BACKGROUND: In recent years, the incidence of obesity increased in Koreans. The main cause suggested is the diet style of Korean changed to that of Western. It has been proved that obesity is a risk factor or an aggravating factor of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, etc. Primary physician has been interested in the correlation of blood pressure with relative body weight and aging. The purpose of this study was to focus on the influence of age and relative body weight on blood pressure. METHODS: Subjects were collected from 2,068 adults who had received Adult Health Examination. That subjects were divided according to age, relative body weight and then the relation of blood pressure with age according to relative body weight and relation with relative body weight according to age were investigated. RESULTS: Systolic blood pressure increased significantly according to age in all male and female three weight groups and then increased significantly according to relative body weight in all male and female three age groups except male seventh decade group. Diastolic blood pressure increased significantly according to age in all male and female three weight groups except male obesity group and then increased significantly according to the relative body weight in all male and female three age groups except male and female seventh decade groups. Systolic blood pressure has higher correlation with age than relative body weight and diastolic blood pressure has higher correlation with relative body weight in male. In female, systolic and diastolic blood pressure have higher correlations with age. CONCLUSIONS: It can be suggested that blood pressure increase significantly according to aging process and relative body weight. These two factors have a little different effects to systolic and diastolic blood pressure according to sex. Relative body weight has more effect to diastolic blood pressure than systolic blood pressure in male.
Adult ; Aging ; Blood Pressure* ; Body Weight ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diet ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Male ; Obesity* ; Risk Factors

Primary fetal hydrothorax presents a wide spectrum of severity ranging from small harmless effusions to life-threatening thoracic compression. Management of this condition is controversial. We experienced a case of non-chylous primary fetal hydrothorax not associated with hydrops or other malformations. A predominantly unilateral hydrothorax in a fetus was diagnosed by sonography at 31 weeks gestation. Repeated ultrasonographic examinations to detect development of hydrops or progression of intrapleural effusion were used to evaluate the need for intrauterine thoracentesis and to decide the optimal time for delivery. Two thoracenteses were performed. The baby was delivered at 34 weeks. Postnatal intubation was carried out in the baby, and then chest tube placement was performed and resulted in the collection of 805ml of serous fluid. Sustained intubation was necessary for 16 days because of developing respiratory distress as a result of prematurity and recurrent pleural fluid accumulation. The baby did well after postnatal evacuation of the intrapleural fluid. Pre and postnatal investigation to find the pathophysiological mechanism leading to hydrothorax were negative. We conclude that non-chylous primary fetal hydrothorax is generally associated with a favorable outcome.
Chest Tubes ; Edema ; Fetus ; Hydrothorax ; Intubation ; Pregnancy

Bee stings can cause various skin reactions that usually resolve over several days; however, in some patients the venom acts as an allergen, causing a severe immunological response such as anaphylaxis. Bee stings can also induce chronic inflammation because the barbed stinging apparatus and venom sacs, along with the nerve plexus, can lodge in the skin. Chronic non-specific low back pain is the most common medical problem for which patients seek complementary and alternative medical treatment, including bee venom acupuncture. Bee venom acupuncture involves injecting diluted bee venom into acupoints and is used for arthritis, pain, and rheumatoid diseases. Here we report a 75-year-old man with acute urticaria and skin eruption with eosinophilia and interstitial pneumonia 6 weeks later after receiving 5 times bee venom acupuncture.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture* ; Aged ; Anaphylaxis ; Arthritis ; Bee Venoms ; Bees* ; Bites and Stings ; Eosinophilia ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Low Back Pain ; Lung Diseases, Interstitial ; Skin ; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome ; Urticaria ; Venoms

A 29-year-old man was admitted to hospital with fever, myalgia, and sore throat. Initial laboratory findings were compatible with acute hepatitis; he was positive for the serologic marker for acute hepatitis A. On the 3rd day of admission, in spite of normalization of body temperature and a reduction in serum liver enzyme levels, serum levels of creatinine phosphokinase had increased up to 16,949 U/L. The patient recovered with supportive therapy and was discharged on the 12th day. We report a case of acute hepatitis A complicated by rhabdomyolysis during hospitalization.
Acute Disease ; Adult ; Alanine Transaminase/blood ; Aspartate Aminotransferases/blood ; Creatine Kinase/blood ; Hepatitis A/complications/*diagnosis ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Male ; Rhabdomyolysis/*diagnosis/etiology

