• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.306-312
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• 2002

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus(SLE) is a autoimmune disease characterized by combined symtoms of malar rash, discoid rash, neuropsychiatric disorder, renal disorder, hematologic disorder, photosensitivity immunologic disorder, oral ulcer, anti-nuclear antibody, arthritis, pleuritis and pericarditis, etc. Multiple genetic or environmental causes are supposed to facilitate antiboby production to autoantigen such as ds-DNA, histone, phospholipid, red blood cell, platelet, etc. And defective complementary system fail to remove autoantigen-antibody complex, which deposit in multiple organs and result in inflammatory damages. SLE does not correctly correspond to any specific category of oriental medicine. But, accoring to previous reports, it can be controlled by herb medications used differently patients-to-patients. So we are to report this one SLE case being successfully controlled by classic corticosteroids with herb medications based on oriental diffrential diagnosis of symptoms and signs.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.495-509
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• 2009

Objective : Membranous nephropathy(MN) is an organ-specific autoimmune disease and a relatively common cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults worldwide. But treatment of MN is not defined. This study was to evaluate the effects of Acasia Catechu extract(ACE) on the MN induced by cBSA in mice. Methods : Mice were divided into 4 groups. The normal group was injected with a saline solution. The control group was treated with cBSA(10 mg/kg i.p.) only. The third group was treated with cBSA (10 mg/kg i.p.) and ACE (250 mg/kg, p.o.). The fourth group was treated with cBSA (10mg/kg i.p.) and ACE (500mg/kg, p.o.). After cBSA and ACE treatment for 6 weeks, we measured change of body weight, 24hrs proteinuria, serum albumin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, BUN, creatinine, TNF-$\alpha$, IL-6, IL-$1{\beta}$, IFN-$\gamma$, IgA, IgM and IgG levels. The morphologic changes of renal glomeruli were also observed with a light microscope. Results : The levels of 24 hrs proteinuria, total cholesterol, triglyceride, IgG, IgM, IgA, TNF-$\alpha$, IL-6, IL-$1{\beta}$, IFN-$\gamma$ significantly decreased in both ACE groups. The level of albumin significantly increased in both ACE groups. The mRNA expression of IL-$1{\beta}$ in splenocytes considerably decreased in the ACE-500 group. In histological findings of kidney tissue, thickening of GBM decreased in both ACE groups. Conclusions : This study shows that ACE might be effective for treatment of MN. More clinical data and studies are to be done for efficient application.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.176-179
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• 2015

Rituximab (RTX), a monoclonal antibody against the B-cell marker CD20, is commonly used as a treatment for antibody-mediated diseases or B-lymphocyte-mediated diseases. Destruction of B cells may reverse the disease course in many conditions; however, patients who are treated with RTX cannot respond appropriately to de novo infection due to lack of B lymphocytes. Here, we report one such case. A 7-year-old renal allograft recipient presented with severe anemia due to parvovirus infection after RTX treatment. The patient had focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and had received cadaveric kidney transplantation 6 months previously. She was treated with high-dose steroid for acute rejection and RTX for Epstein Barr Virus infection 3 months previously. At presentation, her hemoglobin level was 5.4 g/dL and leukocyte and platelet counts were normal. She had microcytic normochromic anemia and high viral load of parvovirus B19(70,578 copies/mL). Intravenous immunoglobulin ($200mg/kg{\cdot}d$) treatment controlled the progression of anemia and parvovirus infection. De novo parvovirus infection during the B lymphocyte-depletion period may have precipitated the severe anemia in this case. Close monitoring of infection is required after RTX therapy.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 1991

