• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 1995

Background: The natural history of bacillary tuberculosis was studied in India and results showed that at the end of the 5-year period, 49% of the patients were dead, 33% were cured and 18% remained sputum-positive. The aim of this survey is to observe the natural course of the patients with intractable tuberculosis disease who were incurable with all drug regimens of the national tuberculosis programme(NTP). Method: Of the patients who have been found as intractable cases in Kang-Weon Province by the supervisory medical officer during the period from January 1,1987 to December 31,1992, 179 were eligible for this study. Sputum examination was done for those who were survived until October in 1993 at the Kang-Weon provincial laboratory of KNTA. 49 out of 179 patients were transferred to the private sectors and retreated with the combination of prothionamide, cycloserine, ofloxacin, enviomycin, etc. They seemed to have been bacteriologically cured, and so they were excluded from the study. Finally 130 patients were analyzed by modified life table method to calculate the fatality rate and the survival rate during the period of 7 years. Results: 1) 80.8% of intractable cases were male and 19.2%, female. 2) More than 94% of intractable cases showed moderately or far advanced Tb findings on their X-rays at the time of registration at health centres. 3) The cumulative case-fatality rate was 19.74% at the end of 1-year period and has risen to 34.55% by the end of 4-year period(increasing by 4.9% a year on an average). The case-fatality rate has shown no appreciable rise since then until the end of 7-year period. 4) The case-survival rate was 80.26% at the end of 1-year period and has decreased to 65.45% by the end of 4-year period. And then there was no appreciable change in the survival rate until the end of 7-year observation. Conclusion: The case-survival rate of intractable cases was higher than that of untreated pulmonary tuberculosis patients and they may have risk of spreading multidrug resistant organisms. It is time we made an effort to improve case-management qualitatively.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.19-24
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• 1995

Background: Although pulmonary tuberculosis is effectively controlled with 6 months or 9 months short course standard regimens, comparable numbers of treatment failures ensued because of inadequate treatment mainly due to patient's poor compliance. Indequate treatment with standard regimens during initial treatment may cause emergence of drug resistance and prolong the duration of chemotherapy. Also it may make the patient lesser compliant and finally increase the morbidity and the mortality. Methods: A clinical study was done to evaluate clinical and bacteriological characteristics of 94 patients who were retreated for pulmonary tuberculosis. Results: 1) 62 of the 94 patients were male and 32 patients were female. Mean age is 51 years old in male and 45 years old in female. 2) The extent of the disease on the chest radiograph was minimal in 10(11.1%) patients, moderate in 31(33.3%) patients, and far advanced in 52(55.6%) patients. 3) On sputum bacteriologic examination, 73(77.7%) patients were positive in sputum AFB smear and/or culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. 4) Results of drug sensitivity test performed in 42 patients showed that the resistance to one drug is in 9(20.5%) patients, two drugs in 18(40.8%) patients, and more than three drugs in 14(31.8%) patients. 5) Poor patient's compliance was the leading cause of the retreatment of pulmonary tuberculosis(43.6%) 6) Only 24(25.5%) patients of the 94 retreatment patients were successfully treated and 39(41.6%) patients were dropped out during follow-up. Conclusion: We concluded that poor patient's compliance was the most important cause of treatment failure not only in primary treatment patients but also in retreatment patients. Primary treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis should be completed under strict monitoring of the patient because significant number of retreatment patients had multiple drug resistance and poor outcome.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.283-291
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• 1993

