• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.512-522
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• 1999

Background: Due to the paucity of suitable donor organs for lung allotransplantation, a number of techniques have been developed to improve the lung preservation. Ultrastructural studies of the morphologic changes of the flushing, preservation and reperfusion injury in donor lungs have rarely been reported. Methods: Adult dogs (n=46) were matched as donors and recipients for the single lung transplantation. The donor lungs were preserved after flushing with preservation solution and transplanted after 20-hours of preservation at $10^{\circ}C$. Ultrastructural features of the lung were examined after flushing, preservation and 2 hours after lung transplantation (reperfusion) respectively. Results: Electron microscopy after flushing showed focal alveolar collapse and mild swelling of type I epithelial cells. After preservation both type I epithelial cells and endothelial cells were swollen and destroyed focally. The endothelial cells showed protrusion of tactile-like structures into the lumina, blebs or vacuoles of the cytoplasm After reperfusion the lung tissue showed fibrin material in the alveoli, prominent type I epithelial cell swelling with fragmented cytoplasmic debris and marked endothelial cell swelling with vacuoles or tactile-like projections. The alveolar macrophages showed active phagocytosis. Scanning electron microscopic examination of the pulmonary parenchyma showed focally alveolar collapse and focal consolidation after the preservation and more prominent changes after the reperfusion procedure. The lungs preserved with low potassium dextran glucose solution, with additional prostaglandin $E_1(PGE_1)$ and verapamil(VP) showed relatively well preserved ultrastructures compared with those which were preserved with modified Euro-Collins or University of Wisconsin, and with additional $PGE_1$ and/or VP. Conclusion: The ultrastructural changes associated with flushing were mild in severity, the donor lungs were injured during the preservation, and further damage was occurred during the reperfusion. The reperfusion injury resulted in prominent pulmonary parenchymal alterations with a pattern of acute lung injury.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.739-746
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• 1997

A variety of experiments concerning the development of ideal prosthetic grafts for correcting circumferential tracheal defects have been performed. The requirements for an ideal tracheal prosthesis are impermeability to air, consistency to prevent collapse, and acceptance by the host tissue causing a minimum inflammatory reaction, allowing fibroblastic infiltration and epithelialization. The synthetic material, polyurethane(PU), is known as a biocompatible polymer with an inert component. In this study, the tracheal prosthesis was made from microporous PU(30 micrometer in diameter) coated with gelatin and reinforced with isoplastic rings. This procedure provides the prosthesis with a compression strength. The out side diame er of the prosthesis was 20 mm with a length of 30 mm. The gelatin used in the study was obtained from pig skin and immobilized and cross-linked by irradiation(60 Co gamma ray) to promote host tissue incorporation and render the prosthesis epithelization after implantation. Animal experiments using 10 mongrel dogs were performed to compare three kinds of prosthesis; gelatin coated polyurethane graft, uncoated polyurethane graft, and prosthesisf pericadium complex graft. After 6 weeks of implantation, the epithelialization of implants was seen on the gelatin-coated and prosthesisfpericadium complex grafts. Implanted prosthesis were complicated by airway obstruction due to anastomosis granuloma. Early tracheal stenosis was found in the uncoated graft group. Two kind of anastomosis techniques were tested on the gelatin-coated prosthesis. Everted anastomosis resulted severe granuloma than the inverted anastomosis. In the prosthesislpericadium complex graft, bacteria and inflammation at a anastomotic site was found. Based on these results, gelatin coated porous polyurethane trachea prosthesis is biocompatible and may be useful in clinical application with further investigation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.1709-1716
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• 2007

