• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.57-64
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• 2022

Background: There are various conservative treatment options for lateral epicondylitis (LE). The aim is to evaluate pain, daily functioning, and complications after ultrasound-standardized autologous blood injections in patients with LE. Methods: For this prospective cohort study, consecutive patients (>18 years) diagnosed with LE were included. Autologous blood was injected using a medical device containing an injection disposable with 12 small needles (Instant Tennis Elbow Cure [ITEC]) device. Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation (PRTEE), subjective elbow score (SES), palpation and provocation pain, satisfaction, and complications of treatment were measured at baseline and two months after treatment. Paired t-tests and Fisher's exact tests were used for calculating the difference between pre- and post-treatment outcomes. Results: Fifty-five elbows were analyzed. Mean time between pre- and post-treatment was 11.1 weeks (standard deviation [SD], 8.9 weeks). The mean PRTEE score decreased from 68.2 (SD, 15.7) before surgery to 53.2 (SD, 25.9; p<0.001) after. The mean SES improved from 36.9 (SD, 20.8) to 51.7 (SD, 27.4; p<0.001). Despite this improvement, only 44.7% of patients showed relevant clinical improvement in PRTEE, and 37.3% showed significant clinical improvement based on SES. Four patients reported a complication and the injection disposable failed three times. Conclusions: Ultrasound-standardized autologous blood injection using the ITEC device is not an effective tool in reducing symptoms related to LE. This study showed that only half of all patients experienced a positive effect. In this heterogeneous cohort of patients, we showed no added value of ultrasound standardization.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• 제19권1호
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• pp.32-37
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• 2022

Mucopolysaccharidosis type VI (MPS VI) is an autosomal recessive lysosomal disorder caused by the deficiency of arylsulfatase B due to mutations in the ARSB gene. Here, we report the case of a Korean female with a novel variant of MPS VI. A Korean female aged 5 years and 8 months, who is the only child of a healthy non-consanguineous Korean couple, presented at our hospital for severe short stature. She had a medical history of umbilical hernia and recurrent otitis media. Her symptoms included snoring and mouth breathing. Subtle dysmorphic features, including mild coarse face, joint contracture, hepatomegaly, and limited range of joint motion, were identified. Radiography revealed deformities, suggesting skeletal dysplasia. Growth hormone (GH) provocation tests revealed complete GH deficiency. Targeted exome sequencing revealed compound heterozygous mutations in the ARSB genes c.512G>A (p.Gly171Asp; a pathogenic variant inherited from her father) and c.1157C>T (p.Ser386Phe; a novel variant inherited from her mother in familial genetic testing). Quantitative tests revealed increased urine glycosaminoglycan (GAG) levels and decreased enzyme activity of arylsulfatase B. While on enzyme replacement therapy and GH therapy, her height increased drastically; her coarse face, joint contracture, snoring, and obstructive sleep apnea improved; urine GAG decreased; and left ventricular mass index was remarkably decreased. We report a novel variant-c.1157C>T (p.Ser386Phe)-of the ARSB gene in a patient with MPS VI; these findings will expand our knowledge of its clinical spectrum and molecular mechanisms.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제60권2호
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• pp.221-227
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• 2006

연구배경 : 만성 기침은 정밀 검사를 추가하여도 진단율을 향상시키는데 한계가 있고, 확진은 특이적 치료에 반응할 때에만 가능하다. 스테로이드는 비특이적 항염증 작용을 가지므로 만성 기침에 효과적일 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 원인 진단에 대한 진료 한계를 극복하기 위한 방법으로서, 만성 기침에 대한 흡입 스테로이드의 반응률을 알아보기 위하여 시행되었다. 방 법 : 3주 이상의 만성 기침 환자를 대상으로 처음 내원하였을 때 객담 호산구, 메타콜린 기관지 유발검사, 부비동 방사선촬영 등의 기본적인 객관적 검사를 시행하고, 동시에 budesonide turbuhaler $800{\mu}g/day$를 10일간 투여하고 추적 방문토록 하였다. 추적 방문일에 환자 증상의 개선도에 따라 흡입 스테로이드 반응군과 불응군으로 분류하였고 검사의 진단 성적을 조사하였으며, 각 진단에 따른 스테로이드 반응률을 알아보았다. 결 과 : 총 69명의 만성 기침 환자가 최종 분석되었고, 흡입 스테로이드의 투여로 증상의 호전이 있었던 경우는 79.7%였다. 진단된 질환에 따른 흡입 스테로이드의 반응률은 차이가 없었다. 투여 기간 동안 부작용은 거의 관찰되지 않아서 우수한 내약성을 보였다. 결 론 : 만성 기침 환자를 진료할 때 기본 검사를 시행하는 동시에 흡입 스테로이드를 단기간 투여하는 것은 매우 안전하며, 검사의 진단적 한계를 극복하고 초기에 진료 지침을 세우는 방법이 될 수 있다.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제71권4호
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• pp.278-281
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• 2011

