• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.9-23
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• 2015

Objectives: This study was investigated the improvement effects of Pakistani Ephedra herba-containing Gangji-hwan-1, 2, 3 (Di-fatty; DF-1, 2, 3), Chinese Ephedra herba-containing Gangjihwan-4 (DF-4) and combination of DF-1 and Gamisoche-hwan (GSH) on obesity in a high fat diet-fed obese mouse model. Methods: Eight-week-old C57BL/6N mice were divided into seven groups: a normal lean group given a standard diet, an obese control group given a high fat diet, and DF-1, 2, 3, 4, and DF-1+GSH groups given a high fat diet with DF-1, 2, 3, 4 (40, 80, 160, 80 mg/kg), and DF-1+ GSH (80 mg/kg), respectively. After 8 weeks of treatment, body weight gain, feeding efficiency ratio (FER), blood lipid markers, liver histology, and fat weight and histology were examined. Results: Body weight gain was significantly decreased in DF and DF-1+GSH groups compared with control. The extent of decreases was eminent in DF-1+GSH group. FER and circulating concentration of leptin were decreased in DF and DF-1+GSH groups compared with control. Circulating concentrations of triglyceride, glucose and insulin were decreased in DF and DF-1+GSH groups compared with control. The size of adipocytes were decreased by DF and DF-1+GSH groups compared with control, whereas the adipocyte number per unit area was increased by them, suggesting that DF and DF-1+GSH groups decreased the number of large adipocytes. Conclusions: In conclusion, these results suggest that DF and DF-1+GSH groups decrease FER, plasma leptin concentration, blood anti-obesity biomarkers and fat mass, improves body weight gain. In addition, these effects were more effective in DF-1+GSH combination group than in DF-1, 2, 3, 4 groups.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.64-74
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• 2014

Objective : The purpose of this study is to report the effectiveness of a Korean Medicine Treatment on 45 facial atopic dermatitis patients. Methods : Total 45 facial atopic dermatitis patients, who has visited korean medical clinic in year 2011 were analyzed by Objective SCORAD Index(OSI) and Investigator's Global Assessment(IGA). Subanalysis of OSI and IGA were done according to topical ointment user/non-user, treatment period and change in IGA distribution. Results : 1. Male and female percent was 20%:80%. 17.8% were teens, 55.6% were twenties, 13.3% were thirties, 13.3% were above age forty. 64.4% were on topical ointment treatment of corticosteroid or calcineurin inhibitor, and 35.6% were not at the initial visit. Patients with family history were 44.4% and 62.2% had atopic dermatitis past history. 2. OSI and IGA were significantly lower after 1~3, 3~6, 6~9 month of treatment. Average post-treatment score was lower in longer-treated group. 3. IGA distribution has changed from average 3.42 at the first visit to 1.76 at final visit. 91.1% of total patients reported decrease in IGA at the final visit. 4. OSI and IGA improvement rate were significantly higher in non-topical ointment user than the user. Age, treatment period, initial OSI and IGA score difference were not significantly different. Conclusion : A significant percent of 45 facial atopic dermatitis patients who were treated with Korean Medicine Treatment reported decrease in OSI and IGA. The difference increased with the treatment period. Non-topical ointment users' improvement was significantly higher than topical ointment user.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.47-54
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• 2014

Objectives : This study was undertaken to verify the effect of Gangjihwan(Di-fatty, DF) composed with Pakistani Ephedra Herba on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) using high fat diet-fed male mice. Method : Eight-week old C57BL/6N mice were used for all experiments. Standard chow diet-fed mice were used as normal group and high fat diet-fed NAFLD mice were randomly divided into 5 groups: control, atorvastatin, DF(1), DF(2) and DF(3). After 8 weeks, mice were treated with water, atorvastatin(10mg/kg) and DF(40, 80, 160mg/kg) for 8 weeks. And we investigated body weight gain, plasma lipid and glucose metabolism, histological analysis for liver on the mice. Results : Compared with controls, DF-treated mice had very significantly lower body weight gain and lower visceral adipose tissue weight, the magnitudes of which were prominent in DF(3). Consistent with their effects on body weight gain, DF-treated mice had lower blood total cholesterol and triglyceride level compared with controls. Consistent with their effects on body weight gain and blood plasma lipid level, DF-treated mice had lower liver weight and hepatic lipid accumulation of DF-treated groups was significantly decreased than control group. Also Blood plasma AST, ALT and ${\gamma}$-GT concentration were not changed by DF, and these results may indicate DF do not show any toxic effects. Conclusions : These results suggest that DF effectively improves NAFLD. DF reduces liver weight and prevents lipid accumulation of hepatocyte by reducing body weight gain and modulating blood plasma lipid metabolism levels.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.5
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• pp.480-486
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• 2005

