• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.463-469
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• 2001

Valvular heart disease is one of the main current of cardiac problems and has many problems must be solved by sequelae and complications, etc. Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis is mainly attacked by rheumatic fever and developed by process of treatment of mitral valve or formation of trace. The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of oriental treatment for Cerebral Infarction with Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis. At the time of visiting ER, he was shown the symptoms of dull mentality, Rt. hemiplegia, global aphasia, dysphagia, chest discomfort, insomnia, dyspnea, etc, It showed that Atrial fibrillation in EKG monitoring, Atrial fibrillation, Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis, Ejection-Fraction slope 60% in Cardiac echography, Lt. atrial hypertrophy, Rt. atrial hypertrophy, Rt. ventricular hypertrophy with pulmonary congestion in chest X-ray. From the view of oriental diagnostic criteria. We classified the patient's clinical conditions and treated accordingly. As a result of treatment, symptoms were markedly improved and he was discharged. Further elaboration of oriental diagnostic classification could possibly lead to the fundamental treatment.

• The Korean journal of internal medicine
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.1241-1251
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• 2018

Background/Aims: To estimate the level of agreement and positivity rates of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) tests prior to the use of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors in relation to underlying rheumatic diseases and endemic tuberculosis levels. Methods: The Ovid-Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Libraries were searched for articles before October 2013 involving LTBI screening in rheumatic patients, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), and psoriatic arthritis. Results: In pooled analyses, 5,224 rheumatic patients had undergone both a tuberculin skin test (TST) and an interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) before TNF inhibitors use. The positivity of TST, QuantiFERON-TB Gold In Tube (QFT-GIT), and T-SPOT.TB (T-SPOT) tests were estimated to be 29%, 17%, and 18%, respectively. The agreement percentage between the TST and QFT-GIT, and between the TST and T-SPOT were 73% and 75%. Populations from low-to-moderate endemic TB presented with slightly less agreement (71% between TST and QFT-GIT, and 74% between TST and T-SPOT) than patients from high endemic countries (73% between TST and QFT-GIT, and 81% between TST and T-SPOT). By underlying disease stratification, a lower level of agreement between TST and QFT-GIT was found among AS (64%) than among JIA (77%) and RA patients (73%). Conclusions: We reaffirm the current evidence for accuracy of LTBI test done by TST and IGRA among rheumatic patients is inconsistent. Our stratified analysis suggests different screening strategies might be needed in clinical settings considering the endemic status in the patient's country of origin and the precise nature of underlying diseases.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.276-282
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• 1988

Surgery is now the usual mode of therapy in patients with severe valvular heart disease. Until recently, clinicians and pathologists attributed nearly all acquired valvular heart diseases to a rheumatic origin, except some obviously resulting from acute infection and syphilis. Although many clinicians and pathologists describe that the origin of aortic valvular disease is a nonrheumatic origin, we recognize the major origin of aortic valvular disease in Korea as a rheumatic origin. We excised 47 cardiac valves from valvular heart diseased patients and performed anatomical and pathological analysis for its origin and underlying pathology. The purpose of this article is to provide an update for the clinicians of evolving issues related to the pathology of valvular heart disease. But myxomatous origin and infective endocarditis valvulitis will not be covered in detail.

• 대한근관절건강학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1997.05a
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• pp.134-146
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• 1997

Sixty-nine articles were reviewed to understand the depression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Among these articles, forty seven were the studies that dealt with depression in rheumatoid disease, nineteen studied the depression in patients with other chronic disease or in normals, and three were the studies that compared the depression in the patients with rheumatic disease and in the other subjects. Specifically, the articles were analyzed (1) to determine whether the patients with rheumatic arthritis were more depressed than normal population or subjects with other chronic diseases ; (2) to test whether the measurement problems exit ; (3) to identify the disease related, personal, psychologic, and demographic variables to affect the depression and (4) to identify the nursing interventions which improve the depression in rheumatoid arthritis. Based upon these results, some suggestion were made for future research and practice.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 1998

