• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제60권1호
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• pp.21-29
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• 2017

Objective : The purpose of this study was to analyze outcomes and identify prognostic factors in patients with cerebral metastases from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with gamma knife radiosurgery (GKS) particularly, focusing on associations of biomarkers and systemic treatments. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 134 patients who underwent GKS for brain metastases due to NSCLC between January 2002 and December 2012. Representative biomarkers including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation, K-ras mutation, and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) mutation status were investigated. Results : The median overall survival after GKS was 22.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.8-35.1 months). During follow-up, 63 patients underwent salvage treatment after GKS. The median salvage treatment-free survival was 7.9 months (95% CI, 5.2-10.6 months). Multivariate analysis revealed that lower recursive partition analysis (RPA) class, small number of brain lesions, EGFR mutation (+), and ALK mutation (+) were independent positive prognostic factors associated with longer overall survival. Patients who received target agents 30 days after GKS experienced significant improvements in overall survival and salvage treatment-free survival than patients who never received target agents and patients who received target agents before GKS or within 30 days (median overall survival: 5.0 months vs. 18.2 months, and 48.0 months with p-value=0.026; median salvage treatment-free survival: 4.3 months vs. 6.1 months and 16.6 months with p-value=0.006, respectively). To assess the influence of target agents on the pattern of progression, cases that showed local recurrence and new lesion formation were analyzed according to target agents, but no significant effects were identified. Conclusion : The prognosis of patients with brain metastases of NSCLC after GKS significantly differed according to specific biomarkers (EGFR and ALK mutations). Our results show that target agents combined with GKS was related to significantly longer overall survival, and salvage treatment-free survival. However, target agents were not specifically associated with improved local control of the lesion treated by GKS either development of new lesions. Therefore, it seems that currently popular target agents do not affect brain lesions themselves, and can prolong survival by controlling systemic disease status.

• 한국산림과학회지
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• 제79권2호
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• pp.216-221
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• 1990

계룡산(鷄龍山)과 덕유산(德裕山) 삼림군집(森林群集)의 종(種) 조성(組成)과 입지(立地)와의 관계(關係)를 구명(究明)하기 위하여 TWINSPAN(two-way indicator species analysis)과 DCCA(detrended canonical correspondence analysis)를 시행하였다. 식생(植生) 및 환경자료(環境資料)로 계룡산(鷄龍山) 128개소(個所), 덕유산(德裕山) 57개소(個所)의 data를 사용(使用)하여 분석(分析)한 결과(結果)는 다음과 같다. 계룡산(鷄龍山)과 덕유산(德裕山)의 삼림군집(森林群集)과 토양환경(土壤環境)과의 관계(關係)를 살펴보면 Quercus mongolica군집(群集)은 해발고(海拔高)가 높고, 토양(土壤) 양료(養料)가 많은 곳에 주(主)로 분포(分布)하고 있으며, Carpinus laxiflora군집(群集)과 Fraxinus rhynchophylla군집(群集)은 해발고(海拔高)는 중간(中間)이고 양료(養料)가 많은 곳에 주(主)로 분포(分布)하고 있으며, Pinus densiflora-Quercus mongolica 군집(群集)과 Quercus variabilis 군집(群集)은 해발고(海拔高), 양료(養料) 모두 중간(中間) 부분(部分)인 곳에 주(主)로 분포(分布)하고 있으며, Styrax japonica 군집(群集)은 해발고(海拔高)는 낮고 양료(養料)가 중간부분(中間部分)인 곳에 주(主)로 분포(分布)하고 있으며, Pinus densiflora 군집(群集)은 해발고(海拔高)는 낮고 양료(養料)가 적은 부분(部分)에 주(主)로 분포(分布)하고 있다. 군집(群集) 분포(分布)에 영향을 미치는 제일(第一)의 환경(環境) 요인(要因)은 해발고(海拔高)(온도(溫度))이다.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.199-210
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• 2005

