Allergic rhinitis (AR) is defined as chronic inflammatory reactions to common allergens in the nasal mucosa with at least two AR symptoms including rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, sneezing, nasal/ocular pruritus, and postnasal drainage. AR is a common health problem, and it affects around 10-25% of general population. Its prevalence is increasing according to the environmental changes. AR and asthma frequently coexist in the same patient, therefore we should consider it and check for asthma to diagnose AR. Antihistamines and nasal corticosteroids are recommended as the 1st line treatment of AR. Decongestants may be effective for nasal congestion, and leukotrienes are helpful to improve both nasal and bronchial inflammations in patients with AR and asthma. Allergen specific immunotherapy is useful in IgE mediated AR and can prevent the progression to asthma and new sensitizations. Appropriate AR treatment including medications and immunotherapy can improve symptoms and reduce medications. Finally improvement of quality of life can be achieved.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Allergens ; Asthma ; Drainage ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Histamine Antagonists ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunotherapy ; Inflammation ; Leukotrienes ; Nasal Decongestants ; Nasal Mucosa ; Prevalence ; Pruritus ; Quality of Life ; Rhinitis* ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; Sneezing

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is defined as chronic inflammatory reactions to common allergens in the nasal mucosa with at least two AR symptoms including rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, sneezing, nasal/ocular pruritus, and postnasal drainage. AR is a common health problem, and it affects around 10-25% of general population. Its prevalence is increasing according to the environmental changes. AR and asthma frequently coexist in the same patient, therefore we should consider it and check for asthma to diagnose AR. Antihistamines and nasal corticosteroids are recommended as the 1st line treatment of AR. Decongestants may be effective for nasal congestion, and leukotrienes are helpful to improve both nasal and bronchial inflammations in patients with AR and asthma. Allergen specific immunotherapy is useful in IgE mediated AR and can prevent the progression to asthma and new sensitizations. Appropriate AR treatment including medications and immunotherapy can improve symptoms and reduce medications. Finally improvement of quality of life can be achieved.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Allergens ; Asthma ; Drainage ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Histamine Antagonists ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunotherapy ; Inflammation ; Leukotrienes ; Nasal Decongestants ; Nasal Mucosa ; Prevalence ; Pruritus ; Quality of Life ; Rhinitis* ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; Sneezing

Asthma is a common disorder of the airways characterized by airway inflammation and by decline in lung function and airway remodeling in a subset of asthmatics. Airway remodeling is characterized by structural changes which include airway smooth muscle hypertrophy/hyperplasia, subepithelial fibrosis due to thickening of the reticular basement membrane, mucus metaplasia of the epithelium, and angiogenesis. Epidemiologic studies suggest that both genetic and environmental factors may contribute to decline in lung function and airway remodeling in a subset of asthmatics. Environmental factors include respiratory viral infection-triggered asthma exacerbations, and tobacco smoke. There is also evidence that several asthma candidate genes may contribute to decline in lung function, including ADAM33, PLAUR, VEGF, IL13, CHI3L1, TSLP, GSDMB, TGFB1, POSTN, ESR1 and ARG2. In addition, mediators or cytokines, including cysteinyl leukotrienes, matrix metallopeptidase-9, interleukin-33 and eosinophil expression of transforming growth factor-β, may contribute to airway remodeling in asthma. Although increased airway smooth muscle is associated with reduced lung function (i.e. forced expiratory volume in 1 second) in asthma, there have been few long-term studies to determine how individual pathologic features of airway remodeling contribute to decline in lung function in asthma. Clinical studies with inhibitors of individual gene products, cytokines or mediators are needed in asthmatic patients to identify their individual role in decline in lung function and/or airway remodeling.
Airway Remodeling ; Asthma ; Basement Membrane ; Cytokines ; Eosinophils ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Epithelium ; Fibrosis ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-13 ; Interleukin-33 ; Leukotrienes ; Lung ; Metaplasia ; Mucus ; Muscle, Smooth ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Smoke ; Tobacco ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

Primary gastric actinomycosis is an extremely rare disease and less than 20 cases are reported in literature. We experienced a case of gastric actinomycosis in the 63-year-old woman who had subtotal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer(type IIc) 7 month ago. Endoscopic biopsy from elevated lesion on stoma was found to show the neutrophilic infiltration and sulfur granule. She placed on tetracycline for 30 days. Follow up endoscopy showed no abnormality. We report this case with literature review. (Koresn J Gastrointest Endosc 18: 757~ 760, 1996)
Actinomycosis ; Biopsy ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrectomy* ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neutrophils ; Rare Diseases ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Sulfur ; Tetracycline

