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Biomedical subjects

Joon Soo Hahm

Publications and source records attributed to Joon Soo Hahm.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

A population-based study on bowel habits in a Korean community: prevalence of functional constipation and self-reported constipation.

Most studies of bowel habits have been conducted in Western countries. This study was conducted to estimate the epidemiology of constipation and the discrepancy between self-reported constipation and bowel habits in Koreans. Telephone interviews regarding bowel habits were conducted with a total of 1029 individuals in Korea, 15 years of age or older. Subjects were given a questionnaire which asked about bowel symptoms, sociodemographic associations, laxative use, and physician visits. Of all subjects 95.6% had a defecation frequency of between three per week and three per day. The prevalence was 16.5% for self-reported constipation, 9.2% for functional constipation (FC), and 3.9% for constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C). Of subjects' self-reporting constipation, proportions of FC and IBS-C were 21.8% and 23.5%, respectively. Of subjects excluding self-reported constipation, the proportion of FC was 6.8%. Prevalences of self-reported constipation and IBS-C were higher in females than in males (P < 0.001). Of subjects' self-reporting constipation, 8.2% used laxatives. We conclude that constipation is a common problem in the general Korean population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Attenuation of colonic inflammation by PPARgamma in intestinal epithelial cells: effect on Toll-like receptor pathway.

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) is a nuclear receptor highly expressed in the colon and playing an anti-inflammatory role through inhibition of the NF-kappaB pathway. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) has been known to mediate LPS-induced cellular signaling through activation of NF-kappaB pathway in intestinal epithelial cells. The aims of this study were to evaluate attenuation of inflammation by PPARgamma in intestinal epithelial cells and to study the possible relation between PPARgamma and TLR4. HT-29 human epithelial cells were stimulated with LPS (20 microg/ml) and PPARgamma ligand, 15d-PGJ2 (10 microM), or with LPS (20 microg/ml) alone for 24 hr. COX-2, IL-8, TLR4, and PPARgamma mRNA expression was assessed by RT-PCR. IL-8 protein levels and TLR4 protein expression were analyzed by ELISA and Western blot, respectively. To evaluate the action mechanisms of PPARgamma ligand, Western blot analysis for IkappaBalpha degradation was performed. Costimulation with LPS and PPARgamma ligand in comparison to LPS stimulation alone (1) decreased COX-2, IL-8 mRNA expression and IL-8 protein secretion, (2) decreased TLR4 mRNA and protein expression, and (3) decreased PPARgamma mRNA expression. PPARgamma ligand delayed LPS-induced IkappaBalpha degradation. These findings suggest that PPAR-gamma ligands suppress inflammation in intestinal epithelial cells. PPARgamma and TLR, these two antagonistic signaling pathways in intestinal epithelial cells may be partially cross-linked.

Blotting, Western↗
PubMed2006

Prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome in Korea: population-based survey using the Rome II criteria.

BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder in the West. But information on the prevalence of IBS in Asia is still lacking, especially in Korea. Therefore, the aims of the present study were to estimate the prevalence of IBS in the general population of Korea and also to investigate characteristics of IBS and health-care-seeking behavior of IBS patients. METHODS: Telephone interview survey was conducted by Gallup, Korea using a validated questionnaire based on the Rome II criteria. The response rate of the telephone interview survey was 25.2% (n = 1066, 535 male and 531 female responders). A random sample of gender and age (between 18 and 60 years), based on a per capita ratio was obtained. RESULTS: Among 1066 subjects, the prevalence of IBS was 6.6% (70 subjects; 7.1%, male; 6.0%, female). The difference in IBS prevalence by gender was not significant. The prevalence was higher among those in their 20s (P = 0.036). Among 70 subjects with IBS, 10/20 IBS subjects sought health care due to abdominal pain. Among the risk factors of IBS, marital status had a significant difference; the following risk factors are arranged in descending order: age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.38, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.85-2.25), alcohol intake (OR: 1.38, 95%CI: 0.81-2.35), gender (OR: 1.19, 95%CI: 0.73-1.94), demographics (OR: 1.09, 95%CI: 0.53-2.25), income (OR: 0.88, 95%CI: 0.54-1.45), education level (OR: 0.81, 95%CI: 0.46-1.40), smoking (OR: 0.64, 95%CI: 0.37-1.12), and marital status (OR: 0.59, 95%CI: 0.35-0.99). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of IBS in the Korean population is 6.6%, and the male:female ratio is similar. Also, IBS is more frequent in younger subjects. Irritable bowel syndrome subjects visited a physician mostly due to abdominal pain.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Antibiotic activity of antimicrobial peptide against Pseudomonads isolated from a patient with gallstones.

