• Endocrinology and Metabolism
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.353-359
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• 2017

Background: Cushing syndrome is characterized by glucose intolerance, cardiovascular disease, and an enhanced systemic inflammatory response caused by chronic exposure to excess cortisol. Eosinopenia is frequently observed in patients with adrenal Cushing syndrome, but the relationship between the eosinophil count in peripheral blood and indicators of glucose level in patients with adrenal Cushing syndrome has not been determined. Methods: A retrospective study was undertaken of the clinical and laboratory findings of 40 patients diagnosed with adrenal Cushing syndrome at Chungnam National University Hospital from January 2006 to December 2016. Clinical characteristics, complete blood cell counts with white blood cell differential, measures of their endocrine function, description of imaging studies, and pathologic findings were obtained from their medical records. Results: Eosinophil composition and count were restored by surgical treatment of all of the patients with adrenal Cushing disease. The eosinophil count was inversely correlated with serum and urine cortisol, glycated hemoglobin, and inflammatory markers in the patients with adrenal Cushing syndrome. Conclusion: Smaller eosinophil populations in patients with adrenal Cushing syndrome tend to be correlated with higher levels of blood sugar and glycated hemoglobin. This study suggests that peripheral blood eosinophil composition or count may be associated with serum glucose levels in patients with adrenal Cushing syndrome.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.99-105
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• 2000

Computed tomography (CT) seems to be the best imaging modality to diagnose an enterovesical fistula, but is not always able to demonstrate enterovesical fistula itself. In this case report, we present Tc-99m HMPAO white blood cell (WBC) scintigraphic findings of an enterovesical fistula complicating Crohn's disease. A 22 year-old male presented with a one-month history of urinary symptoms such as dysuria, hematuria, and frequency. The patient had intermittent right lower quadrant pain, diarrhea and hematochezia. Enterovesical fistula was highly suggestive in pelvic CT which showed air density in the urinary bladder, but cystoscopy failed to find an opening of the fistula. Tc-99m HMPAO WBC scintigraphy for evaluation of inflammatory bowel disease incidentally demonstrated enterovesical fistular tract. Crohn's disease was later confirmed by histologic examination of the surgical specimen. In our patient, Tc-99m HMPAO WBC imaging was helpful in determining the location of the fistula as well as assessing the disease activity and extent of the Crohn's disease.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.47-55
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• 2012

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the preventive effect of red ginseng (RG) on 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced side effects focusing on myelosuppression. Methods: Rats (n = 50) were divided into five groups, nave, control (ip, 5-FU injection of 150 mg/kg), and RG pre-treatment (po, 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg for 5 days before 5-FU injection). On the $7^{th}$ day after 5-FU injection, we evaluated the effects using peripheral hematological parameters, colony-forming assay, cytokine levels and histopathological finding. Results: The peripheral white blood cell and the differential count were dramatically suppressed by 5-FU, while RG (50 and 100 mg/kg) treatment significantly improved total white blood cell, neutrophil, lymphocyte and platelet counts. Also, RG (100 mg/kg) pre-treatment significantly increased the number of CFU-GM colony compared with the control group. RG pre-treatment also ameliorated the histopathological damage in bone marrow, spleen, stomach and small intestine tissue. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that Korean RG has preventive effects against 5-FU-induced myelotoxicity and gastrointestinal damage.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 2011

Objective: Classical markers of infection cannot differentiate reliably between inflammation and infection after neurosurgery. This study investigated the dynamics of serum procalcitonin (PCT) in patients who had elective spine surgeries without complications. Methods: Participants were 103 patients (47 women, 56 men) who underwent elective spinal surgery. Clinical variables relevant to the study included age, sex, medical history, body mass index (BMI), site and type of surgery, and surgery duration. Clinical and laboratory data were body temperature, white blood cell count (WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and PCT, all measured preoperatively and postoperatively on days 1, 3, and 5. Results: PCT concentrations remained at <0.25 ng/mL during the postoperative course except in 2 patients. PCT concentrations did not correlate with age, sex, DM, hypertension, BMI, operation time, operation site, or use of instrumentation. In contrast, CRP concentrations were significantly higher with older age, male, DM, hypertension, longer operation time, cervical operation, and use of instrumentation. Conclusion: PCT may be useful in the diagnosing neurosurgical patients with postoperative fever of unknown origin.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.22
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• pp.9781-9784
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• 2014

