• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.341-348
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• 2021

Serum amylase is a representative enzyme secreted by the salivary gland and pancreas. This study investigates the clinical significance of serum amylase levels in Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Totally, 70 female subjects were enrolled, who were diagnosed as SS and had no accompanying afflictions that affected the serum amylase levels. Unstimulated salivary flow rate (U-SFR) and stimulated SFR (S-SFR), salivary gland scan, and disease activity markers (ESSDAI and ESSPRI), as well as blood tests including ESR, CRP, and amylase, were evaluated. Serum amylase showed significant positive correlation with the U-SFR and S-SFR, and was increased with higher ejection fraction (EF) of the parotid gland. However, there was no significant correlation with disease activity and inflammatory markers. Based on their average amylase levels, subjects were divided into two groups. The group with higher serum amylase levels showed a statistically significant increase in the S-SFR and EF of the parotid gland. Considering the results of the salivary gland scan, we conclude that serum amylase is significantly correlated with SFR and the EF of the parotid gland, thereby indicating that the salivary gland function remains intact in SS.

• The Journal of the Korean life insurance medical association
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• v.21
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• pp.11-18
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• 2002

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.41-50
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• 2001

Purpose : To investigate biochemical markers for osteosarcoma, activities of deoxyribocuclease(DNase), ribonuclease(RNase), 5'-nucleotidase, alkaline phosphatase and amylase were determined in the osteosarcoma tissue and serum of patients with osteosarcoma. Also studied were DNase, RNase in osteosarcoma tissue, isolating the enzymes from the sarcoma tissue and investigating the sarcoma specific enzymes. Materials and Methods : The experimental tissue and serum were obtained from twelve patients with osteosarcoma. The control group were obtained from the normal healthy tissue of the same patients. The tissue were centrifugalized to obtain extracts. The extracts were analized for the estimation of nucleic acid, protein contents and enzyme activities. And then each enzymes were isolated and analized by DEAE-cellulose chromatography and estimated for activities. Result : Activities of acid DNase, RNase, 5'-nucleotidase and alkaline phosphatase were significantly increased in osteosarcoma tissue. Neutral RNase in osteosarcoma tissue was shown to bo highly active, exhibiting secretory form of RNase inhibitor associated with the RNase was also increased. In the serum of patients with osteosarcoma, RNase activity was significantly increased. DEAE-cellulose column chromatographical analysis revealed that acid DNase was isolated as a single enzyme and neutral RNase as five isozymes in osteosarcoma tissue. Conclusion : The results indicated that combination of these enzymes could be used as markers for osteosarcoma. The results indicated that acid DNase and neutral RNase might play a role in genesis of sarcoma and suppression of sarcoma.

• Laboratory Medicine Online
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2016

Background: The cell cycle-dependent enzyme thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) is known to increase during cancer cell proliferation and has been reported as a prognostic marker for various hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. This study aimed to determine the reference interval in Korean healthy controls and to evaluate the usefulness of TK1 as a biomarker for aggressive clinical behavior in B-cell lymphoma patients. Methods: We enrolled 72 previously untreated patients with B-cell lymphoma and 143 healthy controls. Serum TK1 levels were measured by chemiluminescence immunoassay ($Liaison^{(R)}$, DiaSorin, USA). We established the reference intervals in healthy controls. The diagnostic performance of serum TK1 was studied using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and the correlation between the cutoff level for serum TK1 and clinical characteristics of B-cell lymphoma was evaluated. Results: The reference range (95th percentile) of serum TK1 in healthy controls was 5.4-21.8 U/L. There was a clear difference in TK1 levels between patients with B-cell lymphoma and healthy controls ($40.6{\pm}68.5$ vs. $11.8{\pm}4.4U/L$, P <0.001). The area under the curve of serum TK1 for the diagnosis of B-cell lymphoma was 0.73 (cutoff, 15.2 U/L; sensitivity, 59.7%; specificity, 83.2%). An increased TK1 level (${\geq}15.2U/L$) correlated with the advanced clinical stage (P <0.001), bone marrow involvement (P =0.013), international prognostic index score (P =0.001), lactate dehydrogenase level (P =0.001), low Hb level (<12 g/dL) (P =0.028), and lymphocyte count (P =0.023). Conclusions: The serum TK1 level could serve as a useful biomarker for aggressive clinical behavior in B-cell lymphoma patients.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.185-191
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• 2009

