PURPOSE: This study investigated the clinical significance of AN in children and adolescents with obesity induced metabolic complications. METHODS: Forty-nine patients who had obesity induced metabolic complications were participated in this cross-sectional study. Obesity induced metabolic complications are as follows: hypertension, dyslipidemia, impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR)>3.16. Clinical characteristics, such as, age, percentage-weight-for-height (PWH), pubertal status, blood pressure (BP), fasting plasma insulin level, fasting and post-oral glucose tolerance test 2-hour glucose levels, liver function test, lipid profile, HOMA-IR were compared according to the presence of AN. RESULTS: Sixty-five percent of patients had AN, 57.1% NASH, 57.1% dyslipidemia, 55.1% hypertension, 46.9% IFG, 24.5% HOMA-IR>3.16 and 16.2% IGT. The patients who were moderately to severely obese with AN had higher incidence of IGT and HOMA-IR>3.16. The patients with AN had significantly higher diastolic BP (79.4+/-6.9 vs 75.4+/-5.6 mmHg), fasting levels of plasma insulin (10.6+/-6.0 vs 6.2+/-5.4 microIU/mL), HOMA-IR index (2.6+/-1.4 vs 1.4+/-1.3) and PWH (42.4+/-13.0 vs 34.3+/-1.8%). The increasing tendency for the presence of AN was significantly related to the cumulative number of obesity induced metabolic complications. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the presence of AN was significantly associated with fasting plasma insulin level, PWH and IFG. CONCLUSION: AN could be useful as a clinical surrogate of obesity induced metabolic complications.
Acanthosis Nigricans* ; Adolescent* ; Blood Pressure ; Child* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dyslipidemias ; Fasting ; Fatty Liver ; Glucose ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Liver Function Tests ; Logistic Models ; Obesity* ; Plasma

PURPOSE: The incidence of food allergy associated with atopic dermatitis is approximately 40-60%. We evaluated serum specific IgE to cow's milk (CM), egg white (EW) and soybean in atopic dermatitis and then compared the sensitization rates of patients in 2002 to those in 2007. METHODS: Two hundred fifty-eight patients with atopic dermatitis who visited Dong-A University Medical Center in 2002 (n=121) and 2007 (n=137) were enrolled in this study. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed to determine serum total eosinophil count (TEC), and total IgE and specific IgE to CM, EW, and soybean. RESULTS: The TEC was significantly higher in 2002 than in 2007. The sensitization rates to CM, EW and soy bean were significantly different in 2002 and 2007.(P=0.001 and P=0.03 for each) The sensitization rates to CM were significantly different according to age in 2007.(P= 0.04) The sensitization rates to EW were significantly different according to age in 2002 and 2007.(P=0.02 and P=0.00 for each) The sensitization rates to CM were significantly different according to combined allergic diseases in 2002 and 2007.(P=0.04, P=0.01 for each) The sensitization rates to EW were significantly different according to combined allergic diseases in 2002 and 2007.(P=0.00, P=0.002 for each) CONCLUSION: Among atopic dermatitis patients who visited a single university hospital in Busan, there were no significant differences in the overall sensitization rates in 2002 and 2007.
Academic Medical Centers ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Egg White ; Eosinophils ; Food Hypersensitivity ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Incidence ; Medical Records ; Milk ; Ovum ; Retrospective Studies ; Soybeans

