OBJECTIVES: While the Korean government’s response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is considered effective given the relatively low mortality rate, issues of inequality have been insufficiently addressed. This study explored COVID-19-related health inequalities in Korea. METHODS: Age standardization for various health inequality indices was derived using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, and the Microdata Integrated Service of Statistics Korea. The slope index of inequality (SII) and relative index of inequality (RII) were calculated for socioeconomic variables, while absolute difference (AD) and relative difference (RD) were used for gender and disability inequalities. RESULTS: We observed a number of COVID-19-related health outcome inequalities. Gender inequality was particularly noticeable in infection rates, with the rate of women 1.16 times higher than that of men. In contrast, socioeconomic inequality was evident in vaccination rates, with a 4.5-fold (SII, -4.519; 95% confidence interval, -7.403 to -1.634) difference between the highest and lowest household income groups. Regarding clinical progression post-infection, consistent findings indicated higher risk for men (RD for hospitalization, 0.90; severe cases, 0.54; and fatality, 0.65), individuals with disabilities (RD for hospitalization, 2.27; severe cases, 2.29; and fatality, 2.37), and those from lower socioeconomic groups (SII for hospitalization, 1.778; severe cases, 0.089; and fatality, 0.451). CONCLUSIONS While the infection risk was nearly ubiquitous, not everyone faced the same level of risk post-infection. To prevent further health inequalities, it is crucial to develop a thoughtful policy acknowledging individual health conditions and resources.

Purpose: This study was conducted to assess the antidepressant effects of capsaicin in chronic depressive rats and elucidate the mechanism underlying its effects. Methods: Male Wistar rats (280~320 g, 8 weeks of age) were subjected to depression induced by chronic unpredictable mild stresses. The rats were exposed to 8 kinds of stresses for 8 weeks. In the last 2 weeks, fluoxetine or capsaicin was injected subcutaneously. The dose of fluoxetine was 10 mg/kg (body weight), while the doses of capsaicin consisted of low (1 mg/kg), middle (5 mg/kg), and high (10 mg/kg). The forced swim test (FST) was conducted to evaluate the immobility time of rats. The immobility time indicates despair, one of symptoms of depression. The change of tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) in the dorsal raphe was investigated using immunohistochemistry. In the hippocampus cornu ammonis (CA) 1 and 3, glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression was measured. Results: The immobility time in the FST was significantly lower (p < .05) in the low-dose (M = 32.40 ± 13.41 seconds) and middle-dose (M = 28.48 ± 19.57 seconds) groups than in the non-treated depressive rats (M = 90.19 ± 45.34 seconds). The amount of TPH in the dorsal raphe was significantly higher (p < .05) in the middle-dose (M = 249.17 ± 35.02) and high-dose (M = 251.0 ± 56.85) groups than in the non-treated depressive rats (M = 159.78 ± 41.16). However, GR expression in the hippocampus CA1 and CA3 did not show significant differences between the non-treated depressive rats and the capsaicin-injected rats. Conclusion This study suggests that capsaicin produces an antidepressant-like effect on chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced depression in rats via the serotonin biosynthesis pathway.

This study was conducted to explore the geometrical changes of the mitral annulus during systole. The 3D shape of the mitral annulus was reconstructed in 13 normal subjects who had normal structure of the mitral apparatus using real-time 3D echocardiography (RT3DE) and 3D computer software. The two orthogonal (antero-posterior and commissure-commissure) dimensions, the areas (2D projected and 3D surface) and the non-planarity of the mitral annulus were estimated during early, mid and late systole. We demonstrated that the MA had a "saddle shape" appearance and it consistently enlarged mainly in the antero-posterior direction from early to late systole with lessening of its non-planarity, as was determined by 3D reconstruction using RT3DE and 3D computer software.
*Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Mitral Valve/cytology/*ultrasonography ; Software ; Systole/*physiology

BACKGROUND: Currently, the incidence of hepatitis A is on the increase in Korea. Although there is emphasis on contact precautions, the nosocomial outbreak of hepatitis A virus (HAV) in healthcare personnel has increased within endemic areas because these workers inevitably come in close contact with patients and work under suboptimal hygiene conditions. In this study, we evaluated the necessity of immunization against HAV for healthcare personnel. METHODS: We investigated the seropositivity of serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) anti-HAV antibody (Ab) in 672 healthcare personnel on the basis of their age-group, sex, and occupation in Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital and Soon Chun Hyang University Bucheon Hospital. RESULTS: The subjects were divided into 6 groups on the basis of their ages to identify differences among the various age groups in the number of cases with HAV Ab seropositivity. Significant intergroup differences were noted in this respect: 21-25 years, 2/152 (1.3%); 26-30 years, 33/245 (13.5%); 31-35 years, 70/148 (47.3%); 36-40 years, 52/79 (65.8%); >40 years, 44/48 (91.7%). CONCLUSION: The number of seropositive cases was low among young healthy personnel: low seropositivity is an emerging risk for vulnerable population. With the increase in the incidence of hepatitis A, healthcare personnel have become a risk population for hepatitis A, as are community residents. Therefore, for healthcare personnel working in hospitals, immunization against HAV should be recommended for personnel younger than 30 years, and serological testing for older personnel.
Delivery of Health Care ; Hepatitis ; Hepatitis A ; Hepatitis A Antibodies ; Hepatitis A Vaccines ; Hepatitis A virus ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Immunization ; Immunoglobulin G ; Incidence ; Korea ; Occupations ; Serologic Tests ; Vulnerable Populations