Since the year 2000, lung cancer has become the leading cause of cancer death in South Korea as in many other parts of the world. The current multidisciplinary approach for lung cancer includes a wide range of modalities, not only surgery, radiotherapy, medical drug therapy but also pain control, as well as social and psychological support. Therefore, thoracic surgeons, radiologists, nuclear medicine specialists, anesthetists, psychologist, nurses and social workers as well as medical doctors care for lung cancer patients. Sharing a common treatment protocol and optimal communication are vital aspects of shared care both from a medical and cost-effectiveness point of view. We developed a shared electronic medical record (SEMR) for treating patients with lung cancer in a university hospital to facilitate the sharing protocols and communications between doctors involved in a lung cancer clinic. A SEMR system was developed within a order communication system(OCS) for a lung cancer clinic. The records of radiological, laboratory and pathological studies as well as the records of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy were stored and presented to all doctors who treat the same patient. Every doctor was allowed to change his/her own records. They could review other doctor s records but could not alter them. With the SEMR, it was expected that the time to complete the medical records for one patient could be reduced because it was easy to review all the data from the other doctors who share the same patient. In addition, the confidence of the doctors who share a common treatment protocol would be higher. Therefore, a shared electronic medical record is expected to improve the quality of patient care.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.199-206
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• 2016

Objective: This study was carried out to investigate the correlations of the sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) with semen parameters and apoptosis, and to investigate the effects of density-gradient centrifugation (DGC) and magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) on reducing the proportion of sperm with DNA fragmentation and protamine deficiency. Methods: Semen analysis and a sperm DNA fragmentation assay were performed to assess the correlations between semen parameters and the DFI in 458 semen samples. Sperm with progressive motility or non-apoptosis were isolated by DGC or MACS, respectively, in 29 normozoospermic semen samples. The effects of DGC or MACS alone and of DGC and MACS combined on reducing the amount of sperm in the sample with DNA fragmentation and protamine deficiency were investigated. Results: The sperm DFI showed a significant correlation (r=-0.347, p< 0.001) with sperm motility and morphology (r=-0.114, p< 0.05) but not with other semen parameters. The DFI ($11.5%{\pm}2.0%$) of semen samples was significantly reduced by DGC ($8.1%{\pm}4.1%$) or MACS alone ($7.4%{\pm}3.9%$) (p< 0.05). The DFI was significantly further reduced by a combination of DGC and MACS ($4.1%{\pm}1.3%$, p< 0.05). Moreover, the combination of DGC and MACS ($1.6%{\pm}1.1%$, p< 0.05) significantly reduced the protamine deficiency rate of semen samples compared to DGC ($4.4%{\pm}3.2%$) or MACS alone ($3.4%{\pm}2.2%$). Conclusion: The combination of DGC and MACS may be an effective method to isolate high-quality sperm with progressive motility, non-apoptosis, high DNA integrity, and low protamine deficiency in clinical use.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.122-128
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• 2018