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a complex clinical entity resulting from an allergic immune response to Aspergillus species, and most often occurs in patients with asthma. ABPA is rarely observed in the absence of asthma, which is, in fact, the principal criterion for its diagnosis. Our patient was a 53-year-old woman with no history of bronchial asthma. She presented with a 1-month history of cough, mucopurulent nasal discharge, and localized pulmonary consolidation. Peripheral blood eosinophilia and elevated serum IgE were observed. Sinus radiography showed right maxillary sinusitis. Pathologic examination of bronchoscopic biopsy specimens revealed conglomerates of fungal hyphae. Pulmonary function and bronchial provocation tests were within normal ranges. The patient was successfully treated for 3 months with itraconazole and oral prednisolone. There has been no evidence of recurrence over a 7-month follow-up. ABPA coupled with sinusitis in a nonasthmatic patient is a very rare occurrence and warrants reporting.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제80권4호
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• pp.344-350
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• 2017

Bronchial asthma is a disease characterized by the condition of airway hyper-responsiveness, which serves to produce narrowing of the airway secondary to airway inflammation and/or various spasm-inducing stimulus. Nonspecific bronchoprovocation testing is an important method implemented for the purpose of diagnosing asthma; this test measures the actual degree of airway hyper-responsiveness and utilizes direct and indirect bronchoprovocation testing. Direct bronchoprovocation testing using methacholine or histamine may have superior sensitivity as these substances directly stimulate the airway smooth muscle cells. On the other hand, this method also engenders the specific disadvantage of relatively low specificity. Indirect bronchoprovocation testing using mannitol, exercise, hypertonic saline, adenosine and hyperventilation serves to produce reactions in the airway smooth muscle cells by liberating mediators with stimulation of airway inflammatory cells. Therefore, this method has the advantage of high specificity and also demonstrates relatively low sensitivity. Direct and indirect testing both call for very precise descriptions of very specific measurement conditions. In addition, it has become evident that challenge testing utilizing each of the various bronchoconstrictor stimuli requires distinct and specific protocols. It is therefore important that the clinician understand the mechanism by which the most commonly used bronchoprovocation testing works. It is important that the clinician understand the mechanism of action in the testing, whether direct stimuli (methacholine) or indirect stimuli (mannitol, exercise) is implemented, when the testing is performed and the results interpreted.

• Strategy21
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• 통권44호
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• pp.254-290
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• 2018

Why did Kim Jong Un turn his foreign policy upside down in a sudden? US naval blockade became one of candidates for the reason since it had been threatened by Trump administration for the first time in December 2017. Has the blockades worked well like that in the international politic history? This paper reveals the effectiveness of naval blockade on sanctioning in the peacetime. This research analyzes three hypothetical arguments about the naval blockade based on the result of empirical tests with TIES Dataset. First, sanctions by blockading are more effective in gaining political benefits than the other economic sanctions. It was ranked the 4th effective way of sanction out of 9. And 56.3% of pacific naval blockades without packaged economic sanctions were succeeded, whereas the possibility of success increase up to 61.2% when blockade has been imposed in accordance with the other type of economic sanctions. Second, blockades deter military collisions, even war. When it comes to military provocation issue, blockading sanctions gain political interest far more than the other type of economic sanctions. The possibility of the success reaches up to 74%. Also, there wasn't any historical cases of war incurred by blockading sanctions within 5 years after the blockade end. Third, policy makers just need 1.2 years on average to see the end of sanctions when they choose the naval blockade as the method of imposing sanction on the adversary. It is impressively short span of time in achieving political goal compared to the other types of sanctions which are need 9 years on average. North East Asia sea could be the next stage for a naval blockade sooner or later. Because China and Japan not only possess capabilities of blockade but also have will to impose blockades to the others if conditions are set. And even the North Korea with lots of submerging forces could be a blockading threat in the specific area. So, the Republic of Korea has to pay more attention and be prepared for naval blockading sanction.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제64권5호
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• pp.229-238
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• 2021

Background: Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), an important physiological feature of asthma, is a prognostic marker of childhood asthma. Purpose: We aimed to investigate the factors associated with BHR in adolescents with childhood asthma. Methods: Two hundred and fifteen adolescents (≥13 years of age; 149 males, 66 females) who were diagnosed with asthma during childhood were enrolled, underwent methacholine challenge tests, and were divided into the BHR group (<25 mg/mL of provocation concentration causing a 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV₁] [PC₂₀], n=113) or non-BHR group (≥25 mg/mL of PC₂₀, n=102). We examined longitudinal changes in BHR and the risk factors for its persistence in the 108 adolescents for whom baseline data, including methacholine PC₂₀ at age 6 years, were available. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the factors associated with BHR in adolescents. Results: Mold sensitization (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 5.569; P=0.005) and increased blood eosinophil count (aOR, 1.002; P=0.026) were independently associated with BHR in boys but not girls. The odds of BHR decreased by 32% with each 1-year increase in age in boys (aOR, 0.683; P=0.010) but not girls. A reduced FEV₁/forced vital capacity ratio (<90%) was independently related with BHR in female patients only (aOR, 7.500; P=0.007). BHR decreased with age throughout childhood. A low methacholine PC₂₀ at age 6 years was independently associated with persistent BHR throughout childhood in male and female patients, whereas early mold sensitization was a risk factor for persistent BHR in male patients only (aOR, 7.718; P=0.028). Conclusion: Our study revealed sex-specific differences in the factors associated with BHR in adolescents with childhood asthma. Our findings suggest the risk factors that might affect asthma transition from childhood to adolescence and adulthood.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제57권6호
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• pp.535-542
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• 2004