Although alcohol drinking may cause fatty liver to induce hepatocytic injury, other factors lead to it. We designed this study to investigate the differences in serum iron, cardiac, and biochemical indices in men with fatty liver and the difference between alcohol drinkers (Alcohol group) and non-drinkers (Non-alcohol group). The alcohol group had higher body indices than the non-alcohol group. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), and right and left intraocular pressure in the alcohol group were higher than those in the non-alcohol group. Hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, and monocyte counts were higher in the alcohol group than in the non-alcohol group. Alanine aminotransferase, ${\gamma}$-glutamyltranspeptidase, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose, creatinine, uric acid, iron, total iron binding capacity, and ferritin levels in the alcohol group were greater than those in the non-alcohol group. The present data reveals that alcohol-induced fatty liver has more elevated level of iron indices than in non-alcohol fatty liver as well as biochemical and cardiac indices, indicating that alcohol- induced fatty liver may cause possibility of adult diseases including cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.256-264
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• 2022

Ischemic stroke is caused by an occlusion by a thrombus or embolus in a cerebral artery, preventing oxygenated blood from reaching the brain and causing the necrosis of nerve cells. This paper summarizes the serum candidate markers associated with cardiovascular disease and atrial fibrillation (AF) disease that enable an early diagnosis of ischemic stroke studied thus far and compares the odds ratio (OR) of each marker. This study examined the effect size of these serum candidate markers using meta-analysis techniques. The academic database search screening for articles containing the keywords "cardiovascular disease," "atrial fibrillation," "ischemic stroke," and "serum marker" was limited to results for patients with ischemic stroke. The most derived markers in this study were N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP), D-dimer, C-reactive protein (CRP), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), the rest being investigated individually. In conclusion, NT-pro-BNP appears to be very useful for the early diagnosis of ischemic stroke. Primarily, it is a marker of AF, and more AF markers will be uncovered and studied in the future.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.322-331
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• 1995

Introduction: This study was performed to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of simultaneous determination of 3 tumor markers {serum carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA), squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC Ag) and neuron specific enolase(NSE)} in lung cancer patients. Method: In 113 patients with primary lung cancer(70 with squamous cell carcinoma, 30 with adenocarcinoma, 13 with small cell carcinoma) and 103 patients with benign lung diseases, serum CEA and NSE were measured by enzyme immunoassay, and SCC Ag was measured by microparticle enzyme immunoassay. Results: 1) The mean serum levels of 3 tumor markers were significantly higher in lung cancer groups than benign lung disease groups respectively(p=0.001). 2) In squamous cell carcinoma, the SCC Ag was elevated in 67%, in adenocarcinoma CEA was elevated in 77% and in small cell carcinoma NSE was elevated in 77%, but there were no significant differences according to the stage of each cancer cell types. 3) CEA was the most sensitive marker, but nonspecific to cancer types. SCC Ag was less sensitive than other markers, but more specific toward squamous cell carcinoma, and NSE was more specific to primary lung cancer. 4) As the number of positive tumor markers was increased, the relative possibility of lung cancer was also increased. If two markers were positive, it increased to 77%, and if three markers were positive it increased to 90%. Conclusion: The simultaneous measurement of serum CEA, SCC Ag and NSE would provide additional information for the diagnosis of lung cancer.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2010

