No abstract available.
Contraceptives, Oral* ; Female ; Humans

Asthma is characterized by chronic inflammation of the airways with variable airflow limitation resulting in recurrent wheezing, chest tightness, and cough. Long term management is essential to prevent symptom and asthma exacerbation with using daily controller medications. Asthma control was much improved by combining inhaled corticosteroids with long-acting beta2 agonists. Recent several studies demonstrated the effectiveness of a new asthma management strategy, a single inhaler containing budesonide and formoterol for both maintenance therapy and symptom relief (called SMART) which was approved in GINA guideline, 2006. This SMART strategy could reduce the frequency of severe exacerbations and the need for rescue medicine with systemic steroids as well as improved lung function and asthma controls at relatively lower doses of corticosteroid with lesser costs for treatment.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Asthma* ; Budesonide ; Cough ; Formoterol Fumarate ; Inflammation ; Lung ; Nebulizers and Vaporizers ; Respiratory Sounds ; Steroids ; Thorax

Bone marrow edema syndrome (BMES) is a rare condition which mainly affects the hip area. The etiology and pathogenesis of BMES is still unclear. Pain near the affected area, regional osteoporosis, bone marrow edema (identified using magnetic resonance imaging) and spontaneous regression within 6-12 months are the main characteristics of BMES. In this case, a 52-year-old male was diagnosed with BMES of the right hip followed by spontaneous subsiding of symptoms. After 3 years, and under nearly the same social and physical conditions, he was admitted again with newly developed left hip pain and again diagnosed with BMES. We report this rare case since a similar one has not been previously reported in the domestic literature and may be considered valuable for basic research relating to the pathogenesis of BMES.
Bone Marrow* ; Edema* ; Femur Head ; Head* ; Hip ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteoporosis

Background/Aims: Asthma is not a single disease but, rather, a heterogeneous inf lammatory disorder with various pathogenic mechanisms. We analyzed the associations between the cellular profile of sputum and the serum levels of inflammatory mediators/cytokines in a cohort of adult asthmatics. Methods: We recruited 421 adult asthmatic patients. All subjects were classified into four groups according to their sputum cellular profiles: G1, eosinophilic; G2, mixed granulocytic; G3, neutrophilic; and G4, paucigranulocytic. Serum levels of cytokines and mediators including periostin, eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN), S100A9, and folliculin were quantified. Results: Among 421 patients, G1 accounted for 149 (35.4%), G2 for 71 (16.9%), G3 for 155 (36.8%), and G4 for 46 (10.9%). Serum periostin and EDN levels were significantly higher in G1 (p = 0.004, and p = 0.031) than in the others. Serum S100A9 levels were elevated in G2 and G3 (p = 0.008). Serum folliculin levels differed significantly among the four groups, with the highest level in G4 (p = 0.042). To identify G1 from G1 plus G2 groups, the optimal serum cut-off levels were 1.71 ng/mL for periostin, and 1.61 ng/mL for EDN. When these two parameters were combined, the sensitivity was 76.0% and the specificity was 64.3% (area under the curve, 0.701; p = 0.004). Conclusions The serum periostin and EDN levels may be used as predictors to discriminate the eosinophilic asthma group from patients having eosinophilic or mixed granulocytic asthma, and the serum folliculin level is significantly elevated in patients with paucigranulocytic asthma compared to those with different inflammatory cell profile.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology (EUS-FNAC) is currently the most commonly used procedure for obtaining cytologic specimens of the pancreas. It is accurate, minimally invasive, safe and cost-effective. However, there is discrepancy between cytological and surgical diagnoses. This study was aimed at evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of EUS-FNAC of the pancreas. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of 191 cases of pancreatic lesions initially diagnosed by EUS-FNAC with subsequent histological diagnosis between 2010 and 2012 in the Department of Pathology, Seoul National University Hospital. Cytologic and surgical diagnoses were categorized into five groups: negative, benign, atypical, malignant, and insufficient for diagnosis. Subsequently, 167 cases with satisfactory yield in both surgical and cytology specimens were statistically analyzed to determine correlations with diagnosis. RESULTS: In comparison to surgical diagnoses, cytologic diagnoses were true-positive in 103 cases (61.7%), true-negative in 28 cases (16.8%), false-positive in 9 cases (5.4%), and false-negative in 27 cases (16.1%). The diagnostic accuracy was 78.4%, sensitivity was 79.2%, and specificity was 75.7%. The positive predictive value was 92.0%, and negative predictive value was 50.9%. CONCLUSIONS: EUS-FNAC has high accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value. Overcoming the limitations of EUS-FNAC will make it a useful and reliable diagnostic tool for accurate evaluation of pancreatic lesions.
Diagnosis ; Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration* ; Pancreas ; Pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Seoul

