• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.96-101
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• 2007

Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is the retrograde movement of gastric contents into the larynx, pharynx, and upper aero-digestive tract. LPR differs from gastroesophageal reflux in that it is often not associated with heartburn and regurgitation symptoms. Otolaryngological manifestations of acid reflux include a wide range of pharyngeal and laryngeal symptoms. Belafsky et al. developed a useful self-administered tool, the reflux symptom index (RSI), for assessing the degree of LPR symptoms. Patients are asked to use a 0 to 5 point scale to grade the following symptoms: 1) hoarseness or voice problems; 2) throat clearing; 3) excess throat mucus or postnasal drip ; 4) difficulty swallowing; 5) coughing after eating or lying down; 6) breathing difficulties ; 7) troublesome or annoying cough; 8) sensation of something sticking or a lump in the throat; 9) heartburn, chest pain, indigestion or stomach acid coming up. A RSI score greater than 13 is considered abnormal. As there is no validated instrument to document the physical findings and severity of LPR, Belafsky et al. developed an eight-item clinical severity scale for judging laryngoscopic finding, the reflux finding score (RFS). They rated eight LPR-associated findings on a scale from 0 to 4 : subglottic edema, ventricular obliteration, erythema/hyperemia, vocal-fold edema, diffuse laryngeal edema, posterior commissure hypertrophy, granuloma/granulation tissue, and thick endolaryngeal mucus. A RFS score of greater than 7 was found to suggest LPR-associated laryngitis. Although both indices (RSI and RFS) are widely used, there is some controversy about their validity (sensitivity and specificity) and reliability (intra-rater and inter-rater) in LPR diagnosis and treatment. We discuss the validity and reliability of RSI and RFS with literature review.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.197-201
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• 2016

Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with an increased risk of developing upper gastrointestinal tract diseases. However, treatment failure is a major cause of concern mainly due to possible recurrence of infection, the side effects, and resistance to antibiotics. The aim of this study was to investigate the activities of Centella asiatica leaf extract (CAE) against H. pylori both in vitro and in vivo. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against 55 clinically isolated strains of H. pylori were tested using an agar dilution method. The MICs of CAE ranged from 0.125 mg/mL to 8 mg/mL, effectiveness in inhibiting H. pylori growth was 2 mg/mL. The anti-H. pylori effects of CAE in vivo were also examined in H. pylori-infected C57BL/6 mice. CAE was orally administrated once daily for 3 weeks at doses of 50 mg/kg and 250 mg/kg. CAE at the 50 mg/kg dose significantly reduced H. pylori colonization in mice gastric mucosa. Our study provides novel insights into the therapeutic effects of CAE against H. pylori infection, and it suggests that CAE may be useful as an alternative therapy.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2011

Mastic is a bleed resin formed in pistacia lentiscus tree extract form the anacatdiaceae family. Mastic is used as a food ingredient in the Mediteraanean resin, and has been used by local inhabitants as a traditional medicine for relief of upper abdominal discomfort, dyspepsiaand peptic ulcer. Clinically, mastic has been effective in the treatment of benign gastric and duodenal, ulcers, giving symptomatic relief and endoscopically proven healing. In this study, to enhance activiteies of poorly water soluble Mastic with oils, surfactants and cosurfactants and then the mixure was microemulsified in aqueous media under condition of gentle agitation and digestive motility that would be encountered in the gastrointestinal tract. Formulation development and screening were based on phase diagrams and characteristics of resultant microemulsion. For optimum mastic formulation, microemulsions with various ratio (w/w%) of mastics, oils, surfactants and cosurfactants were prepared and their solubility was evaluated by monitoring particles size in their buffer through visual asessment and electrophoretic light scattering spectrophotomerter (ELS). In vitro activity of self microemulsified mastic (SME mastic) was determined by minimum ingibition concentration (MIC) test against a panel of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) clinical strains. Additionally, in vivo activity of SME masitc was investigated us mouse infected by CH275 of H. pylori. The mean diameter of SME mastic was less then 100 nm in water and SME mastic was showed similar antiboisis effect compared to tometronidazole, clarithromycin and omeproazole. Consequently, SME mastic would be effective system to exterminate H. pylori. If mastic were dose with combined treatment, mastic might augur well for effect of H. pylori eradication as good remedy.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.108-121
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• 2024

