• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.89-100
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• 2019

Background: Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is associated with high morbidity and mortality, particularly among immunocompromised patients, such as lung transplant recipients. Voriconazole, the first-line therapy for IA, shows a non-linear pharmacokinetic profile and has a narrow therapeutic range. Careful and appropriate administration is necessary, primarily because it is used for critically ill patients; however, the clinical usefulness of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) has not been sufficiently verified. Therefore, in this study, we validated the safety and efficacy of voriconazole TDM in lung transplant recipients receiving only voriconazole for IA treatment. Methods: The electronic medical records of lung transplant recipients (${\geq}19$ years of age) administered only voriconazole for > 7 days for treatment of IA from June 1, 2013 to May 31, 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. Results: Among the 54 patients, 27 each were allocated to TDM and non-TDM groups, respectively. There were no significant differences in patient characteristics between the two groups except for ICU-hospitalization status. Of the TDM group patients, 81.5% needed adjustment of voriconazole dosage because the levels were out of target range. Comparison of two groups showed that treatment response was higher throughout treatment and switching rates of second-line agents were significantly lower in the TDM group, but it was insufficient to confirm safety improvements through voriconazole TDM. Conclusions: Considering that the treatment response tended to be higher and the rates of switching to second-line antifungal agents were lower in the TDM group, voriconazole TDM may increase the therapeutic effect on IA in lung transplant patients.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.107-121
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• 2021

Skin hypopigmentation, which is observed in albinism or vitiligo, occurs when melanin synthesis is decreased by genetic, epigenetic, and other factors. To identify drug candidates that can promote melanin synthesis in cells, we screened an epigenetic modulator library consisting of 141 cell-permeable, small molecule drugs. B16/F10 murine melanoma cells were treated with each drug at 0.1 𝜇M and melanin synthesis and cell viability were subsequently monitored. As a result, (-)-neplanocin A, 3-deazaneplanocin A (DZNep), and DZNep hydrochloride were found to increase cellular melanin synthesis without causing cytotoxicity. Because these three structurally related drugs exhibited similar dose-dependent effects on melanin synthesis and cell viability, DZNep was selected as a representative drug for additional experiments. DZNep increased intracellular melanin content and tyrosinase (TYR) activity. DZNep also induced the expression of TYR, tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP1), and dopachrome tautomerase (DCT) at the mRNA and protein levels. DZNep also induced the mRNA and protein expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), a key regulator of melanin synthesis. DZNep is a specific inhibitor of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase and it caused the accumulation of S-adenosylhomocysteine that inhibits histone methyltransferases in cells. This study suggests that melanogenesis can be modulated by targeting S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase in certain cellular contexts.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2022.05a
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• pp.273-275
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• 2022

The use of drugs by pregnant women poses a potential risk to the fetus. Therefore, it is essential to classify drugs that pregnant women should prohibit. However, the fetal toxicity of most drugs has not been identified. This takes a lot of time and cost. In silico approaches, such as virtual screening, can identify compounds that may present a high risk to the fetus for a wide range of compounds at the low cost and time. We collected class information of each drug from the hazard classification lists for prescribing drugs in pregnancy by the government of Korea and Australia. Using the structural and chemical features of each drug, various machine learning models were constructed to predict fetal toxicity of drugs. For all models, the quantitative performance evaluation was performed. Based on the attention algorithm, important molecular substructures of compounds were identified in the process of predicting the fetal toxicity of the drug by the proposed model. From the results, we confirmed that drugs with a high risk of fetal toxicity can be predicted for a wide range of compounds by machine learning. This study can be used as a pre-screening tool for fetal toxicity predictions, as it provides key molecular substructures associated with the fetal toxicity of compounds.

