House dust mites, Dermatophagoides farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssius have been identified as the main sources of house dust allergen and are considersed the most important causative allergen in the ethology of allergic respiaratory disease and allergic rhinitis. To evaluate the incidence of positive skin reactivity to house dust mites and relationship between total serum IgE levels and specific IgE antibody to house dust mites, we performed allergic skin test (scratch) in 182 children with allergic respiatory disease and atopic dermatitis. We also checked serum total IgE by PRIST method and specific IgE antibody to D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus by ELISA. Our results showed that positive skin reaction was observed in 79% of patients in D. farinae, 71% in D. pternyssinus. There was a significant correlation between serum total IgE and IgE antibody specific to D. farinae (r=0.55, p<0.001). Serum total IgE and specific IgE antibody to D. petronyssinus had no significant correlation (r=0.39, p<0.001). D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus had close correlation in the skin test (r=0.82, p<0.0001) and relative concentration of specific IgE antibody (r=0.73, p<0.0001). The agreement between skin reaction and relative concentration of specific IgE to House dust mites was 68% in D. farinae and 63% in D.pteronyssinus.
Child* ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Dermatophagoides farinae ; Dust* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay* ; Ethology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E* ; Incidence ; Pyroglyphidae* ; Rhinitis ; Skin Tests ; Skin*

No abstract available.
Humans ; T-Lymphocytes*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Buckwheat is considered one of the most important food allergens in Korea. Although a very small amount is ingested or inhaled, it can cause serious allergic reactions. However, the major allergens of buckwheat still remain to be elucidated. The aim of our study was to identify and characterize the major allergen of buckwheat seed. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Dialysis membrane with a cut-off MW 1kD was used for the preparation of crude buckwheat seed allergen extract. SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions and IgE immunoblotting were performed using sera from 15 buckwheat sensitive subjects. Isoelectric focusing and lectin blotting assay were done. RESULT: Western blot analysis showed more than 15 IgE-reactive buckwheat proteins. Among them, a 24kD protein was shown to be the most frequently bound to sera from allergic subjects (54%). Isoelectric point of 24kD protein was around 5.9. In lectin blotting assay, 24kD protein did not bind to Con A nor five other lectins. CONCLUSION: A 24kD protein was the most frequently recognized allergenic component in buckwheat seed. Isoelectric point was around 5.9. Glycosylation was not detected in 24kD of buckwheat protein.
Allergens ; Blotting, Western ; Dialysis ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Fagopyrum* ; Glycosylation ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoblotting ; Immunoglobulin E ; Isoelectric Focusing ; Isoelectric Point ; Korea ; Lectins ; Membranes

BACKGROUND: The abnormal barrier function in atopic dermatitis(AD) is caused by a reduction in the amounts of ceramides in the intercellular lipids in the stratum corneum(SC). Replenishing the SC via the topical application of ceramides and pseudoceramides leads to effective recovery of the barrier function of skin. OBJECTIVES: An open clinical crossover evaluation was conducted to investigate the effects in AD of a multi-lamellar emulsion(MLE) that contained pseudoceramide(PC-9s). METHODS: The study group included 30 AD patiendaverage age: 4.4 yr, range: 1-8 yr), who applied MLE or a commercial moisturizing cream(CMC, 5% urea) alternately for four weeks each. We divided the subjects into two subgroups and started with different treatments in each subgroup. Treatment efficacy was evaluated using the average subjective satisfaction scores for each symptom and the global clinical response. In addition, the SCORAD(Scoring AD) index was adopted to evaluate the severity of AD as objectively as possible. The patients were evaluated using this index every other week. RESULTS: Although the SCORAD improved in both subgroups, the patients had better results (p<0.05) when applying MLE(31-35% decrease) than CMC(13% increase to 14% decrease). The subjective satisfaction scores of the symptoms and signs of patients, including itching, erythema, and dry skin, were higher in the MLE group than in the CMC group, and the global response to treatment was also better in the MLE group. During the follow-up period, AD improved in all patients. MLE was more effective than CMC in our patients. CONCLUSIONS: The topical application of a multi-lamellar emulsion containing pseudoceramide is an effective regimen for improving symptoms of AD.
Ceramides ; Cross-Over Studies* ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Erythema ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Pruritus ; Skin ; Treatment Outcome

