Coronary artery involvement remains the most important complication with Kawasaki disease (KD). Additional myocardial injury can be caused by inflammatory response and ischemic event. However, the long-term outcome of myocardial function has not been fully known in KD. The purpose of this study is to evaluate myocardial function in school-aged children who had the past history of KD. Sixty-seven children in the second grade of elementary schools, who had the past history of KD, were included. Echocardiographic measurements of each coronary artery and myocardial function were obtained as the long-term follow-up data, and compared with the baseline data at the time of initial presentation of KD. The mean age of the subjects was 8.6 ± 2.4 years, and 4.3 ± 3.4 years have passed since the diagnosis of KD. Among the echocardiographic data, interventricular septum thickness at end-diastole (IVSd), LV internal diameters at end-systole (LVIDs), maximal velocity of late diastolic filling across mitral valve (mitral A) flow, maximal velocity of early diastolic filling across mitral valve (mitral E)/A ratio, mitral inflow E wave to peak early diastolic tissue velocity (E/E') ratio showed significant differences between the baseline and follow-up measurements. Coronary Z-score of left main artery (LMA), left anterior descending (LAD), and right coronary artery (RCA) showed no significant difference. The school-aged children with the past history of KD may have diastolic dysfunction. Therefore, appropriate assessment of myocardial function would be recommended during the follow-up period in children with KD.
Arteries ; Child* ; Coronary Vessels ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mitral Valve ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome*

The development and standardization of cytologic screening of the uterine cervix has dramatically decreased the prevalence of squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Advances in the understanding of biology of human papillomavirus have contributed to upgrading the histologic diagnosis of the uterine cervix; however, cytologic screening that should triage those that need further management still poses several difficulties in interpretation. Cytologic features of high grade intraepithelial squamous lesion (HSIL) mimics including atrophy, immature metaplasia, and transitional metaplasia, and glandular lesion masquerades including tubal metaplasia and HSIL with glandular involvement are described with accentuation mainly on the differential points. When the cytologic features lie in a gray zone between the differentials, the most important key to the more accurate interpretation is sticking to the very basics of cytology; screening the background and cellular architecture, and then scrutinizing the nuclear and cytoplasmic details.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and assess the compatibility of current risk scoring systems from Japan that were developed to predict intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) resistance in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD). The authors previously investigated another prediction model for patients with refractory KD in Korea. A retrospective study involving 350 patients with KD who were admitted between January 2014 and December 2015 was performed. Patients younger than 2 years were excluded for the propensity score matching in this study. Patients were classified into IVIG responders and IVIG resistance groups. The well-known Harada, Kobayashi, and Egami risk scores were calculated for each patient, and the proportion of high-risk patients was compared between the two groups for each risk score. Logistic regression analysis revealed that platelets, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, and aspartate aminotransferase levels were independent predictors of IVIG resistance. Multivariate analysis suggested that platelets and CRP were risk factors. Risk-scoring systems from Japan have good specificity but low sensitivity. Among the three risk scoring systems, the Kobayashi risk score demonstrated significant differences between the IVIG resistance and IVIG responder groups in Korean patients with KD. It is very important to identify IVIG-resistant patients to protect them from ongoing coronary arterial lesion(s); therefore, early prediction and timely optimal additional treatment is of significant benefit. It would be helpful to construct a highly sensitive, exclusive scoring system for Korean patients with KD.
Aspartate Aminotransferases ; C-Reactive Protein ; Child* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; Japan ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Propensity Score ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Anisakis simplex sensu stricto (s.s.), Anisakis pegreffii, Anisakis berlandi (=A. simplex sp. C), and Anisakis typica are the 4 major species of Anisakis type I larvae. In the Republic of Korea (Korea), A. pegreffii, A. berlandi, and A. typica larvae in fish hosts has seldom been documented. In this study, molecular analysis was performed on Anisakis larvae from the sea eels (Astroconger myriaster), the major source of human anisakiasis in Korea, collected from Tongyeong City, a southern coastal area of Korea. All 20 sea eels examined were infected with Anisakis type I larvae (160 larvae; 8 per fish). Their species were analyzed using PCR-RFLP patterns and nucleotide sequences of internal transcribed spacers (ITS1, 5.8 subunit gene, and ITS2) and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase 2 (cox2). Most (86.8%; 112/129) of the Anisakis type I larvae were A. pegreffii, and 7.8% (10/129) were A. typica. The remaining 5.4% (7/129) was not identified. Thus, A. pegreffii is the major species of anisakid larvae in sea eels of the southern coast of Korea.
Animals ; Anisakiasis/parasitology/*veterinary ; Anisakis/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification ; DNA, Helminth/genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/genetics ; *Eels/growth & development ; Fish Diseases/*parasitology ; Larva/classification/genetics ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Republic of Korea

