• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.28-35
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• 2022

Background: Given the complications involved in corticosteroid (CS) injections, subacromial platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections may provide a valid alternative to CS in the treatment of rotator cuff (RC) tendinopathy. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a total of 98 patients affected by RC tendinopathy who were treated with either subacromial injection of PRP or CS. The PRP group received three injections of autologous PRP at 2 weeks interval, and the CS group received one injection of CS. The Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (WORC) was the primary outcome measure, while the secondary outcome measures were the visual analog scale (VAS), range of motion (ROM), and need for cuff repair surgery, which were analyzed at intervals of 6, 12, and 18 months. Results: A total of 75 patients were included in the analysis (PRP, n=35; CS, n=40). The mean follow-up for PRP was 21.1±8.7 months and for CS was 33.6±16.3 months (p<0.001). Both groups showed improvement in WORC, VAS, and ROM. No significant differences were detected between the two groups in any of the primary (WORC) or secondary outcomes over 6, 12, and 18 months (all p>0.05). No adverse events were detected. Conclusions: Both treatments improved patient symptoms, but neither resulted in a significantly better outcome in this series of patients. PRP can be a safe and feasible alternative to CS, even at long-term follow-up, to reduce local and systemic effects involved with CS injections.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2022

Objectives: To report recurrent pancreatic cancer treated by Korean medicine based-integrated oncology treatment, who is improved quality of life without progression of cancer Method: A 63-year-old female patient diagnosed with recurrent pancreatic cancer in April, 2022 received Chemotherapy with Korean medicine based integrative oncology treatment. Radiologic outcome was assessed by Abdomen Computed Tomography (CT) based on Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST). Clinical outcomes were assessed by National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Event (NCI-CTCAE), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) Result: During 2months of treatment, Cancer size was stable in Abdominal CT. Chief complaints, Abdominal pain and dyspepsia, were improved and ECOG score was improved from grade 2 to 1. There were no toxicity on laboratory test and no side effects of grade 3 or higher on NCI-CTCAE. Conclusion: This report shows that Korean medicine based integrative oncology treatment might contribute to synergetic effect to Chemotherapy and improvement of quality of life

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.7-13
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• 2022

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a causative agent for a subset of oropharyngeal cancer (OPC). The current standard of care (SOC) for locally advanced OPC is 70 Gy definitive radiotherapy (RT) concurrent with cisplatin, which entails significant proportions of acute and late grade 3 or higher toxicities. Accordingly, discovery of favorable prognosis of HPV-related OPC has led to enthusiasm to attenuate subspecialties therapy in multidisciplinary treatment. Diverse deintensification strategies were investigated in multiple phase 2 trials with an assumption that attenuated treatments result in comparable oncologic outcome and less toxicities compared with SOC. Several trials on chemotherapy deintensification revealed that concomitant administration of cisplatin is not to be omitted or substituted for cetuximab without compromising progression-free survival or local control. A transoral robotic surgery (TORS) is investigated as alternative local treatment, but TORS plus SOC or mild deintensified adjuvant RT showed similar toxicities and inferior oncologic outcomes compared with SOC definitive RT or moderately deintensified RT. However, it has been reported that TORS plus deintensified 30-36 Gy adjuvant RT results in excellent outcome and less late toxicity compared with SOC adjuvant RT. Several phase 2 trials reported apparently equivalent progression-free survival and local control and similar adverse effects with moderately deintensified 60 Gy RT compared with SOC 70 Gy RT. Further dose reduction below 60 Gy has been investigated using biology-directed approaches, which use response to induction chemotherapy or metabolic images to triage HPV-positive OPC for deintensified RT. In summary, these trials provide valuable insights for future directions. Available evidence consistently showed that moderately deintensified RT is effective and safe for HPV-positive OPC in both definitive and adjuvant settings. Concurrent cisplatin remains an essential component without which progression-free survival is significantly compromised for advanced HPV-positive OPC. A simple incorporation of TORS to SOC may be detrimental for oncologic outcome without anticipated toxicity reduction. Given the lack of level 1 evidence, it is prudent to curb an unjustified deviation from the current SOC and limit any deintensified strategies to clinical trials and adhere to the current SOC.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.17-28
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• 2022

