PURPOSE: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) stimulates angiogenesis and vascular permeability. Tissue damage is related to angiogenesis, and induced by a delay in neutrophil apoptosis. This study was performed to investigate the effect of VEGF on the spontaneous neutrophil apoptosis via the activation of VEGFR-1 and phosphorylation of the p38-MAPK pathway. METHODS: Neutrophils were prepared from 10 healthy young donors, cultured for 20 h, and the apoptosis measured by the morphological changes and flow cytometry. The VEGF receptor expression and phosphorylation of mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) were measured using a Western blotting method. RESULTS: VEGF dose-dependently delayed the spontaneous neutrophil apoptosis, but this effect was blocked by pre-treatment of the cells with a VEGF receptor antagonist. VEGF increased the phosphorylated forms of the extracellular stress related kinase (Erk) and p38-MAPK. However, the VEGF-induced delay in apoptosis was not affected by the Erk inhibitor, PD98059 but was affected by the p38- MAPK inhibitor, SB203580. The VEGF receptor-1, but not the VEGF receptor-2, was detected in neutrophils, but its level was reduced in cultured neutrophils. CONCLUSION: VEGF delays neutrophil apoptosis through p38- MAPK activation.
Apoptosis* ; Blotting, Western ; Capillary Permeability ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Neutrophils* ; Phosphorylation ; Phosphotransferases ; Protein Kinases ; Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor ; Tissue Donors ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1

BACKGROUND: South Korea has the fastest growing aging population in the world, and older people require more healthcare services. Unmet healthcare needs still exist in Korea due to several complex reasons. This study aimed to evaluate the factors associated with unmet healthcare needs of the older Korean population. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 1,194 older adults, aged 65 years and older, who participated in the Seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2017. Sociodemographic factors, lifestyle and health status, comorbidity, and unmet healthcare needs were included in this study's analysis. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between unmet healthcare needs and other factors. RESULTS: The prevalence of unmet healthcare needs in this study population was 7.8%. After adjusting for age, sex, education level, household income, living alone, private health insurance, regular walking, body mass index, unintended weight loss, and osteoarthritis, women (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.921; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.061–3.479) and unintended weight loss (aOR, 2.218; 95% CI, 1.105–4.453) were more likely to have unmet healthcare needs than their counterparts. The group with general obesity (aOR, 1.691; 95% CI, 1.015–2.816) was more likely to have unmet healthcare needs than the group with normal body mass index. CONCLUSIONS: Among the older Korean population, being a woman, general obesity, and unintended weight loss may be risk factors for unmet healthcare needs.
Adult ; Aging ; Body Mass Index ; Comorbidity ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Delivery of Health Care ; Education ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Humans ; Insurance, Health ; Korea ; Life Style ; Logistic Models ; Needs Assessment ; Nutrition Surveys ; Obesity ; Odds Ratio ; Osteoarthritis ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Walking ; Weight Loss

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine whether lifestyle-related factors are associated with obesity in a selected sample of young Korean women. METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 822 women aged 19–39 years who participated in the Seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2016. Obesity status was defined as general and abdominal obesity. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between lifestyle-related factors and obesity status. RESULTS: The prevalence of obesity was 20.3% for general obesity and 17.4% for abdominal obesity. There were negative associations between the energy intake/body weight ratio and general and abdominal obesity. High-risk drinking was significantly associated with general obesity (adjusted odds ratio, 1.747; 95% confidence interval, 1.112–2.745), but was not associated with abdominal obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Among young Korean women aged 19–39 years, high-risk drinking may be a risk factor for general obesity.
Alcohol Drinking ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Drinking ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style ; Logistic Models ; Nutrition Surveys ; Obesity ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: South Korea has the fastest growing aging population in the world, and older people require more healthcare services. Unmet healthcare needs still exist in Korea due to several complex reasons. This study aimed to evaluate the factors associated with unmet healthcare needs of the older Korean population. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 1,194 older adults, aged 65 years and older, who participated in the Seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2017. Sociodemographic factors, lifestyle and health status, comorbidity, and unmet healthcare needs were included in this study's analysis. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between unmet healthcare needs and other factors. RESULTS: The prevalence of unmet healthcare needs in this study population was 7.8%. After adjusting for age, sex, education level, household income, living alone, private health insurance, regular walking, body mass index, unintended weight loss, and osteoarthritis, women (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.921; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.061–3.479) and unintended weight loss (aOR, 2.218; 95% CI, 1.105–4.453) were more likely to have unmet healthcare needs than their counterparts. The group with general obesity (aOR, 1.691; 95% CI, 1.015–2.816) was more likely to have unmet healthcare needs than the group with normal body mass index. CONCLUSIONS Among the older Korean population, being a woman, general obesity, and unintended weight loss may be risk factors for unmet healthcare needs.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine whether lifestyle-related factors are associated with obesity in a selected sample of young Korean women. METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 822 women aged 19–39 years who participated in the Seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2016. Obesity status was defined as general and abdominal obesity. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between lifestyle-related factors and obesity status. RESULTS: The prevalence of obesity was 20.3% for general obesity and 17.4% for abdominal obesity. There were negative associations between the energy intake/body weight ratio and general and abdominal obesity. High-risk drinking was significantly associated with general obesity (adjusted odds ratio, 1.747; 95% confidence interval, 1.112–2.745), but was not associated with abdominal obesity. CONCLUSIONS Among young Korean women aged 19–39 years, high-risk drinking may be a risk factor for general obesity.

