• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.84-90
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• 2009

Purpose: The effect of concurrent chemoradiotherapy was analyzed in elderly patients when used in the treatment of locally advanced esophageal cancer. Materials and Methods: The retrospective analysis included 28 elderly patients aged 65 or older, with histopathologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus, underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy from January 2001 to July 2007. The squamous cell carcinoma disease stages included 8 patients (28.8%) in stage IIa, 10 patients (35.7%) in stage IIb, and 10 patients (35.7%) in stage III. Fractionated radiotherapy was performed with a 6 MV or 10 MV X-ray for 45~63 Gy (median: 59.4 Gy). Chemotherapy was applied concurrently with the initiation of radiotherapy. A 75 mg/$m^2$ dose of Cisplatin was intravenously administered on day 1. Further, 5-FU 1,000 mg/$m^2$ was continuously administered intravenously from days 1 to 4. This regimen was performed twice at 3-week intervals during radiotherapy. Two cycles of consolidation chemotherapy was performed after radiotherapy. Results: The follow-up period was 3~72 months (median: 19 months). The treatment responses after concurrent chemoradiotherapy included a complete response in 11 patients (39.3%), a partial response in 14 patients (50.0%), and no response in 3 patients (10.7%). The overall response rate was 89.3% (25 patients). The overall 1-, 2- and 3-year survival rates were 55.9%, 34.6% and 24.2%, respectively. The median survival time was 15 months. Two-year survival rates of patients with a complete response, partial response, and no response were 46.2%, 33.0%, and 0%, respectively. The stage and tumor response after concurrent chemoradiotherapy were statistically significant prognostic factors related with survival. No treatment-related deaths occurred in this study. Conclusion: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy is a relatively effective treatment without serious complications in elderly patients with locally-advanced esophageal cancer.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.64-70
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• 2009

Purpose: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) is the standard treatment for locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer. However, the introduction of gemcitabine and the recognition of a benefit in patients with advanced disease stimulated the design of trials that compare chemotherapy alone to concurrent chemoradiation. Therefore, we evaluated role of CCRT for locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer. Materials and Methods: We carried out a retrospective analysis of treatment results for patients with locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer between January 2000 and January 2008. The radiation was delivered to the primary tumor and regional lymph nodes with a 1~2 cm margin at a total dose of 36.0~59.4 Gy (median: 54 Gy). The chemotherapeutic agent delivered with the radiation was 5-FU (500 mg/$m^2$). The patients who underwent chemotherapy alone received gemcitabine (1,000 mg/$m^2$) alone or gemcitabine with 5-FU. The follow-up period ranged from 2 to 38 months. The survival and prognostic factors were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test, respectively. Results: Thirty-four patients received concurrent chemoradiotherapy, whereas 21 patients received chemotherapy alone. The median survival time was 12 months for CCRT patients, compared to 11 months for chemotherapy alone patients (p=0.453). The median progression-free survival was 8 months for CCRT patients, compared to 5 months for chemotherapy alone patients (p=0.242). The overall response included 9 partial responses for CCRT and 1 partial response for chemotherapy alone. In total, 26% of patients from the CCRT group experienced grade 3~4 bowel toxicity. In contract, no grade 3~4 bowel toxicity was observed in the chemotherapy alone group. The significant prognostic factors of overall survival were lymph node status, high CA19-9, and tumor location. Conclusion: The response rate and progression-free survival were more favorable in the CCRT group, when compared with the chemotherapy alone group. Therefore, radiation therapy seems to be an effective tool for local tumor control.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.1532-1537
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• 2010

This study compared the inhibitory effects of methanol extracts from yellow and black soybeans (black soybean, Seomoktae and Seoritae) on mutagenicity using the Ames test and growth of human cancer cells (AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma, HT-29 human colon cancer, Hep 3B hepatocellular carcinoma cells). In the Ames test system using Salmonella typhimurium TA100, aflatoxin $B_1$ ($AFB_1$)-induced mutagenicity was significantly inhibited by treatments with the methanol extracts from either yellow or black soybeans in a dose dependent manner (p<0.05). The methanol extracts from various black soybeans tended to have a greater inhibitory effect compared to those from yellow soybeans. As for N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguamidine (MNNG)-induced mutagenicity, the methanol extracts (5 mg/assay) from black soybean, Seomoktae and Seoritae showed 51%, 61% and 53% inhibitory rates, respectively, indicating that Seomoktae, a type of black soybean, had a stronger antimutagenic activity against mutagens (both $AFB_1$ and MNNG). Methanol extracts from black soybeans showed an inhibitory rate of greater than 50% on the growth of human cancer cells (AGS, HT-29 and Hep 3B) and the inhibition was more effective in the methanol extract from Seomoktae. Our results suggested that the methanol extracts from black soybeans showed stronger inhibitory effects on mutagenicity and growth of cancer cells than those from yellow soybean. It is concluded that intake of black soybean can be recommended for improving health.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.179-187
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• 2019

