• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.176-188
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• 2002

Objective : Sono-acupoint (SA) therapy is a new therapeutic technique that combined with acupuncture points, herbal medicine and ultrasound therapy. This study was carried out to investigate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of sono-acupoint therapy. Methods : We performed the tail-flick test with normal rats to examine the tail-flick latency (TFL), and the Freund's adjuvant-induced arthritis rat model to examine the edema, skin temperature and serum concentration of c-reactive protein and rheumatoid factor (RF). Herbal SA (HSA) treatment was performed at bilateral Zusanli (ST36) with the hanbang-gel made of several selected herbal drugs in Sprague-Dawley rats (male, $250{\pm}30g$). General SA (GSA) treatment was performed at bilateral Zusanli (ST36) with the gel used in ultrasound therapy. In arthritis rat model, Freund's adjuvant (50mg/ml) was injected in dorsal part of right foot, and these treatments were performed after 15 days. Results : TFL was lengthened after SA treatments. Skin temperature and RF concentration that were the evidence of arthritis in rats were decreased by HSA treatment (P < 0.05). Conclusion : These results indicate that HSA has the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects in rats, and further developments will produce the advance of this new therapeutic skill.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.79-84
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• 2016

Apium graveolens Linn. (Apiaceae) is an indigenous plant of the North and South Americas, Southern Europe, and Asia and has been widely used as a food or a traditional medicine for treatment of inflammation and arthritis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antioxidant effects of a methanolic extract of A. graveolens (AGE) against liver oxidative stress in an adjuvant-induced arthritic rat model. The AGE (250, 500, and 1,000 mg/kg) was given orally for 24 consecutive days after induction by injecting complete Freund's adjuvant. Liver and spleen weights were recorded. The superoxide anion level, total peroxide (TP), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, total antioxidant status, and oxidative stress index (OSI) were also measured. AGE treatment significantly decreased the levels of the superoxide anion, TP, and OSI whereas the GPx and SOD activities significantly increased in the liver of the arthritic rats. These results indicated that AGE showed an ameliorative effect against liver oxidative stress in adjuvant-induced arthritic rats by reducing the generation of liver free radicals and increasing the liver antioxidant enzyme activity.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.32-37
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• 2023

The demand for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is rapidly increasing worldwide. The most common indication for TKA is osteoarthritis (OA); however, some patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) also undergo TKA. This study aimed to investigate the effects of RA on TKA. Our findings revealed that patients with RA underwent TKA at a younger age than did patients with OA. However, contrary to the findings of pre-21st century studies, the average age of TKA among patients with RA was not significantly different from that of patients with OA. Additionally, patients with RA had a 1.5-fold higher risk of undergoing TKA. Although not statistically significant, patients with RA had a higher revision TKA rate, a shorter time until revision TKA, and underwent more revision TKAs due to infections than did patients with OA. An analysis of factors that affect revision TKA revealed that the risk of revision increased if the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein levels were increased at the time of TKA. This study showed that patients with RA have a slightly higher risk of undergoing TKA than did patients with OA. Furthermore, the presence of inflammation at the time of TKA increases the risk of revision; therefore, inflammation should be adequately controlled before performing TKA.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.173-178
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• 2007

In this study we manufactured mulberry fruit tea(MFT) to be used as an anti-inflammatory agent. Here, MFT was consumed by thirty middle-aged women with symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis for 4 weeks. The anthropometric measurements and serum inflammatory factors were measured before and after consumption of the MFT. For the anthropometric measurements, BMI and body fat decreased after 4 weeks of tea consumption although there were no significant differences. The serum inflammatory factors(uric acid and homocysteine) as well as serum amino transferase activity(aspartate trans-aminase and alanine transaminase) showed a decreasing trend. In addition, serum carbon reactive protein(CRP) decreased significantly decreased after MFT consumption 4 weeks. It's concluded that this MFT is helpful to for rheumatyroid arthritis patients in order to decrease serum inflammatory factors such as CRP.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.59 no.6
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• pp.590-596
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• 2016

