• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.166-173
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• 2010

Purpose : Genetic and clinical factors can influence the permeability of the peritoneal membrane. The peritoneal equilibration test (PET) is helpful in measuring peritoneal permeability in peritoneal dialysis (PD). We investigated the influence of genetic polymorphism of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on the PET parameters. Methods : Pediatric patients who underwent PET within 12 months of initiating PD at Seoul National University Children's Hospital and Samsung Medical Center were selected. The patients with positive history of peritonitis before PET were excluded. The VEGF -2578C/A, -14978T/C, -1154G/A, -634G/C, and +936C/T single-nucleotide polymorphisms were genotyped. Results : The mean 4-hour dialysate-to-plasma ratio for creatinine (D/P creatinine) and the mean 4-hour dialysate glucose to baseline dialysate glucose ratio (D/$D_0$ glucose) were $0.56{\pm}0.13$ and $0.43{\pm}0.11$, respectively. The patients with haplotype CTGGC showed higher 4-hour D/P creatinine ($0.67{\pm}0.12$ vs $0.50{\pm}0.09$, P=0.007) and lower 4-hour D/$D_0$ glucose ($0.35{\pm}0.12$ vs $0.47{\pm}0.08$, P=0.037) than those without haplotype CTGGC. Conclusion : The VEGF genetic polymorphism may influence the peritoneal solute transport.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.151-170
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• 1993

Morphometric, band-pattern and electrophoretic analysis on Cobitis taenia complex were performed to investigate the morphological and genetic differentiation and to clarify their taxonomic status. Intermediate types of band-pattern (C and D type) were more frequently expressed than that of types of C. t. taenia(type A) and C. t. lutheri (type B). Sexual dimorphism of band-pattern was observed not only in C. t. taenia(type A) and C. t. lutheri(type B). Sexual dimorphism of band-pattern was observed not only in C. t. lutheri but also in C. t. taenia and C. t. striata as well. Discriminant function analysis based on 19 morphological characters shows no significant differences among C. taenia complex. The degree of genic variation of C. t. striata was higher ( =1.48, P=31.2%, HD=0.009) than those of C. t. striata was higher( =1.48, P=31.2%, HD=0.082 and HG=0.009) than those of C. t. lutheri ( =1.37, P=2.7%, HD=0.058 and HG=0.065). The average genetic similarities between C. t. lutheri and C. t. taenia-C. t. striata were S=0.62 and S=0.66 respectively and these values indicate that C. t. tanenia has evolved specific level of differentiation. C. t. striata and C. t. lutheri show subspecifc level of close genetic similarity (S=0.82). Based on the divergent time estimate (Nei, 1975) it is assumed that C. t. tanenia was branched off from the other subspecies about two million years before present (MYBP) and C. t. striata and C. t. lutheri were differentiated about 0.6 MYBP. The use of C. sinesis an the scientific name for the Korean C. t. taenia, proposed by Kim and Lee (1988) seems incorrect since they are quite different in the structure of lamina circularis (Vladycov, 1935), the external morphology and distribution (Cheng and Zheng, 1987) and the chromosome number(Yu et al., 1989). Kim and Lee(1988) also argued that C.t. striata and C. t. lutheri should be treated as distinct species but the present study and other reports (Kim and Lee, 1984; Kim and Yang, 1993) do not support it. We conclude that C. t. taenia is a good species and C. t. striata and C. t. lutheri are subspecific status. Their scientific names should be revised in the future.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.91-98
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• 1998

