• BMB Reports
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• 제48권8호
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• pp.427-428
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• 2015

Despite high interests on microenvironmental regulation of leukemic cells, little is known for bone marrow (BM) niche in leukemia patients. Our recent study on BMs of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients showed that the mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are altered during leukemic conditions in a clinical course-dependent manner. Leukemic blasts caused reprogramming of transcriptomes in MSCs and remodeling of niche cross-talk, selectively suppressing normal primitive hematopoietic cells while supporting leukemogenesis and chemo-resistance. Notably, differences in BM stromal remodeling were correlated to heterogeneity in subsequent clinical courses of AML, i.e., low numbers of mesenchymal progenitors at initial diagnosis were correlated to complete remission for 5-8 years, and high contents of mesenchymal progenitor or MSCs correlated to early or late relapse, respectively. Thus, stromal remodeling by leukemic cell is an intrinsic part of leukemogenesis that can contribute to the clonal dominance of leukemic cells over normal hematopoietic cells, and can serve as a biomarker for prediction of prognosis. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(8): 427-428]

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제53권9호
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• pp.830-833
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• 2010

Crohn's disease is characterized by chronic inflammation involving any portion of the gastrointestinal tract. Treating Crohn's disease is a major challenge for clinicians, as no curative therapy currently exists. Pediatric Crohn's disease is characterized by frequent relapses, a wide extent of disease, a high prevalence of extraintestinal manifestations, and a severe clinical course. The classic therapeutic approach is known as the 'step-up' strategy, and follows a progressive course of treatment intensification as disease severity increases. Although this approach is usually effective for symptom control, many patients become either resistant to or dependent on corticosteroids. The efficacy of infliximab suggests that, rather than a progressive course of treatment, early intense induction may reduce complications associated with conventional treatment and improve quality of life. Intensive early therapy with infliximab is known as the 'top-down' strategy. Such therapy offers the potential for altering the natural history of Crohn's disease, and is changing treatment paradigms. However, the relatively new concept of an early aggressive or 'top-down' treatment approach is not yet widely accepted, especially in pediatric patients. The results of our current study demonstrate that early and intensive treatment of pediatric Crohn's disease patients with infliximab, at initial diagnosis, was more effective for maintaining remission and reducing flares.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제81권1호
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• pp.29-41
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• 2018

Lung cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Although progress in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been made over the past decade, the 5-year survival rate in patients with lung cancer remains only 10%-20%. Obviously, new therapeutic options are required for patients with advanced NSCLC and unmet medical needs. Cancer immunotherapy is an evolving treatment modality that uses a patient's own immune systems to fight cancer. Theoretically, cancer immunotherapy can result in long-term cancer remission and may not cause the same side effects as chemotherapy and radiation. Immunooncology has become an important focus of basic research as well as clinical trials for the treatment of NSCLC. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are the most promising approach for cancer immunotherapy and they have become the standard of care for patients with advanced NSCLC. This review summarizes basic tumor immunology and the relevant clinical data on immunotherapeutic approaches, especially immune checkpoint inhibitors in NSCLC.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제34권1호
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• pp.59-63
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• 2016

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of symptomatic bone lesions in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who received local radiotherapy (LRT). Materials and Methods: Fifty-one patients with 87 symptomatic bone lesions treated via LRT were analyzed. LRT was delivered at a median total dose of 21 Gy (range, 12 to 40 Gy) in a median of 7 fractions (range, 4 to 20 fractions). The clinical outcomes of LRT and the factors affecting treatment response were assessed. Results: After a median follow-up time of 66.7 weeks, symptom relief was achieved for 85 of 87 lesions (97.7%). The median time to symptom relief was 7 days from the start of LRT (range, 1 to 67 days). The duration of in-field failure-free survival ranged from 1.1 to 450.9 weeks (median, 66.7 weeks). The radiation dose or use of previous and concurrent chemotherapy was not significantly associated with in-field failure for LRT (p = 0.354, 0.758, and 0.758, respectively). Conclusion: Symptomatic bone lesions in patients with MM can be successfully treated with LRT. A higher radiation dose or the use of concurrent chemotherapy may not influence the in-field disease control. A relatively low radiation dose could achieve remission of symptoms in patients with MM.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• 제47권3호
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• pp.26.1-26.10
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• 2022

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a condition with immune-mediated pathogenesis that can present oral manifestations. This report describes the case of a patient diagnosed with WG 14 years previously, who was affected by persistent pain of non-odontogenic origin after successful endodontic treatment. A 39-year-old woman with WG was diagnosed with pulp necrosis and apical periodontitis of teeth #31, #32, and #41, after evaluation through a clinical examination and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). At the first appointment, these teeth were subjected to conventional endodontic treatment. At 6- and 12-month follow-up visits, the patient complained of persistent pain associated with the endodontically treated teeth (mainly in tooth #31), despite complete remission of the periapical lesions shown by radiographic and CBCT exams proving the effectiveness of the endodontic treatments, thus indicating a probable diagnostic of persistent pain of non-odontogenic nature. After the surgical procedure was performed to curette the lesion and section 3 mm of the apical third of tooth #31, the histopathological analysis suggested that the painful condition was likely associated with the patient's systemic condition. Based on clinical, radiographic, and histopathological findings, this unusual case report suggests that WG may be related to non-odontogenic persistent pain after successful endodontic treatments.

