• Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Research
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.28-34
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• 2024

Purpose: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly formidable disease. Globally, multiple vaccines have been developed to prevent and manage this disease. However, the periodic mutations of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 variants cast doubt on the effectiveness of commonly used vaccines in mitigating severe disease in the Indian population. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the BBV152 vaccine and ChAdOx1-S vaccine in preventing severe forms of the disease. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study, based on hospital records, was conducted on 204 vaccinated COVID-19 patients using a consecutive sampling approach. Data on their vaccination status, comorbidities, and high-resolution computed tomography lung reports' computed tomography severity scores were extracted from their medical records. Fisher's exact test and binomial logistic regression analysis were employed to assess the independent associations of various factors with the dependent variables. Results: Of the 204 records, 57.9% represented males, with a mean age of 61.5±9.8 years. Both vaccines demonstrated effective protection against severe illness (90.2%), with BBV152 offering slightly better protection compared to ChAdOx1-S. Male gender, partial vaccination, comorbid conditions, and the type of vaccine were identified as independent predictors of severe lung involvement. Conclusion: This study indicates that both vaccines were highly effective (90%) in preventing severe forms of the disease in fully vaccinated individuals. When comparing the two vaccines, BBV152 was slightly more effective than ChAdOx1-S in preventing severe COVID-19.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.49-56
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• 2021

This study aimed to identify the factors affecting the health-related quality of life in terms of periodontal disease by using the data from 8,035 respondents aged ≥40 years, excepting those with cancers having an serious impact on the quality of life, in the seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) (2016-2018). The risk of quality of life deterioration was 1.32 times higher in the periodontal disease group than in the healthy periodontal group, those who were ≥50 years of age and had ≥2 comorbidities showed lower quality of life in the periodontal disease group. These results have confirmed that adults with periodontal disease get aware of the adverse quality of life though they have only a few chronic conditions and are expected to be useful as basic data necessary to develop health promotion programs that can help prevent periodontal disease and improve the health-related quality of life for adults.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.215-221
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate convergence factors associated with cardiovascular disease in Korean elderly and use them as basic data for developing a customized health program for elderly. This was a secondary data analysis study using the 2017 National Health and Nutrition Survey and the study subjects included 1,617 individuals aged 65 and over. Regression analysis showed that perceived health status, walking practice and hypercholesterolemia were related to cardiovascular disease in elderly. In case of perceived health status, the incidence of cardiovascular disease was higher in 'good', 'fair', 'poor', and 'very poor' compared to 'very good'. Also, the incidence of cardiovascular disease was higher in the 'No' than in rhe 'Yes' of the walking practice, and higher in the case of elderly with the hypercholesterolemia. Based on the results, it is necessary to develop an active prevention nursing intervention program considering the underlying disease of the elderly.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.267-277
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the related factors of quality of life (QOL) among middle-male with chronic liver disease. Method: The participants in this study were 110 patients with chronic liver disease who were recruited from the outpatient clinic of hospital. Between March and May 2014, data were collected through questionnaires and medical record review. Data analysis was performed using PASW (SPSS) 19.0 program, and one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and enter multiple regression analysis. Results: The mean QOL of this study was 48.16/100. The significant correlates of QOL were anxiety-depression (${\beta}$=.33, p<.001), symptom experience (${\beta}$=.15, p=.001), health perception(${\beta}$=.31, p<.001), disease status(${\beta}$=.17, p=.022), spouse (${\beta}$=.23, p=.001), and these variables explained 68.6% of variance in QOL. Conclusion: The study suggests that psychological aspects are an important factor in explaining QOL of the middle-male with chronic liver disease. Screening and minimizing anxiety-depression could be effective strategies in enhancing QOL of middle-male with chronic liver disease.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.19-29
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• 2021

