BACKGROUND: This study was performed to develop a dietary self-efficacy questionnaire and to determine how dietary self-efficacy is related to selected biochemical markers and health-related quality of life in hemodialysis patients. METHODS: Participants included 172 patients who had been participating in a dialysis program for at least 6 months at two teaching hospitals. A questionnaire was used to assess socio-demographic factors, dialysis-related factors, dietary self-efficacy, and kidney disease quality of life (KDQOL). Serum levels of potassium and phosphorus and interdialytic weight gain were also measured. RESULTS: The internal reliability of dietary self-efficacy was 0.944 (Cronbach's alpha). Principal component analysis resulted in two factors, situational self-efficacy of compliance with dietary guidelines and self-efficacy of food choice. The correlation analysis showed a significant association between situational self-efficacy of compliance with dietary guidelines and serum potassium and KIDQOL. The average scores of situational self-efficacy of compliance with dietary guidelines and self-efficacy of food choice in the participants were 3.52+/-0.72 and 3.61+/-0.71 respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the situational self-efficacy of compliance with dietary guidelines was significantly associated with serum potassium level and KDQOL and self-efficacy of food choice was significantly associated with KDQOL. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our results, the developed dietary self-efficacy questionnaire may be a suitable survey tool for hemodialysis patients, which can play a role in predicting clinical indicators of patient and health-related quality of life. We recommend further research into clarifying whether the positive effects of increased dietary self-efficacy is maintained in long-term dialysis patients.
Biomarkers ; Compliance ; Dialysis ; Diet ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Humans ; Kidney Diseases ; Linear Models ; Phosphorus ; Potassium ; Principal Component Analysis ; Quality of Life ; Renal Dialysis ; Self Efficacy ; Weight Gain

BACKGROUND: The Multiplate analyzer (Dynabyte GmbH) has been recently introduced as a platelet function test for patients taking antiplatelet drugs. The study aimed at providing basic data for determining the reference interval of parameters produced by Multiplate in Koreans and to study the factors that influence those parameters. METHODS: Blood was collected from 35 healthy volunteers (female 18, male 17) into tubes containing hirudin or 3.2% sodium citrate. Whole blood platelet aggregations triggered by adenosine-5'-diphosphate (ADP), ADP-high sensitive (ADP+PGE1 only in hirudin samples), arachidonic acid (AA), collagen or thrombin receptor activator peptide (TRAP) were investigated using Multiplate according to the manufacturer's instructions. Data from healthy volunteers for the area under the curve (AUC) were determined from the central 95th percentile of the results. RESULTS: The values of AUC in hirudin samples for all agonists were significantly higher than those in sodium citrate samples. The AUC values in hirudin (sodium citrate) samples were as follows: ADP 38-107 (18-119) U; ADP+PGE1 16-91 U; AA 64-156 (32-117) U; collagen 53-112 (26-108) U; and TRAP 81-163 (49-149) U. The parameters from Multiplate were significantly correlated with leukocyte counts, but not with hematocrit levels. CONCLUSIONS: Although our data were derived from only 35 subjects, the results are expected to be helpful in determining the reference interval at a single institute and may serve as basic data for future cumulative data of reference intervals from multiple institutes in Korea.
Academies and Institutes ; Adenosine Diphosphate ; Arachidonic Acid ; Area Under Curve ; Blood Platelets ; Citrates ; Citric Acid ; Collagen ; Hematocrit ; Hirudins ; Humans ; Korea ; Leukocyte Count ; Male ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; Platelet Function Tests ; Receptors, Thrombin ; Sodium

BACKGROUND: More attention is given to oxidative hypothesis which causes atherosclerosis to be recognized as inflammatory response. The relationship between serum ferritin which catalyzes lipid peroxidation and high sensitivity C-reactive protein which reflects vascular inflammation was investigated among adults in a health promotion center. METHODS: The study group consisted of 297 men and women (men 86, women 211) who visited the health promotion center of a hospital in Seoul to have a health checkup from October 1, 2004 to April 1, 2005. These subjects answered the questionnares and were measured in the following; blood tests, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity and several anthropometric measurements. Statistical analysis was performed on 111 subjects after exclusion of those subjects who were taking antihypertensive agents or antidiabetic agents, and who had acute inflammatory diseases, acute liver diseases, anemia, and who had a WBC > or =11,000x10(3)/mm3 or a serum ferritin > or =200 ug/L or a ABI (Ankle Brachial Index) <0.9. RESULTS: The average serum ferritin concentration of men against women was 132.57+/-43.12 ng/ml to 78.23+/-38.10 ng/ml which means that men have about 1.7 times as high concentration than women (P<0.001). Serum ferritin was significantly correlated with high sensitivity C-reactive protein (r=0.332). Even in multiple stepwise regression analysis, there was a independent relationship between serum ferritin and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (beta=0.138, P=0.010). When we analyzed with distinction of sex, this relationship in women was constant (beta=0.131, P=0.031), but serum ferritin in men just showed the trend of correlation with BMI (beta=9.510, P=0.059). CONCLUSION: There is a significant relationship between the increase of serum ferritin and high sensitivity C-reactive protein in healthy women; furthermore, studies in men need to be confirmed.
Acute Disease ; Adult ; Anemia ; Antihypertensive Agents ; Atherosclerosis ; C-Reactive Protein ; Female ; Ferritins ; Health Promotion ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; Inflammation ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Liver Diseases ; Male ; Oxidative Stress ; Pulse Wave Analysis

