OBJECTIVE: Adult onset Still s disease is an acute systemic inflammatory disorder. There are no pathognomonic symptoms or specific laboratory abnormalities. In recent reports, serum ferritin concentration is increased in active disease phase and decreased after defervescence. Our purpose was to determine the clinical significance of serum ferritin as an indicator for disease activity. METHODS: Seven patients who were diagnosed as adult onset Still s disease at Samsung Medical Center between October 1994 and March 1997, were reviewed. In these patients we checked leukocyte count, ESR, CRP and serum ferritin concentrations at the time of diagnosis and during follow-up periods and recorded febrile events during follow-up periods. RESULTS: At the time of diagnosis and during febrile periods, the concentrations of ferritin were extremely high(927ng/ml to 96,650ng/ml normal 10-290.8 ng/ml). The values were unrelated to other manifestations of the disease or laboratory findings. The ferritin concentrations decreased rapidly after adequate treatment. Eleven febrile reattacks happened in 7 patients. Serum ferritin concentrations were increased in 8 febrile attacks, while leukocyte count, ESR, and CRP were increased in 5, 5, 6 febrile attacks respectively, There were 10 events of increased serum ferritin concentrations in 7 patients during follow-up periods and 8 events were related with fever. The increases of other laboratory tests were similar. CONCLUSIONS: In all patients, serum ferritin concentrations were increased at the time of diagnosis and closely related to fever. During follow-up periods, serum ferritin concentrations are helpful in monitoring disease activity and guiding decisions about treatment.
Adult* ; Diagnosis ; Ferritins* ; Fever ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Still's Disease, Adult-Onset*

The purpose of this study was to find out the correlations between mother-adolescent communication and quality of life in the adolescents. The study subjects consisted of 171 adolescents who were going to middle school and high school. The data included general characteristics, health related characteristics, stress, mother-adolescent communication and quality of life. The data were analyzed by frequency, mean, percentage, t-test, ANOVA and Pearson's correlation using the SPSS statistical program. The result were as follows: 1. The mean score for the stress of adolescent was 2.48(maximum score: 5) and there were significant difference according to demographic variables that is sex, grade, father's being and health related variables that is health status, frequently ill, illness severity and illness of family. 2. The mean score for the mother-adolescent communication was 3.27(maximum score : 5) and there were significant difference according to demographic variables that is father's and mother's being. There were no significant difference according to any health related variables. 3. The mean score for the quality of life of adolescent was 3.97(maximum score : 7) and there were no significant difference according to demographic and health related variables. 4. There was a negative correlation between the stress and the quality of life. There was a positive correlation between the quality of life and the mother-adolescent communication. There was a no correlation between the mother-adolescent communication and the quality of life. Consequently, the implication for nursing of this study is that there is a need to develop relief strategy of stress for the female adolescents. And there is a need to develop a promoting program of quality of life for the adolescents considering the stress and the mother-adolescent communication.
Adolescent* ; Humans ; Nursing ; Quality of Life* ; Child Health

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument to measure nursing professional values. METHOD: Forty preliminary items were selected by classifying 223 basic items extracted via a literature study and in-depth interviews of subjects and testing the relevance of their contents. In order to verify the reliability and relevance of the preliminary instrument, data was collected from 504 nurses in 3 general hospitals. RESULT: As a result of the item analysis, 29 items were selected from a total of 40 items. Five factors were extracted by factor analysis, and the total variance was 51.5%. For the explanation of variances by factors, the 1st factor, 'self-concept of the profession' accounted for 14.8%, the 2nd factor, 'social awareness' 12.1%, the 3rd factor, 'professionalism of nursing' 9.8%, the 4th factor, 'the roles of nursing service' 9.1%, and the 5th factor, 'originality of nursing', 5.6%. Cronbach's Alpha of those 29 items was .9168, which was high. CONCLUSION: This paper is meaningful in a way that it developed a tool capable of measuring nursing professional values, which reflects the characteristics of our country. In order to re-verify the relevance and stability of this tool, it is necessary that comparative studies should be conducted.
*Social Values ; Psychometrics ; Nursing ; *Nurse's Role ; Humans ; Female ; *Attitude of Health Personnel ; Adult

Uterine arteriovenous malformation is a rare gynecologic condition, which is sometimes accompanied torrential vaginal bleeding and it can be aggravated with diagnostic dilatation and curettage. For proper management of vaginal bleeding, accurate diagnosis should be achieved before the intervention. In the past, the diagnosis was made retrospectively after hysterectomy, however recently it may be made by noninvasive method such as Doppler ultrasonogram before management. We have experienced 3 cases of uterine arteriovenous malformation, of which 2 cases were diagnosed with Doppler ultrasonogram.
Arteriovenous Malformations* ; Diagnosis ; Dilatation and Curettage ; Female ; Hysterectomy ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography ; Uterine Hemorrhage

Various cancer types have been associated with cancer-related cerebral infarction. In this study, we describe the first case of cancer-related cerebral infarction in which the underlying disease was primary bone marrow lymphoma (PBML). A 79-year-old man presented with abruptly developed bilateral lower extremity weakness and confusion. Diffusion-weighted imaging on admission showed multiple cortical and subcortical embolic infarction lesions in multiple vascular territories. Diagnostic evaluations to determine the embolic source revealed no abnormalities. Laboratory testing demonstrated elevated D-dimer (2.59 μg/mL) but no other prothrombotic abnormalities. In suspicion of cancer-related stroke, we performed chest CT, abdomen CT, and FDG-PET to detect the hidden malignancy. Findings revealed no evidence of cancer; however, they did reveal signs of anemia (hemoglobin 9.0 g/dL). Bone marrow aspiration biopsy showed large atypical B cell involvement suggestive of high-grade B cell lymphoma. The patient was diagnosed with primary bone marrow diffuse large B-cell lymphoma initially presenting with ischemic stroke. Our case suggests that primary bone marrow cancer may be a candidate for the differential diagnosis of hidden malignancy in patients with suspected cancer-related stroke. Bone marrow biopsy may be essential for establishing an appropriate differential diagnosis in patients with abnormal hematologic findings.

