• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.22 no.2 s.57
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• pp.165-170
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• 2007

Elevation of homocysteine levels is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and liver diseases. It has been reported that both streptozotocin-induced type I diabetic rats and obese type II diabetic rats have plasma total homocysteine lower than each control rats. We determined the effects of lean type II diabetes on homocysteine levels using type 2 diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rats. The concentrations of serum glucose were increased to ${\sim}two-fold$ of control levels and the total cholesterol levels were also increased in GK rats. Hepatic aspartate, histidine, threonine, alanine and methionine levels were significantly increased in GK rats. Plasma aspartate and glutamate levels were elevated, but threonine and arginine levels were decreased in GK rats. Plasma total homocysteine levels were not changed in GK rats, but hepatic total homocysteine levels were increased to ${\sim}three-fold$ of control levels. These results suggest that hepatic metabolism of sulfur-amino acid may be altered in diabetic condition.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.107-111
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• 1996

Studies on the effects of protein levels on the total sulphur amino acid (TSAA) requirements of chickens were conducted on the starter broilers by feeding four levels of crude protein(16, 18, 20 and 23%) at three levels of TSAA (0.83, 0.93 and 1.03%) and on the grower broilers by feeding three levels of crude protein (16, 18 and 20%) at three levels of TSAA(0.72, 0.79 and 0.86%). The metabolisable energy of the diets was maintained constant at 3,200 kcal/kg and the experiments were carried out for two growing periods: starter (0-3 wk) and grower (3-6 wk). The results showed that there were significant differences in body weight gain, feed intake and feed:gain ratio under different protein levels of the starters. Crude protein, ME and TSAA intake were significantly affected by increasing the CP levels. The TSAA requirement of the starter broilers is recommended at 0.93% and it is not influenced by different protein levels used in the experiment. For the grower period, body weight gain and feed:gain ratio improved significantly at higher protein diets. Birds fed higher protein diet consumed greater quantities of protein. Responses to TSAA supplementation for body weight gain, feed intake and feed:gain ratio were not significant. The present results showed that the TSAA level of 0.79 to 0.86% was required for grower diets and that the protein levels of the diet did not influence the TSAA requirement.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.79 no.3
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• pp.153-157
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• 2016

Background: Vitamin D is known to have diverse effects on various systems in the body. There is evidence to suggest that a link exists between the serum vitamin D status and tuberculosis. The present study was designed to assess the alterations in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in newly diagnosed sputum acid fast bacilli (AFB) positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients and to study the association, if any, between serum vitamin D levels and different levels of sputum smear positivity. Methods: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were estimated in 65 sputum AFB positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients and 65 age and gender-matched healthy controls. Results: The levels of serum 25 hydroxy-vitamin D in tuberculosis patients were not statistically different from the levels of serum 25 hydroxy-vitamin D in healthy controls. However, among patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, there was a significant negative correlation between the levels of serum 25 hydroxy-vitamin D and levels of sputum positivity. Conclusion: Serum vitamin D levels negatively correlates with bacterial load in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.221-226
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• 2014

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels are associated with decreased risk of coronary artery disease. Several genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for HDL cholesterol levels have implicated Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) as possibly being causal. Herein, the association between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs10503669 in the LPL gene and HDL cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels was tested in the Korean population. A total of 994 subjects from Seoul City were included in a replication study with LPL SNP rs10503669. SNP rs10503669 in the LPL gene was associated with mean HDL cholesterol levels (effect per allele 3.13 mg/dL, P<0.0001) and triglyceride levels (effect per allele -18.0 mg/dL, P=0.0026). Subjects with the CA/AA genotype had a 0.42-fold (range 0.23~0.77-fold) lower risk of having abnormal HDL cholesterol levels (<40 mg/dL) than subjects with the CC genotype. When analyzed by gender, the association of LPL was stronger in men than in women. This study clearly demonstrates that genetic variants in LPL influence HDL cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels in Korean adults.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.572-578
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• 2006

Objectives : This study investigated whether taking herbal medicine over the long-term had any side effects of liver damage. Methods : We checked LFT levels of the 58 admitted patients. Results : When we compared admission LFT levels with discharge LFT levels, we found the levels of AST, ALT and LDH had decreased. This test showed statistically significant decrease. When we compared admission LFT levels with discharge LFT levels, we found the increases of discharge LFT levels fell within the standard deviation. When we compared admission LFT levels with discharge LFT levels, we found the levels of LFT did not increase as much as two standard deviations. Conclusions : According to the above results, taking herbal medicine over a long-term did not have any side effects of drug-induced liver damage.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.43-48
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• 2013

