• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.677-685
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• 2006

Proteins that are unfolded or misfolded in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) must be targeted for refolding or degradation to maintain the homeostasis of the ER. Derlin-1 was reportedly implicated in the retro-translocation of misfolded proteins from the ER to the cytosol for degradation. In this report, we showed that Derlin-1 was down-regulated in the endothelial cells derived from human hepatic cavernous hemangioma (CHEC) compared with other tested cells. Electron microscopy analysis showed that ER was aberrantly enlarged in CHEC cells, but not in other tested cells. When overexpressed, Derlin-1 induced the dilated ER to return normal size. This ER dynamic was associated with the activation of unfolded protein response (UPR). In CHEC cells where Derlin-1 was down-regulated, increased expression of the immunoglobulin heavy chain-binding protein (Bip) and UPR-specific splicing of X-box DNA-binding protein 1 (XBP1) mRNA were detected, as compared with that in other tested cells, indicating that UPR was activated. After Derlin-1 overexpression, the extent of UPR activation diminished, as evidenced by decreased expression of Bip, reduced amount of the spliced form of XBP1 ($XBP1_S$), and elevated expression of the unspliced form of XBP1 ($XBP1_U$). Taken together, these findings provide another example of a single protein being able to affect ER dynamic in mammalian cells, and an insight into the possible molecular mechanism(s).

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.169-171
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• 2017

Background: Many stroke patients receive traditional medical care in Korea and China. Stroke patients comprise the largest proportion of inpatients in traditional Korean medicine and traditional Chinese medicine hospitals. The purpose of this study is to identify the types and effects of Chinese medicine widely used in China and Korea, and to apply them to future studies of stroke. Methods: Nine Korean and Chinese databases will be surveyed for clinical studies of herbal medicines for stroke, published between the inception of the database and August 2017. Clinical studies of decoctions or modified decoctions will be included without restriction on study type. The frequencies and patterns of formulas or single herb usage and the any type of herbal medicine utilization will be analyzed. Dissemination: The results of the systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated electronically and in print. Updates of the review will be conducted to inform and guide healthcare practices.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.18
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• pp.7741-7746
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• 2014

Although a number of studies have been conducted on the association between GSTM1 polymorphisms and lung cancer in China, this association remains elusive and controversial. To clarify the effects of GSTM1 polymorphisms on the risk of lung cancer, a meta-analysis was performed in the Chinese population. Related studies were identified from PubMed, Springer Link, Ovid, Chinese Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Chinese Biology Medicine (CBM) up to 5th April 2014. A total of 45 articles (47 studies) including 6,623 cases and 7,865 controls were involved in this meta-analysis. Overall, a significant association (OR = 1.45, 95%CI: 1.32-1.60) was found between the null GSTM1 and lung cancer risk when all studies in Chinese population pooled into the meta-analysis. In subgroup analyses stratified by quality score, geographic area and source of controls, the same results were observed under all the models. This meta-analysis showed that the null GSTM1 may be a potential biomarker for lung cancer risk in Chinese, but further studies with gene-gene and gene-environment interactions are required for definite conclusions.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6579-6584
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• 2013

Background: With effective early treatments, many breast cancer patients suffer from psychological distress due to adverse effects and lifelong physical disfigurement. Our study aimed to evaluate the psychopathological profile of breast cancer patients in comparison with healthy women and explored demographic correlates. Method: We consecutively enrolled breast cancer patients who came to the hospital for follow-up or rehabilitation care after primary treatment, and healthy female relatives or friends of inpatients in the Cancer Institute of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences between August 30, 2010 and January 1, 2012. Psychopathological profile was assessed based on the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R) for patients and controls. We compared demographics such as age, ethnicity, education, marriage, and occupation, and incorporated these data plus cancer status for the association with the general SCL-90-R index and scores for 9 major symptom dimensions in multiple regression analysis. Results: We surveyed a total of 291 female breast cancer patients and 531 healthy women. The average age was $55.1{\pm}6.40$ years for breast cancer patients and $43.1{\pm}12.8$ for healthy controls (P<0.01). The mean survival was 5.20 years for cancer patients (range, 0.60-9.90 years). There were statistically significant differences in education, marriage, and occupation between the two groups (P<0.01). General index ($1.45{\pm}0.45$ versus $1.32{\pm}0.37$) and 8 dimension scores (excluding anxiety) on SCL-90-R were significantly higher in patients (P<0.05). Multiple regression analysis showed that the breast cancer status was positively correlated with general SCL-90-R index and 6 dimension scores (excluding the anxiety, phobic anxiety and paranoid ideation dimensions) (P<0.05). Regression coefficients ranged from 0.10 (depression) to 0.19 (somatization). Higher interpersonal sensitivity was noticed in single women compared to married women. Conclusions: Chinese patients with breast cancer demonstrate greater psychopathology compared to healthy controls. The breast cancer status is an independent contributing factor to the general psychopathological profile. Breast cancer patients should be given particular counseling and care to alleviate their psychological distress.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.17-28
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• 2003

