• Korean Circulation Journal
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• v.53 no.9
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• pp.581-593
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• 2023

In the catheterization laboratory, the measurement of physiological indexes can help identify functionally significant lesions and has become one of the standard methods to guide treatment decision-making. Plaque vulnerability refers to a coronary plaque susceptible to rupture, enabling risk prediction before coronary events, and it can be detected by defining a certain type of plaque morphology on coronary imaging modalities. Although coronary physiology and plaque vulnerability have been considered different attributes of coronary artery disease, the underlying pathophysiological basis and clinical data indicate a strong correlation between coronary hemodynamic properties and vulnerable plaque. In prediction of coronary events, emerging data have suggested independent and additional implications of a physiology-based approach to a plaque-based approach. This review covers the fundamental interplay between coronary physiology and plaque morphology during disease progression with clinical data supporting this relationship and examines the clinical relevance of physiological indexes in prediction of clinical outcomes and therapeutic decision-making along with plaque vulnerability.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.263-275
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• 2022

There is a paucity of detailed data related to the effect of senescence on the mitochondrial antioxidant capacity and redox state of senescent human cells. Activities of TCA cycle enzymes, respiratory chain complexes, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), superoxide anions (SA), lipid peroxides (LPO), protein carbonyl content (PCC), thioredoxin reductase 2 (TrxR2), superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1), glutathione reductase (GR), reduced glutathione (GSH), and oxidized glutathione (GSSG), along with levels of nicotinamide cofactors and ATP content were measured in young and senescent human foreskin fibroblasts. Primary and senescent cultures were biochemically identified by monitoring the augmented cellular activities of key glycolytic enzymes including phosphofructokinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and glycogen phosphorylase, and accumulation of H₂O₂, SA, LPO, PCC, and GSSG. Citrate synthase, aconitase, α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, and complex I-III, II-III, and IV activities were significantly diminished in P25 and P35 cells compared to P5 cells. This was accompanied by significant accumulation of mitochondrial H₂O₂, SA, LPO, and PCC, along with increased transcriptional and enzymatic activities of TrxR2, SOD2, GPx1, and GR. Notably, the GSH/GSSG ratio was significantly reduced whereas NAD⁺/NADH and NADP⁺/NADPH ratios were significantly elevated. Metabolic exhaustion was also evident in senescent cells underscored by the severely diminished ATP/ADP ratio. Profound oxidative stress may contribute, at least in part, to senescence pointing at a potential protective role of antioxidants in aging-associated disease.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.22-34
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• 2016

Purpose: Gingival recession is a major esthetic concern and may lead to root sensitivity during periodontal treatment. Coronally advanced flaps (CAFs) with and without acellular dermal matrix (ADM) are widely used in root coverage procedures. The aim of this study was to analyze the efficacy of CAF in combination with ADM in the treatment of gingival recession. Methods: PubMed, The Cochrane Library, and Embase were used to identify relevant articles. The articles were screened, data were extracted, and the quality of the studies was assessed by three reviewers with expertise in clinical practice, trials, statistics, and biomedical editing. The clinical endpoints of interest included changes in recession, probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), and keratinized tissue (KT). Results: Ten randomized controlled trials were identified, including six studies that compared CAFs with ADM and CAFs using connective tissue grafting (CTG) and four studies that compared CAFs with or without ADM. No statistically significant differences were found between the use of ADM and CTG, whereas statistically significant differences were found between groups in which ADM and CAF were combined and groups that underwent CAF alone with regard to recession coverage, CAL, and KT. The combination of CAF with an ADM allograft achieved more favorable recession coverage and recovery of CAL and KT than CAF alone. Conclusions: The results from the ADM and CTG groups suggest that both procedures may be equally effective in clinical practice. Given the limitations of this study, further investigation is needed to clarify the effectiveness of ADM and CAF in clinical practice.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.335-341
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• 2020

This study investigates the association of the AFB stain with the cycle threshold (Ct) value of the Cobas TaqMan MTB test (CTM test, Roche Diagnostics, Basel, Switzerland), and it establishes the base data for semi-quantitative identification of M. tuberculosis by the Ct value. CTM test were simultaneously conducted on 8,389 specimens submitted to the Samsung Medical Center from January 2015 to December 2015, and the results were analyzed and compared retrospectively investigates the association of the AFB stain with the Ct value of the CTM test, and it establishes the base data for semi-quantitative identification of M. tuberculosis by the Ct value. The Ct values for 135 positive specimens of the CTM were inversely correlated with the AFB stain (rs=-0.545, P<0.01). When the Ct value of the CTM test and the time to positivity (TTP) of the mycobacteria cultures were verified based on the AFB stain, they were found to have a positive correlation (rs=0.136, P<0.01). The negative correlation between the CTM test and the AFB stain grade was demonstrated. The clinical significance was verified by applying these criteria to the clinical results. The semi-quantitative criteria of this study can be used to facilitate the rapid isolation of patients with active tuberculosis and infection control in the hospital.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 2015

This paper presents an investigation into factors influencing the level of prostate specific antigens (PSAs) in men with a focus on abdominal obesity. Data were collected from the exam results and medical records of male clients that visited a university hospital in Suwon for a general check-up. The data of total 1,039 were put to frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, independent-sample t-test, one-way ANOVA, chi-squared test, and multiple regression analysis. The subjects were men in their twenties to in their seventies. The study analyzed whether there would be differences in mean PSAs according to the characteristics of the subjects and found significant differences according to age, BMI, and waist. The findings indicate that abdominal obesity influences the level of PSAs in men and that men with abdominal obesity should not neglect the level of PSAs even in the normal range.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.17-27
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• 2019

