• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.33-38
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• 2010

Objectives : This study was designed to investigate therapeutic effects fo NR on allergic asthma in terms of measurement of cytokine profiles, distribution of BAL and expression levels of asthma induced by OVA. Methods : C57BL/6 mouse was divided into normal, NRI, control, and NRII, and Notopterygii Rhizoma Extract was orally administered to the C57BL/6 mice in the normal group and the normal mouse in NRI group while it was orally administered to the control group after inducing asthma by OVA and NRII. The study measured them by means of ELISA after dividing BALF of each group, and analyzed RT-PCR by using lung tissues. Results : In our results, lung weight and the number of total cells in the lung and of Leukocyte and Eosinophils in BALF were significantly decreased. In addition, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and IgE in BALF were significantly decreased compared to the control group. Conclusions : These results demonstrate that NR Extract be a desirable altemative therapy for allergic asthma by inhibiting the expressin of immune cells, the activation of inflammatory mediator.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.973-979
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• 2006

Cordyceps sinensis has been clinically used for the treatment of recovering fatigue, promoting the production of body fluid and qi, resolving sputum and arresting cough. Recent studies showed that Cordyceps sinensis produced immune-modulatory, anticarcinogenic and antioxidative effects. But, there are lack of studies regarding the effects of Cordyceps sinensis on the asthma. So, this study was performed to investigate the oral administrated effects of this herb against the disease. Asthma was induced to Balb/c mouse by i.p. injection and aerosol immunization with ovalbumin, and the change of the eosinophil number in the bronchoalveolar avage fluid(BALF) was observed. Concentrations of Interleukine-4(IL-4), Interleukine-5(IL-5) in BALF and splenocyte were assessed by ELISA, ImmunoglobinG(IgG) and ImmunoglobinE(IgE) from serum were calculated by same method. We found that the effects of Cordyceps sinensis in asthma mouse was implicated in reductions of IL-4, IL-S released from type2 T helper (Th2) cell, and decreases of IgE from plasma cell. These findings suggest that Cordyceps sinensis can produce anti-asthmatic effect, which may play a role in allergen-induced asthma therapy.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.19-27
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was conducted to develop a respiratory nursing program using recorder playing for patients with asthma and to determine the effects of the program. Method: Participants were 26 patients with asthma (experimental group: 13, control group: 13). The experimental group participated in the respiratory nursing program for six months from April, to October, 2007. Content included playing a recorder, group education about asthma, and educational messages including cellular phone messages. The control group received usual care during the six months. Results: In this research the respiratory nursing program using recorders was developed in 3 stages: initial stage, advanced stage, and wrap up stage. Compared to the control group, fatigue status in the experimental group improved significantly as well as level of forced expiratory volume in 1 second. However significant differences were found in sleep status, mood, or quality of life. Conclusions: These results suggest that this respiratory nursing program for symptom management of patients with asthma led to improvements in self care activity. Nursing interventions are needed to maintain and further enhance the quality of life of these patients and the interventions should be implemented over a transition period.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.276-285
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• 2021

Purpose: This study investigated the factors that influence depression in adolescents diagnosed with asthma in South Korea, providing basic data supporting efforts to improve adolescents' mental health. Methods: Multiple regression analysis was conducted on 4,020 subjects who had been diagnosed with lifelong asthma among the 57,303 respondents to the 15th Korea Youth Risk Behaviour Web-Based Survey from 2019. Results: The participants were more likely to have depression if they were female, in middle school, their academic achievement was poor, they were drinkers or smokers, if they felt a very high amount of stress, and if they experienced very inadequate recovery from fatigue. Adolescents with asthma were 9.00 times more likely to experience depression when they felt a very high amount of stress (95% confidence interval [CI]=5.51-14.69, p<.001) than when they felt no stress. Conclusion: Given these factors, measures to improve the mental health of adolescents should be developed and expanded, especially to decrease their stress levels. A separate program that is different from the school's regular health curriculum should be developed to manage the stress levels of adolescents with asthma, such as an after-school program or a program conducted at a local community centre.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.43-45
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• 2019

Intraoperative delivery of salbutamol (${\beta}_2$ agonist) through a breathing circuit may be performed in asthma patient. A 28-year-old woman with a history of asthma was diagnosed with chronic sinusitis and bilateral nasal polyps, and an endoscopic sinus surgery was performed. The patient was recommended salbutamol nebulization every 4 hours during the perioperative period because of the risk of asthma attack. At the end of the operation, when salbutamol was sprayed through the tube before extubation and the connector tip went inside the tube during injection. The patient was immediately referred to the pulmonary medicine department for bronchoscopy, where the foreign body was removed safely without any complications. When general anesthesia is performed on a patient who usually uses an inhaler for asthma, caution is required because the tip that connects the inhaler and the breathing circuit can aspirate into the endotracheal tube and enter the lungs when applying the inhaler before waking up the patient.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.427-433
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• 2021

