• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.9
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• pp.1136-1141
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• 2008

This study was to investigate antiwrinkle effect of mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) methanol extract in hairless mouse skin induced by UVB-irradiation. Hairless mouse were topically treated with the basic lotion alone (control), ascorbic acid (AA-0.5%, AA-1.0%, AA-2.0%, and AA-5.0%) and mugwort extract (ME-0.5%, ME-1.0%, ME-2.0%, and ME-5.0%) dissolved in a basic lotion. After topical treatment of 30 minutes, the animals were irradiated with increasing doses of UVB radiation ($60{\sim}100\;mJ/cm^2$) for 4 weeks. In our experimental condition, skin thickness of hairless mouse was significantly decreased ($12.5{\sim}21.4%$) in all ME groups compared with control group. Ra value, that is surface roughness parameter induced by skin wrinkling, was significantly decreased ($23.7{\sim}31.1%$) in ME-1.0%, 2.0% and 5.0% group compared with control group. Furthermore, Rq, Rz and Rt value were significantly decreased to $11.2{\sim}21.2%$, $19.8%{\sim}24.5%$, and $14.2%{\sim}22.7%$, respectively. Wrinkle formation of ascorbic acid treatment group as reference group was inhibited, but its effect was less than ME treatment. Matrix metalloproteinase-1 activity was significantly inhibited ($19.7{\sim}22.6%$) compared with control group and collagen content was significantly increased (about 10%) when compared with control group. These results indicate that ME could protect skin aging and wrinkle formation in hairless mouse from photo-irradiation.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.5 no.4 s.20
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• pp.295-303
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• 2005

The Korean laparoscopic Gastrointestinal Surgery Study Group made a survey of laparoscopic gastric surgeries which were performed in Korea during 2004. Thirty-eight surgeons from 36 Institutions responded to the questionnaires. One thousand eighty-nine laparoscopic gastric operations were performed during 2004. The cumulative number from 1995 to 2004 was about 2,386. Seven hundred fifty-four operations for a gastric adenocarcinoma were performed during 2004 which is almost two times the number performed during 2003. Laparoscopic radical procedures, such as a laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy or total gastrectomy (LADG and LATG) have increased rapidly since 2001 (55 cases in 2001, 150 cases in 2002, 364 cases in 2003 and 738 cases in 2004). Especially, laparoscopic total gastrectomies were explosively adopted last year (20 cases in 2003 and 112 cases in 2004). However, laparoscopic function-preserving gastrectomies, which included one laparoscopy-assisted pylorus-preserving gastrectomy and laparoscopy-assisted proximal gastrectomy, are rarely performed at this time. One hundred forty-two wedge resections for a gastric submucosal tumor were performed during 2004. Hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) was performed in 39 cases in 2001, 55 in 2002, and 49 in 2003; however, only 5 such surgeries were performed during 2004. In 2003, laparoscopic bariatric surgery began, and during 2004, 49 operations were performed. In terms of indications of laparoscopic gastric surgery for adenocarcinoma, 19 surgeons performed a LADG only for a T1 lesion, and 7 surgeons extended their indications to T2N0 lesions. In the near future, laparoscopic procedures for gastric cancer will be widely adopted in Korea if the medical-insurance obstacle is overcome, and the long-term survival results are verified.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.5 no.4 s.20
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• pp.288-294
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• 2005

Purpose: Superficially spreading (SS) early gastric cancer (EGC) is characterized by wide horizontal extension without deep vertical invasion. It is a relatively rare form of EGC, and it's clinicopathological (C-P) characteristics are not evident. This study aimed to clarify their C-P characteristics. Materials and Methods: We defined SS EGC as invading less than the submucosal layer that measured more than 60 mm in diameter or wider than $5{\times}5cm \;(25cm^2)$ in width. The C-P characteristics and prognosis were compared between 69 patients with SS EGC and 319 patients with the common type EGC (EGC except SS type). Results: For SS EGC lymph node metastases, Lauren's diffuse type, lymphatic invasion were significantly higher than in common type EGC. In patients with SS EGC, all of the metastatic lymph nodes were anatomically distributed within the paragastric region, with fewer along the left gastric artery and common hepatic artery. In 6 cases of SS EGC with resection marqins less than 10 mm, there was no death during the follow-up period (4 to 13 years after operation) if margins were not involved. Age (>58 yrs), tumor site (upper 1/3), lymph node metastasis, submucosal invasion were statistically significant poor prognostic factor in univariate survival analysis. In multivariate survival analysis, age and lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic factors. However, tumor diameter or width was not a significant prognostic factor. Conclusion: Although SS EGC has histologically distinct properties, gastrectomy with free surgical margins and appropriate lymph node dissection $(D1+{\beta})$ could be a suitable treatment.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.285-289
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• 2006

