• Title/Summary/Keyword: GI disease

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Cutoff Values for Diagnosing Hepatic Steatosis Using Contemporary MRI-Proton Density Fat Fraction Measuring Methods

  • Sohee Park;Jae Hyun Kwon;So Yeon Kim;Ji Hun Kang;Jung Il Chung;Jong Keon Jang;Hye Young Jang;Ju Hyun Shim;Seung Soo Lee;Kyoung Won Kim;Gi-Won Song
    • Korean Journal of Radiology
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    • v.23 no.12
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    • pp.1260-1268
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    • 2022
  • Objective: To propose standardized MRI-proton density fat fraction (PDFF) cutoff values for diagnosing hepatic steatosis, evaluated using contemporary PDFF measuring methods in a large population of healthy adults, using histologic fat fraction (HFF) as the reference standard. Materials and Methods: A retrospective search of electronic medical records between 2015 and 2018 identified 1063 adult donor candidates for liver transplantation who had undergone liver MRI and liver biopsy within a 7-day interval. Patients with a history of liver disease or significant alcohol consumption were excluded. Chemical shift imaging-based MRI (CS-MRI) PDFF and high-speed T2-corrected multi-echo MR spectroscopy (HISTO-MRS) PDFF data were obtained. By temporal splitting, the total population was divided into development and validation sets. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the MRI-PDFF method. Two cutoff values with sensitivity > 90% and specificity > 90% were selected to rule-out and rule-in, respectively, hepatic steatosis with reference to HFF ≥ 5% in the development set. The diagnostic performance was assessed using the validation set. Results: Of 921 final participants (624 male; mean age ± standard deviation, 31.5 ± 9.0 years), the development and validation sets comprised 497 and 424 patients, respectively. In the development set, the areas under the ROC curve for diagnosing hepatic steatosis were 0.920 for CS-MRI-PDFF and 0.915 for HISTO-MRS-PDFF. For ruling-out hepatic steatosis, the CS-MRI-PDFF cutoff was 2.3% (sensitivity, 92.4%; specificity, 63.0%) and the HISTO-MRI-PDFF cutoff was 2.6% (sensitivity, 88.8%; specificity, 70.1%). For ruling-in hepatic steatosis, the CS-MRI-PDFF cutoff was 3.5% (sensitivity, 73.5%; specificity, 88.6%) and the HISTO-MRI-PDFF cutoff was 4.0% (sensitivity, 74.7%; specificity, 90.6%). Conclusion: In a large population of healthy adults, our study suggests diagnostic thresholds for ruling-out and ruling-in hepatic steatosis defined as HFF ≥ 5% by contemporary PDFF measurement methods.

Antibody Response Induced by Two Doses of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, mRNA-1273, or BNT162b2 in Liver Transplant Recipients

  • So Yun Lim;Young-In Yoon;Ji Yeun Kim;Eunyoung Tak;Gi-Won Song;Sung-Han Kim;Sung-Gyu Lee
    • IMMUNE NETWORK
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    • v.22 no.3
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    • pp.24.1-24.12
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    • 2022
  • Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in immunocompromised, especially transplant recipients, may induce a weaker immune response. But there are limited data on the immune response after COVID-19 vaccination in liver transplant (LT) recipients, especially on the comparison of Ab responses after different vaccine platforms between mRNA and adenoviral vector vaccines. Thus, we conducted a prospective study on LT recipients who received two doses of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (ChAdOx1), mRNA-1273, or BNT162b2 vaccines compared with healthy healthcare workers (HCWs). SARS-CoV-2 S1-specific IgG Ab titers were measured using ELISA. Overall, 89 LT recipients (ChAdOx1, n=16 [18%]) or mRNA vaccines (mRNA-1273 vaccine, n=23 [26%]; BNT162b2 vaccine, n=50 [56%]) received 3 different vaccines. Of them, 16 (18%) had a positive Ab response after one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 62 (73%) after 2 doses. However, the median Ab titer after two doses of mRNA vaccines was significantly higher (44.6 IU/ml) than after two doses of ChAdOx1 (19.2 IU/ml, p=0.04). The longer time interval from transplantation was significantly associated with high Ab titers after two doses of vaccine (p=0.003). However, mycophenolic acid use was not associated with Ab titers (p=0.53). In conclusion, about 3-quarters of LT recipients had a positive Ab response after 2 doses of vaccine, and the mRNA vaccines induced higher Ab responses than the ChAdOx1 vaccine.

