• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.386-394
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• 2019

Trypanosoma cruzi infection results in debilitating cardiomyopathy, which is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in the endemic regions of Chagas disease (CD). The pathogenesis of Chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCM) has been intensely studied as a chronic inflammatory disease until recent observations reporting the role of cardio-metabolic dysfunctions. In particular, we demonstrated accumulation of lipid droplets and impaired cardiac lipid metabolism in the hearts of cardiomyopathic mice and patients, and their association with impaired mitochondrial functions and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in CD mice. In the present study, we examined whether treating infected mice with an ER stress inhibitor can modify the pathogenesis of cardiomyopathy during chronic stages of infection. T. cruzi infected mice were treated with an ER stress inhibitor 2-Aminopurine (2AP) during the indeterminate stage and evaluated for cardiac pathophysiology during the subsequent chronic stage. Our study demonstrates that inhibition of ER stress improves cardiac pathology caused by T. cruzi infection by reducing ER stress and downstream signaling of phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor ($P-elF2{\alpha}$) in the hearts of chronically infected mice. Importantly, cardiac ultrasound imaging showed amelioration of ventricular enlargement, suggesting that inhibition of ER stress may be a valuable strategy to combat the progression of cardiomyopathy in Chagas patients.

• 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.

• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.224-235
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• 2024

Despite enormous efforts, no effective medication has been found to significantly halt or even slow the progression of neurological diseases, such as acquired (e.g., traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, etc.) and chronic (e.g., Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, etc.) central nervous system disorders. So, researchers are looking for alternative therapeutic modalities to manage the disease's symptoms and stop it from worsening. Concerning disease-modifying capabilities, stem cell therapy has emerged as an expanding domain. Among different types of stem cells, human endometrial regenerative cells have excellent regenerative properties, making them suitable for regenerative medicine. They have the potential for self-renewal and differentiation into three types of stem cells: epithelial stem cells, endothelial side population stem cells, and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). ERCs can be isolated from endometrial biopsy and menstrual blood samples. However, there is no comprehensive evidence on the effects of ERCs on neurological disorders. Hence, we initially explore the traits of these specific stem cells in this analysis, followed by an emphasis on their therapeutic potential in treating neurological disorders.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.3281-3285
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• 2012

Objectives: To evaluate the clinicopathologic correlation and prognostic value of HPV18 DNA viral load in patients with early-stage cervical neuroendocrine carcinoma (NECA). Methods: Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue of cervical NECA patients with known HPV18 infection and clinicopathologic data including follow-up results were collected. The HPV18 DNA load was assessed with quantitative PCR targeting the HPV18 E6E7 region. Results: Twenty-one patients with early-stage (IB-IIA) cervical NECA were identified. HPV18 DNA viral load ranged from 0.83 to 55,174 copies/cell (median 5.90). Disease progression, observed in 10 cases (48%), was not significantly associated with any clinicopathologic variables. However, the group of patients with progressive disease tended to have a higher rate of pelvic lymph node metastasis (50% versus 9%, p=0.063) and a lower median value of HPV18 DNA viral load (4.37 versus 8.17 copies/cell, p=0.198) compared to the non-recurrent group. When stratified by a cut-off viral load value of 5.00 copies/cell, the group of patients with viral load ${\leq}5.00$ copies/cell had a significantly shorter disease-free survival than the group with viral load >5.00 copies/cell (p=0.028). The group with a lower viral load also tended to have a higher rate of disease progression (75% versus 31%, p=0.080). No significant difference in the other clinicopathologic variables between the lower and higher viral load groups was identified. Conclusion: HPV18 DNA viral load may have a prognostic value in patients with early-stage NECA of the cervix. A low viral load may be predictive of shortened disease-free survival in these patients.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.229-232
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• 2009

Purpose: Kimura's disease is a relatively rare head and neck tumor that frequently occurs in young orientals accompanied with eosinophila. We shared our experience of two cases of Kimura's disease, treated by radical resection and post operative steroid therapy, so we report the correlation of eosinophil counts and disease progression. Methods: A 25 years old male came to the clinic with a mass localized to the right cheek inferior to the right auricle. We could not resect the mass totally. During the follow up period, we checked the eosinophil counts, and steroid therapy was started 7 months after the surgery. A 34 year old female came to the clinic with a mass localized inferior to the left auricle reaching from the posterior portion of the auricle to the left temporal portion. We tried to remove as much tumor as possible, save the temporal region, in regard to the impairment of blood supply to the auricle. After operation, steroid therapy was started. Results: In the first case, the tumor was easily approachable, and radical resection of the tumor with post operative steroid therapy was an effective treatment. In tumors located at difficult regions to remove, as in the second case, optimal debulking and post operative steroid therapy was also effective in treating Kimura's. There were no recurrences in both cases. Eosinophil counts were always reduced after surgery and steroid therapy, and during the period with low eosinophil counts, there was no recurrence of Kimura's disease. Conclusion: Surgery and post operative steroid therapy were effective in treatment of Kimura's disease, and we could assume eosinophil counts as a good indicator for evaluation of the prognosis of Kimura's disease during the follow up period.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.82 no.4
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• pp.285-297
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• 2019

