• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 2013

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal world-wide gynecological disease among women due to the lack of molecular biomarkers to diagnose the disease at an early stage. In addition, there are few well established relevant animal models for research on human ovarian cancer. For instance, rodent models have been established through highly specialized genetic manipulations, but they are not an excellent model for human ovarian cancer because histological features are not comparable to those of women, mice have a low incidence of tumorigenesis, and they experience a protracted period of tumor development. However, the laying hen is a unique and highly relevant animal model for research on human ovarian cancer because they spontaneously develop epithelial cell-derived ovarian cancer (EOC) as occurs in women. Our research group has identified common histological and physiological aspects of ovarian tumors from women and laying hens, and we have provided evidence for several potential biomarkers to detect, monitor and target for treatment of human ovarian cancers based on the use of both genetic and epigenetic factors. Therefore, this review focuses on ovarian cancer of laying hens and relevant regulatory mechanisms, based on genetic and epigenetic aspects of the disease in order to provide new information and to highlight the advantages of the laying hen model for research in ovarian carcinogenesis.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.174-177
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• 2014

Adenomyosis is a common gynecological disorder characterized by the presence of endometrial glands and stroma deep within the myometrium associated with myometrial hypertrophy and hyperplasia. Focal uterine infarction after IVF-ET in a patient with adenomyosis following biochemical pregnancy has not been previously reported, although it occurs after uterine artery embolization in order to control symptoms caused by fibroids or adenomyosis. We report a case of a nulliparous woman who had uterine adenomyosis presenting with fever, pelvic pain and biochemical abortion after undergoing an IVF-ET procedure and the detection of a slightly elevated serum hCG. Focal uterine infarction was suspected after a pelvic magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated preserved myometrium between the endometrial cavity and inner margin of the necrotic myometrium. This case demonstrates that focal uterine infarction should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding and infectious signs in women experiencing biochemical abortion after an IVF-ET procedure.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.221-228
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• 2020

Background: Angelica gigas Nakai, that belong to the Umbelliferae family, is one of the traditional medicinal plants in Korea. Its roots have been used to treat gynecological diseases. In this study, growth characteristics and index components were compared with the forest microclimate at several forest sites. Methods and Results: A. gigas was planted in three climatic zones according to the temperature (southern temperature zone - Hamyang, central temperature zone - Bonghwa, and northern temperature zone - Jeongseon) and growth characteristics were investigated in comparison with the forest microclimate. Our results indicated that the root diameter and length, and fresh and dry weight were the highest in Jeongseon. The total content of decursin was the highest in Jeongseon (9.52%), followed by those in Hamyang (8.07%) and Bonghwa (7.48%), respectively. Additionally, the yield of decursin (1.39 g) was the highest in Jeongseon. Conclusions: The yield and index components were influenced by the microclimate in the forests, and it was assumed that high altitude and low temperature affected the increase in growth and index components. These results will be useful as basic data to study the correlation among environmental conditions, growth, and index components.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.18
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• pp.8599-8604
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• 2016

Ovarian cancer is the main cause of mortality in gynecological malignancy and extensive studies have been conducted to study the underlying molecular mechanisms. The BRCA2 gene is known to be an important tumor suppressor in ovarian cancer, thereby BRCA2 alterations may lead to cancer progression. However, the BRCA2 gene is rarely mutated, and loss of function is suspected to be mediated by epigenetic regulation. In this study we investigated the methylation status and gene expression of BRCA2 in ovarian cancer patients. Ovarian cancer pateints (n=69) were recruited and monitored for 54 months in this prospective cohort study. Clinical specimens were used to study the in situ expression of aberrant BRCA2 proteins and the methylation status of BRCA2. These parameters were then compared with clinical parameters and overall survival rate. We found that BRCA2 methylation was found in the majority of cases (98.7%). However, the methylation status was not associated with protein level expression of BRCA2 (49.3%). Therefore in addition to DNA methylation, other epigenetic mechanisms may regulate BRCA2 expresison. Our findings may become evidence of BRCA2 inactivation mechanism through DNA methylation in the Indonesian population. More importantly, from multivariate analysis, BRCA2 expression was correlated with better overall survival (HR 0.32; p=0.05). High percentage of BRCA2 methylation and correlation of BRCA2 expression with overall survival in epithelial ovarian cancer cases may lead to development of treatment modalities specifically to target methylation of BRCA genes.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.97-107
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• 2014

The placenta is a temporary fetomaternal organ capable of supporting fetal growth and development during pregnancy. In particular, abnormal development and dysfunction of the placenta due to cha nges in the proliferation, differentiation, cell death, and invasion of trophoblasts induce several gynecological diseases as well as abnormal fetal development. Autophagy is a catalytic process that maintains cellular structures by recycling building blocks derived from damaged microorganelles or proteins resulting from digestion in lysosomes. Additionally, autophagy is necessary to maintain homeostasis during cellular growth, development, and differentiation, and to protect cells from nutritional deficiencies or factors related to metabolism inhibition. Induced autophagy by various environmental factors has a dual role: it facilitates cellular survival in normal conditions, but the cascade of cellular death is accelerated by over-activated autophagy. Therefore, cellular death by autophagy has been known as programmed cell death type II. Autophagy causes or inhibits cellular death via the other mechanism, apoptosis, which is programmed cell death type I. Recently, it has been reported that autophagy increases in placenta-related obstetrical diseases such as preeclampsia and intrauterine growth retardation, although the mechanisms are still unclear. In particular, abnormal autophagic mechanisms prevent trophoblast invasion and inhibit trophoblast functions. Therefore, the objectives of this review are to examine the characteristics and functions of autophagy and to investigate the role of autophagy in the placenta and the trophoblast as a regulator of cell death.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.197-204
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• 2005