Clinical and Genetic Features of Korean Inherited Arrhythmia Probands

  • Joo Hee Jeong;Suk-Kyu Oh;Yun Gi Kim;Yun Young Choi;Hyoung Seok Lee;Jaemin Shim;Yae Min Park;Jun-Hyung Kim;Yong-Seog Oh;Nam-Ho Kim;Hui-Nam Pak;Young Keun On;Hyung Wook Park;Gyo-Seung Hwang;Dae-Kyeong Kim;Young-Ah Park;Hyoung-Seob Park;Yongkeun Cho;Seil Oh;Jong-Il Choi;Young-Hoon Kim
    • Korean Circulation Journal
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    • v.53 no.10
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    • pp.693-707
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    • 2023
  • Background and Objectives: Inherited arrhythmia (IA) is a more common cause of sudden cardiac death in Asian population, but little is known about the genetic background of Asian IA probands. We aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and analyze the genetic underpinnings of IA in a Korean cohort. Methods: This study was conducted in a multicenter cohort of the Korean IA Registry from 2014 to 2017. Genetic testing was performed using a next-generation sequencing panel including 174 causative genes of cardiovascular disease. Results: Among the 265 IA probands, idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (IVF) and Brugada Syndrome (BrS) was the most prevalent diseases (96 and 95 cases respectively), followed by long QT syndrome (LQTS, n=54). Two-hundred-sixteen probands underwent genetic testing, and 69 probands (31.9%) were detected with genetic variant, with yield of pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant as 6.4%. Left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly lower in genotype positive probands (54.7±11.3 vs. 59.3±9.2%, p=0.005). IVF probands showed highest yield of positive genotype (54.0%), followed by LQTS (23.8%), and BrS (19.5%). Conclusions: There were significant differences in clinical characteristics and genetic yields among BrS, LQTS, and IVF. Genetic testing did not provide better yield for BrS and LQTS. On the other hand, in IVF, genetic testing using multiple gene panel might enable the molecular diagnosis of concealed genotype, which may alter future clinical diagnosis and management strategies.

Pure laparoscopic versus open left lateral sectionectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma: A propensity score matching analysis

  • Se-Jong Bae;Hwui-Dong Cho;Ki-Hun Kim;Shin Hwang;Chul-Soo Ahn;Deok-Bog Moon;Tae-Yong Ha;Gi-Won Song;Dong-Hwan Jung;Gil-Chun Park;Young-In Yoon;Sung-Gyu Lee
    • Annals of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery
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    • v.26 no.2
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    • pp.133-137
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    • 2022
  • Backgrounds/Aims: Anatomical resection has superior oncologic outcomes over non-anatomical resection in hepatocellular carcinoma, and left lateral sectionectomy is the simplest and easiest perform anatomical resection procedure among liver resections. The purpose of this study was to find out the safety and feasibility of pure laparoscopic left lateral sectionectomy (PLLLS) for hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: Patients who underwent left lateral sectionectomy at a tertiary referral hospital, from August 2007 to April 2019 were enrolled in this retrospective study. After matching the 1 : 3 propensity score, 17 open and 51 pure laparoscopic cases were selected out of 102 cases of total left lateral resection for hepatocellular carcinoma. The group was analyzed in terms of patient demographics, preoperative data, and postoperative outcomes. Results: During the study period, there was no open conversion case. The mean operative time and complication were not statistically significant different between the two groups. There was no statistically significant difference in disease-free survival and overall survival had no statistical between the two groups. There were no mortality cases, and postoperative hospital stay was significantly shorter in the PLLLS group than in the open left lateral sectionectomy (OLLS) group. Conclusions: The oncologic outcomes and complication rate were the same in the PLLLS and OLLS groups. However, the hospital stay was shorter in the PLLLS group than in the OLLS group. The present study findings demonstrate that the PLLLS is a safe and feasible procedure for hepatocellular carcinoma.

