• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.1611-1618
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• 2007

In this study we investigated the effect of medical history on the incidence of stroke in Korean population. 217 stroke patients were enrolled as a case group. 160 non-stroke patients and 146 normal and non-stroke patients were enrolled as a control and a normal group, respectively, from Jul. 2005 to Mar. 2007. Stroke patients were hospitalized within 2 weeks after the onset of stroke. Medical history was gathered by interviewing each patient. Clinical data were analyzed using SAS software (ver 9.1). Hypertension and diabetes mellitus (DM) were statistically significant in a case group when compared with control and normal groups. Other parameters, such as transient ischemic attack, hyperlipidemia, ischemic heart disease, facial palsy, migraine, and hypochondria, did not show any statistical significance. The same association pattern was observed in the ischemic stroke patients of case group. On the other hand, hemorrhagic stroke patients of case group showed a significant difference in DM when compared with other subject groups. More efficient therapeutic strategy should be considered for patients with medical history, especially hypertensin and DM, to reduce the stroke incidence in Korean population.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.72-78
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• 2015

Objectives: The stomach is a sensitive digestive organ that is susceptible to exogenous pathogens from the diet. In response to such pathogens, the stomach induces oxidative stress, which might be related to the development of both gastric organic disorders such as gastritis, gastric ulcers, and gastric cancer, and functional disorders such as functional dyspepsia. This study was accomplished to investigate the effect of Ganoderma lucidum pharmacopuncture (GLP) on chronic gastric ulcers in rats. Methods: The rats were divided into 4 groups of 8 animals each: the normal, the control, the normal saline (NP) and the GLP groups. In this study, the modified ethanol gastritis model was used. The rats were administrated 56% ethanol orally every other day. The dose of ethanol was 8 g/kg body weight. The normal group received the same amount of normal saline instead of ethanol. The NP and the GLP groups were treated with injection of saline and GLP respectively. The control group received no treatment. Two local acupoints CV12 (中脘) and ST36 (足三里) were used. All laboratory rats underwent treatment for 15 days. On last day, the rats were sacrificed and their stomachs were immediately excised. Results: Ulcers of the gastric mucosa appeared as elongated bands of hemorrhagic lesions parallel to the long axis of the stomach. In the NP and GLP groups, the injuries to the gastric mucosal injuries were not as severe as they were in the control group. Wound healings of the chronic gastric ulcers was promoted by using GLP and significant alterations of the indices in the gastric mucosa were observed. Such protection was demonstrated by gross appearance, histology and immunehistochemistry staining for Bcl-2-associated X (BAX), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-${\beta}1$). Conclusion: These results suggest that GLP at CV12 and ST36 can provide significant protection to the gastric mucosa against an ethanol induced chronic gastric ulcer.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2009

Purpose : Yellow fever, a mosquito-borne viral hemorrhagic fever, is one of the most lethal diseases. Recently there have been an increasing number of Korean children who have travelled to yellow fever endemic zones and were administered yellow fever vaccine (YFV). Therefore, we carried out this study to provide child travelers with safety information of YFV. Methods : This study was conducted at the International Clinic of National Medical Center in Seoul between April 2007 and June 2008 for the evaluation of adverse events of YFV. One hundred twenty-five children received YFV (17-DD) and were prospectively monitored for adverse events through telephone interviews on day 3, 6, 9, 16, 23 and 30 after vaccination. Results : Adverse events were observed in 31 (24.8%) of 125 child travelers who received the YFV. The mean age was 12.5${\pm}$5.0 years. Sixty-six of the child travelers (52.8%) were males. The common adverse events were pain in 11 (8.8%), swelling in 8 (6.4%) and redness in 7 children (5.6%) at the injection site. The systemic adverse events included mild fever in 5 (4.0%), headache in 5 (4.0%), cough in 4 (3.2%), abdominal pain in 3 (2.4%), and vomiting in 2 children (1.6%). Most of the adverse events were detected within 7 days of administration and there were no differences in adverse events by gender or age. All travelers who had complained of symptoms improved spontaneously or following symptomatic treatment. Conclusion : This study showed that YFV is well-tolerated and there were no reports of severe adverse events. Studies are ongoing to clarify the cause and risk factors for rare adverse events.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.76-82
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• 2005

