Objectives: Dental caries and periodontal disease are infectious and chronic diseases. The aim of the study was to investigate the antimicrobial effect of mentha extracts against Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans ) and Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis ). Methods: This activity of mentha extracts were confirmed by the disk diffusion test and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and colony forming unit (CFU) assays. Results: S. mutans and P. gingivalis showed the highest antimicrobial activity within the inhibition zones. The antimicrobial activity was interrupted as the MIC and MBC of the herbal extracts against the two bacteria were 1 mg/ml and 10 mg/ml, respectively. The antimicrobial effect was determined by the CFU assay. Conclusions Mentha herb extract demonstrated potential antimicrobial activity against S. mutans and P. gingivalis that cause dental caries and periodontal disease.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Although a lot of effort has been put into increasing fruit and vegetable intakes in preschool children, vegetable intake in this group is still low. This study investigated whether nutrition education focusing on fruit and vegetable intakes can affect preschoolers' fruit and vegetable intakes as well as their behavioral outcomes. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Thirty-five preschoolers (54.3% boys, n = 19) aged 4–6 years residing in Seoul underwent weekly nutrition education intervention (8 sessions) between May and July 2016. Intakes of fruits and vegetables were measured during pre and post-intervention. At snack time, fresh fruit (150 g) and vegetable (120 g) snacks were distributed to each child by teachers. The remaining portions of the snacks were weighed and recorded for each child. Behavioral outcomes were measured by applying Child behavior checklist 1.5–5 and the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. RESULTS: During post intervention, vegetable intake increased from 36.15 ± 30.64 g to 48.01 ± 31.23 g (P = 0.010). Among the emotional and behavioral problems measured by parents, levels of total problems (P = 0.001), internalizing (P = 0.004), externalizing (P = 0.003), anxiety and depression (P = 0.001), and aggressive behavior (P = 0.005) decreased. Anxiety (P = 0.026) score, as measured by teachers, also decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Nutrition education of preschoolers regarding the intakes of fruits and vegetables had a positive effect on preschoolers' vegetable intake as well as on their emotional and behavioral outcomes. A long-term, large-scale study with a broader study design is warranted to further investigate the role of fruit and vegetable intake in cognitive development and behavior of preschoolers.
Anxiety ; Checklist ; Child ; Child Behavior ; Child, Preschool ; Depression ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Education* ; Fruit* ; Humans ; Parents ; Problem Behavior ; Seoul ; Snacks ; Vegetables*

This article provides an annual update of Korean breast cancer statistics, including the incidence, tumor stage, type of surgical treatment, and mortality. The data was collected from the Korean Breast Cancer Society registry system and Korean Central Cancer Registry.In 2019, 29,729 women were newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Breast cancer has continued to increase in incidence since 2002 and been the most common cancer in Korean women since 2019. Of the newly diagnosed cases in 2019, 24,820 (83.5%) were of invasive carcinomas, and 4,909 (16.5%) were of carcinoma in situ. The median age of women with breast cancer was 52.8 years, and breast cancer was most commonly diagnosed in the age group of 40–49 years. The number of patients who have undergone breast conserving surgery has continued to increase since 2016, with 68.6% of patients undergoing breast conserving surgery in 2019. The incidence of early-stage breast cancer continues to increase, with stage 0 or I breast cancer accounting for 61.6% of cases. The most common subtype of breast cancer is the hormone receptor-positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative subtype (63.1%). The 5-year relative survival rate of patients with breast cancer from 2015 to 2019 was 93.6%, with an increase of 14.3% compared to that from 1993 to 1995. This report improves our understanding of breast cancer characteristics in South Korea.

Impetigo herpetiformis is a rare, severe dermatologic disorder that is similar to a type of pustular psoriasis that predominantly occurs during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. This condition usually resolves after delivery and it rarely continues until the postpartum period. Systemic corticosteroids have proven to be the drug of choice for the management of impetigo herpetiformis. In the postpartum period, oral retinoids such as isotretinoin, etretinate and acitretin can be used to control impetigo herpetiformis, but their side effect such as teratogenicity is a big issue to women of child-bearing age. We report here on a case of impetigo herpetiformis in a 28-year-old woman who did not respond to oral corticosteroids, but she was treated successfully with cyclosporine. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case of impetigo herpetiformis treated with cyclosporine in the Korean medical literature.
Acitretin ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Adult ; Cyclosporine ; Etretinate ; Female ; Humans ; Impetigo ; Isotretinoin ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Psoriasis ; Retinoids

