• BMB Reports
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• 제56권7호
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• pp.374-384
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• 2023

Fibrosis is a pathological condition that is characterized by an abnormal buildup of extracellular matrix (ECM) components, such as collagen, in tissues. This condition affects various organs of the body, including the liver and kidney. Early diagnosis and treatment of fibrosis are crucial, as it is a progressive and irreversible process in both organs. While there are certain similarities in the fibrosis process between the liver and kidney, there are also significant differences that must be identified to determine molecular diagnostic markers and potential therapeutic targets. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a class of RNA molecules that do not code for proteins, are increasingly recognized as playing significant roles in gene expression regulation. Emerging evidence suggests that specific lncRNAs are involved in fibrosis development and progression by modulating signaling pathways, such as the TGF-β/Smad pathway and the β-catenin pathway. Thus, identifying the precise lncRNAs involved in fibrosis could lead to novel therapeutic approaches for fibrotic diseases. In this review, we summarize lncRNAs related to fibrosis in the liver and kidney, and propose their potential as therapeutic targets based on their functions.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제63권4호
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• pp.151-156
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• 2020

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most significant postoperative complications of pediatric cardiac surgery. Because serum creatinine has limitations as a diagnostic marker of AKI, new biomarkers including neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), and interleukin-18 (IL-18) are being evaluated to overcome these limitations and detect AKI at an early stage after cardiac surgery. Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the clinical usefulness of these biomarkers in young children. Methods: Thirty patients with congenital heart diseases who underwent cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were selected, and their urine and blood samples were collected at baseline and 6, 24, and 48 hours after surgery. Serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels as well as NGAL, KIM-1, and IL-18 levels in urine samples were measured, and clinical parameters were evaluated. Results: Of the 30 patients, 12 developed AKI within 48 hours after cardiac surgery. In the AKI group, 8 of 12 (66.6%) met AKI criteria after 24 hours, and urine KIM-1/creatinine (Cr) level (with adjustment of urine creatinine) peaked at 24 hours with significant difference from baseline level. Additionally, urine KIM-1/Cr level in the AKI group was significantly higher than in the non-AKI group at 6 hours. However, urine NGAL/Cr and IL-18/Cr levels showed no specific trend with time for 48 hours after cardiac surgery. Conclusion: It is suggested that urine KIM-1/Cr concentration could be considered a good biomarker for early AKI prediction after open cardiac surgery using CPB in young children with congenital heart diseases.

• 대한한의학방제학회지
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.187-194
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• 2009

The kidney toxicities of WK-38 used for improvement of the vascular diseases, was examined using male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. The male and female rats were divided into 4 groups for intragastrical treatment with doses of 0, 5, 50, and 500 mg/kg/day for 13 weeks, respectively. In all male and female rats treated with WK-38, no mortality and gross pathological findings were shown for 13 weeks. There was substantially no change in body weight in all rats with treatment of WK-38. Urine osmolality as renal functional parameters were not exchanged in all rats treated with WK-38. The renal functional parameters including electrolytes excretory rate, creatinine clearance, and solute-free water reabsorption were significantly augmented on account of increase in urinary volume in female rats treated with WK-38, but not male. In summary, this study demonstrates that WK-38 exhibits no toxicity on kidney in all male and female rats.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.40-45
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• 2022