Malignant glioma is the most frequent type in brain tumors. The prognosis of this tumor has not been significantly improved for the past decades and the average survival of patients is less than one year. Thus, an effective novel therapy is urgently needed. TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL), known to have tumor cell-specific killing activity, has been investigated as a novel therapeutic for cancers. We have developed Ad-stTRAIL, an adenovirus delivering secretable trimeric TRAIL for gene therapy and demonstrated the potential to treat malignant gliomas. Currently, this Ad-stTRAIL gene therapy is under phase I clinical trial for malignant gliomas. Here, we report preclinical studies for Ad-stTRAIL carried out using rats. We delivered Ad-stTRAIL intracranially and determined its pharmacokinetics and biodistribution. Most Ad-stTRAIL remained in the delivered site and the relatively low number of viral genomes was detected in the opposite site of brain and cerebrospinal fluid. Similarly, only small portion of the viral particles injected was found in the blood plasma and major organs and tissues, probably due to the brain-blood barrier. Multiple administrations did not lead to accumulation of Ad-stTRAIL at the injection site and organs. Repeated delivery of Ad-stTRAIL did not show any serious side effects. Our data indicate that intracranially delivered Ad-stTRAIL is a safe approach, demonstrating the potential as a novel therapy for treating gliomas.
Adenoviridae/genetics ; Animals ; Blood-Brain Barrier ; Brain/drug effects/*metabolism/pathology ; Brain Neoplasms/genetics/metabolism/pathology/*therapy ; Clinical Trials, Phase I as Topic ; DNA, Viral/metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; *Gene Therapy ; Glioma/genetics/metabolism/pathology/*therapy ; Humans ; Liver/drug effects/metabolism/pathology ; Protein Multimerization/genetics ; Rats ; Spleen/drug effects/metabolism/pathology ; TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand/genetics/*pharmacokinetics

Malignant glioma is the most frequent type in brain tumors. The prognosis of this tumor has not been significantly improved for the past decades and the average survival of patients is less than one year. Thus, an effective novel therapy is urgently needed. TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL), known to have tumor cell-specific killing activity, has been investigated as a novel therapeutic for cancers. We have developed Ad-stTRAIL, an adenovirus delivering secretable trimeric TRAIL for gene therapy and demonstrated the potential to treat malignant gliomas. Currently, this Ad-stTRAIL gene therapy is under phase I clinical trial for malignant gliomas. Here, we report preclinical studies for Ad-stTRAIL carried out using rats. We delivered Ad-stTRAIL intracranially and determined its pharmacokinetics and biodistribution. Most Ad-stTRAIL remained in the delivered site and the relatively low number of viral genomes was detected in the opposite site of brain and cerebrospinal fluid. Similarly, only small portion of the viral particles injected was found in the blood plasma and major organs and tissues, probably due to the brain-blood barrier. Multiple administrations did not lead to accumulation of Ad-stTRAIL at the injection site and organs. Repeated delivery of Ad-stTRAIL did not show any serious side effects. Our data indicate that intracranially delivered Ad-stTRAIL is a safe approach, demonstrating the potential as a novel therapy for treating gliomas.
Adenoviridae/genetics ; Animals ; Blood-Brain Barrier ; Brain/drug effects/*metabolism/pathology ; Brain Neoplasms/genetics/metabolism/pathology/*therapy ; Clinical Trials, Phase I as Topic ; DNA, Viral/metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; *Gene Therapy ; Glioma/genetics/metabolism/pathology/*therapy ; Humans ; Liver/drug effects/metabolism/pathology ; Protein Multimerization/genetics ; Rats ; Spleen/drug effects/metabolism/pathology ; TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand/genetics/*pharmacokinetics

