• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.51 no.11
• /
• pp.1191-1197
• /
• 2008

Purpose : Previously, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection was diagnosed by serological examination; currently, many EBV antigen detection methods have been developed and applied clinically for diagnosing EBV infection. To delineate the clinical characteristics of EBV infection, clinical and laboratory findings were evaluated for patients who tested positive in EBV polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Methods : EBV PCR was conducted in 352 patients admitted to the pediatric ward from January 2004 to December 2006, with more than 2 clinical signs such as fever (${\geq}37.5^{\circ}C$), exudative throat infection, lymphadenopathy, hepatitis of unknown etiology, and splenomegaly. The EBV viral gene was detected by PCR in 115 patients (32%), and the clinical characteristics of these patients were evaluated. Laboratory findings such as leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia, atypical lymphocyte, and alteration in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in peripheral blood were examined. The EBV-specific immunoglobulin M antibody (EBV-IgM Ab) was also tested. Results : Most of the children were younger than 8 years (89%), and the male to female ratio was 1.3:1. Exudative throat infection and fever (${\geq}37.5^{\circ}C$) were observed in all patients. Cervical lymph node enlargement was seen in 36 patients (31 %); leukocytosis ($WBC{\geq}10,000/mm^3$), in 54 patients (47%); and atypical lymphocyte (${\geq}20%$), in 28 patients (24%). EBV-IgM Ab was positive in 33 patients (29%). The younger patients had higher ALT levels and higher incidence of positive EBV-IgM Ab than the older patients. Conclusion : The cumulative number of patients diagnosed to have EBV infection by PCR increased markedly for those under 8 years. ALT was higher and EBV-IgM Ab was detected more in younger patients with EBV infection.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.50 no.2
• /
• pp.205-208
• /
• 2007

Purpose : Vascular endothelial cell damage and alteration of a fibrinolytic system was suggested to play a role in the development of coronary artery abnormalities in Kawasaki disease (KD). D-dimer is one of the markers of endothelial damage and fibrinolysis. We evaluated the clinical usefulness of D-dimer to differentiate KD from other febrile diseases and predict coronary artery abnormalities in KD. Methods : Sixty eight patients diagnosed as KD and twenty eight patients presented with acute febrile illnesses other than KD from September 2005 to July 2006 were included. Blood levels of D-dimer and various inflammatory markers were measured before treatment and the clinical course of KD was followed. Serial echocardiography was performed at the onset of disease and thereafter at a monthly interval for at least 2 months. Results : KD patients showed a higher D-dimer level than febrile controls, but the difference was not significant ($1.21{\pm}0.77{\mu}g/mL$ vs $0.92{\pm}0.71{\mu}g/mL$, P=0.083). Neither was the difference between KD patients who had coronary artery abnormalities and those who had not ($1.49{\pm}0.98{\mu}g/mL$ vs $1.15{\pm}0.71{\mu}g/mL$, P=0.169). D-dimer was significantly correlated with other inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in both KD patients and febrile controls. Conclusion : D-dimer was not specific for KD. But it may be useful as an inflammatory marker to assess the severity of KD.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.53-59
• /
• 1996

Purpose : Radiation-induced alteration in the immune function is well known phenomenon in cancer patients. Our purpose is to evaluate the extent of immune suppression immediately after mediastinal or pelvic irradiation, which include significant volume of active bone marrow in adults. Materials and Methods'48 cancer patients with mediastinal(N=29) and pelvic irradiation(N=19) were the basis of this analysis. Age ranged from 36 to 76 and mean and median value was 57 years, respectively Sex ratio was 1.3(M: F=27/21). The immunological parameters were the complete blood cell(CBC) with differential cell(D/C) count, T cell subset(CD3, CD4, CD8 CDl9), NK cell test(CDl6, CD56), and serum immunoglobulin(IgG, IgA, IgM) level. Results : The mean value of white blood cell(WBC) was reduced from 7017 to 4470 after irradiation(p=0.0000). In the differential count, the number of lymphocyte, neutrophil, and basophil was markedly reduced with statistical significance(p<0.01) and the number of monocyte was not changed and, on the contrary, that of eosinophil was increased by irradiation. In the lymphocyte subpopulation analysis, the number of all subpopulations, CD3(T cell), CD4(helper T cell), CD8(suppressor T cell), CDl6(NK cell), CDl9(B, cell) was reduced with statistical significance. The mean ratio of CD4 to CD8 in all patients was 1.09 initially and reduced to 0.99 after radiotherapy(p=0.34) , but the proportional percentage of all subpopulations was not changed except CD19(B cell) after irradiation. In the immunoglobulin study, initial values of Ig G, Ig A, and Ig M were relatively above the normal range and the only Ig M was statistically significantly reduced after radiotherapy(p=0.02). Conclusion : Mediastinal and pelvic irradiation resulted in remarkable suppression of lymphocyte count in contrast to the relatively good preservation of other components of white blood cells. But the further study on the functional changes of lymphocyte after radiotherapy may be necessary to conclude the effects of the radiation on the immunity of the cancer Patients.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.187-220
• /
• 2020

