BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gastric carcinoma is the most common malignant neoplasm in Korea and is known to be associated with intestinal metaplasia (IM) of gastric epithelium, of which type III IM is suggested to play a special role in the carcinogenesis. This study is to evaluate the subtypes of IM and to measure each subtype in chronic gastritis. Methods: From October 1997 to September 1999, 321 patients with endoscopic chronic gastritis were evaluated the grade of chronic gastritis and IM by histologic and histochemical stain. RESULTS: Chronic inflammation and IM were remarkably severe in men and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) positivity was 69.4% in men and 65.2% in women. The frequency of IM was 50.1%, of which 65.4% was in men and 34.6% in women. The frequency of IM subtypes was 43.2%, 11.7% and 45.1% for type I, II and III respectively. Sixty percent of IM was noted in more than 50 years of age and ninety percent in more than 40 years of age. The frequency of type III IM was 61.6% in men and 38.4% in women. Sixty one percent of type III IM was noted in more than 50 years of age and ninety percent in more than 40 years of age. Interestingly, fifty three percent of type III IM was noted in men more than 40 years of age. The prevalence of H. pylori infection in type III IM was similar to in type I and II. The glandular atrophy in type III IM was remarkably severe than that in type I and II. Conclusions: The results of this study show that the proportion of type III IM in chronic gastiritis is remarkably high in Korean and age and sex distribution is similar to that of gastric carcinoma.
Atrophy ; Carcinogenesis ; Epithelium ; Female ; Gastritis* ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Korea ; Male ; Metaplasia* ; Prevalence ; Sex Distribution

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The combination of an aging population with a chronic diseased population is leading to an increase in the mortality rate due to cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the Korean population and to evaluate its related factors for sex differences. METHODS: From April 2007 to December 2008, a total of 2,729 volunteers aged 40-69 years living in Changwon city underwent a clinical examination at a hospital in Changwon, Korea. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed following the criteria defined in Circulation 2009. The clinical examination included measuring anthropometric variables and cardiovascular risk factors, while lifestyle factors were assessed through a questionnaire. RESULTS: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in our sampling pool was 25.2% with a break down by sex showing a rate of 30.2% in men and 22.2% in women. Related factors associated with metabolic syndrome common to both sex were age, self-health assessment, and alcohol consumption. Sleep duration seemed to be a related factor in men, while income, education, and menstruation status played significant roles in women. CONCLUSIONS: To better manage metabolic syndrome, men need to be educated on alcohol use and women of low socioeconomic status require particular attention as do the aging population and postmenopausal women.
Adult ; Aged ; Aging ; Alcohol Drinking ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style ; Male ; Menstruation ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Sex Characteristics ; Social Class

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) recently has been utilized widely as the most successful technique to overcome the unfertilization problem in cases of severe male infertility in couples who could not be treated by conventional IVF. Recently, indications of ICSI have been extended further and more fertilized oocytes become available. Thus, it is necessary to examine the efficiency of freezing the surplus embryos obtained from ICSI. We compared the survival rate and the future outcome of cryopreserved embryos obtained either after conventional IVF or ICSI during the same period. After ICSI or IVF, five best-quality embryos from each patient were transferred in the stimulation cycle and the surplus pronuclear (PN) stage oocytes or multicellular embryos were cryopreserved by slow freezing protocol with 1,2-propanediol (PROH) as a cryoprotectant.4 total of 792 embryos from ICSI trial were thawed and 65.2% (516/792) survived. The survival rates of PN stage oocyte, multicellular embryo and PN + multicellular embryo were 63.5%, 68.2%, 64.0%, respectively. After 111 transfers, 34 pregnancies were achieved, corresponding to a clinical pregnancy rate of 30.6% per transfers. We thawed 1033 embryos from IVF trials and 57.5% (594/1033) survived. In IVF cycle, the survival rates of PN stage oocyte, multicellular embryo and PN + multicellular embryo were 58.2%, 65.2%, 40.2%, respectively. Thirty eight clinical pregnancies were established after 134 transfers, corresponding to a pregnancy rate of 28.4% per transfer The cleavage rate of thawed PN stage oocytes from ICSI trial (61.3%) was significantly higher than those from conventional IVF (53.4%). The developmental rates of good embryo (> or = grade II) in thawed PN stage oocytes obtained from conventional IVF and ICSI were 63% and 65%, respectively. We concluded that PN stage oocytes, multicellular embryos resulting from ICSI procedure can be successfully frozen/thawed with reasonable clinical pregnancy rates comparable to those of IVF.
Embryonic Structures* ; Family Characteristics ; Fertilization in Vitro* ; Freezing ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; Male ; Oocytes ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Propylene Glycol ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic* ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: It is known that the prognosis of childhood cancer is relatively good, however actual representative nationwide data on childhood cancer, particularly of survival rate, are rare. In this study we attempted to establish the overall survival rate of major childhood cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The primary source of data of childhood cancer under 15 years of age were the registry files of the Central Cancer Registry Report (Ministry of Health & Welfare) from 1993 to 1997. The above data was compared to death case data files of the same period obtained from the Korea National Statistical Office using the personal identification code. We calculated the 1, 3, and 5 year survival rates using the life table of SPSS and Kaplan-Meier method and compared the survival rate of disease according to prognostic factors. RESULTS: A total of 6,720 cases of pediatric cancer from the Central Cancer Registry files were computerized and sorted by personal identification (ID) code to extract duplicated cases as well as cases with incomplete data. The final number of cases entered in this study was 4,983. 1) The number of confirmed death cases was 1,448 (29.1%). 2) The disease distribution showed that the most common pediatric cancer was leukemia (1,468/4,983, 29%), followed by brain tumors (503/4,983, 10%), lymphoma (315/4,983, 6%), Wilms tumor (165/4,983, 3%), etc. in order by number of patients. 3) The 5 year survival rate of disease was as follows: overall 62%, acute lymphocytic leukemia 61%, acute non-lymphocytic leukemia 32%, malignant lymphoma 72%, neuroblastoma 47%, medulloblastoma 51%, Astrocytoma 66%, Wilms tumor 83%, etc. CONCLUSION: We analyzed and report the 5 year survival rate of overall childhood cancer and of each of the twelve major childhood cancers from in Korea 1993 to 1997 to provide basic data on childhood cancer statistics.
Astrocytoma ; Information Storage and Retrieval ; Brain Neoplasms ; Humans ; Korea* ; Leukemia ; Life Tables ; Lymphoma ; Medulloblastoma ; Neuroblastoma ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Prognosis ; Survival Rate* ; Wilms Tumor

