• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.10
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• pp.995-1004
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• 2007

Purpose : Kawasaki disease is a systemic vasculitis, leading cause of pediatric acquired heart disease. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has functions as vascular permeability factor, plays an important role in coronary artery lesion (CAL). We studied the clinical significance of serum VEGF in Kawasaki disease. Methods : Kawasaki group was 49 patients, and control group was 15 patients. Diagnosis followed AHA (American Heart Association) diagnostic criteria, with blood sampling in acute, subacute, and convalescent phase. Echocardiographic abnormalities were defined and the definition of intravenous gamma globulin (IVGG)-responsive and IVGG-resistant was determined. Results : Serum VEGF of Kawasaki group was significantly higher than of control group. Comparison of serum VEGF between CAL and non-CAL group, between carditis group and non-carditis group showed no significant differences. Subacute serum VEGF was statistically higher in IVGG-resistant group than in IVGG-responsive group, and serum VEGF of IVGG-resistant group in subacute phase was statistically higher than in the other phases. Serum VEGF of convalescent CAL and non-CAL group in acute and subacute phase had meaningful differences. Total fever duration and subacute serum VEGF had positive correlation. Acute serum VEGF had positive correlation with ESR and CRP, all phases serum VEGF had also positive correlation with WBC. Acute and subacute serum VEGF had negative correlations with hemoglobin and albumin. Conclusion : Serum VEGF can help to determine the severity of Kawasaki disease, especially subacute serum VEGF seems to be used as a prognostic factor of coronary complication. Afterward, further studies needed with more strict diagnostic criteria and more study groups.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.244-249
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• 2010

Purpose: Our goal of this study was to compare the mechanism of injury and the clinical outcomes between the non-traumatic and traumatic type II SLAP lesions. Materials and Methods: From January 2007 to May 2009, the sunjects of this study were 27 patients who had undergone operations for isolated type II SLAP lesions. The lesions were classified according to Burkhart's method. The lesions that were located on the anterior-superior labrum were classified as type I, those lesions located on the posterior-superior labrum were classified as type II and those lesions located on the anterior-posterior labrum were classified as type III. The clinical outcomes were evaluated by the UCLA score and the KSS score preoperatively and postoperatively. Results: Of the 27 cases, 16 cases were traumatic and eleven cases were non-traumatic. In the traumatic group, there were 12, 2 and 2 cases of type I, type II and type III, respectively (p=0.013). In non-traumatic group, there were 2, 6 and 3 cases of type I, type II and type III (p=0.026). Anterior lesions were more frequent in the traumatic group and posterior lesions were more frequent in the non-traumatic group. For the clinical outcomes, the mean preoperative UCLA score and KSS score were 18 (range: 14~23) and 48 (range: 32~76), respectively, and the postoperative UCLA score and KSS score were 32 (range: 28~33) and 86 (range: 71~92), respectively, in the traumatic group, and the preoperative UCLA score and KSS score were 21 (18~25) and 58 (41~68), respectively, and the postoperative UCLA score and KSS score were 29 (26~31) and 81 (68~89), respectively in the non-traumatic group. There was no significant statistical difference of clinical outcomes between the two groups (p=0.317, 0.405). Conclusion: In this study, the anatomical feature of type II SLAP lesion was associated with a trauma mechanism. Therefore, a trauma mechanism must be considered when planning the surgical treatment for type II SLAP lesions.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.51-58
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• 1993