A STUDY ON THE FIVE ELEMENT THEORY INTODUCED (<황제내경(黃帝內經)>에 유입(流入)된 오행학설(五行學說)에 관(關)한 연구(硏究))

  • Kim, Boo-Hwan;Park, Hyun-Kook
    • The Journal of Dong Guk Oriental Medicine
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    • v.1
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    • pp.161-191
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    • 1992
  • The purpose of this study is how have the form and theory of the five element theory in the (黃帝內徑) by the investigation of the course of the course of the five element introduced the ancient oriental medicine from ancient oriental philosophy. The following results were obtained. 1. The five elements in (尙書) meaned the uses of water, fire, earth, wood, metal which were important in living. Because these had very important meaning in ancient political and economic society, emphasized to big law(洪範) 2. The five elements in (左傳) and (國語) mean the five uses too, and there are the phases of "five win metal"(火勝金) and "wather win fire"(水勝火), but these only meaned the physical interrelation. 3. In the five circulating factor theory made by Chu Yen(鄒衍) which have the attribute of the five elements, he more reasonably had argued human affairs like that a dynasty become different in step with the circulating five favors. There is the regular annual policy in the (呂氏春秋) which closely connected nature and human living, and attached the various colors, animals, visceras, flavors, sounds, the sexagenary cycle and so on to the five elements. 4. In the (春秋繁露) writed in fore-period of Han(漢) dynasty, the interactions of the five elements are concretely applicated to policy, Dong Jung Soe(童仲舒) had discrived the interactions of the five elements by Dong Lyu Sang Dong theory(同類相動說) and the misfortune theory(災異說), emphasized the sympathy of nature and human. Thought there is many content which are superstitious and contradictory, I concider which that affcted many effects in the formation of five element theory of oriental medicine. In the (淮南子) the order of matters were explained by the five element theory too, as the interrelations of the five elements were explained by the sexagenary ctcle, I assume that the bud of O-Un theory(五運理論). And there was not founded the fullscale intriduction of the five element theory in the Ma Wang Tye(馬王堆) excavated finds, the Mu Yyi medical writings formed the dynasty(武威漢代醫簡) and the documents about Pyun Jak(偏鵲) and Sun U Ie(淳于意). 5. The application of the five element theory in the (Whang Di Nei Qing) (黃帝內徑) is devided into the attachement to the five elements, the interelations of the five elments, and Un Gi theery(運氣論). In the attachment to the five elemeant theory, it made the attachment of the five viseras of (今文尙書) party a standard and attached the sections of a human body, the whole internal organs of sense, the five colors, the five flavors and the five sounds and so on to the five elements. It put to use by means of the apllivation of the interrelation of the five elements in the transferations of the diseases and the relative severeness of a disease in step with change of time and season. Un Gi theory(運氣論) which synthesized by the attachment to the five elements, the inter-relations of the five elements and the climate which observerd from ancient times systematically argued the effects of weather to human. 6. The application of the five elements theory in (黃帝內徑) have the significant what had get rid of irrational factors like that the emotion and action of human could to influense the weather, what had been formes more rational thingking by the obesrvation of human and nature. It is required more reserches about the possibility of the formation of the doctrinal faction bt the geographical effect of the Yon, Je(燕,薺) region, the application of the five element theory in other ancient medical books and the relationship of the five element theory and Yin Yang(陰陽)

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Clinical Features of Henoch-Schönlein Purpura Gastroenteropathy without Purpura before Diagnosis (진단 전에 자반이 동반되지 않았던 Henoch-Schönlein 자반 위장병증의 임상적 고찰)