Anastomotic leaks and fistulas are significant complications of gastric surgery that potentially lead to increased postoperative morbidity and mortality. Surgical intervention is reserved for cases with severe symptoms or hemodynamic instability; however, surgery carries a higher risk of complications. With advancements in endoscopic treatment options, endoscopic approaches have emerged as the primary choice for managing these complications. Endoscopic clipping is a traditional method comprising 2 main categories: through-the-scope clips and over-the-scope clips. Through-the-scope clips are user friendly and adaptable to various clinical scenarios, whereas over-the-scope clips can close larger defects. Another promising approach is endoscopic stent insertion, which has shown a high success rate for leak closure, although vigilant monitoring is required to monitor stent migration. Infection control is essential in post-surgical leakage cases, and endoscopic internal drainage provides a relatively safe and noninvasive means to manage fluids, contributing to infection control and wound healing promotion. Endoscopic suturing offers full-thickness wound closure, but requires additional training and endoscopic versatility. As a promising tool, endoscopic vacuum therapy potentially surpasses stent therapy by draining inflammatory materials and closing defects. Furthermore, the use of tissue sealants, such as fibrin glue and cyanoacrylate, has been reported to be effective in selected situations. The choice of endoscopic device should be tailored to individual cases and specific patient conditions, with careful consideration of the nature of the defect. Further extensive studies involving larger patient populations are required to provide more robust evidence on the efficacy of endoscopic approach in managing post-gastric anastomotic leaks.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.488-509
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• 2021

Purpose: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a chronic syndrome accompanied by repetitive digestive symptoms that appear in the upper gastrointestinal tract and are not caused by specific diseases. Psychological symptoms like anxiety, depression, insomnia, and somatization are frequently observed in FD. The purpose of this study was to review the effect of herbal medicine on the psychological symptoms that accompany FD. Methods: Database search (PubMed, EMBASE, KISS, Kmbase, KoreanMed, NDSL, OASIS, CNKI) was performed on February 24, 2021; a total of 1825 studies were searched. After the screening, 22 studies were included. Results: The studies were assessed by Cochrane RoB 2 and sorted into a table according to psychological symptoms. Meta-analysis was performed to estimate the effect of herbal medicine. Twenty of the twenty-two studies reported that herbal medicine was significantly more effective than the control group. Only three of the studies did not have a high risk of bias. Conclusion: Herbal medicine was significantly effective with or without Western medicine and had fewer adverse effects. Severe adverse effect was not reported. Psychological symptoms in FD affect onset and duration of FD, and some FD patients want to be treated for their anxiety before other symptoms. Reliable information about treatment for the psychological symptoms of FD is lacking. We reviewed the effect of herbal medicine treatment in this study, the results of which could be selected for primary or secondary treatment for FD.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.664-669
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• 2004

Extramedullary plasmacytoma(EMP) comprises 5% of all plasma cell neoplasms and commonly occurs in the upper airway or digestive tract. However, it rarely develops in the lungs. We present a case of primary pulmonary plasmacyotma in a 45 year old man, who presented as an endobronchial mass with a pleural effusion, but without evidence of multiple myeloma. The treatment options for EMP include surgery, surgery and radiotherapy, surgery and chemotherapy or chemotherapy alone. Surgery and radiation therapy appeared to be equally effective forms of treatment. The local recurrence rate was reported to be 30%, with 48% progressing to multiple myeloma, and median survival was reported to be 63-101 months. Our patient was initially treated with melphalan and prednisolone. However the disease progressed, and radiotherapy was combined with chemotherapy. In addition, the chemotherapy regimen was also changed to thalidomide and dexamethasone. The patient did not respond to this treatment regimen and finally died.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.819-828
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• 2007

