• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.307-313
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to analyze the risk factors for uterine myoma diagnosed by ultrasonography in Korea women and to evaluate the risk. Among the patients who visited the outpatient department of obstetrics and gynecology at I hospital in Busin between January 2019 and March 2021 for the purpose of examination, 98 patients in the experimental group diagnosed with uterine myoma and 163 patients in the normal control group without other diseases were retrospectively conducted. Among the general characteristics of the subjects, age, body mass index, parity, and menopause showed significant differences between the myoma group and the normal control group. ROC(receiver operating characteristic) curve analysis and logistic regression analysis were performed to obtain the cut off value and odds ratio that can predict the occurrence of uterine myoma. The cut off value for the prediction of uterine myoma was determined to be 30 years old and a body mass index of 23 kg/m². After that adjusting for menopause, non menopausal cases with a body mass index of 23 kg/m² and over 39 years of age had the highest odds ratio of 6.04. Therefore, premenopausal women over 40 years of age require regular checkups and thorough weight management. This study was conducted with a small number of subjects. Therefore, there is a limit to generalizing to all Korean women. However, based on this study if a large scale prospective study considering various variables is made, it can play a role as a predictive marker in early detection of uterine myoma.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.279-286
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to provide basic data of comparing BMD(bone mineral density) value of preoperative breast cancer patient and postoperative breast cancer patient due to bone loss with radiation/chemical therapy. The participants consisted of 254 breast cancer patients with BMD after having surgery and treatment from March 2007 to September 2013. Except for 84 patients with menopause or hysterectomy and we have analysed 171 patients. The BMD value(lumbar spine and femur) of before and after treatment from PACS by dure-energy X-ray absorptiometry was analyzed. First, we found variation of entire BMD and BMD according to treatment type, and analyzed detailed correlation by using marital status, number of children, presence of feeding, age of menarche, breast cancer therapy types as variable. Data was analyzed by using SPSS for Windows Program(version 18.0). BMD was decreased 7.1% in lumbar spine, 3.1% in femur respectively(p<.01). Also there is relatively high decrement($0.067g/cm^2$) in group who had just chemotherapy in femur(p<.05). There is decrement depend on marital status, number of children, presence of feeding, age of menarche, breast cancer therapy types but there was no statistical significance. The results show that BMD was decreased after treatment in premenopausal breast cancer patient, patient who had relatively high decrement need to be included high-risk group. As a result, aggressive prevention policy would be necessary.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.279-286
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• 2001

Objective: To elucidate 1) whether there are any differences in the urine concentrations of steroid hormone metabolites between patients with leiomyoma and normal controls 2) the correlation between urinary profiles of steroid hormones and leiomyomas of the uterus according to their type, location, volume, and weight. Materials of Methods : The study population consisted of 37 premenopausal patients with uterine leiomyoma and the control group consisted of 25 premenopausal normal volunteer women without uterine leiomyoma. Confirmation of the existence of uterine leiomyoma was done by ultrasonography and histopathological examination after surgery. The volume of the leiomyoma was estimated by trans-abdominal and/or trans-vaginal ultrasonography. The Leiomyomas were divided into 3 types (subserosal, intramural and submucosal). Seventeen patients had subserosal type of leiomyoma, 10 with the intramural type and 10 with the submucosal type. The locations of the leiomyoma were also divided into 3 groups (fundus, body and isthmus). Seventeen patients showed a fundus location, 10 in body, and 10 in isthmus. We compared urinary profiles of the endogenous steroids between patients with leiomyomas and normal controls, and also investigated the relationship between urinary profiles of the endogenous steroids and leiomyomas according to their type, location, volume and weight by using highly sensitive Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) system. Results: The mean ages of the patients with leiomyomas and the control group were $43.1{\pm}5.6$ and $40.6{\pm}7.2$ years, the weights were $63.4{\pm}7.3$ and $59.4{\pm}8.1\;kg$, and their heights were $155.4{\pm}4.8$ and $159.3{\pm}4.8\;cm$ respectively. Seventeen patients had subserosal, 10 had intramural, and 10 had submucosal leiomyomas. There were 17 patients with leiomyoma located in fundus, 10 in body and 10 in isthmus. $17{\beta}$-estradiol, 5-AT, 11-keto ET, $11{\beta}$-hydroxy An, $11{\beta}$-hydroxy Et, THS, THA, THE, a-cortolone, a-cortol, $\beta$-cortol, $11{\beta}$-OH Et/$11{\beta}$-OH An and E2/E1 were significantly increased in patients with leiomyoma than in the control group. $17{\beta}$-estradiol was significantly increased in the intramural and the submucosal types than in the subserosal type. There was no significant difference in the concentrations of urinary steroids according to the locations of leiomyomas. There was no significant relationship between the concentration of urinary steroids and the volume of the leiomyomas. $17{\beta}$-estradiol significantly decreased as the weight of uterus increased (r=-0.322, p=0.04). Conclusion: The concentrations of steroid hormone metabolites were generally increased in patients with leiomyoma but were not significantly related to the volume and weight of the leiomyomas. Our study suggests that steroid hormones may be involved in the initiation of leiomyomas but may not be involved in their progression. In addition, the concentrations of steroid hormone metabolites are not related to the leiomyoma type and location.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.102-107
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• 2009

