No abstract available.
Macrophages*

No abstract available.
Macrophages*

Background: Nonpharmaceutical intervention strategy is significantly important to mitigate the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread. One of the interventions implemented by the government is a school closure. The Ministry of Education decided to postpone the school opening from March 2 to April 6 to minimize epidemic size. We aimed to quantify the school closure effect on the COVID-19 epidemic. Methods: The potential effects of school opening were measured using a mathematical model considering two age groups: children (aged 19 years and younger) and adults (aged over 19). Based on susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered model, isolation and behavior-changed susceptible individuals are additionally considered. The transmission parameters were estimated from the laboratory confirmed data reported by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from February 16 to March 22. The model was extended with estimated parameters and estimated the expected number of confirmed cases as the transmission rate increased after school opening. Results: Assuming the transmission rate between children group would be increasing 10 fold after the schools open, approximately additional 60 cases are expected to occur from March 2 to March 9, and approximately additional 100 children cases are expected from March 9 to March 23. After March 23, the number of expected cases for children is 28.4 for 7 days and 33.6 for 14 days. Conclusion The simulation results show that the government could reduce at least 200 cases, with two announcements by the Ministry of education. After March 23, although the possibility of massive transmission in the children's age group is lower, group transmission is possible to occur.

This study was designed to identify the factors relating to the retrieval of medical information from the Internet by patients at a general hospital in Seoul. A questionnaire survey was carried out for 440 inpatients and outpatients who visited the general hospital by 20 educated nurses between 24 and 25 October, 2002. The collected data were analyzed to evaluate the relationship between socioeconomic characteristics and Internet use, and opinions about medical information on the Internet and Internet use, by t-tests or chi-square tests. A logistic regression analysis was applied to find models explaining the factors affecting Internet use and the search for medical on the Internet. According to our logistic regression analysis, the younger, better educated, higher income, and singles showed a higher Odds ratio for Internet use. Age, education period, income and confidence level of the Internet contents were statistically significant in the search for medical information on the Internet(p< 0.05). The results showed the customers characteristics, needs, and problems with using the Internet in medical area on the customer s views. These results would be useful for building marketing strategies using the Internet as a way of servicing and communicating with the patients.
Education ; Hospitals, General* ; Humans ; Information Storage and Retrieval* ; Inpatients ; Internet ; Logistic Models ; Marketing ; Odds Ratio ; Outpatients ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Seoul*

We report a case of fine needle aspiration cytology of endodermal sinus tumor of the ovary. A 13-year-old girl complained of abdominal mass and pain. The abdominal sonography revealed a well-demarcated huge mass, which was solid and multiseptated. Percutaneous fine needle aspiration was performed from the mass. The smears revealed moderate cellularity, which was arranged in sheets or clumps of pleomorphic malignant cells on mucoid background. The valuable characteristic features of tumor cells were papillary configuration, vacuolated cytoplasm and intracellular and extracellular hyaline globules. The diagnosis was confirmed later by histologic study of surgical resection of the specimen.
Adolescent ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Cytoplasm ; Diagnosis ; Endodermal Sinus Tumor ; Female ; Humans ; Hyalin ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Neurilemmoma ; Ovary ; S100 Proteins ; Urinoma*

OBJECTIVES: In Korea, as immunity levels of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the population acquired through previous infections and vaccinations have decreased, booster vaccinations have emerged as a necessary measure to control new outbreaks. The objective of this study was to identify the most suitable vaccination strategy for controlling the surge in COVID-19 cases. METHODS: A mathematical model was developed to concurrently evaluate the immunity levels induced by vaccines and infections. This model was then employed to investigate the potential for future resurgence and the possibility of control through the use of vaccines and antivirals. RESULTS: As of May 11, 2023, if the current epidemic trend persists without further vaccination efforts, a peak in resurgence is anticipated to occur around mid-October of the same year. Under the most favorable circumstances, the peak number of severely hospitalized patients could be reduced by 43% (n=480) compared to the scenario without vaccine intervention (n=849). Depending on outbreak trends and vaccination strategies, the best timing for vaccination in terms of minimizing this peak varies from May 2023 to August 2023. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that if the epidemic persist, the best timing for administering vaccinations would need to be earlier than currently outlined in the Korean plan. It is imperative to continue monitoring outbreak trends, as this is key to determining the best vaccination timing in order to manage potential future surges.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to airborne allergens exacerbates symptoms of atopic dermatitis in sensitive patients. OBJECTIVE: We attempted to evaluate the therapeutic effect of Dermatophagoides farinae antigen-autoantibody immune complex therapy in atopic dermatitis. METHODS: Four patients with atopic dermatitis were treated with antigen-autoantibody immune complex therapy using D. farinae antigen for 1 year. The therapeutic effect was evaluated by clinical severity (erythema, excoriations, scale, pruritus, lichenification) and D. farinae specific antibodies, skin test to D. farinae, total IgE, eosinophil count and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1). RESULTS: One of four patients had significant improvement in clinical severity and decrease in serum eosinophil count, but three of four patients had no significant improvement in clinical severity, skin test to D. farinae, total IgE, specific antibodies and soluble VCAM-1 after allergenantibody complex therapy except specific IgE to D. farinae. CONCLUSION: The efficacy of allergen-antibody complex therapy may be limited in some atopic dermatitis patients.
Allergens ; Antibodies ; Antigen-Antibody Complex* ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Dermatophagoides farinae* ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Pruritus ; Pyroglyphidae* ; Skin Tests ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1