This study aims to investigate changes in plasma lipid concentrations and appetite-regulating hormone levels after a 4% body fat reduction using a 9-week intervention involving aerobic exercise, a fat-oxidizing agent, and diet limitation. After the 9-week intervention, the aerobic exercise plus hydroxycitric acid (EX+HCA), exercise (EX), and diet limitation (DIET) groups achieved the target 4% body fat reduction from the baseline value. None of the plasma lipid indicators showed significant intergroup differences, indicating that plasma lipid levels are not influenced by body weight regulation. With regard to appetite-regulating hormones, no significant intergroup differences were observed in glucose, insulin, or glucagon-like peptide-1 levels, unlike ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin levels in particular tended to decrease in the DIET group and increase in the HCA+EX and EX groups. Leptin levels significantly decreased in the HCA+EX and EX groups, whereas no differences were observed in the DIET group. Such results indicate that exercise alone without the administration of obesity diet supplements induces elevation in ghrelin levels and reduction in leptin levels, but that diet restriction alone does not influence changes in leptin levels. Taken together, we could not confirm any synergic effects arising from the use of a fat-oxidizing agent during an exercise program to control body weight. Furthermore, diet limitation unsupported by exercise had no effect on muscle mass reduction or appetite-regulating hormone levels; thus, it is not recommended as an effective body weight control method.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.1-14
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• 1997

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of consumer's status type (status consistency and status inconsistency) on clothing expenditures. Data were obtained from Urban Household Economy Survey published by the National Statistical Office. Multiple regression analyses of variance and Scheffe tests were4 utilized in this study. The effect of the status inconsistency was categorized by three variables such as education occupation and income levels of households. The overprivileged status group which had higher levels of income than the levels of occupation of education spent most on clothing whereas the underprivileged status group which had higher levels of income than the levels of occupation of education spent least on clothing. This study showed that there were significant differences in clothing expenditures among status groups classified by levels of income and education or by levels of income and occupation. Among status group classified by levels of education and income there was a significant difference in clothing expenditures between overprivileged status group and underprivileged status group. In conclusion income has the strongest effect on the clothing expenditures. The results of study can help to understand consumer buying behavior and also give insights of marketing strategy in the apparel industry.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.87-96
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• 1991

This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of the levels of dietary Zn and alcohol consumption on lipid metabolism in Sprague-Dawley male rats weighing 80 to 90g for eight weeks. Ninety rats were divided into nine groups according to Zn levels and alcohol consumption such as no alcohol group[low Zn diet group(<1ppm. LZ) control Zn diet group(30ppm. CZ) high Zn diet group(60ppm, HZ)] 10% alcohol consumption group[the same Zn levels as no alcohol group LZLA, CZLA, HZLA] 20% alcohol consumption group[the same Zn levels as no alcohol group, LZHA, CZHA, HZHA] The results obtained were summarized as following : 1) In the serum total cholesterol increased with increasing dietary Zn levels but decreased with alcohol consumption. HDL-cholesterol decreased with alcohol consumption. Triglyce-ride in alcohol group was higher than no alcohol group. In alcohol group triglyceride increased with decreasing dietary Zn levels. 2) In the liver total lipid in alcohol group was higher than no alcohol group HA group showed a significant increase. Triglyceride increased with alcohol consumption. 3) In the serum and liver Zn content increased with increasing dietary Zn levels but decreased with alcohol consumption.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.130-135
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• 1997

A pilot study was undertaken to examine the possible health effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs). An experimental study was performed for two weeks of preexposure, exposure, postexposure period of February-May 1997 to determine changes in melatonin levels in urine of five volunteers before or after exposure to electric mattress during their normal sleeping hours. An urine sample was collected at about 8 a.m. right after getting up from each volunteer. Average melatonin levels seemed to be 1.6 times lower during EMF exposure period for two weeks than the corresponding levels during preexposure period. Mean melatonin levels in postexposure period were lower than the corresponding levels in preexposure period. It suggested that melatonin levels were likely to take more two weeks for recovering the preexposure melatonin level. Further research is underway with regard to EMF exposure effects on melatonin levels between occupational and nonoccupational groups.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.15-19
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• 2015

Purpose: Soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) is a truncated extracellular form of the membrane transferrin receptor produced by proteolysis. Concentrations of serum sTfR are related to iron status and erythropoiesis in the body. We investigated whether serum sTfR levels can aid in diagnosis and treatment of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in children. Methods: Ninety-eight patients with IDA were enrolled and were classified according to age at diagnosis. Group 1 comprised 78 children, aged 6-59 months, and group 2 comprised 20 adolescents, aged 12-16 years. Results: In group 1, patients' serum sTfR levels correlated negatively with mean corpuscular volume; hemoglobin (Hb), ferritin, and serum iron levels; and transferrin saturation and positively with total iron binding capacity (TIBC) and red cell distribution width. In group 2, patients' serum sTfR levels did not correlate with ferritin levels and TIBC, but had a significant relationship with other iron indices. Hb and serum sTfR levels had a significant inverse relationship in both groups; however, in group 1, there was no correlation between Hb and serum ferritin levels. In 30 patients of group 1, serum sTfR levels were significantly decreased with an increase in Hb levels after iron supplementation for 1 month. Conclusion: Serum sTfR levels significantly correlated with other diagnostic iron parameters of IDA and inversely correlated with an increase in Hb levels following iron supplementation. Therefore, serum sTfR levels can be a useful marker for the diagnosis and treatment of IDA in children.