Purpose: Periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and adenitis (PFAPA) syndrome is a leading cause of periodic fever in children. This study describes the clinical characteristics of PFAPA syndrome in patients from a single center. Methods: Thirteen children diagnosed with PFAPA syndrome at Seoul National University Children's Hospital were included in this study. Retrospective medical chart reviews were performed. Results: Among the 13 patients, 8 (61.5%) were male. The median follow-up duration was 3.3 years (range, 10 months-8.3 years). The median age of periodic fever onset was 3 years (range, 1-6 years). All patients had at least 5 episodes of periodic fever and pharyngitis, managed with oral antibiotics, before diagnosis. The median occurrence of fever was every 3.9 weeks and lasted for 4.2 days. All patients had pharyngitis and 12 (92.3%) had cervical lymphadenitis. Blood tests were performed for 12 patients, and no patients had neutropenia. Both the C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were elevated at medians of 4.5 mg/dL (range, 0.4-13.2 mg/dL) and 29 mm/hr (range, 16-49 mm/hr), respectively. Throat swab cultures and rapid streptococcal antigen tests were negative. Nine (69.2%) patients received oral prednisolone at a median dose of 0.8 mg/kg, and in 6 (66.7%) patients, fever resolved within a few hours. Three (23.1%) patients received tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. Conclusions: PFAPA syndrome should be considered when a child presents with periodic fever along with aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, or cervical lymphadenitis. Glucocorticoid administration is effective for fever resolution and can reduce unnecessary use of antibiotics.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.215-224
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• 1997

Purpose : Stereotactic radiosurgery with external beam irradiation successfully obliterates carefully selected intracranial arteriovenous malformation (AVM) . We Present clinical and radiological long term results after treatment with a single high dose irradiation using a linear accelerator. Materials and Methods : Rrom January 1991 to June 1994, fifteen patients with intracranial AVM were treated in our hospital with the stereotactic radiosurgery using a linear accelerator. The radiation was delivered using a 6 MV linear accelerator. The prescribed doses at the isocenter varied from 1800 to 2500cGy (median : 2000cGy) and were given as a sin91e fraction. The radiation doses at the periphery of the lesion typically corresponded to the 80-90% isodose line. In 14 patients, complete clinical and/or radiological follow-up examination were available. Results : Angiography was available in 13 patients with a follow-up Period from 18 months to 27 months. Of 13 patients, the overall complete obliteration rate was 92.3% (12 patients). This incidence did not correlate with lesion size. Seizure, headache and progressive neurologic deficit were complete recovered. One Patient experienced hemorrhage at 2 months after treatment. One patient developed radiation induced brain edema in the white matter surrounding nidus at 16 months after treatment and showed complete resolution of the edema in MR image obtained at 27 months after treatment. After a follow-up period of up to 6 years, no radiation induced severe late complications occurred. Conclusion : We conclude that stereotactic radiosurgery using a linear accelerator is an effective and safe therapy for symptomatic and surgically inaccessible intracranial AVMs and the results compare favorably to the more expensive and elaborate systems that are currently available for stereotactic radiosurgery.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.207-215
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• 2014

