• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.291-300
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• 2024

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), a congenital genetic disorder, is a notable contributor to the prevalence of chronic kidney disease worldwide. Despite the absence of a complete cure, ongoing research aims for early diagnosis and treatment. Although agents such as tolvaptan and mTOR inhibitors have been utilized, their effectiveness in managing the disease during its initial phase has certain limitations. This review aimed to explore new targets for the early diagnosis and treatment of ADPKD, considering ongoing developments. We particularly focus on cell polarity, which is a key factor that influences the process and pace of cyst formation. In addition, we aimed to identify agents or treatments that can prevent or impede the progression of renal fibrosis, ultimately slowing its trajectory toward end-stage renal disease. Recent advances in slowing ADPKD progression have been examined, and potential therapeutic approaches targeting multiple pathways have been introduced. This comprehensive review discusses innovative strategies to address the challenges of ADPKD and provides valuable insights into potential avenues for its prevention and treatment.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.349-358
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• 1997

Mycobacterium paratuberculosis is the etiologic agent of Johne's disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel syndrome in ruminants. The attempts to control or eradicate the disease were severely hampered by the inadequacies of present diagnostic methods. The first purpose of this study was to detect Johne's disease out of 577 cows in the province of Kyunggi, Chungchong, Gangweon and the second purpose was to compare the results of non-absorbed ELISA, absorbed ELISA, PCR, and conventional culture methods. The third purpose was to increase diagnostic specificity, accuracy and rapidity. When non-absorbed ELISA test was conducted with Mycobacterium paratuberculosis antigen, the prevalence of positive was 10.9%. To increase diagnostic specificity, absorbed ELISA test with Mycobacterium phlei was used. In this test, the positive prevalence was 1.7%. For the specific detection of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis, PCR was applied to bacterial culture obtained from fecal samples of cattle. The DNA sequences derived from IS900 were used to prepare DNA primers for detection and identification of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis by PCR. PCR for M paratuberculosis isolated from fecal cultures amplified specific target DNA. PCR was much more rapid than that obtained by conventional culture technique in diagnosis of Johne's disease.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.3455-3459
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• 2013

Background: Smoking and smokeless tobacco use are almost always initiated and established during adolescence. More than 80% of adult smokers begin smoking before 18 years of age. The main objective of the present study is to assess the feasibility of preventing adolescent tobacco use with the help of a specially designed tobacco control program. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional survey on tobacco use and related health effects was conducted using a structured questionnaire in 13 randomly selected schools in Kannur district of Kerala. These students were followed for a period of one academic year with multiple spaced interventions such as anti-tobacco awareness classes, formation of anti-tobacco task forces, inter-school competitions, supplying IEC (information, education and communication) materials and providing a handbook on tobacco control for school personnel. Final evaluation was at the end of one year. Results: There were 4,144 school children who participated in the first phase of the study. The prevalence of tobacco smoking and chewing habits were 9.85% and 2.24% respectively. Ninety-one percent had parental advice against tobacco use and only 3.79% expressed desire for future tobacco use. The final evaluation witnessed a sharp decline in the current tobacco use as 4.68%. We observed a statistically significant difference towards the future use of tobacco (p<0.001) and awareness about the ill effects of passive smoking (p<0.001) among boys and girls. Further a significantly increased knowledge was observed among boys compared to girls about tobacco and oral cancer (p=0.046). Conclusions: The comprehensive school based tobacco control project significantly reduced the tobacco use pattern in the target population. School tobacco projects incorporating frequent follow ups and multiple interventions appear more effective than projects with single intervention.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.7-16
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• 2012