Background : North Korea's economic and public health problems began in the early 1990s as a result of the gradual loss of economic support from its communist allies, combined with an inordinate number of natural disasters. The decline in public health has increased the incidence of tuberculosis in North Koreans and refugees. This study investigated tuberculosis situation in North Korean refugees in order to prepare for the future impact of tuberculosis control in Korea. Material and Methods : From 2001 to 2005, tuberculosis patients among North Korean refugees who were diagnosed before or after arriving in South Korea, based on the official records of OO hospital, were enrolled in this study. The demographic and clinical data of the cases were evaluated retrospectively. Results : A total of 42 TB cases were reviewed during the study period. Of these, 37 (88.1%) cases were pulmonary TB. based on the cases identified among the number of North Korean refugees' arriving each year, the annual incidence of pulmonary TB were 900 per 100,000 in 2004, 700 in 2003, The number of smear-positive patients was 20 (47.6%) and the number of culture-positive patients was 18 (42.9%). Of the M. tuberculosis isolates, 2 cases were found to be susceptible to all anti-TB drugs available, 4 were resistant to isoniazid, and 3 were multi-drug resistant. Conclusion : The prevalence of pulmonary TB in North Korean Refugees is high. In addition, North Korean refugees suffer from more severe tuberculosis in bacteriological and radiological aspects.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.60 no.4
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• pp.419-425
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• 2006

Background : Severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) can develop into respiratory failure that requires mechanical ventilation (MV), which is associated with a higher rate of mortality. It was recently reported that a hydrocortisone infusion in severe CAP patients was associated with a significant reduction in the length of the hospital stay and mortality. This study evaluated efficacy of a hydrocortisone infusion for patients with severe CAP requiring MV. Methods : From February 2005 to July 2005, 13 patients (M : F = 10 : 3, mean age: $68.6{\pm}14.1years$), who were diagnosed with severe CAP and required MV, were enrolled in this study. Hydrocortisone was administered as an intravenous 200mg loading bolus, which was followed by an infusion at a rate of 10mg/hour for 7 days. The control group was comprised of patients with severe CAP requiring MV but in whom corticosteroid was not used before study period. The clinical and physiologic parameters on or by day 8 and the outcome in the hydrocortisone infusion group were compared with those in the control group. Results : 1) There was no significant difference in age, gender ratio, SAPS II, SOFA score, temperature, leukocyte count, PaO2/FiO2 (P/F) ratio, the number of patients with P/F ratio < 200, chest radiograph score, lung injury score and catecholamine-dependent septic shock between the hydrocortisone infusion group and control group at day 1. 2) At day 8, the proportion of patients with an improvement in the P/F ratio ${\geq}100$ and the chest radiograph score was significantly higher in the hydrocortisone infusion group than in the control group (61.5% vs. 15.4%, 76.9% vs. 23.1%, p< 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the other clinical and physiologic parameters. 3). There was no significant difference in the duration of the MV, ICU stay, hospital stay and 10th and 30th day mortality between the two groups. Conclusion : Hydrocortisone infusion for patients with severe CAP requiring invasive mechanical ventilation may be effective in improving the level of oxygenation and the chest radiograph score.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.62 no.4
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• pp.270-275
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• 2007

The QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay and tuberculin skin test (TST) have been useful test for diagnosing latent tuberculosis infections (LTBI). However, there are few reports on the efficacy of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay and TST in evaluating the response after the treatment of LTBI. This study examined the changes in the TST and QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay before and after a treatment for latent tuberculosis in health care workers (HCWs) at a local tertiary hospital. Methods: A cohort of volunteers working as nurses and doctors who underwent a TST and QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay was established. The volunteers positive for the QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay had been treated with 3 months of isoniazid (INH) and rifampin (RFP). After completing treatment, the TST and QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay were repeated. Results: Of the 48 participants (14 doctors, 34 nurses, M: F=11:37, mean $age=29.9{\pm}5.5$ years, mean employment $period=74.9{\pm}64.3$ months), 19 (39.6%) tested positive to the TST (mean induration=$19.1{\pm}9.7mm$) and 8 (16.7%) were QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay. Among them, one had active pulmonary tuberculosis. Seven volunteers were consistently positive to both the TST and QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay after being medicated with INH and RFP for 3 months. Conclusion: TST and QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay are unsuitable for evaluating the treatment response of LTBI because they were consistently positive both before and after the anti-tuberculosis medication.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.26-33
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• 2008

