Crescentic glomerulonephritis in rheumatoid arthritis is described recently with increasing frequency. It can occur directly as a manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis or may be a reaction to drugs such as D-penicillamine and bucillamine. We report a case of crescentic glomerulonephritis in a 46-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis for 20 years who had been treated intermittently with herb medicine or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). Light microscopic examination showed severe focal segmental and global necrotizing glomerulonephritis with crescent formation in 50% of the glomeruli. Immunofluorescent study revealed scanty amount of mesangial granular deposits of IgA, IgM, C3 and fibrinogen in a diffuse pattern.
Female ; Humans

OBJECTIVES: Recently, the main focus of etiologic study in schizophrenia has been directed to molecular genetic approach including polymorphism analysis. Abnormal immunoreactivity to IL-4 promoter and IL-4Ralpha has been identified in patients with schizophrenia. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between schizophrenia and immunologic influences by analyzing the polymorphisms of IL-4 promoter and IL-4Ralpha gene that are involved in interaction between immunologic system and CNS. METHODS: 222 schizophrenic patients diagnosed by DSM-IV and data of 165 normal controls obtained from Catholic Hemopoietic Stem Cell Information Bank, College of medicine, the Catholic University of Korea, were used in this study. DNA was extracted from whole blood and the polymorphic loci of IL-4 promoter and IL-4Ralphagene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction. Gene typing was performed by using SSCP and the results were assessed. The frequencies of allele and genotype were compared between patients and normal controls and between paranoid group and non-paranoid group. All data were analyzed chi2-test with two-tailed Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: 1) There were no significant differences in allele or genotype frequencies of IL-4 promoter and IL-4Ralpha between the group of schizophrenic patients and controls. 2) There were no significant differences in allele or genotype frequencies of IL-4 promoter and of IL-4Ralpaha between the group of paranoid schizophrenic patients and non-paranoid schizophrenic patients. CONCLSUION: These results suggest that polymorphisms of IL-4 promoter and IL-4Ralpha genes are unlikely related with the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.
Alleles ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; DNA ; Genotype ; Humans ; Interleukin-4* ; Korea ; Molecular Biology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational ; Schizophrenia ; Stem Cells

The extent of unilateral chromosomal losses and the presence of microsatellite instability (MSI) have been classified into high-risk (high- and baseline-level loss) and low-risk (low-level loss and MSI) stem-line genotypes in gastric carcinomas. A unilateral genome-dosage reduction might stimulate compensation mechanism, which maintains the genomic dosage via CpG hypomethylation. A total of 120 tumor sites from 40 gastric carcinomas were examined by chromosomal loss analysis using 40 microsatellite markers on 8 chromosomes and methylation analysis in the 13 CpG (island/non-island) regions near the 10 genes using the bisulfite-modified DNAs. The high-level-loss tumor (four or more losses) showed a tendency toward unmethylation in the Maspin, CAGE, MAGE-A2 and RABGEF1 genes, and the other microsatellite-genotype (three or fewer losses and MSI) toward methylation in the p16, hMLH1, RASSF1A, and Cyclin D2 genes (p<0.05). The non-island CpGs of the p16 and hMLH1 genes were hypomethylated in the high-level-loss and hypermethylated in the non-high-level-loss sites (p<0.05). Consequently, hypomethylation changes were related to a high-level loss, whereas the hypermethylation changes were accompanied by a baseline-level loss, a low-level loss, or a MSI. This indicates that hypomethylation compensates the chromosomal losses in the process of tumor progression.
Chromosome Aberrations/*statistics and numerical data ; Chromosome Mapping/*methods ; CpG Islands/*genetics ; *DNA Methylation ; DNA Mutational Analysis/methods ; France/epidemiology ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease/epidemiology/genetics ; Genetic Screening/methods ; Genomic Instability/genetics ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea/epidemiology ; Microsatellite Repeats/genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Risk Assessment/*methods ; Risk Factors ; Statistics ; Stomach Neoplasms/*enzymology/*genetics

