The use of semiquantitative food frequency to estimate dietary intake has become widespread in nutritional epidemiologic studies. It had been suggested that knowledge about a person's usual portion size of each meal in addition to consumption frequency will improve the accuracy of this method. This study was performed to investigate the dietary intake status(nutrient, food, and dish intake) and one portion size of commonly consumed food and dishes to develop a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire that will be used to expore the relationship between the incidence of cardiovascular disease and diet in Korean women after menopause. Intake of food or dish in 123 elderly women were measured by 3-day food records in March to May, 1996. The results obtained in this study were summarized as follow : 1) Calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin E intakes were less adequate than Recommended dietary allowances(RDA). 2) The subjects who consumed more than 20% of the energy from fat were 35% and the subjects consumed dietary cholesterol more than 300mg were 18%. 3) The most frequently consumed foods or dishes by the subjects were Korean cabbage kimchi Aged* ; Brassica ; Calcium ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cholesterol, Dietary ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diet ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Meals ; Menopause ; Portion Size* ; Soybeans ; Vitamin A ; Vitamin E ; Vitamins ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of dietary intervention, through the modification of dietary fatty acids composition and antioxidant vitamins, on plasma thromboxane B2 (TXB2) levels in postmenopausal women with hypercholesterolemia. The subjects were treated for 12 weeks with one of three methods: hormone replacement therapy (HRT group, n=8), dietary intervention (DIET group, n=8), or HRT combined with dietary intervention (HRT +DIET group, n=8). Changes in serum phospholipid fatty acids composition, serum peroxides, and plasma TXB2 levels were measured at weeks 0, 4 and 12. The P/S ratio increased and the n-6/ n-3 ratio decreased in the DIET and the HRT +DIET group at week 4 (p<0.05). The ratio of C20:5/C20:4 in serum phospholipid increased in the DIET (p<0.05) and the HRT +DIET groups (NS) at week 4. Plasma TXB2 levels decreased in the DIET (-35%, p<0.05) and the HRT +DIET groups (-18.8%, NS) at week 4. Serum lipid peroxides levels significantly decreased by 10.5% and 15.2% in the DIET group at weeks 4 and 12, and by 10.8% in the HRT +DIET group only at week 12 (p<0.05). Dietary intervention may lower thrombotic risks in Korean postmenopausal women by changing the serum fatty acid composition, serum lipid peroxides levels and plasma thromboxane B2 levels.
Antioxidants/*administration & dosage/metabolism ; Ascorbic Acid/*administration & dosage/blood ; Dietary Fats/administration & dosage/blood ; Estrogen Replacement Therapy ; Fatty Acids/*administration & dosage/blood ; Female ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia/blood/*drug therapy ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Middle Aged ; Postmenopause ; Thromboxane B2/*blood ; Vitamin A/administration & dosage/blood ; Vitamin E/administration & dosage/blood