BACKGROUND: We have experienced sporadic cases of nosocomial bacteremia/sepsis due to contaminated rubber caps of intravenous (IV) fluid bottles from May through August in 1996. We investigated the possible sources of the infections, and developed the measures to control this type of nosocomial infections. METHODS: During initial investigation of an outbreak of sporadic nosocomial bacteremia we could not found possible sources of infections from medical care providers. However, some rubber caps of IV fluid bottles showed water drops on top of them, and were suspected as possible sources of the infection. A total of 95 caps including 50 wet caps and 45 dry caps, were randomly selected from nursing stations and pharmacy receiving area for culture. We also investigated if routine disinfection methods were effective to sterilize the contaminated caps as follows; twenty of 50 wet caps were randomly selected and were divided into 2 groups. Caps of one group were disinfected with 70% isopropanol alcohol wipes and the other with 70% isopropanol alcohol wipes plus Betadine. All caps were subjected to culture before and after disinfections. Cultures were performed on blood agar plate after inoculating by using swab. RESULTS: The result of culture showed that 128 of 50(56%) wet caps were contaminated by Burkholderia picketti, Pseudomonas species, glucose-nonfermenting bacilli, Acinetobacter lowffii and Alkaligenes species. One of 45 (2.2%) dry caps grew Burkholderia picketti and Pseudomonas species. Both 70% isopropanol alcohol and 70% isopropanol alcohol plus povidone-iodine (Betadine) wipes terilized contaminated caps effectively when they were used for disinfecting caps. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that wet caps of IV fluid bottles are indicative of possible contamination by microorganisms. And use of alcohol wipe and/or Betadine to disinfect ontaminated caps at time preparing for infusion of IV fluids can be one of effective sterilization methods.
2-Propanol ; Acinetobacter ; Agar ; Bacteremia* ; Burkholderia ; Cross Infection ; Disinfection ; Nursing Stations ; Pharmacy ; Povidone-Iodine ; Pseudomonas ; Rubber* ; Sterilization ; Water

Congenital epulis is a rare benign tumor occurring on the anterior maxillary gingiva, also known as granular cell tumor of the newborn or Neumann's tumor, which is seen only in the newborn and is different from other granular cell tumors. Congenital epulis occurs exclusively in female newborns eight to ten fold higher than in males. It can protrude out of the newborn's mouth to prevent normal closure of mouth and interfere with respiration or feeding. The treatment of choice for large symptomatic epulis is simple surgical resection. Wide surgical excision is not required, because no recurrences have been reported. This report describes a case of congenital epulis occurring on the mandibular gingiva, and typical immunohistochemical stain findings.
Female ; Gingiva ; Gingival Diseases ; Gingival Neoplasms ; Granular Cell Tumor ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Mouth ; Recurrence ; Respiration

