• Journal of Photoscience
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.29-31
• /
• 1996

Psoralens are metabolized in the liver and thus can produce liver damage in laboratory animals when given in excessive doses. However, in humans, reports of the effects of psoralens on liver functions during photochemotherapy have been contradictory. We studied 311 patients t o observe the effects of various phototoxic drugs: 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP), 5-methoxypsoralen (5-MOP), 4,5,8-trimethylpsoralen (TMP)-on liver function during photochemotherapy. Of the 311 patients, only seven had transient elevations of transaminases. Incidence of hepatotoxicity of 8-MOP, TMP and 5-MOP showed 0.6%, 6% and 3%, respectively. Although the effects of psoralens on liver functions during photochemotherapy have been contradictory in humans and there have been few cases showing transient elevated values of liver transaminases during photochemotherapy, it is advisable to obtain serial liver function tests before and during photochemotherapy.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.43-47
• /
• 2013

Introduction: ALT/AST enzymes are present inside the cells. AST is found in cardiac and skeletal muscle and red blood cells but the ALT is checked mainly in the liver. In general, the rise of these two indicators shows liver damage. The usual measurements of these enzymes are used in liver function tests, but the levels of AST and ALT do not always reflect liver function. Method and Cases: 17 cases of liver dysfunction transiently were evaluated clinically, biochemically, and imaging study of sonogram in pediatric in-patients for 3 years. Result: Most common causes of transient liver dysfunction were infection, especially viral gastroenteritis, and bacterial infection interfering oral food intake. More often occurred in the children who have infant hyperbilirubinemia, positive history of mitochondrial dysfunction or hypoglycemia. Fasting study in one case of hypoglycemia patient showed reversible liver dysfunction during fasting over 20 hours fasting. Discussion: A significant increase in AST and ALT with normal bilirubin can be observed in clinically healthy people during blunt trauma, viral infection, severe pain, metabolic syndrome, fasting or accidental health screening.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.38 no.5
• /
• pp.555-563
• /
• 2017

Objectives: This case report describes a patient who had suffered a stroke and who was treated for a long period with herbal medicine in combination with a Western medicine. Methods: Changes in liver function and renal function laboratory tests were measured while the patient took herbal medicine during the 1190 days of hospitalization. Results: During the hospitalization period, the liver function test (LFT) levels were elevated two fold, but after taking the herbal medicine, the LFT levels were stabilized and have remained stable since. Conclusions: The high risk of prescribing herbal medicine by an unlicensed person and the possibility of long-term herbal medicine usage for stabilizing liver function test were shown.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.149-158
• /
• 2011

Object: Any medication can have the risk of liver damage. To prevent this risk, liver function tests should be monitored carefully during every course of medication. This paper is a psoriasis case report on liver damage related to Scutellaria Radix medication. Shown by this case, herbal medicine has the possibility of liver damage, too. Therefore it should be carefully used under the direction of Oriental Medical Doctors who specialize in it. The purpose of this case report is to suggest this, and that more cases of liver damage related to herbal medicine should be reported. Methods: To monitor the medication's effect on the liver, liver function was evaluated during medications. Reflotron plus was used to evaluate AST and ALT by analyzing peripheral blood. Results: By this test, a case was identified as liver damage caused by a medication including Scutellaria Radix. Conclusion: This case suggests that Scutellaria Radix medication caused liver damage in a certain patient. Therefore, to prevent liver damage related to Scutellaria Radix, doctors should monitor patient's liver function regularly.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.27 no.4 s.48
• /
• pp.747-761
• /
• 1994

Workers' periodic health examination is the main tools used to manage the health problems of most workers in Korea. The most common health problem found in workers' periodic health examination is liver disorder. Liver disorder is also one of the most common health problems in general population and one of the leading causes of mortality in adult population. Regulation proposed by government (No. 207, Ministry of Labor, 1992) defines the criteria for selection of workers with the liver dysfunction for further evaluative examination and the examination items used for diagnosis of the workers with liver dysfunction. This study was designed to evaluate the proficiency of each examination items presently defined in Regulation and propose the optimal examination items for detection of the liver disorders found by workers' periodic health examination. Study subjects are 186 workers with abnormal liver function tests in screening examination of workers' periodic health examination. Questionnaire survey including past history of liver disorder, drinking history, height and weight was done. Physical examination by physician, routine test items defined by Regulation (SGOT, SGPT, $\gamma$-GTP, protein, albumin, total and direct bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, $\alpha$-feto protein, HBsAg and anti-HBs), anti-HCV antibody test and liver ultrasonography were done. Results are as follows; 1. Result of evaluative examination utilizing only the items defined in Regulation was; There were 75 workers with suspected live. disorder(40.3%), 63 with no liver dysfunction (33.9%), 13 with suspected hepatitis B(7.0%), 10 workers with hepatitis B(5.4%), 10 workers with hepatitis B carrier state(5.4%), 10 with alcoholic liver disorders(5.4%), 5 with fatty liver(2.7%). When alternative diagnostic criteria applying additional examination items (drinking history, body mass index, anti-HCV antibody and ultrasonography) diagnosability of liver disorder was increased. When all four items were included, final results were; 23 workers (17.8%) with hepatitis B (10 carriers, 13 suspects and 10 hepatitis B), 10 (5.4%) with hepatitis C(4 carriers, 5 suspects and 1 hepatitis C), 13(7.0%) with alcoholic liver disorder, 45(24.2%) with fatty liver (40 suspects, 5 fatty liver), 410%) with suspected liver disorders and 44 (23.7%) with normal liver. 2. Of examination items defined by Regulation, only SGOT, SGPT, $\gamma$-GTP and HBsAg were significantly different in abnormal rate and mean value, and all other laboratory findings did not showed significant difference between two groups. Drinking history, body mass index and anti-HCV antibody test which are the items that authors included in this study, also showed significant difference between two groups. Utilization of body mass index (BMI) for abnormal liver function group in diagnosis of fatty liver had high specificity (97.6%) but sensitivity (22.3%) was low. Therefore we suggest that SGOT, SGPT, $\gamma$-GTP, HBsAg, alcohol drinking history, BMI and anti-HCV Ab were useful for diagnosis of liver disorders among worker's periodic health examination.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.69-79
• /
• 2011

