• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.1-11
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• 2020

Purpose : The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine the effects of microcurrent on inflammatory musculoskeletal diseases. Methods : Domestic databases (RISS, NDSL, KISS, DBpia, and Kmbase) were searched for studies that conducted clinical trials associated with microcurrent and its impact on inflammatory musculoskeletal diseases. A total of 606 studies published between 2002 and 2019 were identified, with 8 studies satisfying the inclusion data. The studies were classified according to patient, intervention, comparison, and outcome (PICO). The search outcomes were items associated with blood component, pain, and function. The 8 studies that were included in the study were evaluated using R meta-analysis (version 4.0). The quality of 7 randomized control trials was evaluated using Cochrane risk of bias (ROB). The quality of 1 non-randomized control trial was evaluated using risk of bias assessment tool for non-randomized studies (RoBANS). Effect sizes were computed as the corrected standard mean difference (SMD). A random-effect model was used to analyze the effect size because of the high heterogeneity among the studies. Egger's regression test was carried out to analyze the publishing bias. Results : The following factors had a large effect size involving microcurrent on inflammatory musculoskeletal diseases: blood component (Hedges's g=-2.46, 95 % CI=-4.20~-0.73), pain (Hedges's g=3.51, 95 % CI=2.44~4.77), and function (Hedges's g=3.06, 95 % CI: 1.53~4.58). Except for function (t=1.572, p=.191), Egger's regression test showed that the publishing bias had statistically significant differences. Conclusion : This study provides evidence for the effectiveness of microcurrent on inflammatory musculoskeletal diseases in terms of blood component, pain, and function. However, due to the small sample sizes used in the included studies, the results of our study should be interpreted cautiously, especially considering the publishing bias.

• Hanyang Medical Reviews
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2013

Inflammatory bowel diseases(IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, are chronic inflammatory states of the intestinal tract. While the exact mechanisms inducing chronic inflammation are still unclear, it is hypothesized that the inflammation is caused in part by an inappropriate immune response to the intestinal microflora. Although inflammatory diseases are not directly linked to patient survival, symptoms of these diseases significantly decrease quality of life. The incidence rate is higher in western people than eastern people, but the incidence rate of IBD in eastern people, including Korean, is increasing. Recently, it has been reported that IL-17 is an important factor that appears to be involved in IBD induction and progression. This report reviews many recent papers reporting the relationship between IBD and IL-17, which may provide an understanding leading to new means of prevention and treatment for IBD.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.120-129
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• 2023

Recent technical advances have enabled unbiased transcriptomic and epigenetic analysis of each cell, known as "single-cell analysis". Single-cell analysis has a variety of technical approaches to investigate the state of each cell, including mRNA levels (transcriptome), the immune repertoire (immune repertoire analysis), cell surface proteins (surface proteome analysis), chromatin accessibility (epigenome), and accordance with genome variants (eQTLs; expression quantitative trait loci). As an effective tool for investigating robust immune responses in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), many researchers performed single-cell analysis to capture the diverse, unbiased immune cell activation and differentiation. Despite challenges elucidating the complicated immune microenvironments of chronic inflammatory diseases using existing experimental methods, it is now possible to capture the simultaneous immune features of different cell types across inflamed tissues using various single-cell tools. In this review, we introduce patient-based and experimental mouse model research utilizing single-cell analyses in the field of chronic inflammatory diseases, as well as multi-organ atlas targeting immune cells.

• Journal of Rheumatic Diseases
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.14-20
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• 2017

Interleukin-32 (IL-32), a recently identified pro-inflammatory cytokine, is involved in the pathogenesis and progression of infections, cancer, chronic inflammation, and autoimmune disease. IL-32γ is the most active isoform in cell death and cell activation among nine distinct isoforms of IL-32. IL-32γ potentiates both osteogenic and osteoclastogenic capacities, and is critical in the coupling of bone resorption and bone formation for maintenance of bone homeostasis. IL-32γ is strongly associated with inflammatory bone disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and osteoporosis. In this review, we summarize current research on the role of IL-32γ in inflammatory bone disorders, highlighting this cytokine as a novel target for prognostic marker and control of these diseases.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.14-18
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• 2023

