Acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy(AMPPE), originally described by Gass in 1968, is a syndrome involving(1) rapid loss of central vision secondary to multifocal yellowish-white placoid lesions at the level of the pigment epithelium rather than in choroid; (2) rapid resolution of theselesions with perm anent alteration in the pigment epithelium and minimal damage to the adjacent choroid and retina; and (3) significant visual recovery which continues for several weeks or months after apparent ophthalmoscopic resolution of the acute lesions. Fluorescein angiography shows that the choroidal fluorescence is not visible at the site of acute lesions in the early arterial phase, but there is hyperfluorescence due to staining of the lesion in the late venous phase. We experienced and treated a case of acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy, presenting with bilateral bullous serous sensory retinal detachment in 39 years old male, who had a good visual improvement.
Adult ; Choroid ; Epithelium ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Fluorescence ; Humans ; Male ; Retina ; Retinal Detachment* ; Retinaldehyde*

No abstract available.
Dwarfism*

Since the year of 1982, authors have experienced thirty-two case of scleral grafts for the repair of necrotic scleritis. The cases had histories of strontium irradiation and instillation of mitomycin during the postoperative course for the purpose of preventing recurrence of pterygium. The results obtaned are as follows: 1) Female patients predominated with over twice the number of male patients. The youngest patient was 11 years old and the oldest was 76 years old. 2) The intervals of the occurrence of necrotic scleritis following pterygium excision were variable from 5 months to over 10 years. 3) Twenty-seven eyes of 32 eyes received the scleral homograft using the trephine sized 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, or 6mm. 4) Tweleve eyes had received strontium 90 irradiation and 20 eyes had received mitomycin eye drops after pterygium excision. 5) Complications were encountered in 4 eyes; secondary scleral homograft was done in 1 case, secondary scleral homograft with anterior uveitis in 1 case, anterior uveitis in 1 case, secondary conjunctival autograft in 1 case.
Aged ; Allografts ; Autografts ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mitomycin ; Ophthalmic Solutions ; Pterygium* ; Recurrence ; Scleritis* ; Strontium ; Transplants* ; Uveitis, Anterior

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress is important in both diabetic complications and the development and the progression of type 2 diabetes via the effects on the pancreatic beta-cells. EGCG (epigallocatechin galleate), a major constituent of green tea, has been known to have beneficial effects on various diseases through the mechanisms of antioxidant and cell signaling modulation. But, very small numbers of studies were published about the direct effects of EGCG on the pancreatic beta cell lines. We performed this study to see the protective effect of EGCG on pancreatic beta cell line under H2O2 and the mechanisms of this phenomenon. METHODS: We used INS-1 cells and hydrogen peroxide as an oxidative stressor. Their viabilities were verified by MTT assay and FACS. The activity of glutathione peroxidase was assessed by total glutathione quantification kit. Western blot and semi-quantitative RT-PCR for the catalase, SOD (superoxide dismutase), PI3K and Akt were performed. Functional status of INS-1 cells was tested by GSIS (glucose stimulated insulin secretion). RESULTS: The biological effects of EGCG were different according to its concentrations. 10 micrometer EGCG effectively protected hydrogen peroxide induced damage in INS-1 cells. The expression and the activity of SOD, catalase and the glutathione peroxidase were significantly increased by EGCG. EGCG significantly increased PI3K and Akt activity and its effect was inhibited partially by wortmannin. GSIS was well preserved by EGCG. CONCLUSION: EGCG in low concentration effectively protected INS-1 cells from the oxidative stress through the activation of both antioxidant systems and anti-apoptosis signaling. Further studies will be necessary for the more detailed mechanisms and the clinical implications.
Androstadienes ; Blotting, Western ; Catalase ; Diabetes Complications ; Glutathione ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; Insulin ; Insulin-Secreting Cells ; Oxidative Stress ; Tea

The records of 255 cyanide poisoning deaths obtained from National Forensic Service (NFS) headquarters, located in Seoul of Korea, from 2005 to 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. The mean age was 41.88 +/- 13.09 and range was 6~80 years (unknown in seven cases). The number of deaths of males and females were 200 and 53, respectively (unknown in two cases). The largest number of cases occurred in people aged 40-49 years (81 cases, 31.8%), followed by the age groups 30~39 years (51 cases, 20%), 50~59 years (44 cases, 17.2%) and 20~29 years (43 cases, 16.9%). The total number of deaths among other age groups (below 10, 10~19, 60~69, 70~79, over 80 years and unknown) were 36, representing only 14.1%. Of all cyanide poisoning deaths, 97.3% were due to suicide, and 14.5% of the total number who died received medical treatment. The most frequent site for ingestion was the person's own residence (120 cases, 47.1%) and the route of administration was mainly oral (252, 98.8%). From the total of 255 cyanide poisoning cases, white powders were submitted for analysis in 92 cases. Potassium cyanide and sodium cyanide occupied 51 and 41 cases, respectively. This study showed that poisoning deaths due to cyanide are one of the continuously reported public health problems in Korea. Enforcement of regulations and safety education to prevent cyanide poisoning should be carried out by the government.
Aged ; Eating ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Potassium Cyanide ; Powders ; Public Health ; Retrospective Studies ; Social Control, Formal ; Sodium Cyanide ; Suicide

