PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effects of a herbal formula, PerioH-035, containing Angelica sinensis, steamed Rehmannia glutinosa, Angelica dahurica, Cimicifuga heracleifolia, and Zanthoxylum piperitum on the periodontal breakdown in a well-established ligature-induced periodontitis model in rats. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups: NL (non-ligatured), L (ligatured), P1 (ligatured and treated with 1 mg/mL PerioH-035), P100 (ligatured and treated with 100 mg/mL PerioH-035). Periodontitis was induced by placing a ligature around the mandibular first molars. PerioH-035 was topically applied to both sides of the first molar for 2 weeks. The right side of the mandibles was retrieved for micro-computed tomography (CT) and methylene blue staining to analyze alveolar bone loss. The left side of the mandibles was histologically analyzed by TRAP and H&E staining. The MMP-9 mRNA level in gingival tissue was investigated by RT-PCR. RESULTS: Alveolar bone resorption was significantly reduced in the PerioH-035-treated groups. The number of dense multi-nucleated cells found to be TRAP-positive by staining in the ligatured rats was markedly decreased by PerioH-035 application. In addition, periodontal tissue destruction, especially cementum demineralization, was ameliorated in the P1 and P100 groups. Moreover, gingival tissue from the PerioH-035-treated group showed a decrease in the MMP-9 mRNA level, resulting in recovery of collagen degradation. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that PerioH-035 has therapeutic effects on periodontitis, and thus, PerioH-035 shows promise as a treatment for periodontitis. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT:
Alveolar Bone Loss ; Angelica ; Angelica sinensis ; Animals ; Bone Resorption ; Cimicifuga ; Collagen ; Dental Cementum ; Ligation ; Mandible ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; Methylene Blue ; Molar ; Osteoclasts ; Periodontitis* ; Plants, Medicinal ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rehmannia ; RNA, Messenger ; Steam ; Zanthoxylum

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of regular postoperative surveillance to improve the prognosis of patients with breast cancer after curative surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 4,119 patients who received curative surgery for breast cancer at Samsung Medical Center between January 2000 and September 2008. Patients were divided into two groups (group I, regular postoperative surveillance; group II, control group) according to their post-therapy follow-up status for the first 5 years after surgery. RESULTS: Among the 3,770 patients selected for inclusion, groups I and II contained 3,300 (87%) and 470 (13%) patients, respectively. The recurrence rates at 5 years for groups I and II were 10.6% and 16.4%, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.67 to 1.09; p=0.197). The 10-year mortality cumulative rates were 8.8% for group I and 25.4% for group II (hazard ratio, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.22 to 0.35; p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis for recurrence-free survival (RFS), age over 40 years (p < 0.001), histologic grade 1 (p < 0.001), and pathologic stage I (p < 0.001) were associated with longer RFS but not with follow-up status. Multivariate analysis for overall survival (OS) revealed that patients in group I showed significantly improved OS (hazard ratio, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.23 to 0.37; p < 0.001). Additionally, age over 40 years, histologic grade I, and pathologic stage I were independent prognostic factors for OS. CONCLUSION: Regular follow-up for patients with breast cancer after primary surgery resulted in clinically significant improvements in patient OS.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Epidemiology ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: Regorafenib, an oral multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is considered the new standard of care in patients with chemotherapy-refractory colorectal cancers (CRCs). However, there are no data on this drug in Korean patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated patients who received oral regorafenib 160 mg once daily during the first 3 weeks of each 4-week cycle between August 2013 and September 2013. All patients had previously progressed fluorouracil, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin with or without biologic agents such as cetuximab or bevacizumab. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients were enrolled (median age, 57 years; male:female ratio, 20:12; Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status [0-1:2], 31:1; colon:rectum, 21:11). The overall response rate was 3.1% and the disease control rate was 50.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]) with one partial response and 15 patients with stable disease. The median progression-free survival was 4.2 months (95% CI, 3.1 to 5.2 months) and the median overall survival has not yet been reached. The most common adverse events of grade two or higher related to regorafenib were hand-foot skin reaction (25%), mucositis (19%), abdominal pain (9%), and liver function test (LFT) abnormalities (9%). Grade 3 or 4 toxicities included LFT abnormalities (9%), abdominal pain (9%), rash (6%), anemia (3%), leukopenia (3%), neutropenic fever (3%), and fatigue (3%). There was no treatment-related death. CONCLUSION: Regorafenib appears to have promising activity and tolerable toxicity profiles in Korean patients with refractory CRC, consistent with the CORRECT trial findings.
Abdominal Pain ; Anemia ; Biological Factors ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Exanthema ; Fatigue ; Fever ; Fluorouracil ; Humans ; Korea ; Leukopenia ; Liver Function Tests ; Mucositis ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; Skin ; Standard of Care