• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.57-62
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• 2017

The purpose of this paper is to assimilate all data pertaining to the use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonists in in vitro fertilization cycles after ovulation trigger to reduce the symptoms of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). A systematic review of the literature was performed to identify all studies performed on the use of a GnRH antagonist in IVF cycle post-ovulation trigger with patients at high risk for OHSS. Ten studies were identified and reviewed. Descriptions of the studies and their individual results are presented in the following manuscript. Due to significant heterogeneity among the studies, it was not possible to perform a group analysis. The use of GnRH antagonists post-ovulation trigger for treatment of OHSS has been considered for almost 20 years, though research into its use is sparse. Definitive conclusions and recommendations cannot be made at this time, though preliminary data from these trials demonstrate the potential for GnRH antagonists to play a role in the treatment of OHSS in certain patient populations.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 1998

Chemoprevention refers to the use of non-toxic chemical agents to prevent the neoplastic development by inhibiting, delaying, or reversing a multi-stage carcinogenesis. The primary goal of chemoprevention research is to identify or produce effective agents and strategies for clinical trials for applications to normal or high risk human populations. A large number of compounds have been tested for their possible chemopreventive activities, and it is of interest to note that many of them are naturally occurring substances. Thus, a variety of plant and vegetable constituents, particularly those included in our daily diet, have been found to possess substantial protective properties against experimental carcinogenesis. These substances, collectively known as dietary phytochemicals, exert their chemopreventive effects by influencing specific step(s) of multi-stage carcinogenesis: some inhibit metabolic activation or enhance detoxification of carcinogens, others interfere with covalent interactions between ultimate eloctrophilic carcinogens and the target cell DNA and still others may exert anti-promoting or anti-progressing effects. Mechanism-based interventions by use of safe dietary phytochemicals may provide one of the most practical and promising cancer chemopreventive strategies.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.112-119
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• 2003

Dietary counseling is undoubtedly important for prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. Several dietary counseling methods have been developed and used in Japan to promote healthier diets. However, in Japan, few studies have established effective counseling methods. We developed a computer-assisted tailored dietary counseling system with self-administered diet history questionnaire (DHQ) to assess nutrient intakes and the feedbacks for counseling. We examined the effectiveness of the system in three studies , two among mildly-hypercholesterolemic and one among healthy subjects. We observed significant changes in intakes of targeted nutrients in all three studies. We also observed favorable changes in the corresponding serum and urinary biomarkers in two studies, i.e., non-significant change in serum cholesterol, serum carotene and vitamin C, and a significant change in 24-hour urinary excretion of sodium. In addition, one of the studies observed a significant modified dietary habit for one-year after the intervention was completed. No unfavorable change was observed for non-targeted nutrients in all three studies. The dietary counseling system with DHQ was concluded to be effective among motivated high-risk and healthy subjects. The system's application to other diseases and populations such as children, adolescents, and elderly, should be examined further. (J Community Nutrition 5(2) : 112-119, 2003)

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.7091-7094
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• 2013

DNA repair capacity is crucial in maintaining cellular functions and homeostasis. However, it can be altered based on DNA sequence variations in DNA repair genes and this may lead to the development of many diseases including malignancies. Identification of genetic polymorphisms responsible for reduced DNA repair capacity is necessary for better prevention. Homologous recombination (HR), a major double strand break repair pathway, plays a critical role in maintaining the genome stability. The present study was performed to determine the frequency of the HR gene XRCC3 Exon 7 (C18067T, rs861539) polymorphisms in Saudi Arabian population in comparison with epidemiological studies by "MEDLINE" search to equate with global populations. The variant allelic (T) frequency of XRCC3 (C>T) was found to be 39%. Our results suggest that frequency of XRCC3 (C>T) DNA repair gene exhibits distinctive patterns compared with the Saudi Arabian population and this might be attributed to ethnic variation. The present findings may help in high-risk screening of humans exposed to environmental carcinogens and cancer predisposition in different ethnic groups.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.1707-1713
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• 2013

Background: This study aimed to better understand the barriers to perinatal hepatitis B prevention and to identify the reasons for poor hepatitis B knowledge and delivery of education to hepatitis B surface-antigen-positive pregnant women among healthcare providers in Santa Clara County, California. Materials and Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 16 obstetricians and 17 perinatal nurses in Santa Clara County, California, which has one of the largest populations in the United States at high risk for perinatal hepatitis B transmission. Results: Most providers displayed a lack of self-efficacy attributed to insufficient hepatitis B training and education. They felt discouraged from counseling and educating their patients because of a lack of resources and discouraging patient attitudes such as stigma and apathy. Providers called for institutional changes from the government, hospitals, and nonprofit organizations to improve care for patients with chronic hepatitis B. Conclusions: Early and continuing provider training, increased public awareness, and development of comprehensive resources and new programs may contribute to reducing the barriers for health care professionals to provide counseling and education to pregnant patients with chronic hepatitis B infection.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.110-117
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to describe clonorchis sinensis infection experience in high risk populations living in riverside areas. The research question was "How do local residents perceive Clonorchiasis and how are they infected with the parasite". Methods: Qualitative data were collected by focus group interviews with 16 participants from January to February, 2009. All the interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by the content analysis method. Results: Five main categories were conceptualized, which were "lacking in understanding of Clonorchiasis," "culture of the rural community," "life style," "recovering experience from infection" and "change of health behavior." Conclusion: The result of this study indicates that residents are infected with Clonorchiasis through interaction between individual and group risky factors. Therefore, it is important to develop effective health education programs on both individual and group levels to prevent infection with Clonorchiasis.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.223-229
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• 2012

