• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.82 no.6
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• pp.1581-1588
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• 2021

Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) has emerged as a social issue as e-cigarette use is rapidly increasing worldwide and is related to many deaths in the United States. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of EVALI in South Korea of a 24-year-old man with acute respiratory symptoms and a history of e-cigarette use. Chest CT revealed diffuse bilateral ground-glass opacities with subpleural sparing, airspace consolidation, and centrilobular micronodules as typical patterns of EVALI with organizing pneumonia and diffuse alveolar damage. Infection was excluded with meticulous laboratory examinations, and the patients' illnesses were not attributed to other causes. EVALI was diagnosed by meeting the diagnostic criteria with consistent clinico-radiologic findings through a multidisciplinary approach. Radiologists should have good knowledge of EVALI radiologic findings and play a cardinal role in the proper diagnosis and management of EVALI.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.589-605
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• 2023

Soy isoflavones are attracting attention from postmenopausal women because of their beneficial effects on menopausal symptoms. This study was investigated whether a combination of soy isoflavone genistein and swimming exercise (Gen+SE) would have a beneficial synergistic effect on obesity and improvement of liver function compared to the genistein only (Gen) and swimming exercise only (SE) in ovariectomized mice. Ovariectomized mice were randomly divided into control group (Con), Gen, SE, and Gen+SE, and were fed a high-fat diet for 8 weeks. As a result of examining the body weight, weight of white adipose tissue, lipid accumulation of liver, and serum ALT and AST levels, both Gen and SE decreased compared to Con, and Gen+SE decreased more than compared to Gen and SE. The expression of inflammatory cytokines MCP-1, IL-6 and TNF-𝛼 genes in liver decreased in both Gen and SE compared to Con, and were further decreased in Gen+SE compared to Gen and SE. But The expression of adiponectin showed opposite results. The expression of fatty acid oxidation related genes in liver increased in both Gen and SE compared to Con, and were more effectively than increased in Gen+SE compared to Gen and SE. Therefore this study suggests that the interaction between soy isoflavone and swimming exercise is very effective controlling obesity and recovering decreased liver function, and this is caused by promoting fatty acid oxidation in the liver in ovariectomized mice.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.62 no.3
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• pp.192-196
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• 2007

Background: Right middle lobe syndrome (RMLS) is defined as transient or chronic and recurrent atelectasis of the right middle lobe. Although numerous conditions are associated with RMLS, there are very few recent reports in Korea. This study evaluated the causes of RMLS in a local tertiary hospitalover a period of 42 months. Method: Eighty-eight patients (M:F=64:22, mean age: $67.2{\pm}10.3years$), who had consistent chest radiography findings and underwent bronchoscopy in Gyeongsang University Hospital from January 2003 to July 2006, were enrolled in this study. The clinical characteristics and causes of RMLS in these patients were retrospectively reviewed. Results: The most common symptoms fo RMLS were cough, dyspnea and sputum. Tuberculosis was the most common cause (endobronchial tuberculosis in 22 and pulmonary tuberculosis in 1) The other causes were bronchial stenosis by benign fibrotic changes in 22 cases (25%), anthracofibrosis in 13 cases (14.8%), pneumonia in 11 cases (12.5%), lung cancer in 10 cases (11.4%), mucus impaction in 3 cases (3.4%), bronchiectasis in 2 cases (2.3%) and no demonstrable causes in 7 cases (8%). The bronchoscopy findings were mucosal edema with hyperemic changes in 38 cases (43.2%), mucosal edema with anthracotic pigmentation in 16 cases (18.2%), mucus impaction in 13 cases (14.8%), fibrotic stenosis in 13 cases (14.8%), a mass like lesion in 8 cases (9.1%), exudative necrotic material in 4 cases (4.5%), narrowing as a result of extrinsic compression in 2 cases (2.3%) and no demonstrable abnormalities in 12 cases (13.6%). Conclusion: Right middle lobe syndrome was observed more frequently in patients over the age of 65. The causes were mainly benign diseases with endobronchial tuberculosis being the most common.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.82 no.2
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• pp.359-370
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• 2021

Purpose To analyze the findings and serial changes in chest CT lesions in 123 symptomatic patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Materials and Methods From February 19 to April 7, 2020, a total of 123 confirmed COVID-19 patients (male, 44; female, 79; mean age, 59.2 ± 18.6) were enrolled in this retrospective study. A total of 234 CT scans were reviewed for the following patterns: acute alveolar insult (AAI) patterns: ground-glass opacity (GGO), crazy-paving appearance, mixed pattern, and consolidation; organizing pneumonia (OP) patterns: perilobular patterns, band opacity, curvilinear opacity, reversed halo opacity, and small nodular consolidation; resolving patterns: pure GGO, remnant curvilinear, small nodular consolidation, and serial changes of lung abnormalities. We compared the proportions of AAI pattern, OP pattern, or resolving pattern with time progression and analyzed the association between the patterns and disease severity using Pearson chi-square and Fisher's exact test. Results Predominant CT patterns were AAI pattern (87%) in the early hospital period group (0-10 days, after the onset of symptoms), OP pattern (45.7%) in the later hospital period group (after 10 days), and resolving pattern in discharge and follow-up group (47.2% and 84.8%, respectively). The difference in the proportions of predominant CT patterns with time progression was statistically significant (p < 0.001, Pearson's chi-square test). No statistically significant association was observed between the patterns and disease severity (p = 0.055, Fisher's exact test). No fibrous changes in the lesions were observed on follow-up CT scans. Conclusion The serial CT scans of COVID-19 patients showed the spectrum of COVID pneumonia CT manifestations as different phases of lung injury and repair.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.1155-1162
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• 2013

