• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.661-674
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• 2023

Abstract: This retrospective study delved into the effects and safety considerations associated with the concomitant usage of hypoglycemic agents and herbal extracts, specifically Pyeongwi-san (PWS) or HyangsaPyongwi-san (HSPWS) in the context of type 2 diabetes mellitus management. Methods: The investigation involved 38 inpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who received PWS or HSPWS treatment at Kyung Hee University Korean Medical Hospital from January 2012 to December 2022. By investigating clinical attributes and conducting laboratory assessments, this study aimed to discern the impact of these herbal extracts on blood glucose levels, encompassing fasting blood sugar (FBS) and mean 2-hour postprandial glucose (PP2) levels. Furthermore, the safety profile of the herbal extracts was assessed by comparing liver function indicators, including aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alongside kidney function markers, such as blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr). Results: Following the administration of the herbal extracts, no statistically significant alterations in FBS and mean PP2 levels emerged compared to the baseline levels. Notably, the safety evaluation revealed no significant differences in liver and kidney function parameters following herbal extract administration. Conclusion: The results of this research indicate that using PWS or HSPWS alongside hypoglycemic medications could be a beneficial additional method for addressing digestive symptoms in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Notably, this combination seems to have no negative interactions with other drugs.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.31-44
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• 2023

Objectives The purpose of this study is to check the research trends of pharmacopuncture treatment in nerve entrapment syndrome, identify specific techniques, identify which pharmacopuncture are used, and provide directions for future research. Methods This study was conducted based on the five steps suggested by Arksey and O'Malley. We searched five domestic databases (Research Information Sharing Service, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, Korean studies Information Service System, Science ON, and KMBASE) and identified studies with key search terms like "nerve entrapment" And "pharmacopuncture" until June 23, 2023. Results Twenty-nine studies were finally selected. among them, 25 papers were non-comparative studies (86.2%). The most common disease was carpal tube syndrome (n=10). All the investigated studies were treated by injecting pharmacopuncture into the pathway of the entraped nerve. The depth of pharmacopuncture injection was mentioned only in 13 studies. As for the pharmacopuncture used, sweet bee venom was 8 studies and bee venom was 6 studies, and about half of the pharmacopuncture manufactured with Bee venom as the main component accounted for. Conclusions This study is a scoping review of the pharmacopuncture treatment for nerve entrapment, which was first conducted in Korea. The treatment is mainly performed on the path way of the entraped nerve. After that, it is necessary to study the standardization of the specific technique method of pharmacopuncture and the uniformity of evaluation criteria.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.171-177
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• 2024

In this study, two general X-ray device, CT, and MRI inspection devices were selected from general hospitals in the Daejeon area and an experiment was conducted to predict the level of infection by measuring the surface contamination of the inspection devices at different times and to use it as basic data for infection prevention. As a result, the surface contamination level by time zone for general X-ray devices and MRI examination devices was in the order of 13H > 8H > 16H, and for CT examination devices, it was 13H > 16H > 8H, which appeared to be influenced by the number of tests. In addition, the surface contamination results for each part of the test device showed that the highest ATP contamination value was found on the stand bucky handle for the general X-ray device, the headrest for the CT examination device, and the operation switch for the MRI examination device, which was closely related to the number of contacts. As a result of comparing before and after disinfection, all devices showed a significant decrease after disinfection. Based on the results of the experiment, it is believed that it can be used as basic data to identify the level of contamination in radiology laboratories and prevent infectious diseases.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.123-135
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• 2024

Although gemcitabine-based regimens are widely used as an effective treatment for pancreatic cancer, acquired resistance to gemcitabine has become an increasingly common problem. Therefore, a novel therapeutic strategy to treat gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer is urgently required. Piceamycin has been reported to exhibit antiproliferative activity against various cancer cells; however, its underlying molecular mechanism for anticancer activity in pancreatic cancer cells remains unexplored. Therefore, the present study evaluated the antiproliferation activity of piceamycin in a gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cell line and patient-derived pancreatic cancer organoids. Piceamycin effectively inhibited the proliferation and suppressed the expression of alpha-actinin-4, a gene that plays a pivotal role in tumorigenesis and metastasis of various cancers, in gemcitabine-resistant cells. Long-term exposure to piceamycin induced cell cycle arrest at the G₀/G₁ phase and caused apoptosis. Piceamycin also inhibited the invasion and migration of gemcitabine-resistant cells by modulating focal adhesion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition biomarkers. Moreover, the combination of piceamycin and gemcitabine exhibited a synergistic antiproliferative activity in gemcitabine-resistant cells. Piceamycin also effectively inhibited patient-derived pancreatic cancer organoid growth and induced apoptosis in the organoids. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that piceamycin may be an effective agent for overcoming gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic cancer.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.517-525
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• 2023

The emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MRPA) have become a serious problem worldwide. The involvement of metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) in inducing carbapenem resistance is particularly acute. However, unlike other members of the Enterobacteriaceae genus, new clones of P. aeruginosa are constantly emerging and rapidly replacing previously prevalent dominant clones. Therefore, this study aimed to perform antimicrobial resistance gene analysis, integron gene cassette analysis using DNA sequencing, and plasmid transfer analysis by conjugation to investigate the antimicrobial resistance dynamics of 18 P. aeruginosa strains isolated from various medical samples at a general hospital in Busan from September 2017 to September 2019. All 18 strains showed extensively drug-resistant (XDR) phenotype and were resistant to most antibiotics, except colistin (100%) but were susceptible to aztreonam (22.2%) and ceftazidime (16.6%). Approximately 66.7% of the strains had Class 1 integrons showing various antimicrobial resistances. Notably, IMP-6 ST235 (66.7%), VIM-2 ST357 (16.7%), and IMP-1 ST446(16.7%) were identified. The identification of IMP-1-producing ST446, previously unreported in Korea, is noteworthy considering the emergence and prevalence of another MRPA high-risk clone.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.3.1-3.23
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• 2024

Cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-treated mouse airway epithelial cells (MAECs)-derived exosomes accelerate the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by upregulating triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (TREM-1); however, the specific mechanism remains unclear. We aimed to explore the potential mechanisms of CSE-treated MAECs-derived exosomes on M1 macrophage polarization and pyroptosis in COPD. In vitro, exosomes were extracted from CSE-treated MAECs, followed by co-culture with macrophages. In vivo, mice exposed to cigarette smoke (CS) to induce COPD, followed by injection or/and intranasal instillation with oe-TREM-1 lentivirus. Lung function and pathological changes were evaluated. CD68⁺ cell number and the levels of iNOS, TNF-α, IL-1β (M1 macrophage marker), and pyroptosis-related proteins (NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase-1 recruitment domain, caspase-1, cleaved-caspase-1, gasdermin D [GSDMD], and GSDMD-N) were examined. The expression of maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3), spleen focus forming virus proviral integration oncogene (SPI1), methyltransferase 3 (METTL3), and TREM-1 was detected and the binding relationships among them were verified. MEG3 increased N6-methyladenosine methylation of TREM-1 by recruiting SPI1 to activate METTL3. Overexpression of TREM-1 or METTL3 negated the alleviative effects of MEG3 inhibition on M1 polarization and pyroptosis. In mice exposed to CS, EXO^-CSE further aggravated lung injury, M1 polarization, and pyroptosis, which were reversed by MEG3 inhibition. TREM-1 overexpression negated the palliative effects of MEG3 inhibition on COPD mouse lung injury. Collectively, CSE-treated MAECs-derived exosomal long non-coding RNA MEG3 may expedite M1 macrophage polarization and pyroptosis in COPD via the SPI1/METTL3/TREM-1 axis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.58 no.3
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• pp.248-256
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• 2005

Background : Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections are increasingly being recognized as a cause of chronic pulmonary disease. This study describes the prevalence of NTM species from clinical specimens and the clinical characteristics of NTM pulmonary disease. Material and Methods : The NTM isolated from March 2003 to December 2003 at the Kosin Medical Center were identified using an oligonucleotide chip containing the internal transcribed space (ITS) sequence. The medical records of the patients with the NTM isolates, who fulfilled the 1997 ATS diagnostic criteria for NTM pulmonary disease, were analyzed, retrospectively. Results : Twenty four species (24.2%) of NTM were isolated from 99 cultured AFB specimens. M. avium complex (MAC) (13 isolates), M. szulgai (3), M. kansasii (2), M. malmoense (2), M. abscessus (1), M. chelonae (1), M. scrofulaceum (1), and unclassified (1). Of the 23 patients with isolated NTM, 11 patients were found to be compatible with a NTM pulmonary infection according to the ATS criteria; MAC was found in 6 cases (54.5%), M. szulgai in 2 cases (18.2%), and M. abscessus, M. szulgai, M. kansasii and M. malmoense in 1 case each (9.1%). Ten patients (91%) were male and the median age at diagnosis was 61 years. In the pre-existing diseases, malignant disease was found in 6 cases including 5 patients with lung cancer, and history of old pulmonary tuberculosis was identified in 4 cases. The radiological patterns showed lung destruction lung in 3 cases, a cavitary mass in 3 cases, a nodular pattern in 2 cases, and reticulonodular, consolidation and a bronchiectasis pattern were in 1 case each. Conclusion : Various types of NTM pulmonary diseases were found in a tertiary hospital at Busan, Korea. The NTM pulmonary diseases were caused by MAC, M. szugai, M. kansasii, M. malmoense, M. abscessus, M. chelonae, and M. scrofulaceum in the order of frequency.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.1377-1383
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• 2008