The health benefits of garlic (Allium sativum L.) are derived from a wide variety of components and from the different ways it is administered. The known health benefits of garlic include cardiovascular protective effects, stimulation of immune function, reduction of blood glucose level, protection against microbial, viral and fungal infections, as well as anticancer effects. In the present study, it was examined the effects of water extract of A. sativum (WEAS) on the growth of cultured human tumor cells in order to investigate its anti-proliferative mechanism. Treatment of WEAS to tumor cells resulted in the growth inhibition, especially in leukemia cells, which was associated with induction of G2/M arrest of the cell cycle and apoptosis. In order to further explore the critical events leading to apoptosis in WEAS-treated U937 human leukemia cells, the following effects of WEAS on components of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway were examined: generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), alteration of the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and the expression changes of Bcl-2 and IAP family proteins. The cytotoxic effect of WEAS was mediated by its induction of apoptosis as characterized by the occurrence of DNA ladders, apoptotic bodies and chromosome condensation in U937 cells. The WEAS-induced apoptosis in U937 cells was correlated with the generation of intracellular ROS, collapse of MMP, activation of caspase-3 and down-regulation of anti-apoptotic proteins. The quenching of ROS generation with antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine conferred significant protection against WEAS-elicited ROS generation, caspase-3 activation, G2/M arrest and apoptosis. In conclusion, the present study reveals that the cellular ROS generation plays a pivotal role in the initiation of WEAS-triggered apoptotic death in U937 cells.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.1225-1231
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• 1997

Spontaneous pneumothorax is the sudden collapse of a lung usually caused by air leakage from a subvisceral pleural blob. Responses to closed thoracostomy,thoracentesls and simple observation are usually prompt and effective. But in some cases, these are unsucceful and open thoracotomy is indicated. A clinical evaluation was performed on 242 cases(236 patients) of open thoracotomy in spontaneous pneumoth rax who were admitted and treated at department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. Masan Samsung General Hospital during the past 9 years from January 1988 to December 1996. The results were as follows 1. The sex ratio was male predominance(M:F=11.7:1) 2. The most common age group were 2nd, 3rd decades(2nd=29.3%, 3rd=30.2%). 3. The most common chief complaints were chest pain and dyspnea(chest pain=41.7%. dryspnea= 36.8). 4. The etiologic factors of spontaneous pneumothorax were primary spontaneous pneumothorax(86.4%), tuberculosis(9.1%), COPD(3.7%) and pleuritis(0.8%). 5. The site of spontaneous pneumothorax was 52.1% in right, 45.4% in left and 2.5% in both. 6. The common indications of open thoracotomy were recurrence(44.2%), persistent air leakage(31.8%) and inadequate expansion(15.7%). 7. The operative procedures were bullectomy or mechanical pleurodesis through posterolateral thoracotomy or median sternotomy. 8. The most frequent location of bulla or blob were apical segme t oi RUL(35.1%) and apicoposterior segment of LUL(41.3 %). 9. The number of bulla or blob were mainly 1 to 5(88%), and there were no significant differences among operation indications. 10. The size of bulla or bleb were mainly below 5cm(81%)and small bulla($\leq$1cm) were predominant in recurrence group but large bulla(>5cm)were predominant in persistent air leakage and inadequate expansion group. 11. The pleural adhesion was seen in 54.5%.(Recurrence group 64.1%,Persistent air leakage group 51.9%,Inadequate expansion group 47.4%).

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.363-371
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• 1999

Background: Because of the widespread use and availability of agricultural insecticides, acute organophosphate poisoning as a suicide or an accident is becoming the most common type of poisoning and serious problem in Korea. The mortality of organophosphate poisoning varied from 10 to 86 percent. The cause of death was thought to be a combination of excessive bronchial secretion, bronchospasm, respiratory muscle paralysis and depression of respiratory center, summarily respiratory failure. We evaluated the respiratory complications in patients with acute organophosphate intoxication to determine the predisposing, factors to respiratory failure and to reduce the incidence of respiratory failure or mortality. Method: We conducted a retrospective study of 111 patients with the discharge diagnosis of organophosphate poisoning who were hospitalized at Yenugnam University Hospital during the 5 years. The diagnosis of organophosphate poisoning has based on the followings (1) a history of exposure to an organophosphate compounds. (2) the characteristic clinical signs and symptoms. (3) decrease in the cholinesterase activity in the serum. Results: Respiratory failure developed in 31(28%) of 111 patients with acute organophosphate poisoning. All cases of respiratory failure developed within 96 hours after poisoning and within 24 hours in 23 patients. The 80 patients who did not develop respiratory failure survived. In 31 patients with respiratory failure, 15(44%) patients were dead. The patients with respiratory failure had more severe poisoning, that is, the lower level of serum cholinesterase activity on arrival, the higher mean dosage of atropine administered within first 24 hours. In 16 patients with pneumonia, 14 patients developed respiratory failure. In 5 patients with cardiovascular collapse, 2 patients developed respiratory failure. There was no correlation to between age, sex, the use of pralidoxime and respiratory failure. The serum cholinesterase level in survivors at time of respiratory failure and weaning was $66.05{\pm}85.48U/L$, $441{\pm}167.49U/L$, respectively. Conclusion: All the respiratory failure complications of acute organophosphate poisoning occurred during the first 96 hours after exposure. The severity of poisoning and pneumonia were the predisposing factors to respiratory failure. Aggressive treatment and prevention of the above factors will reduce the incidence of respiratory failure.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.448-455
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• 1999

