BACKGROUND: Recently, the apartment complex is rapidly increasing as a new type of housing in a large city. So the purpose of the this survey is to research the experience rate of young children's allergic disease in an area of the apartment complex of a large city and to help the family medical doctor to diagnose and treat the young patients. METHODS: The experience rate of atopic dermatitis, bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, food allergy was surveyed on June 1999 at an elementary school in a large apartment complex in Kwang ju. The survey group were 832 students attending elementary school from the second to sixth grade. Also this survey was used to elicit information about the relationship between allergic disease and factors such as age, sex, birth history, family history, and home environment. For analysis of our finding, we have been used chi square test. RESULTS: The survey shows that the experience rate of allergic disease is 40.4%. The experience rate of allergic disease was not related with sex, but the more ages the less experience rate. Allergic disease was not related with birth weight, gestational age, feeding method, use of carpet, breeding of pet, smoker in home, and the previous housing type. But experience rate of allergic disease was increased with positive family history. CONCLUSION: General facts of allergic disease in elementary school children had no differentiation between large city and the other region. The experience rate of allergic disease is 40.4%.
Asthma ; Birth Weight ; Breeding ; Child* ; Conjunctivitis, Allergic ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Feeding Methods ; Floors and Floorcoverings ; Food Hypersensitivity ; Gestational Age ; Gwangju ; Housing ; Humans ; Reproductive History ; Rhinitis

No abstract available.
Primary Myelofibrosis*

The objectives of this study were to: (a) examine the overall operating conditions of both government-dominant and non-governmental food bank programs, (b) understand the operational management attributes on the target based on IPA (importance performance analysis)(c) analyze the present status of donating management, and (d) suggest a direction based on the analysis of advantages and disadvantages of food banks in each part. The random samples of 120 food bank operators were selected by a proportionate stratified random sampling method. A total of 60 government-dominant food banks and 25 non-governmental food banks were analyzed. The main results of this study were as follows: According to the Importance-Performance Analysis of operational management, "assistance for operating funds" and "deployment of experience staff" were placed at "Focus Here". There was a great shortage of experienced staff with food bank-specific knowledge. The average number of the government-dominant and non-governmental food bank program employees was 0.29 and 0.30 respectively, while the ratios of employees with other jobs were 0.96 and 0.83 respectively. Shortages of refrigeration facilities were an area that needs to be addressed. While 51.6% of donated food required cold storage, only 45% of government-dominant and 60% of non-governmental food bank programs had refrigeration facilities. Most of food bank operators (96.3%) were required to visit the donators' locations to pick up the donated foods. And the foods were distributed to the people in need, especially to the livelihood protectee.
Refrigeration

The purpose of this study was to examine the donators' characteristics and donative foods of both government-dominant and non-governmental food bank program, to understand the problems and benefits of food bank program, and to find the solutions to activate food bank program. The questionnaires were distributed to 120 food bank operators and 3 donators were selected from each food bank for the survey from April 2002 to May 2002. 118 sheets (32.8%) from government-dominant food bank and 53 sheets (20.1%) from non-governmental food bank were collected. The main results of this study were as follows: The largest donators to either government-dominant or non-governmental food bank programs were bakery and confectionery companies 31.4% and 45.3% respectively. The majority of donated foods were "goods in stock" (55.6%) and frequency of donation were largely on a daily basis (27.1% for government-dominant and 22.6% for non-governmental). Some of the donators who had more donative food did not donate, and the reasons were closeness to expiration date of food (67.3%), lack of legal protection in the event of food poisoning (54.5%), and poor public image of food related accidents (52.3%).
Foodborne Diseases

PURPOSE: Chloramphenicol and tetracycline are not recommended for treating scrub typhus in pediatric patients because of potential side effects, such as aplastic anemia or tooth discoloration. While clarithromycin has recently been used in adults, few reports have been published on its effects in pediatric patients. We report the clinical profiles of pediatric scrub typhus and the effects of clarithromycin on scrub typhus in children. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed medical records of 56 children with scrub typhus who were admitted between 2004 and 2013 to Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea. Cases were divided into 3 groups based on thetreatment drug (chloramphenicol, azithromycin, and clarithromycin). We compared their clinical manifestations and laboratory findings. RESULTS: All patients exhibited fever and rash. Other common clinical manifestations were eschars (66%), lymphadenopathy (48%), upper respiratory symptoms (42%), abdominal pain (32%), and hepatosplenomegaly (14%). Elevated levels of C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rates, aspartate transaminase, and alanine transaminase were detected in 95%, 96%, 84%, and 77% of patients, respectively. Additionally, decreased platelet and white blood cell levels were observed in 43% and 36% of patients, respectively. There were no statistical differences between the treatment groups in mean age (P=0.114) or sex (P=0.507). However, time to defervescence after the treatments differed significantly, being the shortest in the clarithromycin group (P=0.019). All patients recovered without complications related to the disease or drugs. CONCLUSION: Clarithromycin was as effective as chloramphenicol and azithromycin in pediatric scrub typhus patients and may be used as a first-line treatment drug.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Alanine Transaminase ; Anemia, Aplastic ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Azithromycin* ; Blood Platelets ; Blood Sedimentation ; C-Reactive Protein ; Child* ; Chloramphenicol* ; Clarithromycin* ; Exanthema ; Fever ; Humans ; Jeollabuk-do ; Korea ; Leukocytes ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Scrub Typhus* ; Tetracycline ; Tooth Discoloration

