• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.42-47
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• 2006

L-Ascorbic acid (AsA) is an essential nutrient for prevention of scurvy in humans, primates and guinea pigs that lack $L-gulono-\gamma-lactone$ oxidase which is required for the final step of AsA biosynthesis. AsA participates in various hydroxylation reactions involved in the biosynthesis of collagen. The purpose of this study is to clarify the role of AsA on collagen synthesis in 3T6 fibroblasts and primary cultured cells of chondrocytes. Cells were cultured in medium supplemented with catalase and AsA at various concentration. Supplement of AsA induced collagen synthesis in 3T6 fibroblasts and primary cultured cells of chondrocytes. The most remarkable induction of collagen synthesis by AsA was found in primary cultured chondrocytes. The content of collagen representing the amounts of extracellular matrix significantly increased in the cells of which growth was stimulated by AsA, while it decreased with increasing passage numbers of subculture in cells. It showed that the content of collagen decreased in the medium which contained AsA at the concentration higher than 5.0 mM. However, the contents of collagen to DNA were not different among various AsA concentrations. Supplementing with AsA resulted in enhancement of collagen formation and extracellular matrix. Therefore, there might be a Positive correlation between the activity of catalase and the AsA concentration. Moreover, it can be assumed that AsA stimulates the collagen synthesis by optimizing the cell-culture environment.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.167-173
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• 2007

Purpose: Mistletoe (Viscum album L.) extract is one of the most widely used agents in alternative cancer therapeutic regimens in Europe. This study was conducted to determine the effect of mistletoe extract on immune function in gastric cancer patients. Materials and Methods: Ten patients that had undergone a curative gastrectomy were enrolled in the prospective study. ABNOBAviscum $Q^{(R)}$ was injected subcutaneously three times a week from postoperative-day 7 to week 16 with an increasing dose. All of the patients simultaneously received chemotheraphy with mitomycin, oral 5-FU and a cisplatin regimen. The WBC count, differential count, lymphocyte/WBC ratio and the level of cytokines (IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-2, IL-6, IFN-$\gamma$, TNF-$\alpha$) were checked in the peripheral blood preoperatively, at postoperative week 8 and at postoperative week 16. Results: The WBC and neutrophil counts significantly decreased after treatment on week 8 and week 16 (P=0.001), but the total eosinophil count was slightly increased (P=0.15). The total lymphocyte count also decreased during treatment but the lymphocyte/WBC ratio was slightly increased without statistical significance (P=0.91). The cytokine levels did not significantly change during treatment. Conclusion: It is somewhat difficult to determine the direct effect of mistletoe therapy on immune function as the effect may be compromised by the concurrent chemotherapy. It can be assumed that the slightly increased lymphocyte/WBC ratio and eosinophil count may be a result of the immunomodulatory effect of the mistletoe extract.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.124-131
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• 2007

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify prognostic factors in gastric cancer without lymph node metastasis and to specifiy which prognostic factors can be available in detail according to the depth of invasion. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was based on the medial records of 268 gastric cancer patients who received resectional therapy from 1990 to 1999. The patients who revealed pT2NOMO, pT3NOMO, pT4NOMO on postoperative pathologic reports were enrolled. The survival rate was analyzed according to clinicopathologic and therapeutic factors. Results: According to the depth of invasion, the number of patients with pT2a, pT2b, pT3 and pT4 were 86 (32.1%), 56 (20.9%), 108 (40.3%), and 18 (6.7%) respectively. Age, depth of invasion, histological type, Borrmann type, and Lauren classification were statistically significant in the univariate analysis, and the age, the depth of invasion, and Lauren classification were independent prognostic factors identified by multivariate analysis. On multivariate analysis of subgroups according to the depth of invasion, the independent prognostic factors were age, Borrmann type, and Lauren classification in pT2, and age, Lauren classification, and vascular invasion in pT3. The prognostic factors of pT4 patients could not be analyzed due to limited sample size. Conclusion: In advanced gastric cancer patients without lymph node metastasis, age, the depth of invasion, and Lauren classification should be checked to predict prognosis. In patients with pT2 lesion among the above patients, the Borrmann type should be added in check-list.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.152-159
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• 2007

Purpose: Recently, the use of laparoscopic assisted gastrectomy for early gastric cancer has been on the increase and the procedure has been quickly adopted by clincians. However, there are few reports regarding the safety and risk of this type of surgery. The aim of this study is to evaluate the morbidity and to verify the safety of laparoscopic assisted gastrectomy for early gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 376 patients that had undergone laparoscopic assisted gastrectomy for early gastric cancer between April 2004 and December 2006 were reviewed retrospectively. The clinicopathological characteristics, operative complications, and factors related to complications were evaluated. Results: The overall operative morbidity and mortality rates were 10.6% and 0%, intraoperative morbidity was 1.1% (4 of 376 patients) and post operative morbidity was 9.6% (36 of 376 patients). Most complications required no surgery except for an intestinal obstruction in two cases. Multivariate analysis of risk factors related to operative morbidity determined that age was an independent factor associated with morbidity (P=0.021). Conclusion: The complication rate of laparoscopic assisted gastrectomy is low and most complications can be managed by conservative methods rather than with surgery. There were no specific predicting factors for complications except old age. Laparoscopy is a technically feasible and acceptable surgical modality for early gastric cancer.

