BACKGROUND : The recent studies shows that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) related chronic gastritis leads to dysplasia, intestinal metaplasia and gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the association between precancerous lesion of stomach (dysplasia, intestinal metaplasia) and H.pylori infection in the elderly. METHODS : 469 patients were enrolled this study, Patients with intestinal metaplasia or dysplasia (case, n=148) were compared with controls (without intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia, n=321) about H. pylori positive rates H. pylori positivity was confirmed by histologic determination of endoscopic biopsy specimens. Results : 1) Among study populations H. pylori positive rates were 51.8% (55.8% in male, 40.7% in female). It was significantly higher in male (p=0.001). 2) There were no significant differences in sex distribution between cases and controls, but in old age, the cases were more frequent than in young age (p<0.001). 3) Age distribution of H. pylori positive rates were not significant between cases and controls. 47.5% in intestinal metaplasia, 43.4% in dysplasia, 21.3% in dysplasia+intestinal metaplasia were H. pylori positive. H. pylori positive rates were more higher in controls than cases, followed by in decreasing order by the intestinal metaplasia group, the dysplasia group, and those having both (p=0.003). 4) Age and sex adjusted H. pylori positive rates were more higher in controls (42.7%) than in cases (25.0%)(p<0.009). CONCLUSION : The prevalence of intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia was age dependent. But we couldn't explain the carcinogenic effect of H. pylori, because H. pylori positive rates were lower in cases than in controls
Age Distribution ; Aged ; Aging* ; Biopsy ; Gastritis ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Male ; Metaplasia* ; Prevalence* ; Sex Distribution ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms

Bullous pemphigoid(BP) and herpes gestationis(HG) are subepidermal bullous diseases which show clinical and immunological similarities. Both diseases show immune deposits along the basement membrane zone and their autoantibodies bind a common antigenic site within the non-collagenous stretch of the 180 kDa BPAG2 ectodomain. Besides its association with pregnancy, HG has some characteristic features that distinguish it from BP. The serum of patients with HG often contains an IgG that avidly fixes complement, and showes IgG1 subclass predominance. We report here two cases of non-pregnant young women presenting clinical and histological features of bullous pemphigoid or herpes gestationis. The immunopathology, IgG subtyping and immunoblotting studies showed that the autoantibodies in the patients were the characteristic ones of herpes gestationis. The patients might be a subtype of BP that have characteristics of autoantibodies of HG patients.
Autoantibodies* ; Basement Membrane ; Complement System Proteins ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoblotting ; Immunoglobulin G ; Pemphigoid Gestationis* ; Pemphigoid, Bullous* ; Pregnancy

PURPOSE: This study is to identify the types of role awareness of home health care specialists working at medical institutions, to understand their role awareness correctly by grasping the quality of each type, and to provide useful help in the education of home health care specialists. METHOD: Q-methodology is used to objectify role awareness of medical institution specialists who may recognize situations differently according to their individual experience and comprehension based on the view of behavior. Q-classification was carried out on 30 home health care specialists working at medical institutions using 30 selected questions. Collected data were examined through factor analysis using QUANL PC program. RESULTS: Three different types of role awareness of home health care specialists working at medical institutions were identified. Type I is "educational-function-centered", Type II "patient-centered" and Type III "professional-service-centered". CONCLUSION: Regardless of these types, home health care specialists commonly had a high pride as a specialist and a sense of mission regarding themselves as important persons responsible for patients' health.
Comprehension ; Delivery of Health Care* ; Education ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Missions and Missionaries ; Specialization*

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD), also known as histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis, is common in young Asian women under the age of 30, and is usually characterized by fever, myalgia, fatigue, and cervical lymphadenopathy. Because patients with KFD often present with necrotic lesions that are also features of lymph node metastasis, ipsilateral or bilateral lymph node enlargement in head and neck cancer patients can be disguised as lymph node metastasis. We present an unusual case of KFD mimicking bilateral metastatic papillary carcinoma of the thyroid. This study emphasizes that KFD should be considered when diagnosing lymph nodes with necrotic lesions but without malignant cells in young women.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to clarify the actual condition of elders with dementia who were registered in the Seoul Dementia Management Project. METHODS: Data were collected from 5,312 elderly patients with dementia. Demographic included characteristics, comorbidity, and healthy lifestyle habits; data from the Seoul Dementia Management Project. RESULTS: First, demographic characteristics were as follows; mean age at the time of definite diagnosis was 78.0 yr. There were slightly more women (69.3%), and 4.55 yr was the average length of education with 41.4% being illiterate or uneducated patients. Second, there were several comorbidities including hypertension (61.7%), diabetes mellitus (31.8%), hypercholesterolemia (10.2%), heart disease (11.1%), obesity (4.2%), and stroke (21.4%). Third, alcoholic history was found in 11.8% of the patients, and smoking in 9.8%. Regular exercise was done by only 29.1% of the patients with dementia. Finally, significant differences between men and women were found for the following; age, education, medical security, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, stroke, alcoholic consumption, smoking, and regular exercise. CONCLUSION: Authors expect that the present data will be used for establishment of dementia associated projects and policies.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Alcohol Drinking ; Comorbidity ; Dementia/*complications/psychology ; Demography ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications ; Exercise ; Female ; *Health Behavior ; Heart Diseases/complications ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia/complications ; Hypertension/complications ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Obesity/complications ; Smoking ; Stroke/complications