The purpose of this study was to explore the difference in nutrient intakes between normocholesterolemia and hypercholesterolemia. The subjects were classified as normocholesterolemia and hypercholesterolemia based on The Guideline for Korean Hyperlipidemia. A semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire was used to measure the dietary intakes of the subjects. The results obtained are summarized as follows. Intakes of nutrients such as energy, carbohydrate, protein, fat, minerals, and antioxidant vitamins were not significantly different between the normocholesterolemia group and hypercholesterolemia group. However, antioxidant vitamins and folate intakes in the hypercholesterolemia group tended to be lower than those in the normocholesterolmia group. Intakes of vitamin A, vitamin E, and Ca in normocholesterolemia was much less than the RDA for those nutrients in normocholesterolemia. Cholesterol intake in the hypercholesterolemia group was significantly higher than that in the normochoesterolemia group. However, mean cholesterol intake(240 mg/day) of the hypercholesterolemia group was much less than that of Americans whose cholesterol intake was 400 - 500 me/day. Fatty acid intakes were not significantly different between normocholesterolemia and hypercholesterolemia groups but the hypercholesterolemia group tended to consume omega3 fatty acids less than the normocholesterolemia group. Out data indicate that cholesterol intake is man important determinant of serum cholesterol levels in postmenopausal women. The results of this study provide information that is important in designing appropriate dietary guidelines for hypercholesterolemia in postmenopausal women.
Cholesterol ; Fatty Acids ; Female ; Folic Acid ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia* ; Hyperlipidemias ; Minerals ; Nutrition Policy ; Vitamin A ; Vitamin E ; Vitamins ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The purpose of this study was to explore the difference in nutrient intakes between normocholesterolemia and hypercholesterolemia. The subjects were classified as normocholesterolemia and hypercholesterolemia based on The Guideline for Korean Hyperlipidemia. A semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire was used to measure the dietary intakes of the subjects. The results obtained are summarized as follows. Intakes of nutrients such as energy, carbohydrate, protein, fat, minerals, and antioxidant vitamins were not significantly different between the normocholesterolemia group and hypercholesterolemia group. However, antioxidant vitamins and folate intakes in the hypercholesterolemia group tended to be lower than those in the normocholesterolmia group. Intakes of vitamin A, vitamin E, and Ca in normocholesterolemia was much less than the RDA for those nutrients in normocholesterolemia. Cholesterol intake in the hypercholesterolemia group was significantly higher than that in the normochoesterolemia group. However, mean cholesterol intake(240 mg/day) of the hypercholesterolemia group was much less than that of Americans whose cholesterol intake was 400 - 500 me/day. Fatty acid intakes were not significantly different between normocholesterolemia and hypercholesterolemia groups but the hypercholesterolemia group tended to consume omega3 fatty acids less than the normocholesterolemia group. Out data indicate that cholesterol intake is man important determinant of serum cholesterol levels in postmenopausal women. The results of this study provide information that is important in designing appropriate dietary guidelines for hypercholesterolemia in postmenopausal women.
Cholesterol ; Fatty Acids ; Female ; Folic Acid ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia* ; Hyperlipidemias ; Minerals ; Nutrition Policy ; Vitamin A ; Vitamin E ; Vitamins ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Enteroviruses are known as major pathogen for aseptic meningitis. Although rapid diagnosis for enteroviruses is very essential to exclude bacterial infections in patients with meningitis, classical diagnostic method based on virus isolation is not practicable for timely treatment of patients due to its laborious and time-consuming procedure. Recently molecular methodologies as alternatives are routinely used for rapid and sensitive diagnosis for enteroviruses infections. METHODS: Reverse transcription (RT)-PCR ELISA kit for targeting 5'non-coding region (NCR) with highly conserved genetic identity among all genotypes of enteroviruses was introduced in this investigation. RT-PCR ELISA was evaluated about sensitivity and specificity through virus isolation using clinical specimens from patients suspected of enteroviral infections and enteroviral isolates comparing with conventional RT-PCR identifying them. RESULTS: The detection limit of the RT-PCR ELISA was up to 10-100 folds higher than virus isolation using cell culture and conventional RT-PCR. On comparison between above two methods, the detection rate of RT-PCR ELISA for clinical specimens from patients with aseptic meningitis was 7% higher than that of conventional RT-PCR targeting 5'NCR (P=0.016). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that RT-PCR ELISA developed in this study could be an alternative diagnostic method for the detection of enteroviral genome with high sensitivity and specificity.
5' Untranslated Regions ; Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Enterovirus/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Enterovirus Infections/*diagnosis ; *Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Infant ; Meningitis, Aseptic/diagnosis ; RNA, Viral/analysis ; *Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rotavirus/genetics ; Rotavirus Infections/diagnosis ; Sensitivity and Specificity

The porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) has recently been shown to cause huge economic losses in the global pork industry. Our results demonstrated that the extract dose-dependently inhibited the replication of PEDV and reduced the visible cytopathic effect (CPE). Treatment with C. heterophylla Fisch extract resulted in marked reduction of PEDVinduced cytokine and chemokine expression. The antiviral activity of C. heterophylla Fisch extract on PEDV replication was found to be primarily exerted at the early stages after infection. Taken together, our data indicate that C. heterophylla Fisch extract may be a good therapeutic agent for use against PEDV and also a potential candidate to be evaluated against other human and animal coronaviruses.
Animals ; Coronavirus ; Corylus* ; Humans ; Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus* ; Red Meat