전 세계적으로 비만 인구의 급격한 증가와 이로 인한 다양한 만성질환의 증가가 중요한 건강 문제로 대두되고 있으며, 최근 여러 종류의 암들도 비만과 연관성이 있을 것이라는 연구들이 많이 이루어지고 있다. 비만과 암과의 연관성에 대한 정확한 기전은 아직 밝혀지지 않았으나 다양한 스테로이드와 펩타이드 호르몬 그리고 성장인자가 중요한 역할을 할 것으로 생각되어지며, 전립선암 역시 호르몬 의존성의 종양이므로 남성 비만 환자에서의 증가된 혈청 에스트로겐 농도와 교감 신경계의 활성화 등 비만과 관련된 호르몬의 변화는 전립선암과도 상당한 연관이 있을 것으로 추정된다. 그러나, 지금까지의 비만과 전립선암과의 연관성에 대한 임상연구들은 대부분 서구인을 대상으로 시행되었으며 그 결과 또한 서로 상반되게 발표되고 있어 명확한 연관성을 밝히지 못하고 있는 실정이다. 이에 본 저자들은 한국인을 대상으로 비만과 전립선암과의 연관성을 알아보고자 2000년 1월부터 2005년 6월까지 영남대학교 의과대학 부속병원 비뇨기과에서 임상적으로 전립선암이 의심되어 경직장초음파유도하 전립선생검(transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy)을 시행한 286명을 대상으로 환자들의 의무기록을 후향적으로 분석하여, 환자의 나이, 키, 몸무게, BMI, PSA, DRE, TRUS, 경직장초음파유도하 전립선생검, Gleason 점수, 임상적 병기 등을 비교, 분석하였다. 본 연구 결과에서는 BMI와 전립선암 발병률과는 연관성을 확인 할 수 없었으며, BMI와 임상적 병기와는 다소 연관성이 있는 것으로 나타났으나 통계적 유의성은 없었다. 이러한 비만 환자를 대상으로 한 연구에서는 비만의 기준에 따라서 큰 차이가 유발될 수 있으며, 비만 환자의 경우 전립선암 진단 및 치료 방법 등에 있어서 다양한 편견 및 오류가 작용할 수 있을 것으로 생각된다. 따라서, 비만과 전립선암과의 명확한 연관성을 확인하기 위해서는 향후 비만에 영향을 미칠 수 있는 다양한 인자와 호르몬 측정 및 BMI 이외의 여러 가지 비만 지수 등의 측정을 포함한 대규모 임상연구가 필요하리라 생각된다.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.76-83
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• 2018

Background: Elderly patients with multiple myeloma (MM) are vulnerable to adverse events (AEs). This study evaluated adherence to chemotherapy and treatment outcomes in elderly patients treated with a frontline bortezomib (BTZ), melphalan, and prednisone (VMP) regimen and regimens without BTZ. Methods: One-hundred and forty elderly patients who were diagnosed with MM from March 2007 to March 2015 were included in this retrospective study. To evaluate regimen adherence, patients who were treated with more than 4 cycles were assigned to the good adherence group. Results: Among the 140 patients, 71 were treated with a frontline VMP and 69 with non-BTZ regimens. The median age was 71 years (range, 65-90 years). The VMP group showed a higher complete response rate than the non-BTZ group: 26.8% vs. 7.2%. More patients in the VMP group achieved ${\geq}$very good partial response (VGPR) and ${\geq}PR$. In the VMP group, 27 patients (38.0%) received less than 4 cycles. The VMP good adherence group showed a higher 3-year overall survival (OS) rate (70.9%) than the poor adherence group (60.2%, p=0.059). In the multivariate analysis, treatment with ${\geq}4$ cycles of VMP was a favorable factor for OS. Conclusion: A good adherence to a frontline VMP regimen resulted in favorable long-term survival. Adequate management of AEs will be needed to achieve favorable outcomes in elderly patients with MM.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.112-121
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• 2020

Background: Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) has become more common in nosocomial infections, especially in urine samples. However, until now, no treatment regimen has been proven to effectively eradicate urine VRE colonization. Therefore, to evaluate the efficacy of doxycycline in eradicating urine VRE and shortening VRE isolation period, we compared VRE colony detection period between doxycycline-treated and untreated patients. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 83 patients with VRE colonization in urine cultures was conducted at a tertiary academic hospital from January 2011 to February 2018. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to evaluate eradication rates in the treatment and non-treatment groups. Factors affecting urine VRE colonization persistence were analyzed by multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: The overall rate of VRE eradication during the entire hospital stay was higher in the doxycycline treatment group (90.5%) than in the non-treatment group (58.1%, p=0.014). Survival analysis showed that the 5-, 10-, and 20-day cumulative eradication rates were 78.3%, 100%, and 100% in the doxycycline treatment group, and 18.5%, 45.7%, and 67.8% in the non-treatment group, respectively, thereby indicating that eradication rates were higher in the doxycycline treatment group than in the non-treatment group (p<0.001). Only doxycycline treatment was shown to affect urine VRE colonization persistence in multivariate logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: Doxycycline treatment enhanced the eradication rate of urine VRE colonization and appeared to be useful in shortening VRE isolation period.

