• Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research
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• 제10권6호
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• pp.575-590
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• 2018

The prevalence of allergic disorders has dramatically increased over the past decade, particularly in developed countries. Apart from gastrointestinal disorders, neoplasia, genital and dermatological diseases etc., dysregulation of gut microbiota (dysbiosis) has also been found to be associated with increased risk of allergies. Probiotics are increasingly being employed to correct dysbiosis and, in turn, to modulate allergic diseases. However, several factors like strain variations and effector metabolites or component of them in a bacterial species can affect the efficacy of those as probiotics. On the other hand, host variations like geographical locations, food habits etc. could also affect the expected results from probiotic usage. Thus, there is a glaring deficiency in our approach to establish probiotics as an irrefutable treatment avenue for suitable disorders. In this review, we explicate on the reported probiotics and their effects on certain allergic diseases like atopic dermatitis, food allergy and asthma to establish their utility. We propose possible measures like elucidation of effector molecules and functional mechanisms of probiotics towards establishing probiotics for therapeutic use. Certain probiotics studies have led to very alarming outcomes which could have been precluded, had effective guidelines been in place. Thus, we also propose ways to secure the safety of probiotics. Overall, our efforts tend to propose necessary discovery and quality assurance guidelines for developing probiotics as potential immunomodulatory 'Pharmabiotics.'

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제87권3호
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• pp.213-220
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• 2024

The continuously increasing prevalence of severe asthma has imposed an increasing burden worldwide. Despite the emergence of novel therapeutic agents, management of severe asthma remains challenging. Insights garnered from big data may be helpful in the effort to determine the complex nature of severe asthma. In the field of asthma research, a vast amount of big data from various sources, including electronic health records, national claims data, and international cohorts, is now available. However, understanding of the strengths and limitations is required for proper utilization of specific datasets. Use of big data, along with advancements in artificial intelligence techniques, could potentially facilitate the practice of precision medicine in management of severe asthma.

• 대한임상검사과학회지
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• 제51권2호
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• pp.134-144
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• 2019

대사증후군과 알레르기 비염은 중요한 만성질환이다. 본 연구에서는 대사증후군의 각 항목에 따른 알레르기 비염 유병률의 관계를 분석하였다. 제4, 5, 6기 및 제7기 1차년도 국민건강 영양조사 자료를 이용한 것으로(KNHANES IV, V, VI, VII-1) (2007~2016년) 이 자료를 통합하여. 51,854명의 연구대상자를 선정하였다. 연령대는 청장년(19~39세), 중년(40~64세), 노년(65세 이상)으로 분류하였다. 또 대사증후군에 영향을 미치는 일반적인 특성인 근력운동, 걷기운동, 흡연, 음주가 미치는 영향이 있다는 사실에 근거하여 조사하였다. 따라서 본 연구는 연령대 및 근력운동, 걷기운동, 흡연, 음주에 따라서 대사증후군 및 알레르기 비염의 유병률에 미치는 영향을 조사했다. 연구 결과 전 연령대에서 대사증후군이 없는 대상자가 대사증후군이 있는 대상자보다 알레르기 유병률이 높았고, 이는 연령대가 낮을 수록 알레르기 유병률이 높은 것으로 나타났다. 종합해 보면, 이 연구의 결과는 연령별, 일반적 특성별(근력운동, 걷기운동, 흡연, 음주), 대사증후군 또는 대사증후군 각각의 항목별로 알레르기 비염 유병률에 유의한 영향을 미친다는 것을 확인하였다. 본 연구에서 발견된 근거를 바탕으로 대사증후군과 알레르기 비염 유병률의 상관관계를 더 잘 이해하는데 도움이 될 것이다.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제27권3호
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• pp.177-181
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• 2021

Allergy is an immune response that appears in certain people, and reactions such as coughing, shortness of breath, and hives occur. The immune system plays an important role in homeostasis and host defense, and allergies cause hypersensitivity reactions when an imbalance of immunity occurs. Mutations in the TLR genes are associated with autoimmune conditions such as allergies and asthma. It has been reported that a locus in the TLR1-TLR6-TLR10 region may be associated with atopic sensitization or allergy. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to select an allergy patient group and a healthy control group to determine how the genetic mutation of TLR1 affects the onset of disease. This study was conducted in 709 patients and 5,025 control groups out of 10,956 patients with data from KARE and HEXA cohorts. As a result of logistic regression analysis of 6 SNPs selected from the TLR1 gene, only rs117033348 showed a statistically significant correlation (P = 0.002356). The influence of rs117033348 was examined using PolyPhen-2, and a significant result was shown. Therefore, it can be predicted that the G base in rs117033348 will have an influence on the human body. In addition, Geography of Genetic Variants browser was used to confirm the geographical distribution of allele frequencies for the TLR1 gene. Although it was found that there was a large racial difference in the prevalence of TLR1 SNP, it could be confirmed that the polymorphism of rs117033348 conducted in this study was only specific in East Asia when compared with each race.