Spontaneous retroperitoneal hemorrhage is a distinct clinical entity that can present in the absence of specific underlying pathology or trauma and is typically associated with anticoagulation therapy. We report a case of a 74-year-old female patient with a cerebral infarction related to atrial fibrillation who developed a spontaneous lumbar arterial hemorrhage complicating heparin therapy. The diagnosis was suggested by a computed tomography scan and confirmed by angiography. She was treated successfully with transcatheter embolization.
Aged ; Anticoagulants/*adverse effects ; *Embolization, Therapeutic ; Female ; Hemorrhage/etiology/radiography/*therapy ; Heparin/*adverse effects ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae/*blood supply ; Retroperitoneal Space ; Therapeutics ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this retrospective study is to find the differentiating characteristics of cystic and cystic-appearing lesions that involve the impacted mandibular third molar by analyzing panoramic radiographs and computed tomography images, and to aid the preoperative diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-one patients who had a mandibular cystic or cystic-appearing lesion that involved impacted mandibular third molar and underwent cyst enucleation were included in the study. The preoperative panoramic radiograph and computed tomography findings were analyzed in accordance to the histopathologic type. RESULTS: Most of the cystic lesions containing the mandibular third molar were diagnosed as a dentigerous cyst (77.8%). The occurrence of mesio-distal displacement of the third molar was more frequent in the odontogenic keratocyst (71.4%) and in the ameloblastoma (85.7%) than in the dentigerous cyst (19.1%). Downward displacement was primarily observed in each group. Odontogenic keratocyst and ameloblastoma showed more aggressive growth pattern with higher rate of bony discontinuity and cortical bone expansion than in dentigerous cyst. CONCLUSION: When evaluating mandibular cystic lesions involving the impacted mandibular third molar, dentigerous cyst should first be suspected. However, when the third molar displacement and cortical bone absorption are observed, then odontogenic keratocyst or ameloblastoma should be considered.
Absorption ; Ameloblastoma ; Dentigerous Cyst ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Mandible ; Molar, Third* ; Odontogenic Cysts ; Retrospective Studies ; Tooth*

BACKGROUND: A collateral flow can be assessed and graded by coronary angiography, however, the technique does not provide any information about perfusion. Myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) can assess collateral perfusion and has superior spatial resolution in defining its distribution. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the difference of transmural perfusion according to the angiographical collateral grade in normal myocardium, we performed MCE of collateral artery in 16 patients (m : f = 11 : 5, age: 57+/-13yrs.) with angina and compared the results with the angiographical grades. METHODS: In six patients with preexisting collaterals on baseline angiography, we performed MCE after intracoronary injection of sonicated Hexabrix. For 10 patients without preexisting collaterals on baseline angiography, we performed angiography, MCE for recruited collateral arteries during balloon inflation of stenotic coronary arteries (2 times for 120sec.). For 12 patients who underwent PTCA, we performed pressure wire simultaneously with angiography and MCE for recruited collateral arteries during balloon inflation. Fractional collateral flow(FCF) was defined by the ratio of coronary wedge pressure to proximal pressure(Pw/Pa). Angiographical collaterals were graded according to 'Rentrop' criteria(grade 0-3). Transmural thickness (TMT) and enhanced myocardial thickness (EMT) of an enhanced segment on MCE were measured at diastolic phase. The depth of collateral perfusion was estimated by collateral perfusion index (CPI) that was the ratio of EMT to TMT. RESULTS: There were significant differences of CPI with respect to angiographical grades according to one way ANOVA test (p< 0.05). One of five patients who had no recruited collaterals showed partial enhancement confined to the epicardium with CPI of 0.24. There was significant correlation between the angiographical grade and the CPI with Spearman's Rho value of 0.93(p< 0.0001). The angiographical grades were significantly correlated with FCF with the Spearman's Rho value of 0.87(p=0.0002). There was also significant correlation between FCF and CPI with Pearson's r=0.81 (p=0.0016). CONCLUSION: The higher the angiographical collateral grade is, the higher the collateral pressure and the deeper the fractional transmural perfusion from epicardium into endocardium gets.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Coronary Angiography* ; Coronary Vessels ; Echocardiography* ; Endocardium ; Humans ; Inflation, Economic ; Ioxaglic Acid ; Myocardium ; Perfusion* ; Pericardium ; Pulmonary Wedge Pressure