Jukyeo (竹茹; Bambusae Caulis in Taeniam: BCT) is an herbal medicine made from the inner part of the bamboo stem of Phyllostachys nigra Munro var. henonis Stapf ex Rendle or Phyllostachys bambusoides Siebold et Zuccarini. Although medical literature published in China and Korea decades ago introduced BCT as a remedy for reducing vomiting, fever, and hematemesis, decoctions containing BCT as a main herb (君藥) in Korea have been approved only for treating neurologic symptoms. Here, we discuss the anti-inflammatory function of BCT. Combined with the clinical usage of a BCT-containing decoction in treating inflammatory diseases in Japan, we raise the possibility of repurposing the BCT-containing decoctions for treating inflammatory diseases. The anti-inflammatory activity of BCT was mainly assessed by using RAW 264.7 cells. The regulation of NF-κB, Nrf2 and A20 activities was determined by western blot and quantitative RT-PCR. The list of decoctions containing BCT currently approved in Korea was obtained from the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (KFDA). BCT suppressed the activity of pro-inflammatory factor NF-κB elicited by LPS, activated an anti-inflammatory factor Nrf2, and induced A20 that is known to block several inflammatory pathways simultaneously, suggesting that BCT can suppress inflammation via at least 3 different pathways. KFDA approved 11 decoctions containing BCT as a major herb, including Gamiondam-tang (加味溫膽湯; GOT), for treating neurologic disorders. Interestingly, Jukyeoondam-tang (竹茹溫膽湯; JOT), whose composition is almost identical to GOT except for one herb, has been used to treat inflammatory pulmonary disorders including Covid-19 pulmonary infection in Japan Given the anti-inflammatory function of BCT evidenced by medical literature and experimental results and the clinical usage of JOT in treating inflammatory pulmonary disorders, we suggest a repurposing and extension of the BCT-containing decoctions approved in Korea to treating inflammatory diseases.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.45-57
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• 1974

This report based on 300 cases of serious diseases in maxillofacial region by radiograms seen at the department of dental radiodontics, infirmary school of dentistry, Kyung Hee University from October 1971 to August 1974. The maxillofacial diseases were analysed upon the following items, such as 1) the frequency of dominant diseases, 2) sex-ratio of male to female, 3) predominant region of diseases, 4) comparison with the age, 5) the incidence of diseases in relative to the individual teeth. The results were obtained as follows. 1) Among the total of 300 cases of the patients, the frequency of dominant diseases of patients were fractures of facial bone (44.3±2.87%), inflammatory diseases (22.7±2.39%), cysts (11.1±1.62%), tumors (10.7±1.77%), maxillary sinusitis (7.9±1.56%), temporomandibular joint disorders(3.3±1.05%) in the order. 2) The ex-ratio of male to female in occurence of jaw fractures were 7.3:1, temporomandibular joint disorders were 2.1:1, inflammatory diseases were 1.8:1, maxillary sinusitis were 1.7:1, but tumors were equal to 1:1, while cysts were 1:1.2 in sex difference. 3) The predominant region of mandibular fractures were symphysis(17.3±3.27%), canine region (15.0±3.09%), and angle region (14.3:±3.04%) in the order. Inflammatory diseases were occured frequently in mandible and it's left side were a little dominant. Odontogenic cysts were observed frequently in maxilla, but regardless of right and left. Carcinomas were involved most frequently in maxilla, while sarcomas and ameloblastomas in mandible. Frequency of the maxillary sinusitis were dominant right side and molar area, also temporomandibular joint disorders were right side. 4) To study comparison with the age jaw fractures showed the highest ratio at the 2nd decade(32.3±4.06%), and 3rd decade (27.8±3.89%), 4th decade (19.6±3.44%), 6th decade (9.0±2.47%), 5th decade(6.0±2.06%), 1st decade (5.3±1.95%) in the order. But 7th decade were not involved entirely. Frequency of the inflammatory diseases were the highest in the age group of 3rd decade (28.0±5.44%), and those of cysts were 5th decade (24.2±7.22%), temporomandibular joint disorders were 3rd decade (60.0±15.49%). Tumors were occured frequently over the 4th decade especially malignint tumors over the 5th decade, but maxillary sinusitis were rearless of age except for 2nd decade. 5) About the incidence of diseases in relative to individual teeth, fractures of facial bone were most frequently involved the maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth, and mandibular 3rd molar region. Cysts were maxillary anterior region inflammatory diseases were mandibular molar region maxillary sinusitis were maxillary 1st molar, region but tumors were regardless of individual teeth.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.312-316
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• 2003

