Jang-Heub Kim

Bone Mineral Density of the Spine Using Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry in Patients with Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus

To evaluate the influence of non‐insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) on bone mineral density (BMD), we measured BMD in 185 female patients with NIDDM using dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DEXA). BMD was measured in lumbar vertebrae (L2–4). BMD is slightly higher in the diabetic patients compared with control subjects and bone loss related to menopause starts before the onset of menopause. The BMD of postmenopausal women showed a definite decrease with aging and there was abrupt bone loss after 55 years of age (p < 0.05). In relation to the duration of diabetes, the decrease of BMD for 15 years was 10.0%. BMD was negatively correlated with age, years since menopause (YSM), and disease duration (r = ‐ 0.584, r = ‐ 0.470, r = ‐0.186). These results suggest that age, YSM, and the duration of disease appear to be the risk factors for decreased BMD in the diabetic patients.

Outcomes and prognostic factors of cervical cancer after concurrent chemoradiation.

Aim:  Concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) is the standard treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer. This study was undertaken to evaluate the outcomes and the prognostic factors for cervical cancer after CCRT.

Comparison of the Inhibitory Effect of Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) Agonist, Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM), Antiprogesterone on Myoma Cell Proliferation In Vitro

Uterine myomas are the most common gynecologic tumor in women of reproductive age. Treatment options of uterine myomas consist of surgical, medical and interventional therapy such as uterine artery embolization or myolysis. Given that it is the most common type of tumor in women of reproductive age, the treatment of uterine myomas must prioritize uterine conservation. There are several drugs for medical treatment of uterine myoma such as gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist, selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) and antiprogesterone. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of GnRH agonist, SERM, and antiprogesterone in the treatment of uterine myomas in vitro. The effect of drugs was evaluated through the cell viability assay in cultured leiomyoma cells, western blot analysis of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and BCL-2 protein expression. As a result, mifepristone single-treated group represents the most significant reduction in myoma cell viability and proliferation. When pretreated with leuprolide acetate, raloxifene shows more significant reduction in myoma cell viability and proliferation than mifepristone. This study suggests one of the possible mechanisms how medications act on uterine myoma, especially at the molecular level.

Effect of Helixor A on Natural Killer Cell Activity in Endometriosis

Background and Aim: NK cells are one of the major immune cells in endometriosis pathogenesis. While previous clinical studies have shown that helixor A to be an effective treatment for endometriosis, little is known about its mechanism of action, or its relationship with immune cells. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of helixor A on Natural killer cell (NK cell) cytotoxicity in endometriosis Materials and Methods: We performed an experimental study. Samples of peritoneal fluid were obtained from January 2011 to December 2011 from 50 women with endometriosis and 50 women with other benign ovarian cysts (control). Peritoneal fluid of normal control group and endometriosis group was collected during laparoscopy. Baseline cytotoxicity levels of NK cells were measured with the peritoneal fluid of control group and endometriosis group. Next, cytotoxicity of NK cells was evaluated before and after treatment with helixor A. NK-cell activity was determined based upon the expression of CD107a, as an activation marker. Results: NK cells cytotoxicity was 79.38±2.13% in control cells, 75.55±2.89% in the control peritoneal fluid, 69.59±4.96% in endometriosis stage I/II endometriosis, and 63.88±5.75% in stage III/IV endometriosis. A significant difference in cytotoxicity was observed between the control cells and stage III/IV endometriosis, consistent with a significant decrease in the cytotoxicity of NK cells in advanced stages of endometriosis; these levels increased significantly after treatment with helixor A; 78.30% vs. 86.40% (p = 0.003) in stage I/II endometriosis, and 73.67% vs. 84.54% (p = 0.024) in stage III/IV. The percentage of cells expressing CD107a was increased significantly in each group after helixor A treatment; 0.59% vs. 1.10% (p = 0.002) in stage I/II endometriosis, and 0.79% vs. 1.40% (p = 0.014) in stage III/IV. Conclusions: Helixor A directly influenced NK-cell cytotoxicity through direct induction of CD107a expression. Our results open new role of helixor A as an imune modulation therapy, or in combination with hormonal agents, for the treatment of endometriosis.

The Survey on Korean Menopausal Women's Behavior and Perception of Hormone Therapy

접수일: 2011년 9월 5일, 심사일: 2011년 9월 22일, 게재확정일: 2011년 10월 14일 주관책임자: Jang-Heub Kim, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, 505, Banpo-dong, Secho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Korea Tel: (02) 2258-6175, Fax: (02) 595-1549, e-mail: Janghkim@catholic.ac.kr Mee-Ran Kim, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, 505, Banpo-dong, Secho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Korea Tel: (02) 2258-6170, Fax: (02) 595-1549, e-mail: mrkim@catholic.ac.kr The Survey on Korean Menopausal Women’s Behavior and Perception of Hormone Therapy