We met results like the followings through the literatures and questionnaires about the tasks and solutions about the insurance fee of packed medical herbs. 1) It's turned out that 74.8% of herb doctors agrees to the insurance fee of packed medical herbs. However, in comparison with the same survey of the herb doctor association the percentage of general approval went somewhat lower, and especially the percentage of 'positive approval' became notably lower$(43.7%{\rightarrow}26.5%)$ and the percentage of 'active objection' raised about 2 times$(6.8%{\rightarrow}12.9%)$. Inquiring into the approval reasons on the insurance fee application of packed medical herbs some heads such as 'development toward treatment medical science' and 'decrease of publics burden' were higher than the one of 'management income and expenditure.' 2) As a result of the research, 36.0% of the patients and 42.8% of the residents recognized that the pay range of Chinese herb health insurance is narrow. They recognized that less people have the experiences of Chinese medical hospital use and internal application of the packed medical herbs as they are older, men rather than women. 85.4% of the patients and 74.9% of the residents agreed on the insurance pay of packed medical herbs. It's shown that they agree on the Chinese medical hospital use more as the economic standard is lower, on the insurance pay as they have ever taken the packed medical herbs. In the aspect of increase of insurance fee, 66.7% of the patients and 44.3% of the residents agreed on the insurance pay of packed medical herbs, and 18.1% and 36.1% disagreed on the insurance pay of packed medical herbs. The main objective reason why they disagree on the insurance pay of packed medical herbs was 'because the insurance fee goes up higher,' which answered 95.2% of the patients and 78.8% of the residents. 7.22% of the patients and 1.80% of the residents answered that they can pay more insurance fee in case of the insurance pay of packed medical herbs. However, in the priority order of the insurance pay, it hold the 5th position between 2 target research groups which was less than medical examination, charges for hospital accommodation and taking MRI. 3) According to the result of analysis about the cost of packed medical herbs, current practice price is 115,000 won and the average prime cost of a packed medical herb is 73,000 to 106,000 won. It's examined that the herb doctors regard that 95,000 won will be reasonable when the packed medical herb is payed in insurance. However, it was found out that the public generally thinks that the price would be appropriate on the level of 30,000 to 40,000 won and the percentage of the answers of 20,000 won to 30,000 was fairly high. 4) the central system of a prescription should be change into the central system of demonstration and the sick and wounded. 5) To solve this problem, the government should regulate it to pass by the circulation gradation of [importer, $peasantry{\rightarrow}manufacturer{\rightarrow}wholesaler{\rightarrow}distributor$(Chinese medical hospital, pharmacy dispensary of Chinese medicine)]And it should intervene into the quality and the circulation steps of Chinese medicine through 'the office or organization which is in charge of certification of Chinese medicine' and 'the office or organization which is in charge of the circulation of Chinese medicine.' And some actions such as simple severance, lavation, drying should be included into the conception of manufacture and the boundary between food and medical supplies should be made at a manufactory. And the regulation of standardized goods at one's own house should be improved so that, the peasantry can sell the materials of Chinese medicine only to the manufacturer. 6) In company with the insurance pay of packed medical herbs, the study about the separation of dispensary from medical practice in the Chinese medicine should be accomplished.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.111-125
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• 2012

