OBJECTIVES: A majority of South Korean adolescents experience chronic sleep-deprivation due to social jet lag. In this study, we investigated gender differences in the relationship between social jet lag, depression, and obesity in Korean children and adolescents. METHODS: Our sample consisted of 4,380 adolescents (elementary school cohort n=2,141, middle school cohort n=2,239) who participated in the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey. In order to analyze the gender differences in the relationship between sleep time difference, obesity and depression, t-test and chi-square test were utilized. RESULTS: Both cohorts revealed that the difference in weekday/weekend sleep duration (2.19+/-1.42 vs. 1.68+/-1.36, p<0.001) and depression levels (20.77+/-6.29 vs. 18.87+/-6.06, p<0.001) was significantly higher in girls than boys. However, body mass index was higher in boys than girls (20.86+/-3.42 vs. 20.04+/-2.51, p<0.001). Chi-square test revealed there was a significant difference between gender and weekday/weekend sleep discrepancy group (cutoff >2 hours). Both elementary school [chi2 (1)=8.73, p<0.05] and middle school cohorts [chi2 (1)=61.29, p<0.001] showed significant gender differences. CONCLUSIONS: There were especially more girls who reported a discrepancy of 2 or more hours of weekday/weekend sleep duration. In summary, intervention for social jet lag may be important to consider in adolescents.
Adolescent* ; Body Mass Index ; Child* ; Cohort Studies ; Depression* ; Female ; Humans ; Obesity*

PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate gender differences in the association between depressive symptoms and weight, weight perception, and body satisfaction among Korean adolescents. METHODS: A secondary data analysis was performed on data from 33,374 adolescents who participated in the 2015 Adolescent Health Behavior Online Survey. They were classified as underweight, normal weight, or overweight/obese; weight perception was classified into perception of being underweight, normal weight, or overweight/obese; and weight satisfaction into desire to gain weight, satisfied, and desire to lose weight. RESULTS: Among boys, perception of being underweight (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07~1.35) and desire to gain weight (AOR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.30~1.62) were associated with depression. Among girls, perception of being overweight or obese (AOR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.07~1.29) and a desire to lose weight (AOR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.18~1.42) were associated with depression. CONCLUSION: Gender differences were observed in the association between weight perception and depression in adolescents. The perception of being underweight among boys and the perception of being overweight/overweight among girls were associated with depression. Thus, gender-specific intervention programs to correct weight perception and weight satisfaction are needed in order to relieve depressive symptoms in adolescents.
Adolescent Health ; Adolescent* ; Body Weight ; Depression* ; Female ; Humans ; Ideal Body Weight ; Odds Ratio ; Overweight ; Statistics as Topic ; Thinness ; Weight Perception*

Surface immunoglobulin light-chain restriction is evidence of clonality in mature B-cell neoplasms. An aberrant pattern of surface light-chain expression can also be considered evidence of clonality. However, because this result could occur due to nonspecific staining or failure to stain, careful interpretation is required for accurate diagnosis. According to a previous study, flow cytometric analysis of the cytoplasmic pattern of light-chain expression in mature B-cell neoplasms is a viable approach to confirming clonality. Herein, we report a case, in which clonality could not be proven by surface light-chain analysis, but was demonstrated by cytoplasmic light-chain analysis. The case was in a patient with B-cell lymphoma showing non-specific surface expression of light-chains. This case support consideration of flow cytometric analysis of cytoplasmic light-chain expression patterns when aberrant surface light chain expression is observed, to confirm clonality of mature B-cell neoplasms.
B-Lymphocytes ; Cytoplasm ; Diagnosis ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin Light Chains ; Lymphoma, B-Cell

