• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.143-147
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• 2007

Objective To derive further studies evaluating the effectiveness of Cultured Wild Ginseng Pharmacopuncture (CWGP) Therapy on squamous cell carcinoma as a first line. Methods Three cycles (4 weeks/cycle) of CWGP were administered as a dosage of 10 ml per day. Patient was diagnosed with stage IIIB squamous cell carcinoma and refused all therapy of conventional medicine because of old age and cardiac invasion of tumor. Intensive treatment of CWGP for 3 cycles was done on the patient. Computed Topography (CT) was performed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy. Results After the intravenous infusion of 2 cycles of CWGP, chest CT revealed the mass size and pleural invasion sustained stable disease. After the point injection of 1 cycle of CWGP, chest CT revealed progressive disease. The disease free survival rate was 1 month. Conclusion This case may provide us the possibility that CWGP offers potential benefits for patients with squamous cell lung carcinoma. But this is a single case study and further case-series research should be compensated.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.901-908
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• 2009

Parkinson's disease is a slowly progressive degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. It is characterized by tremor when muscles are at rest, increased muscle tone, slowness of voluntary movements, and difficulty maintaining balance. In oriental medicine, these symptoms are diagnosed as yin(陰)-deficiency of liver and kidney, deficiency of qi(氣) and blood, retention of phlegm(痰), qi-stagnation and blood stasis. In this case, we diagnosed patients as deficiency of qi(氣) and blood type according to symptoms and treated by herbs that strengthen yang and benefiting yin for two weeks, while maintaining existing parkinson's western medication. After treatment, clinical symptoms were improved, while UPDRS (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale) score was decreased. These cases suggest that oriental medicine therapy maybe effective in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.596-599
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• 2009

A 24 year-old female presented for a $^{99m}Tc$-methylene diphosphonatae (MDP) whole body bone scan due to chronic pain in the bilateral lower extremities that has aggravated since 2002. She was diagnosed with Camurati-Engelmann disease (CED) based on the clinical and radiological findings in 2002, and she re-visited our institute to evaluate disease status at this time. CED is a rare autosomal dominant type of bone dysplasia characterized by progressive cortical thickening of long bones, and narrowing of medullary cavity, and thus presents with typical clinical symptoms and signs such as chronic pain in the extremities, muscle weakness, and waddling gait. On the $^{99m}Tc$-MDP bone scan performed to evaluate disease status, intense increased uptake was seen in the skull, facial bones, bilateral scapulae, bilateral long bones, and bilateral pelvic bones, which clearly demonstrated the extent of CED involvement.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.232-238
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• 2014

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease without known ways to cure. A key neuropathologic manifestation of the disease is extracellular deposition of beta-amyloid peptide (Ab). Specific mechanisms underlying the development of the disease have not yet been fully understood. In this study, we investigated effects of 4-O-methylhonokiol on memory dysfunction in APP/PS1 double transgenic mice. 4-O-methylhonokiol (1 mg/kg for 3 month) significantly reduced deficit in learning and memory of the transgenic mice, as determined by the Morris water maze test and step-through passive avoidance test. Our biochemical analysis suggested that 4-O-methylhonokiol ameliorated $A{\beta}$ accumulation in the cortex and hippocampus via reduction in beta-site APP-cleaving enzyme 1 expression. In addition, 4-O-methylhonokiol attenuated lipid peroxidation and elevated glutathione peroxidase activity in the double transgenic mice brains. Thus, suppressive effects of 4-O-methylhonokiol on $A{\beta}$ generation and oxidative stress in the brains of transgenic mice may be responsible for the enhancement in cognitive function. These results suggest that the natural compound has potential to intervene memory deficit and progressive neurodegeneration in AD patients.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.83 no.3
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• pp.195-200
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• 2020

The disease concept of interstitial lung disease with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis at its core has been relied on for many years depending on morphological classification. The separation of non-specific interstitial pneumonia with a relatively good prognosis from usual interstitial pneumonia is also based on the perception that morphology enables predict the prognosis. Beginning with dust-exposed lungs, initially, interstitial pneumonia is classified by anatomical pathology. Diagnostic imaging has dramatically improved the diagnostic technology for surviving patients through the introduction of high-resolution computed tomography scan. And now, with the introduction of therapeutics, the direction of diagnosis is turning. It can be broadly classified into to make known the importance of early diagnosis, and to understand the importance of predicting the speed of progression/deterioration of pathological conditions. For this reason, the insight of "early lesions" has been discussed. There are reports that the presence or absence of interstitial lung abnormalities affects the prognosis. Searching for a biomarker is another prognostic indicator search. However, as is the case with many chronic diseases, pathological conditions that progress linearly are extremely rare. Rather, it progresses while changing in response to environmental factors. In interstitial lung disease, deterioration of respiratory functions most closely reflect prognosis. Treatment is determined by combining dynamic indicators as faithful indicators of restrictive impairments. Reconsidering the history being classified under the disease concept, the need to reorganize treatment targets based on common pathological phenotype is under discussed. What is the disease concept? That aspect changes with the discussion of improving prognosis.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 2022