Objectives : One of the fundamental premises of medical anthropology is the interconnectedness of medicine and society. Recent ethnographies of medicine demonstrate that the interconnectedness of the social and the medical not just evokes relatedness of the two parties, but also emphasizes the agency of the constituents, mutually shaping and being shaped. Against this backdrop, this study attempts to anthropologically investigate Korean medicine in South Korea and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in China. Methods : The findings are based on anthropological studies of East Asian medicine employing long-term fieldwork about Korean Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Results : TCM is characterized by standardization, hospitalization, and scientization, by which simplification, collectivization, and biomedicalization prevail in contemporary traditional medicine in China. In contrast, Korean medicine is characterized by diversity, care delivery by individual private clinics, and a considerable distance from biomedicine. To understand the divergence of the two East Asian medicines, one should consider the social contexts intervening into the medical contents, such as the role of the state and dominant discourses in given historical periods. Conclusions : Korean medicine in South Korea and TCM in China demonstrate well the hybridity of the social and the medical, suggesting that, for more comprehensive understanding of the medical, the social should be paid attention to.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.426-437
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• 2024

Objective: Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is a diagnostic tool that provides precise and reproducible information about cardiac structure, function, and tissue characterization, aiding in the monitoring of chemotherapy response in patients with light-chain cardiac amyloidosis (AL-CA). This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of CMR in monitoring responses to chemotherapy in patients with AL-CA. Materials and Methods: In this prospective study, we enrolled 111 patients with AL-CA (50.5% male; median age, 54 [interquartile range, 49-63] years). Patients underwent longitudinal monitoring using biomarkers and CMR imaging. At follow-up after chemotherapy, patients were categorized into superior and inferior response groups based on their hematological and cardiac laboratory responses to chemotherapy. Changes in CMR findings across therapies and differences between response groups were analyzed. Results: Following chemotherapy (before vs. after), there were significant increases in myocardial T2 (43.6 ± 3.5 ms vs. 44.6 ± 4.1 ms; P = 0.008), recovery in right ventricular (RV) longitudinal strain (median of -9.6% vs. -11.7%; P = 0.031), and decrease in RV extracellular volume fraction (ECV) (median of 53.9% vs. 51.6%; P = 0.048). These changes were more pronounced in the superior-response group. Patients with superior cardiac laboratory response showed significantly greater reductions in RV ECV (-2.9% [interquartile range, -8.7%-1.1%] vs. 1.7% [-5.5%-7.1%]; P = 0.017) and left ventricular ECV (-2.0% [-6.0%-1.3%] vs. 2.0% [-3.0%-5.0%]; P = 0.01) compared with those with inferior response. Conclusion: Cardiac amyloid deposition can regress following chemotherapy in patients with AL-CA, particularly showing more prominent regression, possibly earlier, in the RV. CMR emerges as an effective tool for monitoring associated tissue characteristics and ventricular functional recovery in patients with AL-CA undergoing chemotherapy, thereby supporting its utility in treatment response assessment.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.19
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• pp.8311-8317
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• 2014

Background: Evidence supporting an association between the 8q24 rs4242382-A polymorphism and prostate cancer (PCa) risk has been reported in North American and Europe populations, though data from Asian populations remain limited. We therefore investigated this association by clinical detection in China, and meta-analysis in Asian, Caucasian and African-American populations. Materials and Methods: Blood samples and clinical information were collected from ethnically Chinese men from Northern China with histologically-confirmed PCa (n=335) and from age-matched normal controls (n=347). The 8q24 (rs4242382) gene polymorphism was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-high-resolution melting analysis. We initially analyzed the associations between the risk allele and PCa and clinical covariates. A meta-analysis was then performed using genotyping data from a total of 1,793 PCa cases and 1,864 controls from our study and previously published studies in American and European populations, to determine the association between PCa and risk genotype. Results: The incidence of the risk allele was higher in PCa cases than controls (0.222 vs 0.140, $P=7.3{\times}10^{-5}$), suggesting that the 8q24 rs4242382-A polymorphism was associated with PCa risk in Chinese men. The genotypes in subjects were in accordance with a dominant genetic model (ORadj=2.03, 95%CI: 1.42-2.91, $Padj=1.1{\times}10^{-4}$). Presence of the risk allele rs4242382-A at 8q24 was also associated with clinical covariates including age at diagnosis ${\geq}65$ years, prostate specific antigen >10 ng/ml, Gleason score <8, tumor stage and aggressive PCa, compared with the non-risk genotype ($P=4.6{\times}10^{-5}-3.0{\times}10^{-2}$). Meta-analysis confirmed the association between 8q24 rs4242382-A polymorphism and PCa risk (OR=1.62, 95%CI: 1.39-1.88, $P=1.0{\times}10^{-5}$) across Asian, Caucasian and African American populations. Conclusions: The replicated data suggest that the 8q24 rs4242382-A variation might be associated with increased PCa susceptibility in Asian, Caucasian and African American populations. These results imply that this polymorphism may be a useful risk biomarker for PCa in multi-ethnic populations.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.339-346
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• 2017

