• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.60 no.2
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• pp.117-126
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• 2022

Cystatin, a cysteine protease inhibitor found in many parasites, plays important roles in immune evasion. This study analyzed the molecular characteristics of a cystatin from Fasciola hepatica (FhCystatin) and expressed recombinant FhCystatin (rFhcystatin) to investigate the immune modulatory effects on lipopolysaccharide-induced proliferation, migration, cytokine secretion, nitric oxide (NO) production, and apoptosis in mouse macrophages. The FhCystatin gene encoded 116 amino acids and contained a conserved cystatin-like domain. rFhCystatin significantly inhibited the activity of cathepsin B. rFhCystatin bound to the surface of mouse RAW264.7 cells, significantly inhibited cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis. Moreover, rFhCystatin inhibited the expression of cellular nitric oxide, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, and promoted the expression of transforming growth factor-β and interleukin-10. These results showed that FhCystatin played an important role in regulating the activity of mouse macrophages. Our findings provide new insights into mechanisms underlying the immune evasion and contribute to the exploration of potential targets for the development of new drug to control F. hepatica infection.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.747-763
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• 2000

through a literal study upon Arrhythmia between east and west medicine, the results were as follows 1. Arrhythmia is not only irregular cardiac beat but disorder of cardiac impulse making and conduction disturbance. it means almost irregularity of interval between two beat 2. In the east medicine, arrhythmia is represented various category as palpitation, continuous palpitation, dizziness, consumption which give the first consideration by the accompanied symptoms. A separate way in a diagnostics it become a base of diagnosis of diseases and decision of prognosis by the examination of pulse 3. In the west medicine, Arrhythmia is classified as disorder of heart rate, rhythm, conduction disturbance or tachycardia, bradycardia and it is concomitant with fatigue, palpitation, dyspnoea, syncope, chest discomfort 4. The diagnostic study of pulse condition which represent arrhythmia was started from $\mathbb{<}$Nae-Kyung$\mathbb{>}$ and it was revealed as pulse condition of rapid pulse, slow pulse, swift pulse, running pulse, knotted pulse, intermittent pulse etc. Out of them running pulse, knotted pulse, intermittent pulse which obviously are concomitant with irregularity of interval are clinically meaningful in a conditions of disease and decision of prognosis. and the significance of these pulse condition are transformed through the changes of the times 5. According to cause of disease it is classified by Arrhythmia(running pulse, knotted pulse, intermittent pulse) due to heat, cold, phlegm, deficiency(or insufficiency) and There are three categories of etiological factor that is, endogenous, exogenous and non-exo-endogenous factor. the endogenous factor is insufficiency of the heart Ki, deficiency of both Ki and blood, intemal stagnation of phlegm and fluid, stagnation of seven emotions. the exogenous factor is caused by stagnation of Ki and blood by six exogenous pathogenic factor and the non-exo-endgenous factors are improper diet, overstrain, traumatic injury. A cause of arrhythmia in western medicine are a organic and pathological change of the heart itself and malfunction of the autonomic nervous system.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.299-304
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• 2014

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a malignancy of biliary duct with a very poor prognosis, is the leading cause of cancer death in countries of the Mekong subregion. Liver fluke infection is the main etiological factor, but genetic variation has been recognized as also important in conferring susceptibility to CCA risk. Nuclear factor (erythroid derived 2)-like 2 (NRF2) is a key transcription factor in detoxification and antioxidant defense. Emerging evidence has demonstrated that genetic polymorphisms in the NRF2 gene may be associated with cancer development. The objectives of this study were to investigate the association of NRF2 genetic polymorphism with CCA risk and to evaluate the influence of the NRF2 genotype on survival time of affected patients. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the NRF2 gene, including rs6726395: A/G, rs2886161: C/T, rs1806649: C/T, and rs10183914: C/T, were analyzed using TaqMan$^{(R)}$ SNP genotyping assays. Among 158 healthy northeastern Thai subjects, the allele frequencies were 41, 62, 94, and 92%, respectively. The correlation of NRF2 SNPs and CCA risk was analyzed in the 158 healthy subjects and 198 CCA patients, using unconditional logistic regression. The results showed that whereas the NRF2 SNPs were not associated with CCA risk (p>0.05), Kaplan-Meier analysis of 88 intrahepatic CCA patients showed median survival time with rs6726395 genotypes of GG and AA/AG to be $344{\pm}138$ (95%CI: 73-615) days and $172{\pm}37$ (95%CI: 100-244) days, respectively, (p<0.006). On multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis, the GG genotype of rs6726395 was found to be associated with longer survival with a hazard ratio of 0.54 (95%CI: 0.31-0.94). In addition, non-papillary adenocarcinoma was associated with poor survival with a hazard ratio of 2.09 (95%CI: 1.16-3.75). The results suggest that the NRF2 rs6726395 polymorphism can be a potential prognostic biomarker for CCA patients.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.265-271
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• 2016

