• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.70-79
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• 2021

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the possibility of using herbal medicine for the management of psoriasis focusing on lipid metabolism. Methods : We reviewed studies about pathophysiology, and medical treatment of psoriasis, the relationship between psoriasis and metabolic syndrome and lipid metabolism, and herbal medicine on Pubmed and Google scholar. Results : Psoriasis is a chronic multi-organ inflammatory disease not limited to skin, and steroids, immuno-suppressants, and biological agents are used. It is known that psoriasis and metabolic syndrome act as mutual risk factors, and lipid metabolism are involved in psoriasis. The effects of various single herbal preparations and complex herbal extract, decoction on improving lipid metabolism have been consistently reported, and there was an improvement of psoriatic skin lesions and improvement of blood lipid levels through herbal medicine. Conclusions : Herbal medicine research in psoriasis has focused on the anti-inflammatory effect and the suppression effect of certain immune mediators. However, considering that psoriasis is affected by lipid metabolism and side effects of Western medicines, the use of herbal medicines for the purpose of controlling lipid metabolism in psoriasis is useful in aspects of reducing side effects of concurrent Western medicine, improving the severity of psoriasis, and managing metabolic risk factors.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.62-67
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• 2020

Purpose: Eliglustat is an oral substrate reduction therapy (SRT) approved for adults with Gaucher disease type I (GD1) who are extensive, intermediate, or poor CYP2D6 metabolizers. Here we report one-year experience of eliglustat switch therapy from long-term enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) in three adult patients with GD1. Materials and Methods: Medical history, clinical (hemoglobin concentration, platelet count, and bone mineral density) and biochemical parameters (angiotensin converting enzyme, total acid phosphatase, and lyso-gb1) of the patients were collected and evaluated by retrospective review of medical records at every 3, 6, or 12 month after switch to SRT. Results: Patient 1 was a 43-year old female diagnosed GD1 and her clinical and biochemical parameters were stabilized for more than 20 years by ERT. Due to the burden of regular hospital visit, she switched to SRT. During one-year of SRT, clinical parameters and biomarkers were maintained stable. However, after suffering acute febrile illness during SRT, she decided to re-switch to ERT due to concerns about drug interaction. Patient 2 was 41-year old male, younger brother of patient 1 and Patient 3 was 31-year old male. They switched to SRT in clinically stable condition with long-term ERT. The one-year SRT was tolerable without specific safety issue and the clinical parameters were maintained stable. Conclusion: One-year eliglustat therapy in three adult patients with GDI was generally tolerable and effective for maintaining the clinical parameters and biomarkers. However, the drug compliance, concurrent drug interactions, and long-term safety of eliglustat should be carefully monitored.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.213-220
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• 2022

Although there have been advances in cancer therapy and surgical improvement, lung cancer has the lowest survival rate (19%) at all stages. This is because most patients are diagnosed with concurrent metastasis, which occurs due to numerous related reasons. Especially, lung cancer is one of the most common and malignant cancers in the world. Although there are advanced therapeutic strategies, lung cancer remains one of the main causes of cancer death. Recent work has proposed that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the main cause of metastasis in most cases of human cancers including lung cancer. EMT involves the conversion of epithelial cells, wherein the cells lose their epithelial abilities and become mesenchymal cells involved in embryonic development, such as gastrulation and neural crest formation. In addition, recent research has indicated that EMT contributes to altering the cancer cells into cancer stem cells (CSCs). Although EMT is important in the developmental stages, this process also activates lung cancer progression, including complicated and diverse signaling pathways. Despite the numerous investigations on signaling pathways involved in the progression of lung cancer, this malignancy is considered critical for treatment. EMT in lung cancer involves many transcription factors and inducers, for example, Snail, TWIST, and ZEB are the master regulators of EMT. EMT-related factors and signaling pathways are involved in the progression of lung cancer, proposing new approaches to lung cancer therapy. In the current review, we highlight the signaling pathways implicated in lung cancer and elucidate the correlation of these pathways, indicating new insights to treat lung cancer and other malignancies.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.235-239
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• 2022