Purpose : Regional anticoagulation with trisodium citrate for continuous renal replacement therapy(CRRT) is an effective and safe method, with lower bleeding risk. However it is not widely used because of complex current protocols used to prevent anticipated metabolic derangements. We evaluated simplified regional anticoagulation protocols with ACD-A(R) solution and commercially available calcium-containing dialysis solution. Methods : The medical records of twenty-eight patients who underwent CRRT were reviewed. Hemofilter life span according to the anticoagulation method used was compared, and laboratory findings at Pre- and 48 hours post-CRRT initiation were compared in the citrate-based CRRT group. Results : Of the twenty-eight Patients, five patients underwent citrate-based CRRT Hemofilter life span was 1.60 $\pm$ 0.72 days, showing no significant differences with the hemofilter life span in the heparin based and LMWH based CRRT group. No patients experienced hemorrhagic complications. PT, aPTT, sodium, t$CO_{2}$, iCa levels showed no difference in pre- and post-CRRT. Total calcium levels were increased. At the recommended postfilter iCa level, j.e., 0.25-0.39 mmol/L, all five patients needed increased amount of citrate infusion, and Ca infusion requirement was decreased. Conclusion : Simplified regional citrate anticoagulation with calcium-containing dialysate is an effective and safe method, and is not associated with increased hemofilter clotting. However, increased postfilter iCa level is recommended.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.129-134
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• 2017

Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli is now recognized as an important cause of diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) worldwide. E. coli were isolated from 80 of 356 (22.5%) chicken and chilled chicken products in Korea. Fifteen virulence genes specific for pathogenic E. coli, including Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) and enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), were examined by multiplex PCR. STEC virulence markers were detected for eaeA (20.0%), escV (21.3%), stx1 (3.8%), ent (2.5%), EHEC-hly (1.3%), stx2 (1.3%), EAEC virulence marker (astA) was detected in 32.5%. ETEC and EIEC were not detected. STEC serotypes O152, O1, O116, O26, O25, O119 and O153 were found in chicken samples. This suggests the importance of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli control in raw chicken and chilled chicken food for food safety.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.179-184
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• 2010

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a food-borne pathogen that causes bloody diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). We compared three selective media and evaluated the performance of immunomagnetic separation (IMS) for the detection of low levels of E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef and radish sprouts with different levels of background flora. Bulk food samples (500 g for each trial) were artificially inoculated with nalidixic acid-resistant E. coli O157:H7 at the lowest dose that would generate 20 partial-positive samples of 25 g each. All samples were homogenized in mTSB (225 mL) and incubated overnight at $37^{\circ}C$. IMS was performed using the enriched mTSB samples (1 mL) along with conventional spreads plated onto three different selective media: Sorbitol MacConkey agar (SMAC), Sorbitol MacConkey agar with cefixime and tellulite (CT-SMAC), and Sorbitol MacConkey agar with nalidixic acid (NAL-SMAC) as the gold standard. Two suspicious colonies from each medium were selected and confirmed usinga serological test after transfer to tryptic soy broth with yeast extract (TSAYE). CT-SMAC was better than SMAC for detecting E. coli O157:H7 in all food types. Although there was no statistical difference in the number of positive samples when using IMS vs. non-IMS techniques, more positive samples were detected when IMS was used in both ground beef and radish sprouts. It appears that the improvement was more significant in radish sprouts, which had a higher level of background flora than ground beef. The results also suggest that the combination of CT-SMAC and IMS is sufficient to recover low levels of E. coli O157:H7 in high background flora food samples.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.sup2
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• pp.309-315
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• 2001

The term slit ventricle syndrome(SVS) refers to an episodic occurrence of headache, vomiting, and possibly some degree of impaired consciousness in shunted hydrocephalic children in whom slit-like ventricles are seen on CT scan or MRI. Authors present 6 cases with SVS who were treated at our institute for last 10 years. From 1986 to 1996, 821 patients underwent shunt surgery for hydrocephalus. The etiology of hydrocephalus included brain tumor(140 patients), post-hemorrhagic(62 patients), idiopathic normotensive hydrocephalus(64 patients), post-meningitic( 58 patients), post-traumatic(54 patients), congenital(48 patients), neurocysticercosis(31 patients), and unknown etiology(364 patients). During the mean follow-up duration of 68 months, 232 shunt revisions were performed by a revision rate of 1.28 per patient. The incidence of SVS was 0.7%(6 patients). Most of them have been operated on in infancy. Time interval from the first operation to the development of slit-ventricle syndrome ranged from 4 to 8 years, the mean was 6 years. Shuntogram showed patent shunt in all patients. Two patients with less severe clinical symptoms improved with conservative treatment. These patients were not measured ICP because of good hospital course. One patient showed high ICP and needed only revision with same pressure valve as previous shunt. Low ICP was noted in 3 patients. Pressure augmentation using an anti-siphon device(ASD) or upgrading valve system were necessary in these patients. The authors stress that determining type of SVS is the first step in treatment planning and that the best treatment is a strategy aimed at resolving the specific type of SVS responsible for the symptoms.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.2935-2940
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• 2016

