No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic*

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy(CIDP) is a rare acquired demyelinating disease of peripheral nervous system(PNS), characterized by relapsing or progressive proximal and distal muscle weakness with possible sensory loss. It is one of several chronic neuropathic syndromes that are believed to have an autoimmune etiology. We experienced a case of CIDP in a 3-month-old boy associated with perianal abscess by Klebsiella pneumoniae who had a precipitous onset of symptoms after anesthesia. He was treated with intravenous immunoglobuline with little improvement but showed a remarkable clinical and electrophysiologic improvement after methylprednisolone pulse therapy. We report this case with a brief review of related literature.
Abscess* ; Anesthesia ; Demyelinating Diseases ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Infant ; Klebsiella pneumoniae* ; Klebsiella* ; Male ; Methylprednisolone ; Muscle Weakness ; Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating*

Macrophage-associated inflammation is crucial for the pathogenesis of diverse diseases including metabolic disorders. Rhodanthpyrone (Rho) is an active component of Gentiana rhodantha, which has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat inflammation. Although synthesis procedures of RhoA and RhoB were reported, the biological effects of the specific compounds have never been explored. In this study, the anti-inflammatory activity and mechanisms of action of RhoA and RhoB were studied in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages. Pretreatment with RhoA and RhoB decreased inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expressions in RAW 264.7 cells and in thioglycollate-elicited mouse peritoneal macrophages. In addition, it downregulated transcript levels of several inflammatory genes in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, including inflammatory cytokines/chemokines (Tnfa, Il6, and Ccl2) and inflammatory mediators (Nos2 and Ptgs2). Macrophage chemotaxis was also inhibited by treatment with the compounds. Mechanistic studies revealed that RhoA and RhoB suppressed the nuclear factor (NF)-κB pathway, but not the canonical mitogen activated protein kinase pathway, in LPS-stimulated condition. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of RhoA and RhoB on inflammatory gene expressions was attenuated by treatment with an NF-κB inhibitor. Our findings suggest that RhoA and RhoB play an anti-inflammatory role at least in part by suppressing the NF-κB pathway during macrophage-mediated inflammation.
Animals ; Chemotaxis ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Gene Expression ; Gentiana ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-6 ; Macrophages ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Mice ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; Protein Kinases ; RAW 264.7 Cells

Tobacco control efforts in Korea began nearly three decades ago with the enactment of the National Health Promotion Act in 1995. Monitoring smoking prevalence is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of tobacco control measures, as reductions in smoking rates reflect the impact of anti-smoking policies. This review aims to provide an updated overview of the epidemiology of tobacco use in Korea, outline the nation’s advancements in tobacco control, and emphasize emerging challenges in tobacco use. The data sources included statistics and reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, as well as various national statistics and reports on tobacco use and control in Korea.Over the past quarter-century, there was a notable 49.6% reduction in the prevalence of cigarette smoking among Korean adults, with a particularly pronounced decline among men (1998: 66.3% vs. 2022: 30.0%; a 54.8% decrease). However, the reduction among women was more modest, with only a 1.5 percentage point decrease (1998: 6.5% vs. 2022: 5.0%; a 23.1% decrease), and an increase in smoking prevalence was observed among women in their 20s and 30s. Overall use of any tobacco product, including cigarettes, heated tobacco products, electronic nicotine delivery systems, and others, was 6.6 percentage points higher among males and 2.2 percentage points higher among females compared to cigarette smoking alone.In 2019, there were 58,036 deaths attributed to direct smoking in Korea, with an estimated socioeconomic cost of smoking amounting to 12,191.3 billion Korean won. Furthermore, critical issues in tobacco use persist in Korea, including significant disparities in tobacco use related to age, gender, and disability, the growing use of novel tobacco and nicotine products among adolescents and younger adults, and regulatory blind spots. The reduction in smoking rates in Korea reflects the impact of expanded tobacco control policies and public health initiatives. However, for Korea to advance to the next level in tobacco control policies, it is essential to implement the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’s MPOWER measures more thoroughly.

Tobacco control efforts in Korea began nearly three decades ago with the enactment of the National Health Promotion Act in 1995. Monitoring smoking prevalence is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of tobacco control measures, as reductions in smoking rates reflect the impact of anti-smoking policies. This review aims to provide an updated overview of the epidemiology of tobacco use in Korea, outline the nation’s advancements in tobacco control, and emphasize emerging challenges in tobacco use. The data sources included statistics and reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, as well as various national statistics and reports on tobacco use and control in Korea.Over the past quarter-century, there was a notable 49.6% reduction in the prevalence of cigarette smoking among Korean adults, with a particularly pronounced decline among men (1998: 66.3% vs. 2022: 30.0%; a 54.8% decrease). However, the reduction among women was more modest, with only a 1.5 percentage point decrease (1998: 6.5% vs. 2022: 5.0%; a 23.1% decrease), and an increase in smoking prevalence was observed among women in their 20s and 30s. Overall use of any tobacco product, including cigarettes, heated tobacco products, electronic nicotine delivery systems, and others, was 6.6 percentage points higher among males and 2.2 percentage points higher among females compared to cigarette smoking alone.In 2019, there were 58,036 deaths attributed to direct smoking in Korea, with an estimated socioeconomic cost of smoking amounting to 12,191.3 billion Korean won. Furthermore, critical issues in tobacco use persist in Korea, including significant disparities in tobacco use related to age, gender, and disability, the growing use of novel tobacco and nicotine products among adolescents and younger adults, and regulatory blind spots. The reduction in smoking rates in Korea reflects the impact of expanded tobacco control policies and public health initiatives. However, for Korea to advance to the next level in tobacco control policies, it is essential to implement the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’s MPOWER measures more thoroughly.