BACKGROUND: In the present study, the resistance mechanisms against carbapenems and aminoglycosides for 23 strains of multi-drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolated at a university hospital were investigated. METHODS: The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined via broth microdilution or Etest. The genes encoding OXA-type carbapenemases and 16S rRNA methylase were identified using multiplex PCR, and the amplified products were sequenced. Conjugation experiments were conducted, and an epidemiologic study was performed using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR. RESULTS: In the isolates, the MICs of the tested aminoglycosides, including arbekacin, were >1024 microg/mL; the MICs of aztreonam, cefepime, ceftazidime, and ciprofloxacin ranged from 64 to 128 microg/mL; and the MICs of carbapenem ranged from 32 to 64 microg/mL, as determined through the broth microdilution test. According to the E-test, the MICs of ampicillin/sulbactam and colistin were 8 and 0.25 to 0.38 microg/mL, respectively. Sequence analysis confirmed that all of the isolates expressed carbapenemases OXA-23 and OXA-66, as well as armA 16S rRNA methylase. In addition, ISAba1 was identified upstream of the gene encoding OXA-23. OXA-23 and armA were not transferred to Escherichia coli J53 cells in the transconjugation experiments. ERIC-PCR molecular fingerprinting produced a single pattern in all cases. CONCLUSION: The co-production of OXA-23 and armA 16S rRNA methylase may be attributed to the multidrug resistance of the A. baumannii isolates in the present study. Stricter surveillance and more rapid detection are necessary to prevent the spread of this type of resistance in the future.
Acinetobacter ; Acinetobacter baumannii ; Aminoglycosides ; Aztreonam ; Carbapenems ; Ceftazidime ; Cephalosporins ; Ciprofloxacin ; Colistin ; Consensus ; Dermatoglyphics ; Dibekacin ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Escherichia coli ; Methyltransferases ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Republic of Korea ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; Sequence Analysis

A number of acid-base or electrolyte disorders are associated with decreased or increased HCO3- reabsorption in the renal tubules. There has been a general agreement that potassium depletion induces metabolic alkalosis and affects the expression of the several ion transporters in rats. The present study was to examine the alterations of expression and distribution of COX-1, 2 mRNAs and proteins in the kidneys of normal and K-depleted rats using RT-PCR, Western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry. Predicted size of COX-1 mRNA was 306 bp. It's expression was increased in K-depleted rats, particularly LK 2W, but decreased in LK 3D. Predicted size of COX-2 mRNA was 356 bp and it's expression was increased in K-depleted rats, particularly LK 2W. Western blot analysis demonstrated that COX-1 protein, ~70 kDa at molecular mass, was increased in potassium-depleted rats, particularly LK 2W and decreased in LK 3D, compared with normal rat. COX-2 protein, ~72 kDa at molecular mass, was only increased in LK 3D and others were comparable with normal rat. In immunohistochemistry, COX-1 was detected in entire collecting duct, intraglomerular mesangial cells, arterial endothelial cells, medullary interstitial cells, papillary epithelial cells, and pelvic epithelium. Signal intensity of the collecting duct was more increased toward the papillary tip. In K-depleted rat, the pattern of cellular labeling of COX-1 protein was identical to that of normal rat. However, the signal intensity of LK 3D was only decreased in cortical and outer medullary collecting duct and that of LK 2W was increased particularly in the inner stripe of outer medullary collecting duct and proximal 1/3 inner medullary collecting duct. Immunoreactivity of COX-2 of normal rat was detected in the cortical thick ascending limb and macula densa. In K-depleted rat, the pattern of cellular labeling of COX-2 protein was identical to that of normal rat, but the signal intensity was only increased in LK 3D rat. These results suggest that chronic hypokalemia enhances the expression of COX-1, 2 mRNAs and proteins and the regulation of K reabsorption depends on COX-1 rather than COX-2 by the portions of expression.
Alkalosis ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cyclooxygenase 1* ; Endothelial Cells ; Epithelial Cells ; Epithelium ; Extremities ; Hypokalemia ; Immunohistochemistry ; Ion Transport ; Kidney* ; Mesangial Cells ; Potassium ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger

Rapid serodiagnostic methods for Toxoplasma gondii infection in cats are urgently needed for effective control of transmission routes toward human infections. In this work, 4 recombinant T. gondii antigens (SAG1, SAG2, GRA3, and GRA6) were produced and tested for the development of rapid diagnostic test (RDT). The proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli, affinity-purified, and applied onto the nitrocellulose membrane of the test strip. The recombinant SAG1 (rSAG1) showed the strongest antigenic activity and highest specificity among them. We also performed clinical evaluation of the rSAG1-loaded RDT in 182 cat sera (55 household and 127 stray cats). The kit showed 0.88 of kappa value comparing with a commercialized ELISA kit, which indicated a significant correlation between rSAG1-loaded RDT and the ELISA kit. The overall sensitivity and specificity of the RDT were 100% (23/23) and 99.4% (158/159), respectively. The rSAG1-loaded RDT is rapid, easy to use, and highly accurate. Thus, it would be a suitable diagnostic tool for rapid detection of antibodies in T. gondii-infected cats under field conditions.
Animals ; Antigens, Protozoan/*diagnostic use/genetics ; Cat Diseases/*diagnosis ; Cats ; Chromatography, Affinity ; Escherichia coli/genetics ; *Point-of-Care Systems ; Protozoan Proteins/*diagnostic use/genetics ; Recombinant Proteins/diagnostic use/genetics ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Serologic Tests/methods ; Toxoplasma/genetics ; Toxoplasmosis, Animal/*diagnosis ; Veterinary Medicine/*methods

The pneumonia severity index (PSI) and CURB-65 are widely used tools for the prediction of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). This study was conducted to evaluate validation of severity scoring system including the PSI and CURB-65 scores of Korean CAP patients. In the prospective CAP cohort (participated in by 14 hospitals in Korea from January 2009 to September 2011), 883 patients aged over 18 yr were studied. The 30-day mortalities of all patients were calculated with their PSI index classes and CURB scores. The overall mortality rate was 4.5% (40/883). The mortality rates per CURB-65 score were as follows: score 0, 2.3% (6/260); score 1, 4.0% (12/300); score 2, 6.0% (13/216); score 3, 5.7% (5/88); score 4, 23.5% (4/17); and score 5, 0% (0/2). Mortality rate with PSI risk class were as follows: I, 2.3% (4/174); II, 2.7% (5/182); III, 2.3% (5/213); IV, 4.5% (11/245); and V, 21.7% (15/69). The subgroup mortality rate of Korean CAP patients varies based on the severity scores and CURB-65 is more valid for the lower scores, and PSI, for the higher scores. Thus, these variations must be considered when using PSI and CURB-65 for CAP in Korean patients.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cohort Studies ; Community-Acquired Infections/*mortality ; Female ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumonia/*mortality ; Prospective Studies ; Republic of Korea ; *Severity of Illness Index ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVES: We estimated the population prevalence of antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), including unreported infections, through a Korea Seroprevalence Study of Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Retention and Transmission (K-SEROSMART) in 258 communities throughout Korea. METHODS: In August 2022, a survey was conducted among 10,000 household members aged 5 years and older, in households selected through two stage probability random sampling. During face-to-face household interviews, participants self-reported their health status, COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccination history, and general characteristics. Subsequently, participants visited a community health center or medical clinic for blood sampling. Blood samples were analyzed for the presence of antibodies to spike proteins (anti-S) and antibodies to nucleocapsid proteins (anti-N) SARS-CoV-2 proteins using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. To estimate the population prevalence, the PROC SURVEYMEANS statistical procedure was employed, with weighting to reflect demographic data from July 2022. RESULTS: In total, 9,945 individuals from 5,041 households were surveyed across 258 communities, representing all basic local governments in Korea. The overall population-adjusted prevalence rates of anti-S and anti-N were 97.6% and 57.1%, respectively. Since the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has reported a cumulative incidence of confirmed cases of 37.8% through July 31, 2022, the proportion of unreported infections among all COVID-19 infection was suggested to be 33.9%. CONCLUSIONS The K-SEROSMART represents the first nationwide, community-based seroepidemiologic survey of COVID-19, confirming that most individuals possess antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and that a significant number of unreported cases existed. Furthermore, this study lays the foundation for a surveillance system to continuously monitor transmission at the community level and the response to COVID-19.