The number of long-term survivors is increasing in the western countries due to remarkable improvements in the treatment of childhood cancer. The long-term complications of childhood cancer survivors in these countries were brought to light by the childhood cancer survivor studies. In Korea, the 5-year survival rate of childhood cancer patients is approaching 70%; therefore, it is extremely important to undertake similar long-term follow-up studies and comprehensive long-term care for our population. On the basis of the experiences of childhood cancer survivorship care of the western countries and the current Korean status of childhood cancer survivors, long-term follow-up study and long-term care systems need to be established in Korea in the near future. This system might contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of childhood cancer survivors through effective intervention strategies.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Light ; Long-Term Care ; Quality of Life ; Survival Rate ; Survivors

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Eosinophils play a major role in the pathophysiology of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRS/NP). The secreted form of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) is considered to be the marker of eosinophil activity. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between serum ECP and CRS/NP. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: A retrospective review of medical records was carried out on 198 patients who had undergone endoscopic sinus surgery from March, 2001 through July, 2006 at our institution. We reviewed blood eosinophil counts, tissue eosinophil, serum ECP, symptom scores, CT scan scores according to the Lund-Mackay system, recurrence of polyp and revision surgery during follow-up. RESULTS: The serum ECP concentration was significantly higher in the CRS/NP patients than in the normal control subjects. The serum ECP concentration was significantly correlated with the blood eosinophil count, CT score and tissue eosinophil count. The serum ECP concentration was significantly higher in patients with recurrence or revision surgery than in patients without recurrence or revision surgery. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the level of serum ECP is correlated with the disease severity, and is one of prognostic factors after endoscopic sinus surgery.
Eosinophil Cationic Protein ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Polyps ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

No abstract available.

Hypertriglyceridemia is a rare cause of acute pancreatitis. However, the relationship between gestational pancreatitis and hypertriglyceridemia is well known. We report here on a case of gestational pancreatitis due to hypertriglyceridemia in a 29 years old pregnant woman who was at 20 weeks gestation and suffered from epigastric pain and rebound tenderness. Lowering the elevated triglyceride level via heparin and insulin infusion therapy wasn't effective and the abdominal pain was unresponsive to analgesics. Plasma exchange was performed at day 3 in order to rapidly decrease the triglyceride and for the safety of the patient and her fetus. We report here that hypertriglyceridemia induced high risk gestational pancreatitis and this was treated by plasma exchange, and we briefly review the relevant literature.
Abdominal Pain ; Analgesics ; Female ; Fetus ; Heparin ; Humans ; Hypertriglyceridemia ; Insulin ; Pancreatitis ; Plasma ; Plasma Exchange ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women

BACKGROUND: Extended-spectrum cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones are important antimicrobials for treating invasive salmonellosis, and emerging resistance to these antimicrobials is of paramount concern. METHODS: A total of 30 Salmonella spp. clinical isolates recovered in Gyeongsangbuk-do from 2012 to 2013 were characterized using antibiotic resistance profiles and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). RESULTS: A high prevalence of multidrug-resistant isolates, mainly showing an ampicillin, nalidixic acid, chloramphenicol resistance pattern, was observed. Four extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing isolates (3 CTX-M-15 isolates and 1 CTX-M-27 isolate) were found. The bla(CTX-M-27) gene was carried by an IncF conjugative plasmid in the S. Infantis isolate. The bla(CTX-M-15) gene were carried by an IncF (2 isolates) or IncHI2 (1 isolate) conjugative plasmid in S. Enteritidis. In addition, a single mutation of GyrA, Ser83Thr (1 isolates), Asp87Tyr (9 isolates), Asp87Gly (4 isolates), and Asp87Leu (3 isolates), was detected in nalidixic acid-resistant Salmonella spp. isolates. XbaI PFGE analysis of all isolates revealed more than 19 different pulsotypes. The most common S. Enteritidis PFGE pattern (SEGX01.003) was associated with a larger number of cases of invasive salmonellosis than all other patterns. CONCLUSION: The information from our study can assist in source attribution, outbreak investigations, and tailoring of interventions to maximize disease prevention.
Ampicillin ; beta-Lactamases ; Cephalosporins ; Chloramphenicol Resistance ; Drug Resistance ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Fluoroquinolones ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Nalidixic Acid ; Plasmids ; Prevalence ; Salmonella Infections ; Salmonella*