Objective : Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic disease that can affect the cervical spine, especially the atlantoaxial region. The present study evaluated the risk factors for atlantoaxial subluxation (AAS) development and progression in patients who have undergone surgical treatment. Methods : We retrospectively analyzed the data of 62 patients with RA and surgically treated AAS between 2002 and 2015. Additionally, we identified 62 patients as controls using propensity score matching of sex and age among 12667 RA patients from a rheumatology registry between 2007 and 2015. We extracted patient data, including sex, age at diagnosis, age at surgery, disease duration, radiographic hand joint changes, and history of methotrexate use, and laboratory data, including presence of rheumatoid factor and the C-reactive protein (CRP) level. Results : The mean patient age at diagnosis was 38.0 years. The mean time interval between RA diagnosis and AAS surgery was $13.6{\pm}7.0$ years. The risk factors for surgically treated AAS development were the serum CRP level (p=0.005) and radiographic hand joint erosion (p=0.009). The risk factors for AAS progression were a short time interval between RA diagnosis and radiographic hand joint erosion (p<0.001) and young age at RA diagnosis (p=0.04). Conclusion : The CRP level at RA diagnosis and a short time interval between RA diagnosis and radiographic hand joint erosion might be risk factors for surgically treated AAS development in RA patients. Additionally, a short time interval between RA diagnosis and radiographic hand joint erosion and young age at RA diagnosis might be risk factors for AAS progression.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.208-216
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• 2002

Background: Reactive oxygen and nitrogen are produced by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovial tissue and can induce mutations in key genes. Normally, this process is prevented by a DNA mismatch repair (MMR) system that maintains sequence fidelity. Key members of the MMR system include MutS${\alpha}$ (comprised of hMSH2 and hMSH6), which can sense and repair single base mismatches and 8-oxoguanine, and MutS${\beta}$ (comprised of hMSH2 and hMSH3), which repairs longer insertion/deletion loops. Methods: To provide further evidence of DNA damage, we analyzed synovial tissues for microsatellite instability (MSI). MSI was examined by PCR on genomic DNA of paired synovial tissue and peripheral blood cells (PBC) of RA patients using specific primer sequences for 5 key microsatellites. Results: Surprisingly, abundant MSI was observed in RA synovium compared with osteoarthritis (OA) tissue. Western blot analysis of the same tissues for the expression of MMR proteins demonstrated decreased hMSH6 and increased hMSH3 in RA synovium. To evaluate potential mechanisms of MMR regulation in arthritis, fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) were isolated from synovial tissues and incubated with the nitric oxide donor S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP). Western blot analysis demonstrated constitutive expression of hMSH2, 3 and 6 in RA and OA FLS. When FLS were cultured with SNAP, the RA synovial pattern of MMR expression was reproduced (high hMSH3, low hMSH6). Conclusion: Therefore, oxidative stress can relax the DNA MMR system in RA by suppressing hMSH6. Decreased hMSH6 can subsequently interfere with repair of single base mutations, which is the type observed in RA. We propose that oxidative stress not only creates DNA adducts that are potentially mutagenic, but also suppresses the mechanisms that limit the DNA damage.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.84-93
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• 2001

The effects of brisk walking & muscle strengthening exercise on pain, fatigue, physical function & disease activity were examined in 28 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Research design was a quasi-experimental study of non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design. 14 for the experimental group and 14 for the control group were selected from the out patients on rheumatoid arthritis clinic of Dong-A University Hospital. The experimental group underwent 16 weeks of brisk walking and muscle strengthening exercise using Thera-Band. Pain, fatigue, physical function & disease activity was measured before and after 16 weeks of exercise. At baseline test, Fatigue & physical function score between groups were significantly different. So differences with in experimental group(baseline versus follow up) were compared with differences within the control group by Mann-Whitney test. There were significant differences between groups in the difference score on pain (U=6.50 p<.001) and fatigue (U=26.5 p<.01). For the experimental group, the score on the pain & fatigue was significantly decreased but no changed for the control group. Also there was a significant differences between groups in the difference score of the physical function (U=22.5 p<.001). For the experimental group, the score of the physical function has been significantly in creased. However, for the control group, it has been no changed. But there were no significant differences between groups in the ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and the CRP (C-reactive protein)level. In summary, brisk walking & muscle strengthening exercise led to significant improvements in pain, fatigue, and physical function without exacerbating disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.200.3-200.3
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• 2003

