11 results match your criteria: "MediCheck Research Institute[Affiliation]"

This study aimed to elucidate the clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed with toxoplasmosis in Korea. We collected and analyzed the specific research data of 5,917 patients from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment (HIRA; 2007-2020) and 533 electronic medical records (EMRs; 2003-2021) of Korean patients. The HIRA data showed that toxoplasmosis is an endemic disease that occurs constantly in Korea, with a large proportion of patients complaining of ocular symptoms.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The prevalence of C. sinensis infection in Korea is declining due to decades of containment efforts, but assessing the impact of changing fish consumption behavior remains complex.
  • - A modeling approach was used on infection data from 1981-2012 to evaluate how age, time period, and specific cohorts influenced the infection trends, with projections extending to 2023.
  • - Findings indicate that while all age groups are expected to see a decline, those over 40 may still have infection rates above the elimination threshold, emphasizing the need for tailored interventions that consider cohort variations in infection patterns.
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Epidemiology and Geographical Distribution of Human Trematode Infections.

Adv Exp Med Biol

July 2024

MediCheck Research Institute, Korea Association of Health Promotion, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Article Synopsis
  • - Digenetic trematodes are a large group of parasitic flatworms affecting humans, with over 109 species across 49 genera globally.
  • - They are categorized based on their location in definitive hosts into six groups: blood flukes, liver flukes, lung flukes, heterophyid intestinal flukes, echinostome intestinal flukes, and miscellaneous intestinal flukes.
  • - Notable species include the blood flukes Schistosoma, liver flukes like Fasciola and Clonorchis, and various types of intestinal flukes such as Metagonimus and Echinostoma.
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Diagnostic performance of non-invasive tests in patients with MetALD in a health check-up cohort.

J Hepatol

November 2024

Hanyang Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Internal Medicine, Hanyang University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Article Synopsis
  • Non-invasive tests (NITs) like FIB-4 and NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) are useful for diagnosing liver fibrosis in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), but their effectiveness is lower in those with alcohol-related liver disease (MetALD).
  • A study involving 7,918 participants found that the prevalence of MetALD was 5.8%, and those with MetALD had similar metabolic profiles and fibrosis levels compared to MASLD patients.
  • The study concluded that FIB-4 is effective for screening advanced hepatic fibrosis in MetALD, showing good sensitivity and high negative predictive values, making it a reliable option for initial assessments.
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Standard- and large-sized eggs of Trichuris trichiura were found in the feces of schoolchildren in Yangon, Myanmar during epidemiological surveys and mass deworming with albendazole in 2017-2019. The standard-sized eggs were identified as those of T. trichiura, but it was necessary to exclude the possibility of the large-sized eggs belonging to Trichuris vulpis, a dog whipworm.

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Gut microbiota differences induced by Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity in stray cats in South Korea.

Parasitol Res

October 2023

Department of Tropical Medicine, Institute of Tropical Medicine, and Arthropods of Medical Importance Resource Bank, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Korea.

T. gondii is a highly prevalent parasite worldwide, with cats serving as its final host. However, few studies have investigated the impact of T.

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Article Synopsis
  • Opisthorchis viverrini infection is a growing health concern in Cambodia, particularly in the central and southeastern regions, but its impact in northern areas near Laos is not well understood.
  • A study conducted on 1,101 individuals across 10 villages in Preah Vihear and Stung Treng used fecal examinations to assess the prevalence of this infection, with an egg positivity rate of around 65% in both provinces.
  • The research found a significant presence of adult O. viverrini flukes, with a total of 315 specimens collected, indicating that these provinces are highly endemic for this parasitic infection, along with some instances of mixed infections with other helminths.
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Head louse infestation is a significant public health problem across the world, particularly among preschool and primary schoolchildren. This study investigated the trends of head louse infestation in the Republic of Korea over a 9-year period (2011-2019), targeting primary schoolchildren in 3 areas of Seoul, 4 other large cities, and 9 provinces. A survey was administered annually by the health staff of each regional office (n= 16) of the Korea Association of Health Promotion (KAHP).

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Fascioliasis, a food-borne helminthiasis, is primarily a disease of cattle and sheep that occasionally occurs in humans. The aquatic perennial herb water dropwort () has been identified as the primary source of human infections in Korea. Recently, a cluster of patients who had not ingested water dropwort, but had the use of a green vegetable delivery service in common was diagnosed with fascioliasis.

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Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan parasite that can modulate the microenvironment of infected hosts and is known to be associated with the incidence of brain tumor growth. In this study, we suggested that the exosomal microRNA-21 derived from Toxoplasma infection would contribute to the growth of brain tumors. Exosomes of BV2 microglial cells infected with Toxoplasma were characterized and confirmed internalization to U87 glioma cells.

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General overview of the current status of human foodborne trematodiasis.

Parasitology

September 2022

MediCheck Research Institute, Korea Association of Health Promotion, Seoul 07649, South Korea.

Foodborne trematodes (FBT) of public health significance include liver flukes ( and ), lung flukes ( and several other spp.) and intestinal flukes, which include heterophyids ( and ), echinostomes ( and ) and miscellaneous species, including and . These trematode infections are distributed worldwide but occur most commonly in Asia.

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