• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.115-125
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• 2002

Gram-negative septicemia, which continues to be a serious clinical problem, is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. Endotoxin of gram-negative bacteria is a pivotal pathogen of sepsis. To understand the effect of endotoxin on hematological aspect and the time course in early childhood, this study was designed with experimental septic model of young rabbits (8 week-old). Rabbits were divided into control (n=7) and endotoxin group (0.50 mg/kg of endotoxin). The endotoxin group was subdivided into six groups by the sampling times: 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hr-group (E-G$_{3}$, E-G$_{6}$, E-G$_{12}$, E-G$_{24}$, E-G$_{48}$ and E-G$_{72hrs}$, each n=7). The evaluation of CBC, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), fibrinogen concentration, coagulation factors and D-dimer were taken from the bloods. The number of leukocytes was lower in E-G$_{3}$ and E-G$_{6hrs}$ (due to pantocytopenia), whereas it was higher in E-G$_{24}$ and E-G$_{48}$ (due to neutrophilia and/or lymphophilia) than in control group (P<0.05). Platelet counts in E-G$_{3}$, E-G$_{6}$, E-G$_{12}$, E-G$_{24}$ and E-G$_{48hrs}$ were lower than those of control group (P<0.05). Normoblast counts in E-G$_{3}$, E-G$_{6}$, E-G$_{12}$, E-G$_{24}$ and E-G$_{48hrs}$ were higher than those of control group (p<0.01). APTT in E-G$_{3}$, E-G$_{6}$, E-G$_{12}$, E-G$_{24}$ and E-G$_{72hrs}$ were longer while PT in E-G$_{3}$, E-G$_{6}$, E-G$_{48}$ and E-G$_{72hrs}$ were higher than those of control group (p<0.05). Fibrinogen concentrations were lower in E-G$_{3}$, E-G$_{6}$ and E-G$_{12}$ but higher in E-G$_{48}$ and E-G$_{72hrs}$ than those of control (p<0.05). Intrinsic coagulation factors (XII, XI, IX, VIII) in all endotoxin groups were significantly lower than those of control group (p<0.05). Extrinsic coagulation factor (X, VII, V, II) were lower in E-G$_{3}$, E-G$_{6}$, E-G$_{12}$ and E-G$_{24hrs}$ whereas they were higher in E-G$_{48}$ and E-G$_{72hrs}$ than in control group (p<0.05). D-dimer concentrations in E-G$_{48}$ and E-G$_{72hrs}$ were higher than those of control group (P<0.001). We concluded that endotoxin led to extensive hematological disturbances including disseminated intravascular coagulation in the young rabbits and that this pathologic condition in the infant and childhood groups will cause the grave results.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.7
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• pp.841-846
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• 2006

This study was conducted to investigate the influence of laminaran from Eisenia bicyclis on serum lipid composition of rats fed high fat and cholesterol diets. Fourty male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing $70{\pm}2.5g$ of 4 weeks old were fed experimental diets for 6 weeks with high fat diet consisting of basal diet plus cholesterol (1%) and lard (10%) for the inducement of hyperlipidemia. The effect of laminaran supplements via drinking waters on serum lipid composition of rat were investigated for 5 weeks by administration of experimental diet group fed basal diet only as normal group, control group fed high fat diet, LL group fed high fat diet plus 0.25% laminaran containing water, and LH group fed high fat diet plus 0.5% laminaran containing water, respectively. As a results of experiments, it was found that LL and LH groups showed significant (p<0.05) decrease in body weight gain and liver weight as compared with control and it may caused by decreased FER. The weight of cecum and adipose tissue (EFP) of LL group showed a significantly (p<0.05) decreased patterns compared with control. It was also found that LL and LH diet groups affects the intestinal length and transit time of rat as significantly (p<0.05) increased in length of intestine and decreased in transit time. In addition, LL and LH diet groups showed a dramatic decrease in triglyceride, total and LDL-cholesterol, and significant increase in HDL-cholesterol compared with control diet group, by which results in decreased in AI. These results indicate that crude laminaran from Eisenia bicyclis has a strong hyperlipidemic and hypercholesterolemic activities in rat fed high fat and cholesterol diet.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.131-138
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• 2017

In this study, for the efficient use of the byproduct of the omija (Schizandra chinensis Baillon: SC) processing industry, the ethanol extracts of the fruit (F), seed (S), and pomace (P) of SC were prepared, and their useful bioactivities were evaluated. For F-SC, S-SC, and P-SC, the extraction yields were 28.3%, 22.1%, and 7.2%, respectively, and the polyphenol contents were 8.81, 37.22, and 9.20 mg/g, respectively. The total flavonoid content in P-SC (4.31 mg/g) was 3.5-fold higher than that in F-SC (0.76 mg/g). In an antioxidation activity assay, P-SC showed stronger radical scavenging activities against DPPH anion, ABTS cation, and nitrite and stronger reducing power activities than the other extracts. The calculated concentration required for 50% radical scavenging activity, $RC_{50}s$, of P-SC for DPPH anion, ABTS cation, and nitrite was 226.2, 192.5, and $92.5{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. In an antimicrobial activity assay, F-SC, S-SC, and P-SC showed similarly strong growth inhibitions against Bacillus subtilis and P. vulgaris at a concentration of 0.5 mg/disc. F-SC and P-SC showed 15-fold extended time in thrombin, prothrombin, and activated partial thromboplastin time assays at a concentration of 5 mg/ml. The anticoagulation activity of P-SC (2.5 mg/ml) was comparable to that of aspirin (1.5 mg/ml). Furthermore, F-SC and S-SC showed very good platelet aggregation inhibitory activities. F-SC, S-SC, and P-SC did not show significant hemolysis against human red blood cell up to a concentration of 0.5 mg/ml. These results suggest that S-SC and P-SC, both of which are byproducts of the omija processing industry, show strong potential as novel antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antithrombosis agents.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.111-124
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• 2002

