BACKGROUND: Both atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia may progress to gastric dysplasia. This study aimed to analyze the factors influencing progression of atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia to dysplasia. METHODS: People diagnosed with atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia for the first time received a follow-up endoscopy and were investigated for the cumulative incidence rate of gastric dysplasia by age, gender, smoking habit, alcohol intake, rice consumption and family history of stomach cancer. RESULTS: The cumulative incidence rate increased with age, consuming > or =3 bowls of rice per day and family history of stomach cancer. Multivariate analysis showed that the cumulative incidence rate of gastric dysplasia increased in subjects >61 years (RR=2.54, P=0.014), in those consuming > or =3 bowls of rice per day (RR=1.46, P=0.021) and in those with a family history of stomach cancer (RR=1.31, P=0.037). CONCLUSIONS: More active management, such as intensive endoscopic follow-up examinations, lifestyle change and education regarding gastric dysplasia, are required in those older than 61 years, having a higher intake of grain or with a family history of stomach cancer.
Edible Grain ; Endoscopy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastritis, Atrophic ; Humans ; Incidence ; Life Style ; Metaplasia ; Multivariate Analysis ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was whether quercetin induces cell death by caspase and MAPK signaling pathway in EGFR mutant lung cancer cells. METHODS: PC-9 cells, EGFR mutant lung cancer cells, were treated various times and concentrations of quercetin and harvested and measured using MTT assay, DNA fragmentation, Western blotting, and FACS analysis. RESULTS: Treatment with quercetin in PC-9 cells resulted in inhibition of cell growth through apoptosis. Quercetin-induced apoptosis was associated with caspase-dependent manner. Quercetin also significantly increased levels of phosphor-p38 and decreased levels of phosphor-ERK, indicating that quercetin induces p38 MAPK signaling pathway in PC-9 cells. Quecetin treatment also generated the release of cytochrome c in PC-9 cells; however, pretreatment with rotenone or z-LEHD-fmk, significantly attenuated quercetin-induced apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that quercetin exhibits EGFR mutant lung cancer effects through apoptosis by caspase dependent and mitochondrial pathway.
Apoptosis ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Death* ; Cytochromes c ; DNA Fragmentation ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Mitochondria ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases* ; Quercetin* ; Rotenone

Good snack consumption behaviors are important among elementary students because snack provides additional energy and nutrients and because good dietary behaviors should be formed during early stages of life. This study investigated, among elementary school students, 1) snack consumption behaviors, 2) snack-related nutrition knowledge level, and 3) relationships between snack behaviors and snack-related nutrition knowledge. A convenience sample (N = 372), drawn from 5th and 6th graders of an elementary schools in Siheung-si, Gyeonggi-do, completed a pre-tested questionnaire. More than 85% of the participants snacked more than once per week. Most (77%) had their snacks at home. Fruit and fruit juice were the most frequently consumed and the most liked snack items. Taste was the most important in choosing a snack item closely followed by health/nutrition. Snack-related knowledge level was relatively high and the participants obtained their nutrition knowledge through mass media (30.4%) and family/friends (29.0%). Snack-related nutrition knowledge level and snack consumption behaviors showed positive relationships in various areas such as choosing more nutritious snack items and checking nutrition labels. Although this study was limited by its cross-sectional study design, these positive relationships suggest that better nutrition knowledge could result in better behaviors. Results of this study indicated that factual nutritional knowledge has been well transmitted to students. Therefore, future nutrition education on snacking could focus more on providing problem-solving and operational knowledge.
Cross-Sectional Studies ; Fruit ; Humans ; Mass Media ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Snacks