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Endoscopic biliary drainage (EBD) has been used effectively as the palliative treatment for malignant biliary obstruction. In high grade strictures, endoscopic stenting can be achieved by dilating devices such as dilating or balloon catheters. Subgroup of malignant biliary obstructions are too stenotic to allow passage of plastic or metal stents. In cases of failure of conventional stenting, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of the 7-Fr Soehendra stent retriever (SSR) used as a dilator. METHODS: From January 1999 to September 2001, 14 patients with malignant pancreaticobiliary stirictures (2 pancreatic, 12 biliary) that could not be traversed with plastic or metal stents, underwent stricture dilation with SSR. An endoscopic sphincterotomy was performed and a guide wire was inserted beyond the stricture. Then the SSR was introduced over the guide wire via duodenoscope. Then the stricture was traversed by torquing the SSR clockwise while pushing it. The SSR was removed and then the plastic or metal stents were inserted above the stricture. RESULTS: Of the 14 patients, 13 patients (93%) underwent successful stenting using SSR. Symptom relief was observed in all patients after endoscopic biliary stenting. One patient (7%) went on to percutaneous biliary drainage because we failed to insert the metal stent into the stenotic left hepatic duct after traversing the stricture with SSR. There were no significant complications such as bile duct or duodenal perforation and bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: The Soehendra stent retriever is useful and safe for dilation with subsequent stent placement of malignant pancreaticobiliary stirictures resistant to conventional stenting. However, this device may be difficult to pass a tortuous or small-diameter hilar stricture.
Bile Ducts ; Catheters ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Drainage* ; Duodenoscopes ; Hemorrhage ; Hepatic Duct, Common ; Humans ; Palliative Care ; Plastics ; Sphincterotomy, Endoscopic ; Stents*

BACKGROUND: Common cold is the most frequently seen ambulatory disease in primary care clinic of Korea. This study investigated the perspectives and expected pattern of health care utilization of patients who visit a primary care clinic in order to understand patients' health care behavior for treating common cold and to consider how to educate them effectively. METHODS: We surveyed 570 patients and their accompanying people who visited family medicine clinic and the health promotion center of a university hospital by questionnaire, in which we asked the patients what they think of the cause, symptom, and treatment of common cold and their pattern of health care utilization. RESULTS: The respondents replied that the cause of common cold was a virus (446, 85.3%), a bacteria (58, 11.3%) or others (18, 3.4%). Among the total, 475 respondents (88.6%) replied that they had taken cold medicine before and 264 respondents (55.7%) reported that the symptoms took 1-2 weeks to recover. A total of 285 respondents (58.3%) replied that they prefer red to go to the doctor and 198 (40.5%) replied that they prefer to go to a pharmacy. The respondents who thought that symptoms of common cold takes longer than one week tended to choose to visit a doctor. Patients thought that antibiotics (54.4%) and those that relieved common cold symptoms earlier (30.1%) were 'strong' cold medicine. CONCLUSION: The results of this survey showed that the difference in patients' perspectives made an effect on the patients' treatment seeking behavior. Even though medicine did not take effect to relieve symptoms, most patients wanted to continue to visit physicians. The family physician should not give only the prescription, but also make an effort to provide pertinent information to patients and educate them to acquire appropriate perspectives.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria ; Cold Temperature ; Common Cold ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Delivery of Health Care ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Korea ; Pharmacy ; Physicians, Family ; Prescriptions ; Primary Health Care ; Viruses

Menetrier' disease is a rare disease characterized, histologically, by epithelial hyperplasia involving the surface and foveolar mucous cells, accompanied by atrophic or normal oxyntic glands of the stomach. The 48 year-old man with epigastric discomfort and peripheral edema was admitted to St. Paul Hospital. Gastrofiberscopic examination revealed extremely thickened mucosal fold in fundus and body especially greater curvature of stomach, and microscopically there was marked hyperplasia of foveolae and cystic dilatation. Serum albumin concentration was decreased and clearance of a1-antitrypsin was markedly increased in the stool, suggesting the protein-losing enteropathy. He was diagnosed to Menetrier's disease and treated with H2 blocker, antacids, diuretics and albumin replacement.
Antacids ; Dilatation ; Diuretics ; Edema ; Esophagus* ; Gastritis, Hypertrophic* ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Intestines* ; Middle Aged ; Protein-Losing Enteropathies ; Rare Diseases ; Serum Albumin ; Stomach*