BACKGROUNDS: Assessment of the presence and degree of reversibility of airflow obstruction is clinically important in patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The measurement of peak expiratory flow(PEF) is a simple, fast, and cheap method to assess the severity of obstruction and its degree of reversibility. Assessing the reversibility of airflow obstruction by peak expiratory flow(PEF) measurements would be is practicable in general practice, but its usefulness has not been well investigated. We compared PEF and FEV1 in assessing reversibility of airflow obstruction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma and developed a practical criterion for assessing the presence of reversibility in general practice. METHODS: PEF measurements were performed (Spirometry) in 80 patients(aged 24-78) with a history of asthma or chronic obstructive lung disease before and after the inhalation of 200 mg salbutamol. The change in PEF was compared with the change in forced expiratory volume in one second(FEV1). Reversible airflow obstruction was analysed analyzed according to American Thoracic Society(ATS) criteria. RESULTS: When defined as a 12% A 12% increase above the prebronchodilator value and a 200ml increase in either FVC or FEV1 reversibility was were observed in 45%(36) of the patients. Relative operating characteristic(ROC) analysis showed that an absolute improvement in PEF of 30l/min gave optimal discrimination between patients with reversible and irreversible airflow obstruction(the sensitivity and specificity of an increase of 30l/min in detecting a 12% increase above the prebronchodilator value and a 200ml increase in either FVC or FEV1 were 72.2% and 72.7% respectively, with a positive predictive value of 68.4%) CONCLUSIONS: Absolute changes in PEF can be used to diagnose reversible airflow obstruction.
Albuterol ; Asthma ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; General Practice ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive

PURPOSE: With the increasing use of antenatal sonography, fetal hydronephrosis has been reported more frequently. But, despite extensive clinical and scientific research much controversy still exists about the assessment and management of hydronephrosis. We performed a retrospective study to determine the frequency of associated malformations and chromosomal defects in prenatally diagnosed hydronephrosis. METHODS: The records of 297 neonates who were diagnosed with hydronephrosis through antenatal ultrasonographic screening, were retrospectively analyzed. They were confirmed at 3 days to 1 month after birth with postnatal ultrasonography in Busan Paik Hospital, between January 2000 and December 2008. We karyotyped 297 neonates after ultrasonographic examination revealed hydronephrosis and malformations. RESULTS: Chromosomal abnormalities were detected in 31 (11%) cases of 297 cases and more common in female than male. The commonest chromosomal abnormality was trisomy 21, followed by Turner syndrome, deletion of autosome, unbalanced translocation. 127 cases in 109 infants had associated malformations such as urogenital and cardiovascular and gastrointestinal anomalies. The associated malformations were more common in moderate to severe hydronephrosis than mild and the number of additional abnormalities increased with the chromosomal defects. CONCLUSION: Particular attention should be paid for the cases in congenital hydronephrosis with any associated malformation such as urogenital and cardiac malformation, to investigate chromosomal abnormalities. This will enable clinicians to establish appropriate management and postnatal care.
Chromosome Aberrations ; Down Syndrome ; Female ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Parturition ; Postnatal Care ; Retrospective Studies ; Turner Syndrome

Tracheal rupture is a rare complication of tracheal intubation, but may result in pneumothorax, mediastinal emphysema, subcutaneous emphysema and other serious outcomes. Risk factors associated with tracheobronchial rupture include multiple vigorous attempts at intubation, inexperienced operator, intubating stylets, tracheal abnormalities, overdistension of tracheal or bronchial cuff, repositioning of tube without deflating the cuff, chronic obstructive airway disease and vigorous coughing while being intubated. We report a case of tracheal rupture after using single lumen endotracheal tube. A 41-year-old, 53 kg, female was operated for a repair of anterior cruciate ligament under general anesthesia in other hospital. Two hours later after the end of operation, facial swelling, dyspnea and chest pain developed. Chest computed tomography showed mediastinal emphysema. She was transferred to our hospital and bronchoscopy showed a rupture at posterior part of membranous portion 2 cm proximal to carina. Trachea was repaired and she was discharged from the hospital without complication.
Adult ; Anesthesia, General ; Anterior Cruciate Ligament ; Bronchoscopy ; Chest Pain ; Cough ; Dyspnea ; Emphysema ; Female ; Humans ; Intubation ; Mediastinal Emphysema ; Pneumothorax ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; Risk Factors ; Rupture* ; Subcutaneous Emphysema ; Thorax ; Trachea