Purpose: To assess parent perspectives of the current and potential future tests for their child with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods: New Zealand parents of a child with IBD were invited to complete an anonymous online survey. Experiences relating to their child's blood or faecal tests, medical imaging (abdominal ultrasound [US], abdominal computerised tomography [CT] and magnetic resonance enterography) and colonoscopy were collected. Perceived attitudes to potential future testing of urine, saliva, and breath, were sought. Results: Twenty-eight parents, 93% female completed the survey, and 86% were aged between 35 and 54 years. Baseline information was provided by parents for 27 of 28 children, 70.3% had Crohn's disease with a mean disease duration of 2.67 years. Blood tests were the most requested and completed tests, while CT was the least ordered and most refused test. Colonoscopy was rated as the least comfortable and generated the most worry. Explanation of test significantly improved parent's levels of understanding when their child had blood, faecal, imaging (US) or colonoscopy tests. Providing an explanation, test invasiveness and the impact of the blood results may have on their child's treatment significantly improved parents' comfort levels. However, explanation of colonoscopy generated a significant parental concerns. Saliva, urine and blood tests were chosen as the most preferred disease monitoring tests. Conclusion: Parents preferred any tests less invasive than colonoscopy for monitoring their child's IBD. Although providing explanation of their child's tests enhanced parents' understanding, it can also affect parents' levels of concern and comfort.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.212-221
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• 2024

Objectives: Metabolic disease is strongly associated with future insulin resistance, and its prevalence is increasing worldwide. Thus, identifying early biomarkers of metabolic-related disease based on serum profiling is useful to control future metabolic disease. Our study aimed to assess the association of serum branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) and aromatic amino acids (AAAs) ratio and metabolic disease according to body mass index (BMI) status among Korean adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 78 adults aged 20-59 years in Korea. We compared serum amino acid (AA) levels between adults with normal-weight and adults with obesity and investigated biomarkers of metabolic disease. We examined serum AA levels, blood profile, and body composition. We also evaluated the association between serum AAs and metabolic-related disease. Results: The height, weight, BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-hip-ratio, body fat mass, body fat percent, skeletal muscle mass, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were higher in the group with obesity compared to normal weight group. The group with obesity showed significantly higher levels of BCAA, AAA, and BCAA and AAA ratio. Further, BCAA and AAA ratio were significantly positively correlated with triglyceride, body weight, and skeletal muscle mass. The evaluation of metabolic disease risks revealed an association between the ratios of BCAAs and AAAs, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome. Conclusions: Our study is showed the associations between BCAA and AAA ratio, obesity, and obesity-related diseases using various analytical approaches. The elevated BCAA and AAA ratio could be early biomarkers for predicting future metabolic diseases in Korean population.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.249-252
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• 2015

Primary renal tumors are uncommon in dogs with prevalence rate of approximately 1%. Renal carcinoma originating from epithelium of proximal convoluted tubules are more likely to be affected to Middle-aged dogs (average age, 8y), males about twice as often as bitches. A 10-year-old, female, German Shepherd dog with history of anorexia, vomitting and hematuria was referred to the Animal Disease Diagnostic Division in Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency. The dog was necropsied and several organs were collected, fixed in 10% phosphate-buffered formalin, embedded in paraffin wax and sectioned for histopathology. Grossly, the kidneys were bilaterally enlarged ($18{\times}12{\times}8cm$; left, $18{\times}10{\times}8cm$; right). The numerous cysts varying sizes from 3 to 6 cm in diameter were protruding from the surface of both kidney. A large nodule ($10{\times}6{\times}6cm$) was discovered between cardiac and diaphragmatic lobe in the right lung. Immunohistochemical examination revealed strong positive reaction to cytokeratin and ki-67 in the nuclei of the epithelial tumor cells. But showed negative reactions to vimentin and CD10. Based on the pathological and immunohistochemical examination, we diagnosed as the bilateral renal cystadenocarcinoma in German shepherd dog.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.180-183
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• 2020