Tobramycin is one of the most frequently selected agents for pharmacokinetic drug monitoring because of its narrow therapeutic index and essential role for the management of serious infections, especially gram-negative infections. Its pharmacokinetic parameters are dependent on race, sex, age, ideal body weight. disease states, and etc. Therefore, to schedule the dosing of tobramycin, the individual pharmacokinetic parameters such as half-life and volume of distribution are needed. However, these pharmacokinetic parameters have never been reported in Koreans. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the volume of distribution of tobramycin in cancer patients who had normal renal function, to compare the mean values of Vd reported in the literature, and to compare the measured half-life with the expected half-life based on ABW, LBW, and IBW, respectively. Venous blood samples were collected just before and thirty minutes after dosing during steady state. Serum tobramycin concentrations were determined by $TD_x$ (fluorescence immunoassay). IBW were measured by the method of Devine: and LBW were measured by the method of Hallynck. Creatinine clearances (CLcr) of the patients were estimated using the Cockcroft and Gault equation. Elimination rate constants (kel) were determined using the Welling and Craig equation. Infusion rate (ko), volume of distribution (Vd), and half-life $(t_{1/2})$ were determined using the Saw chuk and Zaske equation. The volume of distribution Was $27\%$ greater than the Schentag's study (0.26 vs 0.33 l/kg), but the half-life was similar to the Levy's study. The predicted half-lives based on IBW were the closest to actual half-lives (1.85 vs 2.01 hr).

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.38 no.2 s.149
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• pp.123-127
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• 2007

Aristolochic acid (AA) included in the plants Aristolochiaceae have been well known to be nephrotoxic and carcinogenic inducer and to cause renal disease such as Chinese Herb Nephropathy (CHN). In this study, we used a high performance liquid chromatopaphy-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) under the positive ion detection mode for the quantitative change of aristolochic acid-I and-II (AA-I and AA-II) in Aristolochiaceae (Aristolochia contorta Bunge, Aristolochia debilis Sieb. et Zucc., Aristolochia fangchi Wu), some related plants (Cocculus trilobus De candolle, Inula helenium Linne, Saussurea lappa Clarke), and its prescriptions (防己茯笭湯, 定喘散) with or without processing. Here, the processing methods and prescriptions in oriental medicine were generally used to alleviate toxicity or alter property of herbal medicines. However, the concentrations of AA-I and AA-II were highly determined in processed material extracts rather than unprocessed those, not measured in some related plants. Also, the concentrations of AA-I and AA-II even at the prescriptions mixed the plants of Aristolochiaceae were detected to range from 0.73 to 2.53 ppm. Thus, the present results suggest that the content of AA-I and AA-II contained to plants of Aristolochiaceae was not reduced by the processing methods or prescriptions which can induce the physico-chemical change and pharmacological transformation in traditional herbal medicines.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.496-500
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• 2013

Objective : To evaluate the successful fusion rate in postmenopausal women with single-level anterior cervical discectomy and successful fusion (ACDF) and identify the significant factors related to bone successful fusion in pre- and postmenopausal women. Methods : From July 2004 to December 2010, 108 consecutive patients who underwent single-level ACDF were prospectively selected as candidates. Among these, the charts and radiological data of 39 women were reviewed retrospectively. These 39 women were divided into two groups : a premenopausal group (n=11) and a postmenopausal group (n=28). To evaluate the significant factors affecting the successful fusion rate, the following were analyzed : the presence of successful fusion, successful fusion type, age, operated level, bone mineral density, graft materials, stand-alone cage or plating with autologous iliac bone, subsidence, adjacent segment degeneration, smoking, diabetes mellitus, and renal disease. Results : The successful fusion rates of the pre- and postmenopausal groups were 90.9% and 89.2%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the successful fusion rate or successful fusion type between the two groups. In the postmenopausal group, three patients (10.8%) had successful fusion failure. In the postmenopausal group, age and subsidence significantly affected the successful fusion rate (p=0.016 and 0.011, respectively), and the incidence of subsidence in patients with a cage was higher than that in patients with a plate (p=0.030). Conclusion : Menopausal status did not significantly affect bone successful fusion in patients with single-level ACDF. However, in older women with single-level ACDF, the combination of use of a cage and subsidence may unfavorably affect successful fusion.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.2 s.62
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• pp.231-240
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• 2005

Objectives: In order to investigate the efficacy and safety of the newly developed herbal medicine Jetongdan, a placebo­controlled, randomized clinical trial of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee was undertaken. Methods: Data were obtained from 80 patients with OA of the knee. After enrollment, they were asked to answer a disease-specific questionnaire (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) OA index) and analyzed with the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in order to evaluate the efficacy of Jetongdan, and analyzed for aspartate transaminase (AST) level, alanine transaminase (ALT) level, blood mea nitrogen (BUN) level, and creatinine (Cr) level in order to evaluate the safety of Jetongdan. Results: The liver function and renal function did not deteriorate after treatment with Jetongdan. Composite WOMAC score and physical function subscale was improved, but pain subscale, stiffness subscale, and ESR were not improved by. This was possibly because the baseline characteristics of the two groups were not homogenized after randomization. Conclusions: Jetongdan could be a promising treatment option for osteoarthritis of the knee. Further study in a larger population with appropriate severity grades is recommended.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.3 s.71
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• pp.57-69
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• 2007

