• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.505-513
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• 2021

Objective : The adaptive immune response following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is not well understood. We evaluated and compared the T cell receptor (TCR) immune repertoire of good-grade and poor-grade SAH patients to elucidate the T cell immunology after ictus. Methods : Peripheral blood from six SAH patients was collected at two different times, admission and at the 7-day follow-up. Composition and variation of the TCR β-chain (TCRB) complimentary determining regions (CDR) 3 repertoire was examined using high-throughput sequencing; the analysis was based on sampling time and disease severity (good vs. poor-grade SAH). Results : Clonality at admission and follow-up were 0.059 (0.037-0.038) and 0.027 (0.014-0.082) (median, 25th-75th percentile). Poor-grade SAH (0.025 [0.011-0.038]) was associated with significantly lower clonality than good-grade SAH (0.095 [0.079-0.101]). Poor-grade SAH patients had higher diversity scores than good-grade SAH patients. CDR length was shorter in good-grade SAH vs. poor-grade SAH. Differences in clonotype distribution were more prominent in TCRBV gene segments than TCRBJ segments. TCRBV19-01/TCRBJ02-04 and TCRBV28-01/TCRBJ02-04 were the most increased and the most decreased V-J pairs in the 7-day follow-up compared to admission in good-grade SAH. The most increased and decreased V-J pairs in poor-grade SAH patients were TCRBV28-01/TCRBJ02-06 and TCRBV30-01/TCRBJ02-04, respectively. Conclusion : The TCRB repertoire is dynamic in nature following SAH. TCRB repertoire may facilitate our understanding of adaptive immune response according to SAH severity.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.439-448
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• 2023

Tick infestation causes a significant threat to human and animal health, requiring effective immunological control methods. This study aimed to investigate the potential of recombinant Haemaphysalis longicornis enolase protein for tick vaccine development. The exact mechanism of the recently identified enolase protein from the H. longicornis Jeju strain remains poorly understood. Enolase plays a crucial role in glycolysis, the metabolic process that converts glucose into energy, and is essential for the motility, adhesion, invasion, growth, and differentiation of ticks. In this study, mice were immunized with recombinant enolase, and polyclonal antibodies were generated. Western blot analysis confirmed the specific recognition of enolase by the antiserum. The effects of immunization on tick feeding and attachment were assessed. Adult ticks attached to the recombinant enolase-immunized mice demonstrated longer attachment time, increased bloodsucking abilities, and lower engorgement weight than the controls. The nymphs and larvae had a reduced attachment rate and low engorgement rate compared to the controls. Mice immunized with recombinant enolase expressed in Escherichia coli displayed 90% efficacy in preventing tick infestation. The glycolytic nature of enolase and its involvement in crucial physiological processes makes it an attractive target for disrupting tick survival and disease transmission. Polyclonal antibodies recognize enolase and significantly reduce attachment rates, tick feeding, and engorgement. Our findings indicate that recombinant enolase may be a valuable vaccine candidate for H. longicornis infection in experimental murine model.

• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.101-119
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• 2024

Objectives : This study examined the characteristics of famine relief and fasting formulas in Korean Medical Texts from early Joseon to early modern period. Methods : In addition to previous studies and texts, basic materials were collected from various academic database such as the Korean Medical Classics Database, Korean History Database, Chinese Text Project, Weijiwenku, etc., then analyzed. Results : In Korean Medicine from the early Joseon to early modern Korea, there was a strong awareness to use fasting prescriptions which were applied in Daosim for the purpose of famine relief, using both medicinals and common food ingredients together as complex prescriptions rather than single ingredient formulas. Famine relief and fasting formulas were continuously listed in many medical texts published after the Donguibogam, in modified or newly improved forms. Moreover, the food ingredients and medicinals used in these formulas were consisted of those which could be easily found in the famished nation of the time. Many of these formulas were tried and tested prescriptions, frequently used in clinical settings. Most of the ingredients and medicinals used in the famine relief and fasting formulas were sweet, bland, and neutral in nature, supporting Qi circulation and tonifying the Spleen and Stomach. Therefore in times of famine, these medicinals could help prevent digestive problems and decline of stamina. Conclusions : Research and contemporary interpretation on the famine relief and fasting formulas could contribute to not only health management but to relieving nutrition imbalance and famine, expanding the field of Korean Medicine application.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.309-334
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• 2012