Purpose: To describe pediatric coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases after the reopening of schools in the Republic of Korea and their transmission routes. Methods: All case report forms and epidemiologic investigation forms for children aged 3-18 years reported as COVID-19 cases to the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System from May 1 to July 12, 2020, were reviewed. Results: After the schools were reopened in May 2020, a total of 127 pediatric COVID-19 cases were confirmed until July 12. Of these, 59 children (46%) were exposed to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 through family and relatives, followed by 18 children (14%) through cram schools or private lessons, 8 children (6%) through multi-use facilities, and 3 children (2%) through school. Conclusions: The present data do not suggest an increased risk of COVID-19 transmission in the context of stringent school-based infection prevention measures introduced across the country.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.185-205
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the clinical activity of patients with atopic dermatitis(AD) correlate with their serum cytokine levels. 86 patients with AD were treated with KHS, YMH and GHT. On each visit to the clinic, their skin status was evaluated using the SCORAD index and serum IL-4, $IFN-{\gamma}$, IL-12, IL-13, IL-2 and IL-10 were measured by ELISA. After oral administration of herbal medicine, patients' skin status and subjective parameters such as pruritus and sleeplessness were significantly improved according to regression analysis. In particular, patients aged 0-9 showed stronger responses to treatment, which implies that the younger patients aged, the easier the treatment by herbal formula became. In analysis of the type of chosen herbal medicines, YMH treated group showed a stronger response in reduction of affected lesion, intensity of a lesion and subjective symptoms, while KHS treated group showed the least reduction. The levels of serum IL-4, $IFN-{\gamma}$ and IL-2 correlated with disease activity. Moreover, in patients under 0-9, the IL-4 level had a corrleation with disease activity; patients under 10-19 showed a correlation between the levels of IL-4 and IL-2 and disease activity; patients under 20-29 showed a correlation between the levels of IL-2, IL-12 and $IFN-{\gamma}$ and disease activity. In comparison with chosen herbal medicines, the groups treated with YMH or GHT treated group showed a correlation between the levels of IL-4, IL-12 and IL-2 and disease activity while KHS treated group did not. Our data suggest that serum levels of IL-4 and IL-13 are good indicators of clinical improvement in treating AD.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.233-239
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• 2015

Both Q-fever and Toxoplasmosis are zoonosis. Q-fever occurs due to intracellular bacteria, while Toxoplasmosis is created by protozoan. Both of them have a wide range of host including livestock and wild animals and occur sporadically all over in the world. In this study, seroprevalence of Q-fever and Toxoplasmosis was investigated on cows bred in the area of Seoul where there was a fairly high possibility to occur, while vaccine was not used in Korea. As for experiment materials, cattle blood collected from 190 cows from February to September in 2014 was used ELISA. According to the result, there was a positive reaction on Q-fever from 18 cows out of total 190 cows (9.5%) and on Toxoplasmosis from 32 cows (16.8%). Seroprevalence of both diseases per age was turned out to be negative for those aged less than 2. In addition, it was shown to be positive on 4 cows out of 87 (4.6%) cows aged from 3 to 5, on 7 cows out of 30 cows (23.3%) aged from 6 to 7. Finally, it was shown to be positive on 7 cows out of 17 cows (41.2%) aged 8 or above. Toxoplasmosis was turned out to be positive on 1 cow out of 56 cows (1.8%) aged less than 2, on 6 cows out of 87 cows (6.9%) aged from 3 to 5, on 17 cows out of 30 cows (56.7%) aged from 6 to 7. In addition, it was turned out to be 8 cows out of 17 cows (47.1%) aged 8 or above. Seroprevalence of both diseases was turned out to be higher as age increased. Therefore, it seems that a wide range of investigation on the entire disease spreaders as well as livestock is required since infection of Q-fever and Toxoplasmosis, types of zoonosis, has continuously occurred, and the number of insects, wild animals, and stray animals serving as a role of spreading diseases by changes in seasons and environments has been gradually increasing in Korea.