To investigate the biological benefits of Korean traditional vegetables, anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of ethanol extracts from blanched and dried sprouts of evening primrose (Oenothera laciniata, OL) and gooseberry (Actinidia arguta, AA) were measured. Total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of OL were higher than those of AA; OL contained 60.4 mg tannic acid/g dry weight and 31.9 mg rutin/g dry weight, while AA contained 33.0 mg tannic acid/g dry weight and 20.3 mg rutin/g dry weight. The $IC_{50}$ value for DPPH radical scavenging activity was $58.2{\mu}g/mL$ for OL ethanol extract and $122.1{\mu}g/mL$ for AA ethanol extract. The reducing power upon $500{\mu}g/mL$ of ethanol extract treatment was as strong as $52.1{\mu}g$ ascorbate eq./mL for OL and $45.3{\mu}g$ ascorbate eq./mL for AA. Regarding anti-inflammatory effects, inhibition rate against 5-lipoxygenase (LOX) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 activities were 29.5% and 79.5% for OL, as well as 11.5% and 39.1% for AA, respectively at a concentration of $250{\mu}g/mL$. Lipopolysaccaride ($1{\mu}g/mL$)-treated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells subjected to OL ethanol extract at various concentrations ($0{\sim}25{\mu}g/mL$) showed significantly reduced synthesis of nitrite oxide (NO), prostaglandin (PG) E2, and IL-6 in a dose-dependent manner without cytotoxicity, although TNF-${\alpha}$ synthesis was not affected. In conclusion, both OL and AA sprouts showed strong antioxidative activity, whereas OL showed very strong anti-inflammatory activity via effective reduction of NO, PGE2, and IL-6 synthesis in LPS-activated macrophage cells.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.1164-1172
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• 2011

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Trichoderma reesei derived phytase for pigs fed diets with fixed calcium to total phosphorus ratios (1.5:1). In Exp. 1, 280 weaned pigs (initial BW of $10.32{\pm}1.94$ kg) were allocated to one of five dietary treatments on the basis of weight and gender in a randomized complete block design. Treatments were the low phosphorus (0.6% Ca, 0.4% total P and 0.23% available P) diets supplemented with 0, 250, 1,000, or 2,000 FTU phytase/kg of diet and a positive control diet (PC; 0.85% Ca, 0.58% total P and 0.37% available P). The treatments were applied to seven pens with eight pigs per pen, half male and half female. In Exp. 2, six barrows fitted with ileal T-cannula (initial BW = $35.1{\pm}1.6$ kg) were assigned to three dietary treatments with a double $3{\times}3$ Latin square design. The dietary treatments were the low-phosphorus diet (0.53% Ca, 0.34% total P and 0.14% available P), the low phosphorus diet plus 1,000 FTU phytase/kg and a positive control diet (0.77% Ca, 0.50% total P and 0.30% available P). In Exp. 1, there were linear increases (p<0.01) in weight gain, phosphorus absorption, bone strength, calcium and phosphorus content of fat-free dried bone and plasma phosphorus concentrations with increasing dose rate of phytase. The performance of pigs fed the diets with 250, 1,000, or 2,000 FTU of phytase/kg did not differ from pigs fed the PC diet. Pigs fed diets with 1,000 or 2,000 FTU of phytase/kg did not differ from pigs fed the PC diet in bone characteristics. The apparent digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, ash and energy was not affected by dietary treatment. However, pigs fed the PC diet excreted more fecal phosphorus (g/d, p<0.01) and fecal phosphorus per BW gain (g/kg) than pigs fed the diets with phytase. Phytase linearly decreased (p<0.01) fecal phosphorus excreted per BW gain (g/kg), plasma calcium concentration as well as plasma and bone alkaline phosphatase activity. In Exp. 2, phytase supplementation in the low-P diet increased (p<0.05) the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of Ca, P, leucine, lysine, phenylalanine, alanine and cysteine, tended to AID of crude protein, isoleucine, threonine, asparagine and serine. In conclusion, the novel phytase originated from Trichoderma reesei is effective in releasing Ca, P, and amino acids from corn soy based diet for pigs.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.9
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• pp.1344-1349
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• 2005

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Welsh onion administration on $CCl_4$-induced hepatic injury in rats. The increasing rate of the body and organ weight was not significantly different by the ad-ministration of the Welsh onion. Welsh onion (2, 4, $10\%$ w/w) was given for 4 weeks with the injections of $CCl_4$. Total serum lipid was significantly decreased in all treatment groups compared to $CCl_4$ only treatment group (p<0.05). The Welsh onion from winter season was more protective effect by lowering the serum levels of transminase (SGOT and SGPT) compared with others, the levels of transminase - phosphatase (ALP) in serum. The Welsh onion from winter at a dose of $4\%,\;10\%$ (w/w) showed significantly hepatoprotective activity which was comparable to that $CCl_4$-induced hepatic damage. Histological evaluation showed that Welsh onion partially prevented $CCl_4$-induced inflammation, necrosis and vacuolation. Pretreatment of Welsh onion reduced extent of the necrosis found 24 hr after the intraperitoneal administration of $CCl_4$. The present study shows the liver protective action of the Welsh onion against experimentally induced liver damage in rats. This suggests that the Welsh onion may be used as an effective hepatoprotective agent.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.79-84
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• 2000