We tried to establish the theoretical basis of clinical use of combined modality of hyperthermia and radiation therapy. For this purpose, we made an in vitro experiment in order to get the synergistic and/or additive effects on the cell killing of hyperthermia combined with radiation therapy by using the microwave-hyperthermia machine already installed at our department. In our experiment, we use two human cell lines: MKN-45 (adenocarcinoma of stomach) and K-562 (leukemia cell lines). In cases of combined treatments of hyperthermia and gamma-irradiation, the therapeutic effect was the highest in the simultaneous trial. Hyperthermia after gamma irradiation showed slightly higher therapeutic effect than that before irradiation without significant difference, but its effect was the same in the interval of 6 hours between hyperthermia and irradiation. The higher temperature and the longer treatment time were applied, the higher therapeutic effects were observed. We could observe the thermoresistance by time elapse at $43^{\circ}C$. When hyperthermia was done for 30 minutes at the same temperature, thermal enhancement ratio (TER) at DO. 01 (dose required surviving fraction of 0.01) were $2.5{\pm}0.08,\;3.75{\pm}0.18$, and $5.0{\pm}0.15\;at\;436{\circ}C,\;44^{\circ}C,\;and\;45^{\circ}C$ respectively in K-562 leukemia cell lines. Our experimental data showed that more cell killing effect can be obtained in the leukemia cell lines, although they usually are known to be radiosensitive, when treated with combined hyperthermia and radiation therapy. Furthermore, our data show that leukemia cell lines may have various intrinsic radiosensitivity, especially in vitro experiments. The magnitude of cell killing effect, however, will be less than that of MKN-45.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.8
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• pp.644-651
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• 2004

Background: Refractory atrial arrhythmias in patients late after the Fontan operation result in significant morbidity and mortality. We reviewed our experience with arrhythmia surgery in patients who had Fontan operation. Material and Method: Between July 1986 and December 2003, 275 early survivors after Fontan operation were reviewed. Fourteen patients underwent. arrhythmia surgery at reoperation after Fontan operation, and mean age at reoperation was 16.8$\pm$7.1 (range: 4.5 ∼ 30.6) years. Mechanisms of arrhythmia included atrial flutter in 8 patients, and atrial fibrillation in 2. Arrhythmia surgery has evolved from isthmus cryoablation in 12 patients to right-sided maze in 2 patients. Thirty-two patients. underwent prophylactic isthmus cryoablation concomitantly at initial Fontan operation. Result: Postoperative arrhythmias occurred in 68 patients (24.7%) among 275. There was no early and late mortality after the arrhythmia surgery. After redo Fontan operation, all patients maintained normal sinus rhythm. Atrial flutter recurred in 3 patients who had sinus conversion with medication and 7 required permanent pacemakers with a mean follow-up of 26.5$\pm$29.1 (range: 2 ∼ 73) months. All patients have improved to NYHA class I or II. After prophylactic cryoablation at initial Fontan operation, 29 patients (90.6%) had sinus rhythm, 1 patient had junctional tachycardia, 1 patient had sinus nodal dysfunction, and 1 patient had AV block with a mean follow-up of 51.3$\pm$19.8 (range: 4∼80) months. Conclusion: Redo Fontan operation, and concomitant arrhythmia surgery reduced atrial arrhythmias and improved NYHA functional classification.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.565-571
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• 2009

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical value of rectal gas distension F-18 FDG PET/CT imaging for the differentiation of the rectal focal uptake lesions. Materials and Methods: Twenty four patients (M:F=11:13, Age $62.8{\pm}12.4$ years) underwent rectal gas distension F-18 FDG PET/CT, prospectively: initial image at 50-60 min after the intravenous injection of F-18 FDG and rectal distension image after the infusion of air through the anus. Focally increased uptake lesions on initial images but disappeared on rectal distension images defined a physiological uptake. For the differential evaluation of persistent focal uptake lesions on rectal distension images, colonoscopy and histopathologic examination were performed. Results: Among the 24 patients, 27 lesions of focal rectal uptake were detected on initial images of F-18 FDG PET/CT. Of these, 7 lesions were able to judge with physiological uptake because the focal increased uptake disappeared from rectal distension image. Remaining 3 lesions were non-rectal lesions (2 lesions: rectovesical space, 1 lesion: uterine myoma). Among 17 lesions which was showed persistent increased uptake in rectal distension image, 15 lesions were confirmed as the malignant tumor (SUVmax=$15.9{\pm}6.8$) and 2 lesions were confirmed as the benign lesions including adenoma and inflammatory disease. Conclusion: The rectal distension F-18 FDG PET/CT imaging could be an important noninvasive method for the differentiation of malignant and benign focal rectal uptake lesions including physiologic uptake.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.401-406
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• 2017

