Background: Although Korea ranks first in the suicide rate of elderly individuals, there is limited research on those who attempt suicide, with preventive measures largely based on population-based studies. We compared the demographic and clinical characteristics of elderly individuals who attempted suicide with those of younger adults who visited the emergency department after suicide attempts and identified the factors associated with lethality in the former group. Methods: Individuals who visited the emergency department after a suicide attempt from April 1, 2017, to January 31, 2020, were included. Participants were classified into two groups according to age (elderly, ≥65 years; adult, 18–64 years). Among the 779 adult patients, 123 were elderly. We conducted a chi-square test to compare the demographic and clinical features between these groups and a logistic regression analysis to identify the risk factors for lethality in the elderly group. Results: Most elderly participants were men, with no prior psychiatric history or suicide attempts, and had a higher prevalence of underlying medical conditions and attributed their attempts to physical illnesses. Being sober and planning suicide occurred more frequently in this group. In the elderly group, factors that increased the mortality rate were biological male sex (p<0.05), being accompanied by family members (p<0.05), and poisoning as a suicide method (p<0.01). Conclusion Suicide attempts in elderly individuals have different characteristics from those in younger adults and are associated with physical illness. Suicides in the former group are unpredictable, deliberate, and fatal. Therefore, tailored prevention and intervention strategies addressing the characteristics of those who are elderly and attempt suicide are required.

BACKGROUND: The immune system is controlled by a complex network of regulatory mechanisms which include neurologic and psychological factors. Previous studies of psychopathological population and population challenged by significant life events have shown that high levels of anxiety and depression are associated with impaired cellular immunity. However, less is known about the psychoimmuological relevance of family function with the immune function In healthy population. The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence and direction of relationship between family function and cellular immunity. METHODS: Design : Cross sectional, observational study. Participants : 41 healthy adult males from a family medicine ambulatory care unit in a tertiary hospital completed a series of psychometric instruments that include the Family APGAR(Adaptation, Partnership, Growth, Affection, and Resolve), FACES III. In parallel, lymphocyte subset assay, lymphocyte proliferative responses to the mitogen concanavalin(ConA), interleukin 1-beta, interleukin-2 was analysed to assess cell-mediated immune function. RESULTS: Family adaptability was inversely correlated with total T cell, B cell counts, helper T cell(T,) and Iymphocyte proliferative response to low dose mitogen Con A(p<0.05). Family cohesion was inversely correlated with suppressor T cell(Ta) (p<0.05). In the lymphocyete proliferative response to low dose Con A stimulation, the extreme family showed the highest response compared to mid-range and healthy family(p<0.05). Relative to moderately dysfucntional family, severe dysfucntional family and healthy family had significantly higher lymphocyte proliferative responses to the high dose Con A(p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that family function could be related with immune function and it may impact on health and susceptibility to illness in helathy adult males. Further studies are required to elucidate the direction of relationship of family function and cellular immunity and the psychosocial mechanisms involved in the immune system.
Adult* ; Ambulatory Care ; Anxiety ; Cell Count ; Depression ; Humans ; Immune System ; Immunity, Cellular* ; Interleukin-2 ; Interleukins ; Lymphocyte Subsets ; Lymphocytes ; Male* ; Observational Study ; Psychology ; Psychometrics ; Tertiary Care Centers

No abstract available.
Chromosome Aberrations*

No abstract available.
Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Venous Thrombosis

Adrenal incidentalomas are increasingly diagnosed with the widespread escalation in the use of high-tech imaging modalities and marked improvements in image resolution. However, several conditions can simulate a left adrenal mass as a result of the proximity of the left adrenal gland to the gastric fundus, spleen, first loops of the jejunum, and tail of the pancreas. We report a patient with a diverticulum of the gastric cardia that simulated a left adrenal mass. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of such a case in Korean literature. Typical radiologic findings and clinical course are presented with reviews of the literature.
Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms ; Adrenal Glands ; Cardia ; Diverticulum ; Diverticulum, Stomach* ; Gastric Fundus ; Humans ; Jejunum ; Pancreas ; Spleen