Lynch syndrome is a genetic malignancy syndrome affecting the colon, endometrium, and other organs. It is difficult to find a Lynch syndrome patient without any family history of cancer. We have recently examined an endometrial cancer patient with a MSH2 gene mutation without a family history of cancer. A 55-year old Korean woman was admitted to a local clinic for vaginal bleeding. An endometrial biopsy revealed the presence of adenocarcinoma (endometrioid type, grade 1). After surgical staging, no further adjuvant therapy was required. Analysis of the tissue using immunohistochemistry (IHC) showed the endometrium stained negatively for MSH2. Microsatellite instability (MSI) was analyzed for five markers. The patient was scored as unstable. Further, additional gene sequencing revealed one missense mutation in c.23C > T (p.Thr8Met). This is the first case of Lynch syndrome endometrial cancer in Korea in which the patient does not have any family history of cancer.
Adenocarcinoma ; Biopsy ; Colon ; Colorectal Neoplasms, Hereditary Nonpolyposis ; Endometrial Neoplasms* ; Endometrium ; Female ; Germ-Line Mutation* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Korea ; Microsatellite Instability ; Middle Aged ; Mutation, Missense ; Uterine Hemorrhage

We evaluated the efficacy of polymerase chain reaction(PCR)in early diagnosis of herpes simplex keratitis(HSK)in rabbit model and compared the sensitivity and specificity of PCR in two kinds of primers. Only one eye of 8 rabbits was inoculated with HSV Type 1(F strain, ATCC VR-73)to induce HSK, and the other eye was used as control. Rabbit cornea was examined under slit lamp examination and PCR test of tear and corneal scraping specimens were performed at 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10th post-inoculation day. The sensitivity of PCR with POL primer was 100%in tear and corneal scraping specimens. The sensitivity of PCR with POL primer and LAT primer were 80%and 100%respectively. PCR test is very useful diagnotic tool for the early diagnosis of HSK in rabbit model. In addition, PCR test with corneal scraping specimens provided better yield compared with tears.
Cornea ; Early Diagnosis* ; Herpes Simplex* ; Keratitis, Herpetic* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Rabbits ; Sensitivity and Specificity

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify risk factors for brain damage in infants with late-onset circulatory collapse (LCC), a circulatory failure that responds to glucocorticoid therapy. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 167 infants (gestational age < 35 weeks) who had hypotension between April 2009 and March 2017 at Boramae Medical Center. Forty infants were diagnosed with LCC and divided into two groups based on ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging findings: infants with periventricular leukomalacia (n=9) and those with normal images (n=31) after LCC. The clinical factors of these two groups, including perinatal characteristics, clinical features during the LCC period, and neonatal morbidities, were compared. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in perinatal characteristics and postnatal morbidities between the two groups. Postnatal age was greater in the group with brain damage (16 days vs. 24 days, P=0.047). The lowest mean blood pressure (MBP) and lowest serum sodium concentration were significantly lower in the brain damage group (19 mm Hg vs. 22 mm Hg, P=0.034; 125 mmol/L vs. 129 mmol/L, P=0.043). There were no significant differences in other clinical factors, including cortisol levels, and inotrope and hydrocortisone use. In multivariate logistic regression, older postnatal age (odds ratio [OR], 1.147; P=0.049), lower MBP (OR, 0.616; P=0.031), and lower sodium concentration (OR, 0.728; P=0.037) during the LCC period highly predicted brain damage in infants with LCC (area under the curve 0.882, P=0.001). CONCLUSION: Close monitoring of LCC signs even in long-term stable preterm infants and management for preventing severe hyponatremia and hypotension are important to minimize the occurrence of brain damage in infants with LCC.
Adrenal Insufficiency ; Blood Pressure ; Brain ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Hyponatremia ; Hypotension ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Leukomalacia, Periventricular ; Logistic Models ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Shock ; Sodium ; Ultrasonography

This study investigates the relationship between smoking and periodontal disease through quantitative analysis of intra-buccal oral pathogenic bacteria detected in smokers and aims to yield objective baseline data for applications in anti-smoking and dental health education programs. From April to May 2016, participants in an oral health management program within an intensive dental hygiene training course at Choonhae College of Health Sciences received an explanation of the study purposes and methods, after which male smokers aged 18~30 years agreed to participate voluntarily. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of oral pathogenic bacteria was performed after collecting gingival sulcus fluid samples from 67 smokers. The intra-buccal oral pathogenic bacteria distributions were analyzed based on the subjects' general characteristics, smoking behaviors, and oral care behaviors. The distribution results show that pathogens in the anterior teeth are affected (in this order) by age, toothbrush size, and smoking status; older people had fewer pathogens, those who used larger toothbrushes had more pathogens, and smokers had more pathogens, compared to non-smokers ((adj)R²=19.1). In the posterior teeth, pathogens were influenced (in this order) by smoking status, smoking duration, and the number of tooth brushings per day; smokers had more pathogens than non-smokers, and those who brushed their teeth more often had fewer pathogens ((adj)R²=25.1). The overall pathogen distribution was affected only by smoking status: smokers generally had more pathogens, compared to non-smokers. Therefore, it is necessary to provide information about the risk of periodontal disease due to smoking during anti-smoking or dental health education sessions; particularly, the use of smaller toothbrushes for anterior teeth and the need for smokers in their early twenties to quit smoking for dental health should be highly emphasized.
Bacteria ; Health Education, Dental ; Humans ; Male ; Oral Health ; Oral Hygiene ; Periodontal Diseases ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tooth

