Ergone,a fungal metabolite derived from ergosterol,was previously isolated and identified from Polyporus umbellatus. Ergone is a major component of P. umbellatus known to have anti-aldosteronic diuretic effect and also displays cytotoxic activities. Most of mushroom's fruit bodies used for test contained less than 10 microg/g of ergone. But P. umbellatus have larger amount of ergone than any other mushrooms. In order to improve the ergone production from the submerged culture of P. umbellatus, several factors including medium composition,culture conditions (temperature and pH) and different combinations of co-cultivation with various mycelia were studied. Among various carbon sources examined,starch proved to be most effective for the production of mycelia. The optimum pH and temperature for a flask culture of P. umbellatus mycelia were found to be 4.5 and 25degrees C,respectively. Under the optimized culture conditions,both the ergone production (86.9 microg/g) and mycelial growth (3.5 g/l) increased when P. umbellatus was cultured with Armillariella mellea. When the optimized conditions were applied,both mycelium and ergone production were significantly enhanced.
Agaricales ; Carbon ; Coculture Techniques ; Diuretics ; Fruit ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Mycelium ; Polyporus*

PURPOSE: The current study was undertaken to examine the trend in gallbladder cancer (GBC) incidenceand survival in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: GBC incidence data by histologic typewere obtained from the Korea Central Cancer Registry.Age-standardized incidence rates were calculated using the mid-year Korean population of2000 as a standard population, and a joinpoint regression model was used to calculate theannual percent change (APC) in incidence rates. Incidence by Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) summary stage and by geographical areas and female-to-male incidencerate ratios was also described. RESULTS: The number of new GBC cases increased between 1999 and 2013. Nevertheless, the agestandardizedincidence rate decreased by 0.5% per year in men (p < 0.01), whereas theincidence rate in women did not change significantly over the same period (APC, –0.2;p=0.59). The most common histologic type was adenocarcinoma in both sexes. Based onthe SEER stage, the distant stage was the most frequent stage (41%), followed by theregional stage (37%). Ulsan (4.31/100,000 for men and 4.09/100,000 forwomen in 2009-2013) and Gyeongsangnam-do (4.15/100,000 for men and 3.54/100,000 for women)showed the highest GBC incidence, whereas the lowest incidence was observed in Seouland Gyeonggi-do. There were no significant sex differences in the incidence of GBC (femaleto-maleincidence rate ratio, 0.96). CONCLUSION: The overall incidence of GBC in Korea did not change significantly over the 15-year period.Incidence for men and women was similar. However, geographical variation was found.
Adenocarcinoma ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Gallbladder Neoplasms* ; Gallbladder* ; Gyeonggi-do ; Gyeongsangnam-do ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Korea* ; Male ; Sex Characteristics ; Ulsan

The levels of ergothioneine (ERG), which have been shown to act as an excellent antioxidant, were determined in both fruiting bodies and mycelia of various mushroom species. We found that ERG accumulated at different levels in fruiting bodies of mushrooms and showed up to a 92.3-fold difference between mushrooms. We also found that ERG accumulated at higher levels in mycelia than in fruiting bodies of economically important mushroom species such as Ganoderma neo-japonicum, G. applanatum and Paecilomyces tenuipes. The addition of 2 mM methionine (Met) to mycelial culture medium increased the ERG contents in most mushroom species tested, indicating that Met is a good additive to enhance the ERG levels in a variety of mushroom species. Taking these results into consideration, we suggest that the addition of Met to the mycelial culture medium is an efficient way to enhance the antioxidant properties in economically important mushroom species.
Agaricales ; Ergothioneine ; Fruit ; Ganoderma ; Methionine ; Paecilomyces

Given the higher prevalence of cardiac arrhythmias in individuals with diabetes, we investigated the relationship between cardiac arrhythmias and the incidence of gestational diabetes (GDM). This retrospective cohort study utilized data from the Korean Health Insurance Service database, encompassing 1,113,729 women who gave birth between January 2007 and December 2015. After excluding those who did not undergo National Health Screening tests within 1 year prior to pregnancy, those with multifetal pregnancies, and those diagnosed with diabetes, we analyzed 365,880 singleton pregnancies without a history of diabetes. Of these, 3,253 (0.9%) had cardiac arrhythmias, including premature extra beats, supraventricular tachyarrhythmias, and/or atrial flutter/fibrillation. GDM occurred in 31,938 (8.7%) subjects during pregnancy, and was more prevalent in women with cardiac arrhythmia than in those without (14.9 vs. 8.7%, p<0.001). In the multivariate analysis, the association between cardiac arrhythmia and GDM remained statistically significant (adjusted odds ratio, 1.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.61 to 1.97; p<0.001). Subgroup analysis revealed that the risk of GDM was consistently statistically significant in subjects with cardiac arrhythmia, regardless of age, body mass index, and the presence or absence of chronic hypertension. Therefore, cardiac arrhythmias before and during pregnancy appear to be associated with an increased risk of developing GDM.