Ochratoxin A is a natural contaminant of mouldy food and feed, which is produced by Penicillium and Aspergillus, and is suspected of being one of the etiological agents responsible for Balkan endemic nephropathy and the associated urinary tract tumors. For evaluation of the mutagenicity of ochratoxin A, we performed in vitro chromosome aberration tests using Chinese hamster lung fibroblast cells (CHL cells) and monkey kidney cells (VERO cells), in vivo micronueleus tests using ddY mouse bone marrow cells and somatic mutation and recombination tests (SMART) using Drosophila melanogaster. The results of chromosome aberration tests in CHL cells showed no incidence of increased structural and numerical aberrations regardless of metabolic activation, while in VERO cells treated with 2.0, 1.0, 0.5, 0.3 ug/ml of ochratoxin A showed significant increase of structural aberrations without metabolic activation. Aspartame and-phenylalanine, structural analogs of ochratoxin A, didn't affect the chromosome aberrations induced by ochratoxin A. The in vivo induction of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes were measured in bone marrows of ddY mice treated with 10.0, 5.0, 2.5mg/kg/10ml of ochratoxin A through intraperitoneal route once. At 24 and 48 hours after treatment, ochratoxin A didn't induce micronuclei in bone marrows of ddY mice. And at the concentration of 40, 20, 10 ug/ml of ochratoxin A, which was administered by feeding to larvae of Drosophila melanogaster, showed no incidence of increased multiple wing hairs and flares. Summarizing all results, we concluded that ochratoxin A is a kidney cell specific direct genotoxicant.
Animals ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Aspartame ; Aspergillus ; Balkan Nephropathy ; Biotransformation ; Bone Marrow ; Bone Marrow Cells ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Cricetinae ; Cricetulus* ; Drosophila melanogaster* ; Drosophila* ; Erythrocytes ; Fibroblasts ; Hair ; Haplorhini ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kidney ; Larva ; Lung* ; Mice* ; Penicillium ; Recombination, Genetic ; Urinary Tract ; Vero Cells*

Ganglioneuromas is a rare benign neoplasm that originates from the sympathetic ganglia and the adrenal medulla. It belongs to the group of neurogenic tumors, which also include ganglioneuroblastoma and neuroblastoma. Most of them are asymptomatic and diagnosed by chance, rarely because of their hormonal activity or metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) uptake. We here report a case of adrenal ganglioneuroma secreting catecholamine. A 22-year old male presented with incidentally detected calcifications in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. Abdominal CT and MRI revealed an about 8-cm adrenal mass with eggshell and punctuate calcifications. Increased urinary catecholamine metabolites and MIBG uptake in the tumor leaded to the preoperative diagnosis of adrenal pheochromocytoma. His blood pressure was normal and the typical symptoms of catecholamine excess were not observed during the admission period. Surgical resection and histologic examination of the tumor confirmed the diagnosis of ganglioneuroma originating from the left adrenal gland. Characteristic radiologic and histologic findings are presented with review of the literature.
3-Iodobenzylguanidine ; Abdomen ; Adrenal Glands ; Adrenal Medulla ; Blood Pressure ; Calcinosis ; Catecholamines* ; Diagnosis ; Ganglia, Sympathetic ; Ganglioneuroblastoma ; Ganglioneuroma* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Neuroblastoma ; Pheochromocytoma ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Young Adult

