• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.309-315
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• 2019

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common malignant neoplasm in women worldwide. Most cases of cervical cancer are caused by an infection by the human papillomavirus. Molecular diagnostic methods have emerged to detect the HPV for sensitivity, specificity, and objectivity. In particular, real-time PCR has been introduced to acquire a more sensitive target DNA or RNA. RNA extraction and complementary DNA synthesis are proceeded before performing real-time PCR targeting RNA. To identify an adequate and sensitive cDNA synthesis kit, this study evaluated the two commonly used kits for cDNA synthesis. The results show that the $R^2$ and efficiency (%) of the two cDNA synthesis kits were similar in the cervical cancer cell lines. On the other hand, the Takara kit compared to Invitrogen kit showed P<0.001 in the $10^2$ and $10^3$ SiHa cell count. The Takara kit compared to the Invitrogen kit showed P<0.001 in the $10^1$ and $10^2$ HeLa cell count. Furthermore, 8, 4, 2, 1, and 0.5 ml of forty exfoliated cell samples were used to compare the cDNA synthesis kits. The Takara kit compared to the Invitrogen kit showed P<0.01 in 8, 4, and 1 ml and P<0.05 in 0.5 mL. The study was performed to identify the most appropriate cDNA synthesis kit and suggests that a cDNA synthesis kit could affect the real-time PCR results.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.177-184
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• 2020

Objectives : Postpartum depression is known to occur in 10-15% of mothers. The concentration of cytokine varies depending on stress, depression, pregnancy and general medical conditions. We hypothesized that the concentration of cytokines may be related to reproduction and childbirth, and that women with postpartum depression would show alterations in cytokines levels. Methods : A total of 104 pregnant women were selected as subjects, and 60 non-pregnant women were selected as normal controls. Symptoms of depression were evaluated in the pregnant study subjects using the diagnostic criteria outlined in the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The pregnant subjects were divided into three groups perinatal non-depression controls (n=61), postpartum depression-recovery (n=18), and postpartum depression (n=25). Results : The plasma concentration of TGF-β1, IGF-1 was higher in the pregnant group than in non-pregnant controls (TGF-β1 ; p<0.01, IGF-1 ; p=0.026). At 24 weeks of pregnancy and 6 weeks of delivery, there were no significant differences in the plasma concentration of TGF-β1, IGF-1, β-NGF, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IFN-γ, TNF-α between the three groups. There was no statistically significant difference in all three groups during the course of depression in pregnant women. Conclusions : This study found significant difference in plasma cytokines concentrations between non-pregnant controls and perinatal non-depression controls.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.12-22
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• 2021

Backgrounds: Proper distribution and supply of physicians are factors that affect national health care systems. This study investigated the payment distribution levels and the determinants that influence the salary levels of hospital hired physicians. Methods: We analyzed 4,014 job advertisements posted on an internet invitation information site about physician recruitment from May 2016 to May 2019. We used univariate analysis to determine the relationship between average monthly salary and the other related variables. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the predictors of physician salary level. Results: The average monthly salary for the service physician was 15.4 million won, highest for orthopedic surgeons with 22.24 million won, and lowest for diagnostic laboratory physician with 11.4 million won. The factors significantly associated with average monthly salary were; non-major specialty, housing provision, no severance pay, and incentives(p<0.05). Non-major specialty, incentives, and the regions were predictors of the average standardized monthly salary(p<0.05). Conclusion: Factors associated with average monthly salary as revealed by this study were; medical specialty, hospital regional location, housing provision, payment of retirement allowance, and payment of other incentives respectively. However, this study was a cross-sectional study, and further studies will be required.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.101-109
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• 2021

