Yonsei medical journal
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Presently, allergy diagnosis and therapy procedures are undergoing a transition phase in which allergen extracts are being step-by-step replaced by molecule-based products. The new developments will allow clinicians to obtain detailed information on sensitization patterns, more accurate interpretation of allergic symptoms, and thus improved patients' management. In this respect, recombinant technology has been applied to develop this new generation of molecule-based allergy products. ⋯ A number of molecule-based hypoallergenic preparations have already been successfully evaluated in clinical trials, bringing forward the next generation of allergy vaccines. In this contribution, we review the latest developments in allergen characterization, molecule-based allergy diagnosis, and the application of recombinant allergens in therapeutic setups. A comprehensive overview of clinical trials using recombinant allergens as well as synthetic peptides is presented.
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Yonsei medical journal · Jul 2014
Efficacy and safety of sustained-release recombinant human growth hormone in Korean adults with growth hormone deficiency.
The administration of recombinant human growth hormone in adults with growth hormone deficiency has been known to improve metabolic impairment and quality of life. Patients, however, have to tolerate daily injections of growth hormone. The efficacy, safety, and compliance of weekly administered sustained-release recombinant human growth hormone (SR-rhGH, Declage™) supplement in patients with growth hormone deficiency were evaluated. ⋯ Weekly administered SR-rhGH for 12 weeks effectively increased IGF-1 level and improved the quality of life in patients with GH deficiency without serious adverse events.
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Yonsei medical journal · Jul 2014
Increased serum cathepsin K in patients with coronary artery disease.
Cathepsin K is a potent collagenase implicated in human and animal atherosclerosis-based vascular remodeling. This study examined the hypothesis that serum CatK is associated with the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD). ⋯ These data indicated that elevated levels of cathepsin K are closely associated with the presence of CAD and that circulating cathepsin K serves a useful biomarker for CAD.
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Yonsei medical journal · Jul 2014
Cervical arthroplasty for moderate to severe disc degeneration: clinical and radiological assessments after a minimum follow-up of 18 months--Pfirrmann grade and cervical arthroplasty.
Clinical outcomes and radiologic results after cervical arthroplasty have been reported in many articles, yet relatively few studies after cervical arthroplasty have been conducted in severe degenerative cervical disc disease. ⋯ Clinical and radiological results following cervical arthroplasty in patients with severe degenerative cervical disc disease were no different from those in patients with mild degenerative cervical disc disease after 18 months of follow-up.
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Yonsei medical journal · Jul 2014
Association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level and insulin resistance in a rural population.
A low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level in the blood has been correlated with an increased risk of diabetes mellitus; however, the association between serum 25(OH)D level and insulin resistance has not been established in a Korean rural population. The aim of this study was to investigate the independent association between serum 25(OH)D level and insulin resistance in rural Korean adults. ⋯ Our findings suggest that vitamin D is not independently associated with insulin resistance in Korean men and women.