  • Oh, Jae Min;Park, Jae Hong
    • Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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    • v.7 no.1
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    • pp.54-60
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    • 2004
  • Purpose: Henoch-$Sch{\ddot{o}}nlein$ purpura (HSP) is a small-vessel vasculitic disease that most often affects the skin. Abdominal symptoms precede the typical purpuric rash of HSP in 14~36%. It is a challenge to diagnose HSP in the absence of a rash, because there are no biologic tests that can identify HSP with certainty, so we tried to find out the characteristic features of HSP gastroenteropathy without purpura before diagnosis. Methods: This study included 82 children with HSP who had been admitted or visited outward of the Department of Pediatrics, Pusan National University Hospital from 1995 to 2000. The cases that the onset of purpura preceded or coincided that of abdominal pain were defined as purpura-positive group. The cases that the onset of abdominal pain preceded purpura more than 1 week and purpura was not presented till diagnosed as HSP gastroenteropathy were defined as purpura-negative group. We compared and analyzed the clinical features of the two groups by reviewing the medical records retrospectively. To ensure the diagnosis of HSP gastroenteropathy, we conducted upper GI series, abdominal ultrasonogram, abdominal CT, endoscopy and/or skin biopsy. Results: The number of cases of purpura-positive group and purpura-negative group were 72 and 10, respectively. There is no difference between two groups in the incidence of clinical symptoms and laboratory findings. Children with HSP gastroenteropathy had characteristic erosive or ulcerative lesions in the stomach or duodenum on esophagogastroduodenoscopy, or mural thickening of the small bowel on abdominal ultrasonogram, CT or upper GI series. Skin biopsy revealed leukocytoclastic vasculitis in 3 of them, although biopsy specimen was taken from any areas of normal- appearing skin. In purpura-negative group, 9 patients improved by steroid therapy. Conclusion: In purpura-negative group, there is no diagnostic feature on the laboratory findings and clinical features. Therefore, to diagnose HSP gastroenteropathy in patients with abdominal pain in the absence of the characteristic rash, careful observation of clinical features and laboratory data, and prompt application of available diagnostic tools such as gastrointestinal endoscopy, radiologic study and skin biopsy are recommended. Early use of corticosteroid may reduce the suffering in these patients.

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Evaluate Utility of Thyroid Incidentaloma Discrimination by $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT Delay Scan Images ($^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT검사에서 지연영상을 이용한 갑상선 우연종 감별의 유용성 평가)

  • Lee, Hyun-Kuk;Yang, Seoung-Oh;Song, Gi-Deok;Song, Chi-Ock;Lee, Gi-Heun
    • The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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    • v.12 no.3
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    • pp.184-191
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    • 2008
  • Purpose: To evaluate the degree of malignancy of incident thyroid lesion found in $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT findings and the usefulness of the method suggested in this study, we applicate the Delay Scan Method that differentiate a false positive benign tumor, inflammation and malignancy, as well as make the criteria of SUV. Materials and Methods: A retrograde study was conducted of 800 patients who were admitted in E hospital to receive $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT examination. One patient who was diagnosed as primary thyroid cancer and received $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT examination was excluded. The number of final patients of this study was 799, the reasons of $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT examination of these patients were follow-up of old cancer or suspicious tumorous lesion in 696 and disease screening in 103. $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT image photographing was taken in Biograph-Duo made by SIEMENS, after taking normal $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT image (1 hr) and then 1 hr later we took the thyroid 1 bed-delayed image for the patients who showed abnormal thyroid $^{18}F$-FDG uptake and above 2.0 SUV for 2 minutes every 1 bed. For the patients who showed abnormal thyroid uptake and above 2.0 SUV, 1 hr later, we took a 1 bed-delayed image and then made a comparative study between measured $SUV_{max}$ of 1 hr-abnormal uptake image and that of 2 hr-delayed image. Results and Conclusion: In this $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT study among the patients who showed incidental $^{18}F$-FDG thyroidal uptake the number of thyroid incidentaloma was 5 (0.63%), all of then showed benign findings. And in the case of incidental $^{18}F$-FDG uptake in thyroid, $SUV_{max}$ variance obtained from 2 hr delayed image can be a indirect criteria in differentiating benign tumor from malignancy and decrease finding error. In the cases found thyroid incidentaloma when 1) $SUV_{max}$ of focal thyroid lesion is above 5.0 and 2) $SUV_{max}$ variance between normal $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT exam and 2 hr delayed is $1.0{\pm}0.5$, they are suspected as malignancy and confirming biopsy is to be followed. Otherwise, I also think that distinct follow-up PET or CT image study is a reasonable diagnostic method.