Purpose : Although the average life expectancy has increased due to advances in medicine, mortality due to cancer is on an increasing trend. Consequently, the number of terminally ill cancer patients is also on the rise. Predicting the survival period is an important issue in the treatment of terminally ill cancer patients since the choice of treatment would vary significantly by the patents, their families, and physicians according to the expected survival. Therefore, we investigated the prognostic factors for increased mortality risk in terminally ill cancer patients to help treat these patients by predicting the survival period. Methods : We investigated 31 clinical parameters in 157 terminally ill cancer patients admitted to in the Department of Family Medicine, National Health Insurance Corporation Ilsan Hospital between July 1, 2000 and August 31, 2001. We confirmed the patients' survival as of October 31, 2001 based on medical records and personal data. The survival rates and median survival times were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test was used to compare the differences between the survival rates according to each clinical parameter. Cox's proportional hazard model was used to determine the most predictive subset from the prognostic factors among many clinical parameters which affect the risk of death. We predicted the mean, median, the first quartile value and third quartile value of the expected lifetimes by Weibull proportional hazard regression model. Results : Out of 157 patients, 79 were male (50.3%). The mean age was $65.1{\pm}13.0$ years in males and was $64.3{\pm}13.7$ years in females. The most prevalent cancer was gastric cancer (36 patients, 22.9%), followed by lung cancer (27, 17.2%), and cervical cancer (20, 12.7%). The survival time decreased with to the following factors; mental change, anorexia, hypotension, poor performance status, leukocytosis, neutrophilia, elevated serum creatinine level, hypoalbuminemia, hyperbilirubinemia, elevated SGPT, prolonged prothrombin time (PT), prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), hyponatremia, and hyperkalemia. Among these factors, poor performance status, neutrophilia, prolonged PT and aPTT were significant prognostic factors of death risk in these patients according to the results of Cox's proportional hazard model. We predicted that the median life expectancy was 3.0 days when all of the above 4 factors were present, $5.7{\sim}8.2$ days when 3 of these 4 factors were present, $11.4{\sim}20.0$ days when 2 of the 4 were present, and $27.9{\sim}40.0$ when 1 of the 4 was present, and 77 days when none of these 4 factors were present. Conclusions : In terminally ill cancer patients, we found that the prognostic factors related to reduced survival time were poor performance status, neutrophilia, prolonged PT and prolonged am. The four prognostic factors enabled the prediction of life expectancy in terminally ill cancer patients.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.56-78
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• 1998

Objective: Chronic hepatitis B infection (CHB) occurs in 6% to 10% of population in Korea. In ethinic communities where prevalence of chronic infection is high such as Korea, transmission of hepatitis B infection is either vertical (ie, by perinatal infection) or by close family contact (usually from mothers or siblings) during the first 5 years of life. The development of chronic hepatitis B infection is increasingly more common the earlier a person is exposed to the virus, particularly in fetal and neonatal life. And it progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, especially in severe liver damage and perinatal infection. Histopathology of CHB is important when evaluating the final outcomes. A numerical scoring system which is a semiquantitatively assessed objective reproducible classification of chronic viral hepatitis, is a valuable tool for statistical analysis when predicting the outcome and evaluating antiviral and other therapies. In this study, a numerical scoring system (Ludwig system) was applied and compared with the conventional histological classification of De Groute. And the comparative analysis of cinical findings, family history, serology, and liver function test by histopathological findings in chronic hepatitis B of children was done. Methods: Ninety nine patients [mean age=9 years (range=17 months to 16 years)] with clinical, biochemical, serological and histological patterns of chronic HBV infection included in this study. Five of these children had hepatocelluar carcinoma. They were 83 male and 16 female children. They all underwent liver biopsies and histologic evaluation was performed by one pathologist. The biopsy specimens were classified, according to the standard criteria of De Groute as follows: normal, chronic lobular hepatitis (CLH), chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH), mild to severe chronic active hepatitis (CAH), or active cirrhosis, inactive cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). And the biopsy specimens were also assessed and scored semiquantitatively by the numerical scoring Ludwig system. Serum HBsAg, anti-HBs, HBeAg, anti-HBe, anti-HBc (IgG, IgM), and HDV were measured by radioimunoassays. Results: Male predominated in a proportion of 5.2:1 for all patients. Of 99 patients, 2 cases had normal, 2 cases had CLH, 22 cases had CPH, 40 cases had mild CAH, 19 cases had moderate CAH, 1 case had severe CAH, 7 cases had active cirrhosis, 1 case had inactive cirrhosis, and 5 cases had HCC. The mean age, sex distribution, symptoms, signs, and family history did not differ statistically among the different histologic groups. The numerical scoring system was correlated well with the conventional histological classification. The histological activity evaluated by both the conventional classification and the scoring system was more severe as the levels of serum aminotransferases were higher. In contrast, the levels of serum aminotransferases were not useful for predicting the degree of histologic activity because of its wide range overlapping. When the histological activity was more severe and especially the cirrhosis more progressing, the prothrombin time was more prolonged. The histological severity was inversely related with the duration of seroconversion of HBeAg. Conclusions: The histological activity could not be accurately predicted by clinical and biochemical findings, but by the proper histological classification of the numerical scoring system for the biopsy specimen. The numerical scoring system was correlated well with the conventional histological classification, and it seems to be a valuable tool for the statistical analysis when predicting the outcome and evaluating effects of antiviral and other therapies in chronic hepatitis B in children.