Although the number of foreign patients visiting Korea for medical treatments or plastic surgery is rapidly increasing, countermeasures against unforeseen medical disputes involving foreign patients are adequate. To date, the record shows that most foreign patients have visited doctors at the departments of family medicine, internal medicine, dermatology (incl. plastic surgery), and healthcare centers, which, fortunately, indicates that there are not many severe, high risk patients. However, if the current growth rate continues to rise and the number of foreign patients visiting each department continues to grow, more diverse medical practices will be likely to take place in the future, and consequently, it is expected that the possibilities of medical malpractice and the costs of dispute resolution will also rise dramatically. When a medical dispute occurs, in general, a lawsuit is ultimately settled by the court. However, since this can damage the creditworthiness of medical institutions and also incur significant litigation costs, which is a typical characteristic of a medical lawsuit, medical professionals or institutions will be heavily burdened. Furthermore, an adequate policy or countermeasure against a medical dispute with a foreign patient has not yet been established, and it would be difficult to resolve a dispute by finding the middle ground, due to relative standards and policies between countries. Now, we need to improve the existing policies and prepare for countermeasures that will allow us to precisely predict the nature of such disputes, which have been increasing, and resolve them peacefully. Based on such knowledge, this study aims to establish countermeasures against medical disputes with foreign patients, and examine ways to promptly and reasonably resolve them at an early stage.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.93-98
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• 2013

Pathological laughing and crying(PLC) is a condition that is characterized by episodic, brief, contextually inappropriate, uncontrollable outbursts of laughing and/or crying. It can be observed in patients with various neurological disorders. PLC often causes distress in interpersonal functioning and activities for patients and their families. PLC can be recognized easily with proper understanding of the condition and its nature. Also it generally shows good response to various pharmacological treatments. This review aims to encourage the diagnosis and treatment of PLC by providing definition and clinical presentation of PLC, analysis of its pathophysiology and various current treatment options.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.108-121
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• 2024

Anastomotic leaks and fistulas are significant complications of gastric surgery that potentially lead to increased postoperative morbidity and mortality. Surgical intervention is reserved for cases with severe symptoms or hemodynamic instability; however, surgery carries a higher risk of complications. With advancements in endoscopic treatment options, endoscopic approaches have emerged as the primary choice for managing these complications. Endoscopic clipping is a traditional method comprising 2 main categories: through-the-scope clips and over-the-scope clips. Through-the-scope clips are user friendly and adaptable to various clinical scenarios, whereas over-the-scope clips can close larger defects. Another promising approach is endoscopic stent insertion, which has shown a high success rate for leak closure, although vigilant monitoring is required to monitor stent migration. Infection control is essential in post-surgical leakage cases, and endoscopic internal drainage provides a relatively safe and noninvasive means to manage fluids, contributing to infection control and wound healing promotion. Endoscopic suturing offers full-thickness wound closure, but requires additional training and endoscopic versatility. As a promising tool, endoscopic vacuum therapy potentially surpasses stent therapy by draining inflammatory materials and closing defects. Furthermore, the use of tissue sealants, such as fibrin glue and cyanoacrylate, has been reported to be effective in selected situations. The choice of endoscopic device should be tailored to individual cases and specific patient conditions, with careful consideration of the nature of the defect. Further extensive studies involving larger patient populations are required to provide more robust evidence on the efficacy of endoscopic approach in managing post-gastric anastomotic leaks.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.531-537
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• 1999

The present study was carried out to investigate the pathogenicity and pathogenesis of wild rats(Rattus norvegicus), trapped in nature, intranasally infected with Aujeszky's disease virus(ADV/NYJ-1-87) by histopathology, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization(ISH). Fifteen rats inoculated intranasally were roughened haircoat, anorexia, listlessness, and depression second day after inoculation, and three rats died in 66-72 hours. Eight rats showed severe pruritus at the face that was accompanied by frequent face-washing movements of the forelegs, and then became violent and spasmodic for an hour or until they died. Four rats slowly recovered after showing mild clinical signs of the disease. Microscopic lesions in infected rats were characterized by meningitis, perivascular round cell infiltration, focal gliosis, and neuronal degeneration and necrosis. And intranuclear inclusion bodies were frequently detected in the cerebral cortex and medulla. Positive reaction to ADV by immunohistochemistry and ISH were detected in the following areas : trigermimal ganglion, brain, tonsil, nasal mucosa, spleen, lung and liver. The result has suggested that ADV intranasally infected in wild rats is followed by replication in epithelial calls of nasal mucosa and tonsil, then invade local lymph nodes by way of the lymphatics. It is also believed that the virus invades bipolar olfactory cells and trigerminal ganglion; and then spread into central nervous system.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 1987

