Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of controlled-release phentermine/topiramate in adults with obesity in Korea: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 4 trial (QUEEN's study).

Aims: This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of a combination of phentermine and delayed-release topiramate (PHEN/TPM CR) versus placebo as an adjunct to standard lifestyle recommendations in Korean adults.

Materials And Methods: This 56-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 4 trial enrolled adults (age 19-70 years) with obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m) at eight sites in South Korea. After a 12-week lifestyle programme, participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive PHEN/TPM CR or placebo.

Gyejibokryeong-Hwan improves recovery of injured muscles in mouse model of muscle contusion.

Objective: To investigate the effects of Gyejibokryeong-Hwan (Guizhifuling-wan, GBH) on muscle injury in a mouse model of muscle contusion.

Methods: C57/BL6 mouse biceps femoris muscles were injured using the drop-mass method and injured animals were treated orally with GBH (50, 100, or 500 mg/kg) once a day for 7 d. Open field and treadmill running tests were performed to assess functional recovery from muscle injury.

Association Between Coffee Consumption and Circulating Levels of Adiponectin and Leptin.

Coffee has been proposed to have benefits for chronic diseases; however, the relevant mechanism remains to be elucidated. We conducted a cross-sectional study and evaluated the levels of adiponectin and leptin in relation to coffee consumption. We included a total of 4406 individuals (men = 2587 and women = 1819) for adiponectin analysis and 2922 individuals (men = 1731 and women = 1191) for leptin analysis.

Pseudoceramide stimulates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α expression in a murine model of atopic dermatitis: molecular basis underlying the anti-inflammatory effect and the preventive effect against steroid-induced barrier impairment.

Topical pseudoceramides are successfully used in skin barrier repair therapy for atopic dermatitis (AD) and demonstrated to reduce the adverse effects of topical glucocorticoids (GC). However, the molecular mechanisms involved are not fully understood. We investigated whether PC-9S (myristoyl/palmitoyloxostearamide/arachamide MEA, Neopharm, Daejeon, Korea), one of the synthetic pseudoceramides, could stimulate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)α expression in a hapten [oxazolone (oxa)]-induced AD murine model (oxa-AD mice) and subsequently improved permeability barrier, reduced inflammation, and increased antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) expression.

Prevalence of human papillomavirus infection and RAS mutation in sporadic keratoacanthoma.

Background: RAS gene activation and its association with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection have been extensively studied in various cancers. However, the correlation between RAS mutations and HPV in keratoacanthoma (KA) has not yet been investigated.

Methods: Detection of HPV DNA was performed by nested polymerase chain reaction in 28 KA specimens.

Predictive factors for occult contralateral carcinoma in patients with unilateral papillary thyroid microcarcinoma by preoperative ultrasonographic and pathological features.

Background: The surgical extent and indication for treatment in patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) remain a controversial issue. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive factor for contralateral occult carcinoma in patients with unilateral PTMC by preoperative ultrasonographic and pathological features.

Methods: Of the total patients who underwent thyroidectomy, 455 patients with PTMC confined to one unilateral lobe as diagnosed using preoperative ultrasonography (US) were enrolled in the study.

Association between interleukin 17/interleukin 17 receptor gene polymorphisms and papillary thyroid cancer in Korean population.

Background: Although numerous recent studies have implicated a role for interleukin 17(IL17) in tumor development, the mechanisms of IL17 involvement are still uncharacterized. The aims of this study were to determine whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in IL17 and IL17R contribute to the development of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and to assess the relationship between IL17 and IL17R SNPs and the clinicopathologic characteristics of PTC.

Materials And Methods: Eight SNPs located within the IL17A, IL17RA, and IL17RB genes were genotyped using direct sequencing in 94 patients with PTC and 260 patients without PTC (controls).

Comparison between the therapeutic effect of metformin, glimepiride and their combination as an add-on treatment to insulin glargine in uncontrolled patients with type 2 diabetes.