The increasing prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in the human population in the Republic of Korea (= Korea) is due to various reasons such as an increase in meat consumption. However, the importance of cats in transmitting T. gondii infection through oocysts to humans has seldom been assessed. A total of 300 fecal samples of stray cats captured around Seoul from June to August 2013 were examined for T. gondii B1 gene (indicating the presence of oocysts) using nested-PCR. Fourteen (4.7%) of 300 cats examined were positive for B1 gene. Female cats (7.5%) showed a higher prevalence than male cats (1.4%). Cats younger than 3 months (5.5%) showed a higher prevalence than cats (1.5%) older than 3 months. For laboratory passage of the positive samples, the fecal suspension (0.2 ml) of B1 gene positive cats was orally inoculated into experimental mice. Brain tissues of the mice were obtained after 40 days and examined for the presence of tissue cysts. Two isolates were successfully passaged (designated KNIH-1 and KNIH-2) and were molecularly analyzed using the SAG5D and SAG5E gene sequences. The SAG5D and SAG5E gene sequences showed high homologies with the ME49 strain (less virulent strain). The results indicated the importance of stray cats in transmitting T. gondii to humans in Korea, as revealed by detection of B1 gene in fecal samples. T. gondii isolates from cats were successfully passaged in the laboratory for the first time in Korea.
Animals ; Cat Diseases/diagnosis/epidemiology/*parasitology ; Cats ; Feces/*parasitology ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Protozoan Proteins/genetics ; Seoul/epidemiology ; Toxoplasma/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Toxoplasmosis/epidemiology/parasitology/transmission ; Toxoplasmosis, Animal/diagnosis/epidemiology/*parasitology

The seroprevalence of human toxoplasmosis has been increasing in Korea, and it is controversial whether cats are an important infection source or not. This study was performed to evaluate the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in a high risk group (cat sitters) and to determine the possible importance of cats as an infection source in Korea. Risk factors, including the age, sex, and diet of cat sitters, their contact experience and contact frequency with stray cats, and origin, number, and outdoor activity of their pet cats, were analyzed using structured questionnaires. A total of 673 serum samples from people who have frequent contact with cats (high risk group) and 1,114 samples from general people (low risk group) were examined for specific IgG antibodies against T. gondii by ELISA. The results revealed that the overall seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was 7.4% (n=1,787). The seroprevalence among low risk group was 8.0% (89/1,114), whereas that among high risk group was rather lower 6.4% (43/673), though this difference was statistically not significant (P=0.211). Among the risk factors, only the outdoor activity of pet cats was important; people having cats with outdoor activities revealed 2 times higher seroprevalence than people having cats with only indoor activities (P=0.027). In conclusion, the seroprevalence of T. gondii was not significantly different between the high risk group and low risk group, and the importance of cats as a source of infection in Korea is questionable.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Cats* ; Diet ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Korea* ; Risk Factors* ; Seroepidemiologic Studies* ; Toxoplasma* ; Toxoplasmosis*

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan that can modulate the environment of the infected host. An unfavorable environment modulated by T. gondii in the brain includes tumor microenvironment. Literature has suggested that T. gondii infection is associated with development of brain tumors. However, in Korea, epidemiological data regarding this correlation have been scarce. In this study, in order to investigate the relationship between T. gondii infection and brain tumor development, we investigated the seroprevalence of T. gondii among 93 confirmed brain tumor patients (various histological types, including meningioma and astrocytoma) in Korea using ELISA. The results revealed that T. gondii seropositivity among brain tumor patients (18.3%) was significantly (P<0.05) higher compared with that of healthy controls (8.6%). The seropositivity of brain tumor patients showed a significant age-tendency, i.e., higher in younger age group, compared with age-matched healthy controls (P<0.05). In conclusion, this study supports the close relationship between T. gondii infection and incidence of brain tumors.
Brain Neoplasms* ; Brain* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea* ; Meningioma ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Toxoplasma* ; Tumor Microenvironment

