• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.217-228
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• 2019

There have been no published studies concerning the anti-inflammatory effects of corn silk on colon cancer cells. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of corn silk extract containing high levels of maysin on inflammation and its mechanism of action in colon cancer cells. SW 480 human colon cancer cells were treated with $1{\mu}g/mL$ of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce inflammation, and next they were treated with different concentrations of corn silk extract (0, 5, 10 and $15{\mu}g/mL$). The concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) were determined. The mRNA expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), tumor necrosis factor ${\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$), interleukin-1beta ($IL-1{\beta}$) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), were determined. Western blot analysis was performed to determine the protein expressions of nuclear factor-kappa B ($NF-{\kappa}B$) and mitogen-activated protein kinases, and the latter consists of extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK), c-jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 MAP kinase (p38). The concentration of NO and the mRNA expression of iNOS were significantly and dose-dependently decreased in the corn silk-treated groups (P<0.05). The mRNA expression of $TNF-{\alpha}$, $IL-1{\beta}$ and IL-6 were significantly increased in the LPS-treated group (P<0.05), but these expressions were significantly and dose-dependently decreased in the corn silk treated groups (P<0.05). The protein expressions of $NF-{\kappa}B$ (in a dose-dependent fashion), ERK (at 10 and $15{\mu}g/mL$), JNK (at $15{\mu}g/mL$) and p38 (at 10 and $15{\mu}g/mL$) were significantly decreased with corn silk treatments (P<0.05). In conclusion, corn silk extract containing high levels of maysin seems to inhibit the LPS-induced inflammatory responses in SW480 colon cancer cells via the $NF-{\kappa}B$ pathway.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.82 no.2
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• pp.118-125
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• 2019

Background: Lung cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and the incidence continues to rise. Although many prognostic factors have been identified, the clinical characteristics and outcomes in Korean lung cancer patients are not well defined. Methods: Of the 23,254 new lung cancer cases registered at the Korea Central Cancer Registry in 2013, total 489 patients from 19 hospitals were abstracted by the Korean Central Cancer Registry. The clinical data retrospectively analyzed, patients were followed up until December 2015. Results: The median age was 69 years (interquartile range, 60-74 years); 65.4% were male and 62.1% were ever-smokers. Cough was the most common initial symptom (33.5%); 13.1% of patients were asymptomatic. While squamous cell carcinoma was the most common subtype in male patients (37.2%), adenocarcinoma was the most frequent histological type in all patients (48.7%) and females (76.3%). The majority of patients received treatment (76.5%), which included surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Older age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.037), lower body mass index (HR, 0.904), ever-smoker (HR, 2.003), small cell lung cancer (HR, 1.627), and distant metastasis (HR, 3.990) were independent predictors of mortality. Patients without symptoms (HR, 0.387) and without treatment (HR, 0.364) were associated with a favorable outcome in multivariate Cox analysis. Conclusion: Lung cancer in Korea occurs predominantly in elderly patients, with adenocarcinoma being the most frequent subtype. The prognosis was poorer in ever-smokers and older, malnourished, and untreated patients with advanced lung cancer.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2024

Objectives : We aimed to study the effect of Smilax China L.(SCL), which has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer effects, on the growth of skin cancer cells. Methods : HaCaT cells, a normal human cell line, and skin cancer cells including A431, SK-MEL-5 and SK-MEL-28 cells were treated with Smilax China L. ethanol extract(SCL-EtOH) at concentrations of 5, 10, 20 and 40㎍/㎖. Meanwhile, JB6 Cl41, a normal mouse epithelial cell line, was treated with epidermal growth factor(EGF) and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate(TPA), an inflammatory factor, to induce cell transformation and treated with SCL-EtOH. In addition, we treated SK-MEL-5 and SK-MEL-28 cells with SCL-EtOH at various concentrations and checked the effect on the cell cycle. Results : As a result, it showed no toxicity to HaCaT cells up to the highest concentration of 40㎍/㎖, and significant cell growth inhibition to A431, SK-MEL-5 and SK-MEL-28 cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. In addition, as a result of checking the shape of skin cancer cells according to SCL-EtOH treatment, it was observed that as the concentration increased, the number of normally attached and growing cells decreased and the shape of the cells changed. Colony formation was significantly reduced in a concentration-dependent manner in JB6 Cl41 cells treated with EGF or TPA. Flow cytometry analysis with propidium iodide(PI) staining showed that SCL-EtOH induced the G2/M phase arrest. We further confirmed the decrease in Cyclin B1 expression and increase in p27 expression associated with the G2/M phase of the cell cycle through western blot analysis. Flow cytometry analysis confirmed that SCL-EtOH induced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, through Western blot analysis, it was observed that the expression of cleaved-caspase-7, which is related to apoptosis, increased. Finally, it was confirmed that the expression of COX-2, an inflammatory marker protein, decreased in a concentration-dependent manner with SCL-EtOH. Conclusions : Through the above results, we have established a basis for applying SCL to the treatment of skin cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.5775-5781
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• 2013