We investigated the in vitro antibiotic activity of the 19-amino acid antimicrobial peptide HP (2-20), derived from the N-terminus of Helicobacter pylori Ribosomal Protein L1 (RPL1), against antibiotic susceptible and resistant pathogens from a patient with gallstones. HP (2-20) was active against antibiotic-susceptible and antibiotic-resistant clinical isolates of pathogens from a patient with gallstones, but this peptide showed no hemolytic activity against normal human erythrocytes. HP (2-20) acted synergistically with ciprofloxacin against pathogenic bacteria. Fluorescence activated flow cytometry revealed that the effect of HP (2-20) was dependent on energy and salt concentration. In addition, scanning electron microscopy showed that HP (2-20) caused significant morphological alterations to the cell surface of pathogens. Using 16S rDNA sequences, we found that isolates from bile were 100% homologous to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These findings suggest that HP (2-20) may be useful clinically as an antibiotic against acquired pathogens from patients with gallstones and against pathogens resistant to other antibiotics.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2006

[A case of acute cholecystitis secondary to hemobilia after percutaneous liver biopsy].

Percutaneous liver biopsy is well established for the diagnosis and follow-up of many liver diseases. Although it is rather safe, major complications, such as bleeding into the peritoneal or thoracic cavity, hemobilia, enteric perforation and intrahepatic hematoma, have been reported related to the procedure. Recently, incidence of such major complications has been decreased since the introduction of ultrasonography-guided liver biopsy. We report a case of 59-year-old female patient with acute cholecystitis secondary to hemobilia 2 days after ultrasonography-guided percutaneous liver biopsy.

Biopsy, Needle↗
PubMed2006

[Crohn's disease associated with IgA nephropathy].

Crohn's disease is a condition of chronic inflammation potentially involving any location of the alimentary tract from mouth to anus. Numerous extraintestinal manifestations can also be present. Urologic complications of inflammatory bowel disease are seen in up to 25% of patients, but renal parenchymal disease has been rarely reported. IgA nephropathy is recognized worldwide as a most common form of primary glomerulonephritis. Clinical manifestations vary, ranging from microscopic hematuria to nephrotic syndrome. Recently, IgA nephropathy associated with systemic diseases has been reported. We describe a case of a 22 year-old man with Crohn's disease associated with IgA nephropathy. At the age of 8 years, microscopic hematuria appeared. After fourteen years, he presented with melena, mild fever, recurrent oral ulcer, microscopic hematuria and proteinuria. Colonoscopic examination revealed characteristic features of Crohn's disease such as multiple ulcers. Microscopic findings showed superficial ulceration with small noncaseating granulomas. Renal biopsy revealed IgA nephropathy. The patient was treated with oral prednisolone, olsalazine, and metronidazole followed by maintenance therapy with sulfasalazine and azathioprine resulting in clinical improvement of Crohn's disease and IgA nephropathy.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Localized esophageal ulcerations after CyberKnife treatment for metastatic hepatic tumor of colon cancer.

CyberKnife is an image-guided robotic system designed for stereotactic radiosurgery. It uses the combination of robotics and image guidance to deliver concentrated and accurate beams of radiation to intracranial and extracranial targets. Although the frameless nature of the CyberKnife allows tumors in the chest and abdomen to be treated as well, complications associated with CyberKnife treatment have not been established yet due to its short clinical experience. We describe a case of localized esophageal ulcerations after CyberKnife treatment for metastatic hepatic tumor of colon cancer.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

[A case of optic neuritis associated with Crohn's disease].

In Crohn's disease, neurologic complications such as cerebrovascular accident, headache, peripheral neuropathy have been reported sporadically. The pathogenesis of these neurologic complications is still unknown and controversial. We experienced a 22-year-old man, with Crohn's disease accompanied by optic neuritis. Loss of visual acuity was developed during the worsening course of enterocutaneous fistula. After high dose steroid treatment, his visual acuity and neurologic symptoms improved immediately.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Macrolide-affected Toll-like receptor 4 expression from Helicobacter pylori-infected monocytes does not modify interleukin-8 production.

Macrolide antibiotics have an anti-inflammatory effect by suppressing lipopolysaccharide-induced IL-8 production. IL-8 secretion from monocytes is observed in Helicobacter pylori infection. Although cag gene products are known to induce IL-8 secretion, whether other bacterial substances can initiate the reaction is not determined. In this study, we show that clarithromycin induced down-regulation of Toll-like receptor 4 expression and did not lead to a decrease in IL-8 production and H. pylori lipopolysaccharide. However, Toll-like receptor 4 activation was possibly not the main cause in the induction of inflammation during H. pylori infection.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2005

[A case of hemolytic uremic syndrome with hemorrhagic colitis due to Escherichia coli O111 infection].

Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) may cause severe hemorrhagic colitis followed by hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). In Korea, there had been a few case reports of HUS by STEC, mostly due to O157 serotype. The reports of HUS caused by STEC non-O157 serotype were rare. We report a sporadic case of HUS associated with hemorrhagic colitis. A 51-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital due to intractable abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. Three days after admission, azotemia and microangiopathic hemolysis developed. E. coli, serotype O111 was identified. Conservative management with plasmapheresis resulted in a complete recovery.

Colitis↗
PubMed2005

[A case of primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma presenting with multiple subcutaneous scalp mass].