In this study, using the VITEK 2 system, 74 samples (22.6%) out of 327 specimens were identified by the growth of Enterococcosel media (EV6 agar) supplemented with $6{\mu}g/mL$ of vancomycin. Enterococcus faecium was identified as 55 strains (74.3%), Enterococcus casseliflavus as 2 strains (2.7%), Enterococcus avium as 1 strain (1.4%), and Enterococcus gallinarum as 16 strains (21.6%). Among the 55 phenotypes of Enterococcus faecium, 42 (76.4%), 9 (16.4%), and 4 strains (7.3%) showed the vanA, vanB, and vanC phenotype, respectively. The 16 strains of Enterococcus gallinarum and 2 strains of Enterococcus casseliflavus showed the vanC phenotype and the 1 strain of Enterococcus avium had the vanB phenotype. The one strain of Enterococcus faecium propagated only in EV4 and was susceptible to both vancomycin and teicoplanin according to the antimicrobial susceptibility test using the VITEK 2 system. The vancomycin resistance phenotype gene was not detected by PCR. A total of 327 specimens were cultured in Enterococcosel broth supplemented with $6{\mu}g/mL$ of vancomycin (EV6 broth), and 120 strains (36.7%) were isolated. These 120 strains were subjected to vancomycin resistant genotyping by a multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction and 51 strains (42.5%) showed vanA; 5 strains (4.2%) showed vanA and vanC; and 18 strains (15%) showed vanC. Vancomycin resistance genotypes were not detected in the remaining 46 strains (38.3%).

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.316-320
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• 2008

This study examined the combined plant extracts (FGF271) of Estromon in ovariectomized (OVX) rats to determine whether Estromon's significant clinical improvement effects on menopausal symptoms are predominantly due to the phytoestrogenic action of the combined extracts. The results showed that all three FGF271-treated groups had significantly improved serum osteocalcin levels as compared to the control group (p<0.05). In addition, all FGF271- and Estromon-treated groups had increases in femoral bone mineral density (FBMD) (p<0.05), and the increase in the FGF271 group was dose-dependent. A pairwise comparison of the FGF271- and Estromon-treated groups receiving the same dosage of FGF271 indicated that there was no significant difference between the groups. Therefore, the FBMD increases that occurred in the Estromon groups were solely attributable to the phytoestrogenic effects of FGF271. It was conclude that the phytoestrogenic effects of Estromon, as shown in clinical studies, are predominantly caused by FGF271, the mixed extracts of Cynanchum wilfordii, Phlomis umbrosa, and Angelica gigas.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.115-123
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• 2006

Purpose : We investigated whether there had been any change in the epidemiology of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Korea before and after introduction of heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine(PCV7). Methods : Between September 2001 and August 2006, clinical isolates were collected from patients with pneumococcal infection in Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea. We analyzed trends in serotype distribution and antibiotic resistance before and after the introduction of PCV7. Results : There were 363 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from clinical specimens; 143 before and 220 after PCV7 introduction. The predominant serotypes, in order of decreasing frequency, were 19F, 19A, 23F, 6B, 6A, 3, 9V, 14, 11A, 4, 29, and 18C; 152 isolates(41.9%) belonged to types included in PCV7. The proportion of clinical isolates that were nonsusceptible to penicillin increased from 58.8% in 2001 to 83.6% in 2006(P=0.046). There was no significant diminution in pneumococcal infection caused by vaccine serotypes after the introduction of PCV7. In children younger than age 2 years, the proportion of clinical isolates that were vaccine serotypes was higher than in persons older than age 15 years (59.3% vs 37.8%, P=0.004). Conclusions : There was no significant diminution in pneumococcal infection caused by vaccine serotypes after the introduction of PCV7, therefore more universal pneumococcal immunization program is recommended especially for children younger than age 2 years.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.343-349
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• 1994