• Proceedings of the Korean Ceranic Society Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.1-112
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• 2005

This report is results of a research on recent R&D trends in electroceramics, mainly focusing on the papers submitted to the organizing committee of the International Conference on Electroceramics 2005 (ICE-2005) which was held at Seoul on 12-15 June 2005. About 380 electroceramics researchers attended at the ICE-2005 from 17 countries including Korea, presenting and discussing their recent results. Therefore, we can easily understand the recent research trends in the field of electroceramics by analyses of the subject and contents of the submitted papers. In addition to the analyses of the papers submitted to the ICE-2005, we also collected some informations about domestic and international research trends to help readers understand this report easily. We analysed the R&D trends on the basis of four main categories, that is, informatics electroceramics, energy and environment ceramics, processing and characterization of electroceramics, and emerging fields of electroceramics. Each main category has several sub-categories again. The informatics ceramics category includes integrated dielectrics and ferroelectrics, oxide and nitride semiconductors, photonic and optoelectronic devices, multilayer electronic ceramics and devices, microwave dielectrics and high frequency devices, and piezoelectric and MEMS applications. The energy and environment ceramics category has four sub-categories, that is, rechargable battery, hydrogen storage, fuel cells, and advanced energy conversion concepts. In the processing and characterization category, there exist domain, strain, and epitaxial dynamics and engineering sub-category, innovative processing and synthesis sub-category, nanostructured materials and nanotechnology sub- category, single crystal growth and characterization sub-category, theory and modeling sub-category. Nanocrystalline electroceramics, electroceramics for smart sensors, and bioceramics sub-categories are included to the emerging fields category. We hope that this report give an opportunity to understand the international research trend, not only to Korean ceramics researchers but also to science and technology policy researchers.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.119-124
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• 2011

Purpose: Supernumerary marker chromosome (SMC) could be associated with various phenotypic abnormalities based on the chromosomal origin of SMCs. The present study aimed to determine the genomic contents of SMCs using chromosomal microarray and to analyze molecular cytogenetic characterizations and clinical phenotypes in patients with SMCs. Materials and Methods: Among patients with SMCs detected in routine chromosomal analysis, SMCs originating from chromosome 15 were excluded from the present study. CGH-based oligonucleotide chromosomal microarray was performed in 4 patients. Results: The chromosomal origins of SMCs were identified in 3 patients. Case 1 had a SMC of 16.1 Mb in 1q21.1-q23.3. Case 2 showed 21 Mb gain in 19p13.11-q13.12. Case 3 had a 4.5 Mb-sized SMC rearranged from 2 regions of 2.5 Mb in 22q11.1-q11.21 and 2.0 Mb in 22q11.22-q11.23. Conclusion: Case 1 presented a wide range of phenotypic abnormalities including the phenotype of 1q21.1 duplication syndrome. In case 2, Asperger-like symptoms are apparently related to 19p12-q13.11, hearing problems and strabismus to 19p13.11 and other features to 19q13.12. Compared with cat-eye syndrome type I and 22q11.2 microduplication syndrome, anal atresia in case 3 is likely related to 22q11.1-q11.21 while other features are related to 22q11.22-q11.23. Analyzing SMCs using high-resolution chromosomal microarray can help identify specific gene contents and to offer proper genetic counseling by determining genotype-phenotype correlations.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.111-119
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• 1999

Purpose: As mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) shows hypometabolism of medial and lateral temporal lobe, we investigated whether symmetric uptake of F-18-FDG in medial temporal lobes can differentiate mesial from lateral TLE. Materials and Methods: In 113 patients (83 mesial TLE, 30 lateral TLE) who underwent anterior temporal lobectomy and/or corticectomy with good surgical outcome, we performed F-18-FDG PET and compared F-18-FDG uptake of medial and lateral temporal lobes. All the patients with mesial TLE had hippocampal sclerosis except one congenital abnormal hippocampus. Patients with lateral TLE revealed cerebromalacia, microdysgenesis, arteriovenous malformation, old contusion, and cortical dysplasia. Results: Sensitivity of F-18-FDG PET and MR for mesial TLE was 84% (70/83) and 73% (61/83), respectively. Sensitivity of F-18-FDG PET and MR for lateral TLE was 90% (27/30) and 66% (20/30), respectively. Twelve patients were normal on F-18-FDG PET. 101 patients had hypometabotism of lateral temporal lobe. Among 88 patients who showed hypometabolism of medial temporal lobe as well as lateral temporal lobe, 70 were mesial TLE patients and 18 were lateral TLE on pathologic examination. Positive predictive value of medial temporal hypometabolism for mesial TLE was 80%. Among 13 patients who showed hypometabolism of only lateral temporal lobe, 4 were mesial TLE and 9 were lateral TLE. Positive predictive value of hypometabolism of lateral temporal lobe for the diagnosis of lateral TLE was 69% (9/13). Normal MR findings stood against medial TLE, whose negative predictive value was 66%. Conclusion: Lateral temporal lobe epilepsy should be suspected when there is decreased F-18-FDG uptake in lateral temporal lobe with normal uptake in medial temporal lobe.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.131-142
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• 1999

