• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.105-110
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• 2009

Yellow sand (or Asian dust) occurs mainly in spring in East Asia. Yellow sand from China and its surrounding regions transports air pollutants, such as aerosols, ozone, and heavy metals. The outdoor workers are frequently exposed to heavy metals during yellow sand phenomenon. This study was carried out to investigate the heavy metal levels in blood among 75 outdoor workers (exposed group) and 86 indoor workers (controled group) in Gyeonggi province from March 2008 to May 2009. Heavy metal levels in blood were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Mean blood lead levels in exposed group and controled group were $5.19{\pm}1.64{\mu}g/dL$, $4.24{\pm}1.34{\mu}g/dL$, respectively. Mean blood cadmium levels in exposed group and controled group were $1.28{\pm}0.89{\mu}g/dL$, $0.90{\pm}0.59{\mu}g/dL$, respectively. Lead and Cadmium levels in blood of exposed group were significantly higher than those of controled group. In the comparison of smoking status, lead and cadmium levels of smokers were significantly higher than those of non-smokers. In conclusion, the heavy metal levels of outdoor workers were significantly higher than those of indoor workers. And smoking was hazardous factor to elevate heavy metal levels in blood.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.222-226
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• 2006

Smoking of tobacco cigarettes is associated with a rise in blood pressure together with increase in heart rate. This study was aimed to examine the acute effect of tobacco and non-tobacco cigarette smoking on the blood pressure and heart rate by randomized crossover study. In the results, systolic/diastolic blood pressure and heart rate changes after smoking were significantly different between male and female group. Blood pressure and heart rate were elevated after smoking, but statistical significance for the difference was identified only in the female group. Because Non-tobacco smoke made from leaves of E. ulmoides has no nicotine, its effect on blood pressure and heart rate was negligible. Remarkable difference of heart rate changes in women was observed between tobacco cigarette smoking group and non-tobacco cigarette smoking group.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.138-144
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• 2011

Exaggerated blood pressure response during exercise has been found to increase the risk of future hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, cerebrovascular stroke, and CVD (cardiovascular disease) death. The aim of this study was to evaluate exercise capacity, cardiovascular factors in exaggerated blood pressure response during treadmill exercise testing. For research subjects, 72 subjects (normal blood response: 49 subjects, exaggerated blood response: 23 subjects) who received treadmill exercise test at J General Hospital were selected in this study. Exaggerated SBP (systolic blood pressure) response was defined as an SBP of 210 mmHg or greater during a maximal treadmill exercise test. The group with an exaggerated SBP response showed significantly higher values for RPP (rate pressure product) compared with the group with a normal SBP response. Subjects with METs (metabolic equivalents) had lower exaggerated SBP response than normal SBP response group. Subjects with recovery SBP had delayed exaggerated SBP response than normal SBP response group. Exaggerated SBP response to exercise is negative correlation with METs.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.152-157
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of soybean on blood glucose and lipid concentrations, and antioxidant enzyme activity in type 2 diabetes mellitus(DM) patients. We divided patients into two groups and fed them, respectively, a basal diet(control group) and a basal diet with 69 g/d of soybean(soybean group) for 4 weeks. Pills with roasted soybean powder were provided to the soybean supplementation group three times a day. Macronutrients intake except dietary fiber was similar between the two groups. No significant differences were observed in dietary intakes or body weight before and after the supplementation. Energy composition ratio of C:F:P was 65:19:16 in the control group, 64:20:16 in the soybean group. The blood parameters of subjects before supplementation, such as fasting blood glucose, postprandial glucose level, total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol and $HbA_1C$ were not different between the two groups. After supplementation, fasting blood glucose(p<0.001), postprandial glucose level(p<0.001) and serum triglyceride level(p<0.05) were significantly reduced in the soybean group in comparison with the control group. The total cholesterol level was not significantly different between the control and the supplemented group after 4 weeks of treatment. TBARS levels of the soybean group were not significantly different from those of the control group. The activities of catalase(p<0.01) and glutathione peroxidase(p<0.05) were significantly higher in the soybean group compared to the control group. The results of this study suggest that soybean supplementation would be helpful to control blood glucose and serum lipid in diabetic patients. Also, soybean showed an antioxidant activity that may contribute to enhance the effect of antioxidant defense. This activity contributes to protection against oxidative damage in type 2 DM patients. Soybean may have potential use in the disease management of patients with DM.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.39-45
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• 2002

