Development of Korean Academy of Medical Sciences Guideline on the Skin and Related System: Impairment Evaluation of Disfigurement in Skin and Appearance

The purpose of this study is to develop new standards for the disability evaluation with reference to existing laws and other study reports regarding disabilities for the rational evaluation of the diverse kinds of disfigurement in appearance and skin. Three plastic surgery specialists and 3 dermatology specialists developed a new standard for the disability evaluation which is appropriate for circumstances in Korea. Disability rate does not take into account the social occupation, gender or age of the patient, but instead, evaluate the Activity of Daily Living and the social adaptability of the appearance and skin disfigurement regardless of the balance between different disabilities. We tried to include most cutaneous disorders and categorized them into 3 types; congenital (Type 1), acquired (Type 2) as well as any permanent skin impairment sequelae of disease, trauma or treatment process (Type 3). For type 3 disorders, we tried to rate the score according to the size of involved skin lesion. The disability rate is determined by dividing the disability class into 8 steps based on the seriousness of each type of disability

Experience and pharmacokinetics of Levetiracetam in Korean neonates with neonatal seizures

PurposeThe aims of this study were to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetics of levetiracetam (LEV) in neonates with seizures and to establish a population pharmacokinetics (PPK) model by using the software NONMEM.MethodsA retrospective analysis of 18 neonatal patients with seizures, who were treated with LEV, including 151 serum samples, was performed. The mean loading dose was 20 mg/kg, followed by a mean maintenance dose of 29 mg/kg/day.ResultsSeventeen neonates (94%) had seizure cessation within 1 week and 16 (84%) remained seizure-free at 30 days under the LEV therapy. The mean serum concentration of LEV was 8.7 µg/mL. Eight samples (5%) were found above the therapeutic range. No serious adverse effects were detected. In the PPK analysis for Korean neonates, the half-life was 9.6 hours; clearance, 0.357 L/hr; and volume of distribution, 4.947 L, showing differences from those in adults.ConclusionLEV is a safe and effective option for the treatment of neonatal seizures with careful therapeutic drug monitoring

Capsaicin inhibits the production of tumor necrosis factor α by LPS-stimulated murine macrophages, RAW 264.7: a PPARγ ligand-like action as a novel mechanism

AbstractCapsaicin, a major ingredient of hot pepper, is considered to exhibit anti-inflammatory properties. Our previous study demonstrated that capsaicin inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory mediators through NF-κB inactivation in LPS-stimulated macrophages. In order to further clarify the mechanism underlying the anti-inflammatory action of capsaicin, we investigated whether capsaicin alters PPARγ activity, which regulates the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNFα. Capsaicin significantly inhibited the production of TNFα by macrophages in a dose-dependent manner. Simultaneous exposure of the cells to capsaicin and PPARγ agonist troglitazone or RXR agonist LG100268 resulted in stronger inhibition of TNFα production compared to the cells treated with either capsaicin, troglitazone, or LG100268 alone. Luciferase reporter assay revealed that capsaicin induced GAL4/PPARγ chimera and full length PPARγ (PPRE) transactivations in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, a specific PPARγ antagonist T0070907 abrogated the inhibitory action of capsaicin on LPS-induced TNFα production by RAW 264.7 cells, indicating that capsaicin acts like a ligand for PPARγ. Our data demonstrate for the first time that the anti-inflammatory action of capsaicin may be mediated by PPARγ activation in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells