Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a widely used chemical for production of plastics. However occupational asthma (OA) caused by PVC has been reported only rarely. We report a 34-yr-old male wallpaper factory worker with OA due to PVC and nickel (Ni) whose job was mixing PVC with plasticizers. He visited the emergency room due to an asthma attack with moderate airflow obstruction and markedly increased sputum eosinophil numbers. A methacholine challenge test was positive (PC20 2.5 mg/mL). Bronchoprovocation tests with both PVC and Ni showed early and late asthmatic responses, respectively. Moreover, the fractional concentration of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) was increased after challenge with PVC. To our knowledge, this is the first case of OA in Korea induced by exposure to both PVC and Ni. We suggest that eosinophilic inflammation may be involved in the pathogenesis of PVC-induced OA and that FeNO monitoring can be used for its diagnosis.
Adult ; Asthma, Occupational/*chemically induced/*diagnosis ; Breath Tests ; Bronchial Provocation Tests ; Environmental Exposure ; Eosinophilia/*diagnosis ; Exhalation ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Male ; Nickel ; Nitric Oxide/metabolism ; Occupational Exposure ; Plasticizers ; Polyvinyl Chloride

Submucosal tumors (SMTs) originate from tissues that constitute the submucosal layer and muscularis propria, and are covered by normal mucosa. Esophageal SMTs are rare, accounting for <1% of all esophageal tumors. However, the recent widespread use of endoscopy has led to a rapid increase in incidental detection of SMTs in Korea. Esophageal SMTs are benign in ≥90% of cases, but the possibility of malignancies such as gastrointestinal stromal tumor and malignant leiomyosarcoma still exists. Therefore, patients undergo resection in the presence of symptoms or the possibility of a malignant tumor. For resection of esophageal SMTs, surgical resection was the only option available in case of possible malignancy, but minimally invasive surgery by endoscopic resection is becoming more preferable to surgical resection with the development of endoscopic ultrasonography, endoscopic techniques, and other devices.
Endoscopy ; Endosonography ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors ; Humans ; Korea ; Leiomyosarcoma ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; Mucous Membrane

Deep learning (DL) is a kind of machine learning technique that uses artificial intelligence to identify the characteristics of given data and efficiently analyze large amounts of information to perform tasks such as classification and prediction. In the field of neuroimaging of neurodevelopmental disorders, various biomarkers for diagnosis, classification, prognosis prediction, and treatment response prediction have been examined; however, they have not been efficiently combined to produce meaningful results. DL can be applied to overcome these limitations and produce clinically helpful results. Here, we review studies that combine neurodevelopmental disorder neuroimaging and DL techniques to explore the strengths, limitations, and future directions of this research area.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the STANDARD F Influenza A/B FIA test (SD Biosensor Inc., Korea) for the rapid detection of influenza A virus in comparison with the Sofia Influenza A+B FIA (Quidel Corp., USA) and SD BIOLINE Influenza Ag A/B/A(H1N1) (Standard Diagnostic, Inc., Korea) tests. Methods: A total of 227 non-duplicated nasopharyngeal aspirates submitted for real-time RT-PCR analysis were included in the study. We used the three commercial tests in remnant samples from routine assays, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. We analyzed the diagnostic performance, including sensitivity and specificity, of the three tests. Results: Real-time RT-PCR analysis showed that 67 (29.5%) samples were positive and 160 (70.5%) were negative for influenza A virus, and that all the specimens were negative for influenza B. The overall sensitivity and specificity for influenza A virus detection were 50.7% and 100% for the STANDARD F, 50.7% and 100% for the Sofia, and 29.9% and 100% for the SD BIOLINE tests, respectively. The STANDARD F and SD BIOLINE tests showed negative results for influenza B virus in all specimens, whereas the Sofia test showed two false-positive results. Conclusion The STANDARD F Influenza A/B test showed a good diagnostic performance and may be useful for the rapid diagnosis of influenza A.

