PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the genotype frequencies of interleukin 10 (IL-10) gene polymorphisms and to investigate their association with the risk of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in preterm Korean infants. METHODS: Two hundred fourteen preterm infants born at Ewha Womans University Mok Dong Hospital between November 2003 and July 2008 were studied. The cord blood of preterm neonates and the corresponding maternal blood were analyzed by PCR for IL-10 gene (IL-10 -1082A/G, -819T/C, and -592A/C) polymorphisms. The clinical data of patients were collected retrospectively by chart review. RESULTS: The genotype frequencies of IL-10 genes in Korean mothers with preterm infants differ from other reports. The prevalence of two promoter SNPs of the IL-10 cytokine gene was similar but none had the IL-10-1082GG homozygote. Multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated the risk of RDS to be significantly lower in the infants of the mothers with an IL-10-592AC/CC genotype than in those with an AA genotype (P= 0.033). The risk of RDS was significantly lower in the mother with an IL-10-819TC/CC genotype than in those with a TT genotype (P=0.030). However, IL-10 polymorphisms in the cord blood were not significantly different in preterm infants with RDS compared with the preterm infants without RDS. When we compared the incidence of RDS and each IL-10 A-1082G/T-819C/A-592C haplotype, the ACC haplotype had a protective effect on RDS (P=0.007). CONCLUSION: We conclude that the maternal IL-10-592A/C and IL-10-819T/C polymorphisms may have a role in the development of the RDS in preterm infants.
Female ; Fetal Blood ; Genotype ; Haplotypes ; Homozygote ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Interleukin-10 ; Logistic Models ; Mothers ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: This study was to determine the effect of DHEA administration before, during, and after dexamethasone treatment on body weight and TypeI,II muscle weight of rat receiving dexamethasone treatment. METHOD: Wistar rats were divided into 6 groups: control(C), dexamethasone(D), DHEA administration for 3days after dexamethasone treatment for 7days(7D+3DH), dexamethasone treatment for 7days after DHEA administration for 3days(3DH+7D), DHEA administration during dexamethasone treatment for 4days after dexamethasone treatment for 3days(3D+4DDH), DHEA administration during dexamethasone treatment for 7days(7DDH). Dexamethasone was injected by subcutaneously daily at a dose of 5mg/kg. DHEA was orally administered daily at a dose of 5mg/kg for 7 days. Soleus(TypeI) muscle, and both plantaris and gastro- cnemius(TypeII) muscles were dissected on the 7th day of experiment. RESULT: Body weight of both 3DH+7D group and 3D+4DDH group increased significantly compared with that of 7D group. Body weight of 7D+3DH group decreased significantly compared with that of 7D group, 7DDH group, 3DH+7D group and 3D+4DDH group. Muscle weight of both plantaris and gastro- cnemius tended to decrease compared with that of 7D group. Muscle weight of 7DDH group, 3D+4DDH group and 3DH+7D group increased significantly compared with that of 7D+3DH group. Muscle weight of gastrocnemius of both 3DH+7D group and 3D+4DDH group increased significantly compared with that of 7D group. CONCLUSION: Based on these results, it can be suggested that DHEA administration before and during dexamethasone treatment can increase both body weight and mass of atrophied TypeII muscle induced by dexa- methasone treatment.
Animals ; Body Weight* ; Dehydroepiandrosterone* ; Dexamethasone* ; Muscles* ; Rats* ; Rats, Wistar

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the levels of knowledge on 5 diseases between persons in hearing impaired and normal hearing groups. METHOD: The participants consisted of 44 people who are hearing impaired and 47 who are not. An instrument developed by the research team was used for data collection. The questionnaire consisted of 90 items including demographics and items on 5 diseases, hypertension, cancer, diabetes, pulmonary tuberculosis, and hepatitis. RESULTS: The level of knowledge on the 5 diseases, hypertension, cancer, diabetes, pulmonary tuberculosis, and hepatitis in normal hearing group was significantly higher than hearing impaired group. CONCLUSION: More attention and comprehensive educational programs are needed for people with hearing impairment.
Data Collection ; Demography ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing* ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

