• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.153-157
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• 2014

Purpose: SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease, characterized by various autoantibody. The detection of Anti double-stranded DNA (Anti-ds DNA) is important in the diagnostics of SLE, and include the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) diagnostic criteria for SLE. Also SLE disease activity and correlativity with the level Anti-ds DNA antibody have been reported and Anti-ds DNA antibody quantitative test is very useful for tracing before and after SLE treatment. When These Anti-ds DNA antibody test (Farr assay: $^{125}I$ labeled ds-DNA and bound Anti-ds DNA antibodies complex in serum is precipitated by ammonium sulfate and used to centrifugation, measured it) inhaled supernatant after centrifugation, a lipemic specimen does not facilitate the formation of precipitate and also occurs situation was inhaled with precipitate. To solve these problems, The Influence of the degree of lipemic specimen was evaluated. Materials and Methods: September 2012 to February 2013, We selected lipemic samples (n=81) of specimen commissioned by Anti-ds DNA antibody test. Lipemic samples were done pre-treatment (high-speed centrifugation: 14,000 rpm 5 mins) used a micro-centrifuge (Eppendorf Model 5415D). At the same time lipemic specimen and pre-treatment samples were performed Anti-ds DNA antibody test (Anti-ds DNA kit, Trinity Biotech, Ireland). Statistical analysis were analyzed Pearson's correlation coefficients and regression and paired t-test, and Difference (%). Results: Experimental group 1 (Lipemic Specimen Anti-ds DNA Ab concentration ${\leq}7IU/mL$) at y=0.368X+4.732, $R^2=0.023$, Pearson's correlation coefficient was 0.154, paired t-test (P=0.003), Difference (%) mean 65.7 and showed a statistically significant difference. Experimental group 2 (Lipemic Specimen Anti-ds DNA Ab concentration ${\geq}8IU/mL$) at y=0.983X+0.298, $R^2=0.994$, Pearson's correlation coefficient showed 0.997, paired t-test (P=0.181), Difference (%) mean -5.53 made no statistically significant difference. Conclusion: Lipemic sample of low Anti-ds DNA Ab concentration (2.5-7 IU/mL) and the result is obtained pre-treatment (high-speed centrifugation: 14,000 rpm 5 mins) were made a significant difference statistically. Anti-ds DNA is one of the primary auto-antibodies present in patients with SLE, and remain an important diagnostic test for SLE. Therefore, we recommend preprocessing (high-speed centrifugation: 14,000 rpm 5 mins) in order to exclude the influence of lipemic specimen.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.522-529
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• 2000

Backgrounds : Assessment of the presence and degree of reversibility of airflow obstruction is clinically important in patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The measurement of peak expiratory flow(PEF) is a simple, fast, and cheap method to assess the severity of obstruction and its degree of reversibility. Assessing the reversibility of airflow obstruction by peak expiratory flow(PEF) measurements is practicable in general practice, but its usefulness has not been well investigated. We compared PEF and $FEV_1$ in assessing reversibility of airflow obstruction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma and developed a practical criterion for assessing the presence of reversibility in general practice. Methods : PEF measurements were performed (Spirometry) in 80 patients(aged 24-78) with a history of asthma or chronic obstructive lung disease before and after the inhalation of 200 g salbutamol. The change in PEF was compared with the change in forced expiratory volume in one second($FEV_1$). Reversible airflow obstruction was analyzed according to American Thoracic Society(ATS) criteria. Results : A 12% increase above the prebronchodilator value and a 200ml increase in either FVC or $FEV_1$ reversibility were observed in 45%(36) of the patients. Relative operating characteristic(ROC) analysis showed that an absolute improvement in PEF of 30 l/min gave optimal discrimination between patients with reversible and irreversible airflow obstruction(the sensitivity and specificity of an increase of 30 l/min in detecting a 12% increase above the prebronchodilator value and a 200ml increase in either FVC or $FEV_1$ were 72.2% and 72.7% respectively, with a positive predictive value of 68.4%). Conclusions : Absolute changes in PEF can be used to diagnose reversible airflow obstruction.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.64 no.3
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• pp.210-214
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• 2008

