• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.243-247
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• 2014

A 28-year-old male patient with a history of cystic fibrosis (CF) was referred to the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine for an evaluation of a cystic lesion in the right maxilla using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). CF is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by an abnormal production of viscous mucus, affecting the mucociliary clearance. The CBCT scan revealed a large cystic lesion in the right maxilla extending from the right maxillary second molar to the midline in the region of the right central incisor with a significant buccal expansion. Further evaluation revealed complete opacification of the paranasal sinuses with medial bulging of the lateral maxillary sinus walls. The maxillary and sphenoid sinuses also appeared hypoplastic. The peculiar finding seen in this case was the presence of marked sclerosis and an increase in the thickness of the adjacent bony framework. This report aimed to describe the common sinonasal findings associated with CF and its underlying pathophysiology.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2018

Insomnia is a common sleep-related symptom which occurs in many populations, however, the neural mechanism underlying insomnia is not yet known. The hyperarousal model explains the neural mechanism of insomnia to some extent, and the frontal cortex dysfunction has been known to be related to primary insomnia. In this review, we discuss studies that applied resting state and/or task-related functional magnetic resonance imaging to demonstrate the deficits/dysfunctions of functional activation and network in primary insomnia. Empirical evidence of the hyperarousal model and proposed relation between the frontal cortex and other brain regions in primary insomnia are examined. Reviewing these studies could provide critical insights regarding the pathophysiology, brain network and cerebral activation in insomnia and the development of novel methodologies for the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.118-125
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• 2009

Bilateral vocal fold immobility (BVFI) is a challenging condition which may result from diverse etiologies including vocal fold paralysis, synkinesis, cricoarytenoid joint fixation, and interarytenoid scar. Most patients present with dyspnea and stridor, but sometimes with a breathy dysphonia. Careful history taking, laryngoscopic evaluation under general anesthesia or awaken status, laryngeal EMG, and imaging studies with CT and/or MRI are helpful for providing a precise diagnosis and planning appropriate managements. In children, congenital neurological disorder is one of the most common etiologies, and spontaneous recovery has been reported in more than 50% of cases. Therefore, observation for more than 6 months while securing the upper airway with tracheostomy if needed is a generally accepted rule before deciding any destructive procedure to be undertaken. In children with advanced posterior glottic stenosis, laryngotracheal reconstruction with rib cartilage graft should be considered. In contrast to children, BVFI most commonly occurs as sequalae of surgical complication in adults. Diverse static or dynamic procedures can be applied; posterior cordotomy, vocal fold lateralization, endoscopic or open arytenoidectomy, arytenoid abduction, and reinnervation, electrical laryngeal pacing, which need to be carefully selected according to each patient's needs and pathophysiology of BVFI.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.213-221
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• 2020

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common disease with a complex pathophysiology which significantly contributes to the development of chronic kidney disease and end stage kidney failure. Preventing AKI can consequently reduce mortality, morbidity, and healthcare burden. However, there are no effective drugs in use for either prevention or treatment of AKI. Developing therapeutic agents with pleiotropic effects covering multiple pathophysiological pathways are likely to be more effective in attenuating AKI. Fyn, a non-receptor tyrosine kinase, has been acknowledged to integrate multiple injurious stimuli in the kidney. Limited studies have shown increased Fyn transcription level and activation under experimental AKI. Activated Fyn kinase propagates various downstream signaling pathways associated to the progression of AKI, such as oxidative stress, inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum stress, as well as autophagy dysfunction. The versatility of Fyn kinase in mediating various pathophysiological pathways suggests that its inhibition can be a potential strategy in attenuating AKI.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.725-732
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• 2011

Purpose: Skin grafting is one of the most commonly used methods in reconstructive plastic surgery field, but complications such as color change, contracture or hypertrophy are common problems. However, pathophysiology of the color change after skin graft is not yet determined and no animal model is established. Methods: Full thickness skin grafts were performed on the dorsum of C57BL/6 mice. Serial chronological gross inspection for color change and pigmentation were examined. Melanin pigments were traced by Fontana-Masson staining and semi-quantitative analysis was performed. In addition, immunohistochemical staining of S-100, Micropthalmia related Transcription Factor (MITF) and Melan-A antibodies were also performed to observe melanocytes and their changes. Results: After skin graft, color change and pigment spots were observed in the graft. Fontana-Masson staining showed melanin pigments in the epidermal and dermal layers in all mice. Immunohistochemistry staining to S-100, MITF, Melan-A antibodies showed melanocytes at the basal layer of epidermis and dermis. Conclusion: In conclusion, we have established an animal model for skin pigmentation after skin graft. We believe this study may be useful in understanding of the behavior of melanocytes after skin graft.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.60-63
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• 2015