The nuclear receptor superfamily consists of the steroid and non-steroid hormone receptors and the orphan nuclear receptors. Small heterodimer partner (SHP) is an orphan family nuclear receptor that plays an essential role in the regulation of glucose and cholesterol metabolism. Recent studies reported a previously unidentified role for SHP in the regulation of innate immunity and inflammation. The innate immune system has a critical function in the initial response against a variety of microbial and danger signals. Activation of the innate immune response results in the induction of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines to promote anti-microbial effects. An excessive or uncontrolled inflammatory response is potentially harmful to the host, and can cause tissue damage or pathological threat. Therefore, the innate immune response should be tightly regulated to enhance host defense while preventing unwanted immune pathologic responses. In this review, we discuss recent studies showing that SHP is involved in the negative regulation of toll-like receptor-induced and NLRP3 (NACHT, LRR and PYD domains-containing protein 3)-mediated inflammatory responses in innate immune cells. Understanding the function of SHP in innate immune cells will allow us to prevent or modulate acute and chronic inflammation processes in cases where dysregulated innate immune activation results in damage to normal tissues.
Chemokines ; Child ; Child, Orphaned ; Cholesterol ; Cytokines ; Glucose ; Humans ; Immune System ; Immunity, Innate ; Inflammasomes ; Inflammation ; Metabolism ; Orphan Nuclear Receptors ; Social Control, Formal ; Toll-Like Receptors

The developing brain is highly plastic and thus brain lesions during development interfere with the innate development of architecture, connectivity and mapping of functions and trigger modifications in structure, wiring and representation. Unilateral inhibition of the sensorimotor cortex during development results in a sparse contralateral projection from this cortex and retention of a greater number of ipsilateral projections from the more active cortex. We report a patient with bilateral cerebral lesions. She had mild hemiparesis. Transcranial magnetic stimulation to the less affected hemisphere elicited bilateral motor evoked potentials of the first dorsal interossei and ipsilateral responses revealed shorter onset latencies and larger peak to peak amplitude than contralateral response, implying a greater ipsilateral than contralateral projection. This observation indicates direct ipsilateral corticospinal projections from the less affected brain hemisphere.
Brain ; Evoked Potentials, Motor ; Humans ; Paresis ; Plastics ; Pyramidal Tracts ; Retention (Psychology) ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) diseases are increasing worldwide. However NTM lung disease in organ transplant recipients has been rarely reported. Here, we report 2 cases of NTM lung disease in heart transplant recipients. A 37-year-old man, who had undergone a heart transplant one year previous, was admitted to hospital due to a cough. Chest CT scan showed multiple centrilobular nodules in both lower lungs. In his sputum, M. abscessus was repeatedly identified by rpoB gene analysis. The patient improved after treatment with clarithromycin, imipenem, and amikacin. An additional patient, a 53-year-old woman who had undergone a heart transplant 4 years prior and who suffered from bronchiectasis, was admitted because of purulent sputum. The patient's chest CT scan revealed aggravated bronchiectasis; M. intracellulare was isolated repeatedly in her sputum. Treatment was successfully completed with clarithromycin, ethambutol, and ciprofloxacin. NTM lung disease should be considered as a potential opportunistic infection in organ transplant recipients.
Adult ; Amikacin ; Bronchiectasis ; Ciprofloxacin ; Clarithromycin ; Cough ; Ethambutol ; Female ; Heart ; Heart Transplantation ; Humans ; Imipenem ; Lung ; Lung Diseases ; Middle Aged ; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria ; Opportunistic Infections ; Sputum ; Thorax ; Transplants

Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) diseases are increasing worldwide. However NTM lung disease in organ transplant recipients has been rarely reported. Here, we report 2 cases of NTM lung disease in heart transplant recipients. A 37-year-old man, who had undergone a heart transplant one year previous, was admitted to hospital due to a cough. Chest CT scan showed multiple centrilobular nodules in both lower lungs. In his sputum, M. abscessus was repeatedly identified by rpoB gene analysis. The patient improved after treatment with clarithromycin, imipenem, and amikacin. An additional patient, a 53-year-old woman who had undergone a heart transplant 4 years prior and who suffered from bronchiectasis, was admitted because of purulent sputum. The patient's chest CT scan revealed aggravated bronchiectasis; M. intracellulare was isolated repeatedly in her sputum. Treatment was successfully completed with clarithromycin, ethambutol, and ciprofloxacin. NTM lung disease should be considered as a potential opportunistic infection in organ transplant recipients.
Adult ; Amikacin ; Bronchiectasis ; Ciprofloxacin ; Clarithromycin ; Cough ; Ethambutol ; Female ; Heart ; Heart Transplantation ; Humans ; Imipenem ; Lung ; Lung Diseases ; Middle Aged ; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria ; Opportunistic Infections ; Sputum ; Thorax ; Transplants

Plummer-Vinson syndrome is a complex syndrome characterized by upper esophageal webs, dysphagia, and iron deficiency anemia. This syndrome develops principally in middle-aged women, and only rarely in patients over age 80. We present a case of Plummer-Vinson syndrome occurring in an 82-year-old woman who visited the hospital because of progressive dysphagia. Esophagogram and endoscopic examination showed an upper esophageal web, and laboratory examination revealed iron deficiency anemia. Dysphagia improved after endoscopic balloon dilatation, and iron deficiency anemia improved after iron supplementation. Even Plummer-Vinson syndrome can be improved by sufficient amounts of oral ferrous sulfate and endoscopic balloon dilatation, it is important to identify the cause of iron deficiency anemia and to check for the presence of malignant disease. The common causes of anemia differ between middle-aged and elderly women, and the clinician needs to look for malignancy-induced chronic gastrointestinal tract blood loss and chronic inflammatory diseases. We report a rare case of Plummer- Vinson syndrome in a woman over 80 years of age.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anemia ; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; Deglutition Disorders ; Dilatation ; Female ; Ferrous Compounds ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Iron ; Plummer-Vinson Syndrome