Breast cancer is the most frequent type of cancer diagnosed among women worldwide and also in Thailand. Estrogen and estrogen receptors exert important roles in its genesis and progression. Several cytokines have been reported to be involved in the microenvironment that promotes distant metastasis via modulation of immune and inflammatory responses to tumor cells. Estrogen receptor genetic polymorphisms and several cytokines have been reported to be associated with breast cancer susceptibility and aggressiveness. To investigate roles of genetic polymorphisms in estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) and interleukin 6 (IL6), breast cancer patients and control subjects were recruited from the Division of Head, Neck and Breast Surgery (Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand). Polymorphisms in ESR1 (rs3798577) and IL6 (rs1800795 and rs1800797) were evaluated by real-time PCR in 391 breast cancer patients and 79 healthy controls. Associations between genetic polymorphisms and clinicopathological data were determined. There was no association between genetic polymorphisms and breast cancer susceptibility. However the ESR1 rs3798577 CT genotype was associated with presence of lymphovascular invasion (OR=2.07, 95%CI 1.20-3.56, p=0.009) when compared to the TT genotype. IL6 rs1800795 CC genotype was associated with presence of extranodal extension (OR= 2.30, 95%CI 1.23-4.31, p=0.009) when compared to the GG genotype. Survival analysis showed that IL6 rs1800797 AG or AA genotypes were associated with lower disease-free survival. These findings indicate that polymorphisms in ESR1 and IL6 contribute to aggressiveness of breast cancer and may be used to identify high risk patients.

• Journal of The Korean Ophthalmological Society
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• v.59 no.11
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• pp.1082-1086
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• 2018

Purpose: To report a case of a 60-year-old female with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, presenting with suprachoroidal hemorrhage after vitrectomy. Case summary: A 60-year-old woman visited our clinic complaining of floaters, flashing, and blurred vision. Best-corrected visual acuity was 0.1 in her left eye, and fundus examination of her left eye revealed macula-involved retinal detachment with a retinal break at the superotemporal quadrant. She underwent cataract surgery, 23-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy, and 14% C3F8 gas tamponade under general anesthesia. One hour after anesthesia recovery, she suddenly complained of severe pain in her left eye. The intraocular pressure measured after removal of the pressure patch from her left eye was as high as 58 mmHg. Her ocular pain improved spontaneously within 10 minutes, and the intraocular pressure decreased to 8 mmHg. Fundus examination of her left eye revealed a reddish-brown raised lesion, suggesting suprachoroidal hemorrhage. She was placed in a prone position with a pressure patch over her left eye. Bleeding through the sclerotomy site was observed 1 day after surgery. Subsequently, hemorrhagic choroidal detachment of her left eye continued to decrease without deterioration. Three weeks after surgery, the patient received an intravitreal injection of 100% C3F8 gas into her left eye. At 3 months after surgery, best-corrected visual acuity had improved to 0.8 in her left eye, and the retina was stable. Conclusions: Suprachoroidal hemorrhage may be suspected in a patient complaining of severe ocular pain after vitrectomy.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.266-276
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• 2021

Fundus hemorrhage refers to abnormalities in the retinal tissue and blood vessels. Therefore, when a hemorrhagic change in the fundus occurs, the ophthalmologist orders various ophthalmic tests to evaluate the degree of hemorrhage and determine the progress of the lesion before, during, and after treatment to accordingly establish a treatment plan. Currently, the most useful and universal fundus examination includes optical coherence tomography (OCT), fundus photography (FP), and fluorescein angiography (FAG). Existing fluorescein angiography test methods for establishing a treatment plan for severe fundus bleeding have limitations. The authors propose that peripheral pupil and the 5-quadrant method should be performed using ultra-wide-angle fluorescence fundus angiography (UWFFA). Using this method, it is possible to quickly determine the area to be described, avoid the radius of bleeding as much as possible, and provide the ophthalmologist with a range of damaged tissue and abnormal blood vessels. Nevertheless, there are cases in which ophthalmologists judge that fundus bleeding is so severe that ultra-wide-angle fluorescence fundus angiography is meaningless. In such cases, ophthalmic ultrasound and electroretinogram may be used in that order as alternative methods of examination. Therefore, some clinical situations require the use of ophthalmic ultrasound and electroretinogram and should be performed accurately.