Background Reconstruction of orofacial soft tissue defects is often challenging due to functional and aesthetic demands. Despite advances in orofacial soft tissue defect reconstruction using free flaps, locoregional flaps still remain an important option, especially in health resource-depleted environments. This retrospective study highlights our experiences in oral and maxillofacial soft tissue reconstruction using locoregional flaps. Methods A twenty-three years retrospective analysis of all patients managed in our department was undertaken. Information was sourced from patients' case notes and operating theater records. Data was analyzed using SPSS ver. 16 (SPSS Inc.) and Microsoft Excel 2007 (Microsoft). Results A total of 77 patients underwent orofacial soft tissue defect reconstruction within the years reviewed. Males accounted for 55 (71.4%) cases and trauma was the main etiological factor in 45 (58.4%) of the patients treated. When sites of defect were considered, the lip, 27 (32.1%), was the most frequent site followed by the nose, 17 (20.2%). Forehead flap, 51 (59.3%), was the most commonly used flap. Complications noted were tumor recurrences at the recipient bed in 3 (3.9%) cases, tumor occurrence at the donor site in 1 (1.3%) case and postoperative infection in 11 (14.3%) cases. Conclusions Locoregional flaps still have an important role in the rehabilitation of patients with orofacial soft tissue defects. They remain a vital tool in the armamentarium of the reconstructive surgeon, especially in health resource-depleted environments where advanced reconstructive techniques may not be feasible.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.263-268
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• 2012

From the end of July 2012, several cases of abortion have been happened at the Korean indigenous cattle farm with 124 heads in Chungbuk province, Korea. Serological tests such as Rose-bengal test (RBT) and standard tube agglutination test (STAT) have been performed according to the standard official protocols of bovine brucellosis and 41 cattle turned out to be brucellosis-positive simultaneously. To find out the main factors of brucellosis outbreaks and spreads, additional serological, etiological and molecular investigation were applied. Totally, 11 B. abortus were isolated from 10 cattle's specimens including lymph-nodes and/or testis, and drinking water in cowhouse. In genotyping by multi-locus VNTR assay (MLVA) using 17 loci markers, the present B. abortus isolates were shown all the same pattern, D1 genotype, which has been reported in Gyeonggi and Gangwon province, Korea. These results suggest that the input of brucellosis might come from neighboring farms directly or indirectly, even if by unknown factor and expansion within farm would accelerate by materials related with aborting cows.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.57-63
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• 2003

Clubroot disease of curcifer crops caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae had been first reported in 1928 in Korea, and maintained mild occurrence until 1980s. Since 1990s the disease has become severe in alpine areas of Kyonggi and Kangwon, gradually spread to plain fields throughout the country, and remains as the great-est limiting factor for its production. Researches on the disease has begun in late 1990s after experiencing severe epidemics. Survey of occurrence and etiological studies have been carried out, particularly, on the pathogen physiology, race identification, quantification of soil pathogen population, and host spectrum of the pathogen. Ecology of gall formation and its decay, yield loss assessment associated with time of infection, and relationships between crop rotation and the disease incidence was also studied during late 1990s. In studies of its control, more than 200 crucifer cultivars were evaluated for their resistance to the disease. Lime applica-tion to field soil was also attempted to reduce the disease incidence. Resistant radish and welsh onion were recommended as rotation crops with crucifers after 3-year field experiments. However, so for, most studies on clubroot disease in Korea have been focused on chemical control. Two fungicides, fluazinam and flusulfamide, were selected and extensively studied on their application technologies and combination effects with lime application or other soil treatment. To develop environmentally-friendly control methods, solar-disinfection of soil, phosphoric acid as a nontoxic compound, and root-parasiting endophytes as biocontrol agents were examined for their effects on the disease in fields. In the future, more researches are needed to be done on development of resistant varieties effective to several races of the pathogen, establishment of economically-sound crop rotation system, and improvement of soil-disinfection technique applicable to Korean field condi-tion, and development of methodology of pretreatment of fungicides onto seeds and seedbeds.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.253-259
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• 2011

The rapid rise in the incidence of obesity has emerged as one of the most pressing global public health issues in recent years. The underlying etiological causes of obesity, whether behavioral, environmental, genetic, or a combination of several of them, have not been completely elucidated. The obesity epidemic has been attributed to the ready availability, abundance, and overconsumption of high-energy content food. We determined here by Pearson's correlation the relationship between food type consumption and rising obesity using the loss-adjusted food availability data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Services (ERS) as well as the obesity prevalence data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Our analysis showed that total calorie intake and consumption of high fructose com syrup (HFCS) did not correlate with rising obesity trends. Intake of other major food types, including chicken, dairy fats, salad and cooking oils, and cheese also did not correlate with obesity trends. However, our results surprisingly revealed that consumption of com products correlated with rising obesity and was independent of gender and race/ethnicity among population dynamics in the U.S. Therefore, we were able to demonstrate a novel link between the consumption of com products and rising obesity trends that has not been previously attributed to the obesity epidemic. This correlation coincides with the introduction of bioengineered corns into the human food chain, thus raising a new hypothesis that should be tested in molecular and animal models of obesity.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.196-201
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• 2013

