No abstract available.
Anemia, Dyserythropoietic, Congenital*

BACKGROUND: Burns remain a common public problem among children and often cause severe injuries, resulting in physical and mental problems for the patients. Children constitute a risk group because of their natural curiosity, their mode of reaction, their impulsiveness and lack of experience in risk assessment. PURPOSE: The objects of this study were to characterize pediatric burn injuries and to understand their clinical outcomes in Korea. METHODS: we analyzed the records of the 1401 pediatric burn patients (age 0~15 years old) out of the 4423 burn patients, who have been admitted to the Burn Center, Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University for 5 years (1991~1995). RESULTS: Males were more affected than females; 58.1% were males and 41.9% were females. Most thermal injuries in children occur in the age group younger than 5 years (82%); especially 66.9% of pediatric burn patients were under the age of 3. Scalding burns accounted for 72.5%, and flame burns fors 18.1%. Most pediatric burns occurred in urban areas. The most common activities related to pediatic burn injuries were food preparation and food consumption, which accounted for 57.5% of all burn injuries. In 66% of the cases, the extent of the burned surface was under 10%. In 77.8% of the cases, the depth of the burn wound was 2nd degree. In 63.9% of the cases, the duration of hospitalization was 3 weeks or less. The incidence of wound infection was 14.8%, and 50% of the infections were caused by Pseudomonas aerusinosa. The major complications were wound infection (30.9%), hypertrophic scarring (21.4%) and irritant dermatitis (20.3%). The mortality rate in a series of 1,401 pediatric patients was 2.6%. The main causes of death were sepsis, burn shock, ARDS and air way obstruction. When 51~70% of the surface area was burned the mortality was 25%, when over 70% of the surface area was burned the mortality was 81.3%. SPCCULATION: The successful way to prevent pediatric burn is to reduce the risk to children by effective intervention.
Burn Units ; Burns* ; Cause of Death ; Child ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; Dermatitis, Irritant ; Exploratory Behavior ; Female ; Heart ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Male ; Mortality ; Pseudomonas ; Risk Assessment ; Sepsis ; Shock ; Wound Infection ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: To compare the accuracy of different power-calculation formulas in predicting the postoperative refraction of three-piece and one-piece intraocular lenses (IOL). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 74 eyes (62 patients) that had undergone cataract surgery involving implantation of one of two IOLs―the SENSAR® AAB00 1-Piece Acrylic IOL (44 eyes), or the Hoya® VA60BB 3-Piece Acrylic IOL (30 eyes)―between October 2014 and March 2015. Axial length was measured using an optical low-coherence refractometry (Lenstar®), and biometry was then calculated by the pre-installed Lenstar program, which used the SRK/II, Sanders-Retzlaff-Kraff/Theoretical (SRK/T), and Hoffer Q formulas. Mean absolute error (MAE) and mean numeric error (MNE) were measured 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 2 months after surgery. RESULTS: Using the SRK/T and Hoffer Q formulas, the one-piece IOL group differed significantly from the three-piece IOL group in terms of the MNE obtained 1 month and 2 months after surgery. Across all formulas and time points, there were no significant differences between the groups in terms of MAE. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference between the different power-calculation formulas. Starting 1 month after surgery, the three-piece IOL group showed myopic postoperative refraction compared to the predictive spherical equivalent using the SRK/T and Hoffer Q formulas.
Biometry ; Cataract ; Lenses, Intraocular* ; Medical Records ; Refractometry ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: The purpose of this experiment is to measure the expression of TGF-beta and alpha-SM actin (smooth muscle actin) from fibroblast culture by the duration of culture days and to analyze the inhibition of alpha-SM actin expression in fibroblast by the antibodies for TGF-beta. METHODS: The levels of alpha-SM actin from the paired NIH3T3 cell cultures with TGF-beta 1 containing medium (10 ng/ml) and with the antibody (for TGF-beta) medium (1 or 2 ug/ml) were determined by SDS PAGE for cell lysate protein, Western blot with ECL autoradiography and immuno - slot blot. RESULTS: In NIH3T3 culture, the expression of alpha-SM actin increased at culture days 4, 5, 6. TGF-beta was expressed from 2nd day of culture and increased by day 7. The addition of TGF beta (10 ng/ml) did not increased the expression of alpha-SM actin. But alpha-SM actin expression decreased in the presence of anti-TGF beta antibody. The decrease of expression was proportional to the concentration of antibody and duration of exposure to the antibody. CONCLUSIONS: Endogenous TGF-beta produced by fibroblast cultures is sufficient to express the alpha-SM actin from the myofiboblast. There was no additive expression of alpha-SM actin with exogenous TGF-beta 1. The antibody for TGF- beta inhibits the production of the alpha-SM actin during wound healing and may prevent the wound contracture.
Actins* ; Antibodies ; Autoradiography ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Contracture* ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Fibroblasts* ; Myofibroblasts ; Transforming Growth Factor beta* ; Wound Healing ; Wounds and Injuries*

