Biomedical subjects

Baik Seok Kee

Publications and source records attributed to Baik Seok Kee.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Effects of catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met polymorphism on the cognitive stability and aggression in the first-onset schizophrenic patients.

We assessed catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) polymorphism in 132 first-onset schizophrenic patients and 80 healthy controls. The relationship between COMT polymorphism and cognitive function, aggression and psychiatric symptoms was tested in the schizophrenic group. COMTL carrier had higher digit span score and lower similarity score than COMTH homozygote. COMTL carrier had higher attention and delusion scores and lower inappropriate affect scores than COMTH homozygote. Attention and delusion scores of COMTL allele were higher than COMTH allele. COMTL group had higher aggression than COMTH homozygote. Our results support the theory that COMTL allele was related with increased tonic dopamine activity and cognitive 'stability', which may induce cognitive inflexibility in schizophrenia.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Effect of the apolipoprotein E epsilon4 allele on the efficacy and tolerability of galantamine in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) epsilon4 allele on the efficacy and tolerability of galantamine treatment. METHODS: A total of 202 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease participated in a 16-week, prospective, multi-center, randomized, double-blind galantamine trial in a Korean population. Patients were assessed at baseline and after 4, 8 and 16 weeks of randomized treatment using the 11-item cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog/11), the Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Change plus Caregiver Input (CIBIC-plus), the Disability Assessment for Dementia Scale (DAD), the Behavioural Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale (BEHAVE-AD) and adverse events. ApoE genotypes were determined for all subjects. RESULTS: Of the 202 subjects, 115 carried at least one ApoE epsilon4 allele and 87 did not. In both ApoE epsilon4 carriers and ApoE epsilon4 noncarriers, significant improvements were detected relative to baseline on ADAS-cog/11, CIBIC-plus, DAD and BEHAVE-AD. ApoE epsilon4 noncarriers showed better improvement in mean total BEHAVE-AD score and mean psychosis (delusions and hallucinations) subscale score than ApoE epsilon4 carriers. The incidence of weight loss was significantly higher in ApoE epsilon4 carriers (n = 11; 9.6%) than in ApoE epsilon4 noncarriers (n = 1; 1.2%) during this 16-week study, even though 92% of patients who complained of weight loss completed this 16-week trial successfully. CONCLUSION: ApoE epsilon4 genotype does not affect galantamine-related improvements in cognition, global rating, function and behavior. Longer prospective studies with larger patient populations are required to confirm these new findings.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Genetic polymorphisms of alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenase, dopamine and serotonin transporters in familial and non-familial alcoholism.

One hundred and eleven male patients with alcohol dependence and 123 nonalcoholic healthy men were tested for the genetic polymorphisms of alcohol dehydrogenase 2 (ADH2), aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), serotonin transporter (5-HTT) and dopamine transporter (DAT1). There were significant differences in genotype frequencies of ADH2 C992G and A13543G SNPs between alcoholic patients with family history of alcohol dependence (familial) and alcoholic patients without family history (non-familial). Genotype and allele frequencies of ALDH2 G1951A SNP in familial or non-familial alcoholic patients differ from normal controls. Neither 5-HTTLPR L/S nor DAT1 G2319A SNP genotypes nor alleles discriminated alcoholic patients from normal controls. These findings suggest that the genetic characteristics of alcohol metabolism in non-familial alcoholics fall between non-alcoholism and familial alcoholics.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Scanning of genetic effects of alcohol metabolism gene (ADH1B and ADH1C) polymorphisms on the risk of alcoholism.