BACKGROUND: Distinction of dermatofibroma (DF) from dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is occasionally difficult. Histologically, DF shows fibrohistiocyte growth, and DFSP shows myofibroblast proliferation. This difference is usually targeted by several immunohistochemical staining to differentiate between these two entities. Ezrin, a member of ezrin-radixin-moesin family of protein, has a critical role in oncogenic transformation. And endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a family of endothelin-derived peptides that promotes myofibroblast contraction and migration. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of ezrin and endothelin-1 in differentiating between DF and DFSP. METHODS: Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues from 20 DFs and 10 DFSPs were immunohistochemically stained with ezrin and ET-1 monoclonal antibodies. RESULTS: No DF case showed ezrin expression, whereas 3 of 10 DFSP cases showed weak positive reaction for ezrin. This difference was not statistically significant. In DF, 5 cases showed strong positive, 3 showed moderate positive, 4 were weak positive and 8 cases showed negative by ET-1 staining. In DFSP, 6 cases were strong positive, 1 was moderate positive, 2 were weak positive and 1 showed negative by ET-1. CONCLUSION: Ezrin and endothelin-1 are not useful in distinguishing between DF and DFSP. Further studies are needed to determine the factors which differentiate DFSP from DF.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Contracts ; Cytoskeletal Proteins ; Dermatofibrosarcoma ; Endothelin-1 ; Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous ; Humans ; Myofibroblasts ; Peptides

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The profile of infective endocarditis (IE) has changed and is now showing an increasing prevalence of IE among congenital heart disease (CHD) patients. We studied the change of clinical profiles of IE over the past 25 years in patients with CHD at a single institution. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We reviewed medical records retrospectively for 325 patients diagnosed with IE between January 1, 1987, and March 31, 2012. We analyzed and compared the differences in patient characteristics and outcomes between 1987-2000 (group A) and 2001-2012 (group B). RESULTS: Over the 25-year period, 93 cases of IE in CHD patients were diagnosed (59 cases in group A and 34 cases in group B). Ventricular septal defect was the most common underlying cardiac disease observed during the entire period. The most common causative pathogen was Streptococcus in both groups. Group A contained 16 cases (27.1%) that had undergone cardiac surgery, whereas this number was 19 (55.8%) in group B. The number of patients who had undergone palliative care or surgery using prosthetic materials was higher among group B patients (p<0.001). Surgical procedures due to uncontrolled infection were performed in three cases in group A and 10 cases in group B. CONCLUSION: Infective endocarditis and CHD show a close correlation, and the profile of IE patients can change in line with an increase in the survival rate of patients with complex CHD and the improvement of surgical techniques. Ongoing reassessment and the systematic management of these patients is crucial in the prevention and treatment of IE.
Endocarditis* ; Heart Defects, Congenital* ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Palliative Care ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Streptococcus ; Survival Rate ; Thoracic Surgery

PURPOSE: We aimed to determine the prevalence of allergic rhinitis and nonallergic rhinitis, difference in symptoms between allergic rhinitis and nonallergic rhinitis, and the association between lung function and the degree of asthma control in children with asthma. METHODS: One hundred seventy patients who were followed-up for asthma treatment at the department of pediatrics of CHA Bundang Medical Center were enrolled in this study. We conducted the questionnaire regarding coexistence of rhinitis, childhood asthma control test (C-ACT), and the basic lung function test. The patients were classified as allergic rhinitis group and nonallergic rhinitis group according to the response to 11 common inhalation and food allergens, and assessed the degree of asthma control and the severity of rhinitis. RESULTS: One hundred thirty patients (73%) were found to have rhinitis. Of these, 79 patients (53%) had allergic rhinitis and 34 patients (20%) had nonallergic rhinitis. The allergic rhinitis group was older than the nonallergic rhinitis group or the nonrhinitis group (7.73+/-2.85 vs. 5.97+/-2.48 vs. 6.12+/-2.70, P<0.001). Nasal itching sense was more prevalent in the allergic-rhinitis group than in the nonallergic rhinitis group (3.23+/-1.90 vs. 2.44+/-1.56, P=0.036). There was an inverse correlation between the rhinitis and C-ACT (r= -0.329, P<0.05). Of note, nasal obstruction symptom was highly correlated with C-ACT (r=-0.334, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Allergic rhinitis and nonallergic rhinitis were highly prevalent in the pediatric patients with asthma and both of them had a significantly adverse impact on asthma control by rhinitis-itself. Therefore, regardless of atopic status, clinicians should focus on relieving rhinitis symptoms.
Allergens ; Asthma ; Child ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Lung ; Nasal Obstruction ; Pediatrics ; Prevalence ; Pruritus ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Rhinitis ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: This study aims to evaluate the importance of snacks to a balanced diet by assessing snack consumption patterns and factors associated with eating snacks of Korean elders of 60 years or more. METHODS: This analysis is based on participants from the 2013-2014 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Meal or snack consumption was based on a 24 hours recall data, and the adequacy of each nutrient intake was based on the Dietary Reference Intakes by the Korea Nutrition Society. The cutoff for snack consumption valued as meaningful was more than 200 kcal/day of snack energy intake. RESULTS: Korean male elders of age 60 years or more are consuming 333.6±11.1 kcal of snack and 271.7±7.4 kcal for females. When consumed together with meals, snack consumption increased the adequacy of all nutrients intake, except sodium. Based on energy contribution, male Korean elders are consuming snack food group in order of beverage and alcohols, grains, and fruits, while for females the order was grains, fruits, and dairy. Older age (men and women), joblessness (men), and chronic disease (women) were positively associated with having snack of 200 kcal or more per day, whereas ‘living with a partner (men)’, alcohol intake frequency of more than twice per week (men), and ‘doing regular aerobic physical activity (women)’ showed negative association. CONCLUSIONS: Snack consumption of Korean elders contributed to more adequate nutritional status, but improvement of food groups is needed because they were mainly concentrated on grains.
Aged* ; Alcohols ; Beverages ; Chronic Disease ; Diet ; Eating ; Energy Intake ; Female ; Fruit ; Humans ; Korea* ; Male ; Meals ; Motor Activity ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Nutritional Status ; Recommended Dietary Allowances ; Snacks* ; Sodium