Laccases (EC 1.10.3.2) are copper-containing polyphenol oxidases found in white-rot fungi. Here, we report the cloning and analysis of the nucleotide sequence of a new laccase gene, fvlac7, based on the genomic sequence of Flammulina velutipes. A primer set was designed from the putative mRNA that was aligned to the genomic DNA of F. velutipes. A cDNA fragment approximately 1.6-kb long was then amplified by reverse transcriptase-PCR using total RNA, which was subsequently cloned and sequenced. The cDNA sequence of fvlac7 was then compared to that of the genomic DNA, and 16 introns were found in the genomic DNA sequence. The fvlac7 protein, which consists of 538 amino acids, showed only 42~51% identity with 12 different mushroom species containing two laccases of F. velutipes, suggesting the fvlac7 is a novel laccase gene. The first 25 amino acids of Fvlac7 correspond to a predicted signal sequence, four copper-binding sites, and four N-glycosylation sites. Fvlac7 cDNA was heterologously overexpressed in an Escherichia coli system with an approximate expected molecular weight of 60 kDa.
Agaricales ; Amino Acids ; Base Sequence ; Clone Cells ; Cloning, Organism ; DNA ; DNA, Complementary ; Escherichia coli ; Flammulina ; Fungi ; Introns ; Laccase ; Molecular Weight ; Oxidoreductases ; Protein Sorting Signals ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger

Background and Objectives: To investigate the effects of recurrent tonsillitis on postoperative outcomes after powered intracapsular tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (PITA) in children with obstructive sleep-disordered breathing (oSDB). Materials and Methods: Children who underwent PITA in Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong from 2016 to 2018 were classified into two oSDB groups according to comorbid chronic/recurrent acute tonsillitis (CHT). To evaluate the efficacy of the PITA technique, quality of life (QoL) was measured using the obstructive sleep apnea questionnaire (OSA-18) for 3 months after surgery. To evaluate the disadvantages of the PITA technique, we followed complications such as throat pain, otalgia, nausea, vomiting, and postoperative bleeding for 1 week after surgery. Finally, we compared the pre- and postoperative QoL and analyzed the incidence of postoperative complications in the oSDB with CHT (SDBwCHT) and oSDB without CHT (SDBsCHT) groups. Results: Of the 802 enrolled patients, 135 were classified as SDBwCHT and 667 as SDBsCHT. Both groups exhibited marked improvements in QoL after PITA. The SDBwCHT group showed a change of OSA-18 score from 70.7±17.0 to 31.2±11.4. The SDBsCHT group showed a change of OSA-18 score from 70.0±17.1 to 31.0±9.9. The groups did not demonstrate statistical differences in complication rates and severity of symptoms during the first postoperative week. Conclusion Although comorbid CHT delayed improvement in postoperative symptoms, PITA is a useful technique to treat children with oSDB, regardless of CHT.