Objective : This study was conducted with the purpose to evaluate the decreasing effect of the blood pressure on the hypertensive patients who were given to acupuncture on Iny$\check{o}$ng(ST9). Methods : We investigated the patients who had essential or secondary high blood pressure in the kwangdong oriental hospital from October 2000 to September 2001 as an experimental group and the non-hypertensive patients as a control group. Result : While the acupuncture was done in the experimental group, there was statistically significant decrease of the blood pressure, There was no statistically significant changes of blood pressure in the control group. Conclusion : We found that acupuncture on Iny$\check{o}$ng(ST9) has statistically significance in decreasing blood pressure to the experimental group while it hasn't to the control group. We also found out the decreasing effect of blood pressure lasted for two hours at least.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.529-538
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• 1995

It has been believed that the increased release of free oxygen radicals ($O_2^-,H_2O_2$, and $OH^-$) might be a factor in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases. Antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase(GSH-PX) and catalase can protect the tissue damage from the $H_2O_2$. In order to investigate the GSH-PX and catalase activity in the blood plasma and red blood cells(RBCs) of the patients with periodontitis, 19 patients who had good general health, attachment loss more than 6 mm and bone loss were selected as periodontitis group, 7 patients who had severely inflamed gingiva were selected as gingivitis group, and 15 volunteers with good general and periodontal health were selected as normal group. 17 of 26 patients were performed scaling and root planing to reduce the gingival inflammation for gingivitis and periodontitis groups, and were selected as posttreatment group. After blood plasma and RBCs were collected and separated 1 ml of peripheral blood from each subject, GSH-PX activity in blood plasma and RBCs was measured by the same method that Stefan et al. did, and catalase activity in RBCs was measured by the same method that Beers et al. did. The difference of GSH-PX and catalase activity between normal, gingivitis, and periodontitis groups was statistically analyzed by ANOVA with SPSS/PC+ program, and the difference between pretreatment and posttreatment groups was analyzed by Student t-test. The results were as follows : 1. GSH-PX activity in blood plasma was significantly lower in the gingivitis group($0.8683{\pm}0.0658$), periodontitis group($0.7130{\pm}0.1333$) than in the normal group($1.0241{\pm}0.0801$)(p<0.05), and GSH-PX activity in RBCs was significantly lower in the gingivitis groupt. $0.8156{\pm}0.1167$), periodontitis group($0.7533{\pm}0.1185$) than in the normal group($l.1963{\pm}0.2044$)(P<0.05), but there was no statistical significance in the difference of GSH-PX activity in RBCs between the gingivitis group and periodontitis group(p>0.05). 2. Catalase activity in RBCs was siginficantly lower in the periodontitis group($117.34{\pm}35.01$) than in the normal group($l52.38{\pm}32.09$)(p<0.05). 3. GSH-PX activity in blood plasma was significantly increased in the posttreatment groupe $1.0376{\pm}0.2820$) compared to the pretreatment group(0.7608 0.1600) (p<0.05), and GSH-PX activity in RBC was significantly increased in the posttreatment group($1.0421{\pm}0.2330$) compared to the pretreatment group($0.7728{\pm}0.1210$)(p<0.05). 4. There was no statistical significance in the difference of catalase activity in RBCs between the pretreatment group($112.04{\pm}43.65$) and posttreatment group($l33.41{\pm}39.16$)(p>0.05).The results, within the limits of the present experiment, suggest that the lowered activity of GSH-PX and catalase in blood plasma and RBCs may be related with periodontopathogenesis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.685-692
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• 1992

In spite of multiple technical advances, large amount of homologous blood transfusions usually required for open heart surgery. Because the complications associated with transfusion are increased as the number of homologous transfusion increase, especially as transfusion related acquired immunodeficiency syndrome has appeared in recent years, such risks have stimulated recent interest in the use of autologous blood. This is a report concerning 23 consecutive adult autologous donors[autologous group] who had elective cardiac surgery at the Yonsei Cardiovascular Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, from march, 1990 to august, 1991. A similar group of 23 patients operated during the same periods without autologous blood donation was used for comparison [control group] to investigate the effect of predonated autologous blood in decreasing the need of homologous transfusion and to investigate predonation related adverse effect. Autologous group consisted of 15 men and 8 women. Control group consisted of 7 men and 16 women. There were no significant differences in mean age, hemoglobin, hematocrit, RBC count, platelet count and prothrombin time on admission between the two groups. The mean autologous blood donation in autologous group was 2.2 units. In 10[43.5%] of the 23 atuologous group patients, no homologous RBC products transfusion was required. However, all patients required homologous transfusion in control group. In autologous group, patients required less homologous RBC products than control patients[2.1 units versus 5.3 units; p<0.001]. There were no significant differences in hemoglobin, hematocrit, RBC count and platelet count between the two groups before discharge. There were no serious complications related to preoperative blood donation, although 3 patients complained of mild dizziness during donation We conclude that preoperative autologous predonation of blood is a safe and effective method for reducing homologous transfusion and is recomended in all patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery except limited contraindications such as severe aortic valve stenosis or unstable angina pectoris.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.18
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• pp.7831-7834
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• 2014

