The nutrition knowledge and food attitude of obese children were assessed and compared with their normal children counterparts to provide information for nutrition education programs. One hundred forty six obese children and 92 normal children from the fourth to sixth grade in Bucheon and Anyang elementary schools of Kyeong-gi Province were selected for the study. A multiple choice questionnaire, including 12 items of general nutrition knowledge and 13 items of weight control, were used to test the nutrition knowledge of children. The results of this study are as follows : 1) 57.5% of male and 40.9% of female obese children had experience with weight control, but the rate of correct answers on the nutrition knowledge test ranged from 53% to 58%, which does not show any significant difference between the two groups. The rate of correct answers on items conrerning 'general nutrition knowledge' and 'nutrition knowledge for weight control' did not show any significant difference among the two groups. 2) Obese male students showed a higher rate of correct answers(59.2%) on items of 'the proper food selection for obese children', compared with their counterparts and also obese female students showed a higher rate of correct answers(88.6%) on 'physical exercise', compared with their counterparts. 3) The rate of correct answers on nutrition knowledge of 'basic food groups', 'the functions of iron and vitamins', 'the concept of energy', and 'the principle of weight change' were lower than 40%. 4) The obese children frequently did not have breakfast, overate during lunch in many cases, and had low recognition on knowledge that was necessary to weight control. 5) Only 30.9% and 22.7% of male and female obese children replied that they would participate in weight control programs. However, 53.6% of males and 68.2% of females did not show any concern in participating the programs. From these results, it was suggested that it is necessary to motivate the obese to participate in weight-control program. When developing nutrition education programs for the obese, the contents of the questions that showed a low correct answering rates should be emphasized.
Breakfast ; Child* ; Education ; Female ; Food Habits* ; Food Preferences ; Gyeonggi-do* ; Humans ; Iron ; Life Style* ; Lunch ; Male ; Pediatric Obesity ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA quantification is necessary for predicting the therapeutic response and assessing treatment results in patients with chronic HCV infection. Recently, real-time PCR technology for HCV RNA quantification displayed good linearity within the dynamic range. Thus, it is gradually replacing branched-DNA (bDNA) and PCR- hybridization assays. In this study, we evaluated the performance of the Real-QTM HCV quantification kit (biosewoom. Inc., Seoul, Korea) developed in Korea. METHODS: We evaluated the HCV quantification kit for detection limit, specificity, linearity, accuracy, and recovery rate of HCV RNA standard material. The results were analyzed for a correlation with those of Cobas Amplicor HCV Monitor 2.0. RESULTS: The HCV quantification kit showed a high recovery rate of HCV RNA standard material of various concentrations and amplication of HCV RNA equally in all genotypes. Hepatitis B virus and human immunodeficiency virus showed no cross-reactivity with HCV. Within-run and between-run coefficients of variation (CV) were 9.52~15.84% and 9.40~17.53%, respectively. Between-day coefficients of variation were 11.62~18.04%, and detection limit was 44 IU/mL. It showed a good correlation with Cobas Amplicor HCV Monitor 2.0 (R2=0.8954). CONCLUSION: The Real-Q HCV quantification kit showed a good specificity, sensitivity, linearity, and accuracy; therefore, we propose that it is fully adequate for monitoring antiviral therapy in patients with chronic HCV infection.
Chimera ; Genotype ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis B virus ; HIV ; Humans ; Limit of Detection ; Organothiophosphorus Compounds ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA ; Sensitivity and Specificity

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of psoriasis may involve the interleukin (IL)-23 and Th17-mediated immune responses. Th17 cells secret IL-17 and IL-22, which mediates dermal inflammation and acanthosis. OBJECTIVE: As inhibitor of nuclear factor kappaB kinase-alpha (IKKalpha) has been previously identified as a primary regulator of keratinocyte differentiation and proliferation, we proposed that IL-17 and IL-22 might affect keratinocyte differentiation by changing the expression of IKKalpha. METHODS: We employed HaCaT cells maintained culture medium at a low calcium concentration (0.06 mM) and induced differentiation by switching to the high concentration (2.8 mM) media with IL-17 or IL-22, then compared the IKKalpha expression and the cell cycle. We employed reconstituted human epidermal skin (Neoderm) and mice ears for the in vivo studies. RESULTS: Elevated calcium concentration induced IKKalpha expression and terminal differentiation with cell cycle arrest in HaCaT cell cultures. Moreover, IL-17 and IL-22 treatment also induced IKKalpha in HaCaT cells and reconstituted human epidermis. IKKalpha induction was also noted, following the injection of IL-17 and IL-22 into mice ears. CONCLUSION: Although the induction of IKKalpha was accompanied by keratinocyte differentiation, IL-17 and IL-22 did not affect calcium-mediated differentiation or the cell cycle. Rather, IL-17 and IL-22 appear to contribute to the inflammation occurring via the induction of IKKalpha from keratinocytes or skin layers.
Animals ; Calcium ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; Cell Differentiation ; Ear ; Epidermis ; Humans ; I-kappa B Kinase ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-17 ; Interleukins ; Keratinocytes ; Mice ; Psoriasis ; Skin ; Th17 Cells