• 한국융합학회논문지
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• 제10권6호
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• pp.347-353
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• 2019

본 연구는 제6기 국민건강영양조사(2015년)의 원시자료를 이용하여 한국청소년의 알레르기질환에 영향을 미치는 비만, 흡연, 음주를 파악하기 위한 서술적조사연구이다. 연구대상은 만 12세에서 18세 청소년 535명이었고, Rao-Scott $x^2$. 복합표본 로지스틱 회귀분석을 실시하였다. 연구결과는 청소년의 천식 진단율 5.4%, 아토피피부염 진단율 15.5%, 알레르기비염 진단율 22.8%순으로, 비만, 흡연, 음주 여부에 따른 천식, 아토피피부염, 알레르기비염 진단율의 차이는 나타나지 않았다. 반면에. 알레르기 진단의 위험을 높이는 변수로 천식은 비만, 아토피피부염은 음주가 유의하게 나타났다. 본 연구결과를 바탕으로, 알레르기 질환을 진단받은 청소년에게 질 높은 삶을 중재하기 위한 차별화된 간호를 제공하기 위하여 비만, 흡연, 음주와 관련된 건강증진 프로그램 개발의 기초자료를 제공하고자 한다.

• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.359-374
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• 2008

Objective : Hyperhidrosis is a condition characterized by excessive sweating. Some studies suggest that hyperhidrosis is associated with autonomic nervous system dysfunction. Hyperhidrosis is often accompanied by hypersensitivity, tension, irritability, heat flashes, fatigue, etc. This study was designed to evaluate the correlation between Oriental Medicine diagnosis and the autonomic nervous system function in patients with hyperhidrosis using Heart Rate Variability (HRV) analysis. Methods : 23 palmar and plantar hyperhidrosis patients and 10 systemic hyperhidrosis patients were recruited and evaluated by Oriental Medicine diagnostic questionnaire and HRV analysis. The Oriental Medicine diagnostic questionnaire used a three-dimensional diagnosis that classified patients into Cold or Heat Syndrome, Yin or Yang Syndrome, and Deficiency or Excess Syndrome. Measured indices of HRV used the frequency domain analysis(i.e. TP, VLF, LF, HF and LF/HF ratio). Also, measure indices of HRV adjusted for aging effects were evaluated. Results : Cold/Heat Syndrome was not associated with hyperhidrosis prevalence nor the HRV analysis in hyperhidrosis patients. The Yang Syndrome group(78.8%) was more strongly correlated than the Yin Syndrome group(21.2%), and character of Yang was correlated with the adjusted TP and adjusted LF. The LF/HF ratio in the Excess Syndrome group was significantly higher than the LF/HF ratio in the Deficiency Syndrome group. Conclusion : Hyperhidrosis was not associated with the Cold/Heat Syndrome, but was found to be closely associated with the Yang Syndrome. The LF/HF ratio was significantly higher in the Excess Syndrome group than in the Deficiency Syndrome group in hyperhidrosis patients.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제79권2호
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• pp.58-69
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• 2016

Lung cancer causes the most cancer deaths in Korea. Although the smoking rate has begun to decrease, the prevalence of lung cancer is still increasing. We reviewed the national lung cancer registry data and the data published about lung cancer in Korea. In 2012, the crude incidence rate of lung cancer was 43.9 per 100,000. The age-standardized mortality rate of lung cancer was 19.8 per 100,000. The 5-year relative survival rate for lung cancer was 11.3% from 1993 to 1995 and increased to 21.9% in the period from 2008 to 2012. Lung cancer occurring in never-smokers was estimated to increase in Korea. Adenocarcinoma is steadily increasing in both women and men and has replaced squamous cell carcinoma as the most common type of lung cancer in Korea. In patients with adenocarcinoma, the frequency of EGFR mutations was 43% (range, 20%-56%), while that of the EMK4-ALK gene was less than 5%.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제57권1호
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• pp.55-64
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• 2024

