• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.321-328
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• 2018

Purpose: Feeding children is a problem in pediatric intensive care units (PICU) and it is difficult to know the correct amount. The purpose of this study is to evaluate if prealbumin or retinol binding proteins (RBP) are effective relative to daily enteral nutrition, without being affected by severity of diseases or infections and can be used to follow up nutritional amount. Methods: This is a prospective observational study that includes 81 patients admitted to PICU in Akdeniz University with estimated duration >72 hours, age between 1 month and 8 years. Daily calorie and protein intake were calculated and prealbumin, RBP and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured on the first, third, fifth and seventh mornings. Results: We find moderate correlation between daily calorie intake and prealbumin levels (r=0.432, p<0.001), RBP levels and daily protein intake (r=0.330, p<0.001). When we investigated the relationship between changes of prealbumin, RBP, CRP, calorie and protein intake during intensive care stay, we found that increase of Prealbumin and RBP levels are explained by decrease of CRP levels (r=-0.546 and -0.645, p<0.001) and not with increase of nourishment. Conclusion: Even adjusted for PRISM3, age and CRP, prealbumin and RBP are correlated with last 24 hours' diet. However, it is not convenient to use as a follow up biomarker because increase of their levels is related with decrease of CRP levels.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the nutritional status and to compare nutritional indicators by caloric intake for intensive care unit patients, Methods: The participants for this descriptive investigation were 62 patients who were admitted to medical and surgical ICUs and started on enteral feeding. Data were collected in a tertiary hospital and the patients were followed for 7 days after enteral feeding was initiated. For analysis, patients who received 80% less calories than their required level were categorized as the underfed group and patients who received more than 80% to their required level, as the adequately fed group. Results: Compared to daily requirements, the prescribed calories and protein for patients overall were 77.39% and 64.75% respectively. The level of calories and protein given was less than their prescription. However, a comparison of the underfed group and the adequately fed group, showed that there was no significantly difference in albumin, prealbumin and transferrin. Only body weight was significantly different between the groups. C-reactive protein had a significant correlation with prealbumin and transferrin. Conclusion: Underfeeding is a common phenomenon among ICU patients. Nutritional indicators such as prealbumin, albumin and transferrin may not sensitive indicators to assess nutritional status of ICU patients.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.120-134
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to identify prognostic factors for patients with distant lymph node-involved gastric cancer (GC) using a machine learning algorithm, a method that offers considerable advantages and new prospects for high-dimensional biomedical data exploration. Materials and Methods: This study employed 79 features of clinical pathology, laboratory tests, and therapeutic details from 289 GC patients whose distant lymphadenopathy was presented as the first episode of recurrence or metastasis. Outcomes were measured as any-cause death events and survival months after distant lymph node metastasis. A prediction model was built based on possible outcome predictors using a random survival forest algorithm and confirmed by 5×5 nested cross-validation. The effects of single variables were interpreted using partial dependence plots. A contour plot was used to visually represent survival prediction based on 2 predictive features. Results: The median survival time of patients with GC with distant nodal metastasis was 9.2 months. The optimal model incorporated the prealbumin level and the prothrombin time (PT), and yielded a prediction error of 0.353. The inclusion of other variables resulted in poorer model performance. Patients with higher serum prealbumin levels or shorter PTs had a significantly better prognosis. The predicted one-year survival rate was stratified and illustrated as a contour plot based on the combined effect the prealbumin level and the PT. Conclusions: Machine learning is useful for identifying the important determinants of cancer survival using high-dimensional datasets. The prealbumin level and the PT on distant lymph node metastasis are the 2 most crucial factors in predicting the subsequent survival time of advanced GC.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.125-130
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• 1998

To assess the clinical and nutritional status of long-term survivors of biliary atresia, history taking, medical record review, physical examination (height, weight, MAC, TSF), blood tests (LFT, prothrombin time, platelet count, prealbumin, calcium) and liver needle biopsy were performed in 12 patients in whom Kasai procedure were performed more than 10 years ago at Department of Pediatric Surgery in Seoul National University Hospital. None were below the 5th percentile in height and weight. TSF was above the 75th percentile in all patients and showed good subcutaneous fat deposition. MAC was above the 5th percentile in all patients. Serum prealbumin level was abnormal in 2 patients with abnormal liver function and revealed visceral protein malnutrition. Serum calcium level was decreased below normal range in 4 patients with abnormal liver function. One patient had mild ascites. Five patients had abnormal liver function and 7 patients showed clinical manifestation of portal hypertension. Liver needle biopsy was performed in 5 patients and no cirrhotic change was observed. Although some patients who have survived for more than 10 years after Kasai procedure developed protein malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies, growth and development and nutritional status were generally satisfactory. Five patients(42%) showed normal liver function and no portal hypertension. In conclusion, Kasai procedure is satisfactory as a primary treatment in biliary atresia but significant portion of long-term survivors had abnormal liver function and portal hypertension. Continuous and careful follow-up is necessary to determine when liver transplantation may be indicated.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.159-162
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• 1974