A 10-year-old neutered male Siberian Husky presented with paraparesis and severe lethargy. On physical examination, the patient was unable to weight-bear and walk and exhibited significant muscle mass loss in both hindlimbs and generalized truncal alopecia with a dull coat of hair. On neurological examination, cranial lumbar vertebral pain, hind limb cross-extensor reflex, delayed hindlimb postural reaction, upper motor neuron bladder dysfunction, and total absence of cutaneous trunci reflex were identified. Computed tomography revealed diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis and spondylosis deformans of the cervical and thoracolumbar vertebrae. In addition, a generalized decrease in bone mineral density of the vertebrae was identified. Magnetic resonance imaging showed hyperplasia of the epidural fat compressing the spinal cord in the thoracolumbar region and concurrent mild multiple intervertebral disc herniations. No specific findings were observed in cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Blood analysis of thyroid function revealed decreased total T4 and free T4 levels, and increased TSH levels. The patient was tentatively diagnosed with spinal epidural lipomatosis (SEL) secondary to hypothyroidism. The patient was treated with levothyroxine, firocoxib, and gabapentin. Clinical signs gradually improved, and the patient showed normal ambulation 40 days after treatment initiation. SEL is extremely rare in dogs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of SEL secondary to hypothyroidism that was treated conservatively. Secondary SEL can be sufficiently managed by treating the underlying cause, if possible.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.77-80
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• 2022

Fistulas between the arteries and the gastrointestinal tract are rare but can be fatal. We present a case of an ilioenteric fistula between the left external iliac artery and sigmoid colon caused by radiotherapy for cervical cancer, which was treated with endovascular management using a stent graft. A 38-year-old woman underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy for cervical cancer recurrence. Approximately 9 months later, the patient suddenly developed hematochezia. On her first visit to the emergency room of our hospital, computed tomography (CT) images did not reveal extravasation of contrast media. However, 8 hours later, she revisited the emergency room because of massive hematochezia with a blood pressure of 40/20 mmHg and a heart rate of 150 beats per minute. At that time, CT images showed the presence of contrast media in almost the entire colon. The patient was referred to the angiography room at our hospital for emergency angiography. Inferior mesenteric arteriography did not reveal any source of bleeding. Pelvic arteriography showed contrast media extravasation from the left external iliac artery to the sigmoid colon; this was diagnosed as an ilioenteric fistula and treated with a stent graft. When the bleeding focus is not detected on visceral angiography despite massive arterial bleeding, pelvic arteriography is recommended, especially in patients with a history of pelvic surgery or radiotherapy.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.203-213
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• 2023

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to report the symptomatic relief effect of a herbal prescription combined with methimazole for hyperthyroidism caused by Graves' disease. Methods : After diagnosis of hyperthyroidism, methimazole was initially administered alone. As the clinical symptoms continued, a herbal medicine combining Gamiondam-tang and Cheongsimyeonja-eum was administered together with methimazole. Blood concentrations of hormones were measured, and the degree of clinical symptoms was measured using the NRS scale. The effect of herbal medicine on heat intolerance was analyzed by Wilcoxon rank sum test, and the relationship between thyroid hormone and heat intolerance was analyzed by Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results : Heat intolerance symptoms were significantly reduced when the herbal prescription was administered in parallel than when methimazole was administered alone (w=296, p=0.001). The decrease in heat intolerance was not related to thyroid hormone levels (p=0.27, 0.37). Conclusions : It was found that the herbal medicine combining Gamiondam-tang and Cheongsimyeonja-eum was effective in treating hyperthyroidism symptoms including heat intolerance.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.46 no.9
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• pp.558-572
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• 2023