Two experiments were conducted to observe the effects of direct fed microbials on metabolic characteristics in sheep and milking performance in dairy cows. A metabolic trial with four ruminally cannulated sheep(60±6kg) was conducted in a 4×4 Latin square design to investigate the supplementation effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Clostridium butyricum or mixed microbes of S. cerevisiae and C. butyricum on ruminal fermentation characteristics and whole tract digestibility. Sheep were fed 1.25 kg of total mixed ration(TMR, DM basis) supplemented with S. cerevisiae (2.5g/day), C. butyricum (1.0g/day) or its mixture(S. cerevisiae 1.25g/day+C. butyricum 1g/day), twice daily in an equal volume. But control sheep were fed only TMR. A feeding trial with 28 lactating Holstein cattle was also conducted for 12 weeks to investigate the effects of the same microbial supplements as for the metabolic trial on milking performance. The cows were fed the TMR(control), and fed S. cerevisiae(50g/day), C. butyricum(15g/day) or its mixture (S. cerevisiae 25g/day + C. butyricum 7.5g/day) with upper layer dressing method. Total VFA concentration and the digestibility of whole digestive tract in the sheep increased by supplementation of S. cerevisiae, C. butyricum or their combined microbials compare to control group. The proportion of propionic acid at 1h(P<0.039) and 3h(P<0.022) decreased by supplementation of S. cerevisiae while tended to increase acetic acid proportion at the same times. Daily dry matter intake(DMI) was not influenced by the microbial treatments, but milk yield(P<0.031) and feed efficiency(milk yield/DMI, P<0.043) were higher for the cow received C. butyricum than those for other treatments. The milk fat content was higher (P<0.085) when cows fed S. cerevisiae(4.11%) than that fed the control (4.08%), the diets with C. butyricum (3.85%) and the microbial mixture. Based on the results obtained from the current experiments, supplementation of C. butyricum or mixture with S. cerevisiae might be increased milk fat content and milk productivity of lactating daily cows. (Key words:Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Clostridium butyricum, Fermentation characteristics,

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1693-1699
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• 2008

Recent studies have suggested that inulin might be utilized as a prebiotics for the promotion of antimicrobial growth, but a major obstacle to the use of inulin has been its low bifidogenic effects, which were initially observed in the ceca of broiler chickens. Inulin has some problems with related to denaturation in air and lowering passage rate from upper digestive tract to caecum. To solve this problems, a newly developed compound derived by microencapsulation, inuloprebiotics, was hypothesized to enrich cecal bifidobacterial populations and reduce the colonization levels of Salmonella in the ceca of broiler chickens. The in vitro growth of intestinal beneficial bacteria including Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Lactobacillus casei grew effectively on the medium containing inulin, whereas the growth of Streptococcus aureus and Clostridium perfringens was not differences among the treatment groups. Broiler chickens consumed chow diets containing 0.5%, 0.7% or 1.0% inuloprebiotics, or a control diet without inuloprebiotics supplementation. The chickens on the inuloprebioticssupplemented diets evidenced significantly higher cecal levels of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species as compared with the chickens on the control diet. The population of cecal E. coli and Salmonella was specifically reduced as the result of treatment with inuloprebiotics. However, we noted no significant differences in Bifidobacterium species, E. coli and Salmonella counts among the inuloprebiotics treatment groups. The inuloprebiotics-supplemented diets induced an increase in the serum IgG concentration. The thymus index was significantly increased in the broiler chickens that consumed diets containing 0.7% or 1.0% inuloprebiotics, with the exception of the chickens consuming the diet supplemented with 0.5% inuloprebiotics. These results indicate that the inuloprebiotic preparations exerted an immune system-promoting effect or selectively enriched the cecal Bifidobacterium species populations in the broiler chickens, and also suggest that inuloprebiotics may prove useful as a stable natural antimicrobial agent.