Leiomyosarcoma is an uncommon tumor which arises from various sites including uterus, stomach, retroperitoneum, superficial soft tissues, bladder, kidney, and lung. Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma is a very rare tumor and fewer than 70 cases of primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma have been reported since the first publication in Japan. And there was only one case report of cutaneous metastasis from hepatic leiomyosarcoma. We recently experienced a case of primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma presenting as subcutaneous palpable mass. Herein we report this case with a review of literatures.

Head and Neck Neoplasms↗
PubMed2005

Acute pancreatitis due to hypertriglyceridemia: report of 2 cases.

Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is a rare but well known cause of acute pancreatitis (AP), which can be a life- threatening complication if the degree of HTG is severe enough. It might be primary in origin or secondary to alcohol abuse, diabetes mellitus, pregnancy, or drugs. A serum triglyceride (TG) level of more than 1,000 to 2,000 mg/dL in patients with type I, IV, or V hyperlipidemia (Fredrickson's classification) is the identifiable risk factor. HTG-induced AP typically presents as an episode of AP or recurrent AP. The clinical course of HTG-induced AP is not different from other causes. Routine management of HTG-induced AP should be similar to other causes. A thorough family history of lipid abnormalities should be obtained, and an attempt to identify secondary causes should be made. The mainstay of treatment includes dietary restriction of fatty meal and lipid-lowering medications (mainly fibric acid derivatives). Although there are limited experiences with plasmapheresis, lipid apheresis, heparinization and insulin application, these can support the treatment of HTG- induced AP. We report two cases of HTG-induced AP which were successfully treated by plasmapheresis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2004

Antibiotic activity and synergistic effect of antimicrobial peptide against pathogens from a patient with gallstones.

HP (2-20) is a peptide derived from the N-terminus of Helicobacter pylori ribosomal protein L1 that has been shown to have antimicrobial activity against various species of bacteria. When we tested the effects of HP (2-20), we found that this peptide displayed strong activity against pathogens from a patient with gallstones, but it did not have hemolytic activity against human erythrocytes. We also found that HP (2-20) had potent activity against cefazolin sodium-resistant bacterial cell lines, and that HP (2-20) and cefazolin sodium had synergistic effects against cell lines resistant to the latter. To investigate the mechanism of action of HP (2-20), we performed fluorescence activated flow cytometry using pathogens from the patient with gallstones. As determined by propidium iodide (PI) staining, pathogenic bacteria treated with HP (2-20) showed higher fluorescence intensity than untreated cells, similar to melittin-treated cells, and that HP (2-20) acted in an energy- and salt-dependent manner. Scanning electron microscopy showed that HP (2-20) caused significant morphological alterations in the cell surface of pathogens from the patient with gallstones. By determining their 16S rDNA sequences, we found that both the pathogens from the patient with gallstones and the cefazolin sodium-resistant cell lines showed 100% homology with sequences from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Taken together, these results suggest that HP (2-20) has antibiotic activity and that it may be used as a lead drug for the treatment of acquired pathogens from patients with gallstones and antibiotic-resistant cell lines.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2004

Successful treatment of protein-losing enteropathy induced by intestinal lymphangiectasia in a liver cirrhosis patient with octreotide: a case report.

A 47-yr-old man with hepatitis B virus associated liver cirrhosis was admitted to our hospital with diarrhea and generalized edema and diagnosed as protein-losing enteropathy due to intestinal lymphangiectasia by intestinal biopsy and 99m Tc albumin scan. During hospitalization, he received subcutaneous octreotide therapy. After 2 weeks of octreotide therapy, follow-up albumin scan showed no albumin leakage, and the serum albumin level was sustained. We speculate that liver cirrhosis can be a cause of intestinal lymphangiectasia and administration of octreotide should be considered for patients with intestinal lymphangiectasia whose clinical and bio-chemical abnormalities do not respond to a low-fat diet.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

[Clinical characteristics of acute toxic liver injury].

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recently, acute toxic liver injury has been reported to be the most common cause of acute hepatitis. The frequency and clinical manifestations of acute toxic liver injury was evaluated. METHODS: The medical records of 68 patients demonstrating clinically significant acute toxic liver injury were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with mild biochemical abnormalities were excluded. RESULTS: The annual percentage of toxic liver injury ranged from 50% to 90% among acute hepatitis groups. Among the causes, prescribed drugs (group D) accounted for 55%, herbs or plant products (group H) for 42% and both accounted for 3%. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs were the most common agents (78%) among group D. The mean age of the patients was 43 and 70% of patients were female. Of the population, common symptoms were jaundice, weakness, fatigue, and nausea. Initial ALT and AST levels were 847 +/- 879 and 664 +/- 625 IU/L, and initial total bilirubin was 7.5 +/- 8.1 mg/dL. Acute toxic liver injury occurred after a mean of 32 days after first exposure. Liver injury resolved within a mean of 32 days. Hepatocellular, mixed, and cholestatic type was 45.2%, 32.3%, 22.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Recently, acute toxic liver injury has been the most common cause of acute hepatitis in Korea. Prescribed drugs and herbs or plant products are equally important etiologic agents of toxic liver injury. However, etiologic difference may not affect clinical courses or outcomes. A nationwide investigation of the hepatotoxicity of drugs, herbs or other plant products is required.

Acute Disease↗