Pseudocoarctation of the aorta is a rare congenital anomaly of the aortic arch, and it has been described as an elongation of the aortic arch with "kinking" at the level of the ligamentum arteriosum without a pressure gradient across the lesion. The treatment for this condition is controversial. We report here on an unusual case of pseudocoarctation of the aorta associated with the anomalous origin of the left vertebral artery and we include a review of the medical literature.
Aortic Coarctation/*complications ; Child ; Humans ; Male ; Vertebral Artery/*abnormalities

This study covers comparison and examination of the clinical results of visual acuity recovery, astigmatic change and comparison of patients who underwented extracapsular cataract extraction(ECCE) with insertion of posterior chamber lens(PCL) or phacoemulsification(PE) with insertion of posterior chamber lens. Among 1446 patients who underwented ECCE with PCL or PE with PCL from April. 1983 to December, 1987. 623 patients being followed up their conditions during 6 months were selected. Visual acuity, astigmatism and keratometry were followed up at preoperative and postoperative period of 1 week, 1 month, 2 months, and 6 months. The results were as follows. 1. In PE with PCL, the recovery of visual acuity is earlier than in ECCE with PCL. 2. In PE with PCL, the post operative change of astigmatic axis to the against the rule is more rapid than in ECCE with PCL. 3. In PE with PCL, recovery of astigmatism is earlier than in ECCE with PCL and the amount of astigmatism is lower than in ECCE with PCL.
Astigmatism ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Cataract Extraction* ; Cataract* ; Humans ; Phacoemulsification ; Postoperative Period ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to investigate changes in cardiac performance in early neo-natal life by observing the changes of left ventricular(LV) function and volume according to the size of ductus arteriosus. METHODS: The study group consisted of 21 full-term Cesarean section neonates who were admitted to the nursery of Korea University Hospital. We serially investigated the patency and size of the ductus at 2, 24, 120 hours after birth by two-dimensional echocardiography. The standard two-dimensional tracings of LV volume were obtained under the guidance of apical two- and four-chamber views. LV end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes were calculated using a biplanar Simpson's method. RESULTS: LV end-diastolic volume was highest(3.44>0.4mm) at 2 hours of age(P<0.01), being constant from 24 to 120 hours. LV contractility, indicated by the mean normalized systolic ejection rate, remained constant during the whole period of investigation. The size of the ductus arteriosus was maximal at 2 hours after birth, and decreased significantly at 24 hours of age (P<0.01). The size of ductus arteriosus demonstrated a close linear correlation with the left ventricular end-diastolic volume(y=0.17x+2.92, r=0.59: P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Changes in LV end-diastolic volume soon after birth depend on changes in ductus arteriosus flow, which in turn is affected by ductal diameter. Upon patency of the ductus arteriosus, the newborn left ventricle operates at maximal performance with only a limited capacity to increase contractility.
Cesarean Section ; Ductus Arteriosus ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Korea ; Nurseries ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Ventricular Function, Left