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical results between the subacromial injection of the ketorolac and that of the corticosteroid in patients with subacromial shoulder impingement syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty patients with shoulder impingement syndrome received an injection of 60 mg ketorolac and were evaluated in terms of visual analogue scale (VAS), range of motion (ROM) and Constant-Murley score. The outcomes are compared with the data of patients treated by 40 mg triamcinolone injection, retrospectively. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the demographics, VAS, ROM, and Constan-Murley score between the two groups before the injection. At the 4 weeks follow-up, pain improvement was significantly greater in the corticosteroid group (2.7±1.53) than in the ketorolac group (4.9±2.08; p=0.001). However 12 weeks after the injection, there was no significant difference in pain improvement between the two groups (ketorolac: 2.9±2.32, corticosteroid: 2.6±1.82; p=0.707). The Constant-Murley score at the final follow-up improved from 33.5 to 52.1 in the corticosteroid group, and from 39.0 to 56.6 in the ketorolac group (p=0.677). ROM was increased in both groups, and external rotation was significantly greater in the ketorolac group than in the corticosteroid group at the final follow-up (ketorolac: 29.3°±9.90°, corticosteroid: 20.8°±7.99°; p=0.005). CONCLUSION: In this study, ketolorac provided an effect equivalent to triamcinolone in the treatment of subacromial shoulder impingement syndrome at 12 weeks after the injection. This result could offer better opportunities to manage patients with diabetes or local and systemic side effects of repetitive use of corticosteroids.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; Demography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glucocorticoids ; Humans ; Ketorolac* ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Retrospective Studies ; Shoulder Impingement Syndrome* ; Shoulder* ; Triamcinolone

Acetyl salicylic acid (ASA) is metabolized by UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A6 (UGT1A6), cytochrome P4502C9 (CYP2C9), and N-acetyl transferase 2 (NAT2). Variations in the activities of these enzymes may modulate adverse ASA-related symptoms such as urticaria. We examined whether polymorphisms in the UGT1A6, CYP2C9, and NAT2 genes are related to ASA-intolerant urticaria (AIU). The genotypes of 148 subjects with AIU (AIU group) and 260 normal healthy control subjects (NC group) were analyzed with respect to the following single nucleotide polymorphisms: CYP2C9 -1188T>C and CYP2C9*3A1075C; UGT1A6 T181A A>G and UGT1A6 R184S A>C; and NAT2 9796A>T, NAT2 197G>A, NAT2 286G>A, NAT2 9601A>G, and NAT2 9306A>G. There were significant differences in the allele frequencies for the CYP2C9 polymorphisms between the two groups. The frequency of the minor allele CYP2C9 -1188T>C was significantly higher in the AIU group than in the NC group (P=0.005). The frequency of the variant genotype CC was higher in the AIU group compared with the controls in both the co-dominant (P=0.007) and recessive models (P=0.012). The frequency of haplotype 2 [CA] was also significantly higher in the AIU group in both the co-dominant (P=0.006) and dominant models (P=0.012). There was no significant difference in genotype frequencies for any of the UGT1A6 or NAT2 polymorphisms between the two groups. Clinical parameters did not differ according to genotype. These results suggest that the C allele of CYP2C9 -1188T>C may be associated with AIU.
Alleles ; Aspirin ; Cytochromes ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Haplotypes ; Idoxuridine ; Salicylic Acid ; Transferases ; Urticaria

No abstract available.
Anaphylaxis* ; Basophils*

OBJECTIVES: The Korean version of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) is the most widely used tool validated instrument for measuring and the level of disability associated with low back disorders. We wanted to validate use of the Korean version of the ODI in Korean farmers with low back pain. METHODS: The object of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the ODI. The Korean version was tested on 53 farmers (62.3+/-10.3 years of age) with low back-related disorders. We investigated the Test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity of the ODI. The Test-retest reliability was assessed in 30 farmers within a time interval of approximately 14 to 18 days. Differences between the Korean version of the ODI and the Short Form 12 (SF-12), which includes 8 domains (general health, physical functioning, role-physical limitation, bodily pain, role-emotional limitation, mental health, vitality, social functioning) were analyzed for construct validity. The correlation of the Korean version of the ODI with the SF-12 was analyzed, as well. RESULTS: The intra-class correlation coefficient of test-retest reliability was 0.854. Reliability estimated by the internal consistency reached a Cronbach's alpha of 0.879. The correlation between 7 domains of the SF-12 except for the mental health domain and the Korean version of the ODI was statistically significant (p<0.05). Four domains (general health, physical functioning, role-physical limitation, bodily pain) that measured physical status all showed high correlations (p<0.01), as did a domain that measured mental status (role-emotional limitation) (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that the Korean version of the ODI is a reliable and valid instrument to measure the level of disability in Korean farmers with low back-related disorders. The use of this instrument is recommended for future clinical trials in Korea.
Korea ; Low Back Pain ; Mental Health ; Pilot Projects ; Reproducibility of Results

No abstract available.
Asthma* ; Hypersensitivity* ; Phenotype* ; Urticaria*