Purpose : The relationship between environmental PH on the radiation induced-apoptosis in SCK mammary adenocarcinoma cells and cell cycle dependence was investigated. Material and Methods : Mammary adenocarcinoma cells of A/J mice(SCK cells) in exponential growth phase were irradiated with a $l37^Cs$ irradiator at room temperature. The cells were irradiated 1 hour after the media was replaced with fresh media at a different pHs. After incubation at $37^{\circ}C$ for 0-48 h, the extent of apoptosis was determined using agarose gel electrophoresis and flow cytometry. The progression of cells through the cell cycle after irradiation in different pHs was also determined with flow cytometry. Bssults : The induction of apoptosis by irradiation in pH 6.6 medium was markedly less than that in pH 7.5 medium. When the cells were irradiated and maintained in pH 7.5 medium, the percentage of cells in $G_2/M$ phase rapidly increased to about $70\%$ at 12 h after an exposure to 120y and returned to control level by 36 h. The percentage of cells in G1 phase decreased as the percentage of cells in $G_2/M$ increased. On the other hand, in pH 6.6 medium the percentage of cells in G2/M phases gradually increased to about $45\%$ at 24 h after 12Gy irradiation and then slowly recessed and consequently, as much as $30-35\%$ of the cells were still in the Ga/M phase 48 h after irradiation. The percentage of cells in G1 phase then increased as the Ga/M arrest began to recede. The radiation-induced Ga/M arrest in PH 0.0 medium lasted markedly longer than that in pH 7.5 medium. Conclusion : Radiation-induced apoptosis in SCK tumor cells are reversely suppressed in an acidic environment. Radiation-induced Ga/M arrest is prolonged in an acidic environment indicating that the suppression of radiation-induced apoptosis and prolongation of radiation-induced Ga/M arrest in an acidic environment are related.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.184-191
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• 2004

Purpose: In order to improve the proper use of radiotherapy and breast-conserving treatment (BCT) in the management of breast cancer, current status of breast cancer treatment in Korea was surveyed nationwide and the use of BCT were evaluated. Materials and Methods: Patients characteristics and treatment pattern of 1048 breast cancer patients from 27 institutions diagnosed between January, 1998 and June, 1998 were analyzed. The incidence of receiving BCT was analyzed according to the stage, age, geography, type of hospital, and the availability of radiotherapy facility. Results: Radical mastectomy was peformed in 64.8$\%$ of total patients and 26$\%$ of patients received breast- conserving surgery (BCS). The proportions of patients receiving BCT were 47.5$\%$ in stage 0, 54.4$\%$ in stage I, and 20.3$\%$ in stage II, Some of the patients (6.6$\%$ of stage I, 10.1$\%$ of stage II and 66.7$\%$ of stage III) not received radiotherapy after BCS. Only 45$\%$ of stage III patients received post-operative radiotherapy after radical mastectomy. The proportion of patients receiving BCT was different according to the geography and availability of radiotherapy facilities. Conclusion: Radiotherapy was not fully used in the management of breast cancer, even in the patients received breast-conserving surgery. The proportion of the patients who received BCT was lower than the report of western countries. To improve the application of proper management of breast cancer, every efforts such as a training of physicians, public education, and improving accessibility of radiotherapy facilities should be done. The factors predicting receipt of BCT were accessibility of radiotherapy facility and geography. Also, periodic survey like current research is warranted.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.367-374
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• 2002

Purpose : To investigate the growth inhibitory effects, and the underlying mechanism of human colon cancer cell (HT-29) death, induced by a new synthetic bile acid derivative (HS-1200). Materials and Methods : Human colon cancer cells (HT-29), in exponential growth phase, were treated with various concentrations of a new synthetic bile acid derivative (HS-1200). The growth inhibitory effects on HT-29 cells were examined using a frypan blue exclusion assay. The extent of apoptosis was determined using agarose gel electrophoresis, TUNEL assays and Hoechst staining. The apoptotic cell death was also confirmed by Western blotting of PARP, caspase-3 and DNA fragmentation factor (DFF) analysis. To investigate the involvement of mitochondria, we employed immunofluorescent staining of cytochrome c and mitochondrial membrane potential analyses. Results : The dose required for the half maximal inhibition $(IC_{50})$ of the HT-29 cell growth was $100\~150\;{\mu}M$ of HS-1200. Several changes, associated with the apoptosis of the HT-29 cells, were reveal by the agarose gel eletrophoresis, TUNEL assays and Hoechst staining, following their treatment with $100\;{\mu}M$ of HS-1200. HS-1200 treatment also induced caspase-3, PARP and DFF degradations, and the western blotting showed the processed caspase-3 p20, PARP p85 and DFF p30 and p11 cleaved products. Mitochondrial events were also demonstrated. The cytochrome c staining indicated that cytochrome c had been released from the mitochondria in the HS-1200 treated cells. The mitochondrial membrane potential $(\Delta\Psi_m)$ was also prominently decreased in the HS-1200 treated cells. Conclusion : These findings suggest that the HS-1200 - induced apoptosis of human colon cancer cells (HT-29) is mediated via caspase and mitochondrial pathways.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.653-660
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• 2000