Background: The study aimed to evaluate changes in hematologic parameters, including white blood cell, platelet count, platelet indices, the platelet to lymphocyte and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratios in patients with early and advanced stages of epithelial ovarian cancers. Materials and Methods: The study included 100 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer who underwent primary staging exploratory laparotomy. Preoperative hematologic parameters, tumor histopathologic type, grade, stage and serum CA-125 levels were retrospectively analyzed. These parameters were compared between the patients with early (stage I-II) and advanced (stage III-IV) ovarian cancer. Results: White blood cell count and platelet indices, including mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width and platelet crit did not show a statistically significant difference between groups with early and advanced ovarian cancer. However, the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, platelet count, the platelet to lymphocyte ratio and CA-125 level showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p<0.05, p<0.01, p<0.001, p<0.01 respectively). Conclusions: It was found that the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, platelet count and the platelet to lymphocyte ratio increased with the increasing stage of ovarian cancer. Furthermore, it was seen that the platelet to lymphocyte ratio is an independent prognostic factor related to the stage of epithelial ovarian cancer.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.80 no.3
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• pp.304-310
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• 2017

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is a chronic inflammatory disorder. We evaluated whether white blood cell (WBC) count, is associated with the severity of COPD, independent of other inflammatory conditions, such as metabolic syndrome. Methods: The WBC counts were compared between 1227 COPD patients and 8679 non-COPD adults older than 40. The relationships between the WBC count, lung function, and symptoms score in COPD patients, were determined, using general linear regression analyses. Results: The WBC count was negatively associated with forced vital capacity (FVC, L), FVC (% predicted), forced expiry volume in one second ($FEV_1$, L), and $FEV_1$ (% predicted) in COPD patients. Additionally, the WBC count was independently associated with the quality of life measure, by EQ5D-index score. However, this relationship between WBC count, and disease severity, was not significant in current smokers, because of the confounding effect of smoking, on the WBC count. Conclusion: The WBC count is associated with current smoking status and COPD severity, and a risk factor for poor lung function, and quality of life, especially in non-currently smoking COPD patients. The WBC count can be used, as an easily measurable COPD biomarker.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.257-264
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• 2012

Purpose: The diabetic foot lesions are intractable, and aggravation often leads to amputation. None or minor amputation group was treated debridement or toe amputation and major amputation group was treated Ray, Lisfranc, Chopart, Below Knee and Above Knee amputation. We investigate the risk factors for major limb amputations among patients with diabetic foot lesion. Materials and Methods: The subjects were 73 diabetic foot lesion patients (83 diabetic foot lesions) treated at our department from January 2006 to December 2010. Non or Minor amputation group of 44 cases were treated with debridement or toe amputation. Major amputation group of 39 cases were treated with Ray, Lisfranc, Chopart, below or above Knee amputation. We investigated socioeconomic factors, diabetes mellitus related factors and wound related factors and laboratory factors. Statistical analysis was done by Students t-test, Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney's U test. Results: In our analysis, wound size, wound classification (Wagner classification, Brodsky classification), white blood cell counts, polymorphoneuclear neutrophil percentage, hemoglobin, C-reactive protein and albumin were risk factors for major amputation (p<0.05). Conclusion: Low education level, nutritional condition, premorbid activity level and progressed wound condition were observed in major amputation group compared with non or minor amputation group. In the major amputation group, higher white blood cell count, C-reactive protein level and lower albumin level were observed. Together with maintenance of adequate nutritional condition, early detection of lesions and foot care for early treatment is important. Therefore, active investigation with full risk evaluation of vascular complication is also important.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.363-370
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• 2023