Purpose: Common human coronaviruses (HCoVs) are relatively understudied due to the mild nature of HCoV infection. Given the lack of local epidemiology data on common HCoVs, we aimed to describe clinical and epidemiological characteristics of common HCoVs in children. Methods: Respiratory viral test results from 9,589 respiratory samples from Seoul National University Children's Hospital were analyzed from January 2015 to December 2019. Viral detection was done by the multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Demographics and clinical diagnosis were collected for previously healthy children tested positive for HCoVs. Results: Of the 9,589 samples tested, 1 or more respiratory viruses were detected from 5,017 (52.3%) samples and 463 (4.8%) samples were positive for HCoVs (OC43 2.8%, NL63 1.4%, 229E 0.7%). All 3 types co-circulated during winter months (November to February) with some variation by type. HCoV-OC43 was the most prevalent every winter season. HCoV-NL63 showed alternate peaks in late winter (January to March) and early winter (November to February). HCoV-229E had smaller peaks every other winter. Forty-one percent of HCoV-positive samples were co-detected with additional viruses; human rhinovirus 13.2%, respiratory syncytial virus 13.0%, influenza virus 4.3%. Common clinical diagnosis was upper respiratory tract infection (60.0%) followed by pneumonia (14.8%), croup (8.1%), and bronchiolitis (6.7%). Croup accounted for 17.0% of HCoV-NL63-positive children. Conclusions: This study described clinical and epidemiological characteristics of common HCoVs (OC43, NL63, 229E) in children. Continuing surveillance, perhaps by adding HKU1 in the diagnostic panel can further elucidate the spectrum of common HCoV infections in children.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.511-519
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• 2020

Purpose: Schwannoma is a benign tumor that occurs mainly in the peripheral nerve. If the tumor is large or is in areas other than the nerves, it is likely to be mistaken for malignant soft tissue tumors. The authors reviewed 50 cases of giant schwannomas and assessed the distribution of the primary locations, clinical symptoms, radiological and pathological diagnosis, and diagnostic accuracy. Materials and Methods: Of the 214 pathologically confirmed schwannomas, 50 cases with a maximum diameter of 5 cm or more were extracted. The entire cohort was classified into three subgroups (major peripheral nerve, intramuscular, bone) according to the primary location, and the anatomical locations were specified. Results: When the entire cohort was classified according to the primary location, 14 tumors occurred in the major peripheral nerve, 31 cases in the muscle, and 5 cases in the bone. The mean size of the tumor in the entire cohort was 7.0 cm, and the intramuscular subgroup had the largest size with 8.0 cm. The radiological diagnosis revealed 33 out of 50 cases to be benign schwannoma (66.0%), 15 cases as low-grade malignancy (30.0%), and the remaining two cases (4.0%) as a suspicious tuberculosis abscess and tenosynovial giant cell tumor, respectively. On the clinical symptoms, Tinel sign was the most common in the peripheral nerve group with 78.6% (11/14), while 93.5% of the intramuscular group had palpation of the mass with a mean duration of 66.6 months. In the bone group, one out of five cases was reported as a low-grade malignancy. Two cases of postoperative complications were encountered; one was bleeding after tumor excision, which required hemostasis, and the other was peroneal nerve palsy after surgery. Conclusion: When assessing the large-sized soft tissue tumors in the muscles, the possibility of a benign schwannoma should be considered if 1) there is a long period of mass palpation and 2) non-specific findings in MRI. Preoperative pathology confirmation with a biopsy can help reduce the risk of overtreatment.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.398-403
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• 2021

