• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권9호
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• pp.4757-4761
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• 2012

Objectives: To explore the impact of low- vs conventional-dose chemotherapy via transcatheter arterial chemo-embolization (TACE) on serum fibrosis indicators and treatment efficacy of hepatocellular cancer patients (HCC). Materials and Methods: Patients fulfilling the eligibility criteria were assigned to TACE in Group A (with low-dose chemotherapy) or Group B (conventional-dose chemotherapy). Four serum fibrosis related indicators, hyaluronic acid(HA), human pro-collagen type-III (hPC-III), laminin (LN), and collagen type-IV(IV-C) before TACE were compared with the values 7 days after TACE. The response rate and survival time were also compared between the two groups. Results: Fifty patients with HCC were enrolled in this study, including 25 in Group A and 25 in Group B. No significant differences were detected between the two groups in the four indicators before TACE. After TACE, the value of the four serum indicators increased significantly in Group B. However, no significant differences regarding these four indicators were found in Group A after TACE. Significant differences were demonstrated between the two groups after TACE, but median survival time and 1 or 2 year overall survival rates did not differ (P>0.05). Conclusions: Low-, compared with conventional-dose chemotherapy exerts the same impact on the variation of fibrosis related indicators and has no influence on median survival time and survival rate after TACE in HCC patients.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제83권3호
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• pp.195-200
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• 2020

The disease concept of interstitial lung disease with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis at its core has been relied on for many years depending on morphological classification. The separation of non-specific interstitial pneumonia with a relatively good prognosis from usual interstitial pneumonia is also based on the perception that morphology enables predict the prognosis. Beginning with dust-exposed lungs, initially, interstitial pneumonia is classified by anatomical pathology. Diagnostic imaging has dramatically improved the diagnostic technology for surviving patients through the introduction of high-resolution computed tomography scan. And now, with the introduction of therapeutics, the direction of diagnosis is turning. It can be broadly classified into to make known the importance of early diagnosis, and to understand the importance of predicting the speed of progression/deterioration of pathological conditions. For this reason, the insight of "early lesions" has been discussed. There are reports that the presence or absence of interstitial lung abnormalities affects the prognosis. Searching for a biomarker is another prognostic indicator search. However, as is the case with many chronic diseases, pathological conditions that progress linearly are extremely rare. Rather, it progresses while changing in response to environmental factors. In interstitial lung disease, deterioration of respiratory functions most closely reflect prognosis. Treatment is determined by combining dynamic indicators as faithful indicators of restrictive impairments. Reconsidering the history being classified under the disease concept, the need to reorganize treatment targets based on common pathological phenotype is under discussed. What is the disease concept? That aspect changes with the discussion of improving prognosis.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제21권6호
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• pp.746-755
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• 2020

Objective: To identify predictors of pulmonary fibrosis development by combining follow-up thin-section CT findings and clinical features in patients discharged after treatment for COVID-19. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study involved 32 confirmed COVID-19 patients who were divided into two groups according to the evidence of fibrosis on their latest follow-up CT imaging. Clinical data and CT imaging features of all the patients in different stages were collected and analyzed for comparison. Results: The latest follow-up CT imaging showed fibrosis in 14 patients (male, 12; female, 2) and no fibrosis in 18 patients (male, 10; female, 8). Compared with the non-fibrosis group, the fibrosis group was older (median age: 54.0 years vs. 37.0 years, p = 0.008), and the median levels of C-reactive protein (53.4 mg/L vs. 10.0 mg/L, p = 0.002) and interleukin-6 (79.7 pg/L vs. 11.2 pg/L, p = 0.04) were also higher. The fibrosis group had a longer-term of hospitalization (19.5 days vs. 10.0 days, p = 0.001), pulsed steroid therapy (11.0 days vs. 5.0 days, p < 0.001), and antiviral therapy (12.0 days vs. 6.5 days, p = 0.012). More patients on the worst-state CT scan had an irregular interface (59.4% vs. 34.4%, p = 0.045) and a parenchymal band (71.9% vs. 28.1%, p < 0.001). On initial CT imaging, the irregular interface (57.1%) and parenchymal band (50.0%) were more common in the fibrosis group. On the worst-state CT imaging, interstitial thickening (78.6%), air bronchogram (57.1%), irregular interface (85.7%), coarse reticular pattern (28.6%), parenchymal band (92.9%), and pleural effusion (42.9%) were more common in the fibrosis group. Conclusion: Fibrosis was more likely to develop in patients with severe clinical conditions, especially in patients with high inflammatory indicators. Interstitial thickening, irregular interface, coarse reticular pattern, and parenchymal band manifested in the process of the disease may be predictors of pulmonary fibrosis. Irregular interface and parenchymal band could predict the formation of pulmonary fibrosis early.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.131-137
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• 2021

Aging is the process spontaneously occurred in living organisms. Cardiac fibrosis is a pathophysiological process of cardiac aging. Mangiferin is a well-known C-glucoside xanthone in mango leaves with lots of beneficial properties. In this study, rat model of cardiac fibrosis was induced by injected with 150 mg/kg/d D-galactose for 8 weeks. The age-related cardiac decline was estimated by detecting the relative weight of heart, the serum levels of cardiac injury indicators and the expression of hypertrophic biomakers. Cardiac oxidative stress and local inflammation were measured by detecting the levels of malondialdehyde, enzymatic antioxidant status and proinflammatory cytokines. Cardiac fibrosis was evaluated by observing collagen deposition via masson and sirius red staining, as well as by examining the expression of extracellular matrix proteins via Western blot analysis. The cardiac activity of profibrotic TGF-β1/p38/MK2 signaling pathway was assessed by measuring the expression of TGF-β1 and the phosphorylation levels of p38 and MK2. It was observed that mangiferin ameliorated D-galactose-induced cardiac aging, attenuated cardiac oxidative stress, inflammation and fibrosis, as well as inhibited the activation of TGF-β1/p38/MK2 signaling pathway. These results showed that mangiferin could ameliorate cardiac fibrosis in D-galactose-induced aging rats possibly via inhibiting TGF-β/p38/MK2 signaling pathway.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권15호
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• pp.6439-6444
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• 2015

Background: In India smokeless tobacco users account for 25.9% of total tobacco use, Gutkha being the most common form. This study evaluated the association between serum lipid profile and Gutkha use as an early diagnostic and/or prognostic indicator for oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) and oral cancer (Oral Ca) in non-smokers and non-alcohol consumers. Materials and Methods: A total of 163 participants were recruited from two sites in India. Participants were divided into four groups: individuals without any Gutkha chewing habit and without any oral lesions (control group), individuals with Gutkha chewing habit but without any oral lesions (GWL), patients with a confirmed clinical diagnosis of OSMF, and patients with a confirmed diagnosis of Oral Ca. Mixed linear modelling (MLM) was conducted to detect the change in mean serum lipid levels among four groups. Results: The sample consisted of 69% males and 31% females. Results of MLM show an inverse relationship between serum lipid levels in OSMF, and Oral Ca groups when compared to the control group. Conclusions: The results of our study demonstrated that GWL, OSMF and Oral Ca patients had lower serum lipid levels. Low serum lipid levels could be an indicator of initial neoplastic changes in oral cancer.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• 제14권4호
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• pp.334-351
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to investigate the improvement effect of white ginseng extract (GS-KG9) on D-galactosamine (Ga1N)-induced oxidative stress and liver injury. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 6 groups. Rats were orally administrated with GS-KG9 (300, 500, or 700 mg/kg) or silymarin (25 mg/kg) for 2 weeks. The rats of the GS-KG9- and silymarin-treated groups and a control group were then intraperitoneally injected Ga1N at a concentration of 650 mg/kg for 4 days. To investigate the protective effect of GS-KG9 against GalN-induced liver injury, blood liver function indicators, anti-oxidative stress indicators, and histopathological features were analyzed. RESULTS: Serum biochemical analysis indicated that GS-KG9 ameliorated the elevation of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in GalN-treated rats. The hepatoprotective effects of GS-KG9 involved enhancing components of the hepatic antioxidant defense system, including glutathione, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT). In addition, GS-KG9 treatment inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) production induced by GalN treatment in hepatocytes and significantly increased the expression levels of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) proteins, which are antioxidant proteins. In particular, by histological analyses bases on hematoxylin and eosin, Masson's trichrome, α-smooth muscle actin, and transforming growth factor-β1 staining, we determined that the administration of 500 mg/kg GS-KG9 inhibited hepatic inflammation and fibrosis due to the excessive accumulation of collagen. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that GS-KG9 improves GalN-induced liver inflammation, necrosis, and fibrosis by attenuating oxidative stress. Therefore, GS-KG9 may be considered a useful candidate in the development of a natural preventive agent against liver injury.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.105-113
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• 2014

Glufosinate-ammonium, a component of the herbicide Basta, is one of the most extensively used pesticides worldwide. In this study, we assessed subchronic and chronic toxicities of Basta and its histopathological effects on the marine medaka Oryzias dancena. Marine medaka were exposed to 0, 2, 4, or 8 mg/L of Basta for 28 or 42 days. The lethal concentration ($LC_{50}$) of Basta for 96 h is 8.76 mg/L. Histological changes in the gills and liver were evaluated with histopathological indices, allowing quantification of the damage to fish exposed to Basta. Blood congestion, lamellar fusion, and epithelial lifting were observed in the gills, and hydropic degeneration, fibrosis, lipid degeneration, leukocyte infiltration, and necrosis were found in the liver. These responses could be useful indicators of Basta toxicity in this species.