PURPOSE: The clinical influences of mucinous colorectal carcinomas are still controversial. Some previous reports have suggested that mucinous carcinomas of colorectum affect more young patients, involve the more proximal colon, are more advanced at diagnosis, show increased incidence of local and distant metastasis, and have a worse prognosis than adenocarcinoma. We evaluated the clinicopathological aspect of mucinous colorectal carcinoma. METHODS: A retrospective review of colorectal cancer patients treated between January 1990 and December 1998 was undertaken. Eight-hundred-fifty patients were operated for colorectal cancer during the period, among them seven- hundred-eighty-two patient records were available for this study. Sixty-two patients (7%) could be classified as mucinous carcinoma as defined by more than 50% of mucin- secreting pattern on histological examination. The age and sex distribution, primary location of tumor, modified Dukes' classification at diagnosis, recurrence rates and 5-year survival of mucinous carcinoma patients were compared with those of adenocarcinoma patients. Survival was calculated according to Kaplan-Meyer, and the differences were compared using the log-rank test. RESULTS: The sex ratio of mucinous carcinoma was 2.05: 1, whereas 1.32: 1 in adenocarcinoma. The age distribution of mucinous carcinoma showed orderly 60s (30.7%), 50s (17.7%), 40s (17.7%) similar to adenocarcinoma. The sites of the mucinous carcinoma were 22 (35.5%) in the rectum, 21 (33.9%) in the right colon, 6 (9.7%) in the transverse colon, whereas for adenocarcinoma 250 (37.0%) in the rectum, 137 (20.3%) in the sigmoid colon, 114 (16.9%) in the ascending colon. The stage of primary tumor at diagnosis was as follows: In mucinous carcinoma, 5 stage B1 (8.1%), 13 B2 (21.0%), 33 C2 (53.2%), 11 D (17.7%). In adenocarcinoma, 20 stage A (3.0%), 61 B1 (9.0%), 210 B2 (31.1%), 15 C1 (2.2%), 250 C2 (37.0%), 120 D (17.7%). Three-year and five-year disease free survival rates were similar, but slightly higher in patients with adenocarcinomas. Mean survival time was also similar, 45.5+/-38.1 months in the mucinous carcinoma group and 45.6+/-33.4 months in the adenocarcinoma. Five-year survival was 65.6% and 68.1% in patients with mucinous carcinomas and adenocarcinomas, respectively; but the difference was not statistically significant. The recurrence rates were 41.9% and 22.3% in patients with mucinous carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, respectively with statistical significance (P<0.005). Local recurrence was more frequent in the mucinous carcinoma than in the adenocarcinoma significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that mucinous colorectal carcinoma showed decreased survival, although having no statistical significance and increased recurrence rates with statistical significance compared with those of adenocarcinoma. So, we recommend aggresive surgical treatment and careful follow-up in mucinous colorectal carcinoma.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous ; Age Distribution ; Classification ; Colon ; Colon, Ascending ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Colon, Transverse ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Diagnosis ; Disease-Free Survival ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mucins* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Rectum ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Distribution ; Sex Ratio ; Survival Rate

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES : Recent technical developments with high-resolution real-time 3-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) have facilitated the acquisition of high quality images and the analysis of segmental volume-time curves (VTCs). The purposes of this study were to assess left ventricular (LV) asynchrony with using the VTCs of 16 segments by RT3DE and to compare this with tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) as a clinical parameter. SUBJECTS AND METHODS : Twenty-three heart failure (HF) patients (LVEF: 25+/-6%, age: 60+/-13 years) and 16 normal controls underwent TDI and RT3DE at baseline and 1-year. The standard deviation (SD3) of the end systolic time to reach the minimal systolic volume for the 16 segments on VTCs was obtained by RT3DE. The standard deviation (SD2) of the electromechanical coupling time for the 8 segments was measured using TDI. RESULTS : SD3 was markedly higher in the HF patients than that in the controls (7.7+/-2.5 vs 1.5+/-1.0%, respectively, p<0.01) and it increased as the LVEF decreased (r=-0.85, p<0.01). SD2 was also significantly higher in the HF patients (27.0+/-8.6 vs 12.6+/-5.0 msec, respectively, p<0.01) and it had good negative correlation with the LVEF (r=-0.72, p<0.01). SD3 was well correlated with SD2 (r=0.66, p<0.01). At 1-year, the HF patients with an increased LVEF showed a decreased SD3 (7/13). In contrast, the patients with a decreased LVEF had an increased SD3 (3/13). CONCLUSION : The analysis of VTCs for the 16 LV segments with using RT3DE from a single acoustic window may be a useful clinical parameter for evaluating the LV function, including LV asynchrony, the LV volume and the LVEF.
Acoustics ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional* ; Heart Failure* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Ventricular Function, Left*