The study was taken to analyze the laboratory findings of the 161 patients with autoimmune thyroiditis treated at Kyungpook University Hospital from January 1992 to July 1993. They were all female and mean age was 33 years ranging from 10 to 73 years. Mean radioactive iodine uptake(RAIU) of the thyroid was $30.90{\pm}21.80(mean{\pm}SD)%$ at 6 hours and $37.97{\pm}23.25%$ at 24 hours. Mean serum levels of thyroid hormones were $1.41{\pm}0.48$(ng/ml) of T3, $7.26{\pm}3.23$(ug/dl) of T4, and $1.11{\pm}0.66$(ng/dl) of free T4, while mean serum level of TSH was $17.99{\pm}30.72$(uIU/ml). Mean levels of serum autoantibodies were 24. $43{\pm}31.91$(U/ml) of antithyroglobulin antibody and $55.32{\pm}41.97$(U/ml) of antimicrosomal antibody. The correlation between RAIU and serum thyroid hormone levels was significantly negative, but the positive correlation between RAIU and serum TSH was noted. The correlation between thyroid hormones and TSH was significantly negative, but the positive correlation between RAIU and serum TSH was noted. The correlation between thyroid hormones and TSH was significantly negative, while antimicrosomal antibody titer revealed significantly positive correlation with TSH. The RAIU and free T4 showed negatively correlated with the increasing age. The Initial clinical findings of the patients with autoimmune thyroiditis revealed euthyroidism in 83.2%, hypothyroidism in 14.9%, and hyperthyroidism in 1.9%. The incidence of abnormally increased serum thyroglobulin, antithyroglobulin antibody, and antimicrosomal antibody were 21.3%, 97.5%, and 87.6%, respectively and these abnormalities were more frequent in the patients with documented clinical thyroid functional disturbances.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.309-316
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• 2009

Purpose: F-18 FDG can be accumulated in the liver, bowel, kidney, urinary tract, and muscles physiologically. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical value of dual time point 18F-FDG PET /8 imaging for the differentiation of the colonic focal uptake lesions. Materials and Methods: One hundred thirty two patients (M:F = 77:55, Age 62.8$\pm$11.6 years) underwent $^{18}$F-FDG PET/CT at two time points, prospectively: early image at 50-60 min and delayed image at 4-4.5 hours after the intravenous injection of $^{18}$F-FDG. Focally increased uptake lesions on early images but disappeared or shifted on delayed images defined a physiological uptake. For the differential evaluation of persistent focal uptake lesions on delayed images, colonoscopy and histopathologic examination were performed. SUVmax changes between early and delayed images were also compared. Results: Among the 132 patients, 153 lesions of focal colonic uptake were detected on early images of $^{18}$F-FDG PET/CT. Of these, 72 (47.1%) lesions were able to judge with physiological uptake because the focal increased uptake disappeared from delayed image. Among 81 lesions which was showed persistent increased uptake in delayed image, 61 (75.3%) lesions were confirmed as the malignant tumor and 14 (17.3%) lesions were confirmed as the benign lesions including adenoma and inflammatory disease. Remaining 6 (7.4%) lesions were confirmed as the physiological uptake because there was no particular lesion in the colonoscopy. In the malignant lesions, the calculated dual time point change for SUVmax ($\Delta$%SUVmax) was 20.8$\pm$18.7%, indicating a significant increase in SUVmax between the two point (p<0.01). In contrast, the change in SUVmax for the non-malignant lesions including benign lesions and physiological uptake was -13.7%$\pm$24.2%. For the differentiation of the malignant and non-malignant focal colonic uptake lesions, $\Delta$%SUVmax was the most effective parameter, and the cut-off value using -5% provided the best sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. Conclusion: The dual time point $^{18}$F-FDG PET/CT imaging with SUVmax change evaluation could be an important noninvasive method for the differentiation of malignant and benign focal colonic uptake lesions including physiologic uptake.