This investigation studied the relationship between Body Mass Index(BMI) and dietary intake, levels of serum lipid, lipoprotein(a) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1(PAI-1) of 28.449 Korean adults(16.937 men, 11.542 women) from 1995 to 1999. The dietary assessment was conducted using 24-hour dietary records and food frequency questionnaires. During this five year study, the BMI normal-weight group, as a percentage of the annual test population, decreased from 68.0% to 60.2%, while the BMI overweight and obese groups collectively increased from 25.0% to 29.7%. The levels of serum total cholesterol (TC), LDL-cholesterol(LDL-C), Triacylglycerol(TG) and PAI-1 increased as the values of BMI increased, while the levels of HDL-cholesterol(HDL-C) and lipoprotein(a)(men only) appeared to decrease as values of BMI increased. The levels of daily energy intake also increased as values of BMI increased in both men and women. The obese group had significantly higher levels of carbohydrate, protein, fat(men only), and cholesterol intake than those of the normal-weight, underweight, and overweight groups. In men, BMI positively correlated with the levels of macronutrients and cholesterol intake(p<0.001), % energy of protein, fat, and alcohol intake(p<0.001), and the levels of serum TC, LDL-C, TG and PAI-1(p<0.001), while BMI negatively correlated with % energy of carbohydrate intake, and the levels of Lp(a) and HDL-C(p<0.001). In women, BMI negatively correlated with level of cholesterol(p<0.01), fat(p<0.001), alcohol intake(p<0.05),% energy of fat (p<0.001), % energy of alcohol intake and level of and HDL-C(p<0.001). Subjects who had serum TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, and TG levels greater than the standard reference values(TC>240 mg/dl, LDL-C>130 mg/dl, HDL-C>35, TG>200 mg/dl) exhibited a higher intake of the three macronutrients, iron, calcium, meat, milk and fatty foods than those subjects who had serum lipid concentrations less-than-or-equal-to the standard reference values. Overall, there was positive correlation between the high risk factors of vascular disease variables, dietary intake, and BMI. Prevalence of hypertension and high blood sugar were increased as BMI increased, but the prevalence of hypertension is decreased as the year goes by. These findings showed that dietary intake, level of serum lipids and other vascular disease risk factors increased as BIM increased. Therefore, middle or upper class Korean adults who have high BMI should improve their eating habits. This involve reducing alcohol, animal fat, high carbohydrate foods, and overall food intake, and balancing intake in order to lower vascular disease risk factors, including obesity.
Adult* ; Animals ; Blood Glucose ; Body Mass Index* ; Calcium ; Cholesterol ; Diet Records ; Eating ; Energy Intake ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Iron ; Lipoprotein(a)* ; Male ; Meat ; Milk ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1* ; Plasminogen Activators ; Prevalence ; Reference Values ; Risk Factors ; Thinness ; Vascular Diseases ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The pediatric population with comorbidities is a high-risk group for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). As of January 2023, the COVID-19 vaccination rate for at least two doses among Korean children 5–11 years is low at 1.1%. We summarized the COVID-19 vaccination status for the pediatric population (5–17 years) with comorbidities through July 2022 using the National Health Insurance Service database. Pediatric patients with comorbidities had higher vaccination rates than the general pediatric population (2.4% vs. 1.1% in 5–11-year-olds [P < 0.001], 76.5% vs. 66.1% in 12–17-year-olds [P < 0.001]). However, there were substantial differences according to comorbidity category, and the 2-dose vaccination rate was lowest among children with immunodeficiency in all age groups (1.1% in 5–11-year-olds, 51.2% in 12–17-year-olds). The COVID-19 vaccination rate among Korean children has remained stagnant at a low proportion despite ongoing outreach. Thus, more proactive strategies are needed alongside continuous surveillance.

After the trauma of frontoethmoidal sinus, post-traumatic mucocele may occur. Surgical removal of the lesions rarely produces cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage and even delayed tension pneumocephalus. We experienced a case of fronto-ethmoid mucocele complicated with peri-operative CSF leakage and post-operative tension pneumocephalus which was improved by conservative treatment. It is imperative to take into account the potential for tension pneumocephalus when a patient suffers from severe headache after sinus surgery.
Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak* ; Cerebrospinal Fluid* ; Ethmoid Sinus ; Frontal Sinus ; Headache ; Humans ; Mucocele ; Pneumocephalus*