진단적 복강경을 하지 않으면 자궁내막증의 진단이 불가능하다는 점은 의사들이 해결해야 할 과제 중 하나이다. 아직까지는 자궁내막증을 진단할 수 있는 획기적인 표지자가 없기 때문에 CA-125 같은 종양 표지자의 혈중 농도를 측정하였으나 진단 도구로 이용하기에는 한계가 있다. 이러한 이유로 초기 자궁내막증을 진단할 수 있는 방법을 연구하기 위한 여러 시도들이 있었는데 특히 자궁내막증 1, 2기 환자에서 병의 초기 상태에 복강경적 치료를 하였을 경우 자연 임신 성공률이 2배 가까이 높은 것으로 보고되었기 때문에 불임 여성에 있어 자궁내막증의 진단 시기는 임상적으로도 그 중요성이 매우 크다고 할 수 있겠다. CA-125는 자궁내막증 환자의 추적관찰에 있어 특이도가 높은 편이며 효용성이 있는데 특히 수술적 치료 후 장기적으로 병의 활성 혹은 재발을 평가하는데 있어 유용하다. 무작위적인 임상 연구 결과 자궁내막증과 관련된 불임이나 통증은 수술적 치료시 분명한 이득이 있는 것으로 보고된 바84 자궁내막증은 적절한 진단과 치료가 중요한 질환이라는 점을 다시 한번 상기해야 한다. 또한 병의 진행에 따른 여러 면역학적인 변화들이 확인되면서 자궁내막증의 진단에 있어 면역학적 표지자의 중요성이 부각되고 있다. 그 중에서도 복막액이나 혈청 내 사이토카인은 진단 도구로서 그 가능성에 주목을 받고 있으며 이에 대한 대규모 연구가 추후 필요할 것으로 사료된다. 최근의 면역학적 발견과 DNA 기술 발전은 자궁내막증의 진단에 있어 핵심적인 screening 도구의 발견에 일조할 것이며 이러한 기술적 발전을 근간으로 하여 머지 않아 획기적인 표지자가 개발될 것으로 기대한다.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.235-241
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• 2004

Purpose: This study was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the serum tumor markers CEA, CA 19-9, and CA 72-4 in monitoring the recurrence of gastric cancer and in its preoperative assessment. Materials and Methods: Two hundred fifty-five patients who underwent potentially curative surgery during period from January 1995 to December 2000 at the Department of Surgery were assessed. Serum samples were obtained preoperatively, 2 weeks after the surgery, and at 6-month intervals. The cut-off levels were established as 5 ng/ml for CEA, 36 U/ml for CA 19-9, and 4 U/ml for CA 72-4. The tumor stage was described according to the 5th edition of the Union Internationale Contra la Cancer (UICC) TNM classification in 1997. Results: The preoperative positivities were $10.5\%$ for CEA, $9.7\%$ for CA 19-9, and $12.4\%$ for CA 72-4. The serum levels of the three tumor markers decreased after curative surgery. The preoperative serum levels of the three tumor markers were significantly related to the depth of invasion, the tumor size, lymph-node metastasis, the pathologic stage, and recurrence, except that CEA was not associated with tumor size. The marker sensitivities in recurrent cases were $43.3\%$ for CEA, $\%41.8$ for CA 19-9, and $50.0\%$ for CA 72-4, and the marker specificities were $85.1\%$ for CEA, $96.8\%$ for CA 19-9, and $87.8\%$ for CA 72-4. Conclusion: The preoperative serum levels of CEA, CA 19-9, and CA 72-4 are not useful for the initial diagnosis of gastric cancer because of their low positivity. However, we should consider their relationship with depth of invasion, lymph-node metastasis, tumor size, pathologic stage, and recurrence. Also, the follow-up levels of the three markers have a statistical relationship with recurrence of gastric cancer even though their sensitivities are low.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.140-151
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• 2003

Purpose: We tried to evaluate the long term efficacy and positive predictive factors of interferon-alpha treatment in children with chronic hepatitis B. Methods: The study population included 113 children who received interferon therapy between May 1982 and July 2002 (20 years) for chronic hepatitis B in Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University College of Medicine. Male to female ratio was 2.3 : 1 and the mean age at diagnosis was $11.1{\pm}4.1$ years old. Response to treatment was defined as normalization of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), disappearance of HBeAg and HBV-DNA Eighty two children responded while 32 did not. Interferon-alpha was given intramuscularly for 6 months at a dosage of $3{\times}10^6$ unit, 3 times weekly. In relapsed cases, lamivudine or interferon retreatment was done. Results: Seroconversion rate was 77.0% in terms of HBeAg, 74.3% in terms of HBV-DNA, and 80.5% in terms of ALT normalization after treatment. Seroconversion rate of both HBeAg and HBV-DNA was 72.6%. Analyzed by life table method, the effect of the treatment had been maintained over 10 years after cessation of therapy. Pre-treatment ALT level was the only significant positive predictive factor of response. Eleven cases (13.4%) relapsed, and 2 out of 3 showed response when treated with lamivudine and 1 out of 3 with interferon retreatment. Conclusion: Interferon-alpha showed significant efficacy in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B in our study. Further studies about the effect of interferon therapy on complications of hepatitis such as hepatocarcinoma, cirrhosis are warranted.