• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.115-124
• /
• 1983

The effect of ginseng administration on the patients of acute viral (B type) hepatitis has been oberved and the results were as follows. The albumin/globulin ratio of the ginseng administered group has significantly improved 4 weeks after admission while that of control group has not been improved suggesting that the ginseng might be effective in improving the protein metabolism. The thymol turbidity test again gave a similar result. Recovery of the disorder of bilirubin metabolism was also accelerated in the ginseng administered group compared with control group. The raised bilirubin value of the former returnedto the normal value 2 week after admission while that of the latter reached to normal 4-5 weeks after admission. However no significant difference of the bilirubin level between ginseng treated and non-treated groups could be observed. Cholesterol metabolism is also stimulated in ginseng administered group. The lowered cholesterol level of the ginseng group returned to normal 3-4 weeks after admission while that of latter reached to normal 5-6 weeks after admission. The raised S-GOT and S-GPT levels of the ginseng treated group returned to the normal value 3-4 weeks after admission while those of control group rehimed to normal in 5 weeks after admission suggesting that the ginseng improved impaired liver function. The improvement of the raised transaminase level seemed to be accelerate6 by the ginseng administration, however, no significant difference of the transaminase level between the ginseng treated and non-treated group could be observed. A significant effect of ginseng on the raised alkaline phosphatase level was observed. From the above results, it seemed that ginseng might stimulate the improvement of the disturbance of liver function, particularly at the early phase of its development of acute liver disease suggesting that panax ginseng might play a significant role in preventing the disease developing to be chronic.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.249-253
• /
• 2011

A 4-year-old intact female American Cocker Spaniel presented with lack of appetite, shivering, and abdominal distension. It was initially diagnosed with chronic hepatitis with cirrhosis, by serum chemistry, radiography, ultrasonography, and histopathologic examination following liver biopsy. Abundant copper granules were detected in most hepatocytes with rhodanine stain, with hepatic copper concentration at 1460 ppm (reference range: <400 ppm). Based on these findings, copper-associated hepatitis with cirrhosis was diagnosed and successfully managed with long-term D-penicillamine, s-adenosylmethionine, biphenyl-dimethyl-dicarboxylate and supportive care. The spaniel died 35 months after diagnosis.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.244-270
• /
• 1998

This study was performed to investigate an anti-HBV activities of the aqueous extracts from 10 Korean herbal medicines in the HepG2 2.2.15 cell culture system and the results were as follows: 1. The extracts of 6 plants (Herba Artemisiae Capillaris, Radix et Rhizoma Rhei, Cortex Cinnamomi, Fructus Chebulae, Fructus Rubi and Radix Rubi) decreased, significantly and dose-dependently, the levels of extracellular HBV virion in the concentrations (10, 100, 500 and $1,000\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) tested. 2. However, others (Radix lsatidis, Lignum Sappan, Herba Lysimachiae and Fructus Lycii) did not show any effect either on the replication of HBV or on the levels of virion DNA in the culture media of HepG2 2.2.15 cell. 3. Among the 6 plants which showed the inhibitory potency on the production of extracellular HBV virion, Radix et Rhizoma Rhei, Cortex Cinnamomi, Fructus Chebulae, Fructus Rubi and Radix Rubi except Herba Artemisiae Capillaris also showed the inhibition of the replication of intracellular HEV DNA in the range of $100{\sim}500\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$. Considering the above results, it is thought that 6 plants(Herba Artemisiae Capillaris, Radix et Rhizoma Rhei, Cortex Cinnamomi, Fructus Chebulae, Fructus Rubi and Radix Rubi) possess the anti-HBV activities in the HepG2 2.2.15 cell culture system. We thus suggest that these plants possess a potential as a therapeutic agent for the chronic viral hepatitis. These results might be useful as a basic data for the development of the new preventive drugs for HBV diseases.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.233-239
• /
• 1999

Acrodermatitis enteropethica (AE) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder of zinc absorption leading to chronic diarrhea and characteristic skin lesion. The term is also applied to any acquired zinc deficiency state resulting in the same clinical pictures. We experienced one case of AE in 1 month old male infant who had bacterial enterocolitis. The skin around mouth, anus, eyes, ears, hands and legs became reddish, vesicular and eczematoid. Serum zinc level was decreased to $51.4\;{\mu}g/dL$ (N=70~150). Endoscopic finding revealed pale gastric mucosa and villous atrophy of small intestine. Biopsy finding of small intestine showed no villi due to mucosal atrophy. On 13 day of admission jaundice with DIC were noted and AST & ALT were elevated to 110 & 36.8 IU/L, respectively. Diarrhea was improved but jaundice and liver function were not recovered until discharge from hospital. After discharge when the patient was 4 months of age serum bilirubin and AST/ALT had not been normalized. CMV shell vial culture of urine and CMV Ig G antibody were positive. So intravenous ganciclovir injection of 7.5 mg/kg, two times a day for 2 weeks and then 10 mg/kg/day for 3 months was done from 4 to 6 months of age. No virus was found in the urine and AST & ALT were normalized at 2 months after stopping ganciclovir treatment.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.63-72
• /
• 1982