No abstract available.
Humans ; Biomarkers, Tumor*

An early feature of diabetic nephropathy is the alteration of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM), which may result in microalbuminuria, subsequent macroproteinuria, and eventual chronic renal failure. Although type IV collagen is the main component of thickened GBM in diabetic nephropathy, cellular metabolism of each alpha chains of type IV collagen has not been well studied. To investigate the regulation of alpha(IV) chains in diabetic conditions, we examined whether glucose and advanced glycosylation endproduct (AGE) regulate the metabolism of each alpha(IV) chains in the diabetic tissue and glomerular epithelial cells (GEpC). Glomerular collagen alpha3(IV) and alpha5(IV) chains protein were higher and more intense in immunofluorescence staining according to diabetic durations compared to controls. In vitro, mainly high glucose and partly AGE usually increased total collagen protein of GEpC by [3H]-proline incorporation assay and each alpha(IV) chain proteins including alpha1(IV), alpha3(IV), and alpha5(IV) in time-dependent and subchain-specific manners. However, the changes of each alpha(IV) chains mRNA expression was not well correlated to the those of each chain proteins. The present findings suggest that the metabolism of individual alpha(IV) chains of GBM is differentially regulated in diabetic conditions and those changes might be induced not only by transcriptional level but also by post-translational modifications.
Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Collagen Type IV/genetics/*metabolism/physiology ; Diabetic Nephropathies/*metabolism ; Epithelial Cells/*metabolism ; Glomerular Basement Membrane/metabolism ; Glucose/metabolism ; Glycosylation End Products, Advanced/metabolism ; Male ; Podocytes/*metabolism ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical usefulness of ICF (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health) through correlation among existing functional evaluation tools and examined environmental factors affecting its function. METHOD: One hundred eight persons with disabilities living in Seoul were randomly selected according to disability severity categories. Functional Independence Measure (FIM), modified Barthel index (MBI) and ICF were examined and subjects were interviewed by trained rehabilitation doctors and occupational therapists. We compared correlation between these three functional measurements. We coded environmental factors affecting function. That was used in second level of 74 ICF items. RESULTS: The average of FIM, modified Barthel index, capacity and performance scores of ICF was 112.76, 92.97, 5.74 and 3.19. There was a statistical correlation among FIM, Barthel index, and ICF. The facilitator chapters among ICF's environmental factors were support and relationships (51.9%), attitudes (45.8%) in order. Most facilitated second level domains among the 68 items were immediate family (66.77%) and health professionals (52.8%). The most barrier chapters in ICF were product and a technology (19.5%), environment changes (15.5%) in order. Most barrier second level domains were design, construction and technology of buildings for public use (37%) and assets (37.0%). CONCLUSION: ICF correlates with the existing functional evaluation tool and can facilitate management of activity and participation by linking the result with the environmental factors, which may exacerbate or minimize them
Disabled Persons ; Health Occupations ; Humans

PURPOSE: This study was done to evaluate quality of reports of non-randomized controlled quasi-experimental study articles published in the Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing (KJWHN). METHODS: A search was done for experimental studies assessing intervention effects among all articles published in the KJWHNfrom 2008 to 2013. Original articles were reviewed and analyzed according to the 22 checklist items of the guidelines for Transparent Reporting for Evaluations with Non-randomized Designs (TREND). RESULTS: Thirty-five articles on experimental studies were identified. The evaluation of the quality of reporting in these experimental studies found that there was a wide variety in the level of satisfying the TREND checklist. In particular, according to TREND topics, low levels of reporting quality were found for "title & abstract (only for information on how units were allocated to the intervention)", "outcomes in methods", "assignment in methods", "blinding in methods", "recruitment in results", "baseline data in results", "interpretation in discussion (especially intervention mechanism and success or barriers), "generalizability in discussion". CONCLUSION: Results indicate that adherence to TREND guidelines varied in experimental studies published in the KJWHN suggesting the recommendation that for higher levels of complete reporting, TREND guidelines be used in reports on experimental studies.
Checklist ; Female ; Humans ; Clinical Trial* ; Methods ; Nursing Research ; Nursing* ; Research Design ; Women's Health*

PURPOSE: This research was aimed to analyze the reports of qualitative researches published in Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing (KJWHN). METHODS: Twenty qualitative researches using in-depth interviews or focus groups published in KJWHN during from 2002 to 2011 were selected for analysis. Selected reports were analyzed by consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ), which were a reporting guideline for qualitative researches, and consisted of thirty two items and three domains, i.e., (1) research team and reflexivity, (2) study design, and (3) data analysis and reporting. RESULTS: Personal characteristics related to credentials, gender and interviewer's bias or assumption were less reported than other items in the 1st domain. In the 2nd domain, descriptions such as a presence of non-participants, pilot test for interview guide development, and transcript return to participants were less reported than other items. In the 3rd domain, items related to number of data coder, participants checking of the finding, and clarity of minor themes were less reported than other items. CONCLUSION: It could be concluded that COREQ is a useful guideline for reporting of qualitative studies. From these results, we suggest that full items of COREQ should be considered and described when researchers report qualitative research.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Female ; Focus Groups ; Humans ; Qualitative Research ; Reflex ; Statistics as Topic ; Women's Health