• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.76-79
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• 2018

Purpose Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is cell-surface 180-200 kDa glycoprotein that is overexpressed in breast, stomach pancreas, lung, and colorectal cancers. CEA was first described in 1965 by Gold and Freedman and then serum CEA of colorectal cancer patients was first measured in 1969 by radioimmunoassay by Thomson. CEA is currently most widely used tumor marker in the clinic for management of colorectal cancer. Various CEA test kits have been developed and commercialized. CEA kits from different manufacturers might have different test results because of different reagents and protocol. The purpose of this study was to compare results of four commercial available CEA kits. Materials and Methods This study was designed to evaluate four commercially available CEA kits using serum samples acquired from 120 patients who visited our clinic. Test results were compared and analyzed according to the respective test methods. High concentration samples were diluted with saline and diluted solution. Results All of the four kits showed a significant correlation within the reference value. However, three of the four kits used for the dilution test using high concentration samples showed the hook effect. Conclusion Results of the present study showed that It is important to establish the standardized dilution standards for the high-concentration specimens to manage the error of the test result by the hook effect.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.73-79
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• 1999

In this research we proceeded experiments to find the basis which make it possible to explain the physical and pathological process of Sasang constitutional medicine, in the way substituting hematopoietic-immune system(essence of life, blood, Ki and mental faculties : 精血氣神) Under these suppositions, the essence of life(精) is the multipotent stem cell which has the possibility to be specialized to any cell, the Ki(氣), blood(血) and mental faculties(神) are inferred that they are formed from specialized the essence of life(精), the blood(血) is the red blood cells and etc. that appears as the result of the genesis of circulation system. The Ki(氣) is from specialized basic immunity, the mental faculties(神) means long-term memories or combined immunity. Cytokines can act as specilaizing, growing factors and particiate in extremly combined procedure being controlled by both positive and negative specializing signals. Blood gathering was carried out in the morning and on empty stomach. The plasma was seperated and Erythropoietin, Stem cell factor, Granulocyte-colony stimulaing factor, Tumor necrosis factor, interlukin-3, Interleukin-6 were measured with ELISA kit. According to the result of post analysis by Duncan, each constitution is different in SCF(stem cell factor), IL-6(interleukin-6), EPO(erythropoietin). The value of Stem cell factor is high in order of Soumin(少陰人), Soyangin(少陽人), and Taeumin(太陰人), The value of interleukin-6 is high in Taeumin, Soumin, and Soyangin. Erythropoietin is high in order of Soumin, Soyangin, and Taeumin.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.14-19
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• 2011

In this study, we extracted a whole polysaccharide fraction from the sea hare, Aplysia kurodai, and screened its functional properties using cell lines. The functionalities of polysaccharide and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) were investigated with RAW 264.7 cell lines. The crude polysaccharides and GAG purified DEAE-Sepharose chromatography did not show the toxicity on RAW 264.7 cell line in the range of $10\sim200{\mu}g$/mL, whereas they increased the cell growth rate. The crude polysaccharides and purified GAG also increased the production of NO, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$ on RAW 264.7 cell. Particularly, the purified GAG inhibited the proliferation of stomach cancer cell line, AGS, up to 40% for 72 hr incubation, but not the intestinal epithelial IEC-6 cell lines.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.36-42
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• 2012

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the surgical outcomes of abdominal total gastrectomy, without mediastinal lymph node dissection for type II and III gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancers. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed surgical outcomes in 67 consecutive patients with type II and III GEJ cancers that were treated by the surgical resection between 2004 and 2008. Results: Thirty (45%) patients had type II and 37 (55%) had type III tumor. Among the 65 (97%) patients with curative surgery, 21 (31%) patients underwent the extended total gastrectomy with trans-hiatal distal esophageal resection, and in 44 (66%) patients, abdominal total gastrectomy alone was done. Palliative gastrectomy was performed in two patients due to the accompanying peritoneal metastasis. The postoperative morbidity and mortality rates were 21.4% and 1.5%, respectively. After a median follow up of 36 months, the overall 3-years was 68%, without any differences between the Siewert types or the operative approaches (transhiatal approach vs. abdominal approach alone). On the univariate analysis, the T stage, N stage and R0 resection were found to be associated with the survival, and multivariate analysis revealed that the N stage was a poor independent prognostic factor for survival. Conclusions: Type II and III GEJ cancers may successfully be treated with the abdominal total gastrectomy, without mediastinal lymph node dissection in the Korean population.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.94-100
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• 2011