During childhood, meningioma is an uncommon tumor, and in infants, extracranial meningioma is very rare. We report a case of primary cutaneous menigioma occurring on the scalp of a ten-month-old girl.
Female ; Humans ; Infant* ; Meningioma* ; Scalp*

OBJECTIVES: On September 2, 2010 and November 25, 2011, the Korean Research Project on Integrated Exposure Assessment to Hazardous Materials for Food Safety (KRIEFS) organized two international symposia in Seoul, Korea. KRIEFS, established by the Korean Food and Drug Administration in March 2010, envisioned these international symposia as means to obtain advanced experiences from other countries and to reflect on and refine the KRIEFS's survey design and methods. METHODS: For the first symposium KRIEFS invited human biomonitoring (HBM) experts from Germany, the US, and Canada. The visiting HBM experts shared the details of their national studies while the KRIEFS discussed study design, as well as the methods, results and policymaking processes of the KRIEFS project. The second symposium was organized to share the survey design and results on endocrine disruptors from Taiwan. RESULTS: The Speaker from Germany introduced the German Environmental Survey and shared their experiences in HBM design, such as the process of developing reference values, and discussed the new HBM plan in Germany and the European Union. The Representative from Canada shared insights from national HBM approach. In the case of the US, the speaker focused on risk communication with subjects in epidemiological studies. In the second international symposium, the speaker shared the experience of endocrine disruptors'studies from Taiwan. CONCLUSIONS: KRIEFS was able to better understand previous nationwide HBM research designs, policy making process, and risk communication with research subjects.
Canada ; Cohort Studies ; Endocrine Disruptors ; Epidemiologic Studies ; European Union ; Food Safety ; Germany ; Hazardous Substances ; Humans ; Korea ; Policy Making ; Reference Values ; Research Design ; Research Subjects ; United States Food and Drug Administration

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: It is known that the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the brain could regulate cognitive functions as well as blood pressure. Inhibition of RAS for the improvement of cognitive function may be a new strategy, but studies so far have mostly reported on the effects of RAS inhibition by drugs, and there is no research on cognitive improvement through RAS inhibition of food ingredients. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of curcumin on blood pressure and cognitive function and its related mechanism in spontaneously hypertensive rat/Izm (SHR/Izm).MATERIALS/METHODS: Six-week-old SHR/Izm rats were divided into 5 groups: control group (CON), scopolamine group (SCO, drug for inducing cognitive deficits), positive control (SCO and tacrine [TAC]), curcumin 100 group (CUR100, SCO + Cur 100 mg/kg), and curcumin 200 group (CUR200, SCO + Cur 200 mg/kg). Changes in blood pressure, RAS, cholinergic system, and cognitive function were compared before and after cognitive impairment. RESULTS: The SCO group showed increased blood pressure and significantly reduced cognitive function based on the y-maze and passive avoidance test. Curcumin treatments significantly improved blood pressure and cognitive function compared with the SCO group.In both the CUR100 and CUR200 groups, the mRNA expressions of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and angiotensin II receptor type1 (AT1), as well as the concentrations of angiotensin II (Ang II) in brain tissue were significantly decreased. The mRNA expression of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) and acetylcholine (ACh) content was significantly increased, compared with the SCO group. CONCLUSIONS The administration of curcumin improved blood pressure and cognitive function in SCO-induced hypertensive mice, indicating that the cholinergic system was improved by suppressing RAS and AT1 receptor expression and increasing the mAChR expression.

OBJECTIVES: Although mercury (Hg) exposure is known to be neurotoxic in humans, its effects on liver function have been less often reported. The aim of this study was to investigate whether total Hg exposure in Korean adults was associated with elevated serum levels of the liver enzymes aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT). METHODS: We repeatedly examined the levels of total Hg and liver enzymes in the blood of 508 adults during 2010-2011 and 2014-2015. Cross-sectional associations between levels of blood Hg and liver enzymes were analyzed using a generalized linear model, and nonlinear relationships were analyzed using a generalized additive mixed model. Generalized estimating equations were applied to examine longitudinal associations, considering the correlations of individuals measured repeatedly. RESULTS: GGT increased by 11.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.5 to 18.0%) in women and 8.1% (95% CI, -0.5 to 17.4%) in men per doubling of Hg levels, but AST and ALT were not significantly associated with Hg in either men or women. In women who drank more than 2 or 3 times per week, AST, ALT, and GGT levels increased by 10.6% (95% CI, 4.2 to 17.5%), 7.7% (95% CI, 1.1 to 14.7%), and 37.5% (95% CI,15.2 to 64.3%) per doubling of Hg levels, respectively, showing an interaction between blood Hg levels and drinking. CONCLUSIONS: Hg exposure was associated with an elevated serum concentration of GGT. Especially in women who were frequent drinkers, AST, ALT, and GGT showed a significant increase, with a significant synergistic effect of Hg and alcohol consumption.
Adult* ; Alanine Transaminase ; Alcohol Drinking ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Drinking ; Female ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Liver* ; Longitudinal Studies* ; Male