Objective: To determine whether fragment removal on in vitro fertilization (IVF) day 2 improved the subsequent development and pregnancy outcomes of fragmented embryos compared to similar-grade embryos without fragment removal. Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis involving 191 IVF cycles in which all embryos had over 10% fragmentation (grade 3 or 4) on day 2 of the IVF-embryo transfer cycle from March 2015 to December 2017. IVF cycles were divided into the fragment removal group (n = 87) and the no fragment removal group (n = 104) as a control cohort. Before fragment removal, embryos with fragmentation on day 2 were incubated in $Ca^{2+}$- and $Mg^{2+}$-free biopsy medium under paraffin oil for 30 minutes. Microsurgical fragment removal was performed with later-assisted hatching and a handmade suction micropipette that had an outer diameter of $30{\mu}m$. Results: There were no significant differences in the characteristics of the patients between the control and the fragment removal groups. After fragment removal and subsequent in vitro culture for 24 hours, the number of blastomeres ($7.1{\pm}1.7$ vs. $6.9{\pm}1.6$) was comparable between the transferred embryos in the two groups, but the morphological grade of the embryos in the fragment removal group ($1.9{\pm}0.7$) was significantly higher than that of the control group ($3.1{\pm}0.5$, p< 0.01). The clinical pregnancy (43.7%) and implantation rates (25.8%) in the fragment removal group were significantly higher than those in the control group (28.8% and 14.0%, respectively; p< 0.05). Conclusion: Early fragment removal on day 2 significantly improved the subsequent development and pregnancy outcomes of fragmented embryos.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.46-49
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• 2007

Soft tissue implantation of thyroid tissue is a very rare event. Needle tract implantation of thyroid carcinoma after fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy has been occasionally reported, but implantation of benign thyroid tumor tissue is extremely rare. Rupture of thyroid tissues during surgery or trauma may cause the thyroid tissue to be implanted and result in multiple palpable nodules in soft tissue of the neck. Several reports have shown the possibility of implantation of normal or hyperplastic thyroid tissues in soft tissue. We herein report a case of implantation of adenomatous hyperplastic tissue in the neck along the trochar and previous operation site after endoscopic thyroid surgery, which was successfully treated by complete excision.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.77-81
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• 1997

Background : We studied the effects of lumbar spinal root block (RB) prospectively in 21 patients who had suffered from low back pain with radiating pain even treated epidural steroid injection three times. Method : RB was performed under the fluoroscopic C-arm guide. When the needle was in correct position, we confirmed the needle placement and expected drug spreading by injection of contrast medium ($Isovist^{(R)}$-300, Sobering, Germany). Next 2% mepivacaine 1 ml mixed to 40 mg of Depomedrol was injected. Pain assessment was carried out 7 days after RB by numeric pain score regarding the pain just before RB was 10. Remained pain after RB was graded as excellent; 0-2, good; 3-5, bad; 6-8 and poor 9-10. Results : Mean age of the patients was 52.3 years. 38.1% and 47.6% of the patients showed excellent and goo dresults after RB, respectively. Conclusion : We concluded that RB is easy and safe procedure to perfirm and effective for the treatment of remnant pain following epidural steroid injection, especially in the patients who had spinal stenosis.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.191-194
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• 1999

Background: Millions of patients with chronic sciatica are still treated with epidural corticosteroids. The efficacy of epidural corticosteroids remains questionable, especially in the failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS). We studied to evaluate outcome for 10 patients with failed back surgery syndrome treated with spinal nerve root block using corticosteroids, hyaluronidase, and local anesthetics. Methods: The affected nerve roots are localized with the help of fluoroscopy and contrast dye. Local anesthetic diluted in 1,500 U hyaluronidase and 40 mg methylprednisolone is injected. A small retrospective pilot group of 10 patients with FBSS was treated. The success rate is evaluated using a visual analogue scale at 1 week and 3 month interval after the last injection. Results: Initially, 7 patients experienced good pain relief; 5 patients suspained pain relief for 3 months. No complications were observed. Conclusions: This technique is worthwhile for patients with FBSS and where epidural fibrosis is suspected to be the pain origin.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.246-249
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• 1999

Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is defined as the persistence of pain after recovery from herpes zoster (HZ), when the rash has healed, usually after about 4 weeks. PHN is the most feared complication of herpes zoster and remains one of the most common and intractable chronic pain disorders. Recent evidence has shed some light on the possible mechanism of pain, and on the prophylactic and treatment approaches to PHN, but there is no secure therapy. This report is a case of a 70-year-old male with PHN, affecting the 8th to 10th thoracic dermatomes. Patient complains of allodynia and hyperalgesia on the affected skins. After sympathectomy, antidepressant, anticonvulsant, and capsaicin ointment application, much pain relief was achieved, but allodynia remained at the subcostal area about $7\times3 cm^2$ in size. We decided to remove the painful area. Skin excision was done under local anesthesia. After skin excision, the pain was decreased and patient did not complain of pain for 10 months.