No abstract available.
Korea* ; Seoul*

BACKGROUND: The obese patients increased recently in Korea due to excessive energy intake and decreased physical activity. We are well known that obesity is associted with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, angina pectoris, hypertension, but not known to influence of weight gain to change in cardio-vascular risk factors. Once, the study of obesity are many but the study of influence of weight gain are small in Korea. This study investigated to influence of weight gain in cardio-vascular risk factors. METHODS: We gatherd case and control group among persons who has taken twice medical examination except disease person from October 1990 to October 1995 at SungAe General hospital. In our study, total 167 case, compare weight gain group(>3kg) with control group to change in cardiovascular risk factor. RESULTS: Sex, age, smoking history, obesity index were not statistically significant difference between two group in the first medical examination. systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, HDL, total cholesterol/HDL were not statistically significant difference between two group for weight gain. Total cholesterol and triglyceride, LDL were stastistically significant increased. CONCLUSIONS: Weight gain was increased of total cholestrol and triglyceride, LDL, so weight control was important.
Angina Pectoris ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cholesterol ; Energy Intake ; Fasting ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Motor Activity ; Obesity ; Risk Factors* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Triglycerides ; Weight Gain*

Progressive renal fibrosis is considered to be the final common pathway leading to chronic renal insufficiency, however, the mechanism regarding renal fibrosis in renal injury is not well understood. Recently, several kinds of cytokines have been known to be related to fibrosis after renal injury. The interaction between elements regulating fibrogenesis would be better understood by looking at the effect of TGF-beta1 on the synthesis and accumulation of extracellular matrix, especially collagenous proteins. Crescentic glomerulonephritis (CGN) was induced in New Zealand White rabbits by administration of guinea pig anti-GBM IgG after sensitization with guinea pig IgG; and their kidneys were analyzed for the development of crescents and fibrosis through sequential renal biopsies. Serum creatinine levels in a time course progressively increased until day 15. We semi-quantitatively assayed the levels of the expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA and TGF-beta1 mRNA factored for GAPDH mRNA using RT-PCR. We observed a progressive interstitial fibrosis and the expression of collagen I both in the cortex and medulla. The effect of repeated renal biopsy itself on pathology and on the expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA and TGF-beta1 mRNA in a time course were not significant, but a very mild increase of the expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA was noted at day 15. Histology showed a progressive crescent formation and interstitial fibrosis in a time course that roughly paralleled the expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA in both cortex and medulla. TGF-beta1 mRNA was hardly expressed at day 0 in cortex as well as in medulla. It was elevated from day 1, peaked at day 7, and then decreased. In medulla, TGF-beta1 mRNA was noticeably expressed at day 1, peaked at day 4, and then decreased. The expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA was seen even before inducing CGN. It was gradually and continuously increased until day 15 both in cortex and medulla. These results suggest that the expression of TGF-beta1 mRNA precedes that of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA in the early stage of CGN and has a central role for provoking the accumulation the collagen I, the most representative interstitial extracellular matrix, in the rabbit model CGN induced by anti-GBM antibody. We conclude that the measurement of the expression of TGF-beta1 mRNA and/or alpha1(I) collagen mRNA in a biopsy sample can be a useful predictor for renal outcome.
Animals ; Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Disease ; Biopsy ; Collagen ; Creatinine ; Cytokines ; Extracellular Matrix* ; Fibrosis ; Glomerulonephritis* ; Guinea Pigs ; Immunoglobulin G ; Kidney ; Pathology ; Rabbits ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; RNA, Messenger* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria(PNH) is a rare, acquired disease involving multiple hematopoietic lines. Characteristics of PNH are intrinsic hemolytic anemia, iron deficiency anemia and venous thrombosis. report a case of PNH with characterostoc MR and CT findings. The signal intensity of renal cortex was lower than that of medulla on both T1- and T2- weighted MR imaging. On T2 weighted MR images, the liver showed very low signal intensity but the signal intensity of the spleen was normal. On precontrast CT the attenuation of renal cortex was higher than that of renal medulla and the attenuation of liver was higher than that of the spleen. These findings of MR imaging and CT were the result from the deposition of hemosiderin in the cells of proximal convoluted tubules and transfusional hemosiderosis of liver.
Anemia, Hemolytic ; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; Hemoglobinuria, Paroxysmal* ; Hemosiderin ; Hemosiderosis ; Liver ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Spleen ; Venous Thrombosis