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory disease, affecting approximately 0.5% to 2% of the global population. OLP can lead to long-term oral pain, reduced quality of life, with the potential for malignant transformation. Current treatment strategies focus on symptom management and reducing the risk of malignancy. Treatment of OLP is challenging and varies from patient to patient, especially in those who do not respond to corticosteroids. The effectiveness and safety of second-line and third-line treatment options in such cases are continually compared and evaluated, and recently, the application of Janus kinase inhibitors, micro ribonucleic acids, and mesenchymal stem cell-based therapies is being assessed. As a result, the ability of clinicians to select the most appropriate treatment modalities for each patient remains crucial. This review aims to evaluate the efficacy of recent treatment modalities and key considerations to assist clinicians in selecting effective and safe treatment strategies for OLP.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) is the most common type of sporadic encephalitis worldwide, and it remains fatal even when optimal antiviral therapy is applied. There is only a weak consensus on the clinical outcomes and prognostic factors in patients with HSE. This study examined whether the radiological and electrophysiological findings have a prognostic value in patients with HSE. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients who were diagnosed with HSE by applying the polymerase chain reaction to cerebrospinal fluid and who received intravenous acyclovir at our hospital from 2000 to 2014. We evaluated the clinical outcomes at 6 months after onset and their correlations with initial and clinical findings, including the volume of lesions on MRI, the severity of EEG findings, and the presence of epileptic seizures at the initial presentation. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients were enrolled (18 men and 11 women). Univariate analysis revealed that the presence of severe EEG abnormality and epileptic seizures at the initial presentation were significant correlated with a poor clinical outcome at 6 months (p=0.005 and p=0.009, respectively). In multivariate analysis, the presence of severe EEG abnormality was the only independent predictor of a poor outcome at 6 months (p=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: In cases of HSE, the initial EEG severity and seizure presentation may be useful predictive factors for the outcome at 6 months after acyclovir treatment.
Acyclovir ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Consensus ; Electroencephalography* ; Encephalitis ; Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex* ; Epilepsy ; Herpes Simplex* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures ; Simplexvirus

The well-known prognostic factors for breast cancer, such as axillary lymph node status, do not always account for the exact outcome. The development of other accurate prognostic factors would help in assessing high risk for recurrence and death. Recently, much experimental evidence has accumulated showing that tumor growth and metastasis are dependent on tumor angiogenesis. To investigate the status of angiogenesis in breast cancer, we counted the microvessel density(MVD) of breast cancer tissues, which were stained with anti-CD34 antibody, as a measure of tumor angiogenesis. We classified 43 breast-cancer patients into 22 with low MVD (<47/200 PF) and 21 with high MVD (> or =47/200 PF). We estimated the correlations between the MVD and other established prognostic factors. We also calculated survivals based on MVD. The MVD was in the range between 10 and 93(mean SD=46.9 21.7). The positive rate of lymph-node metastasis in high-MVD patients was 32.6%, which was higher than the 23.3% for low- MVD patients. We found a significant correlation between MVD and histologic grade (p=0.037), but could not find any significant correlation between MVD and menopausal status, tumor size, nuclear grade, estrogen receptor, or progesterone receptor. Retrospectively, the receptor status of estrogen and of progesterone had significant impacts on survival (ER : p=0.0001, PR : p=0.0001). The 4-year disease-free survival rate of high-MVD patients was 56.6 12.5%, and that of low-MVD patients was 69.0 10.8% (p=0.449). The 4-year overall survival rate of high-MVD patients was 71.1 11.1%, and that of low-MVD patients was 74.1 12.2 (p=0.449). In conclusion, the determination of MVD in breast cancer tissue may be useful as a prognostic factor, but it is necessary to investigate the MVD in a large number of patients before this conclusion can be stated with certainty.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Estrogens ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Microvessels ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Progesterone ; Receptors, Progesterone ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: The generally accepted standard surgery for advanced gastric cancer is gastrectomy with D2 dissection accompanied by omentectomy. Theoretically, advanced gastric cancer without serosa exposure cannot disseminate metastasis to the omentum. However, the significance of routine omentectomy in survival remains unproved. METHODS: From January 2000 to December 2002, 174 patients, who diagnosed T2 gastric adenocarcinoma pathologically, underwent curative gastrectomy by one operator. 52 patients underwent omentum-preserving gastrectomy and 122 patients underwent gastrectomy with resection of omentum. We compared clinicopathologic characteristics, recurrence patterns, recurrence rate and survival rates between the two groups. RESULTS: Five-year survival rate was 82.9% in the omentum-preserving group and 85.2% in the omentectomy group (P=0.729). Moreover, there was no significant difference in recurrence rate between the two groups (P=0.298). In the omentum-preserving group, 3 peritoneal (25%), 4 local (33.3%), 4 hematogenous (33.3%), 1 distant lymph node (8.3%) recurrences were shown. However, in the omentectomy group, 7 peritoneal (35%), 6 local (30%), 6 hematogenous (30%), 1 distant lymph node (5%) recurrences were shown (P=0.935). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the omentum-preserving gastrectomy may be applicable to advanced gastric cancer without serosa exposure, and that it is not necessary to perform uniform omentectomy for all advanced gastric cancer.
Adenocarcinoma ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Omentum ; Recurrence ; Serous Membrane ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Survival Rate