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common systemic inflammatory disease which DMARDS have been widely used as a treatment modality both as monotherapy and combination therapy Bucillamine, one of newer DMARDS, has recently proven its efficacy as monotherapy in the treatment of RA. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and the safety of bucillamine monotherapy and bucillamine plus methotrexate combination therapy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Forty-nine mild RA patients were enrolled in this prospective, open-trial and were assigned to receive bucillamine 200 mg/day (n=18) or bucillamine 200 mg/day and methotrexate 7.5-15 mg/week (n=31) orally for 16 weeks. Concomitant use of NSAID and prednisolone <5 mg/day or equivalent dose of steroid were allowed. Both monotherapy group and combination therapy group have shown significant improvement in disease activities (Ritchie index, painful joints, swollen joints, morning stiffness, grip strength, ESR, RF, CRP, patient's self assessment of pain, physician's global assessment of disease activity) from the baseline. However, there was no statistically significant difference between two groups. The adverse effects were more frequently shown in combination therapy group than monotherapy group. In conclusion, in patients with mild RA monotherapy has shown to be equally efficacious as combination therapy with less side effects.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.137-146
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• 2003

Rheumatic diseases can be categorized by pathology into several specific types of musculoskeletal problems, including synovitis (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis), enthesopathy (e.g. ankylosing spondylitis) and cartilage degeneration (e.g. osteoarthritis). Skeletal radiographs have contributed to the diagnosis of these articular diseases, and some disease entities need typical radiographic changes as a factor of the diagnostic criteria. However, they sometimes show normal radiographic findings in the early stage of disease, when there is demineralization of less than 30-50 %. Bone scans have also been used in arthritis, but not widely because the findings are nonspecific and it is thought that bone scans do not add significant information to routine radiography. Bone scans do however play a different role than simple radiography, and it is a complementary imaging method in the course of management of arthritis. The Image quality of bone scans can be improved by obtaining regional views and images under a pin-hole collimator, and through a variety of scintigraphic techniques including the three phase bone scan and bone SPECT. Therefore, bone scans could improve the diagnostic value, and answer multiple clinical questions, based on the pathophysiology of various forms of arthritis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.346-352
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• 1998

Rheumatic valvulitis produces at least three distinct pathologic changes, the degree varying widely among the patients: fusion of the valve leaflets at the commissures; fusion and shortening of chordae tendinae: and fibrosis of the leaflets with subsequent stiffening, contraction and calcification. The most extensive changes usually are seen in patients with recurrent attacks of rheumatic fever. We studied on outcome of the surgical treatments of rheumatic valvular diseases that have been experienced for 12 years since 1982 at Pusan National University Hospital. The diagnoses were made by rheumatic fever history, echocardiographic findings, gross operative findings and microscopic findings. Total 502 patients were performed surgery for valvular heart diseases and 440 patients of rheumatic origin have bene analysed. There were more female than male patients as 1.3:1, and the mean age was 37.8 years old. 96.3% of them affected to the mitral valve, 19.8% to aortic valve, 16.3% affected to the tricuspid valve. Most of them underwent valve replacement, and valve repair was done in 3.9% of patients. There were 36 hospital deaths(8.2%) mainly from low cardiac output syndrome, and 15 late deaths equally due to embolism and hemorrhage. Follow up was 90.1% completed(2890 patient- year). Linealized rates of late complication events are follows : thromboembolism 1.3% per patient year; anticoagulant related hemorrhage 0.8% per patient year. Overall actuarial survival including hospital mortality was 92.7＋/-2.9% in 1 year, 88.0＋/-4.5% in 5 year, 82.3＋/-7.7% in 10 year. We conclude that the rheumatic disease is still the most frequent and the most important cause of heart valve disease. So more intensive study is needed in spite of the abrupt decreasing rate of rheumatic fever in U.S.A. and other industrial country.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.54-61
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• 2003