Today, administrative legislation is becoming more and more important in that it not only sets the legal life relationship of the people in great detail and detail, but is closely related to the occurrence, extinction, and alteration of rights and obligations held by prisoners. In the United States, the types of administrative legislation are divided into substantive and interpretative regulations, so-called substantive regulations, which give prior notice and opportunity to comment on interested parties through formal or informal administrative procedures in accordance with Article 553 of the Federal Administrative Procedures Act. On the other hand, the interpretation regulation, which is "the regulation established by the Administration for the simple interpretation of statutes," does not require prior notice or comment because it does not affect the people's rights obligations. The Azar v. Allina Health Service, 587 U.S. 1804, 2019 ruling by the U.S. Constitutional Court, subject to this research paper, is about a dispute over a new decision to require Medicare to determine the amount of compensation for care providers that provide medical services for the poor, and should the regulations be regarded as substantive under the Administrative Procedures Act and should not be given a hearing or a simple internal process for processing. Given that the current administrative procedure law of our country stipulates the procedures for administrative pre-announcement through Articles 42.1 and 44.1, but that our courts have not judged violations of legislative pre-announcement procedures under the Administrative Procedures Act so far as to judge the illegality of administrative legislation, the dispute of the U.S. Constitutional Court will provide new implications for controlling legal orders beyond simple legal interpretation and has great significance in terms of readjustment of relevant regulations under future administrative procedures.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.37 no.8
• /
• pp.691-701
• /
• 2004

Background: Tissue hypoxia is a characteristic of many human malignant neoplasms, and hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) plays a pivotal role in essential adaptive response to hypoxia, and activates a signal pathway for the expression of the hypoxia-regulated genes, resulting in increased oxygen delivery or facilitating metabolic adaptation to hypoxia. Increased level of HIF-1 a has been reported in many human malignancies, but in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, the influence of HIF-1 a on tumor biology, including neovascularization, is not still defined. Material and Method: The influence of HIF-1 a expression on angiogenic factors, correlation between the tumor proliferation and HIF-1 a expression, interaction of HIF-1 a expression and p53, and correlation between HIF-1 a expression and clinicopathological prognostic parameters were investigated, using immunohistochemical stains for HIF-1 a, VEGF, CD34, p53, and Ki-67 on 77 cases of resected esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Result: HIF-1 a expression in cancer cells was found in 33 of 77 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cases. The 33 cases (42.9%) showed positive stain for HIF-1 a. High HIF-1 a expression was significantly associated with several pathological parameters, such as histologic grade (p=0.032), pathological TMN stage (p=0.002), the depth of tumor invasion (p=0.022), regional lymph node metastasis (p=0.002), distant metastasis (p=0.049), and lymphatic invasion (p=0.004). High HIF-1 a expression had significant VEGF immunoreactivity (p=0.008) and Ki-67 labeling index (p<0.001), but was not correlated with microvascular density within tumors (p=0.088). The high HIF-1 a expression was correlated with aberrant p53 accumulation with a marginal significance (p=0.056). The overall 5-year survival rate was 34.9%. The survival rate of patients with a high HIF-1 a expression was worse than that of patients with low-expression tumors (log-rank test, p=0.0001). High HIF-1 a expression was independent unfavorable factors although statistical significance is marginal in multivariate analysis. Conclusion: It is suggested that (1) high HIF-1 a expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is associated with tumor hypoxia, or with genetic alteration in early carcinogenesis and progressive stages, (2) high HIF-1 a expression may be associated with intratumoral neovascularization through HIF-VEGF pathway, and (3) high HIF-1 a expression is associated with poor prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and may playa role as biomarker for regional lymph node metastasis.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.117-121
• /
• 1991

