• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제83권3호
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• pp.185-194
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• 2020

Blood eosinophil counts have emerged as a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) biomarker that predict the effects of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in clinical practice. Post-hoc and prospective analysis of randomized control trials have shown that higher blood eosinophil counts at the start of the study predict a greater response to ICS. COPD patients with frequent exacerbations (2 or more moderate exacerbations/yr) or a history of hospitalization have a greater response to ICS. Ex-smokers also appear to have a greater ICS response. Blood eosinophil counts can be combined with clinical information such as exacerbation history and smoking status to enable a precision medicine approach to the use of ICS. Higher blood eosinophil counts are associated with increased eosinophilic lung inflammation, and other biological features that may contribute to the increased ICS response observed. Emerging data indicates that lower blood eosinophil counts are associated with an increased risk of bacterial infection, suggesting complex relationships between eosinophils, ICS response, and the airway microbiome.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.46-51
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• 2016

Purpose: This study intended to classify voluntary respiratory exercise and exercise using breathing training equipment to suggest proper respiratory exercise to relieve symptoms of patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Methods: Sixteen subjects were randomly selected for experimental group I, which performed feedback breathing exercise and 15 subjects were randomly selected for experimental group II, which performed a complex breathing exercise. The mediation program was performed 30 minutes a session, once a day, three times a week, for five weeks. This study analyzed before and after results within groups and between groups through measurement of respiratory muscle activity and health-related quality of life. Results: Activity of sternocleidomastoid muscle and scalene muscle increased meaningfully within experimental group I and activity of diaphragm increased significantly within experimental group II (p<0.05) and there was a meaningful difference in health-related quality of life within experimental group II (p<0.05). Significant differences in change of activity of respiratory muscle and health-related quality of life were observed between groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study showed conflicting results between activity of agonist and synergist in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease according to types of respiratory exercise and that complex respiratory exercise is more effective in health-related quality of life. Therefore, it found that the more severity increase, the more self-respiratory technique is an effective program. Diversified approach methods will be needed to improve respiratory function and quality of life for patients, and continuous clinical studies will be needed in the future.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제77권4호
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• pp.172-177
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• 2014

Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection is particularly associated with progressive and ultimately chronic recurrent respiratory infections in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis, chronic destroyed lung disease, and cystic fibrosis. Its treatment is also very complex because of drug resistance and recurrence. Methods: Forty eight cultures from 18 patients with recurrent P. aeruginosa pneumonia from 1998 to 2002 were included in this study. Two or more pairs of sputum cultures were performed during 2 or more different periods of recurrences. The comparison of strains was made according to the phenotypic patterns of antibiotic resistance and chromosomal fingerprinting by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) using the genomic DNA of P. aeruginosa from the sputum culture. Results: Phenotypic patterns of antibiotic resistance of P. aeruginosa were not correlated with their prior antibiotic exposition. Fifteen of 18 patients (83.3%) had recurrent P. aeruginosa pneumonia caused by the strains with same PFGE pattern. Conclusion: These data suggest that the most of the recurrent P. aeruginosa infections in chronic lung disease occurred due to the relapse of prior infections. Further investigations should be performed for assessing the molecular mechanisms of the persistent colonization and for determining how to eradicate clonal persistence of P. aeruginosa.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제40권4호
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• pp.84-90
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• 2019

Objectives: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating illness impairing seriously quality of life, while CFS would be an optimized target disorder of Korean medicine. This study aims to present the recent information especially in aspect of medical policy and new diagnosis criteria for CFS. Methods: The literature survey was conducted using the terms of "chronic fatigue syndrome", "myalgic encephalomyelitis" and "fibromyalgia" in PubMed database and Google database in its entirety from January 2011 to February 2019. The in-depth review was made focusing on the changes in policy and medical perspective for CFS. Results: Recently large medical attentions and researches for CFS have been existed worldwide. By supporting of USA government, IOM made a report which leaded to a turning point in clinical practices and research in 2015. This report recommended a new name of CFS to systemic exertion intolerance disease (SEID), and new diagnostic criteria focusing on post-exertional malaise, unrefreshing sleep, cognitive impairment and orthostatic intolerance. The medical perspective also was changed into "a serious, chronic, complex, systemic disease" from a psychological-like disorder, and then UAS and EU governments sharply increased the research grants. Conclusions: This study provided practitioners in Korean medicine (KM) a core information about the recent changes in CFS-related perspectives. This review would be helpful for KM-derived researches or therapeutics development for CFS.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제26권2호
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• pp.160-163
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• 2013

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are very rare sarcomas derived from various cells in the peripheral nerve sheath. Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors have a known association with neurofibromatosis type 1. Diagnosis of MPNSTs is difficult in patients with chronic pain, when MPNST occurs at an overlapping area of chronic pain. Therefore, the diagnosis can be missed unless clinicians pay attention to the possibility of this disease. Here in, we report a case of concurrent malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor with complex regional pain syndrome type 1. A 44-year female patient, who was diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type 1 in her left ankle, visited our clinic because of aggravated pain. The cause of the aggravated pain was revealed as concurrent MPNST in the left common peroneal nerve territory, which overlapped the site of pain from CRPS.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• 제52권1호
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• pp.1-5
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• 2019