The general conception of morbid leukorrhea is confused in its clinical application. Therefore, this studt was conducted to examine this conception based on terminology of morbid leukorrhea centering around historical literatures. The result of this study is summarized as follows. 1. Morbid leukorrhea had been considered as a disease of all women before Shou period, and then it was subdivided. 2. It was shown that morbid leukorrhea, spontaneous emission, whitish and turbid urine, and dysentery were treated by the same mwthod because their exposed regions and conditions were very similar. For this reason, it was confused to define terminology of morbid leukorrhea. 3. It was also shown that there existed both terminologies of morbid leukoeehea, as its conception in a board sense, even in Sikryoboncho. After that, however, only terminology of morbid leukorrhea was used. Currently, these terminologies tended to be used together. 4. In case of its conception in a board sense, morbid leukorrhea means all gynecological disease and syndrome of the lower burner which cause diseases in the belt channel 5. In case of its conceptio of a narrow sense, morbid leukorrhea implies disease in the front middle regions of channels and collacterals, which has been recntly considered as secretions of women.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.42 no.sup1
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• pp.101-109
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• 2008

Cervix cancer is one of common gynecological cancers in the world, and staged with FIGO or TNM system. However, these clinical staging systems lack information about lymph node or distant metastases, thus imaging modalities are considered to make an appropriate therapeutic plan and enhance overall survival rate. In this context, FDG PET is recommended to pre-treatment stating and prognosis prediction, for it could noninvasively evaluate the status of lymph nodes, especially abdominal paraaortic nodes which are closely related with prognosis. Moreover, the degree of FDG uptake is correlated with prognosis. Although there is no consistent method for surveillance of cervix cancer, FDG PET seems a very important tool in detecting tumor recurrence because it is much more advantageous than conventional imaging modalities such as MRI for discerning recurrent tumor from fibrosis caused by radiation or surgery. Furthermore, FDG PET could be used to evaluate treatment response. On the other hand, recently introduced PET/CT is expected to play an ancillary role to FIGO staging by adding anatomical information, and enhance diagnostic performance of PET by decreasing false positive findings.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.23-31
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of dehydration from preoperative fasting on postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients who underwent gynecologic surgeries. Methods: Study design was a prospective descriptive study. A total of 75 patients in a university hospital were selected. Data were collected from March 17 to May 16, 2014 using self-report questionnaires and clinical electronic chart. Results: Factors influencing the development of postoperative nausea and vomiting were type of surgery (t=3.44, p=.001), use of PCA (t=-2.16, p=.034), and preoperative dehydration level (t=5.93, p<.001), and these variables accounted for 51.7% of postoperative nausea and vomiting. Among these variables, preoperative dehydration amount (${\beta}=.56$) showed the largest influence in the difference in postoperative nausea and vomiting. Conclusion: Reducing dehydration during preoperative fasting can prevent occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting. Development of a clinical guideline is necessary to give directions for the prevention of dehydration during preoperative fasting and to ensure the proper duration of fasting according to patient characteristics, type of surgery and time of surgery.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.312-321
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare health promotion behavior, post-traumatic growth and quality of life according to the stages of survivorship in patients with female genital neoplasm. Methods: Data were collected from August 1st, 2011 to September 31st 2011 from 142 gynecologic cancer patients who completed treatment or were treated at an out-patient clinic. The instrument were HPLP developed by Walker, Sechrist & Pender, PTGI developed by Tedeschi & Calhoun, and Korean C-QOL. Results: Health promotion behavior scores were significantly higher in the acute survival stage than the extended survival stage. Post-traumatic growth score was higher in the acute survival stage than the extended survival stage. The quality of life scores were higher in the lasting survival stage than the extended survival stage. Conclusion: Gynecological cancer patients in the extended survival stage reported low scores of health promotion behavior, post-traumatic growth and quality of life. Intervention needed to be developed to improve health promotion behavior, post-traumatic growth and quality of life for patients with female genital neoplasm in the extended survival stage.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.15
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• pp.6397-6400
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• 2015

Cervical cancer is the second most common gynecological malignancy worldwide. According to HPV Information Centre, Spain (Aug'2014), in India approximately 1,22,844 women are diagnosed with the disease every year and of them 67,477 die due to the disease. CaCx is said to be mediated by HPV but recent data published reveal the role of Oxidative Stress in different Cancers. Arsenic is also one of the agents for causing Oxidative Stress. Arsenic has been linked with different types of cancer. Arsenic is considered responsible for generation of free radicals and eventually for apoptosis. Early diagnosis of CaCx is presently a matter of concern and clinical presentation in advanced stages become difficult for complete clinical response. For determination of oxidative stress, Malondialdehyde (MDA) was taken as an identifier and arsenic estimation was performed with the help of Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS). RBC count and Haemoglobin levels were performed according to standard protocol. MDA was in direct proportion with arsenic concentration and inversely proportional to RBC and Haemoglobin in CaCx patients. Arsenic is one of the major causative agents for oxidative stress and hence may be a risk factor leading to cancer including CaCx.