In order to study the regional distribution and relative frequency of the immunoreactive endocrine cells in the gastrointestinal tract of the Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus, the gastrointestinal tract was divided into 9 portions (cardia, fundus, pylorus, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon and rectum) and immunostained by immunohistochemical (PAP) method using 8 types of specific antisera against cholecystokinin (CCK)-8, gastrin, secretin, pancreatic polypeptide(PP), somatostatin, serotonin, glucagon and insulin. CCK-8-, gastrin-, somatostatin- and serotonin-immunoreactive cells were demonstrated in this study. These immunoreactive cells were found in the gastric gland regions of the pylorus or between parietal and chief cells of the fundus with round to spherical shaped, and in the interepithelial regions of the intestinal tract with spherical to spindle shaped except for jejunum where some of immunoreactive cells were also observed in the intestinal glands with round to spherical shaped. CCK-8-immunoreactive cells were restricted to the pylorus and duodenum with numerous and a few frequency, respectively. Gastrin-immunoreactive cells were restricted to the pylorus with numerous frequency. Similar to those of gastrin-immunoreactive cells, somatostatin-immunoreactive cells were restricted to pylorus with moderate frequency. Serotonin-immunoreactive cells were detected throughout whole gastrointestinal tract except for cardia and cecum with moderate or numerous frequency. However, no secretin-, PP-, glucagon- and insulin-immunoreactive cells were observed in this study. From these results, the appearance type, regional distribution and relative frequency of immunoreactive endocrine cells in the gastrointestinal tract of the Mongolian gerbils were somewhat lowered or restricted compared to those of other mammals and these differences were might be caused by feeding habits and species specification.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.205-212
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the differences according to the hospitals of antenatal care in premature infants. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of premature infants with gestational ages <37 weeks and very low birth weights who were admitted immediately after birth to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital between March 2007 and February 2009. The hospitals of antenatal care were divided into two levels (primary antenatal care hospital: hospitals with less than a level 2 NICU, secondary antenatal care hospital: hospitals with a level 3 NICU) based on the level of NICU in hospitals. In addition, total infants were divided into two groups (Immediate group: infants born within 24 hours of maternal admission, Delayed group: infants born after 24 hours of maternal admission). The differences between maternal and neonatal variables in each groups were studied. Results: Neonates in secondary antenatal care hospitals comprised 11.0% of the study neonates (10 of 91). We compared with two groups (primary antenatal care hospital and secondary antenatal care hospital), but there were no differences in all subjects. However, the 1 minute Apgar score ($\leq3$) was lower in the immediate group than the delayed group. Conclusion: Shorter duration of maternal admission to delivery was associated with a lower 1 minute Apgar score of neonates. These findings suggest that if maintenance of pregnancy is difficult when high-risk gravidas are transferred, clinicians must prepare for emergencies of neonates.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.378-388
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• 2001