Objective: To explore the influence of different ways of blood transfusion on the expression levels of interleukins (IL) and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) inperi-operative patients with esophageal cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 80 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent radical operations were selected as study patients and randomly divided into an observation group (treated with autologous blood transfusion) and control group (with homologous blood transfusion). Changes of intra-operative indexes and peri-operative blood indexes, from hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit value (Hct), to levels of inflammatory factors like interleukins-6 (IL-6), IL-8, IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) were compared. Results: Operations for patients in both groups were successfully conducted, and no significant differences in mean surgical duration and intra-operative hemorrhage volume, fluid infusion volume and blood transfusion volume were detected (p>0.05). Compared with values before surgery, Hb and Hct levels decreased significantly while white blood cell count (WBC) increased 1, 5 and 7 d after operation (p<0.05, p<0.01). In addition, WBC was apparently higher in observation group than in control group 5 and 7 d after operation (p<0.01). Compared with before surgery, in the observation group, levels of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 had no significant differences after operation (P>0.05), but TNF-${\alpha}$ level increased y (p<0.01), whereas in control group, IL-6 level had no significant difference (p>0.05), IL-8 level decreased obviously (p<0.05), IL-10 level increased markedly first and then decreased gradually as time passed but its level remained elevated (p<0.01), and TNF-${\alpha}$ level increased first and then decreased, and there was no significant difference 7 d after operation (p>0.05). Conclusions: Decreased IL-8 and increased IL-10 levels are two important reasons for immunosuppression after homologous blood transfusion, whereas autologous blood transfusion can alleviate this while increasing the TNF-${\alpha}$ level, which also has potential to improve anti-tumor immunity in the human body.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.366-378
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• 2001

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify differences in measurement methods for blood pressure (Direct measurement, HP automatic indirect measurement, and SE 7000 Korean made indirect measurement), and to evaluate the clinical trial of the Korean made automatic indirect blood pressure measurement. Material & Methods: From June, 1999 to February, 2000, fifty five consecutive patients were randomized into hypertension group (n=20), normotension group (n=20), and hypotension group (n= 15). Measuring blood pressure by indirect methods (HP NIBP M 1008B and SE 7000 NIBP Korean made) was done simultaneously in the same arm with arterial line for direct blood pressure measurement (HP M1006A). The procedures were repeated ten times at intervals of 2 minutes. Statistical analysis was Performed using SPSS (version 8.0 for windows) software package. Values were expressed as means and standard deviation and means were compared using t-test. Statistical significance was considered present with a p value less than 0.05. Results: In the hypertension group and noromotension group, the disparity between HP direct measurement and indirect SE 7000 NIBP did not show any differences compared to the disparity between HP direct measurement and indirect HP NIBP. In the hypotension group, the disparity in the diastolic pressure between HP direct measurement and indirect SE 7000 NIBP was significantly different compared to the disparity between HP direct measurement and indirect HP NIBP (p<0.001), however, disparities in systolic pressure did not showed any differences. Conclusion: Direct blood pressure measurement (HP M1006A) can be replaced with indirect blood pressure measurements (HP NIBP M 1008B & SE 7000 NIBP) in normotension and hypertension patients. Korean made indirect measurement was found to be more accurate compared to HP indirect measurement in hypotension Patients, but more study is needed.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.2801-2803
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• 2013

Background: The ABO blood groups and Rh factor may affect the risk of lung cancer. Materials and Methods: We analyzed 2,044 lung cancer patients with serologically confirmed ABO/Rh blood group. A group of 3,022,883 healthy blood donors of Turkish Red Crescent was identified as a control group. We compared the distributions of ABO/Rh blood group between them. Results: The median age was 62 years (range: 17-90). There was a clear male predominance (84% vs. 16%). Overall distributions of ABO blood groups were significantly different between patients and controls (p=0.01). There were also significant differences between patients and controls with respect to Rh positive vs. Rh negative (p=0.04) and O vs. non-O (p=0.002). There were no statistically significant differences of blood groups with respect to sex, age, or histology. Conclusions: In the study population, ABO blood types were associated with the lung cancer. Having non-O blood type and Rh-negative feature increased the risk of lung cancer. However, further prospective studies are necessary to define the mechanisms by which ABO blood type may influence the lung cancer risk.