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fi fth most common malignancy in the world and complicates liver cirrhosis related to hepatitis C virus (HCV) in many cases. We evaluated the therapeutic effect of Korean red ginseng extract (KGE) in patients with chronic liver diseases. Thirty male and female patients with HCC and another thirty with liver cirrhosis were included. Each category was divided into two groups; the first was used as control group, and received medical therapy only and the second group received the medical therapy supplemented with KGE capsules. The treated group with HCC received three KGE capsules/day (900 mg) while the treated group with HCV received two KGE capsules/day (600 mg) for 11 weeks along with their medical therapy. All patients were subjected to clinical examination and laboratory investigations, including liver function tests (at baseline, after 6 weeks of treatment and at the end of the study) and abdominal ultrasonography. Patients showing focal hepatic lesions were subjected to triphasic spiral abdominal computerized tomography and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). HCV RNA was determined quantitatively by Roche for patients in the HCV group. Results showed that the medical therapy alone failed to normalize the liver enzymes or decrease the virus concentration. KGE administration induced a significant improvement in liver function tests, decreased the tumor marker (AFP) levels, and decreased the viral titers in HCV patients. Thus, KGE demonstrated powerful therapeutic effects against HCV and liver cancer.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 1993.10a
• /
• pp.103-104
• /
• 1993

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
• /
• v.32 no.6
• /
• pp.818-827
• /
• 2016

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of freeze-dried Gastrodiae rhizoma powder (GR) on the liver function and alcohol metabolism in alcohol treated rats. Methods: The rats were administered various concentrations of GR (100 mg, 200 mg, 300 mg/kg B.W.) for 3 days 1 hour before 50% (v/v) ethanol (3 g/kg B.W.) administration. Two tests focusing on liver function and alcohol metabolism in acute alcohol treatment were carried out. Results: Glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase activity was significantly increased by alcohol treatment, and was decreased by 100 mg GR administration. Acute ethanol treatment led to significant increase in alcohol and acetaldehyde levels of serum and liver. However, 100 mg GR administration led to a significant reduction in increased alcohol level in the serum with decreased alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity and increased acetaldehyde level in liver was significantly reduced by three levels. Conclusion: These results suggest that GR can be effective in enhancing liver function and alcohol metabolism in the alcohol-treated rats. Studies on the appropriate dosage of GR should further be developed to treat alcohol detoxification and stimulate liver function.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
• /
• v.1992 no.05
• /
• pp.155-160
• /
• 1992

Liver function test is one of the most common tests for diagnosis and follow-up of patients and for heal th screening. Automatic interpretation and suggestions on the diagnostic possibilities contribute to shorten the interpretation time of the test results and help to provide qualified health care. Fuzzy logic has been recently introduced and being spread for these purposes. The present study aims at model Ins the foray rule-based laboratory diagnosis system. The fuzzy rule-based laboratory diagnosis system was applied to the diagnosis regarding liver function test. The system was evaluated by comparing with the stepwise multivariate discriminant function analysis, which showed similar results, and the overall accuracy of the fuzzy diagnosis system was about 80%.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.45 no.4
• /
• pp.700-709
• /
• 2024

This retrospective, multicenter, observational study aimed to evaluate the effects of herbal medicine treatment on liver function in obese patients exhibiting elevated liver enzymes. Conducted from May 2023 to April 2024 at various Korean medicine clinics, the study included 84 patients who underwent herbal treatments for obesity. All participants had at least one liver function test (LFT) showing elevated levels of aspartic amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), or gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), and a subsequent LFT performed after a minimum of 90 days. The study excluded patients with potential confounding factors such as hepatitis, antibiotic usage, or recent surgeries. The study showed significant reductions in AST, ALT, and GGT levels, with AST and ALT improving to within the normal range and GGT approaching normal levels. Patients also experienced statistically significant reductions in weight and BMI, meeting the minimum clinically important difference threshold. These findings suggest that herbal treatments for obesity are not only safe for patients with obesity-related liver enzyme abnormalities but also effective in improving liver function. This study shows that herbal treatment is effective in the management of obesity-related liver disease and confirms the safety and efficacy of an obesity treatment herbal formula containing ephedra. Larger prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.