Purpose: The 7th AJCC tumor node metastasis (TNM) staging system modified the classification of the lymph node metastasis widely compared to the 6th edition. To evaluate the prognostic predictability of the new TNM staging system, we analyzed the survival rate of the gastric cancer patients assessed by the 7th staging system. Materials and Methods: Among 2,083 patients who underwent resection for gastric cancer at the department of surgery, Hanyang Medical Center from July 1992 to December 2009, This study retrospectively reviewed 5-year survival rate (5YSR) of 624 patients (TanyN3M0: 464 patients, TanyNanyM1: 160 patients) focusing on the number of metastatic lymph node and distant metastasis. We evaluated the applicability of the new staging system. Results: There were no significant differences in 5YSR between stage IIIC with more than 29 metastatic lymph nodes and stage IV (P=0.053). No significant differences were observed between stage IIIB with more than 28 metastatic lymph nodes and stage IV (P=0.093). Distinct survival differences were present between patients who were categorized as TanyN3M0 with 7 to 32 metastatic lymph nodes and stage IV. But patients with more than 33 metastatic lymph nodes did not show any significant differences compared to stage IV (P=0.055). Among patients with TanyN3M0, statistical significances were seen between patients with 7 to 30 metastatic lymph nodes and those with more than 31 metastatic lymph nodes. Conclusions: In the new staging system, modifications of N classification is mandatory to improve prognostic prediction. Further study involving a greater number of cases is required to demonstrate the most appropriate cutoffs for N classification.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.246-251
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• 2014

Purpose: There are two surgical procedures for proximal early gastric cancer (EGC): total gastrectomy (TG) and proximal gastrectomy (PG). This study aimed to compare the long-term outcomes of PG with those of TG. Materials and Methods: Between January 2001 and December 2008, 170 patients were diagnosed with proximal EGC at Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, of which 64 patients underwent PG and 106 underwent TG. Clinicopathologic features, postoperative complications, blood chemistry data, changes in body weight, and oncological outcomes were analyzed and retrospectively compared between both groups. Results: Tumor size was smaller and the number of retrieved lymph nodes was lower in the PG group. The postoperative complication rate was 10.9% in the TG group and 16.9% in the PG group. The incidence of Los Angeles grade C and D reflux esophagitis was significantly higher in the TG group. Hemoglobin level was higher and body weight loss was greater in the TG group at 2, 3, and 5 years postoperatively. The albumin levels at 3 and 5 years were lower in the TG group. There was no significant difference in the 5-year overall survival rates between the two groups (P=0.789). Conclusions: Postoperative complications and oncologic outcomes were observed to be similar between the two groups. The PG group showed better laboratory data and weight loss than did the TG group. Moreover, severe reflux esophagitis occurred less frequently in the PG group than in the TG group. PG can be considered as an effective surgical treatment for proximal EGC.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.131-140
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• 2016

Purpose: The Korean Gastric Cancer Association (KGCA) has conducted nationwide surveys every 5 years, targeting patients who received surgical treatment for gastric cancer. We report the results of the 2014 nationwide survey and compare them to those of the 1995, 1999, 2004, and 2009 surveys. Materials and Methods: From March 2015 to January 2016, a standardized case report form was sent to every member of the KGCA via e-mail. The survey consisted of 29 questions, regarding patient demographics as well as tumor-, and surgery-related factors. The completed data forms were analyzed by the KGCA information committee. Results: Data on 15,613 patients were collected from 69 institutions. The mean age was $60.9{\pm}12.1$ years, and the proportion of patients more than 70 years of age increased from 9.1% in 1995 to 25.3% in 2014. Proximal cancer incidence steadily increased from 11.2% in 1995 to 16.0% in 2014. Early gastric cancer incidence consistently increased and accounted for 61.0% of all cases in 2014. The surgical approach was diversified in 2014, and 7,818 cases (50.1%) were treated with a minimally invasive approach. The most common anastomosis was Billroth I (50.2%) after distal gastrectomy, and the proportion of Roux-en-Y anastomoses performed increased to 8.6%. Conclusions: The results of this survey are expected to be important data for future studies and to be useful for generating a national cancer control program.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.141-151
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• 2016