BACKGROUND: The Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is a well-established and reliable cognitive screening instrument. However, recent investigations have reported limitations in the MMSE as a cognitive screening tool. The Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS) taps a broader range of cognitive abilities by including evaluations of semantic fluency, delayed memory, remote personal information, and abstraction as well as those areas included in the MMSE. We report age- and education-specific reference values of the Korean Modified Mini-Mental State (K-3MS) Examination and the MMSE in the non-demented elderly population. We also evaluate the validity and reliability of the K-3MS for cognitive screening. METHODS: The K-3MS and the MMSE were administered to 112 dementia patients and 99 controls, aged 50~90 years old. K-WAIS, K-DRS, CDR were done with K-3MS in dementia patients. Test-retest reliability coefficients were obtained from 50 patients. NINCDS-ADRDA criteria for probable AD and NINDS-AIREN criteria for VaD were used. RESULTS: The K-3MS correlated with the MMSE (r=0.94, p<0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the K-3MS was 0.872 and for the MMSE was 0.865. There was no statistically significant difference between both tests. The sensitivity and specificity of the K-3MS (cutoff score=72) for a dementia diagnosis were 0.83, 0.78 and those of the MMSE (cut-off score=23) were 0.78, 0.74. The K-3MS was found to have high test-retest reliability (r=0.93). CONCLUSIONS: The K-3MS is a reliable, valid, and stable cognitive screening instrument. The K-3MS is comparable to the MMSE as a dementia screening test.
Aged ; Dementia ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Reference Values ; Repression, Psychology ; Reproducibility of Results* ; ROC Curve ; Semantics ; Sensitivity and Specificity

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD) are the most frequently occurring dementia. Although accurate differentiation of dementia subtype is important in treatment perspective, it is not easy even using expensive and time-consuming devices. To evaluate diagnostic value of the Modified Mini-Mental State (3MS) examination as a dementia screening and whether the first recall (FR) and delayed recall(DR) of 3MS are helpful in differentiating AD from VaD. METHODS: Patients comprised of 64 cases diagnosed for dementia at the Neurology department. Diagnosis of probable AD (n=34) and VaD (n=30) were made according to consensus criteria. Cognitive status was measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and 3MS. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to identify the optimal FR and DR for differentiating AD from VaD. Ninety-three age- and education-matched controls were evaluated. The neuropsychologist was blind to clinical diagnosis. RESULTS: Sensitivity (SN), specificity (SP), diagnostic accuracy (DA), and positive likelihood ratio (+LR) of 3MS (cutoff score=76) were 0.75, 0.68, 0.70 and 2.34. The optimal score of FR and DR to differentiate AD from VaD were 2 (SN=0.81, SP=0.76, and +LR=3.38) and 1 (SN=0.81, SP=0.71, and +LR=2.79), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic value of 3MS is comparable to that of MMSE as well as covers broader cognitive functions and has wider difficulty levels. Among dementia patients, a low FR and DR scores on the 3MS produce small to moderate increases the post-test probability of AD.
Alzheimer Disease* ; Consensus ; Dementia ; Dementia, Vascular* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Neurology ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to explore characteristics of and risk factors for accidental inpatient falls. METHODS: Participants were classified as fallers or non-fallers based on the fall history of inpatients in a tertiary hospital in Seoul between June 2014 and May 2015. Data on falls were obtained from the fall report forms and data on risk factors were obtained from the electronic nursing records. Characteristics of fallers and non-fallers were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Risk factors for falls were identified using univariate analyses and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Average length of stay prior to the fall was 21.52 days and average age of fallers was 61.37 years. Most falls occurred during the night shifts and in the bedroom and were due to sudden leg weakness during ambulation. It was found that gender, BMI, physical problems such elimination, gait, vision and hearing and medications such as sleeping pills, antiarrhythmics, vasodilators, and muscle relaxant were statistically significant factors affecting falls. CONCLUSION: The findings show that there are significant risk factors such as BMI and history of surgery which are not part of fall assessment tools. There are also items on fall assessment tools which are not found to be significant such as mental status, emotional unstability, dizziness, and impairment of urination. Therefore, these various risk factors should be examined in the fall risk assessments and these risk factors should be considered in the development of fall assessment tools.
Accidental Falls* ; Dizziness ; Gait ; Hearing ; Humans ; Inpatients* ; Leg ; Length of Stay ; Logistic Models ; Nursing Records ; Patient Safety ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors* ; Seoul ; Tertiary Care Centers* ; Urination ; Vasodilator Agents ; Walking