Technetium-99m-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime $(^{99m}Tc-HM-PAO)$ is a neutral-lipophilic chelate which is used for scanning cerebral blood flow. The labeling efficiencies of $^{99m}Tc-HM-PAO$ is known to be sensitive to the amount of pertechnetate added and the quality of the pertechnetate. Because of these factors, the manufacture recommends that HM-PAO kits be reconstituted with a maximum of 30 mCi pertechnetate which was eluted <4 hr earlier from a generator which had been eluted < 24 hr previously. So we measured the labelling efficiencies and the decomposition rate constant according to the amount of pertechnetate added, the volume of pertechnette added, and generator in-growth time. We used the 3-system chromatographic methods (paper & ITLC-SG chromatography) which analyzed the labelling efficiencies of the $^{99m}Tc-HM-PAO$. There was no significant difference in labelling efficiencies between variable pertechnetate acitvities added. ($39.9{\pm}4.9\;mCi:\;87.8{\pm}5.1\;(%)$, $60.8{\pm}5.0\;mCi:\;90.7{\pm}2.2\;(%)$, $79.0{\pm}6.0\;mCi:\;86.8{\pm}3.9\;(%)$, $106.6{\pm}11.6\;mCi:\;87.7{\pm}1.2\;(%)$, p>0.05) No significant difference in labelling efficiencies were found between pertechnetate of 4ml and 5ml. (4ml : $89.1{\pm}3.2(%)$, 5ml: $87.3{\pm}4.0(%)$, p>0.05). There was no difference between 1-6 and 10-48 hr of generator in-growth time. (1-6 hr: $87.8{\pm}4.0(%)$, 10-48 hr: $89.6{\pm}1.6(%)$, p>0.05) The mean value of decomposition rate constant was $0.196{\pm}0.097\;(hr^{-1})$, and there were no difference according to the amount of pertecnetate added and the volume of pertecnetate added, ($39.9{\pm}4.9\;mCi:\;0.208{\pm}0.059\;(hr^{-1})$, $60.8{\pm}5.0\;mCi:\;0.191{\pm}0.100\;(hr^{-1})$ $79.0{\pm}6.0\;mCi:\;0.192{\pm}0.118\;(hr^{-1})$, $106.6{\pm}11.6\;mCi:\;0.212{\pm}0.030\;(hr^{-1})$, p>0.05, 4 ml: $0.200{\pm}0.074\;(hr^{-1})$, Sml: $0.193{\pm}0.115\;(hr^{-1})$, p>0.05). In the case of using the first eluate, the labelling efficiency of $^{99m}Tc-HM-PAO$ W3S 82.1%. These data suggest that there were no significant alteration in labelling efficiency of $^{99m}Tc-HM-PAO$ according to the considerable range of pertechnetate activities and volume added, and generator in-growth time. Also, it was shown that one vial of HM-PAO kit supplied the $^{99m}Tc-HM-PAO$ which was used for 3-4 patients.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.113-121
• /
• 2020

Macrophages are initiators for regulating a host's defenses to eliminate pathogens and trigger tissue repair. Macrophages are classified into two types: classically (M1) activated macrophages and alternatively (M2) activated macrophages. M1-phenotype macrophages directly or indirectly kill infectious organisms and tumor cells via pro-inflammatory responses, whereas M2-phenotype macrophages remodel wounded tissue through anti-inflammatory responses. In this paper, we investigated how Phellinus linteus hot water extract passed from Diaion HP-20 resin (PLEP) regulates polarization of M1-like or M2-like macrophages in human THP-1 cells. PLEP did not have cytotoxicity at a high concentration of 300 ㎍/ml. We observed morphological alteration of the THP-1 cells, which are stimulated by PLEP, LPS/INF-γ (M1 stimulators) or IL-4/IL13 (M2 stimulators). PLEP exposure induced morphology contiguous with LPS/INF-γ. qPCR was also performed to determine whether PLEP influences M1 or M2 polarization-related genes. M1-phenotype macrophage-specific genes, such as TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, CXCL10 and CCR7, were enhanced by PLEP in a dose-dependent manner similar to LPS/INF-γ. Conversely, M2-phenotype-specific genes, such as MRC-1, DC-SIGN, CCL17 and CCL22, were suppressed by PLEP. PLEP also significantly up-regulated secretory inflammation cytokines related to M1 polarization of macrophages, including TNFα, IL-1β and IL-6, which was similar to the gene expression. Further, MAPK and NF-κB signaling were increased by treatment with PLEP, resulting in enhancement of cytokine secretion. PLEP might therefore be used as a promising booster of pro-inflammatory responses through M1 polarization of human THP-1 cells.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.15 no.2 s.69
• /
• pp.169-175
• /
• 2005