Purpose: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has various underlying causes in children. Identification of the underlying causes of CKD is important. Genetic causes comprise a significant proportion of pediatric CKD cases. Methods: In this study, we performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) to identify genetic causes of pediatric CKD. From January to June 2021, WES was performed using samples from pediatric patients with CKD of unclear etiology. Results: Genetic causes were investigated using WES in 37 patients (17 males) with pediatric CKD stages 1 (n=5), 2 (n=7), 3 (n=2), 4 (n=2), and 5 (n=21). The underlying diseases were focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (n=9), congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract including reflux nephropathy (n=8), other glomerulopathies (n=7), unknown etiology (n=6), and others (n=7). WES identified genetic causes of CKD in 12 of the 37 patients (32.4%). Genetic defects were discovered in the COL4A4 (n=2), WT1 (n=2), ACTN4, CEP290, COL4A3, CUBN, GATA3, LAMA5, NUP107, and PAX2 genes. WT1 defects were found in patients whose pathologic diagnosis was membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, and identification of CUBN defects led to discontinuation of immunosuppressive agents. Genetic diagnosis confirmed the clinical diagnosis of hypoparathyroidism, sensorineural deafness, and renal disease; Alport syndrome; and Joubert syndrome in three of the patients with CKD of unknown etiology (COL4A4 [n=2], CUBN [n=1]). Extrarenal symptoms were considered phenotypic presentations of WT1, PAX2, and CEP290 defects. Conclusions: WES provided a genetic diagnosis that confirmed the clinical diagnosis in a significant proportion (32.4%) of patients with pediatric CKD.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제55권4호
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• pp.313-320
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• 2022

The KoreaN Cohort Study for Outcomes in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease (KNOW-CKD) was launched in 2011 with the support of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The study was designed with the aim of exploring the various clinical features and characteristics of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Koreans, and elucidating the risk factors for CKD progression and adverse outcomes of CKD. For the cohort study, nephrologists at 9 tertiary university-affiliated hospitals participated in patient recruitment and follow-up. Biostatisticians and epidemiologists also participated in the basic design and structuring of the study. From 2011 until 2016, the KNOW-CKD Phase I recruited 2238 adult patients with CKD from stages G1 to G5, who were not receiving renal replacement therapy. The KNOW-CKD Phase II recruitment was started in 2019, with an enrollment target of 1500 subjects, focused on diabetic nephropathy and hypertensive kidney diseases in patients with reduced kidney function who are presumed to be at a higher risk of adverse outcomes. As of 2021, the KNOW-CKD investigators have published articles in the fields of socioeconomics, quality of life, nutrition, physical activity, renal progression, cardiovascular disease and outcomes, anemia, mineral bone disease, serum and urine biomarkers, and international and inter-ethnic comparisons. The KNOW-CKD researchers will elaborate a prediction model for various outcomes of CKD such as the development of end-stage kidney disease, major adverse cardiovascular events, and death.

• 대한한의학원전학회지
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.21-28
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• 2008

After translating the contents of "Treatise on Bundon Disease in Chapter 8 of the Essence of the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber" and it was compared with the contents of "The Lecture of Synopsis of Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber" and speculated to review the characteristics of the comments of Ui(尤怡) and the following conclusions were made. As the causes of bundon(奔豚) disease, which means gas rushing like a running piggy from the lower abdomen to the throat, they could be categorized into the cases belongs to miscellaneous diseases (雜病) and into the cases of suffering from cold diseases(傷寒). If it was diagnosed as miscellaneous disease, terror and fear(驚恐) could be regarded as its cause and if it was diagnosed as cold disease, insufficiency of heart Gi(心氣) due to the excessive sweating and the invasion of exterior coldness could be regarded as its cause. As the pathogenesis of this disease, the pathogenic factors of liver and kidney could be found. Since the liver and Soyang meridian(少陽經) are subjected to the exterior and interior relation in case of the pathogenic factor of liver, alternate attacks of chills and fever(寒熱往來) could be characteristic for the disease. If this disease was caused by the pathogenic factor of kidney, there are two cases. One is the palpitation under the umbilicus(欲作奔豚: 臍下動悸) developed by the lack of heart Gi(心氣) and the other is gas rushing like a running piggy from the lower abdomen to the throat which could be developed by the exterior cold disease which invade into the interior and reach into the kidney when the heart Gi(心氣) was insufficient. In its treatment, bundon disease caused by the pathogenic factor of liver could be treated with Bundontang(奔豚湯), and the understanding of Ui(尤怡) on Pinellia ternata Breitenbach(半夏) having the effect of perspiration in the prescription is quite unique concept. In case of bundon disease caused by the pathogenic factor of kidney, treatment is focused to treat exterior coldness by applying moxibustion(灸) and Gyejigagyetang(桂技加桂湯), and in case of the palpitation under the umbilicus(欲作奔豚: 臍下動悸), its pathogenic factor of kidney is controlled with Cinnamomum louerii Nees(桂技), Polia cocos Walf and the spleen Gi(脾氣) is cared by using Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fischer et. De Candolle(甘草) and Zizyphus jujuba Mill(大棗). Especially, Ui(尤怡) emphasized Cinnamomum louerii Nees(桂技) as the medication to treat the pathogenic factor of kidney.