Abnormal regulation of glucose and impaired lipid metabolism that result from a defective or deficient insulin are the key etiological factor in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The our study evaluated the beneficial effect of diet supplementation with Lentinus edodes on hyperglycemia and lipid metabolism in normal and type 2 diabetic rats. The animals were divided into 4 groups: group I(control) rats were fed standard diet (12% of calories as fat); group II (T2DM) rats were fed HFD (40% of calories as fat) for 2 weeks and then injected with STZ (50 mg/kg); group III and group IV rats were continually fed a diet containing 1% and 10% Lentinus edodes for 4 weeks after T2DM induction, respectively. After 4 weeks we determined biochemical parameters such as glucose, insulin concentration, serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) concentration were also measured. There was a significant reduction in serum TC and TG in the Lentinus edodes supplement groups. The Lentinus edodes diet supplementation were found to have a potent lipid metabolism improvement as well as LDL concentration decreased and HDL concentration was increased. Concentrations of blood glucose and HbA1c in the experimental groups II were significantly decreased after 4 weeks compared with the control group. The Lentinus edodes diet supplementation is useful in regulating the glucose level, improves the insulin, HbA1c, serum lipid metabolism in experimental diabetic rats. We suggest that Lentinus edodes supplementation may have the control effects of diabetes mellitus by improving blood glucose control and lipid metabolism.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.23
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• pp.10463-10468
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• 2015

Opisthorchis viverrini (Ov) infection is the major etiological factor for cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), especially in northeast Thailand. We have previously reported significant involvement of PI3K/AKT/PTEN and $Wnt/{\beta}$-catenin in human CCA tissues. The present study, therefore, examined the expression and activation of PI3K/AKT/PTEN and $Wnt/{\beta}$-catenin signaling components during Ov-induced cholangiocarcinogenesis in a hamster animal model. Hamsters were divided into two groups; non-treated and Ov plus NDMA treated. The results of immunohistochemical staining showed an upregulation of PI3K/AKT signaling as determined by elevated expression of the $p85{\alpha}$-regulatory and $p110{\alpha}$-catalytic subunits of PI3K as well as increased expression and activation of AKT during cholangiocarcinogenesis. Interestingly, the staining intensity of activated AKT (p-AKT) increased in the apical regions of the bile ducts and strong staining was detected where the liver fluke resides. Moreover, PTEN, a negative regulator of PI3K/AKT, was suppressed by decreased expression and increased phosphorylation during cholangiocarcinogenesis. We also detected upregulation of $Wnt/{\beta}$-catenin signaling as determined by increased positive staining of Wnt3, Wnt3a, Wnt5a, Wnt7b and ${\beta}$-catenin, corresponded with the period of cholangiocarcinogenesis. Furthermore, nuclear staining of ${\beta}$-catenin was observed in CCA tissues. Our results suggest the liver fluke infection causes chronic inflammatory conditions which lead to upregulation of the PI3K/AKT and $Wnt/{\beta}$-catenin signaling pathways which may drive CCA carcinogenesis. These results provide useful information for drug development, prevention and treatment of CCA.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.3-12
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• 1969

Prior to availability of antibiotics, lung abscess has been recognized as one of the most serious pulmonary disease, and despite of diminished morbidity and mortality rate with the advent of antibiotics and development of better technique in the fields of surgery on pulmonary disease it continues to be a virulent form of pulmonary supuration. It is the purpose of this paper to present a clinical review of 115 lung abscess treated by surgically at "The National Medical Center" during past 9 years. 1. The most common age of occurrence is between the age of 30 and 50, and 105 cases were male and 31 cases occurred in female. 2. Numerous etiological factors may play a role in the formation of a pulmonary abscess; aspiration in 36 patients of which 2 patients had diabetes, 54 patients had preceding URI or pneumonia, and 5 patients followed liver abscess, one of which in hematogenous route. In 20 patients, no predisposing factor could be determined- 3. Clubbing digits were presented in 26 of 1315 patients suggesting chronicity of the disease, and gastric ulcer were combined in 3 of 136 patints. 4. Apparently the onset was insidious, and the progress was masked by indiscriminate administration of antibiotics for URI and TB remedies under impression of pul. tbc. Previous TB treatments were done in 56.%[76 cases] for one week to two years and administration of antibiotics in 51 cases. 5. 89 cases were on tbe right and 2t5 cascs were on the left side. 51 cases of pneumonectomy and 8 of open drainage, of which 4 of Monaldi procedure, were made and operative mortality rate was 5.2%. Numerous complications such as 8 of empyema, 4 of each bleeding and atelectasis, 2 of BPF, 1 of esophageal fistula and one of pneumothorax which were responded well to prolonged treatment with good results, were obtained. 6. The incidence of Klebsiella and Pseudomonas were increased recently. In these results, we submit the surgery should be performed if the conservative therapy had failed. The resection was most favorable operation for pulmonary abscess though drainage procedure may be of value in certain patients with grave systemic menifestations. In chronic long standing abscess, more complications and high mortality rate were assumable although the prognosis has been improved with the advent of antibiotics, the development of improved surgical technique and complete preoperative care.