Reactive oxygen species(ROS) are produced at a high rate continuously as a by-product of aerobic metabolism. Several lines of evidence provided that ROS appears to cause to develop aging and various diseases. High level of hyaluronic acid with decreased molecular weight has been detected in patients with inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis. Hyaluronidase is an endohexosaminidase that initiates the degradation of hyaluronic acid with high molecular weight. Prunus persica Batsch var. davidiana Maximowicz has been known as a korean folk medicine for treatment of neuritis and rheumatism. (omitted)

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.147-150
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• 2010

Background: Chronic low back pain can be a manifestation of lumbar degenerative disease, herniation of intervertebral discs, arthritis, or lumbar stenosis. When nerve roots are compromised, low back pain, with or without lower extremity involvement, may occur. Local inflammatory processes play an important role in patients with acute lumbosciatic pain. The purpose of this study was to assess the value of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) measurements in patients with chronic low back pain or radiculopathy. Methods: ESR and hsCRP were measured in 273 blood samples from male and female subjects with low back pain and/or radiculopathy due to herniated lumbar disc, spinal stenosis, facet syndrome, and other diseases. The hsCRP and ESR were measured prior to lumbar epidural steroid injection. Results: The mean ESR was 18.8 mm/h and mean hsCRP was 1.1 mg/L. ESR had a correlation with age. Conclusions: A significant systemic inflammatory reaction did not appear to arise in patients with chronic low back pain.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.35-57
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• 2016

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to prove the effect and mechanism of Gamikyejakjimogawusul-tang(GKHA) herbal acupuncture on induced rheumatoid arthritis model of DBA/1 mice. Methods : We check effect of GKHA extract on the AST, ALT, Creatinine, BUN of serum and cell viability of GK extract in RAW 264.7 cells to test the stability of this study. In vitro, we measure total phenol contents, total flavonoid contents, DPPH free radical scavenging activity, ABTS cation radical scavenging activity of Gamikyejakjimogawusul-tang, effect of GK extract on ROS(Reactive Ooxygen Species) production to estimate a anti-oxidant capacity, and we also measure effect of GK extract on NO (Nitric Oxid), IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, IL-17, IL-21, TNF-${\alpha}$, MCP-1, GM-CSF production in RAW 264.7 cells to estimate a anti-inflammatory efficacy. In vivo, we compare a rheumatoid arthritis manifestation between control and experimental group and estimate a AI. Then we check effect of GKHA on the level of WBC, neutrophil, lympocyte, monocyte in the blood to see the effect of immune cells in blood. In addition we measure effect of GKHA on the level of hs-CRP, IgM, IgG, IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, IL-17, IL-21, TNF-${\alpha}$, MCP-1, GM-CSF in serum. We observe effects of GKHA on imaging of cartilage degeneration using micro CT-arthrography in paw hind. And we calculate effects of GKHA that reduced BV ratio, BS/BV ratio using 3D Micro-CT. Lastly we observe effects of GKHA histopathologic examination analysis. Results : 1. The toxicity on liver and kidney was disregardable and the cytotoxicity against RAW 264.7 cells was also disregardable. 1. Total phenol contents and total flavonoid contents in GK extract were in high level. 2. DPPH free radical scavenging activity and ABTS cation radical scavenging activity were increased according to concentration of GK extract 3. ROS production was significantly decreased in GK extract (at 10, $100{\mu}g/ml$). 4. NO, IL-6, TNF-${\alpha}$, MCP-1 production were significantly decreased in GK extract(at 10, $100{\mu}g/ml$). IL-17, GM-CSF production were significantly decreased in GK extract(at 1, 10, $100{\mu}g/ml$). IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-21 production were also decreased but there was no statistical significance. 5. 25x observation after H&E and M-T staining, infiltration of immune cells and subsidence of the cartilage and damage to the synovial cells were decreased. Conclusions : This study showed that GKHA extract had anti-oxidant capacity, anti-inflammatory efficacy. GKHA extract also had inhibiting effect on the process of rheumatoid arthritis and can protect joint and cartilage. So we expect that GKHA extract can be a meaningful treatment to rheumatoid arthritis patients.