Purpose: A biopsy is needed to diagnose soft tissue tumors. However, it is extremely difficult to pinpoint the site of a tumor due to the heterogeneity of sarcomas. Thus, even when an open biopsy is conducted, it is difficult to diagnose a soft tissue tumor. In such cases, an ultrasound (US)-guided biopsy is used to improve the diagnostic accuracy. This study evaluated the accuracy of US-guided biopsy for a diagnosis of soft tissue tumors found initially in a magnetic resonance (MR) perfusion and assessed the availability of positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) for a diagnosis of soft tissue tumors. Materials and Methods: From January 2014 to December 2018, the US-guided biopsy was performed on 152 patients with a suspected soft tissue tumor found in an MR perfusion and 86 cases were definitively diagnosed with a soft tissue tumor. The accuracy of the US-guided biopsy was assessed retrospectively. Among the 86 cases, only MR perfusion was used before the biopsy in 50 cases, while both MR perfusion and PET-CT was conducted on 36 cases. The accuracy was analyzed to determine if the PET-CT could improve the precision of a biopsy. Results: From 86 cases, 34 out of 50 cases, in which only MR perfusion had been conducted, matched the result of the definitive diagnosis and the US-guided biopsy. 32 out of 36 cases, in which both PET-CT and MR perfusion were conducted, matched the definitive diagnosis and the US-guided biopsy. These results show significant differences in the accuracy of US-guided biopsy. In the case of soft tissue sarcomas, 6 out of 12 cases, in which only MR perfusion had been conducted, matched the result of the definitive diagnosis and the US-guided biopsy. 17 out of 18 cases, in which both PET-CT and MR perfusion were conducted, matched the definitive diagnosis. Moreover US-guided biopsy also showed significant differences in the accuracy of US-guided biopsy. Conclusion: In diagnosing soft tissue tumors, a US-guided biopsy is a well-known tool for its high accuracy. However, the heterogeneity of sarcoma makes it difficult to locate the exact site for a biopsy using only MR perfusion. Thus, the use of PET-CT will meaningfully improve the accuracy of a diagnosis by precisely targeting the site for the US-guided biopsy.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.78-84
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• 2020

Purpose: This paper compares the clinical outcomes of patients who were treated with a cervical nerve block by ultrasound and C-arm and reports the complication. Materials and Methods: A total of 97 patients were treated with an ultrasound-guided nerve root block from May 1, 2015 to February 8, 2018. On the other hand, 94 patients were treated with a C-arm guided nerve root block. The consequences of the cervical pain and the radiating pain before and after the procedures were reviewed using the verbal numeric rating scale (VNRS). In addition, the complications related to the procedures from the daily notes from the chart were inspected. Results: Sixty-six cases out of 97 cases of ultrasound-guided nerve root block were enrolled in the study. The average age of the patients was 57 years, including 41 males and 25 females. Seventy seven out of 94 cases by a C-arm guided root block were included in the study. The average age of the patients was 55 years, including 40 males and 37 females. Before the nerve root block, the mean numeric rating pain scale (NRS) of the cervical pain in ultrasound-guided block decreased from 5.4 points to 2.7 points at three weeks and 1.4 points at six weeks (p=0.0023, p<0.001), and 3.1 points in the C-arm (p<0.001, p<0.001) at three weeks and 1.5 points at six weeks (p<0.001, p<0.001). In the case of radiating pain, the mean NRS in the ultrasound-guided nerve root block group improved from 6.3 points after the procedure to 2.8 points at three weeks and 1.5 points at six weeks (p<0.001, p<0.001). In the C-arm guided nerve root block group, the NRS improved from 7.4 points after the procedure to 3.3 points at three weeks and 1.9 points at six weeks. In the case of complications, Horner's syndrome and propriospinal myoclonus were observed in one case of C-arm guided block group. Conclusion: The clinical results of the patients who underwent ultrasound-guided cervical nerve root block were not significantly different from those who underwent a C-arm guided cervical nerve root block.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.153-161
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• 2021