Serum protein and hemoglobin patterns were obtained by cellulose acetate electrophoresis for several anurans. Differences were found both in the number of components from individual animal hemoglobins and in the mobility of these components. Under the conditions employed, toad and R. plancyichosenica had a single component. Other frogs showed 2-component pattern. Sera of all anurans examined contain albumin but no preablumin. Relatively few assayable proteins are found in serum from B. buro gragraizans and differ thereby from most serum patterns examined for frogs, which show complex serum protein bands. Different species have dissimilar patterns although some of bands are apparently homologous between species.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.16-24
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nutritional status of elderly Korean women and to investigate related factors. Methods: A total of 100 elderly women attending a local elderly welfare center were recruited for study. Evaluation criteria included demographics, clinical status, nutritional status (using a mini-nutritional assessment), food intake, and nutritional bioparameters, including homocysteine, transferrin, prealbumin and lymphocyte levels, and their antioxidant power status. Results: Among the test group, 83% of the subjects were classified as undernourished, and they often had hyperlipidemia and a lower intake of fiber ($p$ <.05, respectively) and vegetables than normal subjects. In a correlation analysis, their nutritional status was associated with abdominal circumference, the Korean Geriatric Depression Scale score and the Enriched Social Support Inventory score. Nutritional bioparameters and antioxidant power were associated with age among undernourished subjects. Old age, the prevalence of hyperlipidemia, and poor social support significantly increased the risk of undernutrition. Poor social support, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and depression significantly increased the risk of nutritional deficiency after controlling for age, educational and economic variables. Conclusion: More strategies to increase social support in the Korean female elderly population may improve their nutritional status.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.193-200
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• 1986

In order to investigate the antiotoxic effect of red ginseng extract on serum protein of mouse treated with methyl mercury playing a role as toxic contaminant in ecosystem, variations of the serum protein contents, electrophoretic patterns, and blood components were studied. Mice were divided into 3 groups: Control, group I treated only with methyl mercury, and group II treated together with methyl mercury and red ginseng extract. The total serum protein content of the control group was 5.8g/dl and those of groups I and II were slightly decreased as compared with the control. The control group showed 11 serum protein fractions and groups I and II showed 10 fractions except prealbumin. The amounts of albumin, ${\alpha}_1-$, ${\alpha}_2-$ globulin fractions were decreased and those $\beta$-, $\gamma$-globulin fractions were increased in groups I and II. The amount of each serum protein fraction in group II showed approximately the same level as the control. The hematocrit value and the number of white blood cells of groups I and II were increased, whereas the number of red blood cells showed the decrease as compared with the control.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.284-289
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• 2023

A 14-year-old girl was admitted to the emergency department for excessive bile-containing vomiting and severe abdominal pain. She had been healthy until she intentionally lost 25 kg over a 6-month period. Thick, bloody bile-mixed food particles were drained from the stomach through a nasogastric tube. Abdominal computed tomography revealed huge stomach dilatation with extensive gastric pneumatosis, possible near rupture, acute pancreatitis, and a very narrow third of the duodenum, indicating superior mesenteric syndrome. Gastrofibroscopy revealed multiple hemorrhagic ulcers and numerous beadlike cystic lesions in the stomach. Laboratory examination results were notable for severe deficiencies in critical nutrients, including iron, zinc, proteins, and prealbumin, as well as undernutrition-associated endocrine complications such as hypothyroidism and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Excessive vomiting ceased after the endoscopic removal of stagnant gastric contents. Gastric pneumatosis improved after 3 days of supportive care.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.559-569
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was to examine the reliability and validity of Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) as a nutritional measurement for stroke patients. Methods: This was a methodological study performed from May 6 to June 10, 2009 at a tertiary university hospital in Seoul. For reliability of PG-SGA, inter-rater reliability was used for statistics. For concurrent validity, BMI and biomarkers were compared between PG-SGA 0 ~ 8 and ${\geq}$ 9. In addition, sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of PG-SGA compared with SGA were calculated using a contingency table. For predictive validity, hospital day, complications, and readmission within 1-month after discharge were compared between PG-SGA 0 ~ 8 and ${\geq}$ 9. Results: Correlation of PG-SGA score between two observers was 0.83, and kappa value for the agreement of severe malnutrition was 0.78(all $p_s$ < .001). The scored PG-SGA showed high sensitivity and specificity (100% and 96.7%, respectively). Severe undernourished patients (PG-SGA ${\geq}$ 9) had significantly low TLC, protein, albumin, and prealbumin (all $p_s$ < .01) compared with non-undernourished patients (PG-SGA 0 ~ 8). Also, in severe undernourished patients, complications and readmission (all $p_s$ = 0.01) were more often represented, and hospital days (p = .013) were significantly delayed. Conclusion: PG-SGA is a reliable and valid measurement to assess nutritional status for stroke patients.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.234-245
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• 2009

Nutritional assessment for the elderly can identify health status and morbidity. However, development of Nutritional Risk Index (NRI) remains limited for elderly because of difficulties in understanding physiological mechanism of elderly. This study was performed to analyze and develop Nutritional Risk Index for Korean elderly Women (Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index, GNRI). Based on literature review, factors for NRI were identified and indices were assessed by a cross-sectional survey. The survey involved Korean elderly women (${\geq}$60, n = 94) in Gwangju area, and sociodemographics, lifestyle characteristics, health conditions, dietary intakes based on 24h- recall, anthropometric measures (wt, ht, BMI, waist, hip, WHR, body protein, body fat, abdominal fat, and triceps skinfold thickness), and clinical biochemistry parameters (systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, total protein, albumin, prealbumin, hemoglobin, hematocrit, fasting blood glucose, HbAlc, ferritin, Zn, Ca, Na, K, Vit E, Vit $B_{12}$, folate, C-reactive protein) were examined relation to nutritional risk index. Based on literature review and data analyses, three NRIs were categorized (NRI I, NRI II, NRI III) and used for further analysis. NRI I was related to having metabolic syndrome, NRI II was related to serum albumin and body weight, and NRI III was related to food habit and health concerns. Abdominal fat (%) of elderly was correlated with each NRIs. NRI II was correlated with nutritional deficiency and higher tendency of inflammatory response, and NRI III was correlated with nutritional status which tend to be lower on aging (protein, folate, Vit $B_{12}$). NRI can serve as a useful tools in assessing health risk and nutritional status. Some modification of items in NRI and validity study are need to apply to Korean elderly.