Objectives: . To compare the efficacy and safety of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy with coblation for the treatment of inferior turbinate hypertrophy (ITH). Methods: . In this randomized controlled clinical trial, 20 patients underwent inferior turbinate surgery, which consisted of either HIFU or coblation therapy. Efficacy, safety, and tolerability were evaluated by subjective symptom scores, acoustic rhinometry, and nasal endoscopy. Results: . The modified nasal obstruction symptom evaluation (NOSE) score and nasal obstruction visual analog scale (NO-VAS) significantly decreased in both groups 12 weeks postoperatively. The between-group differences in the evaluation scores were not statistically significant. On nasal endoscopy, the HIFU patients showed improvements in mucosal swelling sooner than the patients undergoing coblation therapy. Nasal crusting significantly increased in the patients undergoing coblation compared to the patients undergoing HIFU therapy until postoperative week 4. Mucosal preservation was superior in the HIFU patients. Although HIFU was less painful than coblation therapy during the procedure, the difference was not significant (4.9 vs. 6.3, P=0.143). The difference in global satisfaction between the two groups was not statistically significant, although satisfaction was slightly higher among the HIFU patients than among the coblation patients (4.6 vs. 4.1, P=0.393). Conclusion . HIFU provided results similar to those of coblation therapy for patients with nasal obstruction due to ITH, but HIFU therapy caused less discomfort during the procedure. HIFU therapy appears to be a good noninvasive alternative to the current surgical modalities for ITH.

This study investigated the plaque removal efficacy of a suction-type sonic toothbrush compared to a conventional manual toothbrush in preschool children aged 30 to 59 months. Using a randomized, double-blind, crossover design with a 2-week washout period, 20 pediatric participants were allocated to two study phases, each using either the suction-type sonic toothbrush or the manual toothbrush with caregiver assistance. The plaque removal effectiveness was assessed through the Silness and Löe plaque index and quantitative light-induced fluorescence values, including ΔR30 and ΔR120 indicators of plaque index. The result showed no statistically significant differences in plaque removal efficacy between the two toothbrushes, although both showed similar improvements. Caregiver feedback revealed high acceptability of the suction-type sonic toothbrush due to its convenience and engaging features, such as a light and suction function, which enhanced the tooth brushing experience. Although limited by the short follow-up period and small sample size, the findings suggest that suction-type sonic toothbrushes may offer practical benefits for young children requiring caregiver assistance.

This study investigated the plaque removal efficacy of a suction-type sonic toothbrush compared to a conventional manual toothbrush in preschool children aged 30 to 59 months. Using a randomized, double-blind, crossover design with a 2-week washout period, 20 pediatric participants were allocated to two study phases, each using either the suction-type sonic toothbrush or the manual toothbrush with caregiver assistance. The plaque removal effectiveness was assessed through the Silness and Löe plaque index and quantitative light-induced fluorescence values, including ΔR30 and ΔR120 indicators of plaque index. The result showed no statistically significant differences in plaque removal efficacy between the two toothbrushes, although both showed similar improvements. Caregiver feedback revealed high acceptability of the suction-type sonic toothbrush due to its convenience and engaging features, such as a light and suction function, which enhanced the tooth brushing experience. Although limited by the short follow-up period and small sample size, the findings suggest that suction-type sonic toothbrushes may offer practical benefits for young children requiring caregiver assistance.

This study investigated the plaque removal efficacy of a suction-type sonic toothbrush compared to a conventional manual toothbrush in preschool children aged 30 to 59 months. Using a randomized, double-blind, crossover design with a 2-week washout period, 20 pediatric participants were allocated to two study phases, each using either the suction-type sonic toothbrush or the manual toothbrush with caregiver assistance. The plaque removal effectiveness was assessed through the Silness and Löe plaque index and quantitative light-induced fluorescence values, including ΔR30 and ΔR120 indicators of plaque index. The result showed no statistically significant differences in plaque removal efficacy between the two toothbrushes, although both showed similar improvements. Caregiver feedback revealed high acceptability of the suction-type sonic toothbrush due to its convenience and engaging features, such as a light and suction function, which enhanced the tooth brushing experience. Although limited by the short follow-up period and small sample size, the findings suggest that suction-type sonic toothbrushes may offer practical benefits for young children requiring caregiver assistance.