Theileria (T.) buffeli (formerly T. sergenti/T. orientalis) is the major hemo-protozoan distributed in the Far East Asian countries such as Korea, China and Japan. It is responsible for the clinical symptoms of anorexia, ateliosis, anemia, fever and icterus. It also causes abortion and sudden death under severe cases, resulting in economic losses for many livestock farms. The objective of this study was to analyze the genetic diversity of the major surface protein (Msp) gene in T. buffeli in Holstein in Korea, and we characterized the association of the diversification of the Msp gene and its relationship with the pathogenicity of Theileria. For this, complete blood counts and Theileria PCR sequence analysis were performed from 57 Holstein in Jeju Island. A total of 26 PCR positive Holstein (16 anemic and 10 non-anemic) were then randomly selected based on 18s rRNA sequence typing of the Theileria Msp gene. The DNA sequence of the T. buffeli Msp gene in Holstein showed 99.0%, 99.2%, 99.9%, 99.5%, 98.7%, 98.4% and 98.4% homology with T. sergenti, Theileria spp., T. sergenti, Theileria spp., Theileria spp., Theileria spp. and Theileria spp., respectively. The result showed a genetic variation of 57.7% (type I), 3.8% (type II), 15.4% (type III), 7.7% (type IV), 13.5% (type V) and 1.9% (type VI). Type I is the most frequent type in both anemic and non-anemic Holstein while type II was found in only non-anemic Holstein. This results of our study help confirm the diversity of Msp gene types and demonstrate that the gene type distribution of Msp genes varies among Theileria-infected Holstein in Jeju Island.
Anemia ; Anorexia ; Antigenic Variation ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Base Sequence ; Blood Cell Count ; China ; Death, Sudden ; Far East ; Fever ; Genetic Variation ; Humans ; Japan ; Jaundice ; Korea ; Livestock ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis ; Theileria

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Bronchiolitis Obliterans* ; Bronchiolitis* ; Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia* ; Respiratory Sounds*

Along with the enactment of a law separating the prescribing and dispensing of drugs in Korea in 2000, attempts at reducing medical expenses by generic substitution have been allowed since August 2001 so long as generic products are bioequivalent to the original products. In the pharmaceutical industry, the required development and investment to make generic products are much less in terms of time and money. Thus, the number of bioequivalence studies in Korea has increased. This has resulted in the need for bioequivalence recommendations (guidelines), taking into account the circumstances of the Korean pharmaceutical industry. In this paper, we provide procedures for making bioequivalence determinations for individual products acting on the circulatory system (30 drugs, 2011), the components of which are widely accepted for the development of generic products in Korea. These recommendations correspond with international guidelines, such as those of the US FDA and EMEA. For the 30 drugs that act on the circulatory system, we examined each in terms of subject selection (healthy volunteers vs. patients), dosage strength, dosage route, analytes to measure, and evaluation parameters, and prepared bioequivalence recommendations for individual products through an analysis of many published papers, US FDA and EMEA guidelines, and clinical trial websites. Based on the bioequivalence recommendations for individual products, we had several meetings in which KFDA officers (members of the New Drug Research team and the Office of Generic Drugs), three pharmacy professors with expertise in drug analysis and pharmacokinetics, and three professors of medicine with extensive experience in clinical trials participated to confirm and discuss the contents. Finally, the bioequivalence recommendations for individual products were provided on the KFDA website. The individual bioequivalence recommendations have been used by KFDA officers in drug evaluations and bioequivalency testing to improve consistency, clarity, and professionalism in the drug evaluation process. These recommendations will be useful for domestic pharmaceutical companies by shortening the time and cost associated with bioequivalence studies, especially in terms of standardized trial designs, dosage forms, and analytical methods.
Dosage Forms ; Drug Evaluation ; Drug Industry ; Drug Substitution ; Drugs, Generic ; Investments ; Jurisprudence ; Korea ; Pharmacy ; Therapeutic Equivalency

Purpose: Limited data exist on the use of low midline and transverse incisions for specimen extraction or stoma sites in laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery (LRCS). We compared the short-term and medium-term outcomes of these incisions and assessed whether wound complications in specimen extraction sites (SES) are increased by specimen extraction through the stoma site (SESS) in LRCS. Methods: From March 2010 to December 2017, 189 patients who underwent LRCS and specimen extraction through low abdominal incisions were divided into 2 groups: midline (n = 102) and transverse (n = 87), and perioperative outcomes were compared. Results: The midline group showed a higher frequency of temporary stoma formation (P = 0.001) and splenic flexure mobilization (P < 0.001) than the transverse group. The overall incisional hernia and wound infection rates in the SES were 21.6% and 25.5%, respectively, in the midline group and 26.4% and 17.2%, respectively, in the transverse group (P = 0.494 and P = 0.232, respectively). In patients who underwent SESS, the incisional hernia and wound infection rates of SES after stoma closure were 39.1% and 43.5%, respectively, in the midline group, and 35.5% and 22.6%, respectively, in the transverse group (P = 0.840 and P = 0.035, respectively). Conclusion In terms of incisional hernia and wound infection at the SES, a low midline incision may be used as a low transverse incision in patients without temporary stoma in LRCS. However, considering the high wound complication rates after stoma closure in patients with SESS in this study, SESS should be performed with caution in LRCS.