In order to use Cudrania tricuspidata extract for the development of health-functional food, biological changes in normal rodents, such as changes in blood constituent cells, blood lipids, and anti-inflammatory activity, were measured after the rodents had been drinking the substance for 2 weeks. A 30 mg daily dose of the extract taken for 2 weeks produced no change in body weight or renal function, and no toxicity was observed. Increased red blood cell levels and white blood cell levels were confirmed, and platelet counts tended to increase; thus, the extract seems to cause an overall increase in blood cells. In the case of blood lipids, it was confirmed that the extract-treated group exhibited an effect of improved blood-lipid levels, demonstrated through an increase in HDL-C of 21%, with a decrease in triglyceride of 27% compared to the control group. In addition, the decreases in both GOT and GPT led to improved liver function through use of the extract. Therefore, this study suggests that drinking Cudrania tricuspidata extract can have various effects, such as promoting blood cell production, improving blood lipids profile, improving liver function, and improving inflammatory action. The extract would be useful in the future in developing high-value industrial products such as functional foods and pharmaceuticals.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.18
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• pp.7831-7834
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• 2014

Objective: To explore the influence of different ways of blood transfusion on the expression levels of interleukins (IL) and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) inperi-operative patients with esophageal cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 80 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent radical operations were selected as study patients and randomly divided into an observation group (treated with autologous blood transfusion) and control group (with homologous blood transfusion). Changes of intra-operative indexes and peri-operative blood indexes, from hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit value (Hct), to levels of inflammatory factors like interleukins-6 (IL-6), IL-8, IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) were compared. Results: Operations for patients in both groups were successfully conducted, and no significant differences in mean surgical duration and intra-operative hemorrhage volume, fluid infusion volume and blood transfusion volume were detected (p>0.05). Compared with values before surgery, Hb and Hct levels decreased significantly while white blood cell count (WBC) increased 1, 5 and 7 d after operation (p<0.05, p<0.01). In addition, WBC was apparently higher in observation group than in control group 5 and 7 d after operation (p<0.01). Compared with before surgery, in the observation group, levels of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 had no significant differences after operation (P>0.05), but TNF-${\alpha}$ level increased y (p<0.01), whereas in control group, IL-6 level had no significant difference (p>0.05), IL-8 level decreased obviously (p<0.05), IL-10 level increased markedly first and then decreased gradually as time passed but its level remained elevated (p<0.01), and TNF-${\alpha}$ level increased first and then decreased, and there was no significant difference 7 d after operation (p>0.05). Conclusions: Decreased IL-8 and increased IL-10 levels are two important reasons for immunosuppression after homologous blood transfusion, whereas autologous blood transfusion can alleviate this while increasing the TNF-${\alpha}$ level, which also has potential to improve anti-tumor immunity in the human body.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.577-584
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• 2018

Background: Ginseng (Panax ginseng) is a widely used traditional herbal supplement that possesses various health-enhancing efficacies. Various ginseng products are available in market, especially in the Korean peninsula, in the form of drinks, tablets, and capsules. The different ginseng types include the traditional red ginseng extract (RGE), white ginseng, and black red ginseng extract (BRGE). Their fermented and enzyme-treated products are also available. Different treatment regimens alter the bioavailability of certain compounds present in the respective ginseng extracts. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to compare the antioxidant and immune-stimulating activities of RGE, BRGE, and fermented red ginseng extract (FRGE). Methods: We used an acetaminophen-induced oxidative stress model for investigating the reduction of oxidative stress by RGE, BRGE, and FRGE in Sprague Dawley rats. A cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression model was used to evaluate the immune-stimulating activities of these ginseng extracts in BALB/c mice. Results: Our results showed that most prominently, RGE (in almost all experiments) exhibited excellent antioxidant effects via increasing superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities in the liver and decreasing serum 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, aspartate aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase levels compared with the groups treated with FRGE and BRGE. Moreover, RGE significantly increased the number of white blood cells, especially T and B lymphocytes, and antibody-forming cells in the spleen and thymus, and it also activated a number of immune cell subtypes. Conclusion: Taken together, these results indicate that RGE is the best supplement for consumption in everyday life for overall health-enhancing properties.