PURPOSE: Almost 80% of primary lung cancers are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and their prognosis is very poor since only one-fourth of patients with NSCLC present with a resectable disease at the time of diagnosis. During the last 10 years, the role of chemotherapy for NSCLC has been expanding as an adjunctive to radiation and surgery, as well as to palliative therapy for stage IV NSCLC. This study is a retrospective analysis of two chemotherapeutic regimens for the treatment of advanced NSCLC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 1999 and December 2001, 109 patients with histologically proven NSCLC (> or = stage IIIA), who received either the DP (Docetaxel 75 mg/m2 +Cisplatin 75 mg/m2, n=63, 57.8%) or the TC (Paclitaxel 175 mg/m2+ Carboplatin 5* AUC mg, n=46, 42.2%) combination chemotherapies were included. RESULTS: The patients ages ranged from 46 to 77 years, and the patients in the DP group (56.3+/-8.6 years) were younger than those in the TC group (62.1+/-8.8 years) (p<0.05). Seventy (DP: 39 and TC: 31) of 109 patients were eligible for their response to the combination chemotherapies. There were 2 complete responses (CR) (5.1%) and 19 partial responses (PR) (46.2%) documented in the DP group (response rate, RR: 51.3%), and 11 PR (35.5%) in the TC group (RR: 35.5%). The survival was longer in the DP group compared to the TC group (median survival 19.5 months vs. 17.1 months, p< 0.05). Grade 4 neutropenia occurred in 30 patients (47.6%) treated with the DP regimen and in 10 (21.7%) treated with the TC regimen (p<0.05). Grade 3~4 nausea and vomiting occurred in 11 patients (17.5%) in the DP group and 4 (8.7%) in the TC group (p>0.05). Grade 3~4 peripheral neuropathy occurred in 5 patients (7.9%) in the DP group and in 8 (17.4%) in the TC group (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: The combination chemotherapies of docetaxel plus cisplatin and paclitaxel plus carboplatin are active against advanced stage NSCLC, with acceptable toxicities. As there are differences in the baseline characteristics between the two groups, no differences in survivals or response rates could be concluded.
Area Under Curve ; Carboplatin* ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* ; Cisplatin* ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Nausea ; Neutropenia ; Paclitaxel* ; Palliative Care ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Vomiting

Coronary artery aneurysms are uncommon, are usually associated with atherosclerosis, and rarely involve all three major coronary arteries. The present report describes a rare case of a young female patient presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Coronary angiography revealed multiple severe aneurysmal and stenotic changes. Based on clinical feature and angiographic findings, it was strongly suspected that the patient had polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) complicated by AMI. The patient was treated with standard cardiac medications and immunosuppressive agents and has remained stable without further complications during a follow-up period of 6 months.
Aneurysm ; Atherosclerosis ; Coronary Aneurysm ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vessels ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; Myocardial Infarction ; Polyarteritis Nodosa ; Vasculitis

Endovascular stent graft placement in Stanford type B aortic dissection has increased as a result of the demonstration of its safety and efficacy. Despite the advantage of reduced mortality and morbidity, the mid-to long-term prognosis and possible complications associated with the procedure are a source of concern. Among the many possible complications, retrograde type A dissection after stent grafting for type B dissection is considered rare; however, this life-threatening event appears to be underrecognized. Here, we report a case that converted to open surgery due to a retrograde type A dissection after endovascular stent graft placement for a Stanford type B dissection. This is the first report of a retrograde type A dissection after endovascular stent graft placement in Korea.
Aortic Diseases ; Imidazoles ; Korea ; Nitro Compounds ; Prognosis ; Stents ; Transplants

Pseudoaneurysm with arteriovenous fistula is a rare complication of arthroscopy, and can be diagnosed by ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or angiography. This condition can be treated with open surgical repair or endovascular repair. We report our experience with the open surgical repair of a pseudoaneurysm with an arteriovenous fistula in a young male patient who underwent arthroscopy five months previously.
Aneurysm, False* ; Angiography ; Arteries ; Arteriovenous Fistula* ; Arthroscopy* ; Humans ; Knee ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of a Fogarty arterial embolectomy catheter (Fogarty catheter) in intraoperative balloon angioplasty of the cephalic vein, in order to determine its effect on the patency of arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) created for hemodialysis access. METHODS: A total of 156 patients who underwent creation of an AVF were divided into two groups, based whether a Fogarty catheter was used during AVF creation. Group A (89 patients) comprised the patients who underwent balloon angioplasty with a Fogarty catheter during the operation. Group B (67 patients) included the patients in whom a Fogarty catheter was not used during the operation. Patient records were reviewed retrospectively and documented. The patency rate was determined by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The records of 156 patients who underwent the creation of an AVF from January 2007 to October 2011 were included. The mean follow-up duration was 40.2+/-19.4 months (range, 1 to 97 months). The patency rates in group A at 12, 36, and 72 months were 83.9%+/-3.9%, 78.3%+/-4.6%, and 76.3%+/-4.9%, respectively, while the corresponding patency rates in group B were 92.5%+/-3.2%, 82.8%+/-0.5%, and 79.9%+/-5.7%, respectively. The patency rates in group B were found to be slightly higher than those in group A, but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.356). CONCLUSION: Intraoperative balloon angioplasty of the cephalic vein using the Fogarty catheter is a simple and easily reproducible procedure, and it can be helpful in increasing AVF patency in cases of insufficient runoff or a suboptimal cephalic vein.
Angioplasty, Balloon* ; Arteriovenous Fistula* ; Catheters* ; Embolectomy* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Renal Dialysis* ; Retrospective Studies ; Vascular Patency ; Veins

Atypical adenomatous hyperplasia is a premalignant lesion reflecting a focal proliferation of atypical cells. These lesions are usually observed as incidental findings in lungs that have been resected due to other conditions, such as lung cancer. We report the youngest case of atypical adenomatous hyperplasia on record in a 12-year-old girl. In this patient, the lesion was found in association with pneumothorax.
Child* ; Female* ; Humans ; Hyperplasia* ; Incidental Findings ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Pneumothorax ; Thoracoscopy