Alcoholism is a multifactorial and polygenic disorder involving complex gene-to-gene and gene-to-environment interactions. Alcohol metabolism is one of the biological determinants that could significantly be influenced by genetic polymorphisms in alcohol-metabolism genes. These genetic polymorphisms are believed to influence drinking behavior and development of alcoholism. Direct DNA sequencing of whole ADH1B and ADH1C genes revealed 36 sequence variants, including six nonsynonymous and 14 novel polymorphisms. Seventeen polymorphisms among them were selected for genotyping in a larger study (n = 352) based on linkage disequilibria (LDs) among SNPs, locations, and frequencies. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) analyses of polymorphisms revealed severe deviations only in alcoholics, which strongly suggest that a selection bias (or pressure) may be involved. The analyses of genotype distribution in alcoholics (n = 106) and normal controls (n = 246) showed dramatic associations with the risk of alcoholism. Fourteen polymorphisms in ADH1C and ADH1B showed a series of different strengths of association and magnitudes of risk. Based on referent and subgroup analysis, it was strongly suggested that the genetic effects come from the ADH1B*47Arg/*47Arg genotype, and that the positive signals from other sites are just tracking the genetic effect of ADH1B His47Arg. In this article we present summaries of previous studies and of the present study, to give an overview of the worldwide effects of ADH1B His47Arg on the risk of alcoholism. The information derived from this study could be valuable for understanding the genetic factors involved in the risk of alcoholism and facilitate further investigation in other ethnic groups.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Changes of smoking behavior and serum adrenocorticotropic hormone, cortisol, prolactin, and endogenous opioids levels in nicotine dependence after naltrexone treatment.

This study was done to evaluate the therapeutic effects of naltrexone on smoking behaviors and to measure the changing of brain substances for elucidating the mode of action by naltrexone. Twenty-five voluntarily participated healthy male smokers were randomly assigned to naltrexone group or placebo group for 2 weeks. In this study, naltrexone group showed significant reduction in daily cigarette consumption amount, the expiratory CO levels, brief questionnaire for smoking urge (B-QSU) score, and FTQ score. However, only 2 subjects in naltrexone group quitted smoking completely at 4th week. Plasma levels of pituitary hormones (ACTH, cortisol, and prolactin) and endogenous opioids (beta-endorphin and dynorphin A) were checked weekly before and after the 'provocation and smoking coupled' stimulus once in a week for 3 weeks. In naltrexone group, pituitary hormones showed upward tendencies even though only the prolactin had statistical significance. However, beta-endorphin and dynorphin A were not significantly different between the two groups. It was suggested that naltrexone made effects on hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis activity as well as smoking behavior. However, the meaning of these endocrinal changes by naltrexone is not conclusive, whether it is beneficial or aversive.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

PubMed2005

Putaminal gray matter volume decrease in panic disorder: an optimized voxel-based morphometry study.

Our study aimed to identify gray matter volume differences between panic disorder patients and healthy volunteers using optimized voxel-based morphometry. Gray matter volume was compared between 18 panic subjects and 18 healthy volunteers. Panic disorder severity scale (PDSS) and Zung self-rating anxiety scale (Z-SAS) were administered. Gray matter volumes of bilateral putamen were decreased in panic subjects relative to healthy comparison subjects (corrected P < 0.05). Decreased gray matter volume was also observed in the right precuneus, right inferior temporal gyrus, right inferior frontal gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus, and left superior frontal gyrus at a less conservative level of significance. PDSS score negatively correlated with gray matter volume in the left putamen, right putamen, right inferior frontal gyrus, and left superior frontal gyrus in panic subjects. The duration of illness negatively correlated with left putaminal gray matter volume. There was also a negative correlation between gray matter volume in right putamen and Z-SAS score in panic subjects. The current study reports a putaminal gray matter volume decrease in panic subjects, which may be related to the clinical severity of panic disorder.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Comparison of efficacy and safety of milnacipran and fluoxetine in Korean patients with major depression.