$Digoxin^{(R)}$을 복용하고 있지 않는 각27명의 만성 신부전 환자 및 신생아의 혈청에서 Gammacoat $Digoxin^{(R)}$ kit와 Amerlex Digoxin $RIA^{(R)}$ kit를 이용하여 digoxin과 교차 면역반응을 보이는 내인성 물질(이하 DLI: Digoxin-like Immunoreactivity)을 측정하여 다음의 결과를 얻었다. 1) Gammacoat $Digoxin^{(R)}$ kit로 측정시 27명의 만성 신부전 환자중 12명에서 신생아의 경우는 27명 전원에서 측정 하한치 이상의 DLI가 검출된 반면, Amerlex Digoxin $RIA^{(R)}$ kit로는 1명을 제외한 양 군의 전원에서 DLI가 관찰되지 않았다. 만성 신부전 환자에서 Gammacoat $Digoxin^{(R)}$ kit로 측정된 DLI와 혈청 BUN/Creatinine 값 사이에는 유의한 상관 관계가 없었다. 2) 만성 신부전 환자 및 신생아의 pooled sera에 가한 digoxin의 수거율은 각각 49%, 40%였다. 3) 만선 신부전 환자 및 신생아의 pooled sera에서 측정되는 DLI의 희석 curve는 정상 희석 curve와 다르다고 할 수 없었다. 4) 만성 신부전 환자의 pooled sera에서 측정되는 DLI의 16%, 그리고 신생아의 pooled sera 에서 측정되는 DLI의 20%가 trypsin에 sensitive하였다. 5) 만성 신부전 환자의 pooled sera에서 측정되는 DLI의 56%가, 그리고 신생아의 pooled sera에서 측정되는 DLI의 경우는 전체의 20%미만이 methylene chloride로 추출되었다. 이상에서 만성 신부전 환자 및 신생아의 혈청에서는 방사면역 kit의 증류에 따라 DLI가 검출되며 그 실체를 알기 위해서는 더욱 연구가 필요하다고 할 수 있었다.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.179-185
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• 2007

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignancies in Korea, but the predominant molecular event underlying gastric carcinogenesis remain unknown. Recently, DNA microarray technology has enabled the comprehensive analysis of gene expression level, and as such has yielded great insight into the molecular nature of cancer, However, despite the powerful approach of this techniques, the technical artifacts and/or bias in applied array platform limited the liability of resultant tens of thousand data points from microarray experiments. Therefore, we applied two different any platforms, such as olignucleotide microarray and cDNA microarray, to identify gastric cancer related large-scale molecular signature of the same human specimens. When thirty sets of matched human gastric cancer and normal tissues subjected to oligonucleotide microarray, total 623 genes were resulted as differently expressed genes in gastric cancer compared to normal tissues, and 252 genes for cDNA microarray analysis. In addition, forty three outlier genes which reflect the characteristic expression signature of gastric cancer beyond array platform and analytical protocol was recapitulated from two different expression profile. In conclusion, we were able to identify robust large-scale molecular changes in gastric cancer by applying two different platform of DNA microarray, this may facilitate to understand molecular carcinogenesis of gastric cancer.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.8-27
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• 2000

Components of extracellular matrix and the matrix-degrading enzymes are some of the key regulators of tumor metastasis and angiogenesis. Hyaluronic acid (HA), a matrix glycosaminoglycan, is known to promote tumor adhesion and migration, and its small fragments are angiogenic. Until now, we have compared levels of hyaluronidase, an enzyme that degrade HA, in normal adult prostate, benign prostate hyperplasia and prostate cancer tissues and in conditioned media from epithelial explant cultures, using a substrate (HA)-gel assay and ELISA-like assay (Kim et al., unpublished results). The present review described an overall characterization of hyaluronidases and its application to human diseases. The hyaluronidases are a family of enzymes that have, until recently, deed thorough explication. The substrate for these enzymes, hyaluronan, is becoming increasingly important, recognized now as a major participant in basic processes such as cell motility, wound healing, embryogenesis, and implicated in cancer progression. And in those lower life forms that torment human beings, hyaluronidase is associated with mechanisms of entry and spread, e.g. as a virulence factor for bacteria, for tissue dissection in gas gangrene, as a means of treponema spread in syphilis, and for penetration of skin and gut by nematode parasites. Hyaluronidase also comprises a component of the venom of a wide variety of organisms, including bees, wasps, hornets, spiders, scorpions, sh, snakes and lizards. Of particular interest is the homology between some of these venom hyaluronidases and the enzyme found in the plasma membrane of mammalian spermatozoa, attesting to the ancient nature of the conserved sequence, a 36% identity in a 300 amino acid stretch of the enzyme protein. Clearly, hyaluronidase is of biological interest, being involved in the pathophysiology of so many important' human disorders. Greater effort should be made in studying this family of enzymes that have, until recently, been overlooked. Also, oriental medical application of the hyaluronidase will be discussed with respect to inhibition and suppression of inflammation and malignacy.