Massive fetomaternal hemorrhage is major cause of neonatal anemia. And neonatal anemia is fatal disease of high mortality rate. Massive fetomaternal hemorrhage is defined as hemorrhage of fetal blood above 150 mL in the maternal circulation. Massive fetomaternal hemorrhage is infrequent but represents a fatal cause of perinatal death. To identify fetal blood in the maternal circulation, Kleihauer-Betke test or flow cytometry has been usually used. But recently HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) is used in the detection and quantification of fetomaternal transfusion. In fetomaternal transfusion, anemic newborn must be treated when circulatory failure is present. Circulatory failure often necessitates blood transfusion. We report two cases of severe anemia due to massive fetomaternal hemorrhage in full term baby. Each case was diagnosed by high performance lipuid chromatography and treated with exchange transfusion in order to avoid fluid overload and subsequent heart failure.
Anemia ; Anemia, Neonatal ; Blood Transfusion ; Chromatography ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Female ; Fetal Blood ; Fetomaternal Transfusion ; Flow Cytometry ; Heart Failure ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Shock

Primary cutaneous CD30(Ki-1) positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma(ALCL) is a rare subset of cutaneous lymphoma, with a much better prognosis. ALCL is a heterogeneous process that may have a T-cell, B-cell, or indeterminant(null) phenotype and which may or may not express the anaplastic lymphoma kinase(ALK) oncoprotein. We report a case of ALCL in a 72 year old man. About 4 months ago, multiple erythematous firm ulcerative mass and satellite nodules developed on the right lower leg. The skin lesions rapidly increased in number and size. Some lesions became painful and centrally ulcered. The histologic findings showed a diffuse infiltrate of large lymphocytes with large nuclei, prominent and multiple nucleoli, and ample cytoplasm. Immunohistochemical stainings for CD30, CD5 were positive but stainings for LCA, CD3, CD45RO, CD20, cytokeratin, EMA, and ALK were negative. Therefore, we diagnosed our case as CD 30+/ALK- ALCL.
Aged ; B-Lymphocytes ; Cytoplasm ; Humans ; Keratins ; Leg ; Lymphocytes ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic* ; Phenotype ; Prognosis ; Skin ; T-Lymphocytes ; Ulcer

OBJECTIVE: Pain is very common in the elderly, so there is a high prevalence of analgesic use among this population. The purpose of this study was to assess patterns of analgesic use and evaluate factors associated with analgesic use in elderly patients. METHOD: The subjects of this study were patients over 65 years old hospitalized in a teaching hospital located in Chuncheon-si, Korea between January 1, 2014 and March 31, 2014. Data collection regarding analgesic prescriptions and baseline characteristics was conducted using computerized hospital database by medical information team. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors related to analgesic use. RESULTS: A total of 2,394 patients were finally included. Among these patients, 700 (29.2%) took analgesics; 521 (74.4%) out of these 700 patients were received opioid analgesics and 179 (25.6%) were received only non-opioid analgesics. The most frequently prescribed opioid analgesic was pethidine (45.7%), and the most frequently prescribed non-opioid analgesic was acetaminophen (44.1%). Fracture was associated with increased odds of opioid analgesic prescriptions (OR = 2.766, 95% CI = 2.019-3.790, p < 0.001) and any analgesic prescriptions (OR = 2.394, 95% CI = 1.766-3.244, p < 0.001). Stroke or cerebral infarction was associated with decreased odds of opioid analgesic prescriptions (OR = 0.636, 95% CI = 0.471-0.858, p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of hospitalized elderly patients use analgesics. Health care professionals should consider factors associated with analgesic use in this population to improve pain management.
Acetaminophen ; Aged* ; Analgesics ; Analgesics, Opioid ; Cerebral Infarction ; Data Collection ; Delivery of Health Care ; Gangwon-do ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Meperidine ; Pain Management ; Prescriptions ; Prevalence ; Stroke

