Allergic disorders such as atopic dermatitis and asthma are common hyper-immune disorders in industrialized countries. Along with genetic association, environmental factors and gut microbiota have been suggested as major triggering factors for the development of atopic dermatitis. Numerous studies support the association of hygiene hypothesis in allergic immune disorders that a lack of early childhood exposure to diverse microorganism increases susceptibility to allergic diseases. Among the symbiotic microorganisms (e.g. gut flora or probiotics), probiotics confer health benefits through multiple action mechanisms including modification of immune response in gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT). Although many human clinical trials and mouse studies demonstrated the beneficial effects of probiotics in diverse immune disorders, this effect is strain specific and needs to apply specific probiotics for specific allergic diseases. Herein, we briefly review the diverse functions and regulation mechanisms of probiotics in diverse disorders.
Animals ; Asthma ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Developed Countries ; Humans ; Hygiene Hypothesis ; Immune System Diseases ; Insurance Benefits ; Lymphoid Tissue ; Metagenome ; Mice ; Probiotics ; Sprains and Strains

The authors requested a correction in the authorship as JS Hwang to be the sole first author based on their careful re-evaluation of the authors' contribution. This correction does not affect any of the content of the article.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Complications related to foreign body ingestion are uncommon, and especially a food bolus, but some ingested foreign bodies are associated with severe and life threatening morbidity. The aim of this study is determine the predictive risk factors for complications resulting from foreign body ingestion in patients who are without gastrointestinal tract obstruction. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 147 patients who were diagnosed with a foreign body in the GI tract without obstruction between Jan. 2000 to Aug. 2008. RESULTS: Animal bone fragment and coin were the most common type of foreign bodies in adults and children, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed age (p=0.019), the duration of impaction (p=0.013) and the location of the impacted foreign body (p=0.011) were significant independent risk factors associated with the development of complications. Especially, the most important risk factor for children was the location of the impacted foreign body and for adults it was the duration of impaction. CONCLUSIONS: Old age, a longer duration of impaction and impaction at the upper esophageal sphincter or upper esophagus are important predictive factors of complication after foreign body ingestion in patients without gastrointestinal tract obstruction. For cases with these factors, more intensive awareness by the physician should be adapted.
Adult ; Animals ; Child ; Eating ; Esophageal Sphincter, Upper ; Esophagus ; Foreign Bodies ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Numismatics ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

Borrmann type 4 gastric is a malignant disease that shows enlarged gastric folds, and this is easily mistaken as a mucosal flare or as inflammation because a third of these patients show normal mucosa without mucosal defects and the lesion diffusively infiltrates into the submucosal area. Endoscopic ultrasonography is an effective tool for making the differential diagnosis of gastric subepithelial lesion and hypertrophic gastric fold when endoscopy is not suitable to use. Eosinophilic gastritis is a benign lesion with enlarged gastric folds and it shows pathologic eosinophil infiltration in the walls of the stomach. We report here on a case that was suspected to be Borrmann type 4 advanced gastric cancer according to the endoscopic ultrasonography and this was confirmed by abdominal operation. Otherwise, this condition would have been mistaken for eosinophilic gastritis.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Endoscopy ; Endosonography ; Enteritis ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils ; Gastritis ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Mucous Membrane ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms

Boerhaave's syndrome is difficult to diagnosis because of the esophageal rupture, which is caused by nausea and vomiting, and Boerhaave's syndrome is known to have a high mortality rate. The mortality increases with a delayed diagnosis; therefore, an early diagnosis and surgical treatment are critical for a good prognosis. Yet some recent cases have shown that non-surgical treatments are successful in some classified patient groups. These groups should be considered according to their symptoms and their laboratory and radiological findings. Sepsis and multi-organ failure should be continuously checked for to see if they occurred and/or progressed. We report here on a 51 year old woman who had Boerhaave's syndrome, and this was caused by heavy drinking, nausea and vomiting, and she improved with just non-surgical treatment such as fasting, antibiotics and endoscopic clipping.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Drinking ; Early Diagnosis ; Esophageal Perforation ; Fasting ; Female ; Humans ; Mediastinal Diseases ; Nausea ; Prognosis ; Rupture ; Sepsis ; Vomiting

BACKGROUND: Pyogenic liver abscess is an acute infectious disease caused by bacteria and can become severe and potentially life-threatening, with a mortality rate of 6-18%. The purpose of this study is to provide the basic informations for the management of liver abscess and the choice of the most effective and economic antibiotics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated clinical, laboratory, radiologic findings and the results of bacteriological studies retrospectively by reviewing the medical records of 141 cases of pyogenic liver abscess patients, admitted to Catholic University St Vincent's Hospital from January 1998 to December 2007. RESULTS: Patients demographics revealed a mean age of 57.1, (age: 18 to 87), and 71 of the 141 patients were male (50.4%). Cure was achieved in 51 (98.1%) of the 52 patients who were treated with the combination of percutaneous drainage and antibiotics, and in 80 (90.0%) of 89 patients who were treated only with antibiotics. However, there were no significant differences in mortality (P=0.092) and the time to defervescence between both groups. The mean duration of percutaneous drainage was 15.8+/-9.7 days. Sixty-four of 141 patients showed positive culture results, and K. pneumoniae (70.3%) was the most common organism. Among 45 K. pneumoniae, the rates of resistance were 73.3% to ampicillin, 66.7% to piperacillin, 8.9% to cefazolin, 2.2% to cefuroxime, 0% to ceftriaxone, and 0% to ciprofloxacin. CONCLUSIONS: Combination treatment of intravenous antibiotics and percutaneous drainage was effective for the treatment of pyogenic liver abscess. Initial broad spectrum antibiotic coverage and then switch to first or second cephalosporin according to the susceptibility results, could be recommended especially in patients with monomicrobial K. pneumoniae liver abscess.
Ampicillin ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria ; Cefazolin ; Ceftriaxone ; Cefuroxime ; Ciprofloxacin ; Communicable Diseases ; Demography ; Drainage ; Humans ; Liver Abscess ; Liver Abscess, Pyogenic ; Male ; Medical Records ; Piperacillin ; Pneumonia ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND: Pyogenic liver abscess is an acute infectious disease caused by bacteria and can become severe and potentially life-threatening, with a mortality rate of 6-18%. The purpose of this study is to provide the basic informations for the management of liver abscess and the choice of the most effective and economic antibiotics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated clinical, laboratory, radiologic findings and the results of bacteriological studies retrospectively by reviewing the medical records of 141 cases of pyogenic liver abscess patients, admitted to Catholic University St Vincent's Hospital from January 1998 to December 2007. RESULTS: Patients demographics revealed a mean age of 57.1, (age: 18 to 87), and 71 of the 141 patients were male (50.4%). Cure was achieved in 51 (98.1%) of the 52 patients who were treated with the combination of percutaneous drainage and antibiotics, and in 80 (90.0%) of 89 patients who were treated only with antibiotics. However, there were no significant differences in mortality (P=0.092) and the time to defervescence between both groups. The mean duration of percutaneous drainage was 15.8+/-9.7 days. Sixty-four of 141 patients showed positive culture results, and K. pneumoniae (70.3%) was the most common organism. Among 45 K. pneumoniae, the rates of resistance were 73.3% to ampicillin, 66.7% to piperacillin, 8.9% to cefazolin, 2.2% to cefuroxime, 0% to ceftriaxone, and 0% to ciprofloxacin. CONCLUSIONS: Combination treatment of intravenous antibiotics and percutaneous drainage was effective for the treatment of pyogenic liver abscess. Initial broad spectrum antibiotic coverage and then switch to first or second cephalosporin according to the susceptibility results, could be recommended especially in patients with monomicrobial K. pneumoniae liver abscess.
Ampicillin ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria ; Cefazolin ; Ceftriaxone ; Cefuroxime ; Ciprofloxacin ; Communicable Diseases ; Demography ; Drainage ; Humans ; Liver Abscess ; Liver Abscess, Pyogenic ; Male ; Medical Records ; Piperacillin ; Pneumonia ; Retrospective Studies

The web of the common bile duct is an extremely rare condition and is attributed to obstructive jaundice. Most cases have been found incidentally during a surgical procedure, since no specific preoperative clinical manifestations exist. Typically, the web of the biliary tree appears as a slit- or shelf-like radiolucent narrowing on a cholangiography. We experienced a case of the web of the common bile duct with obstructive jaundice in a 62 year- old female who complained of right upper quadrant pain. The patient was diagnosed via an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography, and treated by way of a cholecystectomy, membranectomy and T-tube insertion. Four months after the surgical procedure, the patient had a recurrence of the web-like structure in the common bile duct and was subsequently treated successfully using a retrievable covered metallic stent insertion.
Biliary Tract ; Cholangiography ; Cholecystectomy ; Common Bile Duct ; Female ; Humans ; Jaundice, Obstructive ; Recurrence ; Stents