Purpose: This review describes the historical changes in nutrition philosophy from a reductionist to a holistic approach during the $20^{th}$ century. Also, the role and efficient use of a holistic approach to precision nutrition are discussed. Results: Over the past century, significant progress has been made in human nutrition research, unraveling fundamental mechanisms of single nutrients on single targets or pathways. This kind of a reductionist approach has helped to save populations from nutrient deficiency diseases and improve associated health outcomes in large parts of the world. However, a new set of nutrition problems, like obesity and diet-related chronic diseases, are growing each year worldwide, increasing the financial burden on the health care system. A linear cause-effect association between single nutrients and a single physiologic effect, is insufficient to solve the complex nutrition-health relationships. Research that involves a more holistic rather than reductionist approach is needed to tackle a new set of nutrition problems. Recent advances in technology, informatics, and statistical methods are enabling an understanding of the diversity of individuals and the complex interactions between foods and human bodies, leading to the concept of "precision nutrition." Conclusion: The emerging goal of precision nutrition is to provide tailored dietary advice for maintaining health and preventing obesity and diet-related chronic diseases. The parts are already being installed. To grab the complexity, reductionism and holism must be used interdependently.

• 농촌의학ㆍ지역보건
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• 제37권4호
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• pp.246-257
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• 2012

본 연구는 부산지역 65세 이상 노인을 대상으로 질병상태를 정상, 만성질환, 우울증, 우울증을 동반한 만성질환의 4군으로 구분하여 질병상태에 따른 자가 평가 건강수준을 비교하고, 자가 평가 건강 수준에 관련된 요인을 관찰하고자 하였다. 연구 자료로 부산광역시 2009년 지역사회건강조사 자료를 활용하였고, 그 중 65세 이상 노인 2,549명을 추출하여 연구 대상으로 하였다. 자료는 SAS program(ver. 9.2)을 이용하여 ${\chi}^2$-test, multiple logistic regression을 복합표본분석 방법으로 분석하였다. 분석 결과 자가 평가 건강수준이 만성질환과 우울증의 단일질환만을 가진 경우보다 만성질환에 우울증을 동반한 경우 매우 낮게 관찰되었고, 만성질환자의 우울증 동반율이 높았다. 질병 상태이외에 여자에서, 교육수준이 낮은 경우, 경제수준이 낮은 경우, 중등도 운동을 하지 않는 경우, 걷기 운동을 하지 않는 경우 자가 평가 건강수준이 낮았다. 본 연구결과를 토대로 노인 만성질환관리 사업에 우울증 관리를 연계한 사업 모형을 개발하여 지역사회에 적용할 것과 노인 만성질환 관리 사업에서는 우선대상으로 취약계층과 여성을 고려하고, 운동 사업을 연계하는 것을 제안한다.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제35권2호
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• pp.209-223
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• 2022

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused significant changes. This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on patients with chronic pain. Methods: Patients with chronic pain from 23 university hospitals in South Korea participated in this study. The anonymous survey questionnaire consisted of 25 questions regarding the following: demographic data, diagnosis, hospital visit frequency, exercise duration, time outside, sleep duration, weight change, nervousness and anxiety, depression, interest or pleasure, fatigue, daily life difficulties, and self-harm thoughts. Depression severity was evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between increased pain and patient factors. Results: A total of 914 patients completed the survey, 35.9% of whom had decreased their number of visits to the hospital, mostly due to COVID-19. The pain level of 200 patients has worsened since the COVID-19 outbreak, which was more prominent in complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Noticeable post-COVID-19 changes such as exercise duration, time spent outside, sleep patterns, mood, and weight affected patients with chronic pain. Depression severity was more significant in patients with CRPS. The total PHQ-9 average score of patients with CRPS was 15.5, corresponding to major depressive orders. The patients' decreased exercise duration, decreased sleep duration, and increased depression were significantly associated with increased pain. Conclusions: COVID-19 has caused several changes in patients with chronic pain. During the pandemic, decreased exercise and sleep duration and increased depression were associated with patients' increasing pain.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.143-150
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• 2012

Spinal cord stimulation has become a widely used and efficient alternative for the management of refractory chronic pain that is unresponsive to conservative therapies. Technological improvements have been considerable and the current neuromodulation devices are both extremely sophisticated and reliable in obtaining good results for various clinical situations of chronic pain, such as failed back surgery syndrome, complex regional pain syndrome, ischemic and coronary artery disease. This technique is likely to possess a savings in costs compared with alternative therapy strategies despite its high initial cost. Spinal cord stimulation continues to be a valuable tool in the treatment of chronic disabling pain.

• 생약학회지
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• 제43권1호
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• pp.59-65
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• 2012

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic inflammatory disease of preceding the development of allergic disorders. The incidence of AD is increasing and it causes problems with administrative costs. Therefore, no side effects, easyto- use development of AD treatment is needed. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether PBMCAT, a functional extract from herbal complex was effective to treat the AD mice. AD was induced by patching ovoalbumin on the backside in BALB/ c mouse and then mice were topically treated with PBMCAT. Elidel $cream^{(R)}$ (pimecrolimus, PL) was used as a control. Scratching counts (SC) and clinical skin severity (CSS) were measured, and total serum IgE level was also measured. After inducing AD, SC and CSS were increased. The total serum IgE level was also increased in AD-induced mice. Treatment with PBMCAT significantly decreased SC, CSS, and serum IgE concentration in mice. Especially, treatment of PBMCAT 0.1% in BALB/c mice more effected than PL. These results suggest that the ointment of PBMCAT may enhance the process of AD healing by influencing phase of allergic reacting.