Glutaric aciduria type 1 (GA1; OMIM #231670) is a rare autosomal recessive inherited neurometabolic disorder caused by the deficiency of glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase. Infantile-onset GA1 is the most common form characterized by striatal injury and progressive movement disorder, and it is often triggered by an acute encephalopathic crisis within the first three years of life. Once this crisis occurs, there is a high likelihood for ineffective or limited conventional interventions, neurological disorders, or even death. Therefore, early diagnosis and immediate preventive management, such as dietary therapy, is essential. In the past decades, newborn screening (NBS) by tandem mass spectrometry for GA1 has been largely introduced in many countries including Korea, and it has led to improvements in the neurological outcomes of patients with GA1. In this review, the clinical symptoms, natural histories, and outcomes before and after the introduction of NBS in patients are discussed.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.51-58
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• 2024

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) bear a significant financial burden and face numerous complications and higher mortality rates. The progression of CKD is associated with glomerular injury caused by glomerular hyperfiltration and oxidative stress. Factors such as uncontrolled hypertension, elevated urine protein levels, anemia, and underlying glomerular disease, contribute to CKD progression. In addition to conservative treatment, several medications are available to combat the progression of CKD to end-stage kidney disease. Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockers could slow the progression of CKD by reducing glomerular hyperfiltration, lowering blood pressure, and decreasing inflammation. Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists inhibit the mineralocorticoid receptor signaling pathway, thereby attenuating inflammation and fibrosis. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors exhibit protective effects on the kidneys and against cardiovascular events. Tolvaptan, a selective vasopressin V2-receptor antagonist, decelerates the rate of increase in total kidney volume and deterioration of kidney function in patients with rapidly progressive autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. The protective effects of AST-120 remain controversial. Due to a lack of evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of these medications in children, it is imperative to weigh the benefits and adverse effects carefully. Further research is essential to establish the efficacy and safety profiles in pediatric populations.

• BMB Reports
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.196-201
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• 2023

Renal fibrosis is the final manifestation of chronic kidney disease (CKD) regardless of etiology. Hypoxia-inducible factor-2 alpha (HIF-2α) is an important regulator of chronic hypoxia, and the late-stage renal tubular HIF-2α activation exerts protective effects against renal fibrosis. However, its specific role in progressive renal fibrosis remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of the long-term tubular activation of HIF-2α on renal function and fibrosis, using in vivo and in vitro models of renal fibrosis. Progressive renal fibrosis was induced in renal tubular epithelial cells (TECs) of tetracycline-controlled HIF-2α transgenic (Tg) mice and wild-type (WT) controls through a 6-week adenine diet. Tg mice were maintained on doxycycline (DOX) for the diet period to induce Tg HIF-2α expression. Primary TECs isolated from Tg mice were treated with DOX (5 ㎍/ml), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) (10 ng/ml), and a combination of both for 24, 48, and 72 hr. Blood was collected to analyze creatinine (Cr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels. Pathological changes in the kidney tissues were observed using hematoxylin and eosin, Masson's trichrome, and Sirius Red staining. Meanwhile, the expression of fibronectin, E-cadherin and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) was observed using western blotting. Our data showed that serum Cr and BUN levels were significantly lower in Tg mice than in WT mice following the adenine diet. Moreover, the protein levels of fibronectin and E-cadherin and the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK were markedly reduced in the kidneys of adenine-fed Tg mice. These results were accompanied by attenuated fibrosis in Tg mice following adenine administration. Consistent with these findings, HIF-2α overexpression significantly decreased the expression of fibronectin in TECs, whereas an increase in α-SMA protein levels was observed after TGF-β1 stimulation for 72 hr. Taken together, these results indicate that long-term HIF-2α activation in CKD may inhibit the progression of renal fibrosis and improve renal function, suggesting that long-term renal HIF-2α activation may be used as a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of CKD.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.1018-1028
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• 2022

Objectives: Parkinson's disease is characterized by progressive, irreversible damage to dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, as well as motor and non-motor symptoms. This disease currently has no dependable disease-modifying treatment. In this paper, we describe the treatment of a 67-year-old female with Parkinson's disease using acupuncture and exercise therapy. Case Presentation: Clinical symptoms and the United Kingdom Parkinson's Disease Society Brain Bank Diagnostic Criteria were used to diagnose the patient with Parkinson's disease. Over a 12-week period, the patient visited a Korean medicine hospital 18 times and was treated with acupuncture and exercise therapy in addition to anti-Parkinson's drugs. Before and after treatment, clinical examinations were performed using tools such as the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, Fall Efficacy Scale, Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire, Berg Balance Scale, and Non-Motor Symptoms Scale. Furthermore, functional near-infrared spectroscopy was used to assess cortical hemodynamics. All clinical examination results improved after 12 weeks of intervention. In particular, improvements on the Total Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale and Part III of this scale demonstrated large, clinically important differences. Conclusion: This case suggests that combining acupuncture and exercise therapy could produce an effective treatment for Parkinson's disease patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.929-934
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• 1988

Progressive systemic sclerosis is a disease of unknown origin and uncommon in the east area. We experienced one case of severe peptic esophageal stricture due to esophageal scleroderma. The patient`s life quality was improved with the esophageal reconstructive procedure using reversed tubed gastric pedicle and his body weight was normalized with regular diet.