The Korean GDP per capita doubled during the last 10 years. As the GDP increases, Korean health behaviors such as, eating, drinking, smoking, and exercise habits changed as well. Compared to the remarkably advanced diagnostic technologies and therapeutics during the last decade, the leading causes of death in Korea scarcely changed. Among the leading causes of death, cerebrovascular disease, heart disease, diabetes, liver disease and hypertension are closely related to health behaviors. Using the database of medical check-up between 2001 and 2010, the authors performed a longitudinal study for the prevalence rates and the trends of major chronic adult diseases among the 2,721 workers along with their health behavior. Among the diagnostic test items, fasting blood sugar, cholesterol and BMI levels showed steady increase and these three test items all showed linear trends (p<0.001). The average blood sugar and cholesterol levels were near worrying levels. Moreover, the average BMI of males was found to be at the overweight level, intimating the possibility reaching thee Obese Class I level soon if there are no aggressive counter measures. Fasting blood sugar and cholesterol levels were higher in a drinking group as compared to a non-drinking group, and the BMI levels were also higher in the drinking group and the smoking group as compared to the non-drinking and the non-smoking group (p<0.001). Finally, the authors believe that the fasting blood sugar, cholesterol and BMI levels should be designated as target monitoring test items in the medical check-up for Korean employees.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.47-52
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• 2011

Periodontal disease is a common inflammatory disorder that is being considered as a risk factor for atherosclerotic complication. Recent epidemiological evidence also supports that its potential association with increased blood pressure levels and hypertensive prevalence. Data from cross-sectional studies suggest that in hypertensive patients periodontal disease may enhance the risk and degree of target organ damage. So dental infections have been associated with cardiovascular diseases. There are potential pathophysiologic links between hypertension and periodontits. The role of the inflammatory pathway include C-reactive protein(CRP). CRP is an inflammatory mediator that has been shown to predict the development of hypertension independently of baseline BP and traditional risk factors, has been consistently reported as at least mildly elevated in patients with periodontal disease. Reactive oxygen species produced by locally infiltrating neutrophils participate in periodontal tissue destruction. Periodontits can lead to inflammatory responses in the atrial myocardium, which disturbs the structural and electrophysiologic properties of the atrium and facilitates atrial fibrillation in the animal experiment.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.93-104
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• 2009

Objectives: Although Asian immigrants have lower rates of smoking and binge drinking than other ethnics in the US, Korean Americans have the highest rate of Asian immigrants. This study, therefore, compared with the rates and examined the predictors of smoking and binge drinking by gender and ethnicity among Asian immigrants in California. Methods: In 2001 and 2003, California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) were conducted in English and their original languages with Asian immigrants residing in 58 Counties and 3 Cities, California. We performed analysis to find out the differences of smoking and binge drinking rates using the secondary data, CHIS 2001 and 2003. Multiple logistic regression analysis for survey data identified predictors of smoking and binge drinking behaviors by gender and ethnicity. Results: Korean American males (35.4%) and Japanese American females (15.4%) had higher rates of smoking prevalence compared with other Asian immigrants in California. In binge drinking, 26.5% of male and 8.1% of female among Korean Americans were binge drinker, and the rates were the top with Asian Americans who had lived in California. It showed the remarkable gap between gender of smoking and binge drinking among Vietnamese immigrants, whereas not the striking difference among Japanese Americans. In multiple regression models, age, educational level, occupation, marital status, English proficiency, and health insurance coverage remained significant for smoking and binge drinking behaviors(P<0.05). Even though the time in the US was not significant, it seemed to be related to educational level and English proficiency. In particular among female, smoking and binge drinking behaviors were associated with acculturation. Conclusion: Although Asian Americans had shared with American culture since they had immigrated in the US, they had significantly different prevalence rates of smoking and binge drinking based on gender and ethnicity. Therefore, future efforts should be focused on understanding differences by ethnicity and target at high-risk subgroups. To achieve this, it needs to develop the educational materials in Korean and their original languages.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.177-187
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• 2017