BACKGROUND: Infection by the intracellular bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chamydophila pneumoniae, and Legionella pneumophila are common causes of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). This study describes the evaluation of a new multiplex real-time PCR test, EuDx™-PN MLC Detection Kit (EUDIPIA), which allows the simultaneous detection of M. pneumoniae, C. pneumoniae, and L. pneumophila in respiratory samples. METHODS: A total of 353 samples were tested using three PCR kits: multiplex PCR (Seeplex PneumoBacter ACE Detection Kit) and two multiplex real-time PCR (EuDx™-PN MLC Detection Kit and Anyplex™ II RB5 Detection Kit). The results were considered true positives (expanded standard) for M. pneumoniae, C. pneumoniae, and L. pneumophila if they were positive according to any of the three tests. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of EuDx™-PN MLC Detection Kit were 93.3–100% and 100%, respectively. The agreement rate and Cohen's kappa coefficient (value) between EuDx™-PN MLC Detection Kit and Anyplex™ II RB5 Detection Kit for M. pneumoniae, C. pneumoniae, and L. pneumophila were 70–100% and 0.82–1, respectively. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that the EuDx™-PN MLC Detection Kit is a sensitive, specific, and useful screening tool for the detection of atypical pathogens in respiratory samples and can be helpful in selecting appropriate antimicrobial therapy for patients with respiratory infection.
Bacteria ; Chlamydial Pneumonia* ; Chlamydophila pneumoniae* ; Chlamydophila* ; Humans ; Legionella pneumophila* ; Legionella* ; Mass Screening ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae* ; Mycoplasma* ; Pneumonia ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Patients with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome often suffer from complications of polyps, such as intussusception, bowel obstruction, and bleeding. Another major problem of these patients is malignancy through the hamartoma-adenoma-carcinoma sequence. If the complications and the cancer risk of small intestinal polyps are to be reduced, early detection of these polyps and a polypectomy are important. Traditionally, a small bowel series, small bowel enteroclysis, and conventional endoscopy have been used for the proper evaluation, and management of polyps. Recently, several reports showed the advantages of enteroscopy and intraoperative endoscopy for achieving a more complete polypectomy of the small intestine. However, CT enteroclysis, which has been introduced as a reliable, less invasive, and tolerable diagnostic tool for small intestinal disease, may be useful for the evaluation of patients with gastrointestinal polyposis. We report the case of a patient with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome who had small-bowel polyposis and a rectal adenocarcinoma and who underwent preoperative CT enteroclysis and intraoperative endoscopy.
Adenocarcinoma ; Endoscopy ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Intestinal Diseases ; Intestinal Polyps ; Intestine, Small ; Intussusception ; Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome* ; Polyps

Acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP) is a late gestational complication with clinical similarities to fulminant hepatic failure. The following case illustrates our experience with anesthesia for a cesarean section in a patient with AFLP, diagnosed after delivery. A 34-year-old woman, at 34 weeks gestation, presented in acute labor and uncontrolled gestational diabetes mellitus. She complained of a mild fever, jaundice, nausea and vomiting. Laboratory tests demonstrated an increased level of activated partial thromboplastin time, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanin aminotransferase. A cesarean section was performed under general anesthesia with O2-N2O-fentanyl-midazolam-vecuronium. After delivery, she was diagnosed as AFLP. The diagnosis was made by clinical, laboratory and an ultrasound of liver findings. After conservative treatment, she recovered and was discharged on postoperative day 16.
Adult ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Cesarean Section* ; Diabetes, Gestational ; Diagnosis ; Emergencies* ; Fatty Liver* ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Jaundice ; Liver ; Liver Failure, Acute ; Nausea ; Partial Thromboplastin Time ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy* ; Ultrasonography ; Vomiting

