• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.128-137
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• 2024

This review discusses the pivotal role of vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) in angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, vital processes influencing vascular permeability, endothelial cell recruitment, and the maintenance of tumor-associated blood and lymphatic vessels. VEGF exerts its effects through tyrosine-kinase receptors, VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2, and VEGFR-3. This VEGF-VEGFR system is central not only to cancer but also to diseases arising from abnormal blood vessel and lymphatic vessel formation. In the context of cancer, VEGF and its receptors are essential for the development of tumor-associated vessels, making them attractive targets for therapeutic intervention. Various approaches, such as anti-VEGF antibodies, receptor antagonists, and VEGF receptor function inhibitors, are being explored to interfere with tumor growth. However, the clinical efficacy of anti-angiogenic agents remains uncertain and necessitates further refinement. The article also highlights the physiological role of VEGFs, emphasizing their involvement in endothelial cell functions, survival, and vascular permeability. The identification of five distinct VEGFs in humans (VEGF-A, VEGF-B, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, and PLGF) is discussed, along with the classification of VEGFRs as typical receptor tyrosine kinases with distinct signaling systems. The family includes VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2, crucial in tumor biology and angiogenesis, and VEGFR-3, specifically involved in lymphangiogenesis. Overall, this review has provided a comprehensive overview of VEGF and VEGFR, detailing their roles in various diseases, including cancer. This is expected to further facilitate the utilization of VEGF and VEGFR as therapeutic targets.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.75 no.3
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• pp.116-119
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• 2013

Sarcoidosis, a systemic granulomatous disease of unknown etiology. The presentation of sarcoidal granuloma in neck nodes without typical manifestations of systemic sarcoidosis is difficult to diagnose. We describe the case of a 37-year-old woman with an increasing mass on the right side of neck. The excisional biopsy from the neck mass showed noncaseating epithelioid cell granuloma of the lymph nodes. No evidence of mycobacterial or fungal infection was noted. Thoracic evaluations did not show enlargement of mediastinal lymph nodes or parenchymal abnormalities. Immunohistochemistry showed abundant expression of tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ in the granuloma. However, transforming growth factor-${\beta}$ was not expressed, although interleukin-$1{\beta}$ was focally expressed. These immunohistochemical findings supported characterization of the granuloma and the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis can present with cervical lymph node enlargement without mediastinal or lung abnormality. Immunohistochemistry may support the diagnosis of sarcoidosis and characterization of granuloma.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.69-73
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• 2003

Lymphatic filariasis due to Brugia malayi infection was endemic in several areas of South Korea. The infection was controlled, or disappeared, in most areas, with the exception of the remote southwestern islands of Jeonranam-do, including the Heugsan Islands. To discover its current situation, a small-scale survey was performed on the Heugsan islands in September 2000. A total of 378 people, 151 male and 227 female, living in 8 villages (6 on Daeheugsan-do, 1 on Daejang-do, and 1 on Yeongsan-do) were subjected to a night blood survey for microfilaremia, and physical examination for elephantiasis on the extremities. There were 6 (1.6%) microfilaria positive cases, all in females aged 57-72 years, and from only two villages of the Daeheugsan-do area. There were 4 patients with lower leg elephantiasis, but they showed no microfilaremia. The results show that a low-grade endemicity of filariasis remains on the Daeheugsan-do.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.319-324
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• 2002

Many disorders and abnormalities are accompanied by cavitary lesoin of the lung and one of the most common causes of cavitary lung disease are primary and metastatic lung neoplasms. but cavitary formation of primary lung cancer is not frequent and cavitary or cystic pulmonary metastases of this is also rare. We report a case of cavitary pulmonry metastases of primary lung cancer proven by bronchoscopic biopsy and chest CT. The patients was 60 year-old heavy smoker who had no known underlying lung diseases 7 years ago and complained chronic cough. The chest CT showed primary lung cancer in right low lobe with multiple cavitary or cystic metastases in both lungs and multiple lymphatic metastases.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.783-788
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• 2016

Excessive intake of trans fats is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Previously, we showed that green tea extract lowers intestinal absorption of cholesterol and elaidic acid in rats. This study was conducted to investigate a possible role for sorghum extract on lymphatic absorption of trans fat and cholesterol in rats. Adult male rats with lymph cannulae were infused at a rate of 3.0 mL/h for 8 h via a duodenal catheter with a lipid emulsion containing $146.4{\mu}mol$ of trielaidin, $36.8{\mu}mol$ of trilinoelaidin, $452.0{\mu}mol$ of triolein, $1.0{\mu}Ci$ cholesterol labeled with $^{14}C$ ($^{14}C-cholesterol$), $20.7{\mu}mol$ of cholesterol, and $396.0{\mu}mol$ of Na-taurocholate without or with 100.0 mg of sorghum extract in phosphate-buffered saline buffer (pH 6.4). Lymph was collected hourly for 8 h. No significant difference was noted in lymph flow. However, the lymphatic absorption of elaidic acid and linoelaidic acid for 8 h was significantly lower in rats infused with sorghum extract than in those infused with no sorghum extract. Further, lymphatic absorption of $^{14}C-cholesterol$ was reduced by sorghum extract, which was observed previously. These data indicate that sorghum extract has an inhibitory effect on the intestinal absorption of trans fat and cholesterol. The mechanism(s) by which sorghum extract lowers intestinal absorption of trans fat warrants further study.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.1-9
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• 2014