Purpose : Phenylketonuria(PKU) is an inborn error of metabolism and a genetic disorder resulting from a deficiency of phenylalanine hydroxylase(PAH) and decreased activity of tetrahydrobiopterin(BH4).In this study the correlation between the DNA mutation and clinical manifestations was investigated and PAH DNA mutations were compared bewteen Asian and Caucasian populations. Methods : DNA was isolated from peripheral leukocytes. The PAH gene was amplified by Polymerase Chain Reaction(PCR) and the sequence was analyzed with Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification(MLPA). Results : We characterized the PAH gene of 102 independent Korean patients with PKU. PAH nucleotide sequence analysis revealed 44 different mutations, including 10 novel mutations comprising 9 missense mutations(N207D, K95del, A447P, G344D, P69S, S391I, A202T, G103S, and I306L) and 1 novel splice-site variant mutation(IVS10-3C>G). R243Q was the most prevalent mutation in this study. A259T has not previously been reported in Asian populations, but we found that this mutation had a frequency of 10.1% in our study. Furthermore, the genotypes of $BH_4$ responsive patients were analyzed and were divided into two groups: $BH_4$ medication-only group and $BH_4$ medication with diet therapy group. In the $BH_4$ medication-only group and $BH_4$ medication with diet therapy group, R241C was the most common mutation. Conclusion : Novel mutations in the PAH gene of PKU patients are still being discovered. Additional information as to the frequency of mutations in the tetrahydrobiopterine responsive gene is also accumulating. We anticipate that knowledge of these PKU gene mutations will assist the diagnosis, genetic counseling, and therapeutic treatment of PKU patients in future.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.212-216
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• 2015

A new commercial strain "Mongdol" of oyster mushroom was developed by hyphal anastomosis. It was improved with hybridization between monokaryotic strain derived from Pleurotus ostreatus ASI 0627 and dikaryotic strain derived from P. ostreatus ASI 2929. The optimum temperature of mycelial growth and fruiting body development were $25{\sim}30^{\circ}C$ and $12{\sim}18^{\circ}C$, respectively. When two different media including PDA (potato dextrose agar medium) and MCM (mushroom complete medium) were compared, the mycelial growth of this mushroom was faster in MCM than in PDA. Similar result was observed with the control strain P. ostreatus ASI 2504. Analysis of the genetic characteristics of the new cultivar "Mongdol" showed a different DNA profile as that of the control strain ASI 2504, when RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) primer URP3 and URP6 were used. Fruiting body production per bottle was about 106 g using demonstration farms. The color of pileus was blackish gray and the stipe was long. Therefore, we expect that this new strain "Mongdol" will satisfy the consumer's demand for high quality mushrooms.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.250-256
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• 2018

To determine whether metabolite fingerprinting for whole cell extracts based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) can be used to discriminate and compare metabolic equivalence, standard medicinal parts of Cynanchum wilfordii (Maxim.) Hemsl. and their adventitious roots were subjected to FT-IR. The principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) from FT-IR spectral data showed that whole metabolic pattern from the adventitious root of Cynanchum wilfordii was highly similar to its standard medicinal parts. These results clearly showed that mass proliferation of adventitious roots could be applied for the novel supply of standard medicinal parts of medicinal plants. Furthermore, FT-IR spectroscopy combined with multivariate analysis established in this study could be applied as an alternative tool for discriminating of whole metabolic equivalence from standard medicinal parts. Thus, it is proposed that these metabolic discrimination systems from the adventitious root of Cynanchum wilfordii could be applied for metabolic standardization of in vitro grown Cynanchum wilfordii.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.180-187
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• 2008

Purpose : We wanted to determine the characteristics of patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) who were unresponsive to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). Methods : The patients with KD were divided into two groups: the IVIG responsive group (25 cases) and the IVIG unresponsive group (14 cases). We analyzed various parameters before and after the administration of IVIG, including the complete blood cell count with the differential count (%), the erythrocyte segmentation rate (ESR), the C-reactive protein (CRP) level and the protein and lipid profiles. Results : The IVIG unresponsive group had a prolonged duration of fever and a higher incidence of CAL compared to the IVIG responsive group (P<0.001, respectively). Before IVIG infusion, the neutrophil differential, the ESR and the CRP values were higher (P<0.001), and the total protein and albumin values were lower in the IVIG unresponsive group (P=0.01) compared to the IVIG responsive group. After IVIG infusion, there were no significant changes in the WBC count and CRP levels in the IVIG unresponsive group. The reduction of the HDL-cholesterol levels by IVIG was more significant in the unresponsive group (P=0.02). Conclusion : A more severe and prolonged inflammatory response occurred in the IVIG unresponsive group at an early stage, and this finding can be detected by such inflammatory parameters as the neutrophil count and the CRP and HDL-cholesterol levels after IVIG infusion.