A bacterium producing non- or partially digestible dextran was isolated from kimchi broth by enrichment culture technique. The bacterium was identified tentatively as Leuconostoc sp. strain SKY. We established the response surface methodology (Box-Behnken design) to optimize the principle parameters such as culture pH, temperature, and yeast extract concentration for maximizing production of dextran. The ranges of parameters were determined based on prior screening works done at our laboratory and accordingly chosen as 5.5, 6.5, and 7.5 for pH, 25, 30, and $35^{\circ}C$ for temperature, and 1, 5, and 9 g/l yeast extract. Initial concentration of sucrose was 100 g/l. The mineral medium consisted of 3.0 g $KH_2PO_4$, 0.01 g $FeSO_4{\cdot}H_2O$, 0.01 g $MnSO_4{\cdot}4H_2O$, 0.2 g $MgSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$, 0.01 g NaCl, and 0.05 g $CaCO_3$ per 1 liter deionized water. The optimum values of pH and temperature, and yeast extract concentration were obtained at pH (around 7.0), temperature (27 to $28^{\circ}C$), and yeast extract (6 to 7 g/l). The best dextran yield was 60% (dextran/g sucrose). The best dextran productivity was 0.8 g/h-l.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.102-108
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• 2016

Purpose: Kawasaki disease (KD) shows a variety of clinical signs of multi-system involvement, including clinical diagnostic criteria. It is unknown that the severity of the clinical signs is associated with the risk of coronary artery lesions (CALs). We wanted to evaluate clinical characteristics and the risk of CALs in the patient groups who had severe skin lesions or those with arthritis. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 220 KD patients who were treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). We compared clinical and laboratory data between the group with severe skin lesions (n=52) and those with mild or no skin lesions (n=168), and between the group with arthritis (n=6) and those without arthritis (n=214). Results: The mean age of total patients was $2.23{\pm}1.87years$ of age, and the male-to-female ratio was 1.5:1 (138/82). Among 220 patients, 52 patients had CALs (23.6%), and 29 patients (13.2%) showed incomplete KD. The patients with CALs had a higher mean age, longer total fever duration, and higher rate of IVIG non-responsiveness. The patient group with severe skin lesions showed a higher mean age (P<0.001), more prolonged fever duration (P=0.041), higher frequency of CALs (P=0.033), higher WBC, neutrophil, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio levels, compared to the patient group without severe skin lesions. The patients with arthritis had a tendency of further treatment with methylprednisolone or infliximab. Conclusions: The frequency of CALs was higher in patient group with severe skin lesions. Our results suggest that the intensity of clinical signs of KD such as skin rash, cervical lymphadenopathy and possibly arthritis may be associated the risk of CALs.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.128-136
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• 2016

Purpose: This study was done to define clinical characteristics of fever without localizing signs (FWLS) in infants younger than 100 days of age with a goal of providing baseline data to establish a new diagnostic paradigm in the future. Methods: We reviewed medical records of 183 patients who admitted to Daegu Catholic University Medical Center for FWLS younger than 100 days of age from January 2013 to September 2015 retrospectively. Demographic, clinical features and laboratory findings were analyzed. Patients were divided into serious bacterial infection (SBI) and non-SBI groups, and then were compared between two groups to find risk factors for SBI. Results: Among 183 patients, lumbar puncture was performed in 98.9% and CSF pleocytosis was present in 35.9%. Sterile CSF pleocytosis was found in 43% of urinary tract infection (UTI) patients. None had concomitant bacterial meningitis in patients with UTI. As final diagnosis, febrile syndrome without source (25.7%) was most common. Among SBI, UTI was most common (99%). Birth weight, ESR, and CRP were significantly higher in SBI group compared to non-SBI group. Male sex (OR 4.93, 95% CI 1.60-15.24) and pyuria (OR 18.88, 95% CI 6.76-52.76) were identified as risk factors for SBI. Presence of sibling (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.11-0.83) was significantly lower in SBI group. Conclusions: Our results showed UTI was the most common SBI in young infants with FWLS. Though aseptic meningitis can be coexisting with UTI, lumbar puncture may not be necessary in all patients having UTI.