The field of onco-microbiome is rapidly expanding. Multiple studies have shown the crucial role of gut microbiota in the regulation of nutrient metabolism, immunomodulation and protection against pathogens. Tools for manipulating the gut microbiota include dietary modification and faecal microbiota transfer. Accumulating evidence has also documented the application of specific intestinal microbiome in cancer immunotherapy, notably in enhancing the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors. The aim of this review is to focus on the East Asian microbiome and to provide a current overview of microbiome science and its clinical application in cancer biology and immunotherapy.
Humans ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Neoplasms/microbiology* ; Immunotherapy/methods* ; Asia, Eastern ; Medical Oncology ; Fecal Microbiota Transplantation ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; East Asian People

OBJECTIVE: Traditional medicine (TM) has played a key role in the health care system of East Asian countries, including China, Japan and South Korea. This bibliometric study analyzes the recent research status of these three TMs, including traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), traditional Korean medicine (TKM), and Kampo medicine (KM). METHODS: Research topics of studies published for recent 10 years (2014 to 2023), through a search on MEDLINE via PubMed, was analyzed. Medical Subject Headings were used to distinguish between the three TMs researches. Bibliographic information was analyzed through VOSViewer version. Total 10,151 documents were included: TCM studies (n=9,630); TKM studies (n=256); and KM studies (n=295). RESULTS: Comparing the three co-occurrence analysis maps, TCM studies generally overwhelm the quantitative scale of TKM and KM studies. In the trend of the latest research of TCM, not only corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but also clinical research topics such as gastrointestinal microbiome and diabetes mellitus have emerged, with in silico research approaches being actively applied. In the case of TKM, obesity and cooperative treatment with Western medicine are gaining attention. In KM, COVID-19 and Scutellaria baicalensis were recent research focuses. Unique features that distinguished from the other two TM research trends included 'gut microbiota', 'diabetes mellitus', 'clinical trials', 'disease models', and 'quality control' in the TCM map; 'prospective studies', 'cell line, tumor', and 'panax' in the TKM map; and 'aged, 80 and over', 'retrospective studies', 'glycyrrhiza', 'panax', and 'paeonia' in the KM map. Also, some quantitative and qualitative differences were found in author co-operation maps in each TM. CONCLUSIONS This analysis revealed that there were clear quantitative and qualitative differences among TCM, TKM, and KM. Although these medicines have a common root, they may have become distinct due to factors such as the size of research funds, cultural differences, and the medical licensing system.
Bibliometrics ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Medicine, Kampo ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Medicine, Korean Traditional ; Asia, Eastern ; COVID-19 ; SARS-CoV-2

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the trends of disease burden of lip and oral cancers in East Asia from 1990 to 2021 and its future projections. METHODS: We used the Global Burden of Disease 2021 database to conduct a comprehensive analysis of disease burden data from China (including Taiwan Province of China), Japan, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Mongolia. The data were stratified by age, gender and major risk factors, and a Bayesian age-period-cohort model was employed to predict the future trends. RESULTS: From 1990 to 2021, the burden of lip and oral cancers in East Asian countries exhibited a steady increase. Taiwan Province of China experienced the most significant increases in incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), while Mongolia saw a decline in both mortality and DALYs. In 2021, Taiwan Province of China reported the highest rates of lip and oral cancer incidence (27.50 per 100 000), prevalence (137.92 per 100 000), mortality (9.59 per 100 000), and DALYs (292.07 person-years per 100 000), particularly among male and elderly populations. Tobacco use and alcohol consumption significantly exacerbated the disease burden in Taiwan Province of China and Japan. Future projections indicate that the incidence and prevalence of lip and oral cancer in China (excluding Taiwan Province of China) will continue to rise, while their mortality rates are expected to decline in most regions, except for Taiwan Province of China and Democratic People's Republic of Korea. CONCLUSIONS By the year 2035, the disease burden of lip and oral cancers in East Asia is expected to continue to increase, especially in Taiwan Province of China. To address this challenge, it is essential to implement effective measures to control major risk factors, promote early screening, and ensure equitable distribution of healthcare resources.
Humans ; Mouth Neoplasms/epidemiology* ; Incidence ; Lip Neoplasms/epidemiology* ; Asia, Eastern/epidemiology* ; Male ; Disability-Adjusted Life Years ; Prevalence ; Female ; Forecasting ; Risk Factors ; Cost of Illness ; Middle Aged ; Global Burden of Disease ; Aged ; Bayes Theorem