Background: The gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm (GEP-NEN) is the most common type of neuroendocrine neoplasm. We summarized data in our centre to investigate the clinicopathological features, diagnostic methods, therapeutic approaches and prognosis for this neoplasm to increase knowledge of this disease in Asian populations. Method: A total of 122 patients treated at Sun Yet-san Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between January 2000 and December 2011 were analyzed retrospectively. Results: Pancreas was the most common site of involvement (65/122, 53.3%); this disease has no special symptoms; positive rates of chromogranin A (CgA) and synaptophysin (Syn) were 81.1% and 87.7%, respectively. The positive rate of Syn had statistical difference among the three grades, but not CgA. Some 68 patients had G1 tumors, 32 G2 tumors and 22 G3 tumors, and Chi-square test showed that higher grading was correlated with worse prognosis (${\chi}^2=32.825$, P=0.0001). A total of 32 patients presented with distant metastasis, and 8 cases emerged during following up. Cox proportional hazards regression modeling showed that the tumor grade (P=0.01), lymphatic metastasis (P=0.025) and distant metastasis (P=0.031) were predictors of unfavorable prognosis. The overall 5-year survival rate was 39.6%, the 5-year survival rate of G1 was 55.7%, and the G2 and G3 were 34.2% and 0%, respectively. Conclusions: The incidence of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors has risen over the last 12 years. All grades of these diseases metastasize readily, and further research regarding the treatment of patients after radical surgery is needed to prolong disease-free survival.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.73 no.4
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• pp.224-230
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• 2012

Background: We evaluated the clinical outcomes and prognostic factors of patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV), defined as ventilator care for ${\geq}21$ days, who were admitted to the medical intensive care unit (ICU) of a university hospital in Korea. Methods: During the study period, a total of 2,644 patients were admitted to the medical ICU, and 136 patients (5.1%) were enrolled between 2005 and 2010. Results: The mean age of the patients was $61.3{\pm}14.5$ years, and 94 (69.1%) were male. The ICU and six-month cumulative mortality rates were 45.6 and 58.8%, respectively. There were 96 patients with tracheostomy placement after admission and their mean period from admission to the day of tracheostomy was $21.3{\pm}8.4$ days. Sixty-three patients (46.3%) were successfully weaned from ventilator care. Of the ICU survivors (n=74), 34 patients (45.9%) were transferred to other hospitals (not university hospitals). Two variables (thrombocytopenia [hazard ratio (HR), 1.964; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.225~3.148; p=0.005] and the requirement for vasopressors [HR, 1.822; 95% CI, 1.111~2.986; p=0.017] on day 21) were found to be independent factors of survival on based on the Cox proportional hazard model. Conclusion: We found that patients requiring PMV had high six-month cumulative mortality rates, and that two clinical variables (measured on day 21), thrombocytopenia and requirement for vasopressors, may be associated with prognostic indicators.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2020

Objectives: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic and degenerative joint disease characterized by progressive degeneration of articular cartilage. Inflammation is a recognized and important factor of OA progression. The present study was designed to investigate the protective effect of Corni Fructus water extract (CFW) on a monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced rat model of OA. Methods: Osteoarthritis was induced by injection of MIA (50 µL; 80 mg/mL) into the knee joint cavity of rats. After an adaptation period for seven days, the rats were divided into 4 groups (n=8/group): normal, control, indomethacin-treated (5 mg/kg), and CFW-treated (200 mg/kg) groups. The rats were treated orally for 14 days. Pain was evaluated by determining hind paw weight distribution. For biochemical analyses, we measured the changes in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and peroxynitrite (ONOO^-) in the knee joint. The presence of anti-oxidant proteins and inflammatory proteins was determined by western blotting. Results: The administration of CFW significantly improved the hind paw weight distribution. The ROS and ONOO^- levels of knee joint were significantly decreased in the CFW group. CFW inhibited the production of inflammatory mediators, such as COX-2, and inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6 and IL-1β, via the NF-κB signaling pathway. The expression of anti-oxidant enzymes, such as catalase and GPx-1/2 also increased significantly. Conclusions: The findings indicate that CFW has a therapeutic and protective effect on OA by suppression of inflammation. Therefore, CFW could represent a potential and effective candidate for OA treatment.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.1501-1507
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• 2021

Lagerstroemia ovalifolia Teijsm. & Binn. (LO) (crape myrtle) has reportedly been used as traditional herbal medicine (THM) in Java, Indonesia. Our previous study revealed that the LO leaf extract (LOLE) exerted anti-inflammatory effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. Based on this finding, the current study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of LOLE in a mouse model of LPS-induced acute lung injury (ALI). The results showed that treatment with LPS enhanced the inflammatory cell influx into the lungs and increased the number of macrophages and the secretion of the inflammatory cytokines in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of mice. However, these effects were notably abrogated with LOLE pretreatment. Furthermore, the increase of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) expression in the lung tissues of mice with ALI was also reversed by LOLE. In addition, LOLE significantly suppressed the LPS-induced activation of the MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway and led to heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) induction in the lungs. Additionally, in vitro experiments showed that LOLE enhanced the expression of HO-1 in RAW264.7 macrophages. The aforementioned findings collectively indicate that LOLE exerts an ameliorative effect on inflammatory response in the airway of ALI mice.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.27-35
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• 2019