Purpose: Either gated myocardial perfusion SPECT or attenuation corrected SPECT can be used to improve specificity in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. We investigated in this study whether gating or attenuation correction improved diagnostic performance of rest/stress perfusion SPECT in patients having intermediate pre-test likelihood of coronary artery disease. Materials and Methods: Sixty-eight patients underwent rest attenuation-corrected T1-20l/dipyridamole stress gated attenuation-corrected Tc-99m -MIBI SPECT using an ADAC vertex camera (M:F=29:39, aged $59{\pm}12$ years, coronary artery stenosis ${\geq}70%$, one vessel: 13, two vessel: 18, three vessel: 8, normal: 29). Using a five-point scale, three physicians graded the post-test likelihood of coronary artery disease for each arterial territory (1:normal, 2: possibly normal, 3:equivocal, 4. possibly abnormal, 5: abnormal). Sensitivity, specificity and area under receiver-operating-characteristic curves were compared for each operator between three methods : (A) non-attenuation-corrected SPECT; (B) gated SPECT added to (A): and (C) attenuation-corrected SPECT added to (B). Results: When grade 3 was used as the criteria for coronary artery disease, no differences in sensitivity and specificity were found between the three methods for each operator. Areas under receiver-operating-characteristic curves for diagnosis of coronary artery disease revealed no differences between each modality (p>0.05). Conclusion: In patients at intermediate risk of coronary artery disease, gated SPECT and attenuation- corrected SPECT did not improve diagnostic performance.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.143-151
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• 1999

Purpose: Dermatolymphangioadenitis (DLA) is a common and serious complication of lymphedema which deteriorates lymphatic function. The purpose of this study was to assess the risk of DLA by lymphos-cintigraphy in patients with lower extremity lymphedema. Materials and Methods: The subjects were 59 edematous lower extremities of 50 patients without previous episode of DLA and 12 lower extremities of 6 controls. Whole body images were acquired 1 min and 2 hr after subcutaneous injection of 37 MBq of Tc-99m-antimony sulfide colloid into interdigital spaces of both feet before therapy for lymphedema. The lymphosintigraphic and clinical variables were compared between groups with or without occurrence of DLA during clinical follow up. Results: There were 20 episodes of DLA in 12 extremities during clinical follow-up (19 :6 months). On univariate analysis, there were significant differences in ilioinguinal lymph node uptake, uptake pattern of main lymphatic vessel, clinical stage and therapy compliance between the two groups. After multivariate analysis, only the uptake pattern of main lymphatic vessel and therapy compliance fore confirmed to be independent variables. In other words, non-visualized main lymphatic vessel and poor compliance to therapy were more frequent in extremities with subsequent occurrence of DLA. Conclusion: Lymphoscintigraphy can be used to predict the risk of DLA and may thus be helpful for determining the initial therapeutic plan in patients with lower extremity lymphedema.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.152-162
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• 1999

Purpose: To determine whether $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI is recognized by the multidrug resistant P-glycoprotein (Pgp), we have measured quantitatively $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI uptake in cancer cells. The effects of various Pgp reversing agents on cellular $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI uptake were also investigated in the presence of multidrug resistance gene-1 (mdr1 gene) overexpression. Materials and Methods: We measured percentage uptake of $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI at different incubation temperatures both in mdr1 positive and negative cells. The effects of verapamil, cyclosporin, and dipyridamole on cellular uptake of $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI were also evaluated with or without overex-pression of mdr1 gene in cultured murine leukemia Ll210 cells. Results: The mdr1 gene expressing cell lines were effectively induced in in vitro with continuous application of low-dose adriamycin or vincristine. Cellular uptake of $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI was higher in mdr1 negative Ll210 cells than those of mdr1 positive cells, and higher when incubated in $37^{\circ}C$ than $4^{\circ}C$. In the presence of verapamil, cyclosporin or dipyridamole, $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI uptake was increased upto 604% in mdr1 positive cells. Conclusion: Cellular uptake of $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI is lower in leukemia cells over-expressing mdr1 gene, and MBR-reversing agents increase cellular uptake. These results suggest that $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI can be used for characterizing Pgp expression and developing MDR-reversing agents in vitro.