Background : Constipation is one of the most common disorders in Korea and Western countries. It may be related with life style, diet, physical activity, age, stress and gender, and particularly premenopausal women experience constipation more often than men due to the significant prolongation of the mean colonic transit in women. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a probiotic on constipation in loperamide-induced constipated rats. Materials and Methods : The rats were divided into 3 groups. Constipation was induced by administration of loperamide for 5 days, and the excreted amount as well as the number of feces was observed. Lactic acid bacteria as a probiotic were administered orally every day for 5 days. Results : The results showed that loperamide administration induced severe experimental constipation in rats. The amount of feces was decreased and the number of pellets was increased by loperamide. The water content in the feces as a parameter of constipation was also decreased by loperamide. On the other hand, the dry weights of feces were not significantly different among the groups. It represents that the amount of food consumption might have been similar among the groups, and constipation was caused by delayed intestinal movement. Conclusion : Probiotic administration for 5 days in rats partly alleviated or prevented the constipation induced by loperamide.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.2277-2282
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• 2013

Purpose: Mammography has been confirmed as the only effective mode to improve the prognosis of patients with breast cancer in Western developed countries, but might not be a good choice in other areas of the world. One of the major challenges in China is to determine an optimal imaging modality for breast cancer screening. This study was designed to clarify the sensitivity of ultrasonography compared with that of mammography in rural China. Methods: We retrospectively studied the sensitivity of mammography and ultrasonography based on 306 breast cancer patients detected by the program of "screening for cervical cancer and breast cancer" performed in Chinese rural areas between January 2009 and December 2011, and analyzed the effects of age, breast density and volume on the sensitivity. Results: Stratified analysis showed that the sensitivity of breast ultrasonography was significantly higher than that of mammography in premenopausal patients (81.4% vs. 61.1%, p=0.02), in women ${\leq}$ 55 years of age (82.2% vs. 63.4%, p<0.01), in the high breast density group (American College of Radiology [ACR] levels 3-4) (85.9% vs. 60.6%, p<0.01) and in the small breast volume group (${\leq}$ 400 ml) (87.1% vs. 66.7%, p<0.01). Age had a significant effect on sensitivity of mammography (breast density and volume-adjusted odds ratio, 6.39; 95% confidence interval, 2.8-14.4 in age group > 55 compared to age group ${\leq}$ 45), but not that of ultrasonography. Neither breast density nor volume had significant effect on sensitivity of mammography or ultrasonography. Conclusions: Ultrasonography is more sensitive than mammography in detecting breast cancer in women under 55 year-old Chinese, especially in those with high-density and relatively small breasts.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.729-738
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• 1998

Antioxidants such as vitamin C and E may play a preventive role in the development of cancer and coronary heart disease. The status of vitamins C and E may be affected by lifestyle habits such as smoking , drinking, and exercise. These habits can modify the dietary requirements of vitamin C and vitamin E. the purpose of this study was to determine whether Korean young healthy men and women consume vitamins C and E in sufficient quantities relative to their lifestyle habits. Among the participants in this study, 52% of the men and none of the women were smokers. ; 84% of all subjects drank alcohol more than once a week ; and the men exercised more often than the women. The concentrations of serum total , HDL-, and LDL- cholesterol were higher in the women than in the men, but the serum triglyceride concentrations were higher in the men than in the women. The men consumed less satuated fat than the women (p<0.05) . The daily intakes of vitamin C for the men and the women were 47.1mg and 65.6mg, respectively. On the other hand , the daily vitamin E intake was higher in the men (11.8mg) than women(6.9mg). The serum $\alpha$-tocopherol concentrations of all subjects were in a normal range, and in no subjects were they below the minimum value of ranges. However, about 19% of male subjects and 10% of female subjects showed deficient status, although the mean serum vitamin C levels were normal . Lifestyle habits fo the sort mentioned above have little influence on the serum vitamin C and $\alpha$-tocopherol concentrations. The serum $\alpha$-tocopherol concentration had a positive correlation with total fat and alcohol consumption. The serum vitamin C concentration was positively associated with regular exercise, but it was negatively correlated with the number of cigarettes smoked. Meanwhile, the serum lipid persoxide concentration , the indirect index of oxidative stress, was influenced by certain variable such as body mass index , the number of cigarettes smoked , alcohol consumption, energy expenditure, vitamin C intake, and serum ${\gamma}$-tocopherol concentration. Serum lipid peroxide concentration was positively associated with body mass index, the number of cigarette smoked , serum triglyceride , and HDL-cholesterol concentration. In conclusion , the vitamin E requirements of the subjects were met by the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) regardless of lifestyle habits. However, serum vitamin C concentrations showed individual variation and was below the normal ranges. Smoking and exercise influenced serum vitamin C concentration. Therefore, a reevaluation of the requirements of vitamin C relative to lifestyle habits is necessary.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.61-69
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• 1998