Due to the development in computer mediated communication, there are many homepages on the web, which provide medical on health counseling and education. The internet is becoming increasingly important and essential in medicine. But little was known about what problems can be counseled and what difficulties are met during the computer mediated counseling. This study was performed to investigate the content and purpose of health counseling on the web. The data were collected from March 1st, 2002 to February 28th, 2003, from 199 questioners visited one rheumatic center homepage questionary/answering(Q/A) site. Most of the questioners consulted health problems of their own or their families. The 51.3% of them were diagnosed medically Rheumatoid arthritis was the most frequent disease and followed systemic lupus erythematosus, gout and ankylosing spondylitis. Most of the questioners needed to know treatment principles, diagnosing process, and information regarding the clinic. During the one-year period, the average number of users questioning was 29.4 cases and answering was 44.8 cases. Above findings suggest that computer mediated health counseling of rheumatic patients may be useful supplement of health education for them. Communication using internet has become popular, but this kind of approach needs a proper guideline. It is highly recommended that nurses be familiar with the e-health and e-medicine.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.106-112
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• 1999

The therapeutic potential of phosphodiesterase 4(PDE4) inhibitors in inflammatory diseases including some autoimmune diseases has been explored recently with some hopeful results. These PDE4 inhibitors are thought to show their anti-inflammatory effect by down-regulating tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-$\alpha$) production in lymphocytes and macrophages. A high concentration of TNF-$\alpha$has been found in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovium and reducing TNF-$\alpha$using biological agents was proven to be an effective RA treatment. To test the possibility of using PDE4 inhibitors for RA treatment, the effects of a newly synthesized PDE4 inhibitor, DWP205505, on TNF-$\alpha$ and IL-10 production was tested in cells isolated from normal peripheral blood and rheumatoid arthritis synovial fluid. Cytokine production was assayed at the protein level by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and at the mRNA expression level by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Another PDE4 inhibitor, RP73401, was used for comparison. DWP205505 and RP73401 had no harmful effect on cell viability up to 10 $\mu$M concentration during the 24 h culture period. DWP205505 as well as RP73401 significantly reduced TNF-$\alpha$ secretion from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (pBMC) and synovial fluid mononuclear cells (SFMC). The effect of DWP205505 or RP73401 treatment on the mRNA expression of TNF-$\alpha$ was also studied in LPS-stimulated PBMC and SFMC. TNF-$\alpha$ mRNA expression was increased by LPS stimulation and both of the PDE4 inhibitors suppressed TNF-$\alpha$ mRNA expression. For interleukin-l0 (IL-l0), a little different results were obtained from PBMC and SFMC; IL-l0 secretion was unaffected by LPS stimulation and only minimally affected by both of the PDE4 inhibitors in PBMC. In unstimulated SFMC, DWP205505 and RP73401 slightly enhanced IL-10 secretion, while they reduced IL-l0 secretion from LPS-stimulated SFMC where IL-l0 secretion was a lot higher than unstimulated SFMC. These results suggest that the newly synthesized PDE4 inhibitor DWP205505 may have anti-rheumatoid arthritis activity.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.300-308
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• 1987

Clinical and pathologic data were reviewed in 20 patients who had have surgery for isolated aortic valvular heart disease between April 1978 and April, 1987. Hospital mortality was 10%, with no additional late mortality during a mean follow-up period of 24.1 months. Prosthetic valve failure developed in 3 patients and two had reoperation. Niety four percent of the survivors who were in NYHA Funtional class III or IV before operation are now in class I or II. Ninety percent of all patients are still alive at a maximum follow up of 9 years. The clinical histories, gross and histologic examination of valves estabilished the causes for isolated aortic valve disease: 3 rheumatic, 2 congenital bicuspid, 2 hypertention, 2 aortitis and each one case of floppy valve, medial cystic necrosis of aorta, bacterial endocarditis. But etiology was unknown in 8 cases. Sixteen patietns had myxoid degeneration, defined as significant disruption of the valve fibrosa and its replacement by acid mucosaccharides and cystic changes. Myxoid degeneration was also the primary pathologic abnormality in the patients with 2 hypertention, 2 rheumatic, 1 aortitis, 1 bacterial endocarditis, 1 floppy valve, 1 congenital bicuspid. The patients with myxoid degeneration of uncertain origin were 8. Histologic finding of all of them revealed nonspecific patients with myxoid degeneration of uncertain orgin were 8. Histologic finding of all of them revealed nonspecific chronic valvulitis with myxoid degeneration. This finding may indicate that the etiology w uld be infectious.