• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.83 no.4
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• pp.918-923
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• 2022

Large vessel vasculitis is characterized by chronic inflammation within the aortic wall and its major branches. The inflammation is considered to occur as a result of immune dysregulation. Hematologic malignancy is one of the rare causes of secondary vasculitis. Herein, we report a rare case of large vessel vasculitis associated with acute myeloid leukemia mimicking primary vasculitis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.66 no.5
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• pp.370-373
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• 2009

Crohn's disease, a major form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), is a chronic inflammatory condition that is characterized by microvascular and macrovascular involvement. Some extraintestinal complications can occur due to chronic systemic inflammation in IBD. Among them, a pulmonary thromboembolism is a rare manifestation of IBD but is associated with a high morbidity and mortality. To our best of knowledge, there is only one case report of a pulmonary thromboembolism as a complication of Crohn's disease in Korea. We present another rare case of pulmonary thromboembolism as complication in a 25-year-old man with underlying Crohn's disease.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.25-30
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• 2010

For centuries, probiotics have been known to promote health and prevent diseases. In recent times, modulation of diseases related to the immune function by probiotics has been recognized as very important to the health of the host's gut. Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are the most frequently studied diseases in which probiotic administration has been tested as a potential therapy. Various in vitro and in vivo studies have been performed. The studies discussed in this review suggest several mechanisms: probiotics could modulate the gut microflora by competing with disease-causing pathogenic bacteria and could directly regulate the mucosal immune system, which activates the innate and adaptive immune systems. In addition, human clinical trials have shown alleviation of disease symptoms of ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn's disease, etc. This study aimed to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying immune modulation by probiotics and review studies on the functional aspect of IBD alleviation by probiotics. With more scientific studies confirming the effect of probiotics, this therapy holds promise for use in alternative medicine and/or pharmaceutical preparations, given the long history of safe consumption of probiotics.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1386-1395
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• 2018

Over recent years, it has become evident that the central nervous system bidirectionally interacts with the gastrointestinal tract along the gut-brain axis. A series of preclinical studies indicate that the gut microbiota can modulate central nervous system function through a multitude of physiological functions. Polyphenols are ubiquitous plant chemicals included in foods such as fruits, vegetables, tea, coffee and wine, and their consumption is directly responsible for beneficial health effects due to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, anticancer, vasodilating, and prebiotic-like effects. There is increasing evidence that dietary polyphenol can contribute to beneficial effects in neuronal protection acting against oxidative stress and inflammatory injury as well as in cognitive functions. In this paper, we overview the neuroprotective role of dietary polyphenols especially focusing on the neuroinflammation and neurovascular function by interaction with the gut microbiome. Polyphenol metabolites could directly act as neurotransmitters crossing the blood-brain barrier and modulating the cerebrovascular system or indirectly modulating gut microbiota. In addition, evidence suggests that dietary polyphenols are effective in preventing and managing neurological disorders, such as age-related cognitive decline and neurodegeneration, through a multitude of physiological functions. Dietary polyphenols are increasingly envisaged as a potential nutraceuticals in the prevention and treatment of neurological disorders, because they possess the ability to reduce neuroinflammation, to improve memory and cognitive function and to modulate the gut microbiota.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.30-35
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• 2010

Purpose: Infectious ileocecitis is an infection confined to the ileocecal area and one of the most common causes of pediatric abdominal pain. This study was performed to demonstrate the clinical features of infectious ileocecitis in children. Methods: The medical records and radiologic findings of 37 patients with ileocecitis diagnosed by ultrasonography and/or computed tomography, who were admitted to Pusan National University Hospital from January 2004 and July 2008, were reviewed retrospectively. Viral gastroenteritis and secondary ileocecitis were excluded. Results: The mean age of the patients was 4.8${\pm}$3.4 years. One-half of the patients were preschool children. The chief complaint was abdominal pain (75.7%), diarrhea (10.8%), and vomiting (8.1%). Accompanying symptoms were fever (56.8%), vomiting (21.6%), and diarrhea (16.2%). The mean duration of abdominal pain, fever, diarrhea, and vomiting was 3.8${\pm}$2.1, 3.0${\pm}$1.9, 3.4${\pm}$1.9, and 2.4${\pm}$2.3 days, respectively. The frequency of diarrhea and vomiting was 5.8${\pm}$2.2 and 4.0${\pm}$2.8 per day, respectively. Diagnosis was made by abdominal ultrasonography in 22 patients (59.5%), abdominal CT in 2 patients (5.4%), and both modalities in 13 patients (35.1%). Besides the radiologic finding of thickening of the bowel wall, mesenteric lymphadenitis (59.5%), ascites (5.4%), and both mesenteric lymphadenitis and ascites (16.2%) were revealed. The mean duration of illness was 7.5${\pm}$5.0 days. There were no specific laboratory findings, and culture studies with stool or blood were negative. All of the patients recovered completely without specific treatment. Conclusion: Infectious ileocecitis has acute appendicitis-mimicking symptoms, but is self-limited within a few days, thus unnecessary treatment and work-up is avoided. However, distinguishing infectious ileocecitis from appendicitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and mesenteric lymphadenitis is important.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.17-29
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• 2014

