PURPOSE: This retrospective study compares the amount of bone resorption around implants between an autogenous tooth bone graft (AutoBT) and a synthetic bone graft after a bone-added crestally approached sinus lift with simultaneous implant placements. METHODS: In all, 37 patients participated in this study. Seventeen patients were grouped as group I and underwent an AutoBT-added sinus lift using the crestal approach. The remaining 20 patients were grouped as group II and underwent synthetic bone grafting. Both groups received the implant placements simultaneously. Of the 37 participating patients, only 22 patients were included in the final results: Eleven patients of group I and 11 patients of group II. Before the surgery, the distance from the alveolar crest to the sinus floor was measured using panoramic radiography. After the surgery, the distance was measured again from the neck of the implant thread to the most superior border of the added graft materials. Then, the amount of sinus lift was calculated by comparing the two panoramic radiographs. After a year, a panoramic radiograph was taken to calculate the resorption of the bone graft material from the radiograph that was taken after the surgery. The significance of the resorption amount between the two types of graft materials was statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The bone height was increased to an average of 4.89 mm in group I and 6.22 mm in group II. The analysis of panoramic radiographs 1 year after the surgery showed an average bone resorption of 0.76 mm and 0.53 mm, respectively. However, the degree of lifting (P=0.460) and the amount of bone-grafted material resorption (P=0.570) showed no statistically significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: Based on this limited study, AutoBT can be considered a good alternative bone graft to a synthetic bone graft in a bone-added sinus lift, when extraction is necessary prior to the surgery.
Bone Resorption* ; Bone Substitutes ; Bone Transplantation ; Dental Implants ; Humans ; Lifting* ; Neck ; Osseointegration ; Radiography, Panoramic ; Retrospective Studies* ; Sinus Floor Augmentation ; Tooth* ; Transplants*

BACKGROUND: Data on the natural history and prognostic variables of chronic urticaria (CU) are rare and information about spontaneous remission of CU is limited. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the natural history of CU and identified predictors for remission. METHODS: Total 329 Korean patients with CU, who had follow-ups more than 6 months after diagnosis during a 7-year period in the department of dermatology in three university hospitals were enrolled. Clinical data and laboratory findings obtained by medical records and telephone interviews were analyzed, retrospectively. RESULTS: The proportion recovered in 1, 3, and 5 years after the onset of CU was 10.8%, 18.8%, and 32.9%, respectively. The mean duration of CU was 6.3 years. There were no significant differences in median recovery time depending on sex, age group, severity of CU, and type of CU. The presence of angioedema was significantly related to CU severity. There were no differences in prognosis with respect to the presence of dermographism or angioedema. Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) had a significantly worse prognosis than patients without a history of AD; but not in patients with the history of allergic rhinitis or asthma. Patients with abnormal laboratory findings did not differ significantly in prognosis. CONCLUSION CU remission rate significantly differ according to the presence of AD. This study provides information about the natural course of CU of Korean patients.

The purpose of this study was to assess several indices of diet quality based on nutrient, food and food group intake of Korean adolescents based on several indices on diet quality according to residence area and body size. Using the data from the 1998 National Health and Nutrition Survey, twenty-four-hour-dietary recalls of a total of 1,110 Korean adolescents aged 13-19 years (male 543, female 567) were analyzed for nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR), index of nutritional quality (INQ), the number of foods (Dietary Variety Score, DVS) and food group consumed (Dietary Diversity Score, DDS). In doing that, it was attempted to apply only the minimum amount of solid foods of Kant's without inclusion of liquid foods because of the very limited variety in Korean foods. Based on weight length index, 13.1% of the subjects were categorized as obese, 14.2%, overweight, 44.4%, normal and 28.3%, underweight. Only vitamin B2 intake was higher in the obese group than in the underweight group. There was no meaningful difference in energy, protein and fat intakes according to the grade of the body size. In terms of residence area, intake of fat, niacin, vitamin B6 and folic acid were lower in the rural areas than in the metropolitan city. Only vitamin E intake was higher in the rural areas. Mean value of NARs (MAR) and INQs (mINQ) was also higher in the metropolitan city than in the rural areas, but there was no significant difference of these two values according to body size of the subjects. Mean DVS was 21.02 for total subjects, and has no difference between male and female and between metropolitan city and other medium-small city. But, the rural areas showed the lowest DVS of 19.05. Mean DDS in which five is a maximum score was 3.3 with no significant difference by sex and by residence area in male subjects. However, in female subjects, DDS in the rural areas was the lowest. According to body size of the subjects, there was no meaningful difference in both scores of DVS and DDS. In conclusion, most indices of nutrient intake and food and food group intake were not significantly different by body size of the subjects, while most indices were significantly different by residence areas: higher in the metropolitan city than in the rural area.
Adolescent* ; Body Size* ; Diet* ; Female ; Folic Acid ; Humans ; Male ; Niacin ; Nutrition Surveys ; Nutritive Value ; Overweight ; Riboflavin ; Thinness ; Vitamin B 6 ; Vitamin E ; Vitamins