Background: Recent developments in techniques of video-assisted thoracic surgery(VATS) and endoscopic equipment has expanded the application of video-assisted surgical procedures in the field of thoracic surgery. Especially, it will probably become the treatment of choice of spontaneous pneumothorax(SP). There is, however, a high recurrence rate, high cost, and paucity of long-term results. We report the results of postoperative follow-up and analyze perioperative parameters affected to recurrence, retrospectively. Material and Method: From march 1992 to march 1997, 276 patients with spontaneous pneumothorax underwent 292 VATS procedures. Conversion to open thoracotomy was necessitated in eight patients, and this patients excluded from the study. Result: The sex distribution was 249 males and 31 females. The mean age was 28.1 12.2 years(range, 15 to 69 years). Primary SP was 237cases(83.5%) and secondary SP was 47cases(16.5%). The major underlying lung diseases associated with secondary SP were tuberculosis 27cases(57.4%) and emphysema 8cases (38.3%). Operative indications included Ipsilateral recurrence 123(43.9%), persistent air-leak 53(18.9%), x-ray visible bleb 40(14.3%), tension 30(10.7%), contralateral recurrence 21(7.5%), uncomplicated first episode 8(2.9%), bilateral 3(1.1%), complicated episode 2(0.7%). Blebs were visualized in 247cases(87%) and 244cases(85.9%) performed stapled blebectomy. Early postoperative complications occurred in 33 cases(11.6%): 16 prolonged air-leak more than 5 days(four of them were required a second operation and found missed blebs); 5 bleeding; 5 empyema; 2 atelectasis; 1 wound infection. No deaths occured. The mean operative time was 52.8 23.1 minutes(range, 20 to 165 minutes). The mean d ration of chest tube drainage was 5.0 4.5 days(range, 2 to 37 days). The mean duration ofhospital stay was 8.2 5.5 days (range, 3 to 43days). At a mean follow-up 22.3 18.4 months(range, 1 to 65 months), 12 patients(4.2%) were lost to follow-up. There were 24 recurrences and seven patients underwent second operation and 6 patients(85.7%) were found the missed blebs. 12 perioperative parameters(age, sex, site, underlying disease, extent of collapse, operative indication, size of bleb, number of bleb, location of bleb, bleb management, pleural procedure, prolonged postoperative air-leak) were analyzed statistically to identify significant predictors of recurrence. The significant predictors of recurrence was the underlying disease[17.0%(8/47): 6.8%(16/237), p=0.038], prolonged postoperative air-leakage[37.5%(6/16): 6.7%(18/268), p=0.001], and pleural procedure [11.4%(19/167): 4.3%(5/117), p=0.034]. Blebectomy has less recurrence rate then non-blebectomy [8.2%(20/244) : 10.0%(4/40), p>0. 5]. However, this difference was not statistically significant(p=0.758). Conclusion: We conclude that it is important that we shoud careful finding of bleb during VATS due to reducing of recurrnece, and cases of no bleb identified and secondary spontaneous pneumothorax were indicated of pleurodectomy. VATS is a valid alternative to open procedure for the treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax with less pain, shorter hospital stay, more rapid return to work, high patient acceptance, less scar and exellent cosmetics. But, there is high recurrence rate and high cost, and than it is necessary to evaluate of long-term results for recurrence and to observate carefully during VATS.