Nam Hyo-kyung
Korea University · Medicine
About the Lab
Professor Nam Hyo-kyung's research lab focuses on pediatric endocrinology and metabolic disorders, with a strong emphasis on the long-term health implications of fetal and early-life programming. The lab investigates the interplay between growth, obesity, vitamin D metabolism, and autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes in children. Key research directions include the pathogenesis of early-onset metabolic syndrome, the role of genetic polymorphisms in vitamin D metabolism, and the diagnosis and management of pediatric diabetes and precocious puberty.
Research Overview
Research Output Trend
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Selected Papers
15Children born small for gestational age (SGA) have several life-long consequences. Previous epidemiological studies investigated from childhood to adulthood reported that a number of chronic diseases originate in the prenatal period. With the emerging era of obesity epidemic, more concerns are related to being obese than being short-statured in SGA children. The exact mechanisms are uncertain; however, growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor axis disturbance by fetal programming and accelerate
BACKGROUND: We assessed nationwide trends in extreme obesity prevalence and its impact on metabolic syndrome in Korean youth. METHODS: Data from 19,593 youth (10,271 boys) aged 2-19 were obtained from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (2001-2014). The prevalence of extreme obesity and the odds ratio of metabolic syndrome were calculated. Questionnaires on body weight perceptions and weight control behaviors were administered. RESULTS: The prevalence of extreme obesity
Serum 25OHD and 1α,25(OH)<sub>2</sub> D levels were lower in children with type 1 diabetes than in healthy controls. CYP2R1 rs12794714 and rs10766196 polymorphisms were associated with a higher risk of type 1 diabetes. Thus, polymorphisms in vitamin D metabolism may contribute to susceptibility to type 1 diabetes in Korean children.
BACKGROUND: Vitamin D receptor (VDR) has been suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). There has been no case-control study examining the association between VDR polymorphisms and T1DM among Korean subjects with a low incidence of T1DM. METHODS: Eighty-one T1DM patients and 113 unrelated healthy controls with no history of DM or other autoimmune diseases were investigated at either Pusan National University Children's Hospital or Korea University Anam Hosp
Sometimes, the clinical findings and the results of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test are inconsistent in girls with early breast development and bone age advancement. We aimed to investigate the factors predicting positive results of the GnRH stimulation test in girls with suspected central precocious puberty (CPP). We reviewed the records of 574 girls who developed breast budding before the age of 8 yr and underwent the GnRH stimulation test under the age of 9 yr. Posi
Pediatric criteria for HbA1c remain unclear, therefore, we recommend the combination of fasting and 2-hour glucose levels, in addition to HbA1c, in the diagnosis of childhood prediabetes and diabetes.
Background: Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is a traditional diagnostic tool for diabetes Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is an alternative method used in adults; however, its application in youths has been controversial. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of HbA1c and determined optimal cutoff points for detecting prediabetes and diabetes in youth. Methods: This retrospective study included 389 obese children (217 boys, 55.8%) who had undergone simultaneous OGTT and HbA1c testing at six hospital
Sometimes, the clinical findings and the results of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test are inconsistent in girls with early breast development and bone age advancement. We aimed to investigate the factors predicting positive results of the GnRH stimulation test in girls with suspected central precocious puberty (CPP). We reviewed the records of 574 girls who developed breast budding before the age of 8 yr and underwent the GnRH stimulation test under the age of 9 yr. Posi
Few studies have investigated the long-term effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist treatment on the reproductive function of central precocious puberty (CPP) girls. In this cross-sectional study, we assessed the ovarian function by analyzing the serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels of CPP girls. Our study included 505 CPP girls subdivided into 5 groups according to the GnRH agonist treatment stage: group A (before treatment, n = 98), group B (3 months after initiation, n =
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between daily sitting time and the risk of metabolic syndrome in Korean adolescents. METHODS: Data from 486 adolescents aged 12-18 years were obtained from national surveys. Daily sitting time was measured using questionnaires and divided into three intervals: <8 h; 8-12 h; and ≥12 h. RESULTS: The mean daily sitting time and prevalence of positive metabolic components were 620.9±9.9 min/day and 45.5±2.7%, respectively. In a multivariat
Few studies have investigated the long-term effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist treatment on the reproductive function of central precocious puberty (CPP) girls. In this cross-sectional study, we assessed the ovarian function by analyzing the serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels of CPP girls. Our study included 505 CPP girls subdivided into 5 groups according to the GnRH agonist treatment stage: group A (before treatment, n = 98), group B (3 months after initiation, n =
Idiopathic short stature (ISS) is a heterogeneous group and their responsiveness to growth hormone treatment varies among individuals. The aim of this study was to identify homogeneous phenotypes to better assess response before the initiation of treatment. We focused on person-centered approaches using a latent profile analysis. Clinical data of 218 children (127 boys and 91 girls) aged 4-15 years were obtained from the "LG Growth Study" which is a non-interventional Korean multicenter registry
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of weekly vs. daily growth hormone (GH) administration in children with GH deficiency. METHODS: This study, part of the "LG Growth Study", included a total of 996 children with GH deficiency (773 receiving daily GH and 193 receiving weekly GH). Anthropometric data were collected at baseline and every 12 months; clinical and laboratory data were collected at baseline and throughout the study. RESULTS: At baseline, the weekly GH group was older,
PURPOSE: User-created content (UCC) has provided a considerable amount of medical information and become an important source. We aimed to evaluate the quality and scientific accuracy of precocious puberty-related UCC on YouTube. METHODS: The keywords "precocious puberty", "early puberty", "sexual precocity", and "precocity" were searched for on YouTube during June and July 2014. More than 1,500 UCC matched the keywords. According to the information provider, UCC was classified as medical, orient
PURPOSE: Bone age (BA) is needed to assess developmental status and growth disorders. We evaluated the clinical performance of a deep-learning-based BA software to estimate the chronological age (CA) of healthy Korean children. METHODS: This retrospective study included 371 healthy children (217 boys, 154 girls), aged between 4 and 17 years, who visited the Department of Pediatrics for health check-ups between January 2017 and December 2018. A total of 553 left-hand radiographs from 371 healthy
Research Areas
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