PURPOSE: Stomach cancer is the most prevalent extracolonic malignancy of the many primary cancers that occur together with colorectal cancer in Koreans. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of patients who present with double primary cancer of the stomach and colorectum. METHODS: From Sep. 1994 to Dec. 2004, in 4,305 patients were diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Among these patients, 51 patients were diagnosed synchronously or metachronously as also having stomach cancer. The mean age these patients was 60.8 years and the median follow up duration was 31.0 months. RESULTS: The incidence of double primary cancer of the stomach and colorectum was 1.2% of the total colorecal cancer patients and they were 0.6% of the total stomach cancer patients. There were 17 (33.3%) metachronous cases and 34 (66.7%) synchronous cases. For the metachronous cases, the mean interval was 15 months (12~98) and detection methods were postoperative CT, symptom of second a cancer, and routine endoscopic examination. In synchronous cases, second cancer was detected by routine endoscopic examination, preoperative radiologic evaluation, and intraoperative exploration. Intraoperatively the detected cancers were all colorectal cancer during the operation for stomach cancer. The stage of the colorectal cancer was higher than that of the stomach cancer in 30 cases. Local or systemic recurrences were seen in 9 cases (17.6%), and 7 cases were recurrence of colorectal cancer. The 5-year disease free survival rates was 55.8%. CONCLUSION: The incidence of cancer arising from colorectum and stomach has been reported to be increasing. Careful attention should always be paid to the possible presence of a second cancer in preoperative or postoperative evaluation of cancer patients.
Colonic Neoplasms ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Disease-Free Survival ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Neoplasms, Second Primary ; Recurrence ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Stomach*

PURPOSE: Decreased expressions of E-cadherin and beta-catenin are known to be associated with tumor metastases. but the clinical relationship between the degree of expression and the prognosis in colorectal cancer remains unclear. In this study, the expressions of E-cadherin and beta-catenin in stage II colorectal cancer patients were evaluated and their relation with metachronous distant metastasis analyzed. METHODS: From the patients who underwent a curative resection for stage II colorectal cancer, 25 who had a recurrence after surgery due to distant metastasis (group with recurrence) were selected, and matched with 25 patients who did not have a recurrence (group without recurrence). Paraffin embedded blocks from these patients and samples from normal colon, primary colon cancer were prepared in tissue microarrays and were stained by immunohistochemistry. The expressions were classified as grades 0, 1, 2, or 3 compared to those of normal tissue. RESULTS: The mena age of the patients was 55.7 years, with a median follow up period of 73.7 months. There are no significant differences in the clinicopathological data between the groups with recurrence and without recurrence. There were no significant differences in the degrees of E-cadherin and beta-catenin expression between the two groups (P=0.16, 0.10), or in the 5-year survival and disease free survival rates between the high and low expression groups (degree > or =2.5 and < or =2, respectively) of E-cadherin and beta-catenin. CONCLUSION: The expressions of E-cadherin and beta-catenin may not play a prognostic role in the prediction of metachronous distant metastasis in stage II colorectal cancers patients.
beta Catenin* ; Cadherins* ; Colon ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Paraffin ; Prognosis ; Recurrence

Post-menopausal women experience variable biological and psychological changes. The effect of reduced levels of estrogen can effect on post-menopausal depression. Estrogen triggers physiological responses by binding to the estrogen receptor (ER). Two subtypes of ER, ERa and ERb are now known. We investigated the significance of ERa and ERb polymorphisms and post-menopasal depression in this study. Forty three women with post-menopausal depression and 63 post-menopausal women without depression as normal controls were recruited. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method was used to investigate genotypes of ERa and ERb polymorphisms. Genotypes of PvuII and XbaI polymorphism of ERa receptor were significantly different in patients with post-menopausal depression comparing with controls. Genotypes of ERb did not show association with post-menopausal depression. Our study showed that ERa receptor polymorphism had an association with depression in post-menopausal women. It suggests that investigation of ER genes and their functions might be important for understanding pathophysilogical mechanism of post-menopausal depression.
Depression ; Estrogens ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Menopause

OBJECTIVES: To compare the clnical data of general and regional anesthesia for cesarean section in patients with systemic hypertension. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective survey with the medical records of the patients with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, who under went cesarean section from January 1998 to December 2012. We collected data including patients' demographics, anesthesia and maternal and neonatal outcome. According to anesthetic method, the subjects were divided into general anesthesia and regional anesthesia group and the clinical outcome were compared. We reclassified the patients according to the use of magnesium sul fate (MgSO4) and compared the clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Of the 1,050 hypertensive parturients, 848 (80.8%) patients went through cesarean section. Three hundred and sixty three patients (42.8%) underwent epidural anesthesia, general and spinal anesthesia were used in 268 (31.6%), and 217 (25.6%) patients, respectively. There was no significant difference in maternal and neonatal outcome according to anesthetic method. In the patients administered MgSO4, 1 minute Apgar score was lower and maternal gestational age and birth weight were less than the patients not receiving MgSO4. CONCLUSION: Anesthetic methods did not have effect on outcome of cesarean section of the patients with hypertensive disorder of pregnancy.
Anesthesia* ; Anesthesia, Conduction ; Anesthesia, Epidural ; Anesthesia, General ; Anesthesia, Spinal ; Apgar Score ; Birth Weight ; Cesarean Section* ; Demography ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Magnesium ; Medical Records ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy* ; Retrospective Studies*