and-pencil based user tools. A digital pen-based assessment and rehabilitation system, the ePen System, could eliminate the time required for manual assessment while maintaining the measurement accuracy. The proposed system may assist rehabilitation specialists to assess and diagnose patients with unilateral visual neglect. This system can be applied to a range of assessment and rehabilitation modalities based on pen and paper. It can also be used for various patients such as those with Parkinson's disease, stroke, or different forms of brain lesions.