Five hundred and seventy-eight healthy subjects (351 men and 227 women) with a mean age of 44.8 years (45.2 for men, 44.3 for women) participated in this study. The serum concentrations of $\alpha$-tocopherol, \beta$-carotene, $\alpha$-carotene, zeaxanthin + lutein, cryptoxanthin, lycopene and retinol of normal Koreans were measured, and their relation to gender, age, BMI, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, and menopausal status were evaluated. The concentrations of $\alpha$-tocopherol, carotenoids and retinol in serum were measured simultaneously by reverse phase HPLC (multi-wavelength, gradient and computerized automatic system). Average serum levels of $\alpha$-tocopherol, \beta$-carotene and retinol were 10.1$\pm$0.41\mu$g/dl, 33.1$\pm$1.24\mu$g/dl, and 82.0$\pm$1.63\mu$g/dl for men and 11.1$\pm$0.74\mu$g/ml, 48.1$\pm$1.60\mu$g/dl and 64.5$\pm$1.96\mu$g/dl for women, respectively, Serum concentrations of $\alpha$-tocopheol \beta$-carotene, $\alpha$-carotene, cryptoxanthin and lycopene appeared to be higher in women than in men. The serum concentrations of zeaxanthin + lutein increased with the increase in age of men and those of $\alpha$-carotene and \beta$-carotene increased with the increase in age of women. For men, current smokers showed significantly lower serum concentrations of \beta$-carotene and $\alpha$-carotene than ex-smokers (p <0.05) . Current drinkers also showed significantly lower serum \beta$-carotene and zeaxanthin + lutein concentrations than ex-drinkers. For women, current smokers showed significantly love. serum concentrations of zeaxanthin+lutein and cryptoxanthin than ex-smokes (p<0.05). Men with BMI$\geq$24 showed significantly lower serum concentrations of \beta$-carotene, $\alpha$-carotene, lycopene and cryptoxanthin than men with BMI < 20. The mean concentrations of $\alpha$-tocopherol, \beta$-carotene, $\alpha$-carotene and lycopene far postmenopausal women were higher than those for premenopausal women (p<0.05). In conclusion, there were obvious differences in serum $\alpha$-tocopherol and carotenoids levels depending on gender, age, cigarette-smoking habits, alcohol consumption, BMI and menopausal status. further studies are required to establish the normal levels of these vitamins for children and the elderly and to elucidate their roles in different disease states.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.40 no.7
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• pp.639-649
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• 2007

This study was performed to investigate the effects of very low calorie diet (VLCD) using meal replacements that contain the wild grass extracts based on Samul-tang ingredients on psychological factors and quality of life in the obese women $(BMI{\geq}25kg/m^2)$ for four weeks. Seventy five women $(20{\leq}age<26)$ participated in this experiment. Subjects were randomly classified three groups: 1) General diet group (GD roup, n=27) consumed 3 regular meals within 600 kcal/day 2) Meal replacements group (MR group, n=27) consumed 1 regular meal and 2 meal replacements within 600 kcal/day 3) Herbal Meal replacements group (HMR group, n=27) consumed 1 regular meal and 2 meal replacements within 600 kcal/day. Physical factors (weight, BMI, fat (%)) of the HMR group significantly decreased more than those of GD and MR groups. Moreover, binge eating habit and environmental factors (surrounding support, emotional reaction, expression of opinion) of the HMR group significantly decreased more than those of GD and MR groups. Psychological factor and quality of life were no significant differences among three groups during the experimental period, because both were significantly decreased in all groups after 4 weeks. Therefore, very low calorie diet using meal replacements that contain the wild grass extracts based on Samul-tang ingredients for 4 weeks was effective on improvement of psychological factor and quality of life as well as weight reduction in the obese premenopausal women.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.2501-2504
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• 2014