• Korean Circulation Journal
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.123-133
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• 2022

Background and Objectives: Atherectomy as a pretreatment has the potential to improve the outcomes of drug-coated balloon (DCB) treatment by reducing and modifying atherosclerotic plaques. The present study investigated the outcomes of atherectomy plus DCB (A+DCB) compared with DCB alone for the treatment of femoropopliteal artery disease. Methods: A total of 311 patients (348 limbs) underwent endovascular therapy using DCB for native femoropopliteal artery lesions at two endovascular centers. Of these, 82 limbs were treated with A+DCB and 266 limbs with DCB alone. After propensity score matching based on clinical and lesion characteristics, a total of 82 pairs was compared for immediate and mid-term outcomes. Results: For the matched study groups, the lesion length was 172.7±111.2 mm, and severe calcification was observed in 43.3%. The technical success rate was higher in the A+DCB group than in the DCB group (80.5% vs. 62.2%, p=0.015). However, the A+DCB group showed more procedure-related minor complications (37.0% vs. 13.4%, p=0.047). At 2-year follow-up, primary clinical patency (73.8% vs. 82.6%, p=0.158) and the target lesion revascularization (TLR)-free survival (84.3% vs. 88.2%, p=0.261) did not differ between the two groups. In Cox proportional hazard analysis, atherectomy showed no significant impact on the outcome of DCB treatments. Conclusions: The pretreatment with atherectomy improved technical success of DCB treatment; however, it was associated with increased minor complications. In this study, A+DCB showed no clinical benefit in terms of TLR-free survival or clinical patency compared with DCB treatment alone.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.133-140
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• 2003

Objective:Some candidate gene polymorphisms were reported to be associated with tardive dyskinesia (TD). The aim of this study was to investigate the association of the 5-$HT_{2A}$ receptor gene polymorphisms with TD in Korean schizophrenic subjects. Method:Subjects were of 59 schizophrenic patients with TD and 60 schizophrenic patients without TD for studying of 5-$HT_{2A}$ receptor gene polymorphisms. TD was evaluated using the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale(AIMS). Genomic DNA was amplified by PCR and digestion with MspI and BsmI. Result:There were no statistically significant differences in the demographic variables, such as age, male to female percentage, duration of illnesses and duration of antipsychotic drug exposure between the TD group and control group. 1) T102C polymorphisms and TD Comparing the TD group and control group, the 102T/C allele was associated with a significantly increased risk for TD (${\chi}^2$=5.560, df=1, p=0.018). 2) Three AIMS categories of TD and T102C genotype. There were statistically significant differences in the three AIMS categories(${\chi}^2$=6.835, df=2, p=0.033). Conclusion:These result suggest 102T/C genotypes of the 5-$HT_{2A}$ receptor gene are related to the development of TD. The 102T/C genotypes were associated with significantly higher AIMS orofacial dyskinesia scores. These findings suggest that the 5-$HT_{2A}$ receptor gene is significantly associated with susceptibility to TD in patients with chronic schizophrenia.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.6191-6196
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• 2012

Aims and Background: Traditional chemotherapy strategies for human leukemia commonly use drugs based on cytotoxicity to eradicate cancer cells. One predicament is that substantial damage to normal tissues is likely to occur in the course of standard treatments. Obviously, it is urgent to explore therapies that can effectively eliminate malignant cells without affecting normal cells. Our previous studies indicated that ginsenoside $Rg_1$ ($Rg_1$), a major active pharmacological ingredient of ginseng, could delay normal hematopoietic stem cell senescence. However, whether $Rg_1$ can induce cancer cell senescence is still unclear. Methods: In the current study, human leukemia K562 cells were subjected to $Rg_1$ exposure. The optimal drug concentration and duration with K562 cells was obtained by MTT colorimetric test. Effects of $Rg_1$ on cell cycle were analyzed using flow cytometry and by SA-${\beta}$-Gal staining. Colony-forming ability was measured by colony-assay. Telomere lengths were assessed by Southern blotting and expression of senescence-associated proteins P21, P16 and RB by Western blotting. Ultrastructural morphology changes were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Results: K562 cells demonstrated a maximum proliferation inhibition rate with an $Rg_1$ concentration of $20{\mu}\;mol{\cdot}L^{-1}$ for 48h, the cells exhibiting dramatic morphological alterations including an enlarged and flat cellular morphology, larger mitochondria and increased number of lysosomes. Senescence associated-${\beta}$-galactosidase (SA-${\beta}$-Gal) activity was increased. K562 cells also had decreased ability for colony formation, and shortened telomere length as well as reduction of proliferating potential and arrestin $G_2$/M phase after $Rg_1$ interaction. The senescence associated proteins P21, P16 and RB were significantly up-regulated. Conclusion: Ginsenoside $Rg_1$ can induce a state of senescence in human leukemia K562 cells, which is associated with p21-Rb and p16-Rb pathways.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.423-426
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• 2005