Chemical pneumonitis is an occupational lung disease that's caused by the inhalation of chemical substances. Its severity depends on the characteristics of the substances, the exposure time and the susceptibility of the patients. Hydrogen sulfide is not only emitted naturally, but it also frequently found in industrial settings where it is either used as a reactant or it is a by-product of manufacturing or industrial processes. Inhalation of hydrogen sulfide causes various respiratory reactions from cough to acute respiratory failure, depending on the severity. Two pharmaceutical factory workers were admitted after being rescued from a waste water disposal site that contained hydrogen sulfide. In spite that they recovered their consciousness, they had excessive cough and mild dyspnea. The simple chest radiographs and high resolution computed tomography showed diffuse interstitial infiltrates, and hypoxemia was present. They were diagnosed as suffering from chemical pneumonitis caused by hydrogen sulfide. After conservative management that included oxygen therapy, their symptoms, hypoxemia and radiographic abnormalities were improved.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.76-83
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• 2001

Background : Coal workers' pneumoconiosis is a fibrotic lung disease resulting from chronic inhalation of coal dust. The precise mechanism of lung fibrosis in coal workers' pneumoconiosis is uncertain. However, a relationship between the stimulation of fibroblast proliferation and collagen production by mediators released from in flammatory and resident lung cells is thought to be a major factor. The transforming growth factor-$\beta$(TGF-$\beta$), a multifunctional cytokine and growth factor, plays a key role in the scarring and fibrotic processes due to its ability to induce extracellular matrix proteins and modulate the growth and immune function of many cell types. To determine the involvement of TGF-$\beta$ in the development of lung fibrosis in coal workers' pneumoconiosis, the TGF-${\beta}_1$ level in plasma was measured in patients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis. Methods : Plasma was collected from 40 patients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis (20 with simple coal workers' pneumoconiosis and 20 with complicated coal workers' pneumoconiosis) and from 10 normal controls. The ELISA method was used to measure the plasma TGF-${\beta}_1$ concentration. Results : Compared to the control group ($0.63{\pm}01.8$ ng/mL), there was no significant difference in the plasma TGF-${\beta}_1$ level in patients with simple coal workers' pneumoconiosis ($0.64{\pm}0.17$ ng/mL) (p>0.05). However, in patients with complicated coal workers' pneumoconiosis the plasma TGF-${\beta}_1$ level ($0.79{\pm}0.18$ ng/mL) was significantly higher than in patients with simple coal workers' pneumoconiosis and the control group (p<0.05). Conclusion : The data suggests that TGF-${\beta}_1$ has some influence in the development of lung fibrosis in coal workers' pneumoconiosis.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.152-168
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• 2019

The element arsenic, which is abundant in the Earth's crust, is used for various industrial purposes including materials for disease treatment and household goods. Various human activities, such as the disposal of soil waste, metal mining and smelting, and combustion of fossil fuels, have caused the pollution of the environment with arsenic. Recently, guidelines for arsenic in rice have been adopted by the Korean ministry of food and drug safety to prevent health risks based on rice consumption. Because of the exposure to arsenic and its accumulation in the human body through various channels, such as air inhalation, skin contact, ingestion of drinking water, and food consumption, integrated multimedia risk assessment is required to adopt appropriate risk management policies. Therefore, integrated human health risk assessment was carried out in this study using integrated exposure assessment based on multimedia (e.g., air, water, and soil) and multi-route (e.g., oral, inhalation, and dermal) scenarios. The results show that oral uptake via drinking water is the most common pathway of arsenic into the human body, accounting for 57%-96% of the total arsenic exposure. Among various age groups, the highest exposures to arsenic were observed in infants because the body weight of infants is low and the surface areas of infant bodies are large. Based on the results of the exposure assessment, the cancer and non-cancer risks were calculated. The cancer risk for CTE and RME is in the range of 2.3E-05 to 6.7E-05 and thus is negligible because it does not exceed the cancer probability of 1.0E-04 for all age groups. On the other hand, the cancer risk for RME varies from 6.4E-05 to 1.8E-04 and from 1.3E-04 to 1.8E-04 for infants and preschool children, exceeding the excess cancer risk of 1.0E-04. The non-cancer risks range from 5.4E-02 to 1.9E-01 and from 1.5E-01 to 6.8E-01, respectively. They do not exceed the hazard index 1 for all scenarios and all ages.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.87-93
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• 2018