Purpose: Many patients presenting with headache also complain of constipation; the relationship between these two symptoms has not been explored in detail. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between primary headache and constipation. Methods: This retrospective study included all children who attended the Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital complaining of headache, and who had been followed up for at least 100 days. Patients were divided into 2 groups: group A, in whom the headache improved after treatment for constipation, and group B, in whom headache was not associated with constipation. Results: Of the 96 patients with primary headache, 24 (25.0%) also had constipation (group A). All 24 received treatment for constipation. Follow-up revealed an improvement in both headache and constipation in all patients. Group B contained the remaining 72 children. Comparison of groups A and B indicated a significant difference in sex ratio (P=0.009, chi-square test). Patients with probable tension-type headache were more likely to be in Group A (P=0.006, chi-square test). Conclusion: Resolution of constipation improves headache in many patients diagnosed with primary headache, especially those with probable tension-type headache. We suggest that either constipation plays a key role in triggering headache, or that both constipation and headache share a common pathophysiology.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.107-113
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• 1995

It is well known that multipoint and computerized intraoperative mapping systems improve the results of surgery for Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and show tremendous potential for opening an entirely new era of surgical intervention for the more common and lethal types of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias such as atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation. In addition, the ability to map and ablate the sometimes fleeting automatic atrial tachycardia is greatly enhanced by computerized mapping systems. In this study, we have developed 64 channel computerized data analysis system using microcomputer (Macintosh ${II}_{x}$) for basic research of electrophysiology and electrical propagation. The bipolar electrogram information is acquired from 64 cardiac sites simultaneously at a sampling rate of 1 ksampls/sec with continuous and total data storage of up to 30 seconds. When the reference electrogram is selected and reference point is picked up, delay time from the reference point is displayed on two dimensional diagram of the heart. System design permits easy expansion to almost 256 simultaneous sites. this system is expected to enable us to study pathophysiology of cardiac arrhythmia and to improve the result of diagnosis and surgical treatment for cardiac arrhythmia.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.385-392
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• 2013

Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent, primarily due to limited sun exposure, which may be observed in urban areas, or as a result of modern lifestyles. Common myths about vitamin D persist, including that it is mostly obtained from the diet and is only essential for bone and mineral homeostasis. Nonetheless, advances in biomedical science suggest that vitamin D is a hormone that is integral to numerous physiologic functions in most cells and tissues. Therefore, abnormal vitamin D levels may contribute to health disturbances. A number of recent reports on potential associations between vitamin D deficiency and cardiovascular disease have highlighted its role in this system. A focus over the previous decade has been to better understand the mechanisms behind vitamin D regulation and the pathophysiology associated with suboptimal vitamin D levels. Vitamin D deficiency is highly associated with the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, even when considering other well-known risk factors. In this process, the renin-angiotensin system is disrupted, and hypertension and endothelial dysfunction contribute to the risk of cardiovascular disease. Likewise, clinical outcomes upon the normalization of vitamin D levels have been investigated in different patient populations. It makes sense that vitamin D supplementation to improve vitamin D status among vitamin D-deficient individuals could be useful without requiring a sudden lifestyle change. This manuscript provides a brief overview of vitamin D metabolism and the vitamin D receptor. It also summarizes the current clinical research relating to vitamin D supplementation and its effects on hypertension and endothelial dysfunction in cardiovascular medicine.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2013

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a rare inherited disorder of a defective NADPH oxidase enzyme, resulting in very low or no production of superoxide and subsequent reactive oxygen species. Consequently, patients with CGD are highly susceptible to severe bacterial and fungal infections. CGD is a genetically heterogeneous disease caused by defects in any one of the genes encoding the NADPH oxidase components. CGD generally affects about 3-4 per 1,000,000 individuals; thus, it is surprising that the prevalence of CGD on Jeju Island is 34.3 per 1,000,000 individuals. At present, 20 patients with CGD from 14 unrelated families on Jeju Island have been identified; nine males and 11 females. All patients with CGD tested on Jeju Island had an identical and homozygous mutation (c.7C>T in CYBA, p.Q3X in $p22^{phox}$). Therefore, all patients were autosomal recessive form of CGD. This strongly suggests that the unique and identical mutation in CYBA may be inherited from a common proband. Using mutation-specific primers to detect the mutated allele in CYBA, the frequency of subjects carrying a mutated allele was 1.3% of enrolled subjects from Seogwipo City. Further studies are necessary to elucidate how frequently this mutant allele occurs in the population on Jeju Island. Additionally, it is important to construct a national registry system to understand the pathophysiology of CGD and develop a strategy for long-term therapy.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.78-83
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• 2016

Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) disease is an extraoesophageal variant of gastro-esophageal reflux disease that can affect the larynx and pharynx. LPR is associated with symptoms of laryngeal irritation such as throat clearing, coughing, and hoarseness. The main diagnostic methods currently used are laryngoscopy and pH monitoring. The most common laryngoscopic signs are redness and swelling of the throat. However, these findings are not specific of LPR and may be related to other causes or can even be found in healthy individuals. Furthermore, the role of pH monitoring in the diagnosis of LPR is controversial. A therapeutic trial with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) has been suggested to be cost-effective and useful for the diagnosis of LPR. However, the recommendations of PPI therapy for patients with a suspicion of LPR are based on the results of uncontrolled studies, and high placebo response rates suggest a much more complex and multifactorial pathophysiology of LPR than simple acid reflux. Laryngoscopy and pH monitoring have failed as reliable tests for the diagnosis of LPR. Empirical therapy with PPIs is widely accepted as a diagnostic test and for the treatment of LPR. However, further research is needed to develop a definitive diagnostic test for LPR.