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• 제33권45호
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• pp.285.1-285.10
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• 2018

Background: Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is a feasible treatment option for high-risk prostate cancer (PCa). While patients may achieve undetectable prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels after RARP, the risk of disease progression is relatively high. We investigated metastasis-free survival, cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) outcomes and prognosticators in such patients. Methods: In a single-center cohort of 342 patients with high-risk PCa (clinical stage ${\geq}T3$, biopsy Gleason score ${\geq}8$, and/or PSA levels ${\geq}20ng/mL$) treated with RARP and pelvic lymph node dissection between August 2005 and June 2011, we identified 251 (73.4%) patients (median age, 66.5 years; interquartile range [IQR], 63.0-71.0 years) who achieved undetectable PSA levels (< 0.01 ng/mL) postoperatively. Survival outcomes were evaluated for the entire study sample and in groups stratified according to the time to biochemical recurrence dichotomized at 60 months. Results: During the median follow-up of 75.9 months (IQR, 59.4-85.8 months), metastasis occurred in 38 (15.1%) patients, most often to the bones, followed by the lymph nodes, lungs, and liver. The 5-year metastasis-free, cancer-specific, and OS rates were 87.1%, 94.8%, and 94.3%, respectively. Multivariate Cox-regression analysis revealed time to recurrence as an independent predictor of metastasis (P < 0.001). Time to metastasis was an independent predictor of OS (P = 0.003). Metastasis-free and CSS rates were significantly lower among patients with recurrence within 60 months of RARP (log-rank P < 0.001). Conclusion: RARP confers acceptable oncological outcomes for high-risk PCa. Close monitoring beyond 5 years is warranted for early detection of disease progression and for timely adjuvant therapy.

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• 제33권47호
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• pp.303.1-303.10
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• 2018

Background: Cell division cycle 6 (CDC6) is an essential regulator of DNA replication and plays important roles in the activation and maintenance of the checkpoint mechanisms in the cell cycle. CDC6 has been associated with oncogenic activities in human cancers; however, the clinical significance of CDC6 in prostate cancer (PCa) remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated whether the CDC6 mRNA expression level is a diagnostic and prognostic marker in PCa. Methods: The study subjects included 121 PCa patients and 66 age-matched benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients. CDC6 expression was evaluated using real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical (IH) staining, and then compared according to the clinicopathological characteristics of PCa. Results: CDC6 mRNA expression was significantly higher in PCa tissues than in BPH control tissues (P = 0.005). In addition, CDC6 expression was significantly higher in patients with elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels (> 20 ng/mL), a high Gleason score, and advanced stage than in those with low PSA levels, a low Gleason score, and earlier stage, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that high expression of CDC6 was significantly associated with advanced stage (${\geq}T3b$) (odds ratio [OR], 3.005; confidence interval [CI], 1.212-7.450; P = 0.018) and metastasis (OR, 4.192; CI, 1.079-16.286; P = 0.038). Intense IH staining for CDC6 was significantly associated with a high Gleason score and advanced tumor stage including lymph node metastasis stage (linear-by-linear association, P = 0.044 and P = 0.003, respectively). Conclusion: CDC6 expression is associated with aggressive clinicopathological characteristics in PCa. CDC6 may be a potential diagnostic and prognostic marker in PCa patients.

• 대한안과학회지
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• 제59권12호
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• pp.1173-1180
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• 2018