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will be the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2030. One of its components, emphysema, has been defined as a lung disease that irreversibly damages the lungs' alveoli. Treatment is currently unavailable for emphysema symptoms and complete cure of the disease. Hyaluronan (HA) and proteoglycan link protein 1 (HAPLN1), an HA-binding protein linking HA in the extracellular matrix to stabilize the proteoglycan structure, forms a bulky hydrogel-like aggregate. Studies on the biological role of the full-length HAPLN1, a simple structure-stabilizing protein, are limited. Here, we demonstrated for the first time that treating human alveolar epithelial type 2 cells with recombinant human HAPLN1 (rhHAPLN1) increased TGF-β receptor 1 (TGF-β RI) protein levels, but not TGF-β RII, in a CD44-dependent manner with concurrent enhancement of the phosphorylated Smad3 (p-Smad3), but not p-Smad2, upon TGF-β1 stimulation. Furthermore, rhHAPLN1 significantly increased sirtuins levels (i.e., SIRT1/2/6) without TGF-β1 and inhibited acetylated p300 levels that were increased by TGF-β1. rhHAPLN1 is crucial in regulating cellular senescence, including p53, p21, and p16, and inflammation markers such as p-NF-κB and Nrf2. Both senile emphysema mouse model induced via intraperitoneal rhHAPLN1 injections and porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE)-induced COPD mouse model generated via rhHAPLN1-containing aerosols inhalations showed a significantly potent efficacy in reducing alveolar spaces enlargement. Preclinical trials are underway to investigate the effects of inhaled rhHAPLN1-containing aerosols on several COPD animal models.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.82 no.3
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• pp.729-736
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• 2021

Multiple primary malignant neoplasms refer to two or more malignancies in an individual that are not related. We report a case of a 78-year-old male with concurrent breast mucinous carcinoma and extramammary lymphoma. The patient initially presented with palpable masses in the left breast and the right groin, which were pathologically confirmed after a surgical biopsy as breast mucinous carcinoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, respectively. He underwent whole-body 18-fluorine deoxyglucose PET/CT before surgery, and an enhancing nodular lesion in the left lingual tonsil was found incidentally. It was later confirmed as a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, a pathology of the same type as the right inguinal mass. Unspecified lymphadenopathies in breast cancer patients may easily be considered as metastatic lesions. However, this case suggests that lymphomas should be included in the differential diagnoses to avoid misdiagnosis and treatment delay, especially in older adult patients.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.82 no.5
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• pp.1334-1340
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• 2021

Amyloidosis has been reported to be associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Amyloidosis and lymphoma can be related in two ways: lymphoma-associated systemic amyloidosis and peritumoral amyloidosis with lymphoma. We report a rare case of peritumoral amyloidosis in a patient with head and neck mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. On CT, the oropharyngeal mass showed an irregularly shaped soft-tissue density with multifocal amorphous calcifications and heterogeneous enhancement. On MRI, the mass showed heterogeneous low signal intensity on both T1- and T2-weighted images. On contrast-enhanced MR images, the mass showed good enhancement with several inner non-enhancing foci. Concurrent pathologies, such as peritumoral amyloidosis, should be considered when calcifications are noted in patients with pre-treatment lymphoma.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.30-36
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• 2024

A 3-year-old, 20.6 kg, neutered male German Shepherd dog was referred to Kyungpook National University Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital. Clinical examination revealed chronic diarrhea for 6 weeks and a non-tender, distended abdomen without lethargy, anorexia, and vomiting. Diarrhea was watery and had a waxing and waning course despite symptomatic treatment. A complete blood count identified mild leukocytosis and mild anemia. Serum biochemistry analysis showed elevated alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels, and mild hypoalbuminemia. Abdominal ultrasound examination revealed mixed echogenicity with absent blood flow at the caudate process of the caudate liver lobe and a small amount of ascites. Computed tomography revealed torsion of the caudate process of the caudate liver lobe and spleen and gas dilatation of the intestine. After establishing a diagnosis of organ torsion on imaging, we deemed the condition an emergency and immediately performed surgery. Given that laparotomy confirmed organ torsion, liver lobectomy, total splenectomy, and prophylactic gastropexy were conducted. The patient was discharged 11 days after surgery without complications. In general, liver lobe torsion and splenic torsion are uncommon in dogs and present with nonspecific clinical signs, such as abdominal pain, lethargy, anorexia, and vomiting. In the current case, torsion of the caudate liver lobe and spleen occurred without other clinical signs except for a distended abdomen. Moreover, no reports in dogs have demonstrated the simultaneous occurrence of both diseases.