With the accumulation of clinical trials demonstrating its efficacy and safety, peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has emerged as a less invasive treatment option for esophageal achalasia compared with laparoscopic Heller myotomy. However, the difficulty in determining the exact extent of myotomy, a critical factor associated with the success and safety of the procedure, remains a limitation. Although the various endoscopic landmarks and ancillary techniques have been applied, none of these has been proven sufficient. As a solution for this limitation, the double-scope POEM technique with a second endoscope to assure the exact length of the submucosal tunnel has been applied since 2014. Before double-scope POEM was introduced, the second endoscope was applied only to confirm the accuracy of the procedure. In the present study, we performed double-scope POEM in the treatment of esophageal achalasia through a novel procedure of simultaneous application of the second endoscope to assist in the conventional POEM procedure.
Endoscopes ; Esophageal Achalasia*

Plants belonging to the genus Juncus are widely distributed across North America, which are known to make a diverse array of bioactive natural products. In 2022, Juncus torreyi, a species of Juncus, was firstly found in Korea. Morphological and ecological characteristics of the species have been previously investigated;however, bioactive chemical potentials still remain to be explored. In the present work, we focused on the isolation and characterization of metabolites that harbor growth inhibitory activity against a fungal indicator, Candida albicans. Using activity-guided discovery method, we subsequently isolated and purified three metabolites from the most active methylene chloride-soluble fraction. Through NMR and high-resolution ESIOrbitrap-MS data analysis, the metabolites were structurally determined to be juncatrin B (1), ensifolin I (2), and juncusol (3). Metabolites 1–3 were evaluated for their C. albicans growth inhibitory activity and revealed inhibition with an IC 50 value of 74.3, 31.5, and 64.6 μg/mL, respectively.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection is recommended as an alternative therapy for early esophageal cancer. However, achieving curative resection in this procedure remains controversial since precise prediction of lymph node metastasis can be difficult. Here, we present the preliminary results of endoscopic submucosal dissection followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy for early esophageal cancer with a high risk of lymph node metastasis. From May 2006 to January 2014, six patients underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy after endoscopic submucosal dissection with a median follow-up period of 63 months. No complications were encountered during concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Although local recurrence did not occur in all patients, two patients were diagnosed with metachronous cancer. Overall, the survival rate was 100%. Thus, endoscopic submucosal dissection followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy may be a feasible treatment for early esophageal cancer in patients with a high risk of lymph node metastasis. Future prospective large-scale studies are warranted to confirm our results.
Chemoradiotherapy ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prospective Studies ; Recurrence ; Survival Rate

Sclerosing angiomatoid nodular transformation (SANT) is a rare, benign vascular neoplasm. Most patients have no clinical symptoms, and the tumors are usually discovered incidentally on abdominal computed tomography or ultrasonography. Some studies have reported the clinical features and imaging findings of SANT, but the diagnosis is based on histopathologic examination of a tissue specimen obtained at splenectomy. We report herein an incidentally discovered case of SANT and review the related literature.
Diagnosis ; Humans ; Spleen* ; Splenectomy ; Splenic Neoplasms ; Ultrasonography ; Vascular Neoplasms

No abstract available.
Base Sequence ; Child, Preschool ; DNA/chemistry/metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Mutation ; Nevus, Pigmented/diagnosis/*genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)/*genetics ; Republic of Korea ; Skin/pathology ; Skin Neoplasms/diagnosis/*genetics ; Syndrome

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The treatment for steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) needs to be standardized. We report our clinical experience with etanercept for steroid-refractory acute GVHD. METHODS: Eighteen patients who underwent allo-SCT and presented with steroid-refractory acute GVHD at Ajou University Hospital were studied retrospectively. They were given 25 mg of etanercept subcutaneously twice weekly for 4 weeks. The clinical responses were evaluated with regard to the severity of acute GVHD. RESULTS: The median patient age was 43.5 years. Using nonparametric tests, etanercept had a down-grading effect on acute GVHD (p = 0.005), although no patient experienced complete remission. Partial responses were seen in 80%, 17%, and 57% of grade II to IV patients, respectively. Skin and gut GVHD were well controlled with etanercept, whereas hepatic GVHD was not. Four patients died of fatal infections. No factors affecting the clinical outcome of etanercept were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Etanercept has a modest effect on steroid-refractory acute GVHD after allo-SCT, with tolerable side effects.
Acute Disease ; Adult ; Aged ; Allografts ; Female ; Graft vs Host Disease/etiology/*therapy ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/*adverse effects ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Immunosuppressive Agents/adverse effects/therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor/*therapeutic use ; Retrospective Studies ; Steroids/therapeutic use ; Young Adult