Background and Objectives : Laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD) is relatively common disease. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) has both mucolytic and antioxidant effect, also may be beneficial in inflammatory airway diseases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of inhaled NAC therapy in LPRD. Materials and Method : We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 525 LPRD patients at 12 medical centers. Finally 401 patients subjected to inhaled NAC therapy for 2 months were enrolled in the study. We analyzed the change of Reflux Symptom Index (RSI) and Reflux Finding Score (RFS) after use of NAC for 4 weeks and 8 weeks in addition to the patient's compliance of the treatment. Results : The RSI score significantly decreased from $19.87{\pm}6.34$ to $12.78{\pm}6.93$ after 4 weeks and to $10.65{\pm}7.47$ after 8 weeks. The RFS score also significantly decreased from $9.29{\pm}3.4$ to $7.17{\pm}3.41$ after 4 weeks and to $6.1{\pm}3.73$ after 8 weeks (p<0.05). During the treatment periods, 42 patients (10.4%) reported to have 80 episodes of discomfort. Throat discomfort (33%) and nausea (28%) were most common complaints, but the duration of discomfort was usually less than 4 weeks. Conclusion : Inhaled NAC treatment is highly effective for the reduction of both subjective and objective findings in LPRD patients. This study will provide the evidence of new treatment option for patients with LPRD. However, further studies will be needs to assess the real effect of inhaled NAC therapy as a standard treatment regimen of LPRD.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.1265-1276
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• 1998

Background : Nitric oxide(NO) is an endogenously produced free radical that plays an important role in regulating vascular tone, inhibition of platelet aggregation and white blood cell adhesion to endothelial cells, and host defense against infection. The highly reactive nature of NO with oxygen radicals suggests that it may either promote or reduce oxidant-induced cell injury in several biological pathways. Oxidant injury and interactions between pulmonary vascular endothelium and leukocytes are important in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury, including acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS). In ARDS, therapeutic administration of NO is a clinical condition providing exogenous NO in oxidant-induced endothelial injury. The role of exogenous NO from NO donor or the suppression of endogenous NO production was evaluated in oxidant-induced endothelial injury. Method : The oxidant injury in cultured rat lung microvascular endothelial cells(RLMVC) was induced by hydrogen peroxide generated from glucose oxidase(GO). Cell injury was evaluated by $^{51}$chromium($^{51}Cr$) release technique. NO donor, such as S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine(SNAP) or sodium nitroprusside(SNP), was added to the endothelial cells as a source of exogenous NO. Endogenous production of NO was suppressed with N-monomethyl-L-arginine(L-NMMA) which is an NO synthase inhibitor. L-NMMA was also used in increased endogenous NO production induced by combined stimulation with interferon-$\gamma$(INF-$\gamma$), tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$(TNF-$\alpha$), and lipopolysaccharide(LPS). NO generation from NO donor or from the endothelial cells was evaluated by measuring nitrite concentration. Result : $^{51}Cr$ release was $8.7{\pm}0.5%$ in GO 5 mU/ml, $14.4{\pm}2.9%$ in GO 10 mU/ml, $32.3{\pm}2.9%$ in GO 15 mU/ml, $55.5{\pm}0.3%$ in GO 20 mU/ml and $67.8{\pm}0.9%$ in GO 30 mU/ml ; it was significantly increased in GO 15 mU/ml or higher concentrations when compared with $9.6{\pm}0.7%$ in control(p < 0.05; n=6). L-NMMA(0.5 mM) did not affect the $^{51}Cr$ release by GO. Nitrite concentration was increased to $3.9{\pm}0.3\;{\mu}M$ in culture media of RLMVC treated with INF-$\gamma$ (500 U/ml), TNF-$\alpha$(150 U/ml) and LPS($1\;{\mu}g/ml$) for 24 hours ; it was significantly suppressed by the addition of L-NMMA. The presence of L-NMMA did not affect $^{51}Cr$ release induced by GO in RLMVC pretreated with INF-$\gamma$, TNF-$\alpha$ and LPS. The increase of $^{51}Cr$ release with GO(20 mU/ml) was prevented completely by adding 100 ${\mu}M$ SNAP. But the add of SNP, potassium ferrocyanate or potassium ferricyanate did not protect the oxidant injury. Nitrite accumulation was $23{\pm}1.0\;{\mu}M$ from 100 ${\mu}M$ SNAP at 4 hours in phenol red free Hanks' balanced salt solution. But nitrite was not detectable from SNP upto 1 mM The presence of SNAP did not affect the time dependent generation of hydrogen peroxide by GO in phenol red free Hanks' balanced salt solution. Conclusion : Hydrogen peroxide generated by GO causes oxidant injury in RLMVC. Exogenous NO from NO donor prevents oxidant injury, and the protective effect may be related to the ability to release NO. These results suggest that the exogenous NO may be protective on oxidant injury to the endothelium.