Human taeniases had been not uncommon in the Republic of Korea (=Korea) until the 1980s. The prevalence decreased and a national survey in 2004 revealed no Taenia egg positive cases. However, a subsequent national survey in 2012 showed 0.04% (10 cases) prevalence of Taenia spp. eggs suggesting its resurgence in Korea. We recently encountered 4 cases of Taenia saginata infection who had symptoms of taeniasis that included discharge of proglottids. We obtained several proglottids from each case. Because the morphological features of T. saginata are almost indistinguishable from those of Taenia asiatica, molecular analyses using the PCR-RFLP and DNA sequencing of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) were performed to identify the species. The PCR-RFLP patterns of all of the 4 specimens were consistent with T. saginata, and the cox1 gene sequence showed 99.8-100% identity with that of T. saginata reported previously from Korea, Japan, China, and Cambodia. All of the 4 patients had the history of travel abroad but its relation with contracting taeniasis was unclear. Our findings may suggest resurgence of T. saginata infection among people in Korea.
Adult ; Animals ; Cluster Analysis ; DNA Fingerprinting ; Electron Transport Complex IV/*genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Republic of Korea ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sequence Homology ; Taenia saginata/*classification/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Taeniasis/*diagnosis/*parasitology ; Travel

Adult echinostomes having 37 collar spines collected from the intestine of Pitalah ducks in Aceh Province, Indonesia in 2018 were morphologically and molecularly determined to be Echinostoma miyagawai Ishii, 1932 (Digenea: Echinostomatidae). Among 20 ducks examined, 7 (35.0%) were found to be infected with this echinostome, and the number of flukes collected was 48 in total with average 6.9 (1-17) worms per duck. The adult flukes were 7.2 (6.1-8.5) mm in length and 1.2 (1.0-1.4) mm in width (pre-ovarian or testicular level) and characterized by having a head collar armed with 37 collar spines (dorsal spines arranged in 2 alternating rows), including 5 end group spines, and variable morphology of the testes, irregularly or deeply lobed (3-5 lobes) at times with horizontal extension. The eggs within the worm uterus were 93 (79-105) µm long and 62 (56-70) µm wide. These morphological features were consistent with both E. miyagawai and Echinostoma robustum, for which synonymy to each other has been raised. Sequencing of 2 mitochondrial genes, cox1 and nad1, revealed high homology with E. miyagawai (98.6-100% for cox1 and 99.0-99.8% for nad1) and also with E. robustum (99.3-99.8% for nad1) deposited in GenBank. We accepted the synonymy between the 2 species and diagnosed our flukes as E. miyagawai (syn. E. robustum) with redescription of its morphology. Further studies are required to determine the biological characteristics of E. miyagawai in Aceh Province, Indonesia, including the intermediate host and larval stage information.

Purpose: The survey was conducted on Korean men to examine information acquisition channel for prostate cancer high risk group as part of the “Blue Ribbon Campaign” of the Korean Urological Oncology Society. Materials and Methods: An online survey of 500 men aged 50 years old or older was completed to query investigation of the status of prostate cancer awareness and information acquisition from February 4 to February 9, 2021. Results: Most men in their 50s and older are well aware that prostate cancer can also occur in young men in their 40s, so the rate of misunderstanding of the timing of prostate cancer screening after their 60s is very low. Two-thirds of all respondents (67.2%) were also confirmed that prostate cancer had no initial symptoms and was not included in the national cancer screening. Seventy-five percent of people look up information on their own in case of suspected prostate cancer, and 51.6% seek out knowledge on their own to prevent prostate cancer. Of the respondents, 27.4% of men contacted prostate cancer-related information within the past year, and the percentage of people contacted through ‘Internet/Phone,’ ‘People Around’ and ‘Television’ was high. The most trusted channel among prostate cancer information channels was ‘medical professionals,’ but the experience rate was not high, and the channel with high experience rate and reliability was shown as ‘television.’ Conclusions Much effort is still needed to understand the information acquisition behavior of Korean men and to improve awareness of early screening for prostate cancer.