OBJECT: To compare efficacy and safety of milnacipran and fluoxetine in a population of Korean patients with major depression. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The design was a multi-centre, randomised, comparative clinical study. Patients with major depression (DSM-IV diagnostic criteria) scoring over 17 points on the 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D) and over 21 points on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) were recruited and randomised to receive milnacipran (50 mg/day increasing after 1 week to 100 mg/day) or fluoxetine (20 mg/day) for 6 weeks. All previous medication was stopped at least 7 days before entry into the study. Patients were evaluated (HAM-D, MADRS and clinical global impression scale, CGI) at baseline and after 1, 2, 4 and 6 weeks of treatment. All adverse events which developed during the study period were recorded. RESULTS: 70 patients (milnacipran 39; fluoxetine 31) were included in the study. Total score on both HAM-D, MADRS and CGI decreased significantly in both groups after 1 week and continued to decrease throughout the study. There was no significant difference between the two groups for any measurement at any time point. Both antidepressants were well tolerated. In the milnacipran group, 13 patients reported 28 adverse reactions, and in the fluoxetine group 11 patients reported 18 adverse reactions. Two patients discontinued due to adverse events in the milnacipran group and three in the fluoxetine group. There were no clinically significant modifications in vital signs, routine blood laboratory tests, biochemistry or ECG throughout the study. Nausea and headache were the most frequently reported adverse events with milnacipran while digestive disturbances, diarrhoea and insomnia were more common with fluoxetine. CONCLUSION: Milnacipran, like fluoxetine, was found to be effective and well tolerated for the treatment of major depression in this population of depressed Korean patients. Principal limitations of the study were its open design, its small sample size and its relatively short duration.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Association of aggressive behavior in Korean male schizophrenic patients with polymorphisms in the serotonin transporter promoter and catecholamine-O-methyltransferase genes.

The incidence of aggressive behavior in patients with schizophrenia is higher than in the general population. Among particular gene polymorphisms posited to be involved in psychiatric disorders, the catecholamine-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and serotonin transporter (5-HTTPR) genes have been the focus of recent research on aggression. In this study, we hypothesized that both the COMT and the 5-HTTPR genotypes may be dependent on and related to aggression in Korean patients with schizophrenia. The subjects were 168 unrelated male schizophrenic patients diagnosed according to DSM-IV. Among two psychiatric hospital staff and medical university students, 158 unrelated male subjects with no lifetime history of psychiatric disorders were recruited to establish the COMT and 5-HTTPR genotype distribution in the general population. All episodes of aggression from the last discharge to readmission were rated. The Total Overt Aggression Scale (OAS) score (sum of the scores of all episodes of aggression), highest OAS score (highest individual episode score, 0-16), OAS category, and OAS category score (mean score within each category) were recorded. There were statistically significant effects of COMT genotype on the mean OAS 4 (physical aggression against other people) score and the highest OAS score. The most predictive was the OAS 4 score. There was a statistically significant effect of 5-HTTPR genotype on mean total score. Thus, the COMT gene is associated with the severity of aggression and with physical aggression against other people, whereas the 5-HTTPR gene is associated with the summary score of all episodes of aggression.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A randomized, double-blind, crossover comparison of risperidone and haloperidol in Korean dementia patients with behavioral disturbances.

OBJECTIVE: Behavioral disturbances in dementia are extremely prominent and distressful, and often result in serious physical, social, and economic consequences. The authors compared the efficacy and tolerability of risperidone and haloperidol in the treatment of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in institutionalized elderly Korean patients with Alzheimer disease, vascular dementia, or mixed dementia. METHODS: This was an 18-week double-blind, crossover study involving 120 patients who were randomly assigned to receive flexible doses (0.5-1.5 mg/day) of risperidone or haloperidol. BPSD were assessed using the Korean version of the Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale (BEHAVE-AD-K), the Korean version of the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI-K), and the Clinical Global Impression of Change scale (CGI-C). Safety and tolerability assessments included the Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale and the incidence of adverse events. RESULTS: Both risperidone and haloperidol were efficacious in alleviating BPSD. However, when receiving risperidone, patients showed significantly greater improvement than when receiving haloperidol in the total and subscale scores of the BEHAVE-AD-K, the total and subscale scores of the CMAI-K, and the scores on the CGI-C scale. Also, risperidone had an additional benefit on aggressiveness and anxieties/phobias. The risk of antipsychotic-induced parkinsonism throughout this study was significantly lower with risperidone than with haloperidol. CONCLUSION: Risperidone had a favorable efficacy and tolerability profile compared with haloperidol in the treatment of BPSD in this patient population.

Aged↗