• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.270-275
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• 2019

The incidence of degenerative valve disease also increasing with the increasing life expectancy of the elderly population. Rheumatic valve disease is decreasing gradually and the incidence of calcified degenerative aortic stenosis (AS) is growing. Echocardiography is a very important tool for evaluating the prognosis and treatment method as well as the time of operation and diagnosis of heart valve disease. When evaluating valvular heart disease, 2-dimensional echocardiography, which observes all heart valves in detail, should take precedence. Understanding the clinical findings of degenerative valve disease and performing precise echocardiography are extremely important. In addition, an assessment of the severity of aortic stenosis is necessary to determine the surgical indications. An assessment of the severity by echocardiography was explained with three cases of degenerative aortic stenosis. To perform echocardiography accurately, it is necessary to understand degenerative valve disease and its clinical findings accurately.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.150-158
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• 2001

The activity of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in rheumatoid arthritis is not only due to the inhibition of the production of prostaglandins, which can even have beneficial immunosuppressive effects in chronic inflammatory processes. Since we speculated that these drugs could also act by protecting endogenous proteins against denaturation, we evaluated their effect on heat-induced denaturation human serum albumin (HSA) in comparison with several fatty acids which are known to be potent stabilizers of this protein. By the Mizushimas assay and a recently developed HPLC assays we observed that NSAIDs were slightly less active [$EC_{50}~10^{-5}-10^{-4}$ M] than FA and that the HPLC method was less sensitive but more selective than the turbidimetric assay, i.e. it was capable of distinguishing true antiaggregant agents like FA and NSAIDs from substances capable of inhibiting the precipitation of denatured protein aggregates. In conclusion, this survey could be useful for the development of more effective agents in protein condensation diseases like rheumatic disorders, cataract and Alzheimers disease.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.75 no.1
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• pp.28-31
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• 2013

Methotrexate (MTX) has been established as a standard disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug. If adequate disease control is achieved for a reasonable period of time, tapering the MTX dosage is recommended because the chronic use of MTX can result in opportunistic infection. We present here a case of a woman with rheumatoid arthritis taking MTX, and the woman developed actively caseating endobronchial Mycobacterium intracellulare disease with pulmonary infiltrations. After discontinuing the MTX, the patient was able to tolerate 18 months of antimycobacterial treatment without flare ups of rheumatoid arthritis, and she completely recovered from nontuberculous mycobacterial respiratory disease.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.11
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• pp.921-930
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• 2010

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is the most common rheumatic childhood disease; its onset is before 16 years of age and it persists for at least 6 weeks. JRA encompasses a heterogeneous group of diseases that is classified according to 3 major presentations: oligoarthritis, polyarthritis, and systemic onset diseases. These presentations may originate from the same or different causes that involve interaction with specific immunogenetic predispositions, and result in heterogeneous clinical manifestations. An arthritic joint exhibits cardinal signs of joint inflammation, such as swelling, pain, heat, and loss of function; any joint can be arthritic, but large joints are more frequently affected. Extra-articular manifestations include high fever, skin rash, serositis, and uveitis. The first 2 types of JRA are regarded as T helper 1 (Th1) cell-mediated inflammatory disorders, mainly based on the abundance of activated Th1 cells in the inflamed synovium and the pathogenetic role of proinflammatory cytokines that are mainly produced by Th1 cell-stimulated monocytes. In contrast, the pathogenesis of systemic onset disease differs from that of other types of JRA in several respects, including the lack of association with human leukocyte antigen type and the absence of autoantibodies or autoreactive T cells. Although the precise mechanism that leads to JRA remains unclear, proinflammatory cytokines are thought to be responsible for at least part of the clinical symptoms in all JRA types. The effectiveness of biologic therapy in blocking the action of these cytokines in JRA patients provides strong evidence that they play a fundamental role in JRA inflammation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.10-17
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• 1983

Valve replacement in children, aging up to 15 years [Mean 11.g years], has been done at Seoul National University Hospital over the past 14 years since 1968. Fifty-one patients have received 59 artificial valves: 55 bioprosthetic and 4 prosthetic valves. Thirty-one patients [60.8%] had rheumatic heart disease and the remainder [39.2%] had congenital heart disease. Forty-two patients [82.4%] survived operation: 9 patients [17.7%] died within one monfi3 postoperatively and 4 patients [7.8%]during the follow-up period with the overall mortality rate of Thromboembolic complication occurred in 3 patients with 2 deaths: 5.9% embolic rate or 4.68% emboli per patient-year. One patient who had been on coumadin anticoagulation died from cerebral hemorrhage. One mitral Ionescu-Shiley valve failed 19 months after first replacement and this was successfully re-replaced with the same kind of valve. Actuarial survival rate was 59.9% at 4 years after surgery. Thromboembolism-free and valve failure-free survivals were 80.0% and 93.1% respectively. These clinical results in the pediatric age group suggested that valve replacement in children was a serious undertaking with a higher mortality rate than in adults. However, the main superiority on the low thrombogenecity of the xenograft valve over the mechanical one warrants its continuing use until the question of its durability would otherwise be answered by a further study of clinical follow-up.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.120-123
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• 2013

The common causes of organic mitral regurgitation (MR) include mitral valve prolapse (MVP) syndrome, rheumatic heart disease, and endocarditis. MR also occurs secondary to dilated cardiomyopathy and coronary artery disease. In acute severe MR, the hemodynamic overload often cannot be tolerated, and mitral valve repair or replacement must be performed immediately. We report herein a case of severe MR due to coronary vasospasm that was confirmed via ergonovine echocardiography in a 70-year-old man. He was scheduled to undergo mitral valve surgery, but it did not push through and he was put on medical therapy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.191-195
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• 1993

Among 25 consecutive cases having undergone mitral valve surgery between March 1991 and June 1992 in Gill General Hospital, 11 patients[44%] who had undergone mitral valve reconstruction using prosthetic rings is evaluated and presented. Patients` mean age is 43 + 19 years[range:16-72], and they are consisted with 4 males and 7 females. Mitral valve insufficiency is due to degenerative disease in 6 cases[55%] and rheumatic disease in 5 patients[45%]. Carpentier`s functional classification I is 2 cases, II is 6 cases, and III is 2 cases. Surgical techniques include prosthetic ring annuloplasty[11 patients, 100%], chorda shortening[6, 55%], leaflet mobilization[4,36%], new chorda formation[2, 18%], chorda transposition[1, 9%] commissurotomy[3, 27%], and papillary muscle splitting[3, 27%]. Average number of mitral anatomic lesions per patient are 2.7 and we used average 2.8 procedures upon mitral valve apparatus per patient. There were no surgical mortality and no late valve related admission during the mean follow up period of 17 months. The mean functional class[NYHA] is 2.81 preoperatively and improved to 1.10 postoperatively. Doppler echocardiography showed much improvement from grade II MR [1 case], grade III MR [1 case] and 9 cases of grade IV MR to 6 cases of patients showed no MR, only trace MR in 4 cases, and grade I MR was found only in one patient with NYHA functional class II postoperatively. The postoperative mean mitral valve area is $2.10+0.28cm^2$. We conclude that mitral reconstruction is a predictable and stable operation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.423-427
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• 1997

Hemoptysis occurs quite frequently as a consequence of mitral stenosis, but massive, lirE threatening pulmonary hemorrhage is distinctly unusual. We report a 30 year old female who underwent cmcrgcncy rcdo double valve replacement for intractable pulmonary hemorrhage. she underwent mitral valve replacement (lonescu Shirley 27 mm) due to rheumatic valvular heart disease in 1984 and tricuspid valve annuloplasty (Carpentier's rlng 30mm) two years later She was admitted for massive hcmoptysis and dyspnea on the 26th of December, 1995. Medical treatment including transarterial embolization was given but was not satisfactory. Emergency valve replacement (Mitral valve , 51. Judc 29mm and tricuspid valve ; 51. Jude 33mm) was performed and hemoptysis was controlled dramatically 24 hours after surgery.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.109-125
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• 2018

Objectives : It is difficult to make accurate diagnosis of musculoskeletal disease because of its multiple, subjective and non-specific symptoms. It is possible to reduce errors of differential diagnosis through detailed history taking and physical examination in parallel with laboratory tests based on clinical decision. Methods : Korean and foreign on-line databases(Pubmed, Cochran Library, NDSL, KISS and OASIS) were researched for articles discussing laboratory tests in musculoskeletal diseases. Results : Laboratory tests could be applied usefully for various musculoskeletal diseases, In this review, available laboratory components in these musculoskeletal diseases are summarized, and then significance and usefulness of disease-specific laboratory examination are described. Conclusions : When examining musculoskeletal patients, it needs to accurate differential diagnosis by full interview and physical examination, to select required tests by understanding laboratory tests thoroughly, and to judge the prognosis precisely.

• Clinical Pain
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.145-149
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• 2021

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease presenting progressive spinal stiffness and sacroiliitis. Cervical spine fracture combined with AS should be treated with operation, but it is closely related with increased rates of surgical site infection, which are associated with an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and elevated C-reactive protein. We report a case of delayed postoperative infection appeared in cervical paravertebral space, which was masked by laboratory findings and clinical characteristics represented in this rheumatic disease. A 53-year-old man who had medical history of AS got operation after cervical spine fracture. During hospitalization, he experienced aching pain originating from left posterior neck to shoulder, which was revealed out to be delayed postoperative infection, diagnostically obscured by elevated values of inflammatory markers. This case emphasizes detailed evaluation considering symptoms and comorbidity of the patient should be performed to apply proper management.