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to compare bleeding tendency of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI) using platelet function analyzer (PFA-100) in patients with major depressive disorder. Methods : This study is a prospective open-label study conducted by a single institution. A total of 41 subjects diagnosed with major depressive disorder under the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria participated in this study. The subjects were classified into SSRI (escitalopram) groups and SNRI (duloxetine) groups, respectively, according to random assignments. The closure time (CT) was measured using a platelet function analyzer (PFA-100) before each antidepressant was administered and after 6 weeks. Paired-sample t-test was conducted within each group to determine whether a specific antidepressant had an effect on closure time. In order to confirm the relative change in platelet function between the two groups, an independent sample t-test was conducted to compare and analyze the change in closure time between the two groups. Results : There was no significant changes in closure time (CEPI-CT, CADP-CT) before and 6 weeks after drug administration in the SSRI and SNRI groups, and there was no difference in the amount of changes in closure time between the two groups. Conclusions : Our results showed no difference in bleeding tendency between SSRI and SNRI. This study suggests that further large-scale studies on bleeding tendency for various antidepressants are needed in the future.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.1105-1121
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• 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to explore the effectiveness and safety of frequently used clinical herbal medicines (Yijung-tang [Lizhong-tang, LJT], Pyeongwi-san [Pingwei-san, PWS], and Shihosogan-tang [Chaihu Shugan-tang, SST]) in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) when administered according to herbal medicine and Korean medicine pattern identification. The results of this study will be used to standardize the diagnostic instrument used in Korean medicine and to investigate biomarkers of Korean medicine pattern identification. Methods: This study will be a randomized, assessor-blind, 3-arm, parallel, open-label, multi-center clinical trial. A total of 300 FD participants will be recruited from 3 Korean medical hospitals and assigned to the LJT (n=100), PWS (n=100), and SST (n=100) groups according to FD pattern identification. The patients will take the medication for 8 weeks, 3 times a day, before or between meals. The primary outcome will be total dyspepsia symptom (TDS) and the secondary outcomes will be adequate relief (AR) for dyspepsia, overall treatment effect (OTE), visual analogue scale (VAS), functional dyspepsia-related quality of life (FD-QoL), gastrointestinal symptom score (GIS), and pattern identification questionnaires. For the exploratory outcomes, we will analyze blood and fecal metabolome profiles, microbiota from fecal and saliva samples, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), and results of Korean medicine diagnosis device measurements (heart rate variability, and tongue, pulse, and abdominal diagnosis). Conclusions: The results of this study will prove objectivity for Korean medicine pattern identifications, and the effectiveness and safety of herbal medicines for the population with FD.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.343-352
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to document the sonographic morphology of the subscapularis footprint, particularly the 1st facet, of the non-pathologic subscapularis tendon and footprint, and analyze the correlation between the size of the 1st facet and the demographic variables. Materials and Methods: Between March 2015 and December 2017, retrospectively data analysis was performed for the ultrasound (US) scans of 115 consecutive shoulder (mean age 53.4 years, range 23-74 years) with non-pathologic subscapularis tendon and footprint. The sonographic findings of the 1st facet of the subscapularis footprint was a very unique, flat, broad, and plane angle in the upward direction, which were distinguished from the other facets. On US, the transverse (medio-lateral) and longitudinal (superior-inferior) length of the 1st facet on axis of the humerus shaft were recorded. The demographic variables, including age, site, body height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and arm length, were reviewed. Results: On US, the mean transverse length of the 1st facet was 12.75 mm (range 10.54-14.50 mm, standard deviation [SD] 0.712) and the mean longitudinal length was 12.22 mm (range 9.20-13.30 mm, SD 0.888). The transverse and longitudinal length of the size of the 1st facet were significantly greater in males than in females (p<0.001, p=0.001). Of the demographic data (body height, weight, BMI, arm length) that showed a significant positive linear correlation, the correlation with body height (transverse r=0.749, p<0.001; longitudinal r=0.642, p<0.001) showed the strongest relationship, and the correlation with the BMI was weakly related. The relationships between the size of the 1st facet to site/age were not statistically significant or appeared to have no linear correlation. Conclusion: The structural and morphologic features of the 1st facet of the subscapularis footprint on the US were identified. This will provide anatomic knowledge of an US examination for subscapularis tendon pathology.