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A Study on the Blood-Letting Therapy in Elementary Questions (("황제내경소문(黃帝內經素問)" 중(中) 사혈(瀉血)에 관한 연구(硏究))

  • Lee, Jun-Geun
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Oriental Medical Informatics
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    • v.14 no.1
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    • pp.19-42
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    • 2008
  • Blood-Letting Therapy is a rational and ecological medical treatment by which we can heal most of the diseases by removing the static blood which precipitates in the blood vessel and blocks the flowing of blood. And the static blood is the generic term for the injurious, bad, dead and precipitated blood which is blocked the capillary vessel. The Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine says that "the patient is treated with drugs internally and stone acupuncture externally. "In the old texts, the blood-letting therapy is mentioned as blood-letting, network vessel pricking, bloodletting, pricking, and arousing pulses etc and it is noted down as the method of network vessel pricking in 'On the Application of Needles' of Spiritual Pivot. Nine-pricking therapy, twelve-pricking therapy and five-pricking therapy are recorded in the methods of network vessel pricking and among them, the method of squeezing blood after pricking the affected part is explained as the network vessel pricking. There are four methods of network vessel pricking, pricking, picking, cluster needling and scatter-pricking and they are fluidly applied to the various symptoms of diseases. In 'On Discriminative Treating for Patients of Different Regions' in Elementary Questions, Ki-baek emphasizes "most of the local people, there are black in skin and loose in striate, and their diseases are mostly of carbuncle kind. It is suitable to treat the disease with stone therapy to prick with stone, so the stone therapy is transmitted from the east. "And in 'On the Corresponding Relation Between the Eum and Yang of Man and All Things' in Elementary Questions, when the Emperor asked Ki-Back, he answered "sthenia means the sthenia of evil, and deficiency means the deficiency of healthy energy. When the blood is sthenic, the evil should be discharged by pricking when out letting the blood; deficiency of vital energy is the asthenia of channels and network vessels, so the energy should drain from the channel which is not deficient, to replenish. "And in this case we can use the methods of 'Breaking out the static bloods', 'driving out the static bloods', blood-letting'. With this we can infer that the blood-letting therapy is made use of the important medical treatments from the ancient times. Especially in referring to the principles of treatment in The Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine, it mostly alluded to acupuncture therapies and only eleven times to medicinal treatments. This is to verify that the blood-letting therapy formed the foundation of the medical art. In Dong's Therapy of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Bloodletting, Dong Kyeong-Chang gave emphasis on the points that there must be extravasated bloods without exception in the serious illnesses which is old, unnatural, accompanying acute pains and so we can revive our body‘s sprit by circulating 'gi' and static blood piled up in the network vessel, regulating the weakness and strength, and controling the disharmony of the internal organs. The blood-letting therapy has effect on the orifice in emergency, such as fore draining, freeing network vessels, harmonizing gi and blood, relieving pain, dispersing swelling and concretion, sedation, resolving toxin as well as strengthening the heart, relieving itching. So it has distinguished effect on all kinds of medical treatment to the modern people. But by the change of social customs and the confucianism of confucius - it is widely spread on the period of North and South Dynasties, 'Wi' and 'Jin' in china and the period of the Three States in korea - The blood-letting therapy which was regarded as the most important medicinal treatment withered rapidly. And Confucius accentuated the importance of our body and all its members, loyalty and filial piety and banned any damage of our body under no circumstances. As a result of it, the therapy of blood-letting had a rapid decrease and barely kept itself in existence in both countries. What is worse, at the period of Japanese colonial rule of korea and our nation's founding of early stage, it has been withered by the high-handed policy to change Oriental Medicine into modern medical science. So the therapy of blood-letting barely kept itself in existence in some Buddhist temples. Another case, it has handed down as a old-fashioned quick fix in folk remedies. But all kinds of the contamination of heavy metals and the misuses of antibiotics are widely spread nowadays, which increased diseases of adult people and incurable diseases as modern society unavoidably made its way into a highly industrial society. To make us more miserable, the western medical science - the antibiotics and surgical operation medical science - already reveals itself into a limit. The necessity of a new medical science which can give a security to the patients who are suffering from the diseases of adult people and the incurable diseases is especially come into the force nowadays. In view of the results after bibliographically studying on the blood-letting Therapy in Elementary Questions of the Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine, the blood-letting therapy has acted for the important Oriental medicinal science and has been clarified the prominent effects on the diseases of adult people and the incurable diseases. So it is regarded as an appropriate thing that we lay out a determined theory of the blood-letting therapy and of course prevent the unwanted side effects from inappropriate medicinal treatments, and make full use of clinic by elevating the curative value and that we win back our self-respect of medical treatment which is dominated from the western medical science and ultimately contribute to national medical welfare.