연구배경 : 본 연구는 만성 기침 환자의 원인 진단을 위하여 흔히 사용되는 검사의 진단 성적을 알아보고, 이들에 대한 경제적 진료모델을 구축하기 위하여 시행하였다. 방 법 : 3주 이상의 만성 기침 환자를 대상으로 첫 내원일에 혈청 총 IgE, 말초혈액 호산구, 객담 호산구, 메타콜린 기관지유발검사, 부비동 촬영을 시행하는 동시에 prednisolone 0.5mg/kg를 7일간 경구 투약하고 추적 방문토록 하였다. 추적일에 환자 증상의 개선도에 따라 스테로이드 반응군과 불응군으로 분류하고 검사의 진단성적을 조사하였다. 조사된 환자 검사 결과와 스테로이드 반응률을 근거로 만성 기침 환자를 진료하는데 소요되는 의료 비용을 가상적인 3가지 진료 모델에 대입하여 비교하였다. 결 과 : 60명의 만성 기침 환자가 최종 분석되었고, 스테로이드 경구 투여로 기침의 호전이 있었던 경우는 90.0%였다. 내원시에 단순흉부방사선 검사, 기본 폐기능 검사, 객담 호산구 검사, 부비동방사선 검사를 시행하면서 동시에 단기간 스테로이드를 투여하여 약제 반응성을 살피는 것이 진단 성적을 유지하면서 향후 치료 방침을 세우는 비용-효과적 방법이었다. 결 론 : 만성 기침 환자를 진료할 때 검사를 시행하는 동시에 스테로이드를 단기간 투여하는 것이 검사의 진단적 한계를 극복하고 최종 진료 지침을 세우는 동시에 사회적 의료비용을 줄이는 방법이 될 수 있을 것으로 생각된다.

• 에너지공학
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.192-199
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• 2015

북한은 "자력갱생"의 경제기조 아래, 에너지 수급원을 수력과 화력에 집중해왔으나, 구 공산권의 몰락에 따른 관련 기자재 공급 불안정, 홍수 등 각종재해에 따른 설비 노후화 등에 기인한 극심한 에너지난을 겪으며, 에너지원의 다양화에 대한 관심이 대내외적으로 증대되고 있다. 특히, 신재생에너지는 북한 송전망 상황에 부합하는 분산형 에너지원이라는 점과, 자력갱생 기조에 부합하는 자체 생산 가능한 에너지라는 점에서 대북 에너지지원의 최선책으로 회자되고 있으며, 바이오가스는 식량증산과 연계하여 북한 주민의 인권 향상에 기여할 수 있어, 인도적 지원측면에서 FAO, WFP 등 국제기구를 통한 지원이 원활할 것으로 예상되는 바, 신재생에너지원 중에서도 지원가능성이 가장 높은 에너지원으로 손꼽히고 있다. 그러나 한편으로는 지원 물품의 군사적 용도로의 전용가능성과 전략물자의 유입에 대한 우려 또한 높은 실정이며, 북한의 핵실험 및 미사일 발사 등 군사적 도발에 따른 UN 안전보장이사회결의와 국제사회의 경제제재가 대북 지원의 걸림돌이 되고 있다. 본 논문에서는 바이오가스플랜트의 대북지원 가능 물품에 대하여 UN 제재품목여부를 기반으로 제재가능성을 평가하고, 원활한 대북지원을 위한 해결책을 논하고자 한다.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제71권1호
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• pp.24-29
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• 2011

Background: The rising prevalence of asthma worldwide may be associated with the rising prevalence of obesity in developed nations. Although several studies have suggested a relationship between asthma and obesity, controversy still remains. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between obesity and asthmatic factors such as atopy, eosinophilia, serum total Ig E and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in chronic cough patients. Methods: This study was a retrospective, observational study in two centers done between January 2007 and June 2008. The subjects included individuals who had a chronic cough. We examined body mass index (BMI) to measure obesity and pulmonary function. We did a metacholine provocation test for airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), a skin prick test for atopy, and tests for blood eosinophils and serum IgE. Results: A total of 1022 subjects were included. Airway hyperresponsiveness was not related with obesity (p=0.06), and atopy incidence was significant higher in non obese patients (p=0.00). There was no significant difference in serum IgE and blood eosinophil counts between obese and non obese patients. Forced expiratory volue in one second ($FEV_1$)/forced vital capacity (FVC) was significantly reduced in obese patients (p=0.03), but FEV1 and FVC were no significant difference between obese and non obese patients. Conclusion: There is no relationship between obesity and bronchial hyperresponsiveness. The nonobese group appears to have more atopy. The relationship between obesity and bronchial hyperresponsiveness and atopy need further investigation.