No abstract available.
Acne Vulgaris* ; Hair Removal* ; Pigmentation Disorders*

Purpose: Sleep-disordered breathing is one of the complicating characteristics in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). No detailed description and risk factors are suggested on breathing problems during sleep in Korean children with PWS. Methods: We reviewed clinical and sleep-study data in patients with PWS who underwent polysomnography before they took the growth hormone therapy. Results: Of the 27 patients with PWS, 25 (92.6%) had sleep-disordered breathing, of whom 14 showed moderate to severe sleep apnea. Obstructive dominance was prevalent (64%), followed by central dominance (24%). The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) increased with increasing weight-for-height z-score (WHZ) (r = 0.50, P = 0.009), but did not differ by age. Apnea duration of over 12 months was longer in the patient group than in the infant group (15.1 ± 4.3 seconds vs. 9.4 ± 1.7 seconds, P = 0.001) and in the obese than nonobese groups (16.8 ± 4.3 seconds vs. 10.0 ± 2.0 seconds, P = 0.003). Desaturation below 70% was more common in the obese than nonobese subjects (3/9 vs. 0/18, P = 0.029). Age was not different between the central and obstructive apnea groups, but patients with central apnea tended to be younger than patients with obstructive apnea (median [range]: 8.0 months [6.0–12.0 months] vs.16.5 months [8.5–79.5 months], P = 0.092). In addition, patients with obstructive apnea showed higher AHI (12.8 [5.9–19.2] vs. 3.9 [3.4–4.5], P = 0.045). Conclusion Sleep-disordered breathing is common in PWS children with different intensity and patterns according to age and BMI. Close monitoring of breathing problems during sleep is required in PWS patients.

Background: This study examined the effect of housing affordability on the incidence of depression in Korean adults aged 45 years and above usingthe Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA). Methods: Five-year data from wave two to wave six of the KLoSA provided by the Ministry of Labor were used. In the first year of KLoSA in 2006, amongthose who did not suffer from depression, ones who had one or more of the survey data from the second to the sixth were analyzed. generalizedestimating equation (GEE) regression analysis and chi-square test were used as data processing methods. Results: According to the 2010 data, out of 4,606 people, 3,558 (77.3%) were in the affordable group, and 1,048 (22.8%) in the experienced overburdengroup. The result of regression analysis with controlling general characteristics as covariates showed that the experienced overburden group had ahigher incidence of depression than the affordable group. A longitudinal analysis of housing affordability and incidence of depression for five yearsrevealed no significant difference in the incidence of depression. However, the overall share of overburden experience increased steadily. Acomparison of the incidence of depression between the affordable and experienced overburden groups in each year showed that the incidence ofdepression was statistically higher each year. Conclusion Housing affordability increases the incidence of depression, and eight years of data indicated depression in the experienced overburdengroup to be higher than the affordable group.

PURPOSE: With traditional laboratory tests it is often difficult to differentiate chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP) from chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS), resulting in inappropriate antibiotic therapy, without definite evidence of infection. Tc-99m Ciprofloxacin imaging was developed to discriminate an infection from inflammation. The value of this imaging for differential diagnosis of CBP was investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 104 patients diagnosed as CBP or CPPS by traditional laboratory tests and 4 normal subjects and 2 patients with acute prostatitis or cystourethritis as positive and negative controls, respectively. Patients that had received antibiotic therapy within the previous 6 weeks were excluded. Single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) images were obtained 3 hours after an injection of Tc-99m Ciprofloxacin. The results of the imaging were compared with those of the 4-glass test for identification of microorganism. RESULTS: On the images, negative uptake was shown in all normal subjects, while strong hot uptake was shown in the entire prostate of the patient with acute prostatitis and the entire urethra of the patient with acute cystourethritis. Based on traditional laboratory tests, 104 patients were classified as CBP (n=32) and CPPS (n=72). Nine of the 32 CBP patients (28%) showed negative uptake in the prostate, and 47 (65%) of the 72 CPPS patients showed hot uptake in the prostate. CONCLUSIONS: Tc-99m Ciprofloxacin imaging may have potential as a diagnostic technique for the discrimination of chronic bacterial prostatitis that cannot be identified by traditional laboratory tests.
Ciprofloxacin* ; Diagnosis* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Pelvic Pain ; Prostate ; Prostatitis* ; Radioisotopes ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon ; Urethra

PURPOSE: To report one case of unilateral intraocular involvement of the MALToma (Mucosa Associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma) in the patient with bilateral conjunctival MALToma which was cured by radiation therapy 8 years ago. METHODS: A 64 year old woman who was in remission status after radiation therapy of the bilateral conjunctival MALToma presented with vitreous opacity, inflammatory reaction in anterior chamber, iris posterior synechiae and keratic precipitate in her left eye. Visual acuity of her left eye decreased from 20/33 to 20/100. Pars planar vitrectomy and cytologic analysis of the vitreous sample were performed. RESULTS: Cytologic analysis of the vitreous sample showed atypical lymphoid cells containing vacuolar nuclei which were stained positive at CD20 marker in the immunohistochemistry. So radiation therapy of the left eye was performed in the diagnosis of intraocular involvement of the MALToma. CONCLUSIONS: If severe panuveitis occurs in the patient with radiation therapy of the conjunctival MALToma, intraocular involvement of the MALToma should be considered as one of the differential diagnosis.
Anterior Chamber ; Conjunctiva ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Iris ; Lymphocytes ; Lymphoid Tissue ; Middle Aged ; Panuveitis ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy

The generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from patients' somatic cells provides a new paradigm for studying human genetic diseases. Human iPSCs which have similar properties of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) provide a powerful platform to recapitulate the disease-specific cell types by using various differentiation techniques. This promising technology has being realized the possibility to explore pathophysiology of many human genetic diseases at the molecular and cellular levels. Furthermore, disease-specific human iPSCs can also be used for patient-based drug screening and new drug discovery at the stage of the pre-clinical test in vitro. In this review, we summarized the concept and history of cellular reprogramming or iPSC generation and highlight recent progresses for disease modeling using patient-specific iPSCs.
Drug Discovery ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; Humans ; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells ; Nuclear Reprogramming

The generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from patients' somatic cells provides a new paradigm for studying human genetic diseases. Human iPSCs which have similar properties of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) provide a powerful platform to recapitulate the disease-specific cell types by using various differentiation techniques. This promising technology has being realized the possibility to explore pathophysiology of many human genetic diseases at the molecular and cellular levels. Furthermore, disease-specific human iPSCs can also be used for patient-based drug screening and new drug discovery at the stage of the pre-clinical test in vitro. In this review, we summarized the concept and history of cellular reprogramming or iPSC generation and highlight recent progresses for disease modeling using patient-specific iPSCs.
Drug Discovery ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; Humans ; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells ; Nuclear Reprogramming

There are some controversies on the mechanism of the lumbar disc degeneration and disc prolapse. But,it is clear that many factors are related to the disc degeneration. Configurations of the lower lumbar and lumbosacral spine have long been proposed as one of the important factors of disc degeneration in these areas. To look for the configurational risk factors and the probability of disc degeneration by the combinations of these factors, we analyzed simple radiographs and MRI of 73 patients who complaints of low back pain and are between 20 years and 39 years of age. We performed chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression analysis: L4-5 disc degeneration and L5-Sl disc degeneration as dependent variables and lumbar lordosis, sacral inclination, height of intercrest line, transitional vertebra and facet joint asymmetry as independent variables. We could not find any of these variables significantly related to the L4-5 intervertebral disc degeneration. For L5-S1 disc degeneration, only the presence of transitional vertebra was signicantly related. When there is no transitional vertebra, the probability of disc degeneration is 9 times(8.889) as large as that of presence of transitional vertebra. The probability of L4-5 disc degeneration without the degeneration of L5-S1 is 3 times as large as that of degeneration of both of L4-5 and L5-S1 disc in case of the presence of transitional vertebra.
Animals ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration* ; Logistic Models ; Lordosis ; Low Back Pain ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Prolapse ; Risk Factors ; Spine* ; Zygapophyseal Joint

Purpose: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic lung disease that primarily affects premature infants receiving mechanical ventilation and oxygen therapy. Severe BPD leads to long-term respiratory complications, including lung tissue damage, vascular abnormalities, and airway diseases. This study aimed to investigate bronchoscopy findings and characteristics in patients with moderate-to-severe BPD, and to investigate BPD-associated airway diseases. Methods: A retrospective study of preterm infants diagnosed with moderate-to-severe BPD who underwent bronchoscopic evaluation in the neonatal intensive care unit at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital between 2004 and December 2022 was conducted. Results: Nineteen patients with a mean gestational age of 28.0±1.6 weeks and mean birth weight of 960.5±271.0 g were included in the study. Among these 19 patients, 18 were diagnosed with severe BPD. Tracheobronchomalacia, laryngomalacia, and subglottic stenosis were observed in 63.2%, 52.6%, and 36.8% of patients, respectively. Tracheostomy was performed in nine of the 19 patients (47.4%); five were discharged without requiring tracheostomy following surgical or medical interventions. Conclusion Tracheobronchomalacia, laryngomalacia, and subglottic stenosis were common in patients with moderate or severe BPD who underwent bronchoscopic evaluations, of which 50% required tracheostomy. Our study findings provide valuable insights into the pathophysiology of BPD-associated airway diseases and may inform future clinical management strategies for patients with BPD.

BACKGROUND: Interferon gamma (IFN-gamma)-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) and monokine induced by IFN-gamma(Mig) are members of CXC-chemokine family, that are produced from macrophage/monocyte activated by IFN-gamma. These chemokines especially recruit activated T cell into inflammatory site. Here, we studied effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), interleukin (IL)-12/IL-2 or IFN-gammaon induction of MIG and IP-10 in mouse brain. METHODS: In order to evaluate Mig and IP-10 gene expression in brain, we injected LPS, IFN-gammaor IL-12/IL-2 into mice intraperitoneally, and measured chemokine message in brain by RT-PCR. RESULTS: In vivo injection of LPS induced Mig and IP-10 gene expression in brain of normal mice and IFN-gammaknockout mouse, however, in vivo injection of IL-12/IL-2 induced Mig and IP-10 gene expression in only the brain of normal mice. IFN-gammainduced chemokine expression in cultured brain cells, but anti-inflammatory drugs did not block IFN-gammaeffects. CONCLUSIONS: Immune stimulating agents, LPS or IL-12/IL-2 or IFN-gamma, can induce T cell chemokine gene expression in brain cells, and these chemokines may play a role in T cell infiltration in various brain diseases. (J Korean Neurol Assoc 19(2):155~162, 2001)
Animals ; Brain Diseases ; Brain* ; Chemokines ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Interferons* ; Interleukin-12 ; Interleukin-2 ; Interleukins* ; Mice*