Aims: To compare the commonly prescribed oral anti-diabetic drug (OAD) combinations to use as an add-on therapy with insulin glargine in patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes despite submaximal doses of OADs.

Methods: People with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes (n = 99) were randomly assigned on a 1∶1∶1 basis to receive insulin glargin, with fixed doses of glimepiride, metformin, and glimepiride plus metformin. Outcomes assessed included HbA1c, the changes in fasting glucose levels, body weight, serum lipids values, insulin dose and symptomatic hypoglycemia.

2011 clinical practice guidelines for type 2 diabetes in Korea.

As in other countries, type 2 diabetes is major health concern in Korea. A dramatic increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and its chronic complications has led to an increase in health costs and economic burdens. Early detection of high risk individuals, hidden diabetic patients, and improvement in the quality of care for the disease are the first steps to mitigate the increase in prevalence.

Generalized acanthosis nigricans related to type B insulin resistance syndrome: a case report.

Acanthosis nigricans (AN) is a cutaneous marker for many underlying states such as endocrine abnormality, obesity, certain drugs, and malignancy. Generalized AN is a rare condition and is commonly seen in adults with an underlying malignancy. The type B insulin resistance syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder, is caused by the autoantibodies to the insulin receptor.

Planning study for available dose of hypoxic tumor volume using fluorine-18-labeled fluoromisonidazole positron emission tomography for treatment of the head and neck cancer.

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of fluorine-18-labeled fluoromisonidazole positron emission tomography/computed tomography ((18)F-FMISO PET/CT)-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in dose escalation to attack the hypoxic volume of a tumor mass without increasing the normal tissue dose in head and neck cancer patients.

Materials And Methods: Eight consecutive head and neck cancer patients underwent (18)F-FMISO PET/CT simulation. Hypoxic tumor volume (HTV) was defined using a tumor-to-cerebellum ratio (T/C) of 1.

Appropriate waist circumference cutoff points for central obesity in Korean adults.

Background: The International Diabetes Federation consensus recently proposed a new definition for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome, incorporating ethnically specific waist circumference (WC) cutoff points.

Objective: We investigated the ethnically appropriate WC cutoff values for central obesity in Korean adults to predict increased risk of elevated triacylglycerol, reduced HDL cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, elevated fasting plasma glucose, or two or more of these factors.

Design: We used data from 6561 adults, aged 20-80 years, who participated in the Korean Health and Nutritional Examination Survey of 1998, a cross-sectional health survey of a nationally representative sample of Koreans.

Early evaluation of the response to radiotherapy of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck using 18FDG-PET.

The aim was to evaluate the efficacy of positron emission tomography (PET) with 2-[F-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) in early discrimination of response to definitive radiotherapy (RT) in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Twenty-four patients who underwent FDG-PET scans before and after radiotherapy for nondisseminated SCCHN at the Asan Medical Center between August 2001 and September 2002 were prospectively evaluated. Initial FDG-PET scans were performed within 1 month before RT, and follow-up FDG-PET scans were performed 1 month after completion of RT.

Polymorphisms in interleukin-1 beta and Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist genes are associated with kidney failure in Korean patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background/aim: Cytokines play an important role in the pathogenesis of kidney diseases. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of interleukin (IL)-1 cluster genes on diabetic nephropathy in Korean patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods: We investigated -511 C/T polymorphism of IL-1 beta and tandem repeat polymorphism in intron 2 of IL-1 receptor antagonist in type 2 DM patients with end-stage kidney failure as compared with patients without nephropathy.

K+ channel currents in rat ventral prostate epithelial cells.

Background: Electrophysiological function of the normal prostate has not been extensively studied. In particular, ion channel currents and their regulation have not been studied in freshly-isolated prostate cells.

Methods: Rat prostate secretory epithelial (RPSE) cells were isolated by collagenase treatment.