Hepatoscintigram has been a useful diagnostic method for the liver diseases since 1953, but reasonable diagnostic criteria for parenchymal liver diseases are not yet accurately established. For the purpose of searching for more advanced diagnostic criteria for various types of live disease by the liver scan, a retrospective study was made of 272 cases who underwent both hepatoscintigram with 198 Au colloid and liver biopsy in Hanynag University Hospital from Jan., 1978 to Dec., 1981. The results were as follows: 1. Fuzzy margin (irregular indentation of the liver margin) in the hepatoscintigram was noted in 226 cases (97.79%). 2. Of 35 cases with fuzzy margin only, 28 cases (80%) revealed mild parenchymal liver disease, such as acute hepatitis or chronic persistent hepatitis by the liver biopsy. 3. Mottling change (209 cases) was always accompanied by fuzzy margin except only one case, and 31 cases (86.1%) of fuzzy and mottling cases (36 cases) showed mild parenchymal liver disease. 4. Configuration change (193 cases) was usually accompanied with other changes and espicially 104 cases had configuration change with fuzzy and mottling changes. 73 cases (88.44%) of 86 cases with severe configuration change revealed advanced parenchymal liver disease on biopsy. If liver scan showed mild configuration change, we could not decide the type of liver disease only liver scan, and so further studies are needed. 5. Splenic uptake was noted in 34 cases (40.48%) of 84 cases with advanced parenchymal liver disease, and the degree of splenic uptake was for the most part morderate or severe; whereas splenic uptake was noted in 18 cases (16.51%) of the mild parenchymal liver disease (109 cases), and the degree of splenic uptake was largely mild.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
• /
• v.52 no.4
• /
• pp.287-297
• /
• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the impacts of infection control education on dental hygienists' perceptions for hepatitis B and their behaviors. Materials and methods: Study participants were chosen by random selection among dental hygienists working in Seoul, Korea. A total of 150 questionnaires were sent out for the survey from April 2013 to May 2013, of which 140-excluding incomplete responses-were used for the study. Chi-square tests and t-tests were used (SPSS 19.0), and post-hoc analysis was performed as well. The maximum significance level was 0.05. Results: Average 1.53 times infection control education was taken, but dental hygienists' perceptions for hepatitis B and their behaviors did not show statistical differences whether the education was done or not. Practices to prevent infection showed differences depending on categories, especially disinfection and sterilization were well performed by educated group. The most common reasons for not taking the education and noncompliance with infection prevention guidelines are lack of time and opportunity due to busy schedule. Conclusion: 1. The more highly educated, the greater number of patients per day, and the greater size of hospitals, the better infection control education was conducted. 2. Although hepatitis B is one of the most common chronic liver diseases in Korea, no significant correlation between perceptions of hepatitis B and infection control education was found. 3. Dental hygienists who received infection control education performed more efficient practices for protection against infections than those who did not.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.245-257
• /
• 1998

Purpose : Although hepatitis B vaccine has been available to general population in Korea since 1983, it was difficult to compare various types of hepatitis B virus(HBV) vaccines primarily due to the differences in vaccination schedule, dosage, test methods and seropositive antibody level. In this study we reviewed the results of previous studies published in Korea, which include antibody positive rates and antibody titers of various vaccines, and examined the immunogenicity of these HBV vaccines. Methods : Studies published in medical journals, university journals concerning antibody positive rates following hepatitis B vaccination were reviewed. Inclusion criteria were those studies in which seroprotective antibody rate of 10mIU/mL or the sample ratio unit of 10 RU were used as the cut-off value and in which the test methods were RIA or ELISA. Exclusion criteria were; 1) unclear or inconsistent vaccine dosage, 2) no record of antibody titers or seroconversion rate, 3) no defined antibody rate or ratio for positive rating and 4) the vaccination schedule other than 0-1-2 months or 0-1-6 months. Results : 23 out of 52 studies were subjected for the review for seroconversion rates. 1) As for the immunogenicity in each age group, the seroconversion rates of Hepaccine(Cheil Jedang) were 85.1% in infants, 83.3% in children and 62.7% in adults, indicating higher rates in infants and children compared to adults(P<0.01). The seroconversion rates of Hepavax(Korea Green Cross) were 84.7%, 81.1% and 90.8%, indicating higher rates in infants and adults compared to children(P<0.01). 2) The seroconversion rate of Hepavax was 85.6% with 0-1-6 mo. schedule, 78.5% with 0-1-2 mo. schedule with a statistically significant difference(P<0.01). 4) There was no difference of seroconversion rates between the two doses of Hepavax, $5{\mu}g$ and $10{\mu}g$ in infants and children. 5) In adults the seroconversion rates were 62.7% with Hepaccine, 90.8% with Hepavax, and 94.8% with Engerix-B(SmithKline Beecham). Conclusion : In Korea, the incidence of chronic hepatitis B is high and changing the schedule in vaccination cannot contribute to the increase of the serocoversion rate. And in order to maximize immunogenicity, more effective vaccines as well as more proper vaccination methods should be used.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.50 no.1
• /
• pp.28-32
• /
• 2007