In immunocompromised renal transplant patients, aspergillosis can be a life-threatening opportunistic infection. Aspergillus is a ubiquitous organism in our environment, so pulmonary aspergillosis usually results from the ingrowths of the colonized Aspergillus in bronchial trees, pulmonary cysts or cavities. We have experienced a case of endobronchial aspergillosis developed in a renal transplant patient with neutropenia. Bronchoscopic biopsy revealed a necrotizing Aspergillus bronchitis in the orifice of the lateral segmental bronchus of left upper lobe. The patient received total 2,760 mg intravenous liposomal amphotericin B. There was no endobronchial lesion on follow up bronchoscopy and biopsy was also negative. This case serves as a reminder to clinicians that Aspergillus should be kept in mind as a possible infectious organism in renal transplant patients.
Amphotericin B ; Aspergillosis* ; Aspergillus ; Biopsy ; Bronchi ; Bronchitis ; Bronchoscopy ; Colon ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation ; Neutropenia ; Opportunistic Infections ; Pulmonary Aspergillosis

PURPOSE: Virtual colonoscopy is the most recently developed tool for detecting colorectal cancers and polyps, but its effectiveness is limited. In our study, we compared the result of preoperative virtual colonoscopy to result of preoperative and postoperative colonoscopy. We evaluated also the accuracy of preoperative virtual colonoscopy in patients who had obstructive colorectal cancer that did not allow passage of a colonoscope. METHODS: A total of 164 patients who had undergone preoperative virtual colonoscopy and curative surgery after the diagnosis of a colorectal adenocarcinoma between November 2008 and August 2013 were pooled. We compared the result of conventional colonoscopy with that of virtual colonoscopy in the nonobstructive group and the results of preoperative virtual colonoscopy with that of postoperative colonoscopy performed at 6 months after surgery in the obstructive group. RESULTS: Of the 164 patients, 108 were male and 56 were female patients. The mean age was 62.7 years. The average sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of virtual colonoscopy for all patients were 31.0%, 67.2%, and 43.8%, respectively. In the nonobstructive group, the average sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 36.6%, 66.2%, and 48.0%, respectively, whereas in the obstructive group, they were 2%, 72.4%, and 25.4%. Synchronous cancer was detected via virtual colonoscopy in 4 of the 164 patients. CONCLUSION: Virtual colonoscopy may not be an effective method for the detection of proximal colon polyps, but it can be helpful in determining the therapeutic plan when its results are correlated with the results of other studies.
Adenocarcinoma ; Colon* ; Colonic Polyps ; Colonography, Computed Tomographic* ; Colonoscopes ; Colonoscopy ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Methods ; Polyps ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Klinefelter' syndrome is a disorder of sexual differentiation in males, characterized by the presence of two or more X-chromosomes, hypogonadism, and lack of secondary sexual characteristics. The association between Klinefelter' syndrome and glomerulonephritis has been reported, while cases of glomerulonephritis associated with Klinefelter' syndrome are rare. We report the Korean case: a 31-year-old man with Klinefelter' syndrome who developed glomerulonephritis. The patient's urine analysis shows microscopic hematuria and the result of kidney biopsy was minimal change disease. The onset and course of his disease might have been influenced by the sex hormone imbalance.
Biopsy ; Glomerulonephritis ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Kidney ; Male ; Nephrosis, Lipoid ; Sex Differentiation