Connective tissue disease (CTD) is a collection of disorders characterized by various signs and symptoms such as circulation of autoantibodies in the entire system causing damage to internal organs. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) which is associated with CTD is referred to as CTD-ILD. Patients diagnosed with ILD should be thoroughly examined for the cooccurrence of CTD, since the treatment procedures and prognosis of CTD-ILD are vary from those of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia. The representative types of CTD which may accompany ILD include rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis (SSc), Sjogren's syndrome, mixed CTD, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, and systemic lupus erythematous. Of these, ILD most frequently co-exists with SSc. If an ILD is observed in the chest, high resolution computed tomography and specific diagnostic criteria for any type of CTD are met, then a diagnosis of CTD-ILD is made. It is challenging to conduct a properly designed randomized study on CTD-ILD, due to low incidence. Therefore, CTD-ILD treatment approach is yet to been established in absence of randomized controlled clinical trials, with the exception of SSc-ILD. When a patient is presented with acute CTD-ILD or if symptoms occur due to progression of the disease, steroid and immunosuppressive therapy are generally considered.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.120-132
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• 2021

Objectives: The prevalence of Parkinson's disease is on an upward trend along with an increase in the aging population but there is no available treatment that halts the progression of neurodegeneration. This study reports a numerical analysis on Donguibogam and suggests novel herbal drugs, which have never been researched before but found to be deemed effective in this study. Methods: Referring to 71 Korean medicine symptom terms that represent the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, 4170 prescriptions described in Donguibogam were classified into two groups based on whether their main effects were effective for Parkinson's disease or not. Comparing the two groups, the chi-square test was performed to select statistically significant herbs, while the t-test, Wilcoxon test, and descriptive statistics were performed to determine the appropriate dose. Results: One hundred and twenty-seven prescriptions effective for Parkinson's disease were identified. The chi-square test determined 17 herbs that are effective for symptomatic treatment. Among the medicinal herbs, the authors suggest Osterici seu Notopterygii Radix et Rhizoma, Ephedrae Herba, Aconiti Tuber, Myrrha, Sinomeni Caulis et Rhizoma, and Aconiti Kusnezoffii Tuber as herbal candidates that have never been studied for Parkinson's disease. Through the statistical tests, it was judged that the mean value of the dose of the entire prescription was the appropriate dose for each herb. Conclusions: Seventeen herbs were selected for Parkinson's disease and the appropriate daily dose were calculated. Furthermore, this study presented a new process that applies a statistical method to traditional medical literature and preselecting herbs deemed effective for specific diseases.

• Annals of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.180-188
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• 2023

Backgrounds/Aims: The present study looked at the role of radical surgery in gallbladder cancers (GBC) with limited metastatic disease. Methods: The retrospective observational study was conducted to screen the database from 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2019. Patients of GBC found to have low-volume metastatic disease upon surgical exploration were included. Results: Of the 1,040 patients operated for GBC, 234 patients had low-volume metastatic disease (microscopic disease in station 16b1 node or N2 disease isolated port-site metastases, or low burden peritoneal disease with deposits less than 1 cm, in adjacent omentum or adjacent diaphragm or Morrison's pouch or a solitary discontinuous liver metastasis in adjacent liver parenchyma) detected intraoperative. Of these, 62 patients underwent radical surgery for R-0 metastatic disease followed by systemic therapy, while the remaining 172 patients did not undergo radical surgery and were given palliative systemic chemotherapy. Patients who underwent radical surgery had significantly superior overall survival (19 months versus 12 months, p < 0.01) and superior progression-free survival (10 months versus 5 months, p < 0.01) when compared to the rest. This difference in survival was more significant amongst patients when operated on after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Regression analysis showed that a sub-group of patients with incidental GBC with limited metastases showed more favorable outcomes with radical surgery. Conclusions: Authors suggest a possible role for radical treatment of advanced GBC with a limited metastatic burden. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy can be used for preferentially selecting patients of favorable disease biology for curative treatment.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.410-413
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• 2012

Eosinophilic myelitis (EM) or atopic myelitis is a rare disease characterized by a myelitic condition in the spinal cord combined with allergic process. This disease has specific features of elevated serum IgE level, active reaction to mite specific antigen and stepwise progression of mostly the sensory symptoms. Toxocariasis can be related with a form of EM. This report describes two cases of cervical eosinophilic myelitis initially considered as intramedullary tumors. When a differential diagnosis of the intramedullary spinal cord lesion is in doubt, evaluation for eosinophilic myelitis and toxocariasis would be beneficial.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.234-236
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• 2011

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a common spinal disease in the elderly. The cardinal symptom of LSS is neurogenic claudication, but not all patients present with such typical symptom. The clinical symptoms are often confused with symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, musculo-skeletal disease and other medical conditions in elderly patients. In particular, LSS presenting with rapid progression of leg weakness must be distinguished from other combined diseases. We report a case of rapid progressive leg weakness in a patient with LSS and iatrogenic adrenal insufficiency that was induced by obscure health supplement.