Objectives: Medical students represent a primary target for tobacco cessation training. This study assessed the prevalence of medical students' tobacco use, attitudes, clinical skills, and tobacco-related curricula in two countries, the US and Italy, with known baseline disparities in hopes of identifying potential corrective interventions. Methods: From September to December 2013, medical students enrolled at the University of Bologna and at Brown University were recruited via email to answer survey questions assessing the prevalence of medical students' tobacco use, attitudes and clinical skills related to patients' smoking, and elements of medical school curricula related to tobacco use. Results: Of the 449 medical students enrolled at Brown and the 1426 enrolled at Bologna, 174 Brown students (38.7%) and 527 Bologna students (36.9%) participated in this study. Italian students were more likely to smoke (29.5% vs. 6.1%; p<0.001) and less likely to receive smoking cessation training (9.4% vs. 80.3%; p<0.001) than their American counterparts, even though the majority of students in both countries desired smoking cessation training (98.6% at Brown, 85.4% at Bologna; p<0.001). Additionally, negative beliefs regarding tobacco usage, the absence of formal training in smoking cessation counseling, and a negative interest in receiving specific training on smoking cessation were associated with a higher risk of not investigating a patient's smoking status during a routine history and not offering tobacco cessation treatment to patients. Conclusions: Medical curricula on tobacco-related health hazards and on smoking cessation should be mandatory in order to reduce smoking among medical students, physicians, and patients, thereby improving tobacco-related global health.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.178-183
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency of 7 putative pathogens in endodontic infections. The specimens were collected from infected pulpal tissue of patients who were referred for root canal treatment to the department of conservative dentistry, Chosun University Samples were collected aseptically using a barbed broach and a paper point. The cut barbed broaches and paper points were transferred to an eppendorf tube containing 500 ml of 1 X PBS. DNAs were extracted from the samples by direct DNA extraction method using lysis buffer (0.5% EDTA, 1% Triton X-100). Identification of 7 putative pathogens was performed by PCR based on 16S rDNA. The target species were as follows : Porphyromonas endodontalis, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Prevotella nigrescens, Bacteroides forsythus, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, and Treponema denticola. Our data revealed that the prevalence of P. endodontalis was found in 88.6% (39/54), P. ginivalis 52.3% (23/44), P. nigrescens 18.2% (8/44), P intermedia 15.9% (7/44) B. forsythus 18.2% (8/44), A. actinomycetemcomitans 3.3% (1/44), T. denticola 25% (l1/44) of the samples. The high prevalence of P. endodontalis and P. ginivalis suggests that they may play an important role in the etiology of endodontic infections.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.364-378
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• 2019

Purpose: This study examined the distribution of the body mass index (BMI) according to gender and age among Korean children and adolescents to compare the distributions of being underweight, normal, overweight, and obese using both Korean and international criteria. Methods: This secondary data analysis utilized the data of the 2016 Korean National Health Examination for School Students Height, weight, and BMI distributions among children and adolescents were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the differences in BMI distribution according to gender and age were analyzed using chi-square tests. Differences in the mean BMI according to the Korean Centers for Disease Control (KCDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) criteria were analyzed using ANOVA. Results: Using the IOTF criteria, the prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity among grades 1-12 students was 6.7%, 20.8%, and 7.1%, respectively; 1.6%, 21.3%, and 11.8%, respectively, according to the WHO criteria; and 5.8%, 10.1%, and 13.0%, respectively, according to the KCDC criteria. Conclusion: It is recommended to use the IOTF criteria for health promotion programs to target underweight children and adolescents while the WHO and KCDC criteria should be used for health programs for treating obese people.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.61-68
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• 2010

Objectives: The extent of the occupational cancer burden has rarely been estimated in Korea. The aim of this study is to provide an estimation of the population attributable fraction (PAF) of occupational cancer in Korea. Methods: Nine kinds of Group 1 carcinogens addressed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and 7 kinds of cancer were selected for the target carcinogens and diseases, respectively. The prevalence of carcinogen-exposed workers was estimated and correction factors were applied so that the value would be representative of the total population. Data on relative risk (RR) were taken from IARC reports and were compared with the RRs from the studies on Korean workers. The PAF was estimated according to Levin's formula. Results: The proportion of the general Korean population exposed to carcinogens was 9.7%. The PAF of total cancer was 1.1% for incident cancer cases and 1.7% for cancer deaths. The PAFs of lung cancer and leukemia were 7.0% and 4.5%, respectively. With the RRs reported from Korean studies, the PAF for lung cancer and leukemia were 3.7% and 3.4%, respectively. Conclusion: The PAF in this study (1.1%) was lower than that reported in previous studies (2-4%) from developed countries. Considering that only 9 of the 29 kinds of Group 1 carcinogens were included in this study, the PAF might be underestimated. However, because the process of industrialization in Korea differs from that which occurred in other developed countries, 1.1% of the PAF might be appropriate for Korea.