No abstract available.
Amniotic Fluid* ; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Female ; Obstetric Labor, Premature* ; Pregnancy

PURPOSE: Kawasaki disease(KD) may be linked to primary infection by certain common viruses. KD concurrent with Epstein-Barr virus(EBV) suggests the possibility of an etiologic agent related to the KD rather than to the EBV infection itself, but, the influence on coronary complication is unclear. To establish whether infection with EBV contributed to the outcome of coronary artery lesions in patients with KD is the purpose of this study. METHODS: Retrospective studies were performed on 96 cases(age 2.48+/-1.94 years) of KD evaluated with serologic studies of EBV(EBV EA IgM, EBV EA IgG, EBNA IgG) at admission. We evaluated the clinical features and coronary outcome between a control group with KD and an EBV associated group with KD. RESULTS: On serologic studies of EBV, 62 patients(64.6%) with one more than positive results were in the EBV associated group with KD, in 30 patients with recent EBV infection, and in 32 patients with previous EBV infection. There were no significant differences between the control group and the EBV associated group in age, sex, and other clinical findings. Eighten patients (18.7%) had abnormal baseline echocardiogram, 13 patients(21.0%) among them were in the EBV associated group and 5 patients(14.7%) were in the control group; there was no significant difference between the two groups. Significantly 11 of 13 patients(84.6%) with coronary lesions had positive result of EBNA IgG, suggesting previous infection. There were no significant differences in retreatment and recurrence incidence. After retreatment, in 3 of 6 cases with the EBV associated group, and in no cases with the control group, cardiac complications were observed. CONCLUSION: Previous or chronic EBV infection may influence the occurrence of coronary lesion in patients with KD, even though patients with cardiac complication improved later.
Coronary Vessels* ; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections ; Herpesvirus 4, Human* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Incidence ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* ; Recurrence ; Retreatment ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVES: Pyrethroid pesticides are among the most commonly using insecticides in South Korean households and have been the subject of considerable interest among public health professionals for their potential health effects. The objective of this study is to examine the level of urinary 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) among elementary students in South Korea. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate pyrethroid pesticide exposure levels by measuring the urinary metabolites of 3-PBA using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method in March 2011. Study participants were 70 Asan-area and Incheon-area elementary students. RESULTS: All respondents had values above the detection limit, and the geometric means of 3-PBA in all children were 1.85 μg/L and 1.46 μg/g creatinine. Children with the top 10% urinary levels of 3-PBA were more likely to be girls, under nine years of age, living in a rural area, and living in a residential type apartment. CONCLUSIONS: South Korean children have a higher concentration of urinary 3-PBA compared with those of other countries. Further research identifying exposure pathways and intervention efforts to reduce environmental pesticide use are needed in South Korea.
Child ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Creatinine ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Environmental Exposure ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Humans ; Insecticides ; Korea* ; Limit of Detection ; Methods ; Pesticides ; Public Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: Pyrethroid pesticides are among the most commonly using insecticides in South Korean households and have been the subject of considerable interest among public health professionals for their potential health effects. The objective of this study is to examine the level of urinary 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) among elementary students in South Korea. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate pyrethroid pesticide exposure levels by measuring the urinary metabolites of 3-PBA using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method in March 2011. Study participants were 70 Asan-area and Incheon-area elementary students. RESULTS: All respondents had values above the detection limit, and the geometric means of 3-PBA in all children were 1.85 μg/L and 1.46 μg/g creatinine. Children with the top 10% urinary levels of 3-PBA were more likely to be girls, under nine years of age, living in a rural area, and living in a residential type apartment. CONCLUSIONS: South Korean children have a higher concentration of urinary 3-PBA compared with those of other countries. Further research identifying exposure pathways and intervention efforts to reduce environmental pesticide use are needed in South Korea.
Child ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Creatinine ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Environmental Exposure ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Humans ; Insecticides ; Korea* ; Limit of Detection ; Methods ; Pesticides ; Public Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Cisterna Magna*