Background/Aims: Asthma is not a single disease but, rather, a heterogeneous inf lammatory disorder with various pathogenic mechanisms. We analyzed the associations between the cellular profile of sputum and the serum levels of inflammatory mediators/cytokines in a cohort of adult asthmatics. Methods: We recruited 421 adult asthmatic patients. All subjects were classified into four groups according to their sputum cellular profiles: G1, eosinophilic; G2, mixed granulocytic; G3, neutrophilic; and G4, paucigranulocytic. Serum levels of cytokines and mediators including periostin, eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN), S100A9, and folliculin were quantified. Results: Among 421 patients, G1 accounted for 149 (35.4%), G2 for 71 (16.9%), G3 for 155 (36.8%), and G4 for 46 (10.9%). Serum periostin and EDN levels were significantly higher in G1 (p = 0.004, and p = 0.031) than in the others. Serum S100A9 levels were elevated in G2 and G3 (p = 0.008). Serum folliculin levels differed significantly among the four groups, with the highest level in G4 (p = 0.042). To identify G1 from G1 plus G2 groups, the optimal serum cut-off levels were 1.71 ng/mL for periostin, and 1.61 ng/mL for EDN. When these two parameters were combined, the sensitivity was 76.0% and the specificity was 64.3% (area under the curve, 0.701; p = 0.004). Conclusions The serum periostin and EDN levels may be used as predictors to discriminate the eosinophilic asthma group from patients having eosinophilic or mixed granulocytic asthma, and the serum folliculin level is significantly elevated in patients with paucigranulocytic asthma compared to those with different inflammatory cell profile.

No abstract available.
Chemokine CCL2* ; Endometriosis* ; Endometrium* ; Female ; Humans ; Monocytes*

This study was conducted to investigate health status and nutrient intakes among 5th grade elementary students at Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2010. This study was cross-sectional study on 1,384 children (687 boys, 697 girls) from nine elementary schools located in Seoul and Gyeonggi province. The average height, weight and BMI were 145 cm, 40.6 kg 19.2 kg/m2 for boys and 145.4 cm, 38.2 kg, 18.0 kg/m2 for girls. The prevalence of overweight and obesity were 11.3%, 5.2%, respectively. Serum AST, ALT, glucose, HDL-Cholesterol and RBC levels were significantly higher, while TG levels was significantly lower for boys than for girls. The average energy intake was 1772.4 kcal, which was 98.7% of Estimated Energy Requirement (EER). The boys consumed more energy intake (1800.4 kcal) than the girls (1744.7 kcal). Also, they took insufficient calcium and folate (69.1% and 83.3% of Recommended Intake (RI)) and excess sodium (297.6% of Adequate Intake (AI)) and 85.1% of the subjects had breakfast everyday. In general, the proportion of the children who consumed fruits and vegetables at least once or more a day was low. There was a higher proportion of children in boys who had ramyun and milk with sufficient physical activity than those in girls. As a result of this study, we can find risk factors on obesity and metabolic disorders, and the results can be used for an evidence of nutrition education program and the intervention program.
Breakfast ; Calcium ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Energy Intake ; Folic Acid ; Fruit ; Glucose ; Humans ; Korea ; Milk ; Motor Activity ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Sodium ; Vegetables

PURPOSE: Assessment of the severity and clinical course of asthma is important for effective disease control. Cognitive and physical impairments occur due to the aging process, which may impact on asthma control. We aimed to evaluate the impact of cognitive function on the assessment of asthma control in older asthmatics as a prospective interventional trial. METHODS: A total of 50 mild to moderate asthmatics over 60 years of age were enrolled. Three questionnaires were used: the asthma control test (ACT), the asthma-specific quality of life, and the Korean version of the Short Form of the Geriatric Depression Scale. The Seoul neuropsychological screening battery-dementia version (SNSB-D), Korean version of the Mini-Mental Status Examination, and the Seoul instrumental activities of daily living scale were applied for neuropsychological assessment. RESULTS: The mean patient age was 67.0±4.9 years, and 30 patients (60.0%) were female. The sensitivity and specificity of the ACT for determining well-controlled asthma were 91.7% and 39.5%, respectively. Regarding neuropsychological assessment, 22 patients (44%) had mild cognitive impairment, 4 (8.7%) had dementia, and 17 (34%) had depression. Total SNSB-D score was significantly higher in patients with an ACT score of ≥20 (P=0.015). The ACT scores were significantly associated with SNSB-D results in analyses adjusted for age, sex, education duration, lung function, and depression (P=0.004). CONCLUSION: We found significant positive correlations between cognitive functions, as measured by SNSB-D, and asthma control status, as measured by ACT scores, in older patients with asthma. Therefore, cognitive impairment may be associated with poor asthma control in older asthmatics.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aging ; Asthma* ; Cognition ; Cognition Disorders* ; Dementia ; Depression ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Lung ; Mass Screening ; Mild Cognitive Impairment ; Prospective Studies ; Quality of Life ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Seoul

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a new method of sampling mediastinal lymph nodes to aid in diagnosing lymphadenopathy and in staging metastatic cancers. This paper describes a case of renal cell carcinoma with mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes metastasis that was diagnosed using EBUS-TBNA. A 17-year-old woman who had mediastinal lymphadenopathy and a right renal mass underwent imaging studies. The results of a first EBUS-TBNA suggested malignancy, but the type of tumor and exact site of the primary tumor were uncertain. Therefore, we repeated EBUS-TBNA with a lower pressure on the vacuum syringe. We successfully diagnosed the mediastinal lymph node metastasis from renal cell carcinoma.
Adolescent ; Biopsy, Needle ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Needles ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Syringes ; Vacuum