The oriental herbal combination allergina has been shown to inhibit allergic inflammation. In the present study, we demonstrate that the oral administration of allergina markedly inhibits the progression of inflammatory diseases, such as graft-versus-host diseases (in the allogeneic bone marrow transplantation and the parent-into-F1 transplantation models), collagen-induced arthritis and sheep red blood cell-induced delayed type hypersensitivity. The immunosuppressive activity of allergina in vivo appears to be associated, at least in part, with the inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-a production. In conclusion, our results suggest that allergina could be useful as a immunosuppressive agent for the treatment of macrophage-related inflammatory disease.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.2-14
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• 2023

Trichomonas vaginalis is a flagellated protozoan that causes trichomoniasis, a common nonviral sexually transmitted infection. T. vaginalis infection is asymptomatic in most infected men but can lead to chronic infection. The inflammatory response to chronic T. vaginalis infection may contribute to prostatic diseases, such as prostatitis and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH); however, studies on the relationship between T. vaginalis infection and prostate diseases are scarce. In this review, we discuss evidence from our studies on the involvement of T. vaginalis in the pathogenesis of prostate diseases, such as prostatitis and BPH. Studies of prostatitis have demonstrated that the attachment of T. vaginalis trophozoite to prostate epithelial cells (PECs) induces inflammatory cytokine production and inflammatory cell migration, leading to prostatitis. T. vaginalis also causes pathological changes, such as inflammatory cell infiltration, acinar changes, interstitial fibrosis, and mast cell infiltration, in prostate tissues of infected rats. Thus, T. vaginalis is considered an infectious agent that triggers prostatitis. Meanwhile, studies of prostatic hyperplasia revealed that mast cells activated by T. vaginalis-infected prostate cells secreted inflammatory mediators, such as β-hexosaminidase and tryptase, which promoted proliferation of prostate stromal cell (PSC). Moreover, interleukin-6 produced by proliferating PSCs induced the multiplication of BPH-1 epithelial cells as a result of stromal-epithelial interaction, suggesting that the proliferation of T. vaginalis-infected prostate cells can be induced through crosstalk with mast cells. These collective findings suggest that T. vaginalis contributes to the progression of prostatitis and prostatic hyperplasia by creating an inflammatory microenvironment involving PECs and PSCs.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.120-126
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• 2013

Natural products have always been a pivotal source of new drug development. Dry roots of Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz.) Schischk. (Umbelliferae) is a perennial herb and is also known as Bang Pung in traditional medicine. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have revealed the diverse pharmacological effects of S. divaricata and its role in the treatment of various diseases. This herb has exhibited significant inhibitory effects against inflammation and associated disorders. The present study explored the ethnopharmacological applications and molecular mechanisms behind the anti-inflammatory effects of S. divaricata herb and a single compound blockade of multi-signaling inflammatory cascades. Taken together, this review provides insight into the potential role of S. divaricata against various inflammatory diseases.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.165-171
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• 2016

Corylopsis gotoana (Hamamelidaceae) has been used as a traditional medicine for the treatment various diseases including cold, edema and vomiting. However, previous studies regarding component analysis and pharmacological actions of C. gotoana are extremely limited until now. In this study, we investigated anti-inflammatory activities of the methanolic extract of the twigs of Corylopsis gotoana (MCG) both in vitro and in vivo. MCG effectively inhibited excessive NO production in IFN-${\gamma}$ and LPS-stimulated mouse peritoneal macrophages without notable cytotoxicity. In addition, we also found that MCG could attenuate the expression of inflammatory mediators such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). We further tested in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of MCG using paw edema mouse model. Herein, MCG demonstrated significant suppression on the paw edema induced by both of trypsin and carrageenan. These results indicated that MCG has potent anti-inflammatory potential and may be useful for prevention and treatments of inflammatory diseases.