• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제3권3호
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• pp.209-215
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• 2012

Objectives: Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare providers related to occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens were assessed in a tertiary-care hospital in Middle East. Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken using a self-administered questionnaire based on 3 paired (infectivity known vs. not known-suspected) case studies. Only 17 out of 230 respondents had an exposure in the 12 months prior to the survey and of these, only 2 had complied fully with the hospital's exposure reporting policy. Results: In the paired case studies, the theoretical responses of participating health professionals showed a greater preference for initiating self-directed treatment with antivirals or immunisation rather than complying with the hospital protocol, when the patient was known to be infected. The differences in practice when exposed to a patient with suspected blood pathogens compared to patient known to be infected was statistically significant (p < 0.001) in all 3 paired cases. Failure to test an infected patient's blood meant that an adequate risk assessment and appropriate secondary prevention could not be performed, and reflected the unwillingness to report the occupational exposure. Conclusion: Therefore, the study demonstrated that healthcare providers opted to treat themselves when exposed to patient with infectious disease, rather than comply with the hospital reporting and assessment protocol.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제44권9호
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• pp.688-695
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• 2021

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has become a global health concern. Various SARS-CoV-2 vaccines have been developed and are being used for vaccination worldwide. However, no therapeutic agents against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been developed so far; therefore, new therapeutic agents are urgently needed. In the present study, we evaluated several hepatitis C virus direct-acting antivirals as potential candidates for drug repurposing against COVID-19. Theses include asunaprevir (a protease inhibitor), daclatasvir (an NS5A inhibitor), and sofosbuvir (an RNA polymerase inhibitor). We found that asunaprevir, but not sofosbuvir and daclatasvir, markedly inhibited SARS-CoV-2-induced cytopathic effects in Vero E6 cells. Both RNA and protein levels of SARS-CoV-2 were significantly decreased by treatment with asunaprevir. Moreover, asunaprevir profoundly decreased virion release from SARS-CoV-2-infected cells. A pseudoparticle entry assay revealed that asunaprevir blocked SARS-CoV-2 infection at the binding step of the viral life cycle. Furthermore, asunaprevir inhibited SARS-CoV-2 propagation in human lung Calu-3 cells. Collectively, we found that asunaprevir displays broad-spectrum antiviral activity and therefore might be worth developing as a new drug repurposing candidate for COVID-19.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제28권4호
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• pp.402-410
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• 2018

Background: Monitoring appropriate medication categories can provide early warning of certain disease outbreaks. This study aimed to present a methodology for selecting and monitoring medications relevant to the surveillance of acute respiratory tract infections, such as influenza. Methods: To estimate correlations between acute febrile respiratory tract infection and some medication categories, the cross-correlation coefficient (CCC) was used and established. Two databases were used: real-time prescription trend of antivirals, anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics using Drug Utilization Review Program between 2012 and 2015 and physicians' number of encounters with acute febrile respiratory tract infections such as influenza outbreaks using the national level health insurance claims data. The seasonality was also evaluated using the CCC. Results: After selecting six candidate diseases that require extensive monitoring, influenza with highly specific medical treatment according to the health insurance claims data and its medications were chosen as final candidates based on a data-driven approach. Antiviral medications and influenza were significantly correlated. Conclusion: An annual correlation was observed between influenza and antiviral medications, anti-inflammatory drugs. Suitable models should be established for syndromic surveillance of influenza.

• 한국군사과학기술학회지
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.348-355
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• 2021

Hantaan virus(HTNV) causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome(HFRS) with a case fatality rate ranging from <1 to 15 % in human. Hantavax^Ⓡ is a vaccine against the Hantavirus, which has been conditionally approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety(MFDS). However, only 50 % of volunteers had neutralizing antibodies 1 year following the boost. Effective antiviral treatments against HTNV infection are limited. Hantaviruses generally cause asymptomatic infection in adult mice. On the other hand, infection of suckling and newborn mice with hantaviruses causes lethal neurological diesease or persistant infection, which is different from the disease in humans. The development of vaccines and antiviral strategies for HTNV has been partly hampered by the lack of an efficient lethal mouse model to evaluate the efficacy of the candidate vaccines or antivirals. In this report, we established a lethal mouse model for HTNV, which may facilitate in vivo studies on the evaluation of candidate drugs against HTNV. The median lethal dose value of HTNV was calculated by probit analysis of deaths occurring within two weeks. Five groups of ten ICR mice were injected intracranially with serial 2-fold dilutions (from 50 to 3.125 PFU/head) of HTNV. Mice injected with HTNV began to die at 8 days post-infection. The lethal dose required to kill 50 % of the mice (LD₅₀) was calculated to be 2.365 PFU/head.