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to elucidate the clinicopathological significance and diagnostic accuracy of immunohistochemistry (IHC) for determining the mesenchymal epidermal transition (c-MET) expression in patients with gastric cancer (GC). Materials and Methods: The present meta-analysis investigated the correlation between c-MET expression as determined by IHC and the clinicopathological parameters in 8,395 GC patients from 37 studies that satisfied the eligibility criteria. In addition, a concordance analysis was performed between c-MET expression as determined by IHC and c-MET amplification, and the diagnostic test accuracy was reviewed. Results: The estimated rate of c-MET overexpression was 0.403 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.327~0.484) and it was significantly correlated with male patients, poor differentiation, lymph node metastasis, higher TNM stage, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positivity in IHC analysis. There was a significant correlation between c-MET expression and worse overall survival rate (hazard ratio, 1.588; 95% CI, 1.266~1.992). The concordance rates between c-MET expression and c-MET amplification were 0.967 (95% CI, 0.916~0.987) and 0.270 (95% CI, 0.173~0.395) for cases with non-overexpressed and overexpressed c-MET, respectively. In the diagnostic test accuracy review, the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.56 (95% CI, 0.50~0.63) and 0.79 (95% CI, 0.77~0.81), respectively. Conclusions: The c-MET overexpression as determined by IHC was significantly correlated with aggressive tumor behavior and positive IHC status for HER2 in patients with GC. In addition, the c-MET expression status could be useful in the screening of c-MET amplification in patients with GC.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.96-100
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• 2002

Purpose: The proper reconstructive technique after a partial gastrectomy for an adenocarcinoma of the stomach is often debated, but few data exist to clarify the issue. The aim of this study was to compare retrospectively the early postoperative results and complications after different anastomoses used during a partial gastrectomy for a gastric adenocarcinoma. Materials and Methods: We reviewed the hospital records of 218 patients who had undergone a subtotal gastrectomy for gastric cancer at Chosun University Hospital between January 1997 and July 2000. Of the 218 subtotal gastrectomies performed with curative intent, 127 reconstructions were Billroth I gastrectomies and 91 were Billroth II gastrectomies. The following data were analyzed: age, sex, tumor size, gastric resection margin, timing of removal of the nasogastric tube, first bowel movement, resumption of oral feeding, and postoperative complications. Results: The timing of removal of the nasogastric tube was significantly earlier in the Billroth Igroup than in the Billroth II group ($27.9\pm13.9$ hours and $69.7\pm68$ hours, respectively)(P<0.05). Resumption of oral feeding was possible on day $4.6\pm1.5$ in the Billroth I group and on dsy $5.2\pm1.5$ in the Billroth II group (P<0.05). There were no anastomotic leakage, postoperative bleeding, and postoperative mortality among the patients in either group. Conclusions: the Billroth lgastrectomy should be considered for patients undergoing a partial gastric resection for gastric cancer due to its physiological benefits and acceptable rate of complication.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2011

Gastric cancer is the most common malignancy and the incidence is steadily increasing in Korea. The principal treatment modality for gastric cancer is surgical extirpation of tumor along with draining lymph nodes. Gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection has been well established as a standard of surgery and improved the survival of gastric cancer patients. Recently, technological advances are drastically reshaping the landscape of surgical treatment of gastric cancer. One of the most notable trends is that minimal access surgery becomes dominating the treatment of early stage diseases. For advanced diseases, the standard access surgery is considered a reference treatment. Although there is a pilot study underway to evaluate the feasibility of the application of minimal access surgery to advanced gastric cancer (AGC), the evidence for oncological safety is not yet provided sufficiently. Based on the recent randomized controlled trials, the extent of surgery for AGC has re-defined as para-aortic lymph node dissection dose not add any survival benefit while increasing surgery-related morbidities. In addition, it is now accepted as a standard operation omitting unnecessary procedures such as splenectomy and/or distal pancreatectomy for prophylactic lymph node dissection. Conceptual and technical innovation has contributed to decreasing morbidity and mortality without impairing oncological safety. All these recent advances in the field of gastric cancer surgery would be concluded in maximizing therapeutic index for gastric cancer while improving quality of life.