Hee Kyung Kim
Yonsei University · Medicine
About the Lab
Professor Hee Kyung Kim's research lab specializes in thyroid cancer and endocrine disorders, with a focus on improving diagnostic accuracy, optimizing treatment strategies, and enhancing patient outcomes in differentiated and advanced thyroid cancers. The lab investigates biomarkers such as thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and iodine metabolism to refine low-iodine diet protocols and assess treatment efficacy. It also explores targeted therapies, including tyrosine kinase inhibitors like sorafenib and lenvatinib, in real-world settings for radioactive iodine-refractory disease. Additionally, the lab contributes to advancing minimally invasive tissue sampling techniques, such as EUS-FNA and EUS-FNB, for accurate histopathological diagnosis of subepithelial tumors.
Research Overview
Research Output Trend
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Selected Papers
15OBJECTIVES: Higher thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels are associated with differentiated thyroid cancers (DTC). To validate this association, we compared TSH levels obtained from euthyroid patients with DTC with TSH levels from controls in the general population. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: The case group included 1759 patients with DTC, who underwent thyroid surgery at Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital. The control group (n = 1548), who had participated in the Thyroid Disease Prevalenc
BACKGROUND: Non-thyroidal illness (NTI) refers to changes in thyroid hormone levels in critically ill patients in the absence of primary hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid dysfunction, and these abnormalities usually resolve after clinical recovery. However, NTI can be accompanied by primary thyroid dysfunction. We report herein a case of a woman with NTI accompanied by primary hyperthyroidism. CASE PRESENTATION: A 52-year-old female was admitted to the intensive care unit with heart failure and atr
OBJECTIVE: Acquiring adequate tissue for immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis is important in the differential diagnosis of subepithelial tumors (SETs). In this study, we aimed to compare the diagnostic yield based on IHC analysis between endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) and EUS-guided fine needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) after on-site cytological evaluation for cellularity in gastric SETs. METHODS: In 22 patients with gastric SETs, EUS-guided tissue sampling was performed on
Background: Sorafenib and lenvatinib have been widely adopted to treat radioactive iodine (RAI)-refractory differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). However, limited data exist regarding a direct comparison of these tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). We aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of two TKIs as first-line therapy in patients with distant metastatic or locally advanced, progressive, RAI-refractory DTC in real-world practice. Methods: In this multicenter, retrospective cohort
OBJECTIVE: The success of a low-iodine diet (LID) is best determined by measurement of 24-h urine iodine (U-I) excretion. The aim of this study was to determine reliable estimates for 24-h U-I based on spot-urine samples and to provide cut-offs to determine the effectiveness of LID preparation. DESIGN: We prospectively measured iodine levels in 193 patients based on 24-h- and spot-urine samples before radioactive iodine therapy. The iodine was expressed as the 24-h U-I excretion (microg/day) and
A body of evidence indicates that expression of the programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) receptor by activated T cells plays an important role in the down-regulation of immune responses; however, the functions of its known ligands, B7-H1 (PD-L1) and B7-dendritic cell (DC; PD-L2), at the effector phase of immune responses are less clear. In the current study, we investigated the roles of B7-H1 in DC-mediated regulation of hapten-activated T cells and the delayed-type contact hypersensitivity response i
Figure 1. Macroscopic findings of the right lobe of the liver.
Cases of metastases to the thyroid gland seem to be increasing in recent years. The clinical and ultrasonographic findings of diffuse metastases have been sparsely reported. Thirteen cases of diffuse metastases to the thyroid gland were documented by thyroid ultrasonography-guided fine needle aspiration cytology between 2004 and 2013. We retrospectively reviewed the patients with diffuse thyroid metastases. The most common primary site was the lung (n=9), followed by unknown origin cancers (n=2)
The incidence of dementia is steadily increasing worldwide. The risk factors for dementia are diverse, and include genetic background, environmental factors, sex differences, and vascular abnormalities. Among the subtypes of dementia, diabetes-related dementia is emerging as a complex type of dementia related to metabolic imbalance, due to the increase in the number of patients with metabolic syndrome and dementia worldwide. Thyroid hormones are considered metabolic regulatory hormones and affec
OBJECTIVE: Recommended durations of low-iodine diet (LID) in preparation for radioactive iodine therapy (RAIT) vary among major guidelines and are important for patients in areas where iodine intake is high. The aim of this study was to investigate daily changes in urine iodine excretion after starting a LID. DESIGN: The daily iodine/creatinine (I/Cr) ratios and simple iodine concentration (simple I) of morning spot urine from 19 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma were measured for 2
An anaplastic large cell lymphoma that was negative for Epstein-Barr virus and positive for Ki-1 (CD30) presented as a polypoid scalp mass in a 56-year-old man 16 years after renal transplantation. The lymphoma was of the CD4+ cytotoxic T-cell lineage, and the tumor cells also expressed CD56. Despite reduction in the dose of immunosuppression and localized radiotherapy, the tumor had rapidly progressed to involve the soft tissue of the right hand. Systemic chemotherapy induced complete regressio
The majority of AIA incidents occur in the early treatment period. Considering the high fatality rate of AIA, an early aggressive therapeutic approach is critical and patients should be well informed regarding the warning symptoms of the disease.
The prevalence of PTC in acromegalic patients was high (25%). An uncontrolled hyperactive GH-IGF-1 axis may play a dominant role in the development of PTC rather than the BRAFV600E mutation in patients with acromegaly.
Research Areas
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