Protein C exerts anticoagulant effects by inactivating factor Va and VIIIa and stimulating fibrinolysis. The homozygous protein C deficiency is extremely rare and often results in life threatening thrombosis and purpura fulminans with necrotic cutaneous lesions. A child with homozygous protein C deficiency was treated at 6 months by a living-related liver transplantaion. After induction of anesthesia, we started an FFP infusion for protein C replacement and a low molecular weight heparin continuous infusion to prevent thrombosis. A complete reconstitution of protein C activity and resolution of the thrombotic condition occured postoperatively. So we report this case with a brief review of the literature.
Anesthesia* ; Child ; Factor Va ; Fibrinolysis ; Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight ; Humans ; Liver Transplantation* ; Liver* ; Protein C Deficiency* ; Protein C* ; Purpura Fulminans ; Thrombosis

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to analyze daily kimchi, vegetable and fruit consumption by general characteristics and vegetable and fruit consumption from 1998 to 2012 by the Korean population based on the data of the KNHANES (Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey). SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study is based on the 1998-2012 KNHNES. Analysis data on 54,700 subjects aged 19 years and older were obtained from health behavior interviews and the 24-hour dietary recall method. RESULTS: Daily kimchi consumption and portion size of kimchi decreased significantly from 1998 to 2012 (adjusted P for trend < 0.0001). Meanwhile, daily consumption of both non-salted vegetable and fruit with and without kimchi did not significantly change between 1998 and 2012. Reduced consumption of kimchi, non-salted vegetable, and fruit was observed for both genders as well as daily meal episodes and cooking locations. Male and female subjects with insufficient non-salted vegetable and fruit intake were increased 1.4 times and 1.3 times, respectively, in 2012 than 1998. All subjects consumed at least 400 g/day of non-salted vegetable, fruit, and kimchi in each survey year, although they consumed insufficient amounts (< 400 g/day) of non-salted vegetable and fruit without kimchi. CONCLUSIONS: Since Koreans generally consume high amounts of fermented vegetables, including kimchi, total vegetables and fruit. Consumption of these foods by the Korean adult population reached 400 g, which is the recommended intake of the WCRF/AICR. Based on this result, it is necessary to promote consumption of kimchi in the Korean population and research the development of low sodium kimchi in the future.
Adult* ; Cooking ; Eating ; Female ; Fruit* ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Korea* ; Male ; Meals ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Portion Size ; Sodium ; Vegetables*

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of cord blood levels of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1), placental growth factor (PlGF), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in preterm infants with maternal preeclampsia. METHODS: Thirty six preterm infants born at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital from January 2006 to August 2006 were studied after prior parental consent at mid-pregnancy. sFlt-1, PlGF, and VEGF levels in the cord blood of preterm neonate, with or without maternal preeclampsia, were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: There was no difference in sFlt-1 between infants with and without maternal preeclampsia. Infants with maternal preeclampsia had significantly lower PlGF levels (P=0.035) and higher sFlt-1/PlGF ratio (P=0.080) with borderline significance. Cord blood VEGF levels were not related to maternal preeclampsia. Infants with maternal preeclampsia had lower birth weight (P=0.030), lower neonatal platelet count without statistical significance (P=0.064) and more likely to be small for gestational age (P=0.057). Neonatal platelet count was significantly correlated with cord blood PlGF levels (r=0.674, P=0.032). CONCLUSION: Increased sFlt-1/PlGF ratio and decreased PlGF may not only be related to the pathophysiology of maternal preeclampsia but also affect the neonatal platelet count and birth weight.
Birth Weight ; Female ; Fetal Blood* ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Parental Consent ; Platelet Count ; Pre-Eclampsia* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1*