Purpose: Clinical laboratory in hospital has taken a great role in protection of chronic disease. as well as diagnosis and treatment, And laboratory layout has been considered by the management and laboratory section more than the function and workflow. Methods: So this study figures out the workflows of laboratory sections in the recently upgraded Laboratory Medicine, and searches the functional relationships and spatial block diagram between each disciplines as follows. Literature review and expert adviser has been conducted. Results: 1) Laboratory type of Laboratory Medicine is divided into routine and specialized laboratory according to the workflow by automated or specialized test. 2) The general workflow consists of specimen collection, specimen classification, test by discipline, test report, and specimen disposal. 3) Though the function of each laboratory section is very complicated and specific, the characteristics and the workflow can be shown in detail by each lab through [Figure 4], [Figure 5], [Figure 6], [Figure 7], and [Figure 8]. 4) Functional relationship diagram can be displayed to the adjacency and relation between each laboratory and support spaces. 5) The spatial block diagram could be presented as shown in [Figure 10], in which the emergency lab lay in front side, routine lab in the central open area, and specialized lab in the behind side. Implications: This study can be used as a useful data in planning and designing a Laboratory Medicine Department.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.61-64
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• 2005

We compared the serum protein electrophoresis patterns in sera of diabetes patients (n=166) which showed more than 150 mg/dL of glucose. The concentrations of total protein, albumin, ${\alpha}1$-globulin, ${\alpha}2$-globulin, ${\beta}$-globulin and ${\gamma}$-globulin in sera of patients were $6.3{\pm}1.2g/dL$, $40.3{\pm}6.4%$, $4.9{\pm}2.3%$, $13.5{\pm}3.8%$, $15.5{\pm}3.9%$, and $25.9{\pm}5.8%$, respectively. The frequency of patients showed lower levels of total protein, albumin, ${\alpha}1$-globulin were 48.5%, 96.4%, and 33.7%. The frequency of patients showed higher levels of ${\alpha}2$-globulin, ${\beta}$-globulin, and ${\gamma}$-globulin were 56.6%, 47.0%, and 90.4%, respectively. This data suggests that the high concentration of glucose in blood may damage the kidney and liver. Also, the decrease of albumin and ${\alpha}1$-globulin and increase of ${\alpha}2$-globulin, ${\beta}$-globulin and ${\gamma}$-globulin shows that the concentration of glucose in blood will have an effect on the variation of serum protein electrophoretic patterns.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.269-274
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• 2016

The tendency of students to become adults in the future to improve the country's public health policy and to determine the socio-economic development of the research is very important. The objectives of this study were to examine the changes in body weight, body mass index (BMI), body composition, and complete blood cell count in a group of male and female university students. Among the body compositions, height, weight, BMI, muscle volume, basal metabolic rate, red blood cells, hemoglobin, and hematocrit showed a correlation between the amount shown both had statistical significance (p<0.01). In particular, platelets showed a rather different result from fat and body fat percentage, and were positively correlated with waist-hip ratio points (p<0.01). This study may be useful as it provides the basic data necessary for students of healthcare. Therefore, developing a sustainable management system of healthcare on a national level for university students is very important.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.83-97
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• 2016

The measurement of viral load in HIV-1 infected patients is essential for the establishment of a therapeutic strategy. Several commercial assays have shown shortcomings in quantifying rare genotypes of HIV-1 such as minor groups of N and O. In this study, the HIV-1 RT-qPCR assay was developed. The primers and probe of HIV-1 were designed to target the pol gene and to increase the detection efficiency of various subtypes including group N and O. The HIV-1 quantitative RT-qPCR assay was assessed for its analytical performance and clinical evaluation. The LoD was determined to 33.9 IU/ml. The LoD of several subtypes including A, C, D, CRF_01AE, F, CRF_02AG, G and H, were determined to less than 40 IU/ml. The HIV-1 quantitative RT-qPCR assay was evaluated using the China National Reference Panel of HIV-1 RNA to determine the analytical performance. The results were all within the acceptable range. The clinical evaluation was performed at Hunan CDC in China. The clinical evaluation results were compared with those of the China domestic commercial kit. A significant correlation (fresh samples; $R^2=0.84$, P<0.001, frozen samples; $R^2=0.76$, P<0.001) between the two systems was observed for 64 fresh samples and 76 frozen samples with viral loads, and the Bland-Altman plot showed good agreement (98.4%, 96.1%, respectively). In conclusion, the HIV-1 quantitative RT-qPCR assay had comparable analytical performance with several commercial kits. The study provides basic data for the research of HIV-1 diagnosis and the development of P < HIV-1 molecular diagnostic assay.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.21-31
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• 2024

This study provides the underlying data on the inclusion of medical technologists in the category of medical personnel. Medical personnel are defined in the Medical Service Act as physicians, dentists, oriental medicine doctors, midwives, and nurses. In the act, medical technologists shall be classified into clinical laboratory technologists (clinical pathology technologists in the Korean language), radiological technologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, dental technologists, and dental hygienists. Although South Korea's medical personnel do not include medical technologists, Japan and Taiwan define them as medical personnel. Various standard occupational classification such as International Standard Classification of Occupations 2008, Korean Standard Classification of Occupations 2017, Japan Standard Occupational Classification 2009, Taiwan Standard Occupational Classification 2010, and USA Standard Occupational Classification 2018 were compared. The education system for medical health technologists was explained to include 4-year university and 3-year junior college programs. The roles of medical technologists in medical practice, therapy, and medical assistance were outlined. These basic materials incorporate the need for discussions about the meaning of including medical technologists in the type of medical personnel. These discussions will contribute to the legalization of medical technologists' professionality with regard to their inclusion in the type of medical personnel.