Clinical and preclinical in vivo immune cell imaging approaches have been used to study immune cell proliferation, apoptosis and interaction at the microscopic (intra-vital imaging) and macroscopic (whole-body imaging) level by use of ex vivo or in vivo labeling method. A series of imaging techniques ranging from non-radiation based techniques such as optical imaging, MRI, and ultrasound to radiation based CT/nuclear imaging can be used for in vivo immune cell tracking. These imaging modalities highlight the intrinsic behavior of different immune cell populations in physiological context. Fluorescent, radioactive or paramagnetic probes can be used in direct labeling protocols to monitor the specific cell population. Reporter genes can also be used for genetic, indirect labeling protocols to track the fate of a given cell subpopulation in vivo. In this review, we summarized several methods dealing with dendritic cell, macrophage, and T lymphocyte specifically labeled for different macroscopic whole-body imaging techniques both for the study of their physiological function and in the context of immunotherapy to exploit imaging-derived information and immune-based treatments.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.83 no.2
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• pp.132-140
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• 2020

In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) is a well-known opportunistic infection and its management has been established. However, PCP is an emerging threat to immunocompromised patients without HIV infection, such as those receiving novel immunosuppressive therapeutics for malignancy, organ transplantation, or connective tissue diseases. Clinical manifestations of PCP are quite different between patients with and without HIV infections. In patients without HIV infection, PCP rapidly progresses, is difficult to diagnose correctly, and causes severe respiratory failure with a poor prognosis. High-resolution computed tomography findings are different between PCP patients with HIV infection and those without. These differences in clinical and radiological features are due to severe or dysregulated inflammatory responses that are evoked by a relatively small number of Pneumocystis organisms in patients without HIV infection. In recent years, the usefulness of polymerase chain reaction and serum β-D-glucan assay for rapid and non-invasive diagnosis of PCP has been revealed. Although corticosteroid adjunctive to anti-Pneumocystis agents has been shown to be beneficial in some populations, the optimal dose and duration remain to be determined. Recent investigations revealed that Pneumocystis colonization is prevalent and that asymptomatic carriers are at risk for developing PCP and can serve as the reservoir for the spread of Pneumocystis by airborne transmission. These findings suggest the need for chemoprophylaxis in immunocompromised patients as well as infection control measures, although the indications remain controversial. Because a variety of novel immunosuppressive therapeutics have been emerging in medical practice, further innovations in the diagnosis and treatment of PCP are needed.

• The Korean journal of internal medicine
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.1039-1049
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• 2018

The populations of Asian countries are expected to age rapidly in the near future, with a dramatic increase in the number of heart failure (HF) patients also anticipated. The need for palliative and end-of-life care for elderly patients with advanced HF is currently recognized in aging societies. However, palliative care and active treatment for HF are not mutually exclusive, and palliative care should be provided to reduce suffering occurring at any stage of symptomatic HF after the point of diagnosis. HF patients are at high risk of sudden cardiac death from the early stages of the disease onwards. The decision of whether to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the event of an emergency is challenging, especially in elderly HF patients, because of the difficulty in accurately predicting the prognosis of the condition. Furthermore, advanced HF patients are often fitted with a device, and device deactivation at the end of life is a complicated process. Treatment strategies should thus be discussed by multi-disciplinary teams, including palliative experts, and should consider patient directives to address the problems discussed above. Open communication with the HF patient regarding the expected prognosis, course, and treatment options will serve to support the patient and aid in future planning.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.425-429
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• 2018

Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) infection can spread rapidly across populations and is associated with cervical intraepithelial neoplasms, human papillomavirus infections, and newborn mortality. This study aimed to provide information that could be used to protect public health and decrease the incidence and transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), particularly among childbearing women. We examined the epidemiology of UU infection in Cheonan, South Korea. During 2006-2017, 4,050 specimens were submitted for STI screening using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Data were analyzed for UU infection cases using the R statistical program and categorical data were analyzed using the chi-square test, and p-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Positive PCR results were shown in 17.8% of the total specimens, in 9.0% of men, and in 18.7% of women. Individuals in their teenaged years and individuals aged 20-29 years accounted for the largest proportions of UU-positive specimens. Although Mycoplasma hominis was the most prevalent bacterium in 2006, it was superseded by UU in 2017. Of the 870 UU-positive specimens, 50.1%, 33.1%, 13.4%, and 2.8% had single, double, triple, and quadruple infection, respectively. UU was most common among Korean individuals aged 20-29 years, indicating a high risk of maternal-to-infant transmission that should be addressed through rapid diagnosis, treatment, and management.