Objectives : Many studies are being done in the method of experimental chuna science in China. The aim of this review is to understand and study the methods of experimental chuna science, focusing on the effects of chuna on circulatory system. Methods : We reviewed "實驗推拿學" and Chinese journals were searched using China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI). Korean journals were searched using 3 Korean web databases(OASIS, NDSL, RISS). Results : By experimental chuna science, effect of chuna on blood pressure, cardiovascular system, hemorheologic system, blood flow velocity, circulation and lymphatic system were proved. Conclusions : Experimental chuna science is necessary for improvement of chuna to a higher level. In Korea, not many experimental studies are being done, especially in chuna and it has very narrow target diseases. For this reason we need to learn and adapt the methods of experimental chuna science of China.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.69 no.1
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• pp.52-55
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• 2010

Pulmonary tuberculosis has intermediate prevalence in Korea. It is known that tuberculosis infection predominantly involves the upper lobes, based on the fact that multiplication of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is favored in areas with decreased pulmonary blood flow, impaired lymphatic drainage, and high oxygen tension. We report this case of a 40-year-old man who was brought to our hospital with hemoptysis and dyspnea. Prior to admission, the patient had been in a bedridden state for 15 years due to an injury of the cervical spine 4~5. A 3-Dimensional computed tomography showed predominantly longitudinal distribution of centrilobular nodules along the anterior chest wall, in the left lung. MTB-PCR and AFB culture of bronchial washing fluid revealed pulmonary tuberculosis. This case shows that long-standing supine posture and decreased motion of the anterior chest wall may change the distribution of preferential infection site of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the lung, resulting in a ventral predominance of tuberculosis infection in the quadriplegic patient.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.640-644
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• 2002

Lymphangiomas in the mediastinum are rare benign tumors, characterized proliferating lymphatic vessels. They are usually found in children and young adults, but rarely in order adults. Most are located in the neck, with less than 1 percent found in the mediastinum, with mediastinal lymphangiomas comprising 0.7-4.5 percent of all tumors in this location. They are often classified pathologically according to the size of the cystic spaces within them, as simple or capillary, cavernous and cystic, or just cystic, hygromas, Of the 3 types above, the cavernous type of mediastinal lymphangioma is very rare. We report a case of a mediastinal lymphangioma of the cavernous type that was confirmed from pathological findings, a CT and MRI scan.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.697-703
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• 1999

Mycobacterium celatum is a recently described nontuberculous mycobacterium. Even though pulmonary or lymphatic infection cases were reported previously in human, the clinical significance of the infection with M. celatum is not yet understood completely. Mast infections with this species occurred in the patients with suppressed cell-mediated immunity such as AIDS, and there are only a few cases of pulmonary infection with M. celatum in immunocompetent adults or infants in the world. In Korea, mycobacterial pulmonary infection is a major problem of respiratory disease but, there has been no pulmonary infection with M. celatum reported. We report, to our knowledge, the first Korean case of pulmonary infection with M. celatum, which was identified by rpoB genomic sequencing.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.1925-1929
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• 2014

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C), which contributes to lymphatic metastasis (LM) in malignant disease, is one of the most important factors involved in physical and pathological lymphangiogenesis. Some VEGF-C related factors such as sine oculis homeobox homolog (SIX) 1, contactin (CNTN) 1 and dual specificity phosphatase (DUSP) 6 have been extensively studied in malignancies, but their expression levels and associations have still to be elucidated in stomach cancer. Methods: We detected their expression levels in 30 paired stomach cancer tissues using quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR). The expression and clinical significance of each factor was analyzed using Wilcoxon signed rank sum test. The correlation among all the factors was performed by Spearman rank correlation analysis. Results: The results suggest that VEGF-C and CNTN1 are significantly correlated with tumor size, SIX1 with the age and CNTN1 also with the cTNM stage. There are significant correlations of expression levels among VEGF-C, SIX1, CNTN1 and DUSP6. Conclusions: There exists an important regulatory crosstalk involving SIX1, VEGF-C, CNTN1 and DUSP6 in stomach cancer.