PURPOSE: Pertussis can be prevented with a vaccine. Despite this, there have been an increasing number of cases worldwide, and also in Korea. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of the recent outbreak in the Changwon area. METHODS: Patients who visited Changwon Fatima Hospital from July 2015 to March 2016 with respiratory symptoms, including spasmodic cough, cough induced vomiting, inspiratory ‘intake’ sound (whooping), and a night-time cough for >1 week were included in this study. Respiratory specimens were collected from patients and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and detected anti-pertussis immunoglobulin G enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit test were performed. Patients with underlying diseases, or those who had received a DTaP or Tdap vaccination in recent 1 year were excluded. RESULTS: Pertussis was diagnosed in 37 of 50 patients, two patients were positive according to the PCR, and 37 patients were positive according to serologic tests. The age distribution of the patients was 1 month to 15 years. After administering antibiotics, all patients recovered without complications. CONCLUSIONS: A pertussis outbreak occurred in Changwon in 2015 and 2016. This data can provide the basis for further study on the epidemiology of pertussis in Korea.
Age Distribution ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Cough ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epidemiology ; Gyeongsangnam-do* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Korea ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Serologic Tests ; Vaccination ; Vomiting ; Whooping Cough*

The Q-switched lasers which was introduced under the concept of selective photothermolysis. Q-switched Nd:YAG laser, which targets dark pigments in a longer wave length (1064 nm) that has less absorption by melanin, can effectively treat deep tattoos with less pigmentary alterations. We report our experience over the past 3 years in treating 565 patients with tattoos and cutaneous pigmented lesions using the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. Patients were exposed with a pulse duration of 10 ns and fluences of 6, 7 J/cm2(1064 nm) or 12, 14 J/cm2(532 nm), in exposure spots of 2 mm or 3 mm, at intervals of 4 weeks. Q-switched Nd:YAG laser was effective in removing deep pigmented lesion with 1064 nm, and colored inks with 532 nm. Seventy-three percent of amateur black pigmented lesion were > 75% clear after four to ten treatment. Ninty-eight percent of professional black pigmented lesion were > 75% clear after two on eyebrow, six to eight on extremity and trunk. No significant side effects, including pigmentary changes or scarring, were noted.
Absorption ; Cicatrix ; Extremities ; Eyebrows ; Humans ; Ink ; Melanins

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is a precancerous clinical entity, which is characterized by the development of numerous adenomatous polyps throughout the colon and rectum. The majority of FAP are associated with mutations of the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene. Until now, more than 1,000 different APC mutations have been reported and some mutations express attenuated phenotypes which are milder forms with 10~100 colorectal polyps. We identified a novel mutation of APC gene which expressed an attenuated FAP but caused large gastroduodenal tubular adenomas requiring repeated endoscopic resections. A 16-year-old girl was referred to Incheon St. Mary's Hospital for evaluation of gastric polyposis. Initial esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) showed numerous gastric polyps in the fundus and upper body and a few polyps in the duodenum. Pathologic examination confirmed gastric polyps as fundic gland polyps and duodenal polyps as tubular adenomas. Only a few colonic polyps of 2 to 5 mm in size were found on colonoscopy. Genetic analysis using polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing revealed a novel stop codon mutation at codon 1522 in exon 16 of APC gene. At 12-month, 18-month, and 35-month follow-up EGD, large duodenal polyp and gastric polyps were removed endoscopically.
Adenoma ; Adenomatous Polyposis Coli* ; Adenomatous Polyps ; Adolescent ; Codon ; Codon, Terminator ; Colon ; Colonic Polyps ; Colonoscopy ; Duodenum ; Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Exons ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Genes, APC* ; Germ-Line Mutation* ; Humans ; Incheon ; Phenotype ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polyps* ; Rectum

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the association between skeletal maturation and adrenal androgen levels in obese children and adolescents. METHODS: Fifty-three children and adolescents (aged 7–15 years) diagnosed as obese or overweight were investigated. Anthropometric measurements, bone age (BA) determination, serum biochemical analyses, and hormonal measurements were performed. The difference between BA and chronological age (BA–CA, dBACA) was calculated and used to represent the degree of advanced skeletal maturation. RESULTS: Thirty-one subjects were classified into the obese group and 22 subjects into the overweight group. Insulin resistance as calculated by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was significantly higher in the obese group than in the overweight group (4.03±2.20 vs. 2.86±1.11, P=0.026). The skeletal maturation of the obese group was advanced, but the dBACA did not differ between the obese and overweight groups statistically (1.43±1.35 vs. 0.91±1.15, P=0.141). Serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) levels were significantly higher in subjects with dBACA>1 compared to those with dBACA≤1 (104.3±62.2 vs. 59.6±61.0, P=0.014). Correlation analyses demonstrated that dBACA was positively correlated with body mass index standard deviation scores (r=0.35, P=0.010), fasting insulin (r=0.36, P=0.009), HOMA-IR (r=0.30, P=0.031), and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (r=0.331, P=0.028). In multivariate linear regression analysis, HOMA-IR (P=0.026) and serum DHEA-S (P=0.032) were positively correlated with the degree of advanced skeletal maturation. CONCLUSION: Advanced skeletal maturation is associated with increased insulin resistance and elevated DHEA-S levels in obese children and adolescents.
Adolescent* ; Age Determination by Skeleton ; Androgens ; Body Mass Index ; Child* ; Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate ; Fasting ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Linear Models ; Obesity ; Overweight

The Guidelines of the 2019 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the 5th Society of Lipid and Atherosclerosis (KSoLA) for the Management of Dyslipidemia advocate a more intensive lipid-lowering strategy. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the current status of lipid management in Korean patients in real-world practice. The Korean Society of Myocardial Infarction conducted a survey among its members of the Korean Society of Cardiology on the new lipid guidelines. Although most participants were aware of the changes in the ESC and the KSoLA guidelines, more than half of them did not agree with lowering the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels to < 55 mg/dL, because its safety and efficacy have not yet been proven in Koreans. A substantial disparity exists between lipid management guidelines and current clinical practices, highlighting the necessity for clinical research that specifically targets East Asians and Koreans to bridge this gap.

PURPOSE: This study sought to determine the 1-year clinical effectiveness and safety of a biodegradable, polymer-containing Biolimus A9™-eluting stent (BES) in Korean patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1000 ACS patients with 1251 lesions who underwent implantation of BESs at 22 centers in Korea were enrolled between May 2011 and July 2013. We assessed major adverse cardiac events (MACE) defined as the composite of cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), and clinical-driven target vessel revascularization at 12 months. RESULTS: Patient mean age was 62.6±11.4 years. 72.8% of the patients were male, 28.5% had diabetes, 32.8% had multi-vessel disease (MVD), and 47.9% presented with acute MI (AMI). The mean global registry of acute coronary events risk score of all patients was 103.0±27.6. The number of stents per patient was 1.3±0.6. The incidences of MACE and definite stent thrombosis at 12 months were 3.9% and 0.2%, respectively. On multivariate Cox-regression analysis, age ≥65 years was identified as an independent predictors of 1-year MACE (hazard ratio=2.474; 95% confidence interval=1.202−5.091). Subgroup analyses revealed no significant differences in the incidence of MACE between patients with and without diabetes (4.3% vs. 3.7%, p=0.667), between those who presented with and without AMI (4.4% vs. 3.4%, p=0.403), and between those with and without MVD (4.6% vs. 3.5%, p=0.387). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated excellent 1-year clinical outcomes of BES implantation in patients at low-risk for ACS.
Acute Coronary Syndrome/drug therapy ; Aged ; Drug-Eluting Stents/adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Republic of Korea ; Sirolimus/adverse effects ; Sirolimus/analogs & derivatives ; Sirolimus/therapeutic use ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is one of the most common causes of death in patients with heart failure (HF). However, there are no available data on SCD in previous Korean HF registries. Additionally, although widely used, the utility of left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) in risk stratification for SCD is limited. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The Korean non-invasive Risk Evaluation study for sudden cardiac DEath From INfarction or heart failurE (KREDEFINE) is the first Korean prospective, nationwide multicenter registry, primarily focused on SCD. The registry consists of 2 groups of patients presenting with (1) acute HF or (2) acute myocardial infarction (MI) at 25 tertiary referral cardiovascular centers. Using the HF-group data of the K-REDEFINE registry, the incidence and risk factors of SCD in patients with HF will be assessed. In particular, the efficacy of Holter-based ECG variables, such as T-wave alternans (marker of repolarization heterogeneity) and heart rate turbulence/ variability (maker of autonomic function), in risk stratification for SCD will be evaluated. Other cardiovascular outcomes will also be analyzed, including atrioventricular arrhythmias, HF-related admission, stroke, and overall deaths. CONCLUSION AND PERSPECTIVE: The K-REDEFINE registry will pave the way for better management of patients with HF at high risk of SCD by elucidating the burden and risk factors of SCD and the clinical utility of various non-invasive ambulatory ECG-based parameters in risk stratification for SCD in this patient population.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Cause of Death ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac* ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Failure* ; Heart Rate ; Heart* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infarction* ; Myocardial Infarction ; Prospective Studies ; Referral and Consultation ; Registries ; Risk Factors ; Stroke

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Despite significant advances in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (MI), the prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD), the most common mode of death in patients with MI, remains challenging. Furthermore, previous Korean MI registries did not address the issue of post-MI SCD. Additional risk stratifiers of post-MI SCD are still required to compensate for the limitation of using left ventricular ejection fraction to predict lethal arrhythmic events. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We designed the first Korean prospective nationwide multicenter registry primarily focused on SCD; the Korean noninvasive Risk Evaluation study for sudden cardiac DEath From INfarction or heart failurE (K-REDEFINE). The registry consists of 2 groups of patients presenting with (1) acute MI or (2) acute heart failure (HF) at 25 tertiary referral cardiovascular centers. The primary endpoint of the MI group study of K-REDEFINE registry is the incidence and risk factors of post-MI SCD. In particular, the association between the risk of SCD and non-invasive Holter-based electrocardiogram (ECG) variables will be evaluated, such as T-wave alternans (marker of repolarization heterogeneity) and heart rate turbulence/variability (a marker of autonomic function). Other secondary study outcomes include atrioventricular arrhythmias, HF-related admission, repeated myocardial ischemic events, stroke, and overall deaths. CONCLUSION AND PERSPECTIVE: The K-REDEFINE registry will provide new prospects for the better management of MI patients with high risk of SCD by clarifying the burden and predictors of SCD and the clinical utility of various non-invasive ambulatory ECG-based variables in risk stratification for SCD in this patient population.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac* ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Failure* ; Heart Rate ; Heart* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infarction* ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Prospective Studies ; Referral and Consultation ; Registries ; Risk Factors ; Stroke ; Stroke Volume