Background: Long-term low flow oxygen therapy not only increases survival, but also improves the quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with chronic hypoxemia. For the assessment and improvement of the status of home oxygen therapy, we analyzed clinical experience of 26 patients who have been administered low flow oxygen at home. Method: Twenty-six patients (18 men and 8 women) who have been received long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) at home were examined. We reviewed physical characteristics, clinical history, pulmonary function test, ECG, arterial blood gas analysis, hemoglobin and hematocrit, types of oxygen devices, inhalation time per day, concentration of administered $O_2$, duration of $O_2$ therapy, and problems in the home oxygen therapy. Results: The underlying diseases of patients were COPD 14 cases, far advanced old pulmonary tuberculosis 9 cases, bronchiectasis 2 cases, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis 1 case. The reasons for LTOT at home were noted for cor pulmonale 21 cases, for dyspnea on exertion and severe ventilatory impairment 4 cases, and for oxygen desaturation during sleep 1 case. The mean values of aterial blood gas analysis before home oxygen therapy were $PaO_2$ 57.7 mmHg, $PaCO_2$ 48.2 mmHg, and $SaO_2$ 87.7%. And the mean values of each parameters in the pulmonary function test were VC 2.05 L, $FEV_1$ 0.92 L, and $FEV_1$/FVC% 51.9%. Nineteen patients have used oxygen tanks as oxygen devices, 1 patient oxygen concentrator, 2 patients oxygen tank and liquid oxygen, and other 4 patients oxygen tank together with portable oxygen. The duration of oxygen therapy was below 1 year in 3 cases, 1~2 years in 15 cases, 3~5 years in 6 cases, 9 years in 1 case, and 10 years in 1 case. All patients have inhalated oxygen with flow rate less than 2.5 L/min. And only 10 patients have inhalated oxygen more than 15 hours per day, but most of them short time per day. Conclusion: For the effective oxygen administration, it is necessary that education for long-term low flow oxygen therapy to patients, their family and neighbor should be done, and also the institutional backup for getting convenient oxygen devices is required.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.748-756
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• 2000

Background : Bronchogenic carcinoma is generally considered as a disease that predominantly affects middleaged and elderly men. A small percentage of patients with lung cancer are diagnosed in the third or fourth decade of life or earlier. The current study was performed to review the clinical characteristics of bronchogenic carcinoma in patients younger than 40 years of age at Chungnam National University Hospital. Method : To determine the clinicopathologic characteristics including survival rates of lung cancer patients younger than 40 years of age and to compare them with those of patients 이der than 40 years of age at diagnosis, data of 905 patients diagnosed as lung cancer from January. 1990 to Marm 1997 were analyzed. Result : Twenty-three of 905 patients(2.5%) belonged to the young age group (less than 40 years). Male to female ratios of young age group and control group were 2.8 : 1 and 5.3 : 1, respectively. The mean duration of symptoms from onset to the definite diagnosis was 3.2 months in the young age group. The most common initial symptoms in the young age group were cough(52.2%) and dyspnea(43.5%). Adenocarcinoma (43.5%) was more frequent in the young age group than in the control group(20.1%). Stage III and IV(70%) tumors were more frequent in the young age group than in the control group(52.3%). Distant metastasis rate of the young age group(56.5%) was higher than that of the control group(22.3%). Conclusion : The predominance of adenocarcinoma, the lower male-female ratio, and the high incidence of advanced stage tumor at diagnosis are the characteristics of lung cancer in patients younger than 40 years of age.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.208-218
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• 1999

Background: Lung cancer-associated hypercalcemia is one of the most disabling and life-threatening paraneoplastic disorders. Humoral hypercalcemia is responsible for most lung cancer-associated hypercalcemia. Patients with hypercalcemia are usually in the advanced stage with obvious bulky tumor and carry a poor prognosis. Materials and Methods: Total 29 patients satisfied the following criteria: histologically proven primary lung cancer, corrected calcium level ${\geq}$ 10.5 mg/dL, and symptoms which could possibly be attributed to hypercalcemia. In this retrospective study, we evaluated the various clinical aspects of hypercalcemia, in relation to cancer stage, histologic cell type, mass size, bone metastasis, performance status, and other possible characteristics. Results: Total 29 lung cancer patients with hypercalcemia were studied, and most of them had squamous cell carcinoma in their histologic finding. The incidence of hypercalcemia was significantly higher between 50 and 69 years of age, and in the advancement of cancer stage. Although serum calcium level showed positive correlation with mass size, performance status, and bone metastasis, it was not significant statistically. Altered consciousness was significantly more frequent in the patients with higher serum calcium level. There were no differences in effectiveness among therapeutic regimens. Hypercalcemia was more frequently in the later stage of disease than during the initial diagnosis of lung cancer. Most of the patients died within 1 month after development of hypercalcemia. Conclusion: We concluded that hypercalcemia in lung cancer is related to extremely poor prognosis, and may be one of the causes of death and should be treated aggressively to prevent sudden deterioration or death.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.215-221
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• 2010

