• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.345-350
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• 2019

Liver biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosing liver fibrosis, but it is invasive and has a risk for complications. For this reason, recently, study has been actively conducted on non-invasive liver fibrosis evaluation method. But, there is no established standard for the type of diffuse liver disease. Therefore, this study was suggest the usefulness and cut-off values of Fibroscan, FIB-4, APRI and AAR of patients with hepatitis C in Korea. According to the diagnosis, 240 people in hepatitis C are classified into fatty liver, chronic hepatitis, and liver cirrhosis. The statistical analysis was performed by ANOVA to verify difference between groups. The ROC curve was analyzed to determine the usefulness and practical cut-off value. As a result, for all diseases, the AUC value for Fibroscan was 0.8 over and the APRI was 0.7 over. Cut-off value of serum based liver fibrosis markers was increased in order of fatty liver, chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. If Fibroscan and serological liver fibrosis markers are applied to predict liver fibrosis, it is expected that excessive liver biopsy can be reduced.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 1987

It is well-known that hepatic scintigraphv have been found to be less sensitive and specific in the detection of the diffuse hepatocellular diseases than that of the space-occupying lesions. To obtain the higher diagnostic specificity and sensitivity, we, using the computer quantitation, have attempted to analyze hepatic and extrahepatic $^{99m}Tc-tin$ colloid uptake patterns in various diffuse hepatocellular diseases retrospectively. The studied groups consisted of 116 cases of normal, 67 cases of acute hepatitis, 112 cases of chronic hepatitis, 61 cases of liver cirrhosis, 47 cases of fatty liver, 12 cases of hepatoma and 9 cases of metastasis, making total 424 cases. Scintigraphic imagings were obtained in the anterior, right lateral and posterior projections using high-resolution collimation, and simultaneously these gamma data were acquisited into the computer system. Both large region of interest (ROI) using light pen and ROI computer program were placed over right lobe, left lobe of liver, spleen and cardiac blood pool. Total counts in ROI were divided by the number of pixels in the ROI, and mean count rate per pixels calculated. Mean right-lobe counts were divded by mean-left lobe counts to determine right-to-left hepatic lobe ratio and mean spleen counts were divided by mean liver counts to determine spleen to liver ratio. The results were as follows. 1) Of 424 cases, 292 were male and 132 were female. The majority of age distribution was in $30\sim49$ (54.5%). 2) Inter-observer between two independant operators and inter-method between drawing by light-pen and ROI computer program variations were not significant. 3) The uptake count values (per pixel) determined at each area in normal group were $106.53{\pm}18.35$ in right lobe, $79.00{\pm}13.82$ in left lobe, $17.52{\pm}8.31$ in spleen and $8.09{\pm}3.43$ in cardiac blood pool. 4) In liver cirrhosis, right lobe uptake was decreased but spleen and cardiac blood pool uptakes were increased (p<0.01). 5) Right-to-left hepatic lobe uptake ratio was $1.37{\pm}0.24$ in normal group and significantly low in chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and fatty liver, and more or less low in acute hepatitis. 6) Spleen-to-right hepatic lobe uptake ratio was $0.17{\pm}0.09$ in normal group and high in chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. 7) The computer-quantitation of hepatic and extrahepatic uptake patterns thought to be sensitive and useful method in the interpretation of liver scintigram.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.79 no.4
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• pp.267-273
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• 2016

Background: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disorder with several clinical presentations. This study was undertaken in the Azeri Turkish population in Iran, to investigate gender differences in the age at onset and diagnosis, age of death, and duration of illness of CF. Methods: The data of 331 CF patients from 2001 to 2015 was surveyed. Parameters including age, sex, ${\Delta}F508$ mutation, age at onset, age at diagnosis, age of death and clinical presentations were evaluated for both sexes, using descriptive analysis. The association of gender with these variables was studied using logistic regression, chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U test by SPSS version 18. Odds ratio with a confidence interval of 95% and $p{\leq}0.05$ was considered statistically significant. Results: The study included 191 males (57.7%) and 140 females (42.3%), all showing statistically significant difference (p<0.001). Age duration differed between genders. Male and female patients were further under 9 and 4 years, respectively. The occurrence of ${\Delta}F508$ mutation was 0.51 times more in females than in males. Age, diagnosis and sex were closely associated: males were diagnosed at a significantly later age than females (p=0.05). While this compression performed based on clinical presentations, males with respiratory disease had a later median age at diagnosis than females at lifespan (p=0.001). The risk of infertility in males was approximately two times greater than in females (p=0.02). Conclusion: These findings indicate gender differences in CF patients. Future studies are needed to establish other differences and evaluate the causes for the gender variations.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2018