Objectives : Osteoarthritis is characterized by degeneration of articular cartilage, which is characterized by chronic pain, stiffness and decrease range of motion. The present study was designed to compare the therapeutic effect of Dioscoreae Rhizoma water extract (DRW) and Dioscoreae Rhizoma 30% ethanol extract (DRE) on the monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced osteoarthritis rats. Methods : Osteoarthritis was induced by injection of MIA ($50{\mu}{\ell}$ with $80mg/m{\ell}$) into the knee joint cavity of rats. After adaptation period for seven days, rats were divided by 5 groups (n=10/group): normal group, control group, positive control (indomethacin 5 mg/kg), DRW 200 mg/kg treated group, DRE 200 mg/kg treated group (n=10/group). The hind paw weight distribution was measured with the changes of reactive oxygen species (ROS), peroxynitrite ($ONOO^-$) in articulation tissue. Also, the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factoralpha ($TNF{\alpha}$), interleukin-6 (IL-6), matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) were investigated by western blot analysis. Results : The administration of DRW and DRE significantly decreased the hind paw weight distribution. The ROS and $ONOO^-$ levels of cartilaginous tissue were significantly decreased in DRW and DRE compared to control group. The results showed that DRE decreased inflammatory cytokines such as iNOS and $TNF{\alpha}$. Also DRE decreased MMP-1 and increased TIMP-1. Conclusions : Based on the above results, Dioscoreae Rhizoma extract seems to have the therapeutic effect on osteoarthritis via suppression of inflammation.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.68-76
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• 2022

Objective: Percutaneous portal vein (PV) stent placement can be an effective treatment for symptoms associated with portal hypertension. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of PV stenting on the overall survival (OS) in patients with malignant PV stenosis. Materials and Methods: Two groups of patients with malignant PV stenosis were compared in this retrospective study involving two institutions. A total of 197 patients who underwent PV stenting between November 2016 and August 2019 were established as the stent group, whereas 29 patients with PV stenosis who were treated conservatively between July 2013 and October 2016 constituted the no-stent group. OS was compared between the two groups before and after propensity score matching (PSM). Risk factors associated with OS were evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards model. Procedure-associated adverse events were also evaluated. Results: The stent group finally included 100 patients (median age, 65 [interquartile range, 58-71] years; 64 male). The no-stent group included 22 patients (69 [61-75] years, 13 male). Stent placement was successful in 95% of attempted cases, and the 1- and 2-year stent occlusion-free survival rate was 56% (95% confidence interval, 45%-69%) and 44% (32%-60%), respectively. The median stent occlusion-free survival time was 176 (interquartile range, 70-440) days. OS was significantly longer in the stent group than in the no-stent group (median 294 vs. 87 days, p < 0.001 before PSM, p = 0.011 after PSM). The 1- and 3-year OS rates before PSM were 40% and 11%, respectively, in the stent group. The 1-year OS rate after PSM was 32% and 5% in the stent and no-stent groups, respectively. Anemia requiring transfusion (n = 2) and acute thrombosis necessitating re-stenting (n = 1) occurred in three patients in the stent group within 1 week. Conclusion: Percutaneous placement of a PV stent may be effective in improving OS in patients with malignant PV stenosis.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.41.1-41.11
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• 2023

Background: Shift work has been reported to have several harmful effects on the human body. However, a small number of studies have evaluated the association between shift work and adverse effects on the thyroid. In our longitudinal study, we examined the causal association between shift work and the risk of hypothyroidism. Methods: A Kangbuk Samsung Cohort Study was conducted on 112,648 men without thyroid disease at baseline who were followed up at least once between 2012 and 2019. Shift work status and shift schedule types were categorized using standardized questionnaires. Hypothyroidism was defined using the reference ranges of serum thyroid-stimulating hormones and free thyroxine levels. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incident hypothyroidism were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression analyses with the daytime work group as the reference. Results: During the 501,237 person-years of follow-up, there were 6,306 incident cases of hypothyroidism (incidence density, 1.26 per 100 person-years). The multivariable-adjusted HR of incident hypothyroidism for the shift work total group that included all shifts compared with the daytime work group was 1.27 (95% CI: 1.15-1.40). For the fixed evening, fixed night, rotating shift, and other shift workers, the multivariable-adjusted HRs (95% CI) were 1.11 (0.76-1.61), 2.18 (1.20-3.93), 1.39 (1.23-1.56), and 1.00 (0.82-1.22), respectively. In subgroup analyses by age, the association between shift work and hypothyroidism was more pronounced in younger participants (< 40 years; HR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.16-1.47). Conclusions: Our large-scale cohort study showed an association between shift work and the incidence of hypothyroidism, especially in younger workers with night shifts.