• 한국임상약학회지
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.191-203
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• 2022

Background: Direct-acting antivirals are recommended for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus in Korea. However, evaluation of direct-acting antiviral regimens in a real-world setting is limited. The aims of this study were to investigate the effectiveness and safety of direct-acting antiviral treatment in Korean patients infected with chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 1b or 2 at a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted with patient data obtained between August 2015 and August 2019 at Jeonbuk National University Hospital. The primary effectiveness endpoint was sustained virological response 12 weeks post-treatment (SVR12) via intention-to-treat (ITT) and modified intention-to-treat (mITT) analyses. Results: Of the 270 patients, 47.0% were infected with genotype 1b and 53.0% with genotype 2. ITT analysis revealed that SVR12 was achieved in 78.9% of all patients, 77.2% in genotype 1b patients, and 80.4% in genotype 2 patients. Of the 21.1% of all patients who did not achieve SVR12, the majority of treatment failures were non-virologic failures (19.7%). mITT analysis revealed that SVR12 was achieved in 98.2% of all patients, 98.0% in genotype 1b patients, and 98.3% in genotype 2 patients. Almost half of all patients experienced one or more adverse events (43.3%), leading to 2.6% discontinuing scheduled treatment. The most common adverse event was anemia. Conclusions: Direct-acting antiviral-based treatment regimens showed high effectiveness and safety. Non-virological factors, such as premature treatment discontinuation due to adverse events or loss of follow-up, were the major disruptors in achieving SVR12.

• 대한치과의사협회지
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• 제52권12호
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• pp.744-752
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• 2014

There are many causes of oral mucosal diseases, so accordingly, there are various treatments available. The most commonly used agents include adrenocortical hormones, antifungals, antivirals, antibacterials, and immunosuppressants. However, it must also be noted that improving oral hygiene and nutrition, and reducing stress are effective in symptom relief. Furthermore, patients with existing diseases of the oral mucosa should avoid behavior that may cause an increase in pain. Unfortunately, many patients are unaware of the activities that may lead to increased pain and therefore do not avoid these activities. The aim of this study was to investigate and analyze the behavior of patients with oral mucosal disease with regard to activities that led to increase pain. This cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of patients with oral mucosal disease selected from the Oral Medicine Clinic of the Pusan National Hospital during March to August 2013. These patients were randomly selected. From a total of 479 patients, 116 patients with mucosal disease were selected and 73 fully completed questionnaires were included in the analysis. Data were collected by using self-completed questionnaires. The results were as follows: Mean score of Question 13 (Not smoking) is $2.47{\pm}1.11$. Mean score of Question 11 (Not drinking alcohol or not using mouthwash containing alcohol) is $2.22{\pm}1.15$. The other questions resulted in scores lower than 1.5. The answers to the questions were scored according to the following assigned numerical values: not keeping = score of 0; little keeping = score of 1; often keeping = score of 2; always keeping = score of 3. In conclusion, patients with oral mucosal diseases unknowingly engage in activities that result in an increase in pain. Therefore, they need to be educated about how to behave to protect oral mucosal lesion.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제32권9호
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• pp.734-741
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• 2022

전세계적으로 약 4천만 명의 사람들이 인체면역결핍증바이러스(HIV) 감염이 되어 있으며, HIV에 감염된 세포의 수가 치명적인 수준에 다르면 후천성면역결핍증후군을 일으키게 된다. HIV에 감염이 되면 완치 치료가 어려우며 현재 알려진 치료방법으로는 감염, 복제 및 바이러스 방출 억제를 위해 항레트로 바이러스 치료법이 병용되고 있다. 하지만 HIV 바이러스는 지속적인 돌연변이 유발 및 약물에 대한 내성을 갖게 하므로 장기간 약물복용 시 심각한 부작용을 초래한다. 이에 새로운 치료방법과 효능약물에 대한 연구가 필요한 실정이다. 식물유래 천연물은 수많은 생리활성물질들이 보고되어 있으며, 이는 항HIV 효능 지닌 잠재성을 가진 후보 물질이 될 수 있다. 1990년 세계보건기구에서는 플라보노이드, 쿠마린, 탄닌 및 테르펜의 항 HIV 효능을 보고하였으며, 이러한 물질은 SARS-CoV-2와 같은 바이러스 감염을 또한 억제하는 것으로 밝혀졌다. 따라서, 본 연구에서는 항 HIV 효능을 나타내는 식물 추출물 및 파이토케미컬에 대한 최신 연구동향(2021-현재)을 검토하였으며, 이를 통해 항HIV 효능을 지닌 새로운 천연물 발굴의 기초자료로 활용될 것으로 사료된다.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.32.1-32.15
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• 2020