Prostate cancer (PCa) risk calculators (RCs) with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and other risk factors can greatly improve the accurate prediction of potential risk of PCa compared to PSA. The European Randomized Study of Screening for PCa Risk Calculator (ERSPC-RC) and the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial Risk Calculator (PCPT-RC) are developed on the Western population. However, the Western RCs showed limited diagnostic efficacy in the Eastern Asian population, mainly due to racial differences between the two populations. We aimed to review the application of Western RCs and Eastern Asian RCs in Eastern Asian cohorts and to identify the characteristics and efficacy of these RCs.
Aged ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Asia, Eastern ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Models, Theoretical ; Prostate-Specific Antigen/blood* ; Prostatic Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors

Objective To explore the genetic polymorphism of Y chromosome D-M174 haplogroup and sub-haplogroups in East Asia. Methods The samples of 1 426 unrelated male individuals from East Asia were collected, and then 7 Y chromosome haplogroup D-M174 and the Y-SNP of its sub-haplogroups were detected with mini-sequencing. The 22 Y-STR genotypes were detected with DNA Typer™ Y26 kit. The haplogroup was analyzed using direct counting method, heatmap, phylogenetic cluster and network graph cluster, and then distribution of genetic polymorphism and the clustering relation between populations and samples of Y chromosome D haplogroup were discussed. Results Haplogroup D-M174 were distributed mostly among Tibetans （40.96%）and Japanese （35.71%）, while less or none were distributed among the surrounding areas of Tibet and other areas. Conclusion The geographical distribution of Y chromosome D-M174 haplogroup in East Asian populations has significant characteristics.
Chromosomes, Human, Y ; Asia, Eastern ; Genetics, Population ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Male ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Genetic

BACKGROUND: Travel-related risks for infectious diseases vary depending on travel patterns such as purpose, destination, and duration. In this study, we describe the patterns of travel and prescription of vaccines as well as malaria prophylaxis medication (MPM) at a travel clinic in South Korea to identify the gaps to fill for the optimization of pre-travel consultation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cohort of travel clinic visitors in 2011 was constructed and early one-third of the visitors of each month were reviewed. During the study period, 10,009 visited the travel clinic and a retrospective chart review was performed for 3,332 cases for analysis of travel patterns and prescriptions. RESULTS: People receiving yellow fever vaccine (YFV) (n = 2,933) were traveling more frequently for business and tourism and less frequently for providing non-medical service or research/education compared to the 399 people who did not receive the YFV. Overall, most people were traveling to Eastern Africa, South America, and Western Africa, while South-Eastern Asia was the most common destination for the non-YFV group. Besides YFV, the typhoid vaccine was the most commonly prescribed (54.2%), while hepatitis A presented the highest coverage (74.7%) considering the natural immunity, prior and current vaccination history. Additionally, 402 (82.5%) individuals received a prescription for MPM among the 487 individuals travelling to areas with high-risk of malaria infection. Age over 55 was independently associated with receiving MPM prescription, while purpose of providing service and travel duration over 10 days were associated with no MPM prescription, despite travelling to high-risk areas. CONCLUSION: Eastern Africa and South America were common travel destinations among the visitors to a travel clinic for YFV, and most of them were travelling for tourism and business. For the individuals who are traveling to areas with high-risk for malaria, more proactive approach might be required in case of younger age travelers, longer duration, and travel purpose of providing service to minimize the risk of malaria infection.
Africa, Eastern ; Africa, Western ; Antibiotic Prophylaxis ; Asia ; Cohort Studies ; Commerce ; Communicable Diseases ; Hepatitis A ; Immunity, Innate ; Korea* ; Malaria ; Prescriptions* ; Retrospective Studies ; South America ; Travel Medicine ; Typhoid-Paratyphoid Vaccines ; Vaccination* ; Vaccines ; Yellow Fever Vaccine ; Yellow Fever*

