• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2012

Streptococcus pneumonia is a very important pathogen for children and elderly people. Two types of pneumococcal vaccines are available in the market: pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV) and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV). PPSVs have been used for more than 30 years, and PCVs for about 10 years. There have been many reports concerning the evaluation of the vaccines' efficacies in preventing pneumococcal diseases such as meningitis, pneumonia, and otitis media and bacteremia, but the clinical trials had been performed with different conditions, such as diverse vaccine valencies, age groups, races, target outcomes, immunological cut-off values, and follow-up periods. PPSV is recommended for elderly people and chronic disease patients such as asthma, diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure, and hyposplenic patients. According to the data from several systemic reviews and population-based surveillances, PPSV is effective for pneumococcal pneumonia and vaccine-type bacteremia among healthy adults. Until now, however, there is insufficient evidence of the effectiveness of PPSV among high-risk adults. PCV is very effective in preventing vaccine-type invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) among children, but its efficacy for pneumonia is very low among children. The incidence of vaccine-related or non-vaccine-type IPDs is increasing after the introduction of 7-valent PCV (PCV7) as a routine immunization for children. Recently, 10- and 13-valent PCVs have been used for children, instead of PCV7. Therefore, continuous surveillance for serotype change among pneumococcal diseases is necessary to evaluate the vaccines' efficacy.

• Korean Journal of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
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• v.61 no.12
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• pp.705-709
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• 2018

It is challenging to achieve sufficient hearing gain in patients with mixed hearing loss. In chronic middle ear diseases, conventional passive reconstructive surgeries often result in suboptimal hearing gain and additional hearing aids may have limitations due to insufficient sound amplification, occlusion effect, acoustic feedback, and skin irritation. Middle ear implantation (MEI) using Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) is another option for auditory rehabilitation in mixed hearing loss as well as sensorineural hearing loss. The floating mass transducer of VSB can be placed on various middle ear structures either directly or using different types of couplers in order to deliver vibratory mechanical energy to the cochlea. We report a patient who presented with bilateral mixed hearing loss due to chronic otitis media and had limitations using conventional hearing aids in the worse hearing ear. The patient was successfully treated with MEI using the Bell coupler together with middle ear surgery in a single step.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 1978.06a
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• pp.8.3-8
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• 1978

In normal auditory systems, the difference between the bone conduction thresholds obtained with the test ear opened and occluded in low frequency signals below 1, 000Hz is about 10~25 dB. But no difference in these thresholds suggests the presence of a lesion in the conductive mechanism. Sullivan added the differences in these thresholds at 250Hz, 500Hz and 1,000Hz and called "Occlusion Index". In oder to study the audiological significance, we have measured the occlusion index in 40 ears of normal persons, 20 ears of chronic otitis media patients and 20 ears of sensori-neural hearing impairment patients. We also measured the static compliance in 40 normal ears and observed the correlation with the occlusion index. The results are as follows: 1. Occlusion index was 33. $10\pm10.63dB$ in normal group, $3.10\pm3.03dB$ in chronic otitis media; group, $28.10\pm15.17dB$ in sensori-neural group. 2. Static compliance in normal group was $0.61\pm0.31cc$ (0.22~1.75cc) 3. Occlusion index showed inverse proportion to static compliance.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 1983.05a
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• pp.19.2-19
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• 1983