Resveratrol (3,4',5-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene), a phytoalexin found in grape skins, peanuts, and red wine, has been reported to have a wide range of biological and pharmacological properties. $Amyloid-\beta$ deposition and senile plaque-associated astrocytes are common neuropathological features of Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we have explored the effects of resveratrol on $amyloid-\beta-peptide-mediated$ cytotoxicity in vitro and modulation of cell growth-regulatory gene products in astroglioma C6 cells to elucidate its possible mechanism for anti-cytotoxicity. Exposure of C6 cells to $Amyloid-\beta$ resulted in dose-dependent growth inhibition and morphological changes of C6 cells, which were recovered by pre-treatment with resveratrol. The anti-proliferative effect of $amyloid-\beta$ was associated with the induction of tumor suppressor p53 and cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor p21 (WAF1/CIP1) expression assessed by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis in time-dependent manner in C6 cells. In addition, the pro-apoptotic Bax expression was also up-regulated in $amyloid-\beta-treated$ C6 cells without alteration of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and $Bcl-X_L$ expression. However, pre-treatment of resveratrol significantly inhibited $amyloid-\beta-induced$ p53, p21 and Bax levels, suggesting that the modulation of p53, p21 and Bax levels could be one of the possible pathways by which resveratrol functions as anti-cytotoxic agent. Our results demonstrate that resveratrol may enhance the protection against $amyloid-\beta-induced$ cytotoxicity by promoting the survival of glial cells.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.39 no.11 s.268
• /
• pp.805-809
• /
• 2006

Background: In our previous study, we demonstrated that transforming growth factor-beta 1 receptor II(TGF-${\beta}1RII$) may have a role in the formation of bullae. In this study, we investigated if expression of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-${\beta}1$) ligand was altered in a bullous lung tissue by immunohistochemical staining of bullous tissues from patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax. Material and Method: Bullous lung tissues were obtained from 36 patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax, including 34 males and 2 females aged 14 to 38 years old. Result: Of the 36 patients, 19 were TGF-${\beta}1$ positive and 24 were transforming growth factor-beta 1 receptor II(TGF-${\beta}1RII$) positive. Among the 19 TGF-${\beta}1$ positives, 15 were also TGF-${\beta}1RII$ positive, observation at high magnification showed that strong immunohistochemical stain was detected in the boundary region between the bullous and normal lung tissues. Conclusion: These results suggest that overexpression of TGF-${\beta}1$ may be involved in the formation of a bulla as well as the alteration of TGF-${\beta}1RII$ expression. Further molecular studies are needed to elucidate the more detailed molecular mechanisms of the bulla formation.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
• /
• v.43 no.4
• /
• pp.294-300
• /
• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate if short-term serum thyroglobulin (Tg) elevation after radioiodine administration can predict successful radioiodine remnant ablation (RRA) and whether comparable RRA effectiveness is exhibited between a group administered with recombinant human thyrotropin (rhTSH) and a group experiencing thyroid hormone withdrawal (THW), in preparation for RRA. Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on 39 patients in the rhTSH group and 46 patients in the THW group. They were treated for differentiated thyroid carcinoma by total or near total thyroidectomy, and referred for RRA between 2003 and 2006 (the rhTSH group) and between January and June of 2006 (the THW group). They were assessed for serum Tg levels just before I-131 administration (TgD0), reassessed 9 days later (TgD9), and again 6-12 months later. Results: RRA was successful in 64 (37 from the THW group and 27 from the rhTSH group) of the total 85 patients. The success rates of RRA had no statistically significant differences between the two groups. In both groups, TgD9/TgD0 values were significantly higher in the RRA success group (the rhTSH group; P = 0.03, the THW group; P = 0.04). By combining cutoff values of TgD0 and TgD9/TgD0, the successful RRA value was determined to be 96.7% (29/30) with TgD0$\leq$5.28 ng/mL and TgD9/TgD0>4.37 in both groups (the rhTSH group; 100% (16/16), the THW group; 92.9% (13/14)). Using logistic multivariate analysis, only TgD0 was independently associated with successful RRA. Conclusion: We may predict successful ablation by evaluating short-term serum Tg elevation after I-131 administration for RRA, in both rhTSH and THW patients.