Tobacco control efforts in Korea began nearly three decades ago with the enactment of the National Health Promotion Act in 1995. Monitoring smoking prevalence is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of tobacco control measures, as reductions in smoking rates reflect the impact of anti-smoking policies. This review aims to provide an updated overview of the epidemiology of tobacco use in Korea, outline the nation’s advancements in tobacco control, and emphasize emerging challenges in tobacco use. The data sources included statistics and reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, as well as various national statistics and reports on tobacco use and control in Korea.Over the past quarter-century, there was a notable 49.6% reduction in the prevalence of cigarette smoking among Korean adults, with a particularly pronounced decline among men (1998: 66.3% vs. 2022: 30.0%; a 54.8% decrease). However, the reduction among women was more modest, with only a 1.5 percentage point decrease (1998: 6.5% vs. 2022: 5.0%; a 23.1% decrease), and an increase in smoking prevalence was observed among women in their 20s and 30s. Overall use of any tobacco product, including cigarettes, heated tobacco products, electronic nicotine delivery systems, and others, was 6.6 percentage points higher among males and 2.2 percentage points higher among females compared to cigarette smoking alone.In 2019, there were 58,036 deaths attributed to direct smoking in Korea, with an estimated socioeconomic cost of smoking amounting to 12,191.3 billion Korean won. Furthermore, critical issues in tobacco use persist in Korea, including significant disparities in tobacco use related to age, gender, and disability, the growing use of novel tobacco and nicotine products among adolescents and younger adults, and regulatory blind spots. The reduction in smoking rates in Korea reflects the impact of expanded tobacco control policies and public health initiatives. However, for Korea to advance to the next level in tobacco control policies, it is essential to implement the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’s MPOWER measures more thoroughly.

Tobacco control efforts in Korea began nearly three decades ago with the enactment of the National Health Promotion Act in 1995. Monitoring smoking prevalence is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of tobacco control measures, as reductions in smoking rates reflect the impact of anti-smoking policies. This review aims to provide an updated overview of the epidemiology of tobacco use in Korea, outline the nation’s advancements in tobacco control, and emphasize emerging challenges in tobacco use. The data sources included statistics and reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, as well as various national statistics and reports on tobacco use and control in Korea.Over the past quarter-century, there was a notable 49.6% reduction in the prevalence of cigarette smoking among Korean adults, with a particularly pronounced decline among men (1998: 66.3% vs. 2022: 30.0%; a 54.8% decrease). However, the reduction among women was more modest, with only a 1.5 percentage point decrease (1998: 6.5% vs. 2022: 5.0%; a 23.1% decrease), and an increase in smoking prevalence was observed among women in their 20s and 30s. Overall use of any tobacco product, including cigarettes, heated tobacco products, electronic nicotine delivery systems, and others, was 6.6 percentage points higher among males and 2.2 percentage points higher among females compared to cigarette smoking alone.In 2019, there were 58,036 deaths attributed to direct smoking in Korea, with an estimated socioeconomic cost of smoking amounting to 12,191.3 billion Korean won. Furthermore, critical issues in tobacco use persist in Korea, including significant disparities in tobacco use related to age, gender, and disability, the growing use of novel tobacco and nicotine products among adolescents and younger adults, and regulatory blind spots. The reduction in smoking rates in Korea reflects the impact of expanded tobacco control policies and public health initiatives. However, for Korea to advance to the next level in tobacco control policies, it is essential to implement the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’s MPOWER measures more thoroughly.

No abstract available.
Cervix Uteri* ; Embryo Transfer* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro* ; Follicular Fluid* ; Humans* ; Spermatozoa* ; Spouses*

PURPOSE: The association between autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITDs) and vitamin D deficiency is controversial. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 [25(OH)D3] and anti-thyroid antibody levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 25(OH)D3, anti-thyroid antibodies, and thyroid function measured in 304 patients who visited the endocrinology clinic were analyzed. The patients were subgrouped into the AITDs or non-AITDs category according to the presence or absence of anti-thyroid antibodies. The relationship between anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) and 25(OH)D3 was evaluated. RESULTS: The patients with elevated anti-thyroid antibodies had lower levels of serum 25(OH)D3 than those who did not (12.6+/-5.5 ng/mL vs. 14.5+/-7.3 ng/mL, respectively, p<0.001). Importantly, after adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index, a negative correlation (r=-0.252, p<0.001) was recognized between 25(OH)D3 and TPOAb levels in the AITDs group, but this correlation did not exist in the non-AITDs group (r=0.117, p=0.127). 25(OH)D3 level was confirmed as an independent factor after adjusting for co-factors that may affect the presence of TPOAb in the AITDs group. CONCLUSION: 25(OH)D3 level is an independent factor affecting the presence of TPOAb in AITDs. The causal effect of 25(OH)D3 deficiency to AITDs is to be elucidated.
Antibodies ; Body Mass Index ; Endocrinology ; Humans ; Methods ; Peroxidase* ; Thyroid Diseases ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune* ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; Vitamin D* ; Vitamins*

The platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been advocated as a way to introduce increased concentrations of growth factors and other bioactive molecules to injured tissues in an attempt to optimize the local healing environment. A 94-yr-old woman with various comorbidities presented with a two-week history of severe cutaneous ulcer on the left dorsum of foot. It was caused by recurrent mechanical trauma and did not respond to several wound debridement and simple dressings. However, after she was completed on seven times of autologous PRP treatments, we observed complete healing of the skin lesion within 3 months. Herein, we report a case of recalcitrant cutaneous ulcer with various comorbidities and discuss about the promising possibility of autologous PRP as an effective alternative therapeutic modality.
Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; *Platelet-Rich Plasma ; Skin Ulcer/complications/*therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Wound Healing