Purpose: In this study, we developed a new method for the determination of renal depth with anterior and posterior renal scintigrams in a dual-head gamma camera, considering the attenuation factor $e^{-{\mu}x}$ of the conjugate-view method. Material and Method: We developed abdomen and kidney phantoms to perform experiments using Technetium-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid ($^{99m}Tc$-DMSA). The phantom images were obtained by dual-head gamma camera equipped with low-energy, high-resolution, parallel-hole collimators (ICONf, Siemens). The equation was derived from the linear integration of omission ${\gamma}$-ray considering attenuation from the posterior abdomen to the anterior abdomen phantom surface. The program for measurement was developed by Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0. Results : Renal depths of the phantoms were derived from the derived equations and compared with the exact geometrical values. Differences between the measured and the calculated values were the range of 0.1 to 0.7 cm ($0.029{\pm}0.15cm,\;mean{\pm}S.D.$). Conclusion: The present study showed that the use of the derived equations for renal depth measurements, combined with quantitative planar imaging using dual-head gamma camera, could provide more accurate results for individual variation than the conventional method.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.104-111
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• 1996

We did Tc-99m sestamibi myocardial perfusion SPECT in 36 patients with acute myocardial infarction when they arrived at the emergency room. And we compared myocardial perfusion images with ECG findings. Then we obtained the follows. The myocardial infarction by the obstruction of left coronary descending artery and right coronary artery showed a good concordance in the diagnosis and infarction site between myocardial perfusion images and ECG findings. The 7 patients with myocardial infarction by a left circumflex coronary artery showed a perfusion defect in the lateral wall in myocardial perfusion SPECT images. But 4 patients of them showed ST segment elevation, 2 patients showed ST depression and 1 patient showed normal ECG findings. The diagnostic sensitivity of Tc-99m sestamibi myocardial perfusion SPECT was 100% by a qualified analysis. The perfusion defect site in the myocardial perfusion SPECT were corresponded with the infarct related coronary artery in 31 patients which was diagnosed by coronary angiograpy. The size of perfusion defect in the po1ar map was $31{\pm}18%(M{\pm}SD)$, in the myocardial infarction with left anterior descending coronary arery obstruction, $31{\pm}13% (M{\pm}SD)$ in the myocardial infarction with right coronary artery obstruction and $25{\pm}5.9%(M{\pm}SD)$ in the myocardial infarction with left circumflex coronary artery obstruction. We concluded that emergency myocardial perfusion SPECT images are useful in the diagnose of myocardial infarction and it's very useful when we are difficult to diagnose with ECG like as lateral wall infarction or left bundle branch block.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.122-126
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• 2014

Purpose: The new reconstruction algorithms (NRA) provided by vendor aim to shorten the acquisition scan time. Whereas depending on the installed version AutoQuant program used for myocardial SPECT quantitative analysis did not contain the normal data that NRA is applied. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to compare the results according to AutoQuant versions in myocardial SPECT applied NRA and half-time scan (HT). Materials and Methods: Rest Tl and stress MIBI data of total 80 (40 men, 40 women) patients were gathered. Data were applied HT acquisition and ASTONISH (Philips) software which is NRA. Modified autoquant of SNUH and old version of AutoQuant (full-time scan) provided by company were compared. Comparison groups were classified as coronary artery disease (CAD), 24 hrs delay and almost normal patients who have a simple pain patient. Perfusion distribution aspect, summed stress score (SSS), summed rest score (SRS), extent and total perfusion deficit (TPD) of each 25 patient who have above diseases were compared and evaluated. Results: The case of CAD, when using re-edited AutoQuant (HT) SSS and SRS showed about 30% reduction (P<0.0001), Extent showed about 38% reduction and TPD showed about 30% reduction in the tendency (P<0.0001). In the score of the perfusion, especially on the part of infero-medium, infero-apical, lateral-medium and lateral-apical regions were the biggest change. The case of the 24 hrs delay patient SRS (P=0.042), Extent (P=0.018) and TPD (P=0.0024) showed about 13-18% reduction. And the case of simple pain patient, comparison of 4 results showed about 5-7% reduction. Conclusion: This study was started based on expectation that results could be affected by normal patient data. Normal patient data is possible to change by race and gender. It was proved that combination of new reconstruction algorithm for reducing scan time and analysis program according to scan protocol with NRA could also be affected to results. Clinical usefulness of gated myocardial SPECT is possibly increased if each hospital properly collects normal patient data for their scan acquisition protocol.