BACKGROUND: Implantation of xenogenic chromaffin cells into the spinal subarachnoid space can produce analgesia in neuropathic pain models. However, transplantation of xenogeneic chromaffin cell has a potential risk of viral or bacterial infections from animals to humans including encephalopathy due to prion transmission. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of developing a homogeneic source of therapeutic chromaffin cells. METHODS: Anti-allodynic effects of human chromaffin cells (HCCs) were evaluated in a neuropathic pain model in rats induced by chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve. HCCs encapsulated with alginate-poly-L-lysine-alginate were intrathecally implanted into rats (n = 10), while empty capsules were intrathecally implanted as a control (n = 8). Levels of norepinephrine from encapsulated HCCs before and after nicotinic stimulation were measured. We then perfomed a behavior test (cold allodynia) with acetone. In addition, to assess the potential contribution to pain reduction of opioid peptides released from the HCCs, all animals were injected with naloxone. RESULTS: The concentration of norepinephrine after nicotine stimulation was significantly increased compared to basal levels. Intrathecal implantation of encapsulated HCCs, significantly reduced cold allodynia as compared to rats receiving empty capsules (P < 0.05). Fifteen minutes after the injection of naloxone, cold allodynia significantly decreased in rats with HCCs (P < 0.05), while the degree of cold allodynia in control animals was unaltered. CONCLUSIONS: From these results, it appears that HCCs have a possibility as an analgesic source for transplants delivering pain-reducing neuroactive substances.
Acetone ; Analgesia ; Analgesics ; Animals ; Bacterial Infections ; Capsules ; Chromaffin Cells ; Cold Temperature ; Constriction ; Humans ; Hyperalgesia ; Naloxone ; Neuralgia ; Nicotine ; Norepinephrine ; Opioid Peptides ; Rats ; Sciatic Nerve ; Subarachnoid Space ; Transplants

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between stress and oral symptoms, and quality of life in university students. This survey was performed on 452 university students in the Daejeon area. The research was conducted during 2 weeks in June 2016 using a self-reported questionnaire. The data were analyzed by PASW Statistics ver. 18.0. According to the findings of the study, higher levels of stress were detected in girls than in boys (p<0.05). Stress had a significant impact on the symptoms of dry mouth, bad breath, and temporomandibular pain (p<0.05). The high-stress group experienced a negative impact on oral impacts on daily performance (OIDP) scores as compared to the group with lower stress. Stress had a significantly positive correlation with dry mouth, bad breath, temporomandibular joint (TMJ). OIDP was a significant positive correlation with dry mouth, bad breath, TMJ and stress. The findings of the study showed that stress exerted a significant influence on the oral symptoms and quality of life in university student.
Female ; Humans ; Mouth ; Oral Health* ; Quality of Life* ; Temporomandibular Joint

Purpose: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) has been the mainstay of central precocious puberty (CPP) treatment for decades, but few reports have compared the efficacy of 1-month and 3-month depot GnRHa formulations. This study investigates the short-term efficacy of 1-month and 3-month GnRHa depots in girls with CPP. Methods: Overall, 150 girls with CPP were included in a retrospective review of medical records. Subjects in group 1 (n=105) were treated with 1-month GnRHa depots for ≥12 months, and those in group 2 (n=45) were treated with 1-month GnRHa depots for 6 months followed by 3-month GnRHa depots for ≥6 months. Anthropometric and biochemical data were compared between the groups at 3-time points (after 0, 6, and 12 months of GnRHa treatment). Results: Demographic and clinical characteristics did not differ between the groups at baseline or after 6 months of GnRHa treatment. After 12 months of GnRHa treatment, patients in the both groups showed no difference in bone age (BA), chronological age (CA), BA–CA difference, height standard deviation score (SDS) for CA and BA, or body mass index SDS for CA and BA. The sexual maturity rate of the breast was prepubertal at 12 months in most of subjects. GnRH-stimulated luteinizing hormone (LH) level was suppressed during GnRHa treatment in both groups at 6 and 12 months, although the LH level in group 2 was higher than that in group 1. Conclusion Treating CPP with a 3-month GnRHa depot showed short-term efficacy comparable to that with a 1-month depot in anthropometric parameters and pubertal suppression.