Scoliosis is a 3-dimensional change of the spine, presenting 10° above Cobb angle. Various acupuncture methods are being increasingly performed to correct scoliosis. However, no systematic review has been published. Therefore, we report on the effectiveness of acupuncture on mild scoliosis in this systematic review. We searched various databases for acupuncture treatment for scoliosis published before June 2021. The primary outcome was Cobb angle, and the secondary outcomes were patient-centered scores. Six studies were identified. RCTs that compared combination therapy with acupuncture, and other treatment methods and showed significant improvement in the Cobb angle, and effective rate, but, with low quality evidence. Acupuncture monotherapy resulted in significant improvement in the Cobb angle and had high heterogeneity compared with other treatment methods, but no significant improvement in the effective rate was observed, and the quality of evidence was low. Regardless of the type of scoliosis, acupuncture monotherapy or combination therapy with acupuncture showed significant improvement in the Cobb angle, and the quality of evidence was moderate. No serious adverse events were observed in the 6 studies reviewed. Acupuncture is considered safe, and it is more effective when performed with other conventional treatments.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.172-181
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• 2022

Pubertal onset is known to result from reactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, which is controlled by complex interactions of genetic and nongenetic factors. Most cases of precocious puberty (PP) are diagnosed as central PP (CPP), defined as premature activation of the HPG axis. The cause of CPP in most girls is not identifiable and, thus, referred to as idiopathic CPP (ICPP), whereas boys are more likely to have an organic lesion in the brain. ICPP has a genetic background, as supported by studies showing that maternal age at menarche is associated with pubertal timing in their offspring. A gain of expression in the kisspeptin gene (KISS1), gain-of-function mutation in the kisspeptin receptor gene (KISS1R), loss-of-function mutation in makorin ring finger protein 3 (MKRN3), and loss-of-function mutations in the delta-like homolog 1 gene (DLK1) have been associated with ICPP. Other genes, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor subunit alpha-1 (GABRA1), lin-28 homolog B (LIN28B), neuropeptide Y (NPYR), tachykinin 3 (TAC3), and tachykinin receptor 3 (TACR3), have been implicated in the progression of ICPP, although their relationships require elucidation. Environmental and socioeconomic factors may also be correlated with ICPP. In the progression of CPP, epigenetic factors such as DNA methylation, histone posttranslational modifications, and non-coding ribonucleic acids may mediate the relationship between genetic and environmental factors. CPP is correlated with short- and long-term adverse health outcomes, which forms the rationale for research focusing on understanding its genetic and nongenetic factors.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 2022

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of supplementation of low-energy diets with PROSOL^® (sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate) as an emulsifier on the growth performance and nutrient digestibility of growing pigs. A total of 120 crossbred ([Landrace × Yorkshire] × Duroc) growing pigs with an average initial body weight of 23.80 ± 4.87 kg were used in a 56-day feeding trial and were sorted into three dietary treatments. Each treatment utilized eight replications with five pigs per pen. The dietary treatments were as follows: PC (high, net energy diet [NE] = 2,488 kcal·kg^-1 [weeks 1 to 4] and NE = 2,477 kcal·kg^-1 [weeks 5 to 8]); NC (low, NE = 2,472 kcal·kg^-1 [weeks 1 to 4] and NE = 2,468 kcal·kg^-1 [weeks 5 to 8]); NC1 (NC + 0.05% PROSOL^® emulsifier). Growth performance outcomes were measured at the initial point and at weeks 4 and 8 while nutrient digestibility parameters were measured at weeks 4 and 8. From weeks 1 - 8, body weight and the average daily gain of the NC1 group pigs showed significant increases (p < 0.05) compared to those of the PC and NC treatment groups. At the end of the trail, pigs fed a diet containing low net energy with 0.05% of the emulsifier showed reduced feed conversion ratio (FCR) levels. However, the average daily feed intake and nutrient digestibility of dry matter and nitrogen remained unaffected throughout the experiment. In summary, the addition of a low-net-energy diet with 0.05% sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate as an emulsifier enhanced the body weight and daily gain with no adverse effects on nutrient digestibility in growing pigs.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.238-244
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• 2023

Background: Occipital neuralgia (ON) is an established risk factor for headaches in the posterior cervical region. Several conservative treatments by nerve decompression and pain relief are available for ON, but these treatments have limitations. Acupuncture treatment, which is known to demonstrate analgesic effects, involves various stimulation methods, and several studies have reported their clinical benefit. No recent systematic review (SR) has compared each acupuncture type for ON treatment. Thus, this SR aims to investigate the clinical effectiveness of each acupuncture type for treating ON. Methods: We will identify relevant studies using electronic databases, including EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Korean Studies Information Service System (KISS), Korean Medical Database, KoreaMed, and National Digital Science Library (NDSL) from the inception until August 2023. The primary outcome will include the numerical change of pain symptoms (visual analog scale and numerical rating scale) and effective rate. Safety and secondary outcomes will include adverse events and quality of life. We will compare the conservative treatment with the acupuncture treatment using network meta-analysis. The Cochrane Collaboration "risk of bias" tools will be used to assess the quality of included trials. The Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation will be used to examine the evidence level. Conclusion: This study will provide clinical evidence of several acupuncture types for ON and help clinicians decide on the best.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.249-265
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• 2023