Background: In this study, we investigated how to convert the Panax ginseng DNA sequence code and chemical fingerprints into a two-dimensional code. In order to improve the compression efficiency, GATC2Bytes and digital merger compression algorithms are proposed. Methods: HPLC chemical fingerprint data of 10 groups of P. ginseng from Northeast China and the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) sequence code as the DNA sequence code were ready for conversion. In order to convert such data into a two-dimensional code, the following six steps were performed: First, the chemical fingerprint characteristic data sets were obtained through the inflection filtering algorithm. Second, precompression processing of such data sets is undertaken. Third, precompression processing was undertaken with the P. ginseng DNA (ITS2) sequence codes. Fourth, the precompressed chemical fingerprint data and the DNA (ITS2) sequence code were combined in accordance with the set data format. Such combined data can be compressed by Zlib, an open source data compression algorithm. Finally, the compressed data generated a two-dimensional code called a quick response code (QR code). Results: Through the abovementioned converting process, it can be found that the number of bytes needed for storing P. ginseng chemical fingerprints and its DNA (ITS2) sequence code can be greatly reduced. After GTCA2Bytes algorithm processing, the ITS2 compression rate reaches 75% and the chemical fingerprint compression rate exceeds 99.65% via filtration and digital merger compression algorithm processing. Therefore, the overall compression ratio even exceeds 99.36%. The capacity of the formed QR code is around 0.5k, which can easily and successfully be read and identified by any smartphone. Conclusion: P. ginseng chemical fingerprints and its DNA (ITS2) sequence code can form a QR code after data processing, and therefore the QR code can be a perfect carrier of the authenticity and quality of P. ginseng information. This study provides a theoretical basis for the development of a quality traceability system of traditional Chinese medicine based on a two-dimensional code.

• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.111-125
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• 2010

Objective: For the purpose to establish direction, goal and methods, basic attitude survey of students in The College of Oriental Medicine is necessary. Methods: For 356 students in three years of College of Oriental Medicine, survey about difficulty, preference between two methods of memorization and comprehension, direction and effectiveness of education, connectivity and overlap between related subjects, and teaching methods, is carried out and data is analyzed by subjects. Results: 1. In Chinese Literature, the survey shows that difficulty is $6.25{\pm}1.415$, contribution to read and understand is $7.23{\pm}1.801$, contribution to understand Human Nature and Gi Idea in Oriental Philosophy is $5.42{\pm}2.071$, and preference for comprehension is $6.25{\pm}2.387$. 2. In Medical Chinese Literature, the survey shows that difficulty is $5.98{\pm}1.655$, awareness about direction of education is $6.14{\pm}1.917$, overlap with subject of Oriental Medical Classics is $5.98{\pm}1.712$. 3. In Oriental Medical Classics, the survey shows that difficulty is $6.85{\pm}1.598$, preference for comprehension is $6.88{\pm}2.554$, connectivity with historical background is $5.07{\pm}1.989$, contribution of Chinese Literature is $7.27{\pm}1.882$, contribution of Medical Chinese Literature is $7.23{\pm}1.802$, connectivity with clinical area is $3.59{\pm}1.973$, preference for article-based teaching method is $6.35{\pm}2.693$, necessity to modern analysis of Oriental Medical Classics is $7.77{\pm}1.907$. 4. In Oriental Medical History, the survey shows that difficulty is $5.39{\pm}1,615$, feeling quantity of subject is $5.87{\pm}1.521$, connectivity with Oriental Medical Classics is $4.94{\pm}2.027$. Conclusion: The more comprehensive methods must be used than memorization, and modern analysis of Oriental Medical Classics have to be connected with clinical area. In addition, more close connection between Oriental Medical Classics and History is necessary, and new diverse method of education must be developed.