Imatinib-mesylate (Gleevec, Glivec) is a protein-tyrosine kinase inhibitor that inhibits the Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase created by the Philadelphia chromosome abnormality in CML. Imatinib is also used to treat patients with c-kit (CD 117)-positive unresectable tumors, or metastatic malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumors, or both. Imatinib is a welltolerated drug with few side effects. However, it has been associated with gastrointestinal irritation, fluid retention and edema, skin rashes, depigmentation, hepatotoxicity, hemorrhage, and hematological toxicity (anemia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia). In addition, imatinib has been associated with dyspnea and cough, which are mainly secondary to the pleural effusion and pulmonary edema, which represent local or general fluid retention. These events appear to be dose related and are more common encountered in the elderly. However, there has been no report of hypersensitivity pneumonitis associated with imatinib-mesylate in Korea. We report a case of 51-year old woman who developed hypersensitivity pneumonitis that might have been induced by imatinib-mesylate during the treatment of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.306-318
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• 1995

To evaluate the intractability of partial epileptic patients by variables, the author studied 113 patients (uncontrolled: 45, controlled: 68) who were admitted to the Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University from January, 1991 to August, 1993. The results were as follows. The items related to complex partial seizures, multiple seizure types and a histories of status epilepticus or clusters of seizures were significantly associated with drug-refractoriness (p<0.01). A high frequency of seizures before evaluation was associated with a poor outcome(p<0.01). The presences of known etiology of seizures, neurologic abnormalities and psychiatric disturbance were associated with limited treatment responses(p<0.01, p<0.05, p<0.01). An abnormal EEG findings such as background slowing, focal slowing, epileptiform discharges or secondarily bilateral synchrony were statistically significant (p<0.01). Age at onset, sex, distribution of epileptic foci, duration of seizure before evaluation, family history and abnormal neuroradiologic findings were not statistically significant. By these results, it was suggested that having at least four factors of the above variables were associated with limited treatment response.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.129-140
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• 2001

Harmful environment around school area have been increased with socio-economic development in Korea. Those entertainment facilities have caused a negative effect on the learning environment in many schools. As a result of increased entertainment harmful facilities in school area, the numbers of deviant behaviors such as drinking, smoking, substance abuse and sexual activity among junior high school students have been significantly increased. Given this situation, the aim of this study was to describe the distribution of the facilities; to access applied(experience) of the facilities according to students demographic variables; and to identify the relationship between use of the facilities and students risk health behaviors such as smoking, drinking, substance abuse and sexual activity. The field theory was used to study the relationship between the use of the facilities and risk health behaviors among students. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted in Korea. 2,114 junior and senior high school students(middle and high school students) were recruited by the method of proportional stratified random sampling from June to July 2000. Results indicated that: 1) The rates of using game centers, PC rooms, Song rooms and comic rooms were 78.3%, 75.6%, 71.6%, and 34.3% respectively. 2) High school students visited the entertainment facilities significantly more than middle school students(p〈0.001). 3) The rates of using facilities near schools were significantly associated with parents job(p〈0.05). 4) The rates of drinking, smoking, drug abuse, and sexual activity were 21.6%, 11.9%, 4.3% and 1.6% respectively. 5) Risk health behaviors such as smoking(p〈0.001) and drinking(p〈0.001), amount of smoking and drinking(p〈0.001) and sexual activity(p〈0.05) were associated with the experience of using the facilities. Those who had drinking experience were more likely to go the facilities than those without drinking experience. Also, those who were smoker had higher probability of going using the facilities than non-smokers.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.231-236
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• 2005

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis(JRA) is the most common major connective tissue disease in children. Renal involvement in JRA is rare. Among the renal lesions that have been reported in JRA, amyloidosis and drug-induced nephropathy are the most common. Crescentic glomerulonephritis in JRA has rarely been reported. We report a case of ANCA-associated pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis in JRA. The patient was a 15-year old boy with a 3-year history of JRA. He presented with gross hematuria, proteinuria, positive p-ANCA and elevation of BUN and creatinine. Pathologic findings revealed focal necrotizing and crescentic glomerulonephritis. There were no significant immunoglobulin or complement deposits. His renal function recovered after intravenous methylprednisolone pulse therapy and oral steroid use. In Korea, this is the first reported case of pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis in JRA. (J Korean Soc Pediatr Nephrol 2005;9:231-236)