Background: Dietary supplements (DS) use is known to be common among cancer survivors. However, detailed information on the factors influencing DS use seems insufficient, including cancer-related and psychological factors. Methods: Study subjects were 1,852 Korean adult cancer survivors recruited from cancer survivor clinic of two university-affiliated hospitals. Data were collected retrospectively through review of medical records and self-administered questionnaires. Psychological factors were assessed using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory-Short Form. Factors associated the DS use were evaluated by multiple logistic regression analysis after adjusting for covariates. Results: The prevalence of long-term DS use was 15.7% in overall (17.5% in female and 11.6% in male). Female survivors were 3.14 times (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.89–5.22) more likely to use DS than male. In male cancer survivors, ever-smoking and previous radiotherapy were positively associated with DS use. In females, breast cancer survivors were 0.32 times less likely to use DS compared with stomach cancer survivors, and survivors with family history of cancer were 1.39 times more likely to use DS than those without. After adjusting for sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors, survivors with anxiety (HADS ≥8) used DS 1.38 times (95% CI, 1.01–1.91) more frequently, compared with those without anxiety. Conclusion Diverse factors such as female sex, cancer treatment modality, smoking history, family history and anxiety status were associated with DS use in Korean cancer survivors. Targeted strategies with consideration of these factors are needed for counseling DS use for cancer survivors.

Purpose: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) has been the mainstay of central precocious puberty (CPP) treatment for decades, but few reports have compared the efficacy of 1-month and 3-month depot GnRHa formulations. This study investigates the short-term efficacy of 1-month and 3-month GnRHa depots in girls with CPP. Methods: Overall, 150 girls with CPP were included in a retrospective review of medical records. Subjects in group 1 (n=105) were treated with 1-month GnRHa depots for ≥12 months, and those in group 2 (n=45) were treated with 1-month GnRHa depots for 6 months followed by 3-month GnRHa depots for ≥6 months. Anthropometric and biochemical data were compared between the groups at 3-time points (after 0, 6, and 12 months of GnRHa treatment). Results: Demographic and clinical characteristics did not differ between the groups at baseline or after 6 months of GnRHa treatment. After 12 months of GnRHa treatment, patients in the both groups showed no difference in bone age (BA), chronological age (CA), BA–CA difference, height standard deviation score (SDS) for CA and BA, or body mass index SDS for CA and BA. The sexual maturity rate of the breast was prepubertal at 12 months in most of subjects. GnRH-stimulated luteinizing hormone (LH) level was suppressed during GnRHa treatment in both groups at 6 and 12 months, although the LH level in group 2 was higher than that in group 1. Conclusion Treating CPP with a 3-month GnRHa depot showed short-term efficacy comparable to that with a 1-month depot in anthropometric parameters and pubertal suppression.

Background: Dietary supplements (DS) use is known to be common among cancer survivors. However, detailed information on the factors influencing DS use seems insufficient, including cancer-related and psychological factors. Methods: Study subjects were 1,852 Korean adult cancer survivors recruited from cancer survivor clinic of two university-affiliated hospitals. Data were collected retrospectively through review of medical records and self-administered questionnaires. Psychological factors were assessed using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory-Short Form. Factors associated the DS use were evaluated by multiple logistic regression analysis after adjusting for covariates. Results: The prevalence of long-term DS use was 15.7% in overall (17.5% in female and 11.6% in male). Female survivors were 3.14 times (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.89–5.22) more likely to use DS than male. In male cancer survivors, ever-smoking and previous radiotherapy were positively associated with DS use. In females, breast cancer survivors were 0.32 times less likely to use DS compared with stomach cancer survivors, and survivors with family history of cancer were 1.39 times more likely to use DS than those without. After adjusting for sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors, survivors with anxiety (HADS ≥8) used DS 1.38 times (95% CI, 1.01–1.91) more frequently, compared with those without anxiety. Conclusion Diverse factors such as female sex, cancer treatment modality, smoking history, family history and anxiety status were associated with DS use in Korean cancer survivors. Targeted strategies with consideration of these factors are needed for counseling DS use for cancer survivors.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate ChatGPT’s performance accuracy in responding to questions from the national dentalhygienist examination. Moreover, through an analysis of ChatGPT’s incorrect responses, this research intended to pinpoint the predominant types of errors. Methods: To evaluate ChatGPT-3.5’s performance according to the type of national examination questions, the researchers classified 200 questions of the 49th National Dental Hygienist Examination into recall, interpretation, and solving type questions. The researchers strategically modified the questions to counteract potential misunderstandings from implied meanings or technical terminology in Korea. To assess ChatGPT-3.5’s problem-solving capabilities in applying previously acquired knowledge, the questions were first converted to subjective type. If ChatGPT-3.5 generated an incorrect response, an original multiple-choice framework was provided again. Two hundred questions were input into ChatGPT-3.5 and the generated responses were analyzed.After using ChatGPT, the accuracy of each response was evaluated by researchers according to the types of questions, and the types of incorrect responses were categorized (logical, information, and statistical errors). Finally, hallucination was evaluated when ChatGPT provided misleading information by answering something that was not true as if it were true. Results: ChatGPT’s responses to the national examination were 45.5% accurate. Accuracy by question type was 60.3% for recall and 13.0% for problem-solving type questions. The accuracy rate for the subjective solving questions was 13.0%, while the accuracy for the objective questions increased to 43.5%. The most common types of incorrect responses were logical errors 65.1% of all. Of the total 102 incorrectly answered questions, 100 were categorized as hallucinations. Conclusion ChatGPT-3.5 was found to be limited in its ability to provide evidence-based correct responses to the Korean nationaldental hygiene examination. Therefore, dental hygienists in the education or clinical fields should be careful to use artificial intelligence-generated materials with a critical view.