PURPOSE: The study aims to classify schools based on traffic pollutants and their complex sources, to assess the environment, to determine the state of allergic diseases among students using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in children (ISAAC) questionnaire, and to assess their connection to air pollutants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of seven schools were divided into three categories according to the characteristics of their surrounding environments: three schools in traffic-related zones, two schools in complex source zones I (urban), and two schools in complex source zones II (industrial complex). ISAAC questionnaires were administered and the 4404 completed questionnaires were analyzed. RESULTS: The frequency of asthma treatment during the past 12 months showed a significant increase (p<0.05) with exposure to NO2 [1.67, 95% confidence intervals (CIs) 1.03-2.71] in the complex source zones. The frequency of allergic rhinitis treatment during the past 12 months increased significantly with exposure to Black Carbon (1.60, 95% CIs 1.36-1.90) (p<0.001), SO2 (1.09, 95% CIs 1.01-1.17) (p<0.05), NO2 (1.18, 95% CIs 1.07-1.30) (p<0.01) for all subjects. CONCLUSION: In terms of supporting children's health, care, and prevention related to major spaces for children, such as school zones, spaces used in coming to and leaving school, playgrounds, and classrooms are essential to ensuring not only the safety of children from traffic accidents but also their protection from local traffic pollutants and various hazardous environmental factors.
Adolescent ; Air Pollutants/*adverse effects ; Air Pollution/*adverse effects ; Asthma/chemically induced/*epidemiology/*etiology ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; *Environmental Exposure ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial/chemically induced/*epidemiology ; Schools ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Vehicle Emissions/analysis/toxicity

PURPOSE: Stiffness in the first metatarsophalangeal joint after surgery for hallux valgus has been reported. The goal of this study was to test the efficacy of releasing plantar aponeurosis for improving the range of extension in the first metatarsophalangeal joint that was limited after hallux valgus surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirteen patients (1 man, 12 women [17 feet]; median age, 54.4 years; range, 44~69 years) with limited first metatarsophalangeal joint extension after hallux valgus surgery, who underwent an additional procedure of plantar aponeurosis release between March 2015 and August 2015, were included. Subsequently, the passive range of extension in the first metatarsophalangeal joint was evaluated via knee extension and flexion positions. Hallux valgus angle, inter-metatarsal angle, distal metatarsal articular angle, and talo-first metatarsal angle were measured on weightbearing dorsoplantar and lateral radiographs of the foot preoperatively. RESULTS: The mean range of extension for the first metatarsophalangeal joint improved significantly, from 2.5° to 40.9° in the knee extension position (p<0.00). The mean extension range for the first metatarsophalangeal joint also improved, from 18.2° to 43.2° in the knee flexion position (p<0.00). In all patients, congruence of the first metatarsophalangeal joint was recovered. CONCLUSION: Plantar aponeurosis release is an effective additional procedure for improving the extension range of the first metatarsophalangeal joint after hallux valgus surgery.
Female ; Foot ; Hallux Valgus* ; Hallux* ; Humans ; Knee ; Metatarsal Bones ; Metatarsophalangeal Joint* ; Weight-Bearing

OBJECTIVE: We studied two districts in Korea in order to investigate if the frequency of fish consumption has an effect on the blood mercury levels. METHODS: This survey was conducted on 164 fishing district residents in Geoje city and 219 agricultural district residents in Changwon city from July to August in 2008. The data on the demographic characteristics, the living environment, lifestyle habits and the frequency of fish consumption was collected by interviewers. We used ANOVA to estimate the particular relevance between the frequency of fish consumption and the blood mercury concentration, and other various factors. RESULTS: The mean total blood mercury level was 6.54+/-4.01 microgram/L for the total study population. Our results were even higher than that of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (USA) in, 2001~2002 and the German Environmental Survey in, 1998. In this study, there was a significant difference for the frequency of eating fish between the groups. (p<0.01, The level of the groups that ate fish 3 to 4 times per week was significantly higher as compared with the level of the other groups that ate fish 2 to 3 times per month and 1 to 2 times per week, respectively). As the frequency of fish consumption increased, so did the blood mercury concentration. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the blood mercury concentration increases along with fish consumption and this was statistically significant and this fact reveals that fish consumption is positively related to the blood levels of mercury. Accordingly, we need systematic and periodic research on the general population to prevent mercury poisoning, which can be caused by low-level mercury exposure from dietary intake such as chronic fish consumption.
Eating ; Korea ; Life Style ; Mercury Poisoning ; Nutrition Surveys