Inonotus obliquus is a fungus that causes white heart rot on several broad-leaved species. This fungus forms typical charcoal-black, sterile conks (chaga) or cinder conks on infected stems of the birche (Betula spp). The dark brown pulp of the sterile conk is formed by a pure mycelial mass of fungus. Chaga are a folk remedy in Russia, reflecting the circumboreal distribution of I. obliquus in boreal forest ecosystems on Betula spp. and in meridional mountain forests on beech (Fagus spp.) in Russia, Scandinavia, Central Europe, and Eastern Europe. Distribution at lower latitudes in Western and Southern Europe, Northern America, Asia, Japan, and Korea is rare. Infected trees grow for many years without several symptoms of decline. The infection can penetrate through stem injuries with exterior sterile conks developing later. In the Czech Republic, cinder conk is found on birches inhabiting peat bogs and in mountain areas with a colder and more humid climate, although it is widespread in other broad leaved species over the Czech Republic. The most common hosts are B. pendula, B. pubescens, B. carpatica, and F. sylvatica. Less frequent hosts include Acer campestre, Acer pseudoplatanus, Alnus glutinosa, Alnus incana, Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus cerris, Q. petraea, Q. robur, Q. delachampii, and Ulmus sp.
Acer ; Alnus ; Asia ; Betula ; Climate ; Czech Republic ; Ecology ; Ecosystem ; Europe ; Europe, Eastern ; European Continental Ancestry Group ; Fagus ; Fraxinus ; Fungi ; Heart ; Humans ; Japan ; Korea ; Medicine, Traditional ; North America ; Quercus ; Russia ; Scandinavia ; Soil ; Trees ; Ulmus ; Wetlands

The number of people living with HIV/AIDS continues to grow, estimated to be 39.5 million as of the end of 2006, while 4.3 million people were newly infected in 2006. The proportions of women has continued to grow, currently approaching 50%. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to bear the brunt of global epidemic, comprising 63% of all infections worldwide. The most striking increases have occurred in East Asia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. High-risk behaviors (intravenous drug use and unprotected sex between men or with paid sex workers) are the predominant route of transmission. The number of people with HIV/AIDS continues to increase since the first report of HIV in Korea, now approaching 4,580 as of the end of 2006. The real magnitude of HIV epidemic is believed to be much larger than the recent estimates by UNAIDS shows (13,000 people with HIV infection). The prevalence among the general population is still low (less than 0.1%; probably 0.003~0.01%). The HIV epidemic in Korea shows several peculiar features: 1) a male predominance suggesting that the epidemic may still be largely confined to male homosexual community, while the transmission through heterosexual contact remains less prominent, 2) a conspicuous absence of contribution of intravenous drug use to current epidemic, and 3) a very small number of vertical transmission due to the relatively limited number of infected women. The HIV epidemic is expected to continue to grow in the foreseeable future in Korea as well as globally unless drastic efforts are made to cope with the epidemic.
Africa South of the Sahara ; Asia ; Epidemiology* ; Europe, Eastern ; Far East ; Female ; Heterosexuality ; HIV ; Homosexuality ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Prevalence ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Strikes, Employee ; Unsafe Sex

The incidence of tuberculoma of the brain in different countries varies reatly. They form a high percentage of intracrnial lesions dealt with in countries of Asia, Eastern Europe, Italy, Spain and South America. The recent introduction of the potent antituberculosis remedies, far from diminishing the incidence of tuberculoma of the brain, is more likely to increase it. This case was a 18 year old male who had increased intracranial pressure signs and characteristic signs which was suggestive lesion in posterior fossa. Conray ventriculography revealed nearly total obstruction of distal portion of aqueduct of Sylvius with displacement to the right side. Intensive antituberclous treatment then was started after removal of tuberculoma in cerebellar vermis and then discharged with fully recovery. References were reviewed as will.
Adolescent ; Asia ; Brain ; Cerebral Aqueduct ; Europe, Eastern ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intracranial Pressure ; Italy ; Male ; South America ; Spain ; Tuberculoma*

The incidence of tuberculoma of the brain in different countries varies reatly. They form a high percentage of intracrnial lesions dealt with in countries of Asia, Eastern Europe, Italy, Spain and South America. The recent introduction of the potent antituberculosis remedies, far from diminishing the incidence of tuberculoma of the brain, is more likely to increase it. This case was a 18 year old male who had increased intracranial pressure signs and characteristic signs which was suggestive lesion in posterior fossa. Conray ventriculography revealed nearly total obstruction of distal portion of aqueduct of Sylvius with displacement to the right side. Intensive antituberclous treatment then was started after removal of tuberculoma in cerebellar vermis and then discharged with fully recovery. References were reviewed as will.
Adolescent ; Asia ; Brain ; Cerebral Aqueduct ; Europe, Eastern ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intracranial Pressure ; Italy ; Male ; South America ; Spain ; Tuberculoma*