Purpose : Human angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene shows an insertion/deletion polymorphism in 16 intron, and three genotypes are determined by whether a 287 bp fragment of the DNA is present or not; II, ID and DD genotype. DD genotype has been suggested as a risk factor of chronic nephrotic disease such as IgA nephropathy and diabetic nephropathy, various cardiovascular diseases and several other diseases. ACE activity increases in acute hepatitis, chronic persistent hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis and cirrhosis. On the other hand, patients with fatty livers have normal ACE activity. This study was designed to find out the relation between polymorphsims of the ACE genes and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in Koreans. Methods : The genomic DNA was isolated from 110 full-term Korean neonates who had hyperbilirubinemia with no obvious causes (serum bilirubin$${\geq_-}12mg/dL$$) and 164 neonates of a control population (serum bilirubin <12 mg/dL). We performed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to see the allele of the ACE gene. Electrophoresis was done in the PCR products in 1.5 percent agarose gel, and then DNA patterns were directly visualized under ethidium bromide staining. Results : ACE genotypes in the hyperbilirubinemia group are as follows; 26.36 percent for II, 53.64 percent for ID, 20.00 percent for DD, 0.532 for I allele and 0.468 for D allele. These distributions were not significantly different from those in the control group; 24.39 percent for II, 51.83 percent for DI, 23.78 percent for DD, 0.503 for I allele and 0.497 for D allele. Conclusion : In this study, ACE gene polymorphism was detected in the neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and control group. The most frequent genotype was ID. Our results indicate that the ACE gene polymorphism is not associated with the prevalence of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in Koreans.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.152-160
• /
• 2003

Purpose: We compared the therapeutic efficacy of low dose with that of standard dose of interferon (IFN) treatment and also compared the first IFN treatment with retreatment. Methods: We have studied 51 children (age, 2~14) treated for chronic hepatitis B from March 1990 to August 1999. Twenty seven children had been treated with $3\;MU/m^2$ ($2.66{\pm}0.66\;MU/m^2$) of IFN-${\alpha}$ three times a week for 6 months (range, 6~12 months), whereas 24 children with $6\;MU/m^2$ ($4.45{\pm}0.94\;MU/m^2$). There was no significant difference in gender, age, initial ALT and HBV DNA levels between each comparative group. Results: Among the 27 children treated with $3\;MU/m^2$ of IFN, ALT level had normalized in 11 children (41%) and anti-HBe seroconversion occurred in 9 children (33%) one year after the initiation of treatment. In comparison, among the 24 children treated with $6\;MU/m^2$ of IFN, ALT normalized in 12 children (50%) and anti-HBe seroconversion occurred in 7 children (29%). In comparing the first treatment group to retreatment group, ALT level had normalized in 23 children (45%) and anti-HBe seroconversion occurred in 16 children (31%) among the 51 children treated with the first course of IFN treatment. In comparison, ALT normalized and anti-HBe seroconversion occurred in 3 children (25%) among the retreated 12 children. Conclusion: There was no significant difference in the therapeutic efficacies between $3\;MU/m^2$ and $6\;MU/m^2$ dose of IFN treated groups in ALT normalization and anti-HBe seroconversion. The retreatment efficacy of IFN-${\alpha}$ was as effective as the first treatment.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.1-18
• /
• 2008

Although Lamivudine and adefovir dipivoxil are efficacious drugs for preventing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in chronic hepatitis B patients, their efficacy is far from completely satisfactory. The risk of liver cirrhosis and HCC begins to increase at an HBV DNA level of $10^4$ copies/ml. Even with latent or past HBV infection, episomal covalently closed circular DNA(cccDNA) plays a key rolein the persistence, relapse and resistance of HBV in its natural course or during therapy. The annual incidence of HCC in YUMC is 1.8% and 4.7% patients/year in the antiviral treatment and control groups, respectively. The ability to achieve a high rate of sustained HBV suppression with low risk of drug resistance is the ultimate goal in the treatment of chronic HBV infection. The efficacy of universal immunization with striking reductions in the prevalence of HBV in localized countries needs to be spread worldwide. With hepatitis B immunization and effective antiviral therapy, global control of HBV infection and HBV-related complications, including HCC, are possible by the end of the first half of the $21^{st}$ century.