Influenza virus is the major cause of seasonal and pandemic flu. Currently, oseltamivir, a potent and selective inhibitor of neuraminidase of influenza A and B viruses, is the drug of choice for treating patients with influenza virus infection. However, recent emergence of oseltamivir-resistant influenza viruses has limited its efficacy. Morin hydrate (3,5,7,2',4'-pentahydroxyflavone) is a flavonoid isolated from Morus alba L. It has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and anticancer effects partly by the inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway. However, its effects on influenza virus have not been studied. We evaluated the antiviral activity of morin hydrate against influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (A/PR/8; H1N1) and oseltamivir-resistant A/PR/8 influenza viruses in vitro. To determine its mode of action, we carried out time course experiments, and time of addition, hemolysis inhibition, and hemagglutination assays. The effects of the co-administration of morin hydrate and oseltamivir were assessed using the murine model of A/PR/8 infection. We found that morin hydrate reduced hemagglutination by A/PR/8 in vitro. It alleviated the symptoms of A/PR/8-infection, and reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, such as TNF-α and CCL2, in infected mice. Co-administration of morin hydrate and oseltamivir phosphate reduced the virus titers and attenuated pulmonary inflammation. Our results suggest that morin hydrate exhibits antiviral activity by inhibiting the entry of the virus.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.193-200
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• 2011

목 적: 2009년에 신종 인플루엔자 바이러스에 감염이 되어 본원에 입원한 폐렴 환자들 중 호흡곤란을 보여 중증 폐렴으로 진행한 환자에서 조기에 스테로이드 치료를 하였던 37명의 임상적 특성, 검사실 소견, 치료결과를 보고하고자 한다. 방 법: 2009년 10월 1일부터 12월 31일까지 창원 파티마병원에 기침과 발열 등으로 입원한 환자 중 입원시 및 입원 중 호흡곤란을 보여 조기 스테로이드 치료를 받은 환자 37명을 대상으로 하였다. 환자들은 모두 방사선 검사에서 폐렴이 확인되었고, 신종 인플루엔자 진단을 위하여 실시간 역전사효소 중합반응(RT-PCR) 검사와 신속항원검사를 받았으며, 모두 RT-PCR에서 양성을 보였다. 대상 환자들의 의무기록과 방사선 소견을 후향적으로 분석하였다. 결 과:대상 환자 37명의 평균 연령은 $6.5{\pm}2.9$세(2-16세)이었고, 남아 29명, 여아 8명(남녀비=3.4:1)이었다. 입원 전 평균 발열일은 $1.4{\pm}0.6$일(4시간-3일)이었으며, 발열과 기침을 보인 후 호흡곤란이 발생하기까지 걸린 시간이 평균 $9.6{\pm}3.5$시간(1-24시간)이었다. 대상환자 37명중 13명(35.1%)은 항바이러스제(oseltamivir)를 투여 받는 중 호흡곤란이 심해져서 스테로이드 치료를 받았다. 스테로이드 치료로는 모든 환자에 대해 정맥용 메틸프레드니솔론을 체중(kg) 당 8-10 mg/일 용량으로 하루에 4회 나누어 정맥으로 투여하였고, 호흡곤란이 없어진 후 바로 스테로이드 투여를 중지하였다. 평균 투여일은 $1.9{\pm}0.5$일(1-3일)이었다. 모든 환자들이 합병증 없이 퇴원하였으며 퇴원 후 폐렴의 후유증으로 재입원한 환자는 없었다. 결 론 : 신종 인플루엔자 바이러스 폐렴 환자들의 일부는 발병 초기에 호흡곤란을 보이는 중증 폐렴으로 빠르게 진행하였고 조기 스테로이드 치료가 임상적 증상 및 방사선 소견의 빠른 호전을 가져왔다. 따라서 향후 스테로이드제 및 항바이러스제의 중증 폐렴 환자에 대한 효과 판정을 위한 전향적 대조 임상 연구가 필요하다.