Free fatty acid receptor 2 (FFA2, also known as GPR43), a G-protein-coupled receptor, has been known to recognize short-chain fatty acids and regulate inflammatory responses. FFA2 gene deficiency exacerbated disease states in several models of inflammatory conditions including asthma. However, in vivo efficacy of FFA2 agonists has not been tested in allergic asthma. Thus, we investigated effect of 4-chloro-α-(1-methylethyl)-N-2-thiazoylylbenzeneacetanilide (4-CMTB), a FFA2 agonist, on antigen-induced degranulation in RBL-2H3 cells and ovalbumin-induced allergic asthma in BALB/c mice. Treatment of 4-CMTB inhibited the antigen-induced degranulation concentration-dependently. Administration of 4-CMTB decreased the immune cell numbers in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and suppressed the expression of inflammatory Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13) in the lung tissues. Histological studies revealed that 4-CMTB suppressed mucin production and inflammation in the lungs. Thus, results proved that FFA2 functions to suppress allergic asthma, suggesting 4-CMTB activation of FFA2 as a therapeutic tool for allergic asthma.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.183-192
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• 2023

p38 MAPK has been implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma as well as pro-allergic Th2 cytokines, orosomucoid-like protein isoform 3 (ORMDL3), regulation of sphingolipid biosynthesis, and regulatory T cell-derived IL-35. To elucidate the role of p38 MAPK in the pathogenesis of asthma, we examined the effect of NJK14047, an inhibitor of p38 MAPK, against ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma; we administrated NJK14047 before OVA sensitization or challenge in BALB/c mice. As ORMDL3 regulation of sphingolipid biosynthesis has been implicated in childhood asthma, ORMDL3 expression and sphingolipids contents were also analyzed. NJK14047 inhibited antigen-induced degranulation of RBL-2H3 mast cells. NJK14047 administration both before OVA sensitization and challenge strongly inhibited the increase in eosinophil and lymphocyte counts in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. In addition, NJK14047 administration inhibited the increase in the levels of Th2 cytokines. Moreover, NJK14047 reduced the inflammatory score and the number of periodic acid-Schiff-stained cells in the lungs. Further, OVA-induced increase in the levels of C16:0 and C24:1 ceramides was not altered by NJK14047. These results suggest that p38 MAPK plays crucial roles in activation of dendritic and mast cells during sensitization and challenge periods, but not in ORMDL3 and sphingolipid biosynthesis.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.316-323
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• 2009

Objectives: Corticosteroids, usually as an inhaled form, are usually used to treat narrowed airway in the treatment of asthma. However, the use of corticosteroid commonly associated with the development of osteoporosis. In this study, we studied the association of asthma and osteoporosis in the residents of the local community. Methods: As a part of the Local Community Health Study Chungnam 2008, the residents are surveyed with the formal questionnaire. We analyzed the association between asthma and osteoporosis data with the questionnaire. Results: We analyzed total 6,348 data from the residents in Chungnam province. Of them, 203(3.2%) were asthma patients and 465(7.3%) were osteoporosis patients. Patients with asthma have more advanced age(p<0.001), higher incidence of hypertension(p<0.001) and diabetes(p=0.001), lower incidence of exercise(p=0.002) and economic activity(p<0.001). Patients with osteoporosis have more advanced age (p<0.001), female predominance(p<0.001), higher incidence of hypertension (p<0.001), diabetes(p=0.001), and fractures (p<0.001), lower incidence of exercise (p=0.002) and economic activity (p<0.001). In total population, asthma is associated with the increased incidence of osteoporosis, especially in patients treated with anti-asthmatic medications. Conclusions: Through this study, we demonstrated the presence of asthma is closely associated with the increased incidence of osteoporosis, especially in patients treated with anti-asthmatic medications. Therefore, further and broad study will be needed to evaluate the association of asthma and the types of anti-asthmatic medications in the development of osteoporosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.165-174
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• 2003

Background : Asthma is one of the most prevalent diseases in Korea. Although the guidelines of asthma management were reported in Korea, the present pattern of asthma management by primary physicians has not been studied. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the pattern of asthma management by primary physicians. Methods : In November 2002, 710 primary physicians specializing in internal medicine in Seoul, Korea were provided with two scenarios of asthmatic patients, one mild and the other severe. By mail or interview, the physicians were asked several questions about their present pattern of asthma management for the patients in each scenario. Results : Among 710 primary physicians, we obtained the answers from 325 physicians (response rate 46%). The most preferred prescription was oral theophylline. 71% and 81% of the physicians answered that they would prescribe oral theophylline for the mild and severe asthmatics, respectively. The next prescription preferred were mucolytics and oral ${\beta}_2$-agonist, in that order. However, 36% and 56% of the physicians answered that they would prescribe inhaled steroids for the mild and severe asthmatics, respectively. Among diagnostic tests, physicians preferred pulmonary function test to the rank next to chest radiography. Conclusion : The primary physicians in Seoul prefer oral bronchodilators to inhaled steroids in asthma management. More efforts should be made to reduce the difference between the present pattern of asthma management by primary physicians and the asthma guidelines.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.70 no.5
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• pp.416-422
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• 2011

Background: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) are the most essential medication for asthma control. Many reports suggest that the usage of ICSs improves not only the control of asthma symptoms but also prevents exacerbation. We investigated whether increases in ICS prescriptions are associated with decreases in asthma exacerbation in the clinical practice setting. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the database of adult asthma patients who had visited a tertiary referral hospital, the Asan Medical Center between January 2000 and December 2009. The number of emergency department (ED) visits, admissions, intensive care unit (ICU) care, deaths, and ICS prescriptions were analyzed to evaluate the time trend of asthma exacerbation as a function of the ICS prescription rate during the ten years. Results: The numbers of ED visits, admissions, and episodes of ICU care decreased during the ten years (p<0.001, p=0.033, p=0.001, respectively) while the number of ICS prescriptions increased (p<0.001). We found a correlation between the number of ICS prescriptions and the number of ED visits, admissions, or ICU care. For these outcomes, the correlation coefficients were r=-0.952, p<0.001; r=-0.673, p=0.033; r=-0.948, p<0.001, respectively. Conclusion: The number of ICS prescriptions increased during the past ten years while the number of asthma exacerbations decreased. Our results also showed a negative correlation between the ICS prescription rate and asthma exacerbation in the clinical practice setting. In other words, an increase in ICS prescription may be a major cause of a decrease in asthma exacerbations.