OBJECTIVES: Echovirus 30 is a major cause of meningitis in children and adults. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the antifungal drug itraconazole could exhibit antiviral activity against echovirus 30. METHODS: The cytopathic effect and viral RNA levels were assessed in RD cells as indicators of viral replication. The effects of itraconazole were compared to those of two known antiviral drugs, rupintrivir and pleconaril. The time course and time-of-addition assays were used to approximate the time at which itraconazole exerts its activity in the viral cycle. RESULTS: Itraconazole and rupintrivir demonstrated the greatest potency against echovirus 30, demonstrating concentration-dependent activity, whereas pleconaril showed no antiviral activity. Itraconazole did not directly inactivate echovirus 30 particles or impede viral uptake into RD cells, but did affect the initial stages of echovirus 30 infection through interference with viral replication. CONCLUSION: Itraconazole can be considered a lead candidate for the development of antiviral drugs against echovirus 30 that may be used during the early stages of echovirus 30 replication.
Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; Child ; Enterovirus B, Human* ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques* ; Itraconazole* ; Meningitis ; RNA, Viral

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a pathogen that causes a wide range of infections in the human body and has a tendency to metastasize to multiple organs. Endogenous Klebsiella endophthalmitis is an infrequent but often devastating septic metastatic infection. It tends to be fulminant and often rapidly progresses to permanent visual loss beyond 24 hours after symptom onset, despite therapy with appropriate antibiotics, particularly with a delay in diagnosis and treatment. While endogenous Klebsiella endophthalmitis has mostly been reported in association with primary liver abscesses, it has rarely been reported with other Klebsiella infections including renal abscesses. Here, we present a case of a 73-year-old diabetic female diagnosed with a Klebsiella renal abscess and endogenous endophthalmitis, after developing left flank pain and bilateral decreased visual acuity. She was treated with systemic antibiotics, percutaneous abscess drainage, an intravitreal antibiotics injection, and a vitrectomy. While the renal abscess slowly resolved, the symptoms of endophthalmitis persisted despite treatment. This report suggests that endogenous endophthalmitis should be considered when diabetic patients with renal abscesses complain of ocular symptoms.
Abscess ; Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Drainage ; Endophthalmitis ; Female ; Flank Pain ; Human Body ; Humans ; Klebsiella ; Klebsiella Infections ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; Liver Abscess ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy

Echovirus 30 is one of the major causes of meningitis in children and adults. The purpose of our current study was to investigate whether selected antiviral drugs could provide antiviral activity against echovirus 30. Using RD cells, we assessed the cytopathic effect of echovirus 30, including viral RNA levels as indicators of viral replication. The effects of gemcitabine were compared to rupintrivir, a well-known antiviral drug. To understand the activity gemcitabine exerts on the viral life cycle, time course and time-of-addition assays were implemented. The most effective compounds against echovirus 30 were gemcitabine and rupintrivir, as demonstrated by their concentration-dependent activity. Gemcitabine affects the early stages of echovirus 30 infection by disrupting viral replication. However, gemcitabine failed to directly inactivate echovirus 30 particles or impede viral uptake into the RD cells. Gemcitabine can be considered as a lead candidate in the development of echovirus 30 antiviral drugs, specifically in the early stages of echovirus 30 replication.
Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; Child ; Enterovirus B, Human ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Life Cycle Stages ; Meningitis ; RNA, Viral

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease with chronic and excessive inflammation. Upregulation of interleukin (IL)-17 is involved in the pathogenesis of RA. STX0119 is a specific inhibitor of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) as a potential target for the treatment of RA. STAT3 is a member of DNA-binding molecules that regulates the expression of proinflammatory cytokines involved in the pathogenesis of RA. The objective of this study was to determine whether STX0119 could inhibit STAT3 and IL-17. We demonstrated that STX0119 decreased T helper (Th) 17 differentiation and IL-17 expression in vitro. STX0119 also improved the severity of zymosan induced arthritis and reduced joint inflammation. STX0119 reduced the proliferation of Th17 and phosphorylated STAT3 expression while increasing Treg differentiation and phosphorylated STAT5 expression. Moreover, STX0119 decreased the expression of IL-6 and -17 but not IL-10. These findings suggest that STX0119 can be used to treat autoimmune RA through inhibiting the activation of STAT3.
Animals ; Arthritis* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Cytokines ; In Vitro Techniques ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-17 ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukins ; Joints ; Mice* ; STAT3 Transcription Factor ; Up-Regulation ; Zymosan