PURPOSE: Interest in peptic ulcer in children has been relatively low because the disease is rarer in children than in adults and there were restrictions in the application of endoscopy to children, but the recent development of pediatric endoscopy is activating research on pediatric peptic ulcer. Thus, this study compared the H. pylori infection rate and clinical and endoscopic findings among pediatric patients diagnosed with peptic ulcer. METHODS: We analyzed retrospectively 58 pediatric patients for whom whether to be infected with H. pylori was confirmed selected out of pediatric patients diagnosed with gastric ulcer or duodenal ulcer through upper gastrointestinal endoscopy at the Department of Pediatrics of Gachon University Gil Hospital during the period from January 2002 to December 2007. A case was considered H. pylori positive if H. pylori was detected in the Giemsa stain of tissue or the results of UBT (urea breath test) and CLO (rapid urease test) were both positive. RESULTS: Of the pediatric patients, 37 were infected with H. pylori and 21 were not. The H. pylori infection rate increased with aging and the result was statistically significant (p<0.05). However, H. pylori infection was not in a statistically significant correlation with sex, chief complaint, and gastroduodenal ulcer (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: H. pylori infection increased with aging, but was not significantly correlated with gastroduodenal ulcer. Further research may need to examine prospectively the relation between H. pylori and gastroduodenal ulcer in the Incheon area.
Adult ; Aging ; Azure Stains ; Child ; Duodenal Ulcer ; Endoscopy ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Helicobacter ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Pediatrics ; Peptic Ulcer ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Ulcer ; Urease

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare differences in perception and knowledge of child abuse and child disciplinary practices according to the history of child abuse victimization. METHODS: A questionnaire survey on child abuse was conducted with 491 adults raising children. We compared the perception and knowledge of child abuse and child disciplinary practices between two groups of adults with and without a history of childhood abuse victimization. RESULTS: The group with a history of childhood abuse had lower levels of knowledge of child abuse (F=6.990, p<0.01) and engaged in more negative disciplinary practices (F=5.974, p<0.05) than those without. However, no differences in the perception of child abuse were observed between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that adults with a history of childhood abuse have lower levels of knowledge of child abuse and use more negative disciplinary practices in raising their children. This highlights the need to administer not only educational but also more direct hands-on interventions to vulnerable parents in order to foster healthy parenting and disciplinary practices.
Adult ; Child ; Child Abuse ; Child ; Crime Victims ; Humans ; Parenting ; Parents

BACKGROUND: T cell immunoglobulin mucin containing molecule (TIM)-3 is expressed in differentiated Th1 cells and is involved in the suppression of the cytokine production by these cells. However, the regulation of the expression of other T cell genes by TIM-3 is unclear. Herein, we attempted to identify differentially expressed genes in cells abundantly expressing TIM-3 compared to cells with low expression of TIM-3. METHODS: TIM-3 overexpressing cell clones were established by transfection of Jurkat T cells with TIM-3 expression vector. For screening of differentially expressed genes, gene fishing technology based on reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using an annealing control primer system was used. The selected candidate genes were validated by semi quantitative and real-time RT-PCR. RESULTS: The transcription of TIMP-1, IFITM1, PAR3 and CCL1 was different between TIM-3 overexpressing cells and control cells. However, only CCL1 transcription was significantly different in cells transiently transfected with TIM3 expression vector compared with control cells. CCL1 transcription was increased in primary human CD4+ T cells abundantly expressing TIM-3 but not in cells with low expression of TIM-3. CONCLUSION: CCL1 was identified as a differentially transcribed gene in TIM-3-expressing CD4+ T cells.
Clone Cells ; Gene Expression ; Genes, vif ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Mass Screening ; Mucins ; T-Lymphocytes ; Th1 Cells ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 ; Transfection

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify relations among the parenting stress, maternal sensitivity to infant cues, parenting environment of first-time mothers. METHOD: The participants were 194 first-time mothers of babies aged 1-6 months who visited well-baby clinics in 5 hospitals. The data were collected from April 15 to June 15, 2003. RESULTS: The parenting stress level was moderate with a mean score of 2.4(range 1-5). The parent domain and parent-child relationship domain of the parenting stress scale were significantly correlated with maternal sensitivity to infant feeding cues (r=-.178, p<.05; r=-.197, p<.01). Parenting stress was significantly correlated with childrearing environment(r=-2.19, p<.01). Parenting stress and childrearing environment were significantly different according to the educational level of the mothers and their prenatal care. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing interventions to reduce parenting stress in first-time mothers are needed to improve maternal sensitivity to infant cues and childrearing environment which foster infant development.
Child ; Child Development ; Child Rearing* ; Child* ; Cues* ; Humans ; Infant* ; Mothers* ; Nursing ; Parent-Child Relations ; Parenting* ; Parents* ; Prenatal Care ; Child Health