Neural tube defects are reported one of the important congenital malformation in the world, with an incidence of 1.4 to 2 per 1000 pregnancies. Maternal serum AFP at the second trimester is used as screening test. But this is associated with numerous causes, including twins, fetal death, misdated pregnancies, cystic hygromas, teratomas, renal abnormalities, esophageal atresia and aberrations in the placenta. If the AFP level was elevated, targeted ultrasonography should be evaluated for confirming the gestational age and fetal viability, fetal number. Then if the ultrasonographic examination is nondiagnostic, or if an NTD is suspected, amniotic fluid AFP should be measured with acetylcholinesterase. But the false positive rate of the AF-AFP is high, and there is 0.3% of the false positive rate in amniotic acetylcholinesterase. This time the women with normal ultrasonographic examination continue the pregnancy after counseling of family history, past history with follow up of ultrasonography. We report a case with elevated second trimester MS-AFP, AF-AFP and positive amniotic acetylcholinesterase, but in which repeated sonographic findings were normal and result in delivery of a healthy baby without anomalies.
Acetylcholinesterase* ; Amniotic Fluid ; Counseling ; Esophageal Atresia ; Female ; Fetal Death ; Fetal Viability ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lymphangioma, Cystic ; Mass Screening ; Neural Tube Defects ; Placenta ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Pregnancy* ; Teratoma ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVE: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) increases angiogenesis. It is known that one of angiogenetic factors, angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) stabilizes maturity of normal vessels and angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) antagonizes the action of angiopoietin-1 by binding Tie-2 that is their receptor. Recently those factors are known to be involved in carcinogenesis. The aim was to investigate the mRNA expression of those factors in epithelial ovarian cancer including normal ovary and ovarian cyst and to evaluate their role in ovarian carcinogenesis. METHODS: The tissue samples of 16 ovarian cyst, and 29 epithelial ovarian cancer patients who were diagnosed at Ewha Woman's University MokDong Hospital from 1997 to 2003, and 18 normal ovary subjects who had hysterectomy and salpingoophorectomy due to uterine myoma and confirmed as normal controls, were obtained. The mRNA expressions of Angiopoietin-1, Angiopoietin-2, Tie-2 and Vascular endothelial growth factor were measured by Quantitative Competitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Their expressions were analyzed with ANOVA test and Spearman correlation test. RESULTS: The expressions of Ang-1 mRNA were higher in normal ovary than those of ovarian cyst and ovarian cancer (p<0.05). The expressions of Tie-2 mRNA were higher in ovarian cyst than those of normal ovary and ovarian cancer (p<0.05). The expressions of VEGF mRNA were higher in ovarian cancer than those of normal ovary and ovarian cyst (p<0.05). The expression of Ang-2 mRNA in ovarian cancer was related with the expression of VEGF and Tie-2 mRNA. CONCLUSION: The lower expression of Ang-1 mRNA and higher expression of VEGF mRNA might be a role in ovarian carcinogenesis. The expression of Ang-1, Tie-2 and VEGF might be related to ovarian carcinogenesis, together. However, this study is based on limited number of cases and short-term period of follow up, further prospective studies on a larger population should be done.
Angiopoietin-1* ; Angiopoietin-2* ; Carcinogenesis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Leiomyoma ; Ovarian Cysts* ; Ovarian Neoplasms* ; Ovary* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Messenger* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

Purpose: To investigate the effect of lifestyle changes on patterns of carbon monoxide (CO) exposure and the association between neurologic symptoms and outcomes in Korean children with CO intoxication. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of patients (< 18 years) with CO intoxication who visited the emergency department of Pusan National University Hospital between February 2012 and January 2020. We collected clinical findings, including age and sex, transfer from other hospitals, source, time and duration of exposure, manifestations with neurologic symptoms (syncope, seizure, and altered mental status), intensive care unit hospitalization, hospital length of stay, implementation of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and findings of neuroimaging. These variables were compared between children with and without neurologic symptoms. In addition, levels of carboxyhemoglobin and lactate were compared between patients with and without specific manifestations. Results: The enrolled 47 patients’ median age was 10 years (interquartile range, 4.5-14.0). The most common source of exposure was fire (46.8%), followed by camping (23.4%). The most common times of exposure were night (44.7%) and winter (44.7%). The patients with neurologic symptoms (14 [29.8%]) showed longer duration of exposure and hospital length of stay (P < 0.001 and P = 0.007, respectively). Of the 14 patients, 2 were hospitalized to the intensive care unit without an in-hospital mortality. A significant association was found between dyspnea and lactate level (P = 0.049), also between syncope or presyncope and carboxy hemoglobin level (P = 0.017). Conclusion CO intoxication in Korean children is most often caused by fire and camping, and at night and in winter. There is a correlation between neurologic symptoms and duration of exposure to CO.

Purpose: Trauma is the leading cause of death and disability in children. We aimed to compare the clinical characteristics of children with trauma and disease. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of children (< 19 years) who visited the emergency department of Pusan National University Hospital from 2016 through 2018. Data on the age, age group, sex, details of trauma or disease, severe trauma or disease (Korean Triage Acuity Scale 1-2), hospitalization rate (overall and intensive care unit [ICU]), hospital length of stay, in-hospital mortality, and the Injury Severity Score were compared between the children with trauma and those with disease. Results: In a total of 10,205 children, 3,028 (29.7%) had trauma. The children with trauma were older than those with disease (median age, 78.5 months [interquartile range, 35.0-165.0] vs. 49.0 [16.0-120.0]; P < 0.001). Boys were more common in the former group than the latter (63.7% vs. 56.3%; P < 0.001). The most common injury mechanism was traffic accident (16.0%), followed by fall and foreign body. The overall hospitalization rate was higher in the children with disease (17.1% vs. 35.9%; P < 0.001). However, the children with trauma underwent more frequent ICU hospitalization, and showed higher in-hospital mortality rate and longer hospital length of stay than those with disease (all P < 0.001). The children with severe trauma showed higher median age, percentage of boys, in-hospital mortality, and ICU hospitalization rate, and longer hospital length of stay than those with severe disease (all P < 0.001). Conclusion Children with trauma tend to be older, and their condition may be more critical in severity than those with disease. This difference is more prominent in those with severe trauma or disease.