PURPOSE: A retrospective study was conducted to examine the current trend in incidence rates of hip fractures among patients aged 50 years and older in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted using data on the population, collected by Statistics Korea within the different gender and age groups in total population of Korea from 2007 to 2012. The International Classification of Diseases-10 classification method from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service was used to investigate the number of patients with hip fractures, and determine the crude incidence rate (CR) and the age-adjusted incidence rate (AR) for comparison. RESULTS: The CR of hip fractures for patients aged 50 years and older was 178 per 100,000 for men and 350 per 100,000 for women in 2007. In 2012, the CR was 194 per 100,000 for men, and 418 per 100,000 for women. The AR was 197 per 100,000 for men and 281 per 100,000 for women in 2007. In 2012, the AR was 206 per 100,000 for men, and 310 per 100,000 for women. During the observation period, the AR and the CR of hip fractures showed a statistically significant increase. However, the increasing trend has been slowing since its peak in 2010. Comparison of the AR of men and women, showed statistical significance only for women. CONCLUSION: In Korea, the incidence of hip fractures increased significantly from 2007 to 2012. The AR showed statistical significance only for women and the increasing trend is slowing down from 2010.
Classification ; Epidemiologic Studies* ; Female ; Hip Fractures* ; Hip* ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Insurance, Health ; Korea* ; Male ; Methods ; National Health Programs* ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: An oral cholera vaccine (OCV), Euvichol, with thimerosal (TM) as preservative, was prequalified by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2015. In recent years, public health services and regulatory bodies recommended to eliminate TM in vaccines due to theoretical safety concerns. In this study, we examined whether TM-free Euvichol induces comparable immunogenicity to its TM-containing formulation in animal model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To evaluate and compare the immunogenicity of the two variations of OCV, mice were immunized with TM-free or TM-containing Euvichol twice at 2-week interval by intranasal or oral route. One week after the last immunization, mice were challenged with Vibrio cholerae O1 and daily monitored to examine the protective immunity against cholera infection. In addition, serum samples were obtained from mice to measure vibriocidal activity and vaccine-specific IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies using vibriocidal assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. RESULTS: No significant difference in immunogenicity, including vibriocidal activity and vaccine-specific IgG, IgM, and IgA in serum, was observed between mice groups administered with TM-free and -containing Euvichol, regardless of immunization route. However, intranasally immunized mice elicited higher levels of serum antibodies than those immunized via oral route. Moreover, intranasal immunization completely protected mice against V. cholerae challenge but not oral immunization. There was no significant difference in protection between two Euvichol variations. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that TM-free Euvichol could provide comparable immunogenicity to the WHO prequalified Euvichol containing TM as it was later confirmed in a clinical study. The pulmonary mouse cholera model can be considered useful to examine in vivo the potency of OCVs.
Animals* ; Antibodies ; Cholera Vaccines ; Cholera* ; Clinical Study ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Immunization ; Immunoglobulin A ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Mice ; Models, Animal* ; Public Health ; Thimerosal ; Vaccines ; Vibrio cholerae O1 ; World Health Organization

RNA metabolism plays a central role in regulating of T cell-mediated immunity. RNA processing, modifications, and regulations of RNA decay influence the tight and rapid regulation of gene expression during T cell phase transition. Thymic selection, quiescence maintenance, activation, differentiation, and effector functions of T cells are dependent on selective RNA modulations. Recent technical improvements have unveiled the complex crosstalk between RNAs and T cells. Moreover, resting T cells contain large amounts of untranslated mRNAs, implying that the regulation of RNA metabolism might be a key step in controlling gene expression. Considering the immunological significance of T cells for disease treatment, an understanding of RNA metabolism in T cells could provide new directions in harnessing T cells for therapeutic implications.

We report a case of renin-secreting juxtaglomerular cell tumor which developed in a hypertensive 47-yr-old Korean man. Presumptive clinical diagnosis was made before surgery based on the high level of plasma renin and the radiologic evidence of renal mass. Grossly, a round, bulging, well-encapsulated mass of 3x3 cm was located in the mid-portion of the right kidney. On microscopic examination, the tumor was composed of ovoid to polyhedral cells with bland nuclei, indistinct nucleoli and light eosinophilic cytoplasm. The immunostaining for renin showed strong positivity in the cytoplasm of tumor cells. The characteristic rhomboid shaped renin protogranules were observed in ultrastructural analysis.
Human ; Hypertension, Renal/*etiology/pathology ; Juxtaglomerular Apparatus/*pathology ; Kidney Neoplasms/*complications/*pathology/secretion ; Male ; Middle Age ; Renin/blood/secretion