• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.33-43
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• 2020

Objective: This study used a mixed methods analytical approach to analyze the level of depression in and quality of life of patients who had been exposure to Agent Orange. Methods: Data on the general characteristics, depression level, and the quality of life of 29 patients who were hospitalized because of exposure to Agent Orange were collected. Focus group interviews were conducted with 17 of these 29 patients. Regarding mixed methods, the sequential integrated design model proposed by Teddlie and Tashakkori (2003) was employed. The analytical methods were as follows: (1) general characteristics were examined using frequencies and proportional distributions; (2) depression scores and quality of life scores were assessed using descriptive statistical analysis; and (3) content analysis was used to examine the focus group interview data. Results: The average K-GDS depression score was 19.24 points, and the average WHOQOL-BREF quality of life score was 57.66 points. The focus group interview data yielded 3 topics were named "deployment route", "the manner of exposure to Agent Orange", and "life after Agent Orange exposure". Conclusion: There is an urgent need to increase public awareness, develop a public policy response, and conduct additional research on ground occupational therapy programs that include physical therapy.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.26-33
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• 2020

Purpose: Agent Orange (AO) is a herbicide and defoliant used by the United States and its military allies during the Vietnam War. Pneumonia is a common cause of death among Vietnam veterans in our hospital. There have been no previous studies researching any association between AO exposure and the prognosis for pneumonia. The primary objective of this study was to investigate associations between AO exposure and 30-day mortality due to pneumonia. The secondary objective was to examine the clinical factors associated with therapeutic outcomes in veterans with pneumonia, and to assess the prevalence of combined diseases in AO-exposed veterans. Methods: This study retrospectively included veteran patients diagnosed with pneumonia in the emergency department and hospitalized between February 2014 and March 2018. The enrolled patients were grouped according to their defoliant exposure history, and the clinical information of defoliant-exposed and non-defoliant-exposed groups were compared. Patients were divided according to 30-day mortality, and significant factors influencing mortality were evaluated by using univariate analysis and multivariate analysis. The final multivariate model revealed the effect of AO exposure on therapeutic outcomes of pneumonia. Results: A total of 1006 patients were analyzed. Of these, 276 patients had a history of AO exposure, whereas 730 patients had not been exposed. Factors positively associated with 30-day mortality were malignancy, respiratory rate, blood urea nitrogen, and albumin which was negatively associated with mortality. Conclusion: Exposure to defoliant is not associated with 30-day mortality in patients with pneumonia. However, veterans with defoliant exposure are associated with a high prevalence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cerebrovascular accident, malignancy, and chronic kidney disease.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.228-236
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• 2001

Objectives : To propose a feasible, valid and appropriate study designs and epidemiologic methods for evaluating the adverse health effects of Agent Orange-chemical defoliants used in Vietnam- in Korea. Methods : A literature study was peformed on Agent Orange, herbicides, pesticides and dioxins. The study subjects, study design, exposure assessment and health outcomes assessment were examined in each study. The potential data sources for the study subjects, study design, exposure assessment and health outcomes assessment in Korea were investigated. Results and Conclusion : In earlier Korean studies, research subjects for studying the effects of Agent Orange were identified from the patients or persons who claimed to have Agent Orange-related diseases due to the difficulties in identifying the entire population of Vietnam veterans in Korea. In this study, an attempt was made to identify the total number of Vietnam veterans in Korea. As a result, the addresses of 20,000 Vietnam veterans were obtained. It is proposed that a retrospective cohort design on a sample of the total number of Vietnam veterans is a feasible and appropriate study design. Self report questionnaires and military records were proposed to assess the exposure level. It is believed that measuring the plasma or tissue TCDD should be used only for a validation study assessing the level of exposure. For the health outcomes assessment, it is possible to obtain the mortality, cancer frequency, physical examination, screening and medical insurance record data.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.10 no.9
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• pp.2492-2500
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• 2009

This study was carried to examine overall psychopathological patterns of the Vietnam Civil War Veterans(Agent Orange patients)and Korean Civil War veterans(wounded soldier) using Rorschach tests. Test protocols of were compared with those of twenty Vietnam Civil War Veterans group and twenty-one Korean Civil War veterans. Rorschach protocols were administrated, scored, analysed according to the Exner's comprehensive system. Specifically, each Rorschach variable was divided into 3 clusters(e.g., core section, response determinants, and several special indices. The results of t-tests between the Vietnam Civil War Veterans group and the Korean Civil War veterans showed that Vietnam Civil War Veterans group were characterized as 1)cognitive rigidity, 2) ineffective problem solving, 3)emotional represion, 4)hypervigilance, 5)anxiety and 6) depressive tendency. These patterns suggest that still Vietnam Civil War Veterans experience the past trauma and lasting psychological seguela. Other implications and limitations of this study were discussed.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.312-321
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• 2013

Objective: In May 2011, an interview with three United States Forces Korea veterans revealed that chemicals believed to be 'Agent Orange' were buried at Camp Carroll (situated in Waegwan, Chilgok-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea) in 1978. Many hazardous chemicals, such as perchloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), and organochlorines were subsequently found in a joint US-ROK environmental investigation, although dioxins or burial evidence related to 'Agent Orange' have been not uncovered. This study was carried out to investigate the relevance of hazardous chemical exposure and health effects of the residents around Camp Carroll. Methods: The authors conducted a health questionnaire survey among residents around Camp Carroll regarding Waegwan groundwater ingestion, length of residence in Waegwan, and physician-diagnosed disease history (such as cancer, hypertension, diabetes and etc.). Logistic regression was performed to identify the associations between hazardous chemical exposure and physician-diagnosed diseases. Results: Among the 5,320 residents, excluding those living outside the Waegwan area, 3,430 subjects age 30 and over were analyzed. Among females, upon correction of age, smoking history and Camp Carroll working history, a higher distribution in the Waegwan groundwater ingestion group was demonstrated for patients with physician-diagnosed cancer and hypertension. The odds ratios have a tendency to increase with increased length of Waegwan groundwater ingestion. Conclusions: This study may be limited by not adopting a cohort study for the evaluation of factors that may confound environmental exposure. Yet it is meaningful that the correlation between Waegwan groundwater ingestion and chronic diseases were found through regression analysis in female; and further, this outcome may be used as a sampling basis for a secondary epidemiologic study.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.17
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• pp.7473-7478
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• 2014

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a fatal cancer with poor prognosis and less than 10% of CCA patients can be offered surgical cure. Conventional chemotherapy results in unfavorable outcomes. At present, plant-derived compounds are gaining interest as potential cancer therapeutics, particularly for treatment-refractory cancers. In this study, antitumor activity of tiliacorinine, the major alkaloid isolated from a tropical plant, on CCA was first demonstrated. Antiproliferative effects of tiliacorinine on human CCA cell lines were investigated using SRB assays. Acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining, flow cytometric analysis and DNA laddering assays were used for apoptotic determination. Apoptosis-related proteins were verified by Western blotting and antitumor activity of tiliacorinine in vivo was demonstrated in CCA xenografted mice. Tiliacorinine significantly inhibited proliferation of human CCA cell lines with $IC_{50}$ $4.5-7{\mu}M$ by inducing apoptosis through caspase activation, upregulation of BAX, and downregulation of $Bcl_{xL}$ and XIAP. Tiliacorinine considerably reduced tumor growth in CCA xenografted mice. These results demonstrated antitumor effects of tiliacorinine on human CCA in vitro and in vivo. Tiliacorinine may be an effective agent for CCA treatment.