• 셀메드
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• 제4권3호
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• pp.16.1-16.8
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• 2014

The oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) has been reported to originate along the gulf of the guinea in West Africa. The various parts of the tree have been used locally and traditionally for various medicinal purposes. Some of these uses have been proved by scientific experiments. Palm oil is extracted from the mesocarp of the fruit and is used traditionally for the treatment of headaches, pains, rheumatism, cardiovascular diseases, arterial thrombosis and an atherosclerosis due to its rich phytonutrients. The leaves are also used for the treatment of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, kidney diseases and wound healing. The sap also has been found to be rich in phytonutrients that can be used to treat various diseases. This review therefore seeks to explore many of the uses of the oil palm using the various parts of the oil palm.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제11권4호
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• pp.224-229
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• 2013

Receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE) is a multi-ligand receptor that is able to bind several different ligands, including advanced glycation endproducts, high-mobility group protein (B)1 (HMGB1), S-100 calcium-binding protein, amyloid-${\beta}$-protein, Mac-1, and phosphatidylserine. Its interaction is engaged in critical cellular processes, such as inflammation, proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, and migration, and dysregulation of RAGE and its ligands leads to the development of numerous human diseases. In this review, we summarize the signaling pathways regulated by RAGE and its ligands identified up to date and demonstrate the effects of hyper-activation of RAGE signals on human diseases, focused mainly on renal disorders. Finally, we propose that RAGE and its ligands are the potential targets for the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of numerous renal diseases.

• 대한한의학원전학회지
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• 제34권1호
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• pp.89-102
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• 2021

Objectives : This paper aims to examine situations that were conceived as incurable at the time of publication of the 『Huangdineijing』. Methods : The texts of the 『Huangdineijing』 were searched for contents which included 'cannot be cured.' Next, the verses were examined within their context, after which those that specifically indicated 'incurability' were selected. These were categorized according to content, then organized to better show the situations that were seen as incurable to the authors of the 『Huangdineijing』. Results : The conditions deemed incurable in the 『Huangdineijing』 were bloody and purulent stool, ascites, tumors, some purulent inflammation, some infectious diseases with fever, wasting thirst, chronic kidney disorder, some diseases of the connective tissue, epilepsy, cardiac infarction, and cerebrovascular diseases. Internal damage due to acupuncture and poor patient attitude could also contribute to incurability. Conclusions : The authors of the 『Huangdineijing』 were unable to cure some conditions that are currently being cured by Korean Medicine.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.49-56
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• 2022

Mitophagy, the selective degradation of damaged or surplus mitochondria using core autophagy machinery, plays an essential role in maintaining cellular mitochondrial function. Impaired mitophagy is closely linked to various human diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, cancers and kidney disease. Defective mitophagy induces the accumulation of damaged mitochondria and thereby results in a decline in cellular survival and tissue function. Accordingly, enhancement of mitophagy has been proposed as a novel strategy for the treatment of human diseases closely linked to mitochondrial dysfunction. Recent studies showing that the stimulation of mitophagy has a therapeutic effect on several disease models highlight the possibility of disease treatment using mitophagy. The development of mitophagy inducers with toxicity and the identification of molecular mechanisms will enable the clinical application of mitophagy-based treatments.