A Clinical and bacteriologcal observation was performed 128 cases of chronic otitis media who had taken middle ear surgery at Dept. of otolaryngology of St. Benedict Hospital during the period of Feb. 1981 to Feb. 1983. The following results were obtained. 1) Among total 128 cases, male were 60 cases (46.9%) and female were 68 cases (53.1 %) and age distribution showed 48 cases (37.5 %) in 3rd decade, 37 cases (28.9 %) in 2nd decade and 27 cases (21.1 %) in 4th decade. 2) Site distribution were 71 cases (55.5%) in right, 57 cases (44.5 %) in left. 3) Degree of preoperative hearing loss were 64 cases (50%) in moderate, 32 cases (25% ) in mild, 27 cases (21.1 %) in severe and 5 cases (3.9%) were normal. 4) Central perforation were observed in 65 cases (50.8 %), total perforation in 44 cases (34.4 %), attic perforation in 12 cases (9.4 %) and marginal perforation in 7 cases (5.4 %). 5) Pathologic changes of middle ear and mastoid antrum showed granulation in 81 cases (63.3 %), cholesteatoma in 47 cases (36.7%). 6) The route of approach were 123 cases (96.1%) in postauricular, 3 cases (2.3%) in transmeatal and 2 cases (1.6 %) in endaural. 7) Type of operation were 53 cases (41.4 %) in intact canal wall tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy, 42 cases (32.8 %) in tympanoplasty without mastoidectomy, 23 cases (18%) in modified radical mastoidectomy and 10 cases (7.8%) in radical mastoidectomy. 8) Type of anesthesia were 95 cases (74.2 %) by local anesthesia, 33 cases (25.8 %) were by general anesthesia. 9) Among 93 specimens of culture, proteus (31.2%), staphylococcus (28.7%), pseudomonas (23.7 %), streptococcus (7.5 %) and etc. (8.7%) in order of frequency.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.275-279
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• 2018

A brain abscess is caused by an infection in the central nervous system and leads to significant neurological sequelae. Despite advances in neurocritical care, high morbidity and mortality rates are still associated with brain abscess, especially in certain high-risk patients. Thus, a brain abscess is a medical emergency requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment with antibacterial therapy. However, the recurrence of brain abscess is rare. A 59-year-old man presented at our neurology clinic with a headache and was found to have chronic otitis media. Serial brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the patient demonstrated a brain abscess in the right frontal lobe. Following stereotactic aspiration of the brain abscess and proper antimicrobial treatment, the patient recovered completely. Five months after discharge, the patient revisited our clinic with a headache and seizure symptoms, and recurrence of the brain abscess was confirmed by brain MRI. Recurrent brain abscess has been documented in patients with predisposing conditions such as retained foreign bodies, chronic sinusitis, arteriovenous fistula, and right-to-left shunt.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 1972.03a
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• pp.1.2-1
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• 1972

It is the most important to know the causative organisms and the most effective antibiotics in the cases of chronic suppurative otitis media not only for the treatment of the cases of O.M.P.C. but also for postoperative control of middle ear surgery. In the authors' opinion, there are various organisms in the middle ear depending on the country, hygine, and area, etc., and many new antibiotics have recently been developed. To the otologists, it is helpful to know the causative organisms of O.M.P.C. and to compare with other authors' results about the sensitivity of antibiotics to the organisms. Thus the authors have performed bacteriological studies and its sensitivity test to the causative organisms in the cases of O.M.P.C. and obtained the following results. According to the our studies, in the gram-negative species, Proteus species (16.9%) was the most sensitive to Ampicillin 81.8% and Pseudomonas(18.5%) was the most sensitive to Colimycin 91.7%, and in the gram positive group, Staphylococcus Aureus (29.2%) was sensitive to Erythromycin 100% and Orbenin 94.7%.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.180-191
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• 2006

Objectives : The purpose of this clinical report was to investigate the general characteristics of the patients with nasal polyps and estimate the efficacy of the oriental medical treatment on nasal polyps. Methods : We performed a clinical analysis of 50 patients who visited Kabsan oriental clinic due to nasal polyps. We inquired into distribution of age, sex, operation history related to nose, grade of nasal polyps, efficacy of treatment, etc. Results and Conclusions : 1. The sex ratio was 2.3 : 1. The average age was 40.02 years. 2. In the nasal operation history, inexperienced patients were 35 cases and experienced patients were 15 cases. 3. In the region of nasal polyps, there were 35 cases of bilateral types of nasal polyps, which is mon than in unilateral types. In the number of nasal polyps, multicentric types of 26 cases were similar in the number with solitary type of 24 cases. 4. In the predisposing or concomitant diseases, chronic sinusitis was the most frequent followed by allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinitis, septal deviation chronic otitis media, asthma, tonsilitis and allergic dermatitis. 5. In the main symptoms, nasal obstruction was the most important. In the concomitant symptoms, patients had frequent rhinorrhea, smell disturbance, postnasal drip, headache, etc. 6. The average treatment period was 3,58 months and the average number of treatment was 12.94 sessions. 1. In the amount of herbal medicine, 2 and 3 Ji(劑) were the most. The most frequently used herbal medicine to treat was Hyangbujamogeuntanggagam(香附子茅根湯加減) 8. In the change of grade after treatment, Grade I was the most. In the efficacy of treatment, 'good' was the most, followed by 'excellent' and 'uneffective'.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.79-94
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• 2008

