• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.182-188
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• 2016

Objective: This study was designed to assess the clinical effect of traditional Korean medicine on primary biliary cirrhosis.Method: We provided herbal medicine and acupuncture therapy to a 38-year-old male patient who complained about jaundice, itching, and fatigue. During a six-day hospital stay, we checked any changes in symptoms and conducted liver function tests (such as aspartate aminotransferase [AST], alanine aminotransferase [ALT], alkaline phosphatase [ALP], and gamma-glutamyl transferase [GGT], among others) to evaluate any improvement.Results: We observed that herbal medicine and acupuncture therapy appeared to decrease the symptoms of primary biliary cirrhosis. During each hospital stay, the symptoms and liver function test both showed improvement, especially in ALP.Conclusion: Based on the therapeutic results of the six-day hospital stay, we report improved primary biliary cirrhosis symptoms and a decreasing tendency in ALP and GGP levels following treatment with traditional Korean medicine.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.44 no.4 s.140
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• pp.295-302
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• 2006

Liver function tests were peformed in 61 vivax, 54 malariae and 15 ovale malaria patients who were admitted to Bangkok Hospital for Tropical Diseases between 2001 and 2004. The objective of the study was to evaluate changes in hepatic biochemical indices before and after treatment with artemisinin derivatives. On admission and prior to treatment, hepatic dysfunction was found among the 3 groups. Serum liver function tests and physical examinations were peformed weekly during the 28-day follow-up period. Initially elevated serum bilirubin and diminished albumin returned to normal within 2 weeks of treatment. Serum alkaline phosphatase and aminotransferases returned to within normal limits within 3 weeks. We conclude that patients with Plasmodium vivax, P. malariae and p. ovate infections had slightly elevated serum bilirubin, aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase levels, and hypoalbuminemia. These minor abnormalities returned to normal within a few weeks after treatment with therapies based on artemisinin derivatives.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.19-40
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• 1971

Since the iron balance is maintained by regulated intestinal absorption rather than regulated excretion, there have been many reports concerning the factors which may influence the intestinal iron absorption. As the liver is the largest iron storage organ of the body, any hepatocellular damage may result in disturbances in iron metabolism, e,g., frequent co-existence of hemochromatosis and liver cirrhosis, or elevated serum iron level and increased iron absorption rate in patients with infectious hepatitis or cirrhosis. In one effort to demonstrate the influence of hepatocellular damage on intestinal iron absortion, the iron absorption rate was measured in the rabbits whose livers were injured by a single subcutaneous injection of carbon tetrachloride (doses ranging from 0.15 to 0.5cc per kg of body weight) or by a single irradiation of 2,000 to 16,000 rads with $^{60}Co$ on the liver locally. A single oral dose of $1{\mu}Ci\;of\;^{59}Fe$-citrate with 0.5mg of ferrous citrate was fed in the fasting state, 24 hours after hepatic damage had been induced, without any reducing or chelating agents, and stool was collected for one week thereafter. Serum iron levels, together with conventional liver function tests, were measured at 24, 48, 72, 120 and 168 hours after liver damage had been induced. All animals were sacrificed upon the completing of the one week's test period and tissue specimens were prepared for H-E and Gomori's iron stain. Following are the results. 1. Normal iron absorption rate of the rabbit was $41.72{\pm}3.61%$ when 0.5mg of iron was given in the fasting state, as measured by subtracting the amount recovered in stool collected for 7 days from the amount given. The test period of 7 days is adequate, for only 1% of the iron given was excreted thereafter. 2. The intestinal iron absorption rate and serum iron level were significantly increased when the animal was poisoned by a single subcutaneous injection of 0.15cc. per kg. of body weight of carbon tetrachloride or more, or the liver was irradiated with a single dose of 12,000 rads or more. The results of liver function tests which were done simultaneously remained within normal limit except SGOT and SGPT which were somewhat increased. 3. In each case, there has been good correlation between the extent of liver cell damage and degree of increased iron absorption rate or serum iron level. 4. The method of liver damage appeared to make no obvious difference in the pattern of iron deposit in liver. This may be partly due to the fact that tissue specimens were obtained too late, for by this time the elevated serum iron level had returned within normal range and the pathological changes were almost healed. 5. The possible factors and relationship between intestinal iron absorption and hepatic parenchymal cell damage has been discussed.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.999-1006
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• 2006

Objectives:The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of SosihohapYukmijihwang-tang on seven patients with biochemical abnormality of the liver. Methods: SosihohapYukmijihwang-tangwas administered to patients for over 10 days continuously. Tests of their AST, ALT, r-GTP, ALP were taken before and after taking medicine. Results: Through this method, we found a positive effect of taking this herbal medicine on biochemical abnormality of the liver. Conclusions: The results suggest that taking this herbal medicine not only reduces hepatotoxicity, but also improves liver function. We need more study about this.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.531-541
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• 2020

From January 2014 to December 2016, 38 out of 153 inpatients admitted to the Korean Medicine Hospital for more than one month underwent follow-up blood tests to evaluate their liver function levels, and one drug-induced liver injury (DILI) patient was observed. 1. At the time of admission, six (15.8%) of the 38 patients had abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and five of them recovered after hospitalization. 2. At follow-up, two (5.3%) patients had a Council for International Organizations of Medical Science (CIOMS)-based liver injury. One was identified as a liver injury accompanied by pneumonia, and one was judged as a liver injury caused by the drug. 3. The patient had a suspected DILI and completely recovered after 13 days while discontinuing the herbal medication and by using Sanggangunbi-tang (生肝健脾湯).