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Cerebrolysin Attenuates Astrocyte Activation Following Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Implications for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (만성외상성뇌병증과 관련된 반복적 경도 외상성뇌손상(rmTBI)모델에서 cerebrolysin의 별아교 세포활성 억제효과)

  • Kang, Hyun Bae;Kim, GiHun;Kim, HyunJoong;Han, Sa Rang;Chae, Dong Jin;Song, Hee-Jung;Kim, Dong Woon
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.23 no.9
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    • pp.1096-1103
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    • 2013
  • Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is common in athletes, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease and a long-term consequence of repetitive closed head injuries. CTE is regarded as a chronic brain syndrome due to the effects of repetitive traumatic brain injury (TBI). Because neurotrophic factors are neuroprotective in models of brain and spinal cord injuries, we examined the effects of cerebrolysin, a mixture of various neurotrophic factors, on brain pathology in a mouse model of repetitive mild TBI (rmTBI), which is a good model of CTE. Five groups were created and treated as follows: groups 1 and 2: rmTBI for 4 weeks following cerebrolysin injection for 4 weeks; groups 3 and 4: rmTBI for 8 weeks with or without cerebrolysin injection for 4 weeks; group 5: control. We found that p-tau expression was increased in the pyramidal layer of the cortex and hippocampus, particularly the CA3 region, but not in the CA1 region and the dentate gyrus (DG). Intra-tail vein administration of cerebrolysin ($10{\mu}l$ of 1 mg/ml) after/during rmTBI treatment reduced p-tau expression in both the cortex and hippocampus. Histological analysis revealed mild astrocyte activation (increased expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)) but not microglia activation (ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (iba-1) expression) and peripheral macrophage infiltration (CD45). Additionally, administration of cerebrolysin after rmTBI resulted in reduced astrocyte activation. These observations in rmTBI demonstrated that cerebrolysin treatment reduces phosphorylation of tau and astrocyte activation, attenuates brain pathology, and mitigates function deficits in TBI. Taken together, our observations suggest that cerebrolysin has potential therapeutic value in CTE.

Long-term Prognostic Value of Dipyridamole Stress Myocardial SPECT (디피리다몰 부하 심근관류 SPECT의 장기예후 예측능)

  • Lee, Dong-Soo;Cheon, Gi-Jeong;Jang, Myung-Jin;Kang, Won-Jun;Chung, June-Key;Lee, Myoung-Mook;Lee, Myung-Chul;Kang, Wee-Chang;Lee, Young-Jo
    • The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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    • v.34 no.1
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    • pp.39-54
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    • 2000
  • Purpose: Dipyridamole stress myocardial perfusion SPECT could predict prognosis, however, long-term follow-up showed change of hazard ratio in patients with suspected coronary artery disease. We investigated how long normal SPECT could predict the benign prognosis on the long-term follow-up. Materials and Methods: We followed up 1169 patients and divided these patients into groups in whom coronary angiography were performed and were not. Total cardiac event rate and hard event rate were predicted using clinical, angiographic and SPECT findings. Predictive values of normal and abnormal SPECT were examined using survival analysis with Mantel-Haenszel method, multivariate Cox proportional hazard model analysis and newly developed statistical method to test time-invariance of hazard rate and changing point of this rate. Results: Reversible perfusion decrease on myocardial perfusion SPECT predicted higher total cardiac event rate independently and further to angiographic findings. However, myocardial SPECT showed independent but not incremental prognostic values for hard event rate. Hazard ratio of normal perfusion SPECT was changed significantly (p<0.001) and the changing point of hazard rate was 4.4 years of follows up. However, the ratio of abnormal SPECT was not. Conclusion: Dipyridamole stress myocardial perfusion SPECT provided independent prognostic information in patients with known and suspected coronary artery disease. Normal perfusion SPECT predicted least event rate for 4.4 years.

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