Although inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide(NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokines are involved in host defense mechanism, these overproduction contributes to the pathogenesis of several diseases such as otitis media, hearing loss, periodontitis, bacterial sepsis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic inflammation and autoimmune diseases. We investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of water extract from Ji-Pae-San(JPSWE) fomulated with Angelica dahurica plus Fritillaria Verticillata, Angelica dahurica(ADWE), and Fritillaria Verticillata(FUVE) in vitro and in vivo. Each extract inhibited the production of inflammatory mediators(NO, $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6, $TNF-{\alpha}$, and prostaglandin $E_2$) and the expression of inducible NO synthase(iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2) in lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages in a dose-dependent manner. These inhibitory effects were synergistically increased by their combination. JPSWE also inhibited $TNF-{\alpha}$, $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6. and $PGE_2$ production as well as COX activity in LPS-stimulated mice. Moreover, JPSWE significantly suppressed death by LPS-septic shock in mice(survival rate: 100%). These results suggest that Ji-Pae-San may be useful for therapeutic drugs against inflammatory immune diseases, probably by suppressing the production of inflammatory mediators.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.135-141
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• 2008

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is one of the most common clinical entities encountered in a dizziness clinic. Treatment of this disease, canalith repositioning procedures, have been reported to be successful in 44-90%. Treatment requires only one treatment visit in most patients. However, there are significant numbers of patients who require multiple treatment visits for relief. The goal of this study is to identify variables that may be associated with these difficult to treat cases. Retrospective review was performed for the patients diagnosed as BPPV at St. Carollo dizziness center. Variables for statistical analysis included age, sex, involved canal, presence of bilateral disease, presence of recent head trauma, presence of chronic otitis media, history of middle ear surgery, history of otologic surgery, unilateral vestibular loss, underlying disease such as hypertension or diabetes, change of involved canal during treatment course and number of treatment visits. Two hundred patients with BPPV who received treatment were identified from JAN. 2006 to JUN. 2007. 87% required one treatment visit, 5% required second treatment visit, and 95% were successfully treated after three treatment visits. Variables such as bilateral disease, post-traumatic BPPV, duration of symptom before treatment and change of involved canal during treatment were significantly related with number of treatments. Patient's with bilateral BPPV or with recent head trauma or longer duration of symptom are more likely to require multiple visits for canalith repositioning.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.836-843
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• 2004

Nontypeable H. influenzae (NTHi), a Gram-negative obligate human pathogen, causes pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, and otitis media, and the respiratory epithelium is the first line of defense that copes with the pathogen. In an effort to identify transcriptional responses of human respiratory epithelial cells to infection with NTHi, we examined its differential gene expression using high density cDNA microarrays. BEAS-2B human bronchial epithelial cells were exposed to NTHi for 3 hand 24 h, and the alteration of mRNA expression was analyzed using microarrays consisting of 8,170 human cDNA clones. The results indicated that approximately 2.6% of the genes present on the microarrays increased in expression over 2-fold and 3.8% of the genes decreased during the 24-h infection period. Upregulated genes included cytokines (granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor 2, granulocyte chemotactic protein 2, IL-6, IL-10, IL-8), transcription factors (Kruppel-like factor 7, CCAAT/enhancer binding protein $\beta$, E2F-1, NF-$\kappa$B, cell surface molecules (CD74, ICAM-1, ICAM-2, HLA class I), as well as those involved in signal transduction and cellular transport. Selected genes were further confirmed by reverse-transcription-PCR. These data expand our knowledge of host cellular responses during NTHi infection and should provide a molecular basis for the study of host-NTHi interaction.