Objectives : The root bark of Dictamnus dasycarpus has been frequently used to treat patients with skin diseases in Korea. Recently, wild root of D. dasycarpus are reported to induce liver injury. Methods : Traditional uses of D. dasycarpus for skin diseases were analysed bibliographically. In addition, reported cases were collected and analysed using pubmed and national digital library. Results : In taiwan, D. dasycarpus revealed to be one of major herbs for skin diseases and many researchers in worldwide had reported its dermatological efficacies. Reported cases related in liver injury described that hepatocellular or cholestatic liver injury were seen in patients eating wild root of D. dasycarpus. In addition, 6 cases in worldwide and 1 case in Korea showed that patients with drug induced liver injury (DILI) ingested not root bark of D. dasycarpus but prescriptions containing root bark of D. dasycarpus. These mean that wild root of D. dasycarpus (Bongsam or Bongwhangsam) was estimated to be closely related in DILI. Whereas, it was difficult to confirm direct correlation between root bark of D. dasycarpus used as herbal medicine by doctor of Korean medicine and DILI. Conclusions : these results imply that wild root of D. dasycarpus is closely related in DILI and strong recommendation not to take it without consultation by experts is needed. In addition, although there are no evidences of direct correlation between root bark of D. dasycarpus and DILI, doctor of Korean medicines should pay attention to use root bark of D. dasycarpus in their clinics.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.165-175
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• 2021

Background: Many herbal medications have been used to treat various liver diseases. But the concerns of herbal medicine induced liver injury also existed. In this respect, we would like to report several cases with imporved elevated liver aminotransferase after treating herbal medicine including Artemisia capillaris. Case Reports: We report four patients with elevated aminotransferase levels (ATLs), which indicate hepatocellular damages. After receiving herbal medicines therapy containing Artemisia capillaris as principal component (HMA), the patients' ATLs were improved. In the first case, the patient's ATLs decreased into normal range after administration of HMA, although they have not been improved with hepatotonics for a long period. In the second case, the patient's ATLs have been elevated after taking anticoagulants. The ATLs were improved with HMA without stopping anticoagulants. In the other two cases, the patients' ATLs were also improved after taking HMA. In addition, there were no changes of previous drugs for treating the corresponding underlying diseases and no adverse events during HMA applications. Result and Conclusion: The four patients received the herbal medicine containing Artemisia capillaris as principal component and showed improvement of ATLs. These cases suggest that HMA can be considered as alternative or complementary remedies to improve various liver diseases.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.14-21
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• 2013

Pediatric liver transplantation has evolved into a definite and effective therapeutic modality for various liver diseases in the pediatric patient. During the last 25 years, liver transplant outcomes in Korea have reached international standards and Korea has become the leader in living-donor liver transplantation. This review will present the cumulative outcomes of pediatric liver transplantation performed in Korea and will focus on other issues of interest involving pediatric liver transplant recipients, especially in the field of immunosuppression and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.200-207
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• 2000

This study was conducted to investigate the nutritional constituents of pine pollen and the effects of pine pollen on rat liver. Using the chemical components analysis method, the constituents of pine pollen are crude protein(13.97%). crude lipid (6.50%), crude ash (3.25%). Detectable in pine pollen are main fatty acids and non-essential amino acids such as glutamic acid and aspartic acid such as oleic and linoleic acid and 18kinds of amino acid including essential amino acids. The effects of pine pollen on rat liver fed with a high fat diet for 6 weeks showed significant decrease in total lipid and triglyceride as compared with the group fed with a fat diet only. Total cholesterol content decreased by 20.33%. No significant difference was found in total protein content of each group. Pine pollen Is efficacious in preventing geriatric diseases (arteriosclerosis, hyper-lipidemia and cardiovascular system-related diseases).