Purpose : To evaluate the effectiveness and tolerance of postoperative e지ernai beam radiotherapy for patients with low grade glioma of the brain and define the optimal radiotherapeutic regimen. Materials and Methods : Between June, 1985 and May, 1998, 72 patients with low grade gliomas were treated with postoperative radiotherapy immediately following surgery. Median age was 37 years with range of 11 to 76 years. Forty one patients were male and 31 patients were female with male to female ratio of 1.3:1. Of those patients, 15 underwent biopsy alone and remaining 57 did subtotal resection. The distribution of the patients according to histologic type was as follows: astrocytomas-42 patients (58$\%$), mixed oligodendrogliomas-19 patients (27$\%$), oiigodendrogliomas-11 patients (15$\%$). Two patients were treated with whole brain irradiation followed by cone down boost and remaining 70 patients were treated with localized field with appropriate margin. Ail of the patients were treated with conventional once a day fractionation. Most of patients received total tumor dose of 5000 $\~$ 5500 cGy. Results : The overall 5 and 7 year survival rates for entire group of 72 patients were 61$\~$ and 50$\~$. Corresponding disease free survival rates for entire patients were 53$\~$ and 45$\~$, respectively. The 5 and 7 year overall survival rates for astrocytomas, mixed oligodendrogiiomas, and oligodendrogiiorras were 48$\%$ and 45$\%$, 76$\%$ and 56$\%$, and 80$\%$ and 52$\%$, respectively. Patients who underwent subtotal resection showed better survival rates than those who did biopsy alone. The overall 5 year survival rates for sub total resection patients and biopsy alone patients were 57$\%$ and 43$\%$, respectively. Forty six patients who were 40 years or younger survived batter than 26 patients who were 41 years or older (overall survival rate at 5 years, 69$\%$ vs 45$\%$). Although one patient was not able to complete the treatment because of neurological deterioration, there was no significant treatment related acute toxicities. Conclusion : Postoperative radiotherapy was safe and effective treatment for patients with low grade gliomas. However, we probably need prospective randomized trial to define optimal treatment timing and schedule for low grade gliomas and select patient group for different treatment philosophies.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.213-218
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• 2007

Purpose: To analyze retrospectively the outcome of postoperative radiation therapy with or without concurrent chemotherapy for curatively resected stage II pancreatic cancer with T3 or N1 disease. Materials and Methods: Between January 1996 and December 2005, twenty-eight patients completed adjuvant radiation therapy at Ajou University Hospital. The patients had either pathologic T3 stage or N1 stage. The radiation target volume encompassed the initial tumor bed identified preoperatively, resection margin area and celiac nodal area. In the case of N1 patients, the radiation field extended to the lower margin of the L3 vertebra for covering both para-aortic lymph nodes bearing area. The median total radiation dose was 50 Gy. Ten patients received concurrent chemotherapy. Results: Thirteen patients (46%) showed loco-regional recurrences. The celiac axis nodal area was the most frequent site (4 patients). Five patients showed both loco-regional recurrence and a distant metastasis. Patients with positive lymph nodes had a relatively high probability of a distant metastasis (57.1%). Patients that had a positive resection margin showed a relatively high local failure rate (57.1%). The median disease-free survival period of all patients was 6 months and the 1-and 2-year disease free survival rates were 27.4% and 8.2%, respectively. The median overall survival period was 9 months. The 2-and 3-year overall survival rates were 31.6% and 15.8%, respectively. Conclusion: The pancreatic cancer patients with stage II had a high risk of local failure and a high risk of a distant metastasis. We suggest the concurrent use of an effective radiation-sensitizing chemotherapeutic drug and adjuvant chemotherapy after postoperative radiation therapy for the treatment of patients with stage II pancreatic cancer.