The purpose of this study was to determine composition of food groups appropriate for the evaluation of the quality of total diet or food guide, using the data from the 1998 National Health and Nutrition Survey. Twenty-fourhour-dietary recalls of total 1,110 Korean adolescents aged 13 - 19 years (male 543, female 567) were analyzed for food group consumed (Dietary Diversity Score, DDS), intake patterns of food group, mean index of nutritional quality (mINQ) and nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR). Considering Korean food pattern different from the Americans, this study is to check if Korean 5 food groups with both of oil & sugar group and vegetable &fruit group, and a minimum amount of 30 g in grain group and 15 g in meat group modified from Kant's minimum amount, 15 g in grain and 30 g in meat, could also be appropriate for the diet evaluation of Korean adolescents. Combination of food group and minimum food intake per each food group used in the first trial were categorized into 6 kinds of types: 1) American 5 food groups with Kant's minimum amount as control or 2) American 5 food groups with modified Kant's minimum amount 3) Korean 5 food groups excluded by sugar with the modified amount 4) Korean 5 food groups with modified amount 5) American food groups added oil group with the modified amount 6) American food groups added oil & sugar group with the modified amount. In case of oil group or oil and sugar group, 5 g was quoted for the minimum amount. Correlation between DDS and indices of other diet quality in each type of food group composition were analyzed and the best food group composition was traced by comparing the correlation coefficients of DDS and mINQ or MARs at alpha < 0.01. There was no meaningful difference in weight length index of the subjects of eating or not-eating oil or oil & sugar, while the values of mINQ showed higher in the subjects eating oil but no difference in the subjects eating oil & sugar, compared to the group not-eating, respectively. In comparison of type 1 and type 2, correlation between DDS and indices of other diet quality showed higher in type 1 using Kant's amount. And comparing the type of a combined group of fruit & vegetable (type 3 and 4) and the type of separated group of fruit and vegetable (type 5 and 6). six groups of separated vegetable and fruit showed the higher correlation of DDSs and indices of diet quality. In case of being classified into six groups with oil, DDS showed correlation of r = 0.293 with INQ. While, being classified into six groups with oil & sugar instead of oil only, DDS showed correlation of r = 0.249 with INQ. Accordingly the type 5 with oil is regarded as the better food group type than the type 6 with oil & sugar. Since better result was shown in the composition of six groups with Kant's minimum amount, the comparative analysis on both of type 1 with oil and oil & sugar was finally performed. Then oil added type 1 showed higher correlation of DDS and indices of diet quality. These result indicated that it would be more appropriate to use six food groups with separate vegetable and fruit including oil group (oil-added type 1) rather than oil &sugar group for evaluat ion of dietary quality of Korean adolescents using DDS.
Adolescent* ; Diet* ; Eating ; Edible Grain ; Female ; Fruit ; Humans ; Mars ; Meat ; Nutrition Surveys ; Nutritive Value ; Vegetables

Pulmonary embolism is a not uncommon perioperative complication that results in substantial morbidity and mortality. However prompt diagnosis is difficult because clinical symptoms and signs of pulmonary embolism are not completely obvious. We report a case of severe pulmonary embolism on the first postoperative day of total abdominal hysterectomy in a patient transfused preoperatively for iron deficiency anemia caused by menorrhagia. We diagnosed pulmonary embolism by echocardiogram and chest spiral computerized tomography and the patient was moved to the intensive care unit. Tissue plasminogen activator was given and followed by continuous heparin infusion but the patient did not improve. He developed multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and died on the seventh postoperative day.
Anemia ; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; Female ; Heparin ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Intensive Care Units ; Menorrhagia ; Multiple Organ Failure ; Postoperative Complications ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Thorax ; Tissue Plasminogen Activator ; Tomography, Spiral Computed

No abstract available.
Colonic Neoplasms* ; Humans ; Hydromorphone* ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1*

Background: Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a ligand-activated transcription factor, is important for xenobiotic metabolism and binds to various endogenous and exogenous ligands in the skin. However, the functional role of AhR in patients with psoriasis (PS) and atopic dermatitis (AD) remains unclear. Objective: We aimed to determine whether AhR-regulated factors (AhR, CYP1A1, interleukin [IL]-17, IL-22) were affected by AhR ligands (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, TCDD) in chronic inflammatory skin diseases such as PS and AD. Methods: The expression levels of AhR-related factors were determined by quantitative PCR, western blotting, and immunocytochemistry. Specific siRNA targeting AhR was used to inhibit gene expression in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Cytokine assays were performed to determine the protein production of CD4+ T cells. Results In comparison with healthy controls, TCDD-treated PBMCs and CD4+ T cells from patients with PS and AD showed an increase in AhR gene levels as well as significantly increased expression of AhR-related factors (such as AhR, CYP1A1, IL-17, and IL-22). In contrast, 6-formyl indolo [3,2-b] carbazole (FICZ) inversely affected the differentiation of CD4+ T cells and their cytokine expression levels as compared with TCDD. CD4+ T cells from patients with AD and PS showed higher expression levels of AhR, CYP1A1, IL-17, and IL-22. Conclusion: Our results suggest that TCDD-induced AhR-related factor upregulation in AD and PS patients may increase the expression of AhR-regulatory genes, thereby contributing to the development of AD and PS.