Objectives: This study investigated the prevalence and characteristics of comorbid conditions in patients exposed to ionizing radiation and those who were involved in the Soviet-Afghan war. Methods: This study analyzed the frequency and spectrum of morbidity and comorbidity in patients over a long-term period (30-35 years) following exposure to ionizing radiation at the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site or the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, and among participants of the Soviet-Afghan war. A cohort study, both prospective and retrospective, was conducted on 675 patients who underwent comprehensive examinations. Results: Numerical data were analyzed using the Statistica 6 program. The results are presented as the mean±standard deviation, median, and interquartile range (25-75th percentiles). The statistical significance of between-group differences was assessed using the Student t-test and Pearson chi-square test. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. We found a high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension (55.0%) and cardiac ischemia (32.9%); these rates exceeded the average for this age group in the general population. Conclusions: The cumulative impact of causal occupational, environmental, and ultra-high stress factors in the combat zone in participants of the Soviet-Afghan war, along with common conventional factors, contributed to the formation of a specific comorbidity structure. This necessitates a rational approach to identifying early predictors of cardiovascular events and central nervous system disorders, as well as pathognomonic clinical symptoms in this patient cohort. It also underscores the importance of selecting suitable methods and strategies for implementing treatment and prevention measures.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• 제51권2호
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• pp.140-152
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• 2018

식품알레르기는 알레르기 행진의 시작 단계로 원인 식품의 섭취 제한으로 인하여 성장기 아동의 영양 불균형과 아동을 비롯한 가족구성원의 삶의 질을 저하시키는 원인이 될 수 있다. 이에 본 연구는 2세 이상의 영유아 및 학령기 식품알레르기 아동의 주양육자인 어머니를 대상으로 자녀의 식품알레르기로 인한 양육부담을 정량화하여 자녀의 식품알레르기가 부모의 삶의 질에 미치는 영향을 분석하고자 하였다. 식품알레르기 아동 부모의 양육부담은 정서적 고충, 일상생활 제약에 대한 2개의 하부 요인으로 세분화되며, 자녀의 연령 증가, 섭취 제한 식품의 수, 일부 알레르기질환 진단 여부가 양육부담의 감소 및 증가에 유의한 영향을 미치는 것으로 분석되었다. 이처럼 식품알레르기 아동은 식품알레르기가 다른 알레르기질환으로 이행되지 않도록 전문 의료진에 의한 진단과 증상관리가 필수적이며, 환아를 비롯한 가족 구성원에 대한 주변의 지지와 간호 중재가 동반되어야 한다. 또한 성장기의 식품알레르기 아동은 식품 항원에 대한 식품경구유발시험 등의 정확한 임상 진단을 통해 필수 영양소를 포함한 식품의 과도한 섭취 제한을 방지해야 한다. 지역사회와 의료기관은 식품알레르기의 예방 및 증상완화를 위한 맞춤형 영양교육, 대체 식품에 대한 정보 제공 등의 현실적 지원과 정서적 지지를 병행해야 한다. 이처럼 다양한 형태의 사회적 노력과 제도적 방안을 통해 식품알레르기 아동의 삶의 질을 향상시키고 부모의 양육부담 대처능력을 강화해야 할 것이다.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제84권4호
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• pp.317-325
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• 2021

Background: Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) are significant public health issues in the world, but the epidemiological data pertaining to HAP/VAP is limited in Korea. The objective of this study was to investigate the characteristics, management, and clinical outcomes of HAP/VAP in Korea. Methods: This study is a multicenter retrospective cohort study. In total, 206,372 adult patients, who were hospitalized at one of the 13 participating tertiary hospitals in Korea, were screened for eligibility during the six-month study period. Among them, we included patients who were diagnosed with HAP/VAP based on the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)/American Thoracic Society (ATS) definition for HAP/VAP. Results: Using the IDSA/ATS diagnostic criteria, 526 patients were identified as HAP/VAP patients. Among them, 27.9% were diagnosed at the intensive care unit (ICU). The cohort of patients had a median age of 71.0 (range from 62.0 to 79.0) years. Most of the patients had a high risk of aspiration (63.3%). The pathogen involved was identified in 211 patients (40.1%). Furthermore, multidrug resistant (MDR) pathogens were isolated in 138 patients; the most common MDR pathogen was Acinetobacter baumannii. During hospitalization, 107 patients with HAP (28.2%) had to be admitted to the ICU for additional care. The hospital mortality rate was 28.1% in the cohort of this study. Among the 378 patients who survived, 54.2% were discharged and sent back home, while 45.8% were transferred to other hospitals or facilities. Conclusion: This study found that the prevalence of HAP/VAP in adult hospitalized patients in Korea was 2.54/1,000 patients. In tertiary hospitals in Korea, patients with HAP/VAP were elderly and had a risk of aspiration, so they were often referred to step-down centers.