Estrogen like activities were evaluated using ethanol and hot water extracts of gongjindan (GJD) and 3 types of brown algae by an in vitro detection system. Laminaria japonica and Undaria pinnatifida represented statistically significant (p<0.001) estrogen like activities, while GJD and Ecklonia stolonifera did not. Furthermore, activities of hot water extracts ($500{\mu}g/ml$) of Laminaria japonica and three mixture (Ecklonia stolonifera : Undaria pinnatifida : Laminaria japonica, 1: 1: 1) were stronger than that of $10^{-7}M$ $17{\beta}$-estradiol. These results suggest that Laminaria japonica contain estrogen like compounds. Based on these results, the prepared seaweed GJD were used for animal experiments about the effects on inhibition of platelet aggregation and serum lipid levels in ovariectomized rats. 9-week Old female SD-rats were randomly assigned to 3 groups as sham-operated rats, ovariectomized rats and ovariectomized rats that were treated with GJD. The rats were placed on prescribed diets for 5 weeks following ovariectomy. Total cholesterol and triglyceride contents on serum decreased in the SHAM group compared to the OVX-CON group. 5 weeks feeding of GJD resulted in significant lowering of triglyceride and a decreasing tendency of total cholesterol level. The level of HDL-cholesterol on serum increased significantly by feeding diets containing the GJD. The ability of platelet aggregation of group treated with GJD was less than that of the OVX-CON group. These results suggest that the beneficial effects of seaweed gongjindan may be used to improve menopausal syndrome.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.102-113
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• 2003

Purpose : Acute respiratory tract infections are the most common illnesses in children. The great majority of these infections involving lower respiratory tracts infections(LRTI) are caused by respiratory viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus(RSV), parainfluenza virus (PIV), influenza virus(INF), adenovirus(ADV), etc. Our purpose of this study was to examine the seasonal occurrence, clinical and laboratory features of each viral infections. Methods : Nasopharyngeal aspirates(NPA) were collected from 913 hospitalized children on the first day of admission. They were all admitted to Hangang Sacred Heart hospital and diagnosed as LRTIs. The study period was from September 1998 to August 2002. Specimens were inoculated onto HEp-2 cell, LLC-MK2 cell and MDCK cell. Viruses were detected by immunofluorescent method performed at day 10 postinoculation. Respiratory viruses were detected in 251(27%) cases. Medical records of 208 cases diagnosed as acute LRTIs were all taken reviewed and analyzed. Results : The identified pathogens were RSV 122 cases(58%), PIV 30 cases(14%), INFA 20 cases(10%), INFB 21 cases(11%) and ADV 15 cases(7%) during the study period. Outbreaks of RSV infections occurred every year but mostly on December, 1998 and November, 1999. LRTIs by PIV and ADV occurred during all seasons of the year. INFA was isolated moslty on March, 1999 and January, 2000. INFB infections occurred largely on April, 2002. The clinical diagnoses were bronchiolitis 88 cases(43%), pneumonia 87 cases(42%), croup 19 cases(9%) and tracheobronchitis 14 cases(6%). Common symptoms and signs were cough, rhinorrhea, sputum and fever. WBC counts in peripheral blood showed normal findings in 123 cases(59%). Each viral infections also showed some differences in auscultatory findings and chest X-ray findings. Conclusion : We learned that viruses are one of the major and important etiologic agents of acute LRTIs of children in Korea. However, we still need to find out more about its characteristic clinical features and continue studying on their seasonal occurrence to focus on their management and also prevention.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.12
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• pp.1519-1527
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• 2002

Purpose : Although influenza virus is one of the most important causes of acute respiratory tract infections(ARTIs) in children, virus isolation is not popular and there are only a few clinical studies on influenza in Korea. We evaluated the epidemiologic and clinical features of ARTIs by influenza virus in children. Methods : From February 1995 to August 2001, nasopharyngeal aspirations were obtained and cultured for the isolation of influenza virus in children admitted with ARTIs. The medical records of patients with influenza virus infection were reviewed retrospectively. Results : Respiratory viruses were isolated in 997(22.0%) out of 4,533 patients examined, and influenza virus was isolated in 164 cases(3.6%). Influenza virus was isolated year after year mainly from December to April of next year. The ratio of male and female was 1.9 : 1 with a median age of 15 months. The most common clinical diagnosis of influenza virus infection was pneumonia, and fever and cough developed in most patients. There was no difference between influenza A and B infection in clinical diagnoses and symptoms. All patients recovered without receiving antiviral treatment except for one patient diagnosed with pneumonia who had underlying disease of Down syndrome with ventricular septal defect. Conclusion : ARTIs caused by influenza virus developed every winter and spring during the period of study. Because fatal complication can develop in the high risk group, prevention, early diagnosis and proper management of influenza should be emphasized.