OBJECTIVE: Inflammation is crucial to limiting vascular disease. Previously we reported that acrolein, a known toxin in tobacco smoke, might play an important role in the progression of atherosclerosis via an inflammatory response involving cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and prostaglandin production in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Curcumin has been known to improve vascular function and have anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we investigated whether curcumin prevents the induction of inflammatory response caused by acrolein. METHODS: Anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin were examined in acrolein-stimulated HUVECs. Induction of proteins, mRNA, prostaglandin and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured using immunoblot analysis, real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry, respectively. RESULTS: Curcumin attenuates inflammatory response via inhibition of COX-2 expression and prostaglandin production in acrolein-induced human endothelial cells. This inhibition by curcumin results in the abolition of phosphorylation of protein kinase C, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, and cAMP response element-binding protein. Furthermore, curcumin suppresses the production of ROS and endoplasmic reticulum stress via phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor-2α caused by acrolein. CONCLUSION These results suggest that curcumin might be a useful agent against endothelial dysfunction caused by acrolein-induced inflammatory response.

The neurofibroma in oral cavity is typically associated with neurofibromatosis. The solitary neurofibroma is commonly observed in skin. It is relatively rare in oral cavity and usually observed in the tongue, buccal mucosa, and vestibule. The rare types of solitary neurofibromas have been reported as a case report and they were in the inferior alveolar nerve, infratemporal fossa, maxilla, and palatal ginviva. In our hospital, the presented case was the first case as reported as solitary neurofibroma in the oral cavity. The prognosis after excision and the review of literatures were presented.
Mandibular Nerve ; Maxilla ; Mouth ; Mouth Mucosa ; Neurofibroma* ; Neurofibromatoses ; Prognosis ; Skin ; Tongue

PURPOSE: The study aims to classify schools based on traffic pollutants and their complex sources, to assess the environment, to determine the state of allergic diseases among students using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in children (ISAAC) questionnaire, and to assess their connection to air pollutants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of seven schools were divided into three categories according to the characteristics of their surrounding environments: three schools in traffic-related zones, two schools in complex source zones I (urban), and two schools in complex source zones II (industrial complex). ISAAC questionnaires were administered and the 4404 completed questionnaires were analyzed. RESULTS: The frequency of asthma treatment during the past 12 months showed a significant increase (p<0.05) with exposure to NO2 [1.67, 95% confidence intervals (CIs) 1.03-2.71] in the complex source zones. The frequency of allergic rhinitis treatment during the past 12 months increased significantly with exposure to Black Carbon (1.60, 95% CIs 1.36-1.90) (p<0.001), SO2 (1.09, 95% CIs 1.01-1.17) (p<0.05), NO2 (1.18, 95% CIs 1.07-1.30) (p<0.01) for all subjects. CONCLUSION: In terms of supporting children's health, care, and prevention related to major spaces for children, such as school zones, spaces used in coming to and leaving school, playgrounds, and classrooms are essential to ensuring not only the safety of children from traffic accidents but also their protection from local traffic pollutants and various hazardous environmental factors.
Adolescent ; Air Pollutants/*adverse effects ; Air Pollution/*adverse effects ; Asthma/chemically induced/*epidemiology/*etiology ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; *Environmental Exposure ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial/chemically induced/*epidemiology ; Schools ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Vehicle Emissions/analysis/toxicity