Background/Aims: Besifovir dipivoxil maleate (BSV) and tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) have been recently approved in Korea as the initial antiviral agents for chronic hepatitis B (CHB).However, the real-world outcome data for these drugs remain limited. Therefore, we conducted a noninferiority analysis using real-world data to compare the clinical outcomes of the two nucleotide analogs in treatment-naïve patients with CHB. Methods: We retrospectively investigated a cohort of patients with CHB who received BSV or TAF as first-line antiviral agents. The endpoints were virological response (VR) and liver-related clinical outcomes. Results: A total of 537 patients, consisting of 202 and 335 patients administered BSV and TAF, respectively, were followed up for 42 months. No significant difference was observed between the VRs of the patients from the two groups. The rates of biochemical response, virologic breakthrough, and incidence rates of hepatocellular carcinoma did not differ between the groups. However, the hepatitis B e antigen seroclearance rate was higher and the renal function declined less in the BSV group. Multivariable analysis indicated older age, alcohol abuse, cirrhosis and ascites, and lower serum HBV DNA level to be independently associated with increased hepatocellular carcinoma risk. The 1:1 propensity score-matched analysis with 400 patients showed VR rates of 85.0% and 88.7% in the BSV and TAF group patients, respectively, at 2 years. The absolute value of the 95% confidence interval for the difference (–0.04 to 0.12) satisfied the a priori limit of a noninferiority of 0.15. Conclusions BSV is noninferior to TAF in terms of VR, and their clinical outcomes are comparable to CHB.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The changes in an Electrogastrography (EGG) in uremic patients on maintenance hemodialysis with dyspeptic complaints are not well known. The aim of this study was to investigate the EGG findings in uremic patients with dyspeptic complaints and note the difference of EGG findings between uremic patients with dyspeptic complaints and patients with functional dyspepsia. METHODS: Fifty two subjects were enrolled. They were assigned to: group I, healthy volunteers without dyspeptic complaints (n=15); group II, patients with dysmotility-like dyspepsia (n=22); or group III, uremic patients undergoing hemodialysis with dysmotility-like dyspepsia (n=15). The data was compared among groups. RESULTS: There was no difference in the percentage of normal slow wave frequency, and fed to fasting power ratio among the groups. However, frequencies of abnormal EGG findings were 4 (27%) in group I, 10 (40%) group II and 9 (60%) in group III. Therefore the frequency was marginally different among group I, group II or group III (p=0.06). CONCLUSIONS: Impaired gastric myoelectric activity was more frequently observed in uremic patients or patients with dysmotility-like dyspepsia than normal controls. However frequencies of abnormal EGG findings between uremic patients and patients with dysmotility-like dyspepsia were not significantly different.
Dyspepsia* ; Fasting ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Ovum ; Renal Dialysis*

15-deoxy-delta12,14-PGJ2(15d-PGJ2) is a natural ligand that activates the peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma, a member of nuclear receptor family implicated in regulation of lipid metabolism and adipocyte differentiation. Recent studies have shown that 15d-PGJ2 is the potent anti-inflammatory agent functioning via PPARgamma-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Most postulated mechanisms for anti-inflammatory action of PPARgamma agonists are involved in inhibiting NF-kappaB signaling pathway. We examined the possibility that IL-6 signaling via the Jak-Stat pathway is modulated by 15d-PGJ2 in lymphocytes and also examined whether the inhibition of IL-6 signaling is dependent of PPARgamma. 15d-PGJ2 blocked IL-6 induced Stat1 and Stat3 activation in primary human lymphocytes, Jurkat cells and immortalized rheumatoid arthritis B cells. Inhibition of IL-6 signaling was induced rapidly within 15 min after treatment of 15d-PGJ2. Other PPARgamma-agonists, such as troglitazone and ciglitazone, did not inhibit IL-6 signaling, indicating that 15d-PGJ2 affect the IL-6-induced Jak-Stat signaling pathway via PPARgamma-independent mechanism. Although cycloheximide reversed 15d-PGJ2-mediated inhibition of Stat3 activation, actinomycin D had no effect on 15d-PGJ2-mediated inhibition of IL-6 signaling, indicating that inhibition of IL-6 signaling occur independent of de novo gene expression. These results show that 15d-PGJ2 specifically inhibit Jak-Stat signaling pathway in lymphocytes, and suggest that 15d-PGJ2 may regulate inflammatory reactions through the modulation of different signaling pathway other than NF-kappaB in lymphocytes.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid/metabolism/pathology ; Chromans/pharmacology ; Cycloheximide/pharmacology ; DNA-Binding Proteins/*metabolism ; Dactinomycin/pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents/pharmacology ; Interleukin-6/*pharmacology ; Jurkat Cells/metabolism/pathology ; Lymphocytes/cytology/*drug effects/*metabolism ; NF-kappa B/metabolism ; PPAR gamma/metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; Prostaglandin D2/*analogs & derivatives/pharmacology ; Protein Synthesis Inhibitors/pharmacology ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; *Signal Transduction ; Thiazolidinediones/pharmacology ; Trans-Activators/*metabolism