This study was performed to described morphology of mitral valve by observing and measuring anatomical structures of mitral valves in Korean which looked normal at autopsy, and to provided basic data the clinical application. The mean circumference of mitral valve annulus was 9.14±1.28cm in males and 8.14±1.18cm in females. The width of anterior cusp was 30.3±0.53cm in males and 2.80±0.53cm in females, and the height was 1.99±0.43cm in males and 1.51±0.39cm in females. The posterior cusp consisted of 3 scallops in 34 hearts and 4 scallops in 4 hearts, and 2 scallops in 2 hearts out of 40 hearts. The middle scallop was largest in 36 hearts out of 40 hearts. The width of posteromedial scallop was 1.18±0.37cm in males and 1.08±0.32cm in females, and the height was 0.97±0.31cm in males and 0.94±0.29cm in females. Thre width of midd1e scallop was 2.08±0.61cm in males and 1.84±0.63cm in feamales, and the height was 1.18±0.32cm in male and 1,11±0.25cm in females. The width of anterolateral scallop was 1.30±0.41cm in males and 1.10±0.43cm in females, and the height was 0.88±0.25cm in males and 0.94±0.33cm in females. In general, the values of male were greater than those of female, although there was no statistical significance. Measurements of this study were generally smaller than those of the Caucasian reported by other investigators. Measurements in male were generally larger than those in female and this result corresponded well to those of other authors.
Adult* ; Autopsy ; Female ; Heart* ; Humans ; Male ; Mitral Valve* ; Pectinidae ; Research Personnel

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors influencing parenting stress in primiparas. METHOD: The participants in this study were 198 primiparas of infants aged 1-6 months who visited well baby clinics in 5 hospitals. The data were collected from April 15 to June 15, 2003. RESULTS: The mean score for parenting stress was 2.4 of a possible 5 and thus considered average. The score for parenting stress was significantly correlated with the level of maternal perception of the infant and the level of social support. The score for parenting stress was significantly different according to the education level of the primiparas and prenatal management. For the primiparas, social support(20%) and maternal perception of the infant(9%) were significant predictors explaining parenting stress. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing interventions to improve maternal perception of the infant and increase social support should be provided for primiparas in order to reduce parenting stress.
Education ; Humans ; Infant ; Nursing ; Parenting* ; Parents* ; Child Health

Pregnancy-related osteoporosis is a very rare condition characterized by the occurrence of fracture during pregnancy or the puerperium. Despite its relative rarity, it can be a dangerous condition that causes severe back pain, height loss and disability. Normal physiologic changes during pregnancy, genetic or racial difference, obstetrical history and obstetrical disease, such as preterm labor or pregnancy-induced hypertension, are presumed risk factors of pregnancy-related osteooporosis. However, exact etiology and pathogenesis are uncertain. The management and natural history are still poorly defined. Traditional medications for osteoporosis are calcium/vitamin D and bisphosphonate. Concerns with bisphosphonate include accumulation in bone and fetal exposure in subsequent pregnancies. The newly developed medication, teriparatide, has shown good results. We report six cases of pregnancy-related osteoporosis and spinal fracture with literature review.
Back Pain ; Female ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced ; Natural History ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Osteoporosis* ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Risk Factors ; Spinal Fractures* ; Teriparatide

OBJECTIVES: The relationship between renal function and bone mineral density (BMD) is controversial. We evaluated the relationship between markers of renal function and BMD in healthy Korean women. METHODS: A total of 1,093 women who visited the health promotion center at Pusan National University hospital were included in the cross-sectional study. We divided the study population into two groups by BMD: osteopenia-osteoporosis and normal in the lumbar and femur regions, respectively. We compared the relationship between renal function and BMD using a logistic regression model and used SAS 9.3 (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC, USA) for all statistical analysis. RESULTS: Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, and cystatin C (Cys-C) were correlated with BMD in both the normal and osteopenia-osteoporosis groups, and in logistic regression analysis, BUN and Cys-C were correlated with lumbar and femur BMD. However, after we adjusted for age, menopause, and body mass index, only creatinine showed a negative correlation with lumbar BMD, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was related positively with femur BMD. CONCLUSIONS: Serum creatinine could be a marker for lumbar BMD and eGFR for femur BMD in Korean women without overt nephropathy.
Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Body Mass Index ; Bone Density ; Bone Marrow* ; Busan ; Creatinine ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Cystatin C ; Female ; Femur ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Menopause ; Osteoporosis

BACKGROUND: In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, the serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) are elevated and an increase of CRP is more exaggerated in the acute exacerbation form of COPD (AECOPD) than in stable COPD. Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a common complication of COPD. An increased level of CRP is known to be associated with the risk of systemic cardio-vascular disorders. However, few findings are available on the potential role of CRP in pulmonary arterial hypertension due to COPD. METHODS: This study was performed prospectively and the study population was composed of 72 patients that were hospitalized due to AECOPD. After receiving acute management for AECOPD, serum CRP levels were evaluated, arterial oxygen pressure (PaO2), was measured, and the existence of pulmonary arterial hypertension under room air inhalation was determined in the patients. RESULTS: The number of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension was 47 (65.3%)., There was an increased prevalence of pulmonary arterial hypertension and an increase of serum CRP levels in patients with the higher stages of COPD (e.g., patients with stage 3 and stage 4 disease; P<0.05). The mean serum CRP levels of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and without pulmonary arterial hypertension were 37.6+/-7.4 mg/L and 19.9 +/-6.6 mg/L, respectively (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference of the mean values of PaO2 between patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and without pulmonary arterial hypertension statistically (77.8+/-3.6 mmHg versus 87.2+/-6.0 mmHg). CONCLUSION: We conclude that higher serum levels of CRP can be a sign for pulmonary arterial hypertension in AECOPD patients.
C-Reactive Protein ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Inhalation ; Oxygen ; Prevalence ; Prospective Studies ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive

Congenital Abnormalities ; Extremities ; Gigantism ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Hyperostosis ; Hyperplasia ; Lipoma ; Lymphangioma ; Macrocephaly ; Male ; Mouth ; Nevus ; Osteotomy ; Proteus ; Proteus Syndrome