GRAS probiotics can be used to modulate intestinal microbiota and to alleviate various gastrointestinal disorders. In several recent studies, researchers have explored the potential expansion and usability of probiotics to reduce the risk factors associated with diseases, including obesity, hypercholesterolemia, arterial hypertension, hyperhomocysteinemia, and oxidative stress. In this review, our aim was to clarify the mechanism underlying interactions between hosts (animal or human) and probiotics and the beneficial effects of probiotics on human health.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.183-190
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• 2023

Red yeast rice, also known as Hong Qu and red Koji, has been used for a long time in Asian functional food and traditional medicine. It consists of multiple bioactive substances, which can potentially be used as nutraceuticals. Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) can range from simple steatosis or inflammation to fibrosis and cirrhosis, possibly through leaky gut and systemic endotoxemia. This study examined the liver and gut effects of red yeast rice (RYR) (Monascus purpureus) ethanol extract against binge ethanol-induced liver injury in mice. RYR extract was orally administered to C57BL/6N mice at a concentration of 200 mg/kg body weight per day for 10 days. Then, mice were administered binge alcohol (5 g/kg/dose) three times at 12 hr intervals. Binge alcohol exposure significantly elevated the endotoxin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine transaminase (ALT) activity of plasma, as well as hepatic triglyceride levels; however, RYR treatments reduced these levels. In addition, RYR pretreatment significantly reduced the alcohol-induced oxidative maker protein and apoptosis maker in binge alcohol-induced gut and liver injuries. These results suggest that RYR may prevent alcohol-induced acute leaky gut and liver damage.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.474-481
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• 2001

Mesalazine(5-Aminosalicylic acid,5-ASA), a component of Sulfasalazine (sulfapyridine bound to 5-ASA), is used to treat inflammatory bowel disease. Most adverse pulmonary effects caused by sulfasalazine have been attributed to sulfapyridine. However, lung toxicity associated with mesalazine(5-ASA) is rare. Here we report a case of eosinophilic pneumonia in a 44-year-old woman with ulcerative colitis, who was treated with mesalazine. She developed symptoms of a dry cough, mild night fever, and exertional dyspnea. Bilateral peripheral pulmonary infiltrates, peripheral blood eosinophilia, and histologic features were consistent with eosinophilic pneumonia. The symptoms improved quite rapidly after the discontinuation of mesalazine and initiation of steroid therapy. Therefore, adverse pulmonary reactions to mesalazine must be considered in a differential diagnosis of pulmonary involvement in patients with inflammatory bowel disease who are receiving with mesalazine therapy.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.69-76
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• 2003

Objectives: Many researches have been done to compare psychopathology of functional gastrointestinal disorder and inflammatory bowel disease which involves structural change. Recently, many studies focused on the topic of alexithymia. The results from these studies were questionable for lack of valid measures of alexithymia and valid diagnostic criteria of functional gastrointestinal disorders. Therefore, we tried to overcome these two problems and to assess alexithymia, personality characteristics, and other psychopathology. Methods: The subjects consisted of ulcerative colitis group(N=28) who were diagnosed by colonoscopy and biopsy, irritable bowel syndrome group(N=27) who were diagnosed by Rome II criteria and normal control group(N=22). All patients were diagnosed at outpatient department of Kyungpook National University Hospital. All these groups completed three psychological tests, including MMPI, Rorschach test, and well validated TAS-20K(The Korean Version of the 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale). Results: Twenty-five percent of the ulcerative colitis group and 22% of the irritable bowel syndrome group scored in the alexithymia range, compared with 0% of the normal group. In Rorschach test, irritable bowel syndrome group showed high levels of weighted Sum C and EA. Most of clinical scales of MMPI were higher in two gastrointestinal groups than the normal control group. And two gastrointestinal groups showed low ego strength level, but there was no statistical significant difference between them. Conclusion: Two gastrointestinal groups showed high rate of alexithymia, other psychopathological profiles, and low ego strength but there was no significant difference between two groups.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2006

Background: Granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) is known as a cytokine central to the hematopoiesis of blood cells and to modulate their cellular functions. Besides granulocytes and their precursors, monocytes/macrophages and endothelial cells are direct target cells of G-CSF action. G-CSF influences immune cells in an anti inflammatory way. Methods: To evaluate whether G-CSF has a potential for preventing or ameliorating diseases characterized by mucosal inflammation, we used a mouse model with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced inflammatory colitis. To the mice model G-CSF was administrated daily by intraperitoneal injection. Macroscopic evaluation and immunohistochemical analysis of colonic tissues were performed. Results: Re combinant human G-CSF significantly inhibited LPS-induced TNF-${\alpha}$ mRNA expression in THP-1 cells. As for in vivo relevance, G-CSF dramatically reduced the weight loss of mice, colonic damage, and mucosal ulceration that characterize TNBS colitis. Moreover, G-CSF suppressed the expression of tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, interleukin-$1{\beta}$, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in TNBS colitis. Conclusion: Current results demonstrate that G-CSF may be an effective agent for the treatment of diseases characterized by mucosal inflammation.