OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to investigate 1) the difference of the immune function between schizophrenic patients and healthy normal control:2) the correlation between the severity of symptoms and immune functions in schizophrenia:and 3) the differences between the positive and negative symptom group of schizophrenia and conrols, respectively. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The subjects were thirty patients who met the DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia and had undergone 2 weeks of drug free period before this study. Thirty-two healthy young adults were recruited for control. The following immunological functions were observed in the patients on admission and the normal control at the same day: WBC count, lymphocyte subpopulations(T cell, B cell, CD4+ cell, CD8+ cell, CD4+/CD8+ cell ratio), natural killer(NK) cell count and percentage, serum immunoglobulin levels(Ig G, Ig A, Ig M), total hemolytic complement activity(CH50). The schizophrenic patients were classified into positive and negative symptom group by Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS) on the sampling day. The severity of symptoms was assessed by using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale(BPRS) in each day of immunological examinations. RESULTS: No significant difference was observed by measuring several immunological fuctions from schizophrenic patients and normal controls. A significant positive correlation was established between symptom severity and Ig A, the number and percentage of total lymphocyte. In contrast a negative correlation between symptom severity and number of CD8+ cell was found. In the positive symptom group, the percentage of T cell and number of CD8+ cell were significantly reduced and Ig M level increased as compared to normal controls. In the negative symptom group, number and percentage of NK cell were decreased as compared to controls. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that alterations in immune system in schizophrenia do not appear to be a specific biological correlate of this disorder, but, rather, may be associated to severity of symptoms and homogenous symptom subgroup. Also more specific marker of immune function for the homogenous patients group will be required to assess some identified changes of immune system in schizophrenia.
Cell Count ; Complement Hemolytic Activity Assay ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Humans ; Immune System ; Immunoglobulins ; Killer Cells, Natural ; Lymphocytes ; Schizophrenia* ; Young Adult

Objectives: ：The purpose of this study was to explore comparison of clinical characteristics among Anxiety disorder, Depressive disorder, and Co-morbid of Anxiety disorder and Depressive disorder. Methods: ：Since January, 2017 to May, 2019, patients were recruited from the department of psychiatry of Hanyang University Guri Hospital. Participants were diagnosed Anxiety disorder, Depressive disorder, and Co-morbid of Anxiety disorder and Depressive disorder using DSM-5 criteria by board certified psychiatrists or clinical psychologists. And each of participants tested with MMPI-2 and clinical psychologists were converted MMPI-2 to MMPI-2-RF. The data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0. Results: ：The results indicated EID, RC2, HLP, SAV, and INTR-r were the highest in Co-morbid of Anxiety disorder and Depressive disorder group. And BXD, RC4, JCP, and AGGR-r were the highest in Depressive disorder group. Conclusions ：The results indicated that Co-morbid of Anxiety disorder and Depressive disorder group were more severe internalizing dysfunction like lower positive emotion, helplessness, social avoidance and discomfort than single-diagnosed group. Single Depressive disorder group were more serious externalizing dysfunction like anger and aggression than single Anxiety disorder and Co-morbid of Anxiety disorder and Depressive disorder. The implications and limitations were discussed.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to identify occupational groups at high-risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in Korea, to estimate the number of such workers, and to examine the prevalence of protective resources by employment status. METHODS: Based on the sixth Standard Occupational Classification codes, 2015 census data were linked with data from the fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey, which measured how frequently workers directly come into contact with people other than fellow employees in the workplace. RESULTS: A total of 30 occupational groups, including 7 occupations from the healthcare and welfare sectors and 23 from other sectors, were classified as high-risk occupational groups involving frequent contact with people other than fellow employees in the workplace (more than half of the working hours). Approximately 1.4 million (women, 79.1%) and 10.7 million workers (46.3%) are employed in high-risk occupations. Occupations with a larger proportion of women are more likely to be at a high-risk of infection and are paid less. For wage-earners in high-risk occupations, protective resources to deal with COVID-19 (e.g., trade unions and health and safety committees) are less prevalent among temporary or daily workers than among those with permanent employment. CONCLUSIONS Given the large number of Koreans employed in high-risk occupations and inequalities within the working population, the workplace needs to be the key locus for governmental actions to control COVID-19, and special consideration for vulnerable workers is warranted.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to identify occupational groups at high-risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in Korea, to estimate the number of such workers, and to examine the prevalence of protective resources by employment status. METHODS: Based on the sixth Standard Occupational Classification codes, 2015 census data were linked with data from the fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey, which measured how frequently workers directly come into contact with people other than fellow employees in the workplace. RESULTS: A total of 30 occupational groups, including 7 occupations from the healthcare and welfare sectors and 23 from other sectors, were classified as high-risk occupational groups involving frequent contact with people other than fellow employees in the workplace (more than half of the working hours). Approximately 1.4 million (women, 79.1%) and 10.7 million workers (46.3%) are employed in high-risk occupations. Occupations with a larger proportion of women are more likely to be at a high-risk of infection and are paid less. For wage-earners in high-risk occupations, protective resources to deal with COVID-19 (e.g., trade unions and health and safety committees) are less prevalent among temporary or daily workers than among those with permanent employment. CONCLUSIONS Given the large number of Koreans employed in high-risk occupations and inequalities within the working population, the workplace needs to be the key locus for governmental actions to control COVID-19, and special consideration for vulnerable workers is warranted.

Objective: We estimate the causal effect of social connectedness (i.e., the frequencies of meeting with friends, relatives, or neighbors) on cognitive function (the Korean version of Mini-Mental State Exam) among Korean older adults. Methods: We used longitudinal panel data collected before and during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) to set up the fixed (FE) or random effect (RE) models. To overcome omitted variable bias or reverse causality, we used COVID-19 pandemic period as an instrumental variable to estimate the causal effect of social connectedness on cognitive function. Results: Social distancing measures during the COVID-19 period decreased social interaction. The results showed that an increase in the frequency of social interaction led an increase in cognitive scores. Specifically, an increase of one unit in the frequency of meeting familiar people increased cognitive scores by 0.1470 and 0.5035 in the RE and FE models, respectively. Conclusion Social distancing policies due to the global pandemic may have increased the risk of social isolation and cognitive decline among older adults. The government and local communities need to increase their effort to develop way to connect adults through the remainder of the pandemic and beyond.

Bertolotti’s syndrome is the part of lumbosacral transitional vertebra and is a congenital anomaly of the axial spine. The syndrome is associated with changes in the sacrum or iliac crest and secondary arthritis and is often mistaken for ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The mechanism of pain in this disease is unclear, and treatments have not been accurately established. Here, we report two cases of Bertolotti’s syndrome in patients with severe back pain who were initially suspected to have AS and required interventional procedures. The two young adult patients developed symptoms similar to those of inflammatory back pain, and their symptoms did not improve with conventional treatment alone. Both patients underwent interventional management, and the symptoms improved. It may be clinically helpful to confirm the presence of Bertolotti’s syndrome in patients with suspected AS, and interventional therapy may be required in some cases.

Objective: This study investigates the longitudinal effects of changes in the associations between two distinct aspects of social connections—i.e., social connectedness and loneliness—on depressive symptoms among community-dwelling Korean adults. This study also examines whether these associations vary across three age groups (45–64, 65–74, and 75 or above). Methods: Using data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing collected between 2014 and 2020 (n=3,642 individuals), fixed effects models were used to examine the age-specific associations between the two distinct aspects of social connections and depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale) while, accounting for time-invariant individual heterogeneity. Social connectedness is measured by asking the frequency of interactions with friends, relatives, or neighbors. Results: The findings indicate that the impact of loneliness on depressive symptoms outweighs that of social disconnectedness. Notably, this study unveils age-specific patterns concerning the impact of the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic on depressive symptoms and changes in the association between loneliness and depressive symptoms. Specifically, middle-aged individuals reported higher levels of depressive symptoms and loneliness along with a heightened impact of loneliness on depressive symptoms, despite maintaining stable social connections. Conversely, the oldest adults experienced reductions in both depressive symptoms and loneliness, despite a significant decrease in socializing. Conclusion These findings shed light on the differential effects of loneliness on depressive symptoms within distinct age groups before and during the pandemic. The implications of these findings are discussed with a focus on informing the development of targeted policy interventions tailored to the specific needs of different age groups.

Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, decreased ability to concentrate urine, with production of large amounts of urine, is caused by the refractory response of renal tubules to the action of antidiuretic hormone. This rare disorder, known as X-linked nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, is caused by a mutation in the arginine vasopressin receptor 2 gene. Because it is hereditary, most patients are male. This report highlights a case of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus in a 3-year 5-month-old female; upon presentation to the hospital, her symptoms included frequent urination and consumption of a significant amount of water, which had begun 2 years ago. The results of blood tests showed increased levels of serum antidiuretic hormone, and sellar magnetic resonance imaging showed no abnormality. The results of the water restriction test and the desmopressin administration test confirmed the diagnosis of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus showing a partial response to desmopressin. The results of genetic testing indicated the presence of an arginine vasopressin receptor 2 mutation, a heterozygous missense mutation (p.Val88Met), suggesting inheritance of X-linked nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. This report describes a significant case of symptomatic X-linked nephrogenic diabetes insipidus in a female patient who showed a partial response to desmopressin.

Purpose: This study analyzed the dietary patterns of Central Asian immigrant workers (Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan) living in South Korea to determine the food acculturation and how their dietary practices have changed after immigration. Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were completed by 186 Central Asian immigrant workers living in South Korea. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to obtain information on the consumption frequency of 22 food items before and after their immigration to Korea. Results: Central Asians switched to Korean meat consumption patterns, which consume mainly pork, chicken, and beef, showing a decrease in the intake of beef and lamb and an increase in that of pork. Their consumption of Namul (cooked vegetable), Kimchi, rice, and marine products increased while that of potatoes decreased during acculturation to Korean food culture. Positive changes were observed in Mongolians’ eating habits. Their meat-based diet turned into a healthy one in which nutritional balance was achieved by consuming the various food groups. Negative dietary changes were also observed; intake of instant foods and coffee increased while black and green tea consumption decreased. Intake of Namul (p < 0.01), Kimchi (p < 0.01), rice (p < 0.001), ramen (p < 0.001), pork, chicken (p < 0.01), fish (p < 0.01), seafood (p < 0.001), and coffee (p < 0.001) increased significantly in the group that responded and their health improved after moving to Korea. This result suggests that health improved among those who were well settled in Korea and ate the various food groups. Conclusion These findings can help understand the acculturation process to Korean food culture and provide a basis for developing policies to help them adjust to Korean food culture.

Owing to the developments in imaging modalities, imaging has become an essential element in the early evaluation of and decision-making algorithm for patients with trauma. In particular, CT technology has developed over the past decades, resulting in faster image acquisition and higher image quality. Currently, CT is the key imaging modality for triaging surgical and non-surgical treatment in patients with abdominal trauma and plays an important role in increasing the frequency and success rate of non-surgical treatment. Because rapid and accurate diagnosis of injury in patients with trauma can improve the patients' prognosis, radiologists should be familiar with the imaging findings, especially the CT findings, in patients with trauma. In this article, the authors reviewed the considerations when performing CT for evaluating abdominal trauma. In addition, they described the important imaging findings and pitfalls when diagnosing blunt trauma in various intra-abdominal organs.