Using IC cards with powerful information processing capabilities, high level of security, and multi media capabilities to create health IC cards has the following merits: comprehensive management of individual medical information, highly secure access to information that may be stored in separate location and/or institutes, increasing the compatability of difference used by various institutes. In this research ,we have categorized the information stored in the health IC card into the following main categories: basic personal information, emergency medical information, medical informatics, nursing information, welfare information. This was based on international ISO standards and specifics of Japan and south eastern Asia. These main categories are further divided into sub-categories and care was taken to ensure that the format of each sub-category is compatible with international standards while being suitable for Koran conditions of actual use. So, these categories conform to international standards and we will continue our efforts update the international standard to include additional categories needed in Korea and update the Korea standard to conform more closely with the international standards.
Academies and Institutes ; Access to Information ; Automatic Data Processing ; Emergencies ; Far East ; Humans ; Japan ; Korea ; Medical Informatics ; Nursing

Recent developments in computer and communication technology were studied in relation to medical information network systems, using computers and IC cards, to solve problems in community health. Trial use of health IC card systems for personal health data management are already in existence in some countries. The health IC card system provides good quality information to the doctors, the hospital, the patients, and the insurance organizations. Emergency medical information card systems that take advantage of advanced information-related technologies such as computers and communication systems, in order to improve their emergency medical care systems may have many advantages. Emergency medical information card can provide a way to protect people during medical emergencies by providing physicians with their vital medical information during the critical seconds of emergency care if being unable to provide your vital medical information. Before introducing these systems, recognition that an important problems such as standardization of the data and code for the medical information systems, defining the access and usage rights by user profiles and the types of data for the security and data protection must be considered. We studied the emergency medical information card systems to clarify their purpose, analyse their present status, standardize the data and codes and define the access and usage rights and present the ideal system, in view of community health care requirements. Here the results of the research are examined, and there is a discussion of what is needed to use the emergency medical card system in the future.
Community Health Services ; Computer Security ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Medical Services ; Human Rights ; Humans ; Information Services ; Information Systems* ; Insurance

The goal of this study was to evaluate the sonographic findings of thyroid metastases arising from non-thyroid primaries. The study over a 5-year period comprised nine patients who had histopathologically proven metastatic disease to the thyroid. Ultrasonography was available in all cases. Ultrasound-guided needle aspiration was performed on 10 suspected nodules as determined by ultrasound. The Ultrasonographic findings were analyzed in two different ways. The first analysis included only those nodules biopsed, and the second analysis included all the nodules, biopsed and non- biopsed. The primary neoplasms were breast carcinoma (n=6), uterine leiomyosarcoma (n=1), cervical carcinoma (n=1), and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (n=1). Excluding 2 nodules, the 8 remaining metastatic nodules exhibited ill-defined hypoechoic character with heterogeneous texture. The other two nodules showed relatively circumscribed iso- or hypo-echoic character with cystic portion. From the analysis of ultrasonographic findings including all thyroid nodules irrespective of pathologic proof, 7 cases - excluding the 2 cases from the 9 cases - showed unilateral or bilateral multiple nodules suspected of metastasis. There was no evidence of microcalcification in any thyroid nodules. In conclusion, the sonographic findings of the thyroid metastatic nodules were not specific, but unilateral or bilateral multiple suspected thyroid nodules without evidence of microcalcification may be suggestive of metastatic nodules among patients with a known primary non-thyroidal tumor.
Adult ; Female ; Human ; Middle Age ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Neoplasms/pathology/*secondary/*ultrasonography