To produce an artificial fruiting body of Armillaria mellea on the oak sawdust medium, seven strains of A. mellea were used. The top surface of oak sawdust medium covered with ground raw carrot was inoculated with each of 7 strains and cultured for 30 days at 25degrees C in the dark condition until the mycelia of A. mellea completely colonized the medium from top to bottom. Then, the mycelia which were fully covered on the top surface of the medium were scratched slightly with a spatula and filled with tap water for 3 hours. To induce the primordial formation, the 7 strains of A. mellea were transferred to the growth chamber under the illumination (350 lux) of 12 hours and relative humidity of 85 +/- 5% in a day and then cultured at 16 +/- 1degrees C. Only A. mellea IUM 949 could form primordia on the sawdust medium, but the other strains did not make primordia at the same condition. The primordia of A. mellea IUM 949 were formed 10 days after complete colonization of the medium and the fruiting bodies were produced 7 days after a primordial formation. The experimental results suggested that IUM 949 strain might be a good candidate for mass production of fruiting bodies of A. mellea.
Armillaria* ; Colon ; Daucus carota* ; Fruit* ; Humidity ; Lighting ; Water

Purpose: Single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) is an advanced hybrid nuclear medicine technology that generates both functional and anatomical images in a single study. As utilization of SPECT/CT in Korea has been increasing, the purpose of this study was to survey its application of cardiac and skeletal SPECT/CT imaging for protocol optimization. Methods: We surveyed CT protocols established for cardiac and skeletal SPECT/CT. We searched the guidelines for the CT protocols for SPECT/CT and reviewed the literature recently published. Results: Among 36 hybrid SPECT scanners equipped with four or more multi-channel detector CTs (MDCTs), 18 scanners were used to perform cardiac studies at both very low current CT (30–80 mA; 11.1%) and ultra-low current CT (13–30 mA; 88.9%). Among the 33 canners, very low current (≤ 80 mA) CT or low current CT (80–130 mA) was used in 23.5%, and 41.8% for spine disorders, and in 36.4% or 30.3% for foot/ankle disorders, respectively. In the CT reconstructions, slice thickness of 5 mm for cardiac studies was most commonly used (94.4%); thinner slices (0.6–1.0 mm) for spine and foot/ankle studies were used in 24.2% and 45.5%, respectively. We also reviewed the international guidelines. Conclusions The results and current recommendations will be helpful for optimizing CT protocols for SPECT/CT. Optimization of SPECT/CT protocols will be required for generating the proper strategy for the specific lesions and clinical purpose.

PURPOSE: Childhood asthma has a considerable social impact and economic burden, especially in severe asthma. This study aimed to identify the proportion of childhood asthma severity and to evaluate associated factors for greater asthma severity. METHODS: This study was performed on 667 children aged 5–15 years with asthma from the nationwide 19 hospitals in the Korean childhood Asthma Study (KAS). Asthma was classified as mild intermittent, mild persistent, and moderate/severe persistent groups according to the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program recommendations. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to identify the associated factors for greater asthma severity. RESULTS: Mild persistent asthma was most prevalent (39.0%), followed by mild intermittent (37.6%), moderate persistent (22.8%), and severe persistent asthma (0.6%). Onset later than 6 years of age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.69 for mild persistent asthma; aOR, 1.92 for moderate/severe persistent asthma) tended to increase asthma severity. Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (aOR, 1.53 for mild persistent asthma; aOR, 1.85 for moderate/severe persistent asthma), and current dog ownership with sensitization to dog dander (aOR, 5.86 for mild persistent asthma; aOR, 6.90 for moderate/severe persistent asthma) showed increasing trends with greater asthma severity. Lower maternal education levels (aOR, 2.32) and no usage of an air purifier in exposure to high levels of outdoor air pollution (aOR, 1.76) were associated with moderate/severe persistent asthma. CONCLUSIONS: Modification of identified environmental factors associated with greater asthma severity might help better control childhood asthma, thereby reducing the disease burden due to childhood asthma.
Air Filters ; Air Pollution ; Animals ; Asthma ; Child ; Dander ; Dogs ; Education ; Environmental Exposure ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Odds Ratio ; Ownership ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Social Change ; Tobacco