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.207-211
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• 2004

Recently a case of liver injury from ingestion of Taeyeumjowi-tang containing Ma-huang(Ephedra sinica stapf) arose. The patient, a 30 year-old woman, was diagnosed with asthenia and anorexia after 6 weeks of ingesting Taeyeumjowi-tang containing Ma-huang(Ephedra sinica stapf) as a treatment for her obesity. Tests showed elevated levels of serum transaminase(ALT 903 IU/L, AST 716 IU/L), alkaline phosphatase (229 IU/L), total bilirubin (1.4 mg/dl). Other possible causes of liver injury were excluded by laboratory test and medical history, so the liver injury was taken to be drug-induced. Saenggangeonbi-tang was administered. After 2 weeks of treatment with this medication, the clinical symptoms and liver function improved. This case is reported with a call for further accumulation of objective data on drug-induced liver injury, and to bring more attention to the relative levels of safety and toxicity of herbal medicines.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.330-339
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• 2012

Background : Hypertension is treated with both lifestyle modification and pharmacotherapy. The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC-7), published in 2003, provides a streamlined management approach to hypertension for the primary care physician. The JNC-7 is the gold standard also in Korea. According to the JNC-7, special therapeutic considerations are recommended for high-risk individuals with compelling indications. The presence of compelling indications in any given patient should be considered when selecting specific pharmacotherapy to treat hypertension. However, in patients with compelling indications, it is unknown that hepatotoxicity is caused by Calcium Channel Blocker (CCB), one of 1st anti-hypertensive drugs. Now, the CCB is the most used 1st anti-hypertensive drug in Korea Therefore, we evaluated the changes in blood liver function parameters (ALT, AST, Total bilirubin, serum albumin) for the study group. Methods : We randomly collected and retrospectively analyzed Electronic Medical Record data (n=28,788) of patients, and who took calcium channel blockers(non-dihydropyridines; diltiazem, verapamil, dihydropyridines; amlodipine, barnidipine, benidipine, clinidipine, efonidipine, felodipine, isradipine, lacidipine, lercanidipine, nicardipine, nifedipine, nimodipine), with having liver function tests (LFTs) from July 1st 2009 to June 30th 2010 at the Seoul National University Hospital in Korea. Control groups are two antihypertensive agents: RAS blockade (ARB; candesartan, irbesartan, losartan, olmesartan, telmisartan, valsartan, ACE-I; cilazapril, enalapril, fosinopril, imidapril, perindopril, ramipril) and, Diuretics (loop; furosemide, torsemide, thiazide; hydrochlorothiazide[HCTZ], indapamide). Patients not having LFT results at these three standard points of time(baseline, during, medication, and after finishing medication) were excluded. The collected data were analyzed by using the SPSS (Version12.0) and Microsoft Excel (Version2007). Results : 711 patients who were treated CCB (297), RAS blockade (232) or Diuretics (182) monotherapy were selected for the study. In selected patients, liver damage degree(changes of each LFTs value) was higher in diuretics group than other groups, followed by RAS blockade and CCB. In diuretics group's was loop-diuretics group was higher than thiazide-diuretics group. In CCB group, Nondihydropyridine-CCB's damage degree was higher than Dihydropyrine-CCB's that. Conclusions : Despite the limitations due to the retrospective study, among patients with abnormal LFTs, the use of CCBs led to a less liver damage than other 1st anti-hypertensive agents. It can be recommended CCBs as one of the initial treatments of hypertension in patients with liver disease.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.55-60
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• 2014

Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and the safety of constitutional herbal tea for treating chronic fatigue with no diagnosed cause, which is called Mibyeong in Korea. Methods: Males and females with ages between 40 and 59 years who had complained of fatigue for 1 month consistently or for 6 months intermittently without a definite cause were recruited. At the same time, a Chalder fatigue scale (CFS) score of 19 was essential for participation in this study. Sixty five subjects completed the entire process, including blood tests and tests with medical devices. Five assessments of health status were accomplished over 8 weeks by using the CFS and the visual analogue scale (VAS). To ensure that the constitutional herbal tea was being safely used, we conducted and analyzed renal function and liver function tests. For the diagnosis of the Sasang constitution, the Sasang Constitutional Analysis Tool (SCAT) was used, and a specialist in Sasang constitutional medicine made the final diagnosis based on the SCAT result. Constitutional herbal tea was served four weeks after the first visit. The subjects took the constitutional herbal tea twice a day for one month. Results: The results are as follows: The CFS and the VAS scores were significantly improved for the subjects in the constitutional herbal tea. No abnormalities were found on the blood tests to evaluate safety after taking the constitutional herbal tea. The improvements in the CFS and the VAS scores due to the constitutional herbal tea had no significant differences according to the Sasang constitution. Conclusion: Constitutional herbal tea may be used to reduce fatigue and improve health and has no adverse effect on either the kidney or the liver.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between diabetes and liver function test results. Unlike type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hepatogenous diabetes is caused by abnormal liver function. In this study, the relationship between liver enzymes, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and the AST/ALT ratio (De Ritis ratio), indicating liver function, and diabetes-related tests was analyzed. The results of the study showed a positive correlation between AST and glucose (r=0.14, P<0.01), ALT and glucose (r=0.21, P<0.01), AST and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (r=0.15, P<0.01), and ALT and HbA1c (r=0.20, P<0.01). The De Ritis ratio showed a negative correlation with glucose (r=-0.20, P<0.01) and HbA1c (r=-0.14, P<0.01). The results of regression analysis with AST, ALT, and the De Ritis ratio as independent variables and glucose (R²=0.05) and HbA1c (R²=0.04) as dependent variables revealed that the independent variables had a statistically significant effect on the dependent variables. AST showed a lower correlation between blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin than ALT, and an increase in ALT caused a decrease in the De Ritis ratio. Therefore, the De Ritis ratio can be said to be meaningful in relation to diabetes-related tests.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.823-826
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• 2023