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify the risk factors of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) in neonates with respiratory diseases. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 58 term newborn infants with respiratory diseases who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of the Seoul Eulji Hospital between January 2008 and July 2014 and required airway intubation and mechanical ventilation within 24 hours of admission. The infants were divided into a PPHN group and a non-PPHN group. Their clinical characteristics; diagnoses at admission; initial blood test results; and changes in vital signs, blood gas analysis results, and ventilator parameters that occurred within 48 hours of admission were investigated. RESULTS: There were 16 infants in the PPHN group and 42 infants in the non-PPHN group. The incidence of secondary PPHN was 27.6%. The incidence of PPHN was significantly higher in infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) associated with extrapulmonary air leakage and meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) with secondary RDS as the cause. Respiratory rate over 80 breaths/min (P=0.032, OR 11.3, 95%, CI 1.23-103.57) and FiO2 over 0.8 (P=0.013, OR 16.8, 95% CI 1.82-154.68), when measured 6 hours after admission, were found to be statistically significant risk factors. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that there is an increased risk of PPHN during treatment of respiratory diseases when aggravation of tachypnea and increase in ventilator parameters are observed after 6 hours of admission.
Blood Gas Analysis ; Diagnosis ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary* ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn* ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Intubation ; Meconium Aspiration Syndrome ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Rate ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Seoul ; Tachypnea ; Ventilators, Mechanical ; Vital Signs

Cytoplasmic Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is an antioxidant enzyme that converts superoxide to hydrogen peroxide in cells. Its spatial distribution matches that of superoxide production, allowing it to protect cells from oxidative stress. SOD1 deficiencies result in embryonic lethality and a wide range of pathologies in mice, but little is known about normal SOD1 protein expression in developing embryos. In this study, the expression pattern of SOD1 was investigated in post-implantation mouse embryos and extraembryonic tissues, including placenta, using Western blotting and immunohistochemical analyses. SOD1 was detected in embryos and extraembryonic tissues from embryonic day (ED) 8.5 to 18.5. The signal in embryos was observed at the lowest level on ED 9.5-11.5, and the highest level on ED 17.5-18.5, while levels remained constant in the surrounding extraembryonic tissues during all developmental stages examined. Immunohistochemical analysis of SOD1 expression on ED 13.5-18.5 revealed its ubiquitous distribution throughout developing organs. In particular, high levels of SOD1 expression were observed in the ependymal epithelium of the choroid plexus, ganglia, sensory cells of the olfactory and vestibulocochlear epithelia, blood cells and vessels, hepatocytes and hematopoietic cells of the liver, lymph nodes, osteogenic tissues, and skin. Thus, SOD1 is highly expressed at late stages of embryonic development in a cell- and tissue-specific manner, and can function as an important antioxidant enzyme during organogenesis in mouse embryos.
Animals ; Cerebral Cortex/embryology/enzymology ; Copulation ; Cytoplasm/*enzymology ; Embryonic Development/*physiology ; Female ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lung/embryology/enzymology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Organogenesis/*physiology ; Pregnancy ; Stomach/embryology/enzymology ; Superoxide Dismutase/deficiency/genetics/*metabolism

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: Kawasaki disease is a multisystemic inflammatory vasculitis and associated with neurologic features such as aseptic meningitis. High-dose intravenous immunoglobulin(IVIG) is used to treat Kawasaki disease and generally considered to be safe, but rare cases of aseptic meningitis with unknown etiology have been reported. The aseptic meningitis associated with Kawasaki disease was compared with meningitis as the adverse reaction of high-dose IVIG. METHODS: Sixteen Kawasaki disease patients with typical meningeal irritation symptoms were reviewed from January 1997 to July 2002. Group I(n=11) had meningitis associated with Kawasaki disease and Group II(n=5) had meningitis as the adverse reaction of high-dose IVIG therapy. The clinical features and hematologic and cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) findings were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The duration of fever was significantly longer in group I than group II. Meningeal irritation symptoms were milder in group II than group I. Hemoglobin levels were lower in group II than group I. Monocyte counts were higher in group I than group II. In the CSF analysis, neutrophil counts were significantly higher in group II than group I. Otherwise, there were no significant differences in CSF protein and sugar levels between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Aseptic meningitis occurred in patients with Kawasaki disease after administration of high-dose IVIG. High-dose IVIG was considered to be safe in general. However, clinicians should be aware of the potential for neurologic complications such as acute aseptic meningitis in patients receiving high-dose IVIG for Kawasaki disease.
Fever ; Humans ; Immunization, Passive* ; Immunoglobulins* ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; Meningitis ; Meningitis, Aseptic* ; Monocytes ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* ; Neutrophils ; Vasculitis