Animals ; Dental Implants ; Dogs ; Durapatite ; Femur ; Humans ; Intention ; Mentors ; Osseointegration ; Osteogenesis ; Reference Values

This study, based on current home nursing services, aims at promoting measures for establishing a community-based home nursing system derived from the pilot home nursing demonstration project conducted by the Seoul Nurses Association. The study was based on an analysis of home nursing records from march 1993 to December 1999. The following is a summary analysis, based on individual characteristics of the patients, the organization, which recommended the service for their patients and personnel services. 1. The service has been used by many elderly people 60years of age or older(66.4%). and married people(60.9%). The average number of visits by service personnel for patients of city government was 23.5. This is 2.5 times as many visits by general patients. General patients(20.2%) had only one visit from service personnel, while 65.5% of patients of city government had 10 or more visits. Particularly, for government recommended patients, 72.7% of the patients were recommended by nurses, while only 21.9% where referred to the services by doctors. The main focus of a home nursing service was to maintain present health status (53.4%), and hospice(11.6%). Also to increase hospital-based home nursing services focused on recovery(55.9%) and maintain present health conditions (19.0%). 2. For general patients, 42.0% of patients were suffering from problems related to CVA, 11.3% from high blood pressure, and for patients referred from city, 21.2% from skeletal muscular disease. Results of home nursing services 29.4% of patients were able to recover or maintain their health status, but 48.9% of the patients died. Another main point of community-based home nursing services is medication(6.7%), other basic nursing services(6.1%), special treatment, instructions on how to use medical devices(5.9%), change of physical posture(4.6%), and training on changing physical positions(4.7%). As mentioned above there were some differences between the characteristics of patients who used the pilot home nursing service conducted by the Seoul Nurses Association and those hospital-based service users. The results are believed to be useful to support a community-based home nursing service model. Particularly, patients under medical supervision and patients recommended by government-run health clinics show a higher frequency and longer use of home nursing services compared to general patients or hospital-based home nursing service users. According to the study, nurses accounted for a large number of recommendations for home nursing services. Many patients with CVA, high blood pressure, skeletal muscular disease and bedsores used community-based home nursing services, while others used the service for minor treatments or maintaining their current health status. Based on the study, the researchers make several suggestions to establish a community- based home nursing service system. First, different ways of setting up a community-based home nursing system have to be mapped out based on the evaluation of the pilot home nursing service conducted by the Seoul Nurses Association. Secondly, a new, community-based, home health care nursing service model, and reimbursement payment system have to be developed. This is based on the outcome of the analysis, and implemented policy. Accordingly, efforts are needed to develop a community- based home nursing system with an intermediary role to promote the visiting nursing services of government-run health centers.
Aged ; Home Health Nursing* ; Home Nursing ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Local Government ; Muscular Diseases ; Nursing ; Nursing Services ; Organization and Administration ; Pressure Ulcer ; Seoul*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and course of neutropenia following intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy in children with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). METHODS: From January 2001 to June 2006, fifty-four patients with ITP were enrolled in this study. Forty-two of 54 patients were treated with IVIG, while the other 12 were treated with anti-D immunoglobulin (Anti-D Ig). Post-treatment absolute neutrophil counts (ANC) were compared between patients who received IVIG and those who received Anti-D Ig. Comparison of post-treatment ANC between patients who treated with two different IVIG regimens (400 mg/kg/day for 5 days and 1 g/kg/day for 2 days) was also performed. RESULTS: Pretreatment ANC were not significantly different between the two treatment groups. After treatment with IVIG, 32 out of 42 patients (76.2%) showed more than 50% decrease of ANC from the baseline. On the other hand, only 2 out of 12 patients (16.7%) showed more than 50% decrease of ANC from the baseline after treatment Anti-D Ig. No significant difference was observed in the decline of ANC between the first IVIG treatment (42 patients) and repeated IVIG treatment groups (7 patients). There was no statistical difference in post-treatment ANC between patients who treated with two different IVIG regimens. The neutropenia induced by IVIG had resolved spontaneously in 38 out of 39 patients (97%) after several days. CONCLUSION: Neutropenia following IVIG administration may not be an uncommon finding in children with ITP. It seems to be transient and self limited.
Child ; Hand ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; Incidence ; Isoantibodies ; Neutropenia ; Neutrophils ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic