• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.41-59
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• 2006

Chronic liver diseases and hepatic cancer have been reported as 10% of cause of death in Koreans. Regardless of various causes, chronic liver disease accompanies commonly hepatic fibrosis. But still the mechanism of hepatic fibrosis remains poorly understood. Using the dimethylnitrosamine(DMN)-induced hepatic fibrosis rat model, We performed to evaluate the possible therapeutic effect of RIP(extracts of Phellodendron amurense and Patrinia scabiosaefolia) and to investigate the changes in referential connective tissue proteins($TGF-{\beta}_1$, ${\alpha}$-smooth muscle actin, and vimentin) as a marker of fibrogenesis. For these purposes, liver tissues were stained with H & E, and Azan staining for estimation of developing fibrosis. In the DMN-treated rat liver tissue, fibrosis were developed forming incomplete septal fibrosis. Whereas, in the RIP-treated rat liver tissues, the fibrosis were decreased recovering to normal morphology. The expressions of $TGF-{\beta}_1$, ${\alpha}$-smooth muscle actin($\alpha-SMA$), and vimetin were increased in the DMN-treated rat liver tissues, but decreased in the various areas of RIP-treated rat liver tissues. According to these results, RIP could be a possible therapeutic agent to reduce hepatic fibrosis, and the $TGF-{\beta}_1$, ${\alpha}$-SMA, and vimentin could be possible indicative markers of hepatic fibrosis development and recovery.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.133-141
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• 2009

We reviewed retrospectively the medical records of 600 elderly patients, over 65 years old who visited oral medicine. The ratio of the age group was composed of 65${\sim}$74 years old group was 63.7%, 75${\sim}$84 years old group was 32.2%, over 85years old group was 4.2%, and the patients were mostly females. The main chief complaint was composed of oral soft tissue problem(44.1%) and oromaxillofacial pain(39.0%). The majority of systemic diseases was composed of diseases of the circulatory system(30.1%), diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue(16.8%), endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases, and diseases of the digestive system(10.1%). The numerous pateints were diagnosed as soft tissue disease(32.0%), arthrogenous disease(24.1%), and myogenous disease(18.1%) of temporomandibular disease.Principally medication(43.9%), physical therapy(24.2%) were performed. 14.2% of all patients visited oral medicine with a letter of request written by other medical departments or local dental clinics, or referred from other departments in Chosun university dental hospital. These findings indicate epidemiologic characteristics on the elderly patients visited oral medicine. We hope that this study will play a basis in the future research about the elderly patients.

• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.322-327
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• 2008

In this study, we compared the gene expression profiles of non-syndromic hyperplastic dental follicle (HDF) fibroblasts and normal dental follicle (NDF) fibroblasts using cDNA micro-arrays, quantitative PCR, and immunohistochemical staining. Microarray analysis showed that several collagens genes were upregulated in the HDF's, including collagen types I, IV, VIII, and XI and TIMP-1, -3, and -4 (fold ratio > 2.0). In contrast, the expression of MMP-1, -3, -10, and -16 together with IL-8 was more than two fold downregulated. The differential expression of the genes encoding alkaline phosphatase, MMP-1, -3, -8, and IL-8 was confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR, while that of 24 HDFs and 18 NDFs was confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis. However, HDFs showed stronger expression of MMP-3 than NDFs (P < 0.001). Collectively, these results indicate that defective regulation of MMPs mediating connective tissue remodeling may be responsible for abnormal tooth eruption.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1426-1432
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• 1997

Sj$\ddot{o}$gren's syndrome(SS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of lacrimal and sailvary glands, which results in dry eyes and dry mouth. SS may exist as a primary condition or as a secondary condition in association with connective tissue disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, or progressive systemic sclerosis. We experienced a patient with primary SS who developed multiple bullae, nodular type of pulmonary amyloidosis and lymphocytic interstitial peumonitis. We believe this to be the first reported case of SS acompanied by these three types pulmonary manifestations at the same time.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.87 no.1
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• pp.40-51
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• 2024

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive, fibrosing interstitial pneumonia with a very poor prognosis. Accurate diagnosis of IPF is essential for good outcomes but remains a major medical challenge due to variability in clinical presentation and the shortcomings of existing diagnostic tests. Medical history collection is the first and most important step in the IPF diagnosis process; the clinical probability of IPF is high if the suspected patient is 60 years or older, male, and has a history of cigarette smoking. Systemic assessment for connective tissue disease is essential in the initial evaluation of patients with suspected IPF to identify potential causes of interstitial lung disease (ILD). Radiologic examination using high-resolution computed tomography plays a pivotal role in the evaluation of patients with ILD, and prone and expiratory computed tomography images can be considered. If additional tests such as surgical lung biopsy or transbronchial lung cryobiopsy are needed, transbronchial lung cryobiopsy should be considered as an alternative to surgical lung biopsy in medical centers with experience performing this procedure. Diagnosis through multidisciplinary discussion (MDD) is strongly recommended as MDD has become the cornerstone for diagnosis of IPF, and the scope of MDD has expanded to monitoring of disease progression and suggestion of appropriate treatment options.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 1992

This study was conducted to follow the patient referral system operated from the primary health care facilities to the hospital in a rural area of Korea. The subject for this study was sampled from a community health development project carried out by the Korea University in Yeoju Kun, Kyonggi Province. The data of referred patients from primary health care facilities were collected during the period from January 1989 to December 1989. The data was sorted out by a computer system using Database package. The results of this study were summarized as follows: 1. Characteristics of the referred patients were: males $32.0\%$. and females $68.0\%$. The more elderly of the patients visited to the hospital after having been referred there by CHPs or public physicians, $25.9\%$ has been to hospital on at least one previous occasion as against $74.1\%$ for whom it was there first visit. 2. The majority of patients who were referred to a hospital where: medicine $44.3\%$ and orthopedics$16.4\%$, major diseases were : diseases of digestive system $(21.3\%)$ ; symptoms and ill defined conditions $(17.3\%)$ ; diseases of the muscular skeletal system and connective tissue$(14.2\%)$. chronic illness was $82.0\%$ and acute illlness was $18.0\%$. 3. From Community health practitioners more patients referred than the public physicians. Categoris of diseases of the referred patients were different between community health practitioners and public physicians. Due to the. respective differences between the medical restrictions put on the nursing staffs at the community health practitioners and public physicians. From this study it was recommended to define the reason of differences between ~he two groups in futher study. Study as to 1) why one group should be referring more for hospital treatment than the other. And 2) why the two agencies should be referring different diseases.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.83 no.3
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• pp.211-217
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• 2020

The gold standard method for diagnosis of tuberculosis is the isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis through culture, but there is a probability of cross-contamination in simultaneous cultures of samples causing false-positives. This can result in delayed treatment of the underlying disease and drug side effects. In this paper, we reviewed studies on false-positive cultures of M. tuberculosis. Rate of occurrence, effective factors, and extent of false-positives were analyzed. Ways to identify and reduce the false-positives and management of them are critical for all laboratories. In most cases, false-positive is occurring in cases with only one positive culture but negative direct smear. The three most crucial factors in this regard are inappropriate technician function, contamination of reagents, and aerosol production. Thus, to reduce false-positives, good laboratory practice, as well as use of whole-genome sequencing or genotyping of all positive culture samples with a robust, extra pure method and rapid response, are essential for minimizing the rate of false-positives. Indeed, molecular approaches and epidemiological surveillance can provide a valuable tool besides culture to identify possible false positives.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.85-91
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• 2002

Purpose: Phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor increases the cellular content of cAMP, and cAMP suppresses connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) expression induced by TGF-${\beta}1$. Therefore, we investigated whether PDE inhibitor suppresses renal fibrosis without suppression of TGF-${\beta}1$. Materials and Methods : Renal interstitial fibrosis was produced by ligation of left ureter in Sprague-Dawley rats. Cilostazol, a selective PDE3 inhibitor, and dipyridamole, a hybrid PDE5, PDE6, and PDE8 inhibitor, were provided in drinking water for 7 days. In addition to the Masson-trichrome score of renal tissue, the concentration of fibronectin and TGF-${\beta}1$ in renal tissue- conditioned media was measured by ELISA. Results : Masson- trichrome score and fibronectin concentration were significantly lower in cilostazol-treated group compared to the control group (P<0.05). Though dipyridamole treatment seemed to suppress the Masson- trichrome score and fibronectin concentration too, the decrements were not statistically significant. There was no difference in TGF-${\beta}1$ concentration among the groups. Conclusion: A selective PDE3 inhibitor cilostazol suppresses renal fibrosis without alteration of TGF-${\beta}1$ expression. (J Korean Soc Pediatr Nephrol 2002 ;6 : 85-91)

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.794-801
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• 2000

BOOP(Bronchiolitis Obliterans Organizing Pneumonia) is an inflammatory reaction that follows damage to the bronchiolar epithelium of the small conducting airways. BOOP is characterized by the pathologic finding of excessive proliferation of granulation tissue within the respiratory bronchioles, alveolar duct and spaces, accompanied by organizing pneumonia in the more distal parenchyma BOOP may result from diverse causes such as toxic fumes, connective tissue disorders, infections, organ transplantation and drugs or appear idiopathically. Drug induced BOOP has been described in association with acebutolol, amiodarone, cephalosporin, bleomycine, tryptophan, gold salts, barbiturates, sulfasalazine, and carbamazepine. Carbamazepine is an iminostilbene derivative that is used as both an anticonvulsant and pain reliever for pains associated with trigeminal neuralgia. It is structually related to the tricyclic antidepressants. To our knowledge, there have been no previously reported case that has described development of BOOP during carbamazepine treatment in Korea, and only two cases have been reported in the world. We report a case carbamazepine-induced BOOP with a brief review of literature.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Rural Health Nursing
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.133-144
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the trends of disease of residents who had treatment in primary health care posts in N-county over the past seven years (1997-2003). The data will assist in planning responses to changes in the health care environment and in planning health promotion programs. Method: A retrospective descriptive survey was conducted of the computerized records of primary health care done by community health practitioners over the last seven years. Cross analysis was conducted among the data using SAS, and the results were displayed in frequencies and percentages. The data were collected from May to September 2004. Results: The results of the study are as follows: 1. The six most frequent diseases were ranked as follows: diseases of the 1) respiratory system, 2) musculoskeletal system and connective tissue, 3) digestive system, 4) skin and subcutaneous tissue, 5) circulatory system, and 6) symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings. Especially in 2002, circulatory system related disease rose two steps in the ranking and digestive system related disease went a step down. 2. The patients' use of primary health care posts over the past seven years continued to increase on the whole. Conclusions: According to these results, each primary health care post should carry out special health promotion programs that fit the local society of N- county and are in accordance with changes in health care needs.