Purpose : Interleukin-17 (IL-17) is produced by activated CD4+T cells and exhibits pleiotropic biological activity on various cell types. IL-17 was reported to be involved in the immunoregulatory response in IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Our aim was to investigate the association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in IL-17 receptor A (IL-17RA) gene and childhood IgAN. Methods : We analyzed the SNPs in the IL-17RA in 156 children with biopsy-proven IgAN and 245 healthy controls. We divided the IgAN patients into 2 groups and compared them with respect to proteinuria (${\leq}4$ and >$4mg/m^2/h$, ${\leq}40$ and >$40mg/m^2/h$, respectively) and the presence of pathological levels of biomarkers of diseases such as interstitial fibrosis, tubular atrophy, or global sclerosis. Results : No difference was observed between the SNP genotypes rs2895332, rs1468488, and rs4819553 between IgAN patients and control subjects. In addition, no significant difference was observed between allele frequency of SNPs rs2895 332, rs1468488, and rs4819553 between patients in the early and advanced stage of the disease. However, significant difference was observed between the genotype of SNP rs2895332 between patients with proteinuria (>$4mg/m^2/h$) and those without proteinuria (codominant model OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.19-.66, P <0.001; dominant model OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.17-.69 P =0.002; recessive model OR 0.12, 95% CI 0.01-.06 P =0.025). Conclusion : Our results indicate that the SNP in IL-17RA (rs2895332) may be related to the development of proteinuria in IgAN patients.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.57-66
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• 1993

The potential of fumagillin dicyclohexylamine salt to treat and prevent intestinal giant-cystic disease in Israel carp, Cyprinus carpio nudus, was monitored in field experimental studies. In experiment 1 (therapeutic), most fish were already naturally infected with more advanced stage of Relohqnellu: kitnuet. Fumagillin was administered to ash (mean body weiht of 830 g for a Penod of one month at a dose of 10.62 mg in the first group and 5.3 mg in the second group per fi sh per day. In experiment 2 (fprophylactlcl), most flesh also were already naturally infected with an early developmental stage of the protozoa and fish (average body weight of 484 g) were administered fumagillln for 45 days at a dose of 3.95 mg per fish per day. In both experiments, the cumulative mortalities of fish and the extrusion rates of the polar filaments of the spores were significantly decreased in a dose-independent fashion. In experiment 2 no dead fish were observed. No adverse side effects of the drug were observed among fish from any dosage group. In experiment 2, an oval or dot-like concave lesion of most cysts developed at the 7th day and the vegetative form was never observed at the 17th day postmedication and the cysts were grossly reduced in size as compared with the control group, beginning at the 24th day until the end of the study. In contrast, it was scarcely effective to the cysts in experiment 1. Taking the seasonal development of the protozoa into consideration, the above results revealed that oral administration of fumagillin at 3.95 mg/500 g body weight/day for a month Is the optimal dose for the treatment and prevention of thelohanellosls caused by T kitnuei among C. carpio nudus.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.93-104
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• 2010