목적: 원발개방각녹내장 환자에서 섬유주절제술과 백내장수술을 동시에 시행하는 경우 술 후 예측 굴절력의 정확성을 분석하고, 굴절력 오차에 영향을 미치는 요소에 대해 알아보고자 한다. 대상과 방법: 섬유주절제술과 백내장수술을 동시에 시행한 원발개방각녹내장 환자 27명을 대상으로 후향적으로 분석하였다. 술 후 예측 굴절력과 실제 굴절력을 비교하였으며 평균예측오차와 평균절대예측오차를 계산하였다. 같은 시기에 백내장수술만 단독 시행한 나이와 성별이 짝지어지는 대조군과 굴절력 오차를 비교하였다. 또한 굴절력 오차에 영향을 미치는 환자의 수술 전 인자들에 대하여 통계학적으로 분석하였다. 결과: 술 후 평균예측오차는 섬유주절제술과 백내장수술의 병합수술군에서 $+0.02{\pm}0.92$디옵터, 대조군에서 $-0.01{\pm}0.45$디옵터로 유의한 차이는 없었다. 평균절대예측오차는 병합수술군에서 $0.65{\pm}0.64$디옵터, 대조군에서 $0.35{\pm}0.28$디옵터로, 술 후 난시는 병합수술군에서 $-1.07{\pm}0.65$디옵터, 대조군에서 $-0.66{\pm}0.48$디옵터로 병합수술군에서 유의하게 높았다(p=0.035, p=0.020). 술 전 앞방깊이, 술 후 안압 변화가 부정확한 평균절대예측오차와 유의한 연관성을 보였다. 결론: 원발개방각녹내장 환자에서 섬유주절제술과 백내장수술을 동시에 시행하는 경우 술 후 예측 굴절력의 정확성이 떨어지고, 더 큰 난시를 유발하는 것으로 나타났다. 술 전 얕은 앞방깊이, 술 후 큰 안압 변화가 굴절력 오차를 증가시키므로 이를 고려하여야 하겠다.

• 대한병리학회지
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• 제52권6호
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• pp.396-403
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• 2018

Background: In the current American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system of breast cancer, only tumor size determines T-category regardless of whether the tumor is single or multiple. This study evaluated if tumor multiplicity has prognostic value and can be used to subclassify breast cancer. Methods: We included 5,758 patients with invasive breast cancer who underwent surgery at Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, from 1995 to 2012. Results: Patients were divided into two groups according to multiplicity (single, n=4,744; multiple, n=1,014). Statistically significant differences in lymph node involvement and lymphatic invasion were found between the two groups (p<.001). Patients with multiple masses tended to have luminal A molecular subtype (p<.001). On Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, patients with multiple masses had significantly poorer disease-free survival (DFS) (p=.016). The prognostic significance of multiplicity was seen in patients with anatomic staging group I and prognostic staging group IA (p=.019 and p=.032, respectively). When targeting patients with T1-2 N0 M0, hormone receptor-positive, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative cancer, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis also revealed significantly reduced DFS with multiple cancer (p=.031). The multivariate analysis indicated that multiplicity was independently correlated with worse DFS (hazard ratio, 1.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.03 to 1.47; p=.025). The results of this study indicate that tumor multiplicity is frequently found in luminal A subtype, is associated with frequent lymph node metastasis, and is correlated with worse DFS. Conclusions: Tumor multiplicity has prognostic value and could be used to subclassify invasive breast cancer at early stages. Adjuvant chemotherapy would be necessary for multiple masses of T1-2 N0 M0, hormone-receptor-positive, and HER2-negative cancer.

• Gut and Liver
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• 제12권6호
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• pp.714-721
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• 2018

Background/Aims: Recently reported prognostic models for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) have been shown to be effective in Western populations but have not been well-validated in Asian patients. This study aimed to compare the performance of prognostic models in Korean patients and to investigate whether inflammation-based scores can further help in prognosis prediction. Methods: This study included 271 consecutive patients diagnosed with PBC in Korea. The following prognostic models were evaluated: the Barcelona model, the Paris-I/II model, the Rotterdam criteria, the GLOBE score and the UK-PBC score. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was analyzed with reference to its association with prognosis. Results: For predicting liver transplant or death at the 5-year and 10-year follow-up examinations, the UK-PBC score (areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUCs], 0.88 and 0.82) and GLOBE score (AUCs, 0.85 and 0.83) were significantly more accurate in predicting prognosis than the other scoring systems (all p<0.05). There was no significant difference between the performance of the UK-PBC and GLOBE scores. In addition to the prognostic models, a high NLR (>2.46) at baseline was an independent predictor of reduced transplant-free survival in the multivariate analysis (adjusted hazard ratio, 3.74; p<0.01). When the NLR was applied to the prognostic models, it significantly differentiated the prognosis of patients. Conclusions: The UK-PBC and GLOBE scores showed good prognostic performance in Korean patients with PBC. In addition, a high NLR was associated with a poorer prognosis. Including the NLR in prognostic models may further help to stratify patients with PBC.