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2013

Purpose: Childhood obesity is associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and it has become one of the most common causes of childhood chronic liver diseases which significant as a cause of liver related mortality and morbidity in children in the United States. The development of simpler and easier clinical indices for medical practice is needed to identify advanced hepatic fibrosis in childhood NAFLD instead of invasive method like liver biopsy. FibroScan and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) have been proposed as a simple and noninvasive predictor to evaluate hepatic fibrosis in several liver diseases. APRI could be a good alternative to detect pathologic change in childhood NAFLD. The purpose of this study is to validate the efficacy of APRI for assessing hepatic fibrosis in childhood NAFLD based on FibroScan. Methods: This study included 23 children with NAFLD who underwent FibroScan. Clinical, laboratory and radiological evaluation including APRI was performed. To confirm the result of this study, 6 patients received liver biopsy. Results: Factors associated with hepatic fibrosis (stiffness measurement >5.9 kPa Fibroscan) were triglyceride, AST, alanine aminotransferase, platelet count, APRI and collagen IV. In multivariate analysis, APRI were correlated with hepatic fibrosis (>5.9 kPa). In receiver operating characteristics curve, APRI of meaningful fibrosis (cutoff value, 0.4669; area under the receiver operating characteristics, 0.875) presented sensitivity of 94%, specificity of 66%, positive predictive value of 94%, and negative predictive value of 64%. Conclusion: APRI might be a noninvasive, simple, and readily available method for medical practice to predict hepatic fibrosis of childhood NAFLD.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.66 no.1
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• pp.47-51
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• 2009

Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is characterized by a defect in arterial oxygenation that's induced by pulmonary vascular dilatation in the setting of liver disease. Some studies have shown the relationship between the presence of the HPS and the severity of liver disease, but there are only rare cases of HPS inpatient with Child-Pugh class A liver cirrhosis. We report here on a case of a 58 years-old male who suffered from progressive dyspnea for the previous few years. He was diagnosed with alcoholic liver cirrhosis 5 years previously. There was no significant abnormality on the chest radiograph and transthoracic echocardiography, but the arterial blood gas analysis revealed severe hypoxemia. Contrast-enhanced transesophageal echocardiograpy with agitated saline demonstrated a delayed appearance of microbubbles in the left cardiac chambers. Thus, he was finally diagnosed with HPS. This case suggests that we should consider HPS when a patient with compensated liver cirrhosis has unexplained dyspnea.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.253-263
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• 2023

The biogenesis and biological roles of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the progression of liver diseases have attracted considerable attention in recent years. EVs are membrane-bound nanosized vesicles found in different types of body fluids and contain various bioactive materials, including proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and mitochondrial DNA. Based on their origin and biogenesis, EVs can be classified as apoptotic bodies, microvesicles, and exosomes. Among these, exosomes are the smallest EVs (30-150 nm in diameter), which play a significant role in cell-to-cell communication and epigenetic regulation. Moreover, exosomal content analysis can reveal the functional state of the parental cell. Therefore, exosomes can be applied to various purposes, including disease diagnosis and treatment, drug delivery, cell-free vaccines, and regenerative medicine. However, exosome-related research faces two major limitations: isolation of exosomes with high yield and purity and distinction of exosomes from other EVs (especially microvesicles). No standardized exosome isolation method has been established to date; however, various exosome isolation strategies have been proposed to investigate their biological roles. Exosome-mediated intercellular communications are known to be involved in alcoholic liver disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease development. Damaged hepatocytes or nonparenchymal cells release large numbers of exosomes that promote the progression of inflammation and fibrogenesis through interactions with neighboring cells. Exosomes are expected to provide insight on the progression of liver disease. Here, we review the biogenesis of exosomes, exosome isolation techniques, and biological roles of exosomes in alcoholic liver disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.