The first clinical trial of the Q-switched Nd:Yag laser posterior capsulotomy by using of Coherent Model 9900 in Korea was carried out since March of 1985. And only 267 aphakic eye cases(257 patients, among 680 consecutive subjects could be followed up for clinical evaluations. The results obtained are as follows: (1) 143 aphakic eyes and 58 pseudophakic eyes with 66 traumatic aphakic eyes were subjected. (2) Good results could be obtained with minimal complications by lower setting (under 1.5 ml) with mean pulse energy of 40~149. (3) Vision improvement after Nd:Yag laser up to 0.9 or more showed in 110 eyes(63%) out of 175 eyes. (4) Complications were encountered in 51 eyes(19%) but most cases were transitory without permanent damages. Vitreous prolapse with rupture of the anterior hyaloid face (14.6%) was observed more frequently in aphakic eyes than in pseudophakic eyes.
Humans ; Korea ; Posterior Capsulotomy* ; Prolapse ; Rupture

No abstract available.
Choanal Atresia* ; Microphthalmos*

The first clinical trial of the Q-switch Nd:YAG laser iridectomy using Coherent model 9900 in Korea was carried out since March of 1985. 51 eye cases(48 patients) of acute and subacute narrow angle glaucoma were treated with a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser during the last one year and half. The results obtained are as follows; 1) Good results could be obtained by setting 3.0~4.9 mj with mean pulse energy of under 50. 2) Nd:YAG laser iridectomy site and normal intraocular pressure were maintained well. 3) Complications were encountered in 7 eyes(13.7%) but most cases were transitory without permanent damages.
Glaucoma ; Intraocular Pressure ; Iridectomy* ; Korea

Background: This study aimed to investigate the association between e-cigarette (EC) use and development of acute severe pneumonia in the Korean population using a national database. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis using linkage of data between the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) and the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) administrative claims database. The primary endpoint of this study was development of severe pneumonia requiring hospital admission according to EC use during the study period. The secondary endpoints were in-hospital mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, ventilator care, and days of hospital stay. Results: The final analysis included 28,950 individuals, of which 578 (2.0%) were EC users.EC users were younger and more often male than non-EC users. The EC users showed higher level of education and household income and had fewer comorbidities. Severe pneumonia was noted in 37 of 28,372 non-EC users (0.13%), but there were no occurrences of severe pneumonia in EC users. The incidence of pneumonia occurrence was not different between the two groups (P = 1.000). Conclusions Since e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury (EVALI) is most likely included in acute severe pneumonia occurring within 3 months of EC use, it is considered that there might be no EVALI patients in Korea during the investigation period. A large-scale, prospective study is necessary to evaluate the association between EC use and acute lung injury.

BACKGROUND: Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) is one of the important growth factors involved in the epithelialization during cutaneous wound healing. Peptide EGF has been used for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcer. But the inferiority of cost-effectiveness and the inconvenience of daily application might have restricted its wide clinical usage. EGF gene therapy could dramatically improve the efficacy and inconvenience through long-term expression and bypassing the EGF degradation by hostile non-specific proteinases expressed in the wound bed. METHODS: EGF DNAs were amplified via PCR. For the more effective secretion from the transfected cell, we inserted furin cleavage site into EGF plasmids. The efficacy of novel plasmid pbeta-EGF was verified by transfection into the various animal cell lines, and the biologic potency of expressed EGF was confirmed via phosphorylation of PI3K and GSK3beta by Western blotting. RESULTS: We tested various kinds of human EGFs. One of the human EGF isoforms, EGF(828) including a membrane-anchoring domain was successfully released as the mature EGF protein in the cell culture media. Also EGF plasmid including furin cleavage site showed more than 2-fold increased EGF expression compared with the sequence without furin cleavage site. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, these findings suggest that mature EGF could be released easily out of cells by modifying EGF DNA sequence. Our novel EGF plasmid DNA could markedly increase the efficiency of non-viral gene therapy for diabetic foot ulcer.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Line ; Clone Cells ; Cloning, Organism ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Foot ; DNA ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Furin ; Genetic Therapy ; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 ; Humans ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Peptide Hydrolases ; Phosphorylation ; Plasmids ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Protein Isoforms ; Transfection ; Ulcer ; Wound Healing