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) replicates in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), leading to the production of type I interferons (IFNs). It is well known that the gene expression profile of PBMC is similar to that of the liver. The present study explored the dynamic gene expression profile of PBMCs collected from HCV-infected patients undergoing direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy. METHODS: A prospective cohort comprising 27 patients under DAA therapy was formed. Expression level of IFN-β and its downstream interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) was measured in PBMCs before and after DAA treatment. Furthermore, immunoblotting was performed to identify the signaling molecules involved in the expression of ISGs. RESULTS: The pretreatment expression level of interferon-induced protein 44 (IFI44) and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10) correlated with the pretreatment expression level of IFN-β. After DAA treatment, a significant decrease in the expression levels of IFN-β, IFI44, and CXCL10 was observed in the PBMCs. Furthermore, the pretreatment expression level of IFN-β and ISGs correlated with the level of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) phosphorylation, and DAA treatment abrogated STAT1 phosphorylation. CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment activation of IFN-β response is rapidly normalized after DAA treatment. The present study suggests that the decreased type I IFN response by the clearance of HCV might contribute to DAA-induced alleviation of extrahepatic manifestation of chronic HCV infection.
Antiviral Agents ; Cohort Studies ; Hepacivirus* ; Hepatitis C* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Immunoblotting ; Interferon Type I* ; Interferons ; Liver ; Phosphorylation ; Prospective Studies ; STAT1 Transcription Factor ; Transcriptome

PURPOSE: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is a standard axillary surgery in early breast cancer. If the SLNB result is positive, subsequent axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) is a routine procedure. In 2011, the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Z0011 trial revealed that ALND may not be necessary in early breast cancer with one or two positive sentinel lymph nodes. The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes among Korean patients with one or two positive axillary lymph nodes in the final pathology who did and did not undergo ALND. METHODS: A total of 131,717 patients from the Korea Breast Cancer Society registry database received breast cancer surgery from January 1995 to December 2014. Inclusion criteria were T stage 1 or 2, one or two positive lymph nodes, and having received breast-conserving surgery (BCS), whole breast radiation therapy, and no neoadjuvant therapy. We analyzed the differences in disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS) between patients who received SLNB only and those who underwent SLNB+ALND. RESULTS: A total 4,442 patients met the inclusion criteria, with 1,268 (28.6%) in the SLNB group and 3,174 (71.4%) in the SLNB+ALND group. There were no differences in DSS and OS between the two groups (p=0.378 and p=0.925, respectively). The number of patients who underwent SLNB alone for one or two positive lymph nodes increased continuously from 2004 to 2014. CONCLUSION: Korean patients with early breast cancer and 1 or 2 positive axillary lymph nodes who received BCS plus SLNB showed no significant difference in DSS and OS regardless of whether they received ALND. The findings of this retrospective study demonstrate that omitting ALND can be considered when treating selected patients with early breast cancer who have one or two positive lymph nodes.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Humans ; Korea ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes* ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy* ; Surgeons