• The Korean journal of internal medicine
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.34-56
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• 2024

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is one of the most rapidly changing hematological malignancies with advanced understanding of the genetic landscape, detection methods of minimal residual disease (MRD), and the development of immunotherapeutic agents with good clinical outcomes. The annual incidence of adult ALL in Korea is 300-350 patients per year. The WHO classification of ALL was revised in 2022 to reflect the molecular cytogenetic features and suggest new adverse-risk subgroups, such as Ph-like ALL and ETP-ALL. We continue to use traditional adverse-risk features and cytogenetics, with MRD-directed post-remission therapy including allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. However, with the introduction of novel agents, such as ponatinib, blinatumomab, and inotuzumab ozogamicin incorporated into frontline therapy, good MRD responses have been achieved, and overall survival outcomes are improving. Accordingly, some clinical trials have suggested a possible era of chemotherapy-free or transplantation-free approaches in the near future. Nevertheless, relapse of refractory ALL still occurs, and some poor ALL subtypes, such as Ph-like ALL and ETP-ALL, are unsolved problems for which novel agents and treatment strategies are needed. In this review, we summarize the currently applied diagnostic and therapeutic practices in the era of advanced genetic analysis and targeted immunotherapies in United States and Europe and introduce real-world Korean data.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제30권5호
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• pp.611-621
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• 2001

Objective : We analyzed the clinical and endocrinological results of the transsphenoidal microsurgery for ACTH secreting pituitary adenomas. Marerials and Methods : From October 1995 to August 2000, 18 patients underwent transsphenoidal microsurgery for Cushing's disease. We analyzed the surgical results of 17 patients, one patient who was previously operated from other hospital was excluded. Age of the patients were 18 to 61 years old(mean 37.7), male to female ratio was 1 : 3.3, and follow-up period was 3 to 50 months(mean 20.3). The selection of candidates for transsphenoidal exploration was based on endocrinologic criteria. Magnetic resonance imaging was the preferred radiologic test. Selective inferior petrosal sinus sampling of adrenocorticotropic hormone futher refined the diagnosis when endocrinologic and radiologic procedures were not definitive. Results : Results of the preoperative endocrinological test were : level of serum ACTH 29.4 to $225{\mu}g/dL$(mean $93.88{\mu}g/dL$) ; serum cortisol 11.9 to $47.5{\mu}g/dL$(mean $27.49{\mu}g/dL$) ; 24-hour urine free cortisol 235 to $1019{\mu}g/day$(mean $571.0{\mu}g/day$). Inferior petrosal sinus sampling for ACTH was performed in 11 patients and all were confirmed by Cushing's disease and we could predict the laterality of the tumor in 9 of 11 patients. We performed transsphenoidal selective adenomectomy in 5 patients, adenomectomy and subtotal hypophysectomy in 2 patients, adenomectomy and partial hypophysectomy in 9 patients, and in the remaining one patient, hemihypophysectomy followed by total hypophysectomy due to remission failure. Fifteen of 17 patients(88.2%) showed endocrinological remission. Glucocorticoid replacement therapy was performed in all the patients who showed remission for 1 to 24 months(mean 5.9 months), and 6 patients received steroid over 6 months. Conclusion : We conclude that the direct demonstration of a tumor in the pituitary gland by MRI is the most important and definitive diagnostic tool and the location of a mass should be confirmed with increased level of ACTH by the inferior petrosal sinus sampling. Transsphenoidal microsurgery is effective treatment modality for Cushing's disease and the immediate postoperative evaluation of the surgical resection of the tumor is very important. The patients should show hypocortisolism, decreased, subnormal serum ACTH and cortisol levels and 24-hours urine free cortisol. We performed 18 transsphenoidal microsurgery for Cushing's disease in 17 patients and 15 patients(88.2%) showed endocrinological remission.

• 한국동물위생학회지
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• 제38권2호
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• pp.137-140
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• 2015

A 2-year-old female lop-eared rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) was presented to the veterinary clinic at a zoo with pruritus, alopecia, and crusting of the ear. Examination of skin scrapes revealed an infestation with the rabbit ear mite, Psoroptes cuniculi. Weekly subcutaneous ivermectin injection over a three-week period resulted in remission of the clinical signs and improvement of the overall conditions of the rabbit.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제33권3호
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• pp.261-264
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• 2015

External beam radiotherapy can be used to treat cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). Acute skin toxicity is the most common adverse event. In this case study we report on an elderly patient with nasal root cutaneous SCC treated with stereotactic technique using a dedicated linear accelerator (CyberKnife system). Grade 3 skin toxicity was observed but it was resolved after 6 weeks. The use of stereotactic radiotherapy permitted a clinical remission of SCC with good cosmetic results.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.65-70
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• 2013

Azathioprine is the most common drug used to maintain clinical remission in inflammatory bowel disease. This drug is also important as a steroid-sparing agent in steroid-dependent and chronically active inflammatory bowel disease. Nevertheless, many questions remain concerning the optimal treatment regimens of azathioprine. The dose of azathioprine has to be reduced or the therapy has to be discontinued frequently because of drug-induced toxicity. In this review, we discuss monitoring of thiopurines, adverse events, malignant complications and how to use azathioprine safely and usefully.