Purpose: Infant regurgitation is associated with other functional gastrointestinal disorders and signs and symptoms that have a major impact on the quality of life of infants and their families. This study evaluated the safety, tolerance, and real-world effectiveness of an anti-regurgitation formula containing locust bean gum (LBG), prebiotics, and postbiotics to alleviate digestive symptoms beyond regurgitation. Methods: This 3-month study involved infants with regurgitation requiring the prescription of an anti-regurgitation formula according to usual clinical practice. Outcomes included evaluation of the evolution of stool consistency and frequency; occurrence of colic, constipation, and diarrhea; and assessment of regurgitation severity. Infant crying, parental assessment of infant well-being, and parental satisfaction with the stool consistency were also evaluated. Results: In total, 190 infants (average age: 1.9±1.1 months) were included. After three months, stool frequency and consistency remained within the normal physiological range, with 82.7% of infants passing one or two stools per day and 90.4% passing loose or formed stools. There was no significant increase in the number of infants with diarrhea, whereas a decrease was observed in the number of infants with constipation after 1 month (p=0.001) and with colic after both 1 and 3 months (p<0.001). Regurgitation severity and crying decreased and parental satisfaction with stool consistency, formula acceptability, infant well-being, and sleep quality increased. Monitoring of adverse events did not reveal any safety concerns. Conclusion: Formulas containing LBG, prebiotics, and postbiotics were well tolerated and provided an effective strategy for managing infant regurgitation and gastrointestinal discomfort.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.15-21
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• 2023

Purpose: Dental avulsion injuries have a poor prognosis that largely depends on the immediate steps taken to manage the avulsed tooth. A lack of knowledge about the initial management can lead to tooth loss, with further adverse implications for esthetics, phonetics, and overall growth and function. Hence, the present study aimed to assess parents' knowledge regarding dental avulsion and the variables associated with their knowledge of avulsion injuries. Methods: A series of closed-ended questions on parents' knowledge regarding avulsion, such as immediate management, storage media, handling, and urgency of visiting the dentist, was asked. Univariate associations between the outcomes were assessed using the Pearson chi-square test. The chisquare goodness-of-fit test was used to check whether the sample data were representative of the population. Results: In total, 211 mothers and 149 fathers were included, of whom 46.7% had experienced dental trauma during their own childhood. Sixty-one percent of mothers believed that they knew everything necessary about tooth avulsion and its management. A significant number of participants who thought that they had a good level of knowledge about avulsion chose water, tissue, or paper wrap to transport the tooth, and preferred tap water, alcohol, or antiseptic to clean the avulsed tooth. Conclusions: Both mothers and fathers had poor knowledge about tooth avulsion, indicating that there is an immediate need for educational programs focusing on this issue. Since a substantial proportion of participants believed incorrect information, it is vital to disseminate accurate information.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.145-156
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• 2023

Purpose: The significance of keratinized tissue for peri-implant health has been emphasized. However, there is an absence of clinical evidence for the use of a xenogeneic collagen matrix (XCM) to manage peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate outcomes after keratinized tissue augmentation using an XCM for the management of peri-implant diseases. Methods: Twelve implants (5 with peri-implant mucositis and 7 with peri-implantitis) in 10 patients were included in this study. Non-surgical treatments were first performed, but inflammation persisted in all implant sites. The implant sites all showed a lack of keratinized mucosa (KM) and vestibular depth (VD). Apically positioned flaps with XCM application were performed. Bone augmentation was simultaneously performed on peri-implantitis sites with an intrabony defect (>3 mm). The following clinical parameters were measured: the probing pocket depth (PPD), modified sulcular bleeding index (mSBI), suppuration (SUP), keratinized mucosal height (KMH), and VD. Results: There were no adverse healing events during the follow-up visits (18±4.6 months). The final KMHs and VDs were 4.34±0.86 mm and 8.0±4.05 mm, respectively, for the sites with peri-implant mucositis and 3.29±0.86 mm and 6.5±1.91 mm, respectively, for the sites with peri-implantitis. Additionally, the PPD and mSBI significantly decreased, and none of the implants presented with SUP. Conclusions: Keratinized tissue augmentation using an XCM for sites with peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis was effective for increasing the KMH and VD and decreasing peri-implant inflammation.