Objectives : Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Etiological studies of diabetes and its complications have shown that oxidative stress might play a major role. Therefore, many methods have been tried to regulate free oxygen radicals for treating diabetes and its complications. Ojung-hwan, composed of five crude herbs, has been considered effective for treating symptoms of aging. In male ob/ob mouse of severe obesity, hyperinsulinemia and hyperlipidemia, which are features of NIDDM, the hyperglycemic activities and mechanisms of Ojung-hwan were examined. Methods : Mice were grouped and treated for 5 weeks as follows. Both the lean (C57/BL6J black mice) and diabetic (ob/ob mice) control groups received standard chow. The experimental groups were fed a diet of chow supplemented with 30 and 90 mg Ojung-hwan per 1 kg of body weight for 14 days. The effects of Ojung-hwan extract on the ob/ob mice were observed by measuring the serum levels of glucose, insulin, lipid components, and the kidney levels of superoxide anion radical (${\cdot}\;O{_2}{^-}$), MDA+HAE, GSH/GSSG ratio, and also the enzyme activities involved in polyol pathway. Results : Ojung-hwan lowered the levels of serum glucose and insulin in a dose-dependent manner. Total cholesterol, triglyceride and free fatty acid levels decreased, while the HDL-cholesterol level increased, in Ojung-hwan treated groups. Renal aldose reductase and sorbitol dehydrogenase activities increased in the ob/ob mice, whereas they were inhibited in the Ojung-hwan treated groups. Ojung-hwan inhibited the generation of ${\cdot}\;O{_2}{^-}$ in the kidney. Finally, MDA+HAE levels increased and GSH/GSSG ratio decreased in the ob/ob mice, whereas they improved in the Ojung-hwan treated groups. Conclusions : Ojung-hwan showed antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic activities by regulating theactivities of polyol pathway enzymes, scavenging reactive oxygen species and reducing the MDA+HAE levels in the ob/ob mice.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.65-76
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• 1988

High affinity complexes for the tumor were obtained by changing pH and composition in the preparation of $^{99m}Tc-DMSA$. The purpose of this study was to investigate the tumor affinity, and in vitro and in vivo characteristics of these complexes. The results obtained were as follows; 1) Tumor imaging agent was formed successfully at pH $6.0\sim9.0$ and renal imaging agent at pH $2.0\sim5.0$. 2) The serum protein binding of $^{99m}Tc-DMSA$ was $89.1\sim92.8%$ at pH $2.0\sim5.0$ and $11.8\sim30.5%$ at pH $6.0\sim9.0$ respectively, and it was not changed with time. 3) The T 1/2 of tumor affinity complex in blood between 3 and 6 hours after injection was $187{\pm}29$ minutes $(mean{\pm}SD)$. 4) In the blood, the radioactivity was mainly in the plasma, and less than 1% was in the cellular components. 5) In the Walker carcinosarcoma 256 bearing Wistar rats, the radioactivity in the kidney increased, and decreased in the skeleton with time. The radioactivity in the tumor showed the peak in 6 hours after injection and decreased thereafter. 6) In the tumor cell, the radioactivity localized mainly in the cytosol, the soluble fraction of the cytoplasm. This study provides the basic knowledge about tumor affinity and usefulness of $^{99m}Tc-DMSA$ in the diagnosis of malignant disease.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.114-119
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• 2002

Takayasu's arteritis(TA) is a chronic idiopathic vasculitis mainly involving the aorta and its main branches, such as brachiocephalic, carotid, subclavian, vertebral and renal arteries, as well as coronary and pulmonary arteries The clinical features usually reflect limb or organ ischemia resulting from gradual stenosis of involved arteries. We experienced a case of idiopathic Takayasu's arteritis with negative tuberculin test involving multiple main branch arteries at active stage without pulse. We treated this patient with combined therapy of steroid and azathioprine, with remission of disease activity. (J Korean Soc Pediatr Nephrol 2002 ;6 : 114-9)