This study was conducted screening of the population densities of fungal pathogens and insect and observed the disease symptoms on the organic sweet corn seed producing field from 2008 to 2009. The dissemination spores, Alternaria sp., Cladosporium sp., Helminthosporium sp., Pyricularia sp., Collectotrichum sp., and Bipolaris sp., were detected and the three fungal spores from the front were observed for whole growth stage. Seed and seedling diseases were shown as the rotted seed and damping-off seedling caused by Penicillium sp. and Rhizoctonia sp.. The larva of Black cutworm cut down the root crown of seedlings. The damaged plants were ranged from 14% to 16%. On the Oriental corn borer, the population densities and the percentage of damaged plants were showed a low difference between two sweet corn varieties. The population densities of Oriental corn borer were scored as from 3.5 to 20.5 in 2008 and from 0.5 to 6 in 2009. Also the percentage of damaged plants were significantly increased until harvesting stage and was recorded from 7.5% to 21% in 2008 and from 1% to 46% in 2009. On the Corn leaf blight, the percentage of diseased plant were scored from 7% to 34% in 2008. The first occurrence of date was after June 18, and the percentage of diseased plant was continuously increased after August 21 and the values of diseased plants was ranged from 56% to 69% in 2009. On common smut, the percentage of diseased plant was recorded from 5% to 15% in 2008, and the first occurrence date were delayed as 17 days (July 17) and were showed less than 8% of diseased plants in 2009. Corn Southern Leaf spot was scored as average 11% at early stage and showed high score as 62% at September 19 in 2008. In 2009, the first occurrence date were advanced about 20 days (after June 8), and continuously increased up to 86% in 2009.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.145-151
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• 2016

Chemical fungicides have reduced Fusarium head blight (FHB) severity. However, by the effects of fungicide residues, they can only be used up to 30 days before time of harvest. Therefore, the development of new biofungicides that are applicable until harvest is required. In order to select plant extracts having antifungal activity against Fusarium graminearum for the control of FHB, we investigated the inhibitory effects of 225 medicinal plant extracts on spore germination of F. graminearum. Of these plant extracts, the methanol extract of Cirsium japonicum (CJ) roots showed the strongest antifungal activity. Through solvent partitioning, repeated column chromatography, and spore germination bioassay, two chemicals were purified and then their chemical structures were identified as ciryneol C (CC) and 1-heptadecene-11,13-diyne-8,9,10-triol (HD-ol) which are polyacetylene substances. Two active compounds effectively inhibited the germination of F. graminearum macroconidia; HD-ol ($IC_{50}$ of $3.17{\mu}g/ml$) showed stronger spore germination inhibitory activity than that of CC ($IC_{50}$ of $28.14{\mu}g/ml$). In addition, the wettable powder type formulation of ethyl acetate extract of CJ roots suppressed the development of FHB in dose-dependent manner, with control values of 78.92% and 31.56% at 250- and 500-fold dilutions, respectively. Combining these findings suggest that the crude extract of CJ roots containing polyacetylene compounds could be used as botanical fungicide for the control of FHB.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.429-435
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the prognostic value of preoperative FDG-PET in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with hepatic metastasis (HM). Materials and Methods: 24 CRC patients (M:F=14:10; age, $63{\pm}10$ yrs) with HM who had undergone preoperative FDG PET were included. Cure-intent surgery was performed in all the patients and HMs were controlled using resection (n=13), radio-frequency ablation (RFA) (n=7), and resection plus RFA (n=4). Potential prognostic markers tested were maxSUV of primary tumor, maxSUV of HM, maxSUV ratio of HM over primary tumor (M/P ratio), histologic grade, CEA level, venous/lymphatic/nerve invasion, T stage, N stage, no. of HM, no. of lymph node metastasis, and treatment modality of HM. Results: 14 CRC patients developed a recurrence with a median follow-up duration of 244 days, whereas 10 patients did not develop recurrence with a median follow-up duration of 504 days. M/P ratios but other potential prognostic markers were significantly higher in the recurrent patients ($0.72{\pm}0.14$) than recurrence-free patients ($0.54{\pm}0.23$) (p=0.038). M/P ratio only was found to predict recurrence by Cox multivariate analysis (hazard ratio 37.7, 95% confidence interval 2.01-706.1, p=0.016). The 11 patients with lower M/P ratio of <0.61 had significantly better disease-free survival rate than the 13 patients with higher M/P ratio (${\geq}0.61$) (p=0.026). Conclusion: maxSUV ratio of HM over primary tumor (M/P ratio) may be useful for prognosis prediction of CRC patients with HM. Higher FDG uptake of HM than that of primary tumor may indicate a more advanced status in stage IV CRC.