Background: Capecitabine is an oral fluoropyrimidine derivative which is frequently used alone or in combination regimens for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Although overall and progression free survivals have increased in recent years with the use of new generation drugs, predictive factors that would further improve the outcomes are needed. Previous studies have demonstrated the relation between post-treatment increase in mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and predicting therapy response as well as survival. The present study investigated the clinical impact of MCV elevation in metastatic breast cancer patients treated with capecitabine. Materials and Methods: The data of a total of 82 patients from three centers followed between June 2005 and June 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. The demographic data and hormone receptor status of the patients, as well as initial examination before and after treatment and data concerning progression were recorded. MCV ${\geq}100$ fl was considered as macrocytosis. Capecitabine was given at a dose of $2500mg/m^2$ daily for 14 days every three weeks. Pre-treatment and post-treatment MCV and other parameters of complete blood count were recorded. Post-treatment initial evaluation was performed after 2 cycles of therapy. Results: The median age of the patients was 46.5 years (range 26-72 years) and 54% were premenopausal. Performance status was ECOG 0 and 1 in 81 (99%) patients. The median number of cycles for capecitabine therapy was 5 (min-max: 2-18). The median ${\Delta}MCV$ level (post-treatment values at sixth week - baseline) was 6.4. Whilst ${\Delta}MCV$ was ${\geq}6.4$ in 42 patients, it was <6.4 in 40 patients. Clinical benefit (complete response+partial response+stable disease) was observed in 37 (88%) of 42 patients with a median ${\Delta}MCV$ ${\geq}6.4$ and in 30 (75%) of 40 patients with ${\Delta}MCV$ <6.4 with no statistically significant difference (p=0.158). No significant difference was determined between the group with ${\Delta}MCV$ ${\geq}6.4$ and the group with ${\Delta}MCV$ <6.4 in terms of progression-free survival (11 vs 12 months) (p=0.55) and overall survival (20 months vs. 24 months) (p=0.11). Conclusions: The identification of new predictive markers in metastatic breast cancer is very important. In some recent studies, increase in MCV has been suggested as a marker in tumor response. In the present study, however, no significant difference was determined between tumor response and increase in MCV. Further studies including higher numbers of patients are needed to determine whether increase in MCV is a predictive marker or not.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.307-317
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• 1997

To determine the effects of endogenous and exogenous strogen on serum lipid levels, twenty nonsmoking healthy Korean women were participated in this experiment for 12 weeks. They were assigned to three groups : (1) eight women aged 22 to 30(yr) for the premenopausal(Pre) group, (2) eight, aged 49 to 60(yr) for the postmenoparusal(Pst) group, (3) four, aged 23 to 30(yr) for the oral contraceptive(OC) group which used triphasic OC formulation. Fasting blood samples representing every phase of the hormonal levels were obtained from the subjects of the Pre and the OC group. From the subjects of the Pst group, fasting blood samples were obtained once per three weeks for 12 weeks. All the serum data were adjusted for dietary effects, exercise, personality type and body mass index(BMI) by using analysis of covariation(ANCOVA). Serum lipid levels of the three groups were significantly different. While serum levels of triglycerides(TG)(p<0.0001), low density lipoprotein-chloesterol(LDL-C)/high density liporotein-cholesterol(HDL-C) ratio (LDC-C/HDL-C)(P<0.01) and total cholesterol (TC)/HDL-C ratio (TC/HDL-C)(P<0.001) were significatnly high in the Pst group, serum HDL-C(P0.001) level was significantly high in the Pre group. The OC group showed significantly low serum TC(P<0.0001) and LDL-C(P<0.0001) levels. There was no signidicant difference in the fluictuation of serum lipid levels during the menstrual cycle of the Pre group. However, in the OC group, serum TG level was significantly increased at phase 2(P<0.05) where exogenous estrogen administration was highest. Even though other serum lipid levels of the OC group were not significantly fluctuated according to the exogenous estrogen administration, there was a trend of increased levels of serum TC, LDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C and TC/HDL-C and decreased level of HDL-C during the menstruation period. Also, serum TC level was high(P<0.005) and serum TG level was low (P<0.005) at the baseline of the OC group compared with the periods of OC administration. When screening and counseling the female population at risk for coronary heart disease(CHD), the result of this study suggest that in may be desirable to divide the population into several groups according to their personal physiological characteristics, such as age, OC administration, menstrual cycle and menopause, as well as general risk factors for CHD.