OBJECTIVES: Helicobacter pylori infection induces selective reduction of the number of antral D-cells and results in abnormal regulation of serum gastrin secretion. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between H. pylori infection and the numbers of G-cells and D-cells. METHODS: The numbers of antral G-cells and D-cells, the ratio of G-cells to D-cells and fasting serum gastrin concentrations were compared between 37 patients with (29 with duodenal ulcers and 8 with gastric ulcers) and 33 without H. pylori infection (22 with duodenal ulcers and 11 with gastric ulcers). Serum gastrin concentrations were measured using the radioimmunoassay technique. Antral mucosal biopsy specimens were examined using immunohistochemical staining with antibodies specific for gastrin and somatostatin and the numbers of G-cells and D-cells per gastric gland were counted. RESULTS: Fasting serum gastrin concentrations were significantly higher in patients with H. pylori infection compared to patients without infection (80.3 +/- 23.5 vs 47.6 +/- 14.1 pg/ml, p < 0.001). The number of G-cells per gastric gland was similar in infected and uninfected patients (7.1 +/- 3.1 vs 7.3 +/- 3.9, respectively, p > 0.5). The number of D-cells was significantly lower in patients with H. pylori infection than in uninfected patients in both duodenal and gastric ulcer patients (1.3 +/- 0.4 vs 2.5 +/- 1.6, respectively, p < 0.001). The ratio of G-cells to D-cells was also significantly higher in infected patients compared with uninfected patients for both gastric and duodenal ulcers (5.7 +/- 2.7 vs 3.5 +/- 1.9, respectively, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These results strongly suggest that Helicobacter pylori infection induces reduction of the number of antral D-cells. The resulting relative hypofunction of the inhibitory action of D-cells against G-cells may be responsible for increased serum gastrin secretion.
Case-Control Studies ; D Cells/pathology ; D Cells/metabolism ; G Cells/pathology ; G Cells/metabolism ; Gastrins/metabolism ; Gastrins/blood ; Gastritis/pathology ; Gastritis/metabolism* ; Helicobacter Infections/pathology ; Helicobacter Infections/metabolism* ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Human ; Somatostatin/metabolism

Aplasia cutis congenita is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by focal absence of skin at birth. It most commonly manifests as a solitary defect on the scalp, but sometimes it may occur as multiple lesions. Frieden classified aplasia cutis congenita into nine types according to the associated anomalies, but a unifying theory has not been identified to explain the etiology of this disease. We report a case of a newborn with isolated aplasia cutis congenita on the scalp at birth, whose mother was treated with methimazole up to the 22 weeks of gestation due to hyperthyroidism.
Ectodermal Dysplasia ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; Infant, Newborn ; Methimazole ; Mothers ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Scalp ; Skin

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: After the first acute myocardial infarction (AMI), a considerable proportion of patients are newly diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (DM). However, in AMI, controversy remains regarding the disparity in prognosis between previously diagnosed DM (known-DM) and newly diagnosed DM (new-DM). METHODS: The study included 10,455 patients with AMI (non-DM, 6,236; new-DM, 659; known-DM, 3,560) admitted to one of 15 participating centers in Korea between November 2011 and January 2016 (average follow-up, 523 days). We compared the characteristics and clinical course of patients with known-DM and those with new- or non-DM. RESULTS: Compared to patients with known-DM, those with new-DM or non-DM were younger, more likely to be male, and less likely to have hypertension, dyslipidemia, prior stroke, angina, or myocardial infarction. Compared to patients with new-DM or non-DM (reference), those with known-DM had higher risks of major adverse cardiac events (hazard ratio [HR], 1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06–1.35; p=0.004), cardiac death (HR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.01–1.57; p=0.042), and congestive heart failure (HR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.20–2.08). Unlike known-DM, new-DM did not increase the risk of cardiac events (including death). CONCLUSIONS: Known-DM was associated with a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular events after AMI, while new-DM had a similar risk of cardiac events as that noted for non-DM. There were different cardiovascular outcomes according to diabetes status in patients with AMI.
Death ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Dyslipidemias ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; Prognosis ; Stroke

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: After the first acute myocardial infarction (AMI), a considerable proportion of patients are newly diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (DM). However, in AMI, controversy remains regarding the disparity in prognosis between previously diagnosed DM (known-DM) and newly diagnosed DM (new-DM). METHODS: The study included 10,455 patients with AMI (non-DM, 6,236; new-DM, 659; known-DM, 3,560) admitted to one of 15 participating centers in Korea between November 2011 and January 2016 (average follow-up, 523 days). We compared the characteristics and clinical course of patients with known-DM and those with new- or non-DM. RESULTS: Compared to patients with known-DM, those with new-DM or non-DM were younger, more likely to be male, and less likely to have hypertension, dyslipidemia, prior stroke, angina, or myocardial infarction. Compared to patients with new-DM or non-DM (reference), those with known-DM had higher risks of major adverse cardiac events (hazard ratio [HR], 1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06–1.35; p=0.004), cardiac death (HR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.01–1.57; p=0.042), and congestive heart failure (HR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.20–2.08). Unlike known-DM, new-DM did not increase the risk of cardiac events (including death). CONCLUSIONS Known-DM was associated with a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular events after AMI, while new-DM had a similar risk of cardiac events as that noted for non-DM. There were different cardiovascular outcomes according to diabetes status in patients with AMI.