Glomangiosarcoma is a histopathologically defined extremely rare malignant tumor that accompanies a glomus tumor usually, but its has benign clinical course characteristically. It shares common ultrastructural and immunohistochemical features with glomus tumor, and transformed possibly from glomus tumor". Glomangiosarcoma shows more sarcomatous appearance histologically than glomus tumor, however with no malignant behavior(i.e. recurrence or metastasis) was expressed. We experienced a case of glomangiosarcoma form subungual region treated by marginal excision and no recurrence or metastasis was developed untill 1 year and 6 months postoperatively.
Glomus Tumor ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Recurrence

PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate preexposure prophylaxis and postexposure prophylaxis of rabies that the National Medical Center (NMC) handled and to check whether appropriate measures were performed according to the recent domestic and overseas guidelines after animal bites. METHODS: This study surveyed 41 people who were 18 years or under and received preexposure and postexposure prophylaxis of rabies at the NMC from November 2006 to December 2011. Their medical records were reviewed for their age, gender, the reason for preexposure prophylaxis, the body sites of animal bite, the kind of the animal that bit children, the region where the biting occurred and rabies vaccination and inoculation of immunoglobulin. RESULTS: Eleven children took rabies vaccination for preexposure prophylaxis and 30 children received post exposure prophylaxis of rabies. Of patients who were bitten by unvaccinated animals including wild animals or by animals which were not certain to be vaccinated, 50% (13 of 26 children) received postexposure prophylaxis, while 75% (3 of 4 children) of patients who were bitten by vaccinated animals received postexposure prophylaxis of rabies. Ten of 30 bitten patients knew whether or not the biting animals had received rabies vaccination. Of them, four people (40%) were bitten by animals which had received rabies vaccination. CONCLUSION: To prevent the occurrence of rabies, people and health care providers need to correctly understand latest guideline for rabies preexposure and postexposure prophylaxis and the information for bitten patient, biting animal and area at bitten by animal should be accurately recorded.
Animals ; Animals, Wild ; Bites and Stings ; Child ; Child Health ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Isothiocyanates ; Medical Records ; Post-Exposure Prophylaxis ; Rabies ; Vaccination

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate North Korean refugees' knowledge of mental illnesses and treatments and analyze the factors affecting this knowledge. METHODS: Subjects were selected via a snowball sampling method, and the survey outcomes of 152 North Korean refugee participants were analyzed. The factors affecting knowledge of mental illnesses were analyzed via a regression analysis by constructing a multivariate model with mental illness knowledge score as the dependent variable. RESULTS: The North Korean refugees' mental illness scores ranged from 3 to 24 points, with an average score of 13.0. Regarding the factors that influence mental illness knowledge, the subjects with South Korean spouses and those who had spent more time in South Korea had higher knowledge scores. Furthermore, the subjects who considered the mental health of North Korean refugees to be a serious issue revealed lower knowledge scores than those who did not believe it was a serious issue. The subjects who visit psychiatric clinics showed higher knowledge scores than those who do not. The South Korean subjects who had at least a college education exhibited higher scores than did those without advanced education. The subjects who are satisfied with life in South Korea manifested a higher mental illness knowledge score than those who are not. CONCLUSIONS: This study is significant as being the first study to ever measure and evaluate the level of North Korean refugees' knowledge of mental illnesses. In addition, the evaluations of North Korean refugees' mental illness knowledge and influencing factors while residing in South Korea created basic data that formed the foundation of an effort to enhance mental health literacy and provide proper mental health services. The results of this study can be utilized to solve mental health problems that might frequently occur during the unification process of North and South Korea in the future.
Adult ; Aged ; Democratic People's Republic of Korea ; Female ; *Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Literacy ; Male ; *Mental Health ; Middle Aged ; Refugees/*psychology ; Republic of Korea ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: Refugees from North Korea are at risk of a range of mental health problems, posing urgent problems to their care. A review of research on mental health prevalence and services can indicate directions for further study. METHODS: The authors administered a Delphi survey to 16 professionals who are working for North Korean refugees, including professors and field workers. The collected data was analyzed by descriptive statistics including mean and standard deviation and verified with content validity ratio. RESULTS: The results are as follows: 1) The most serious problem in the research area is the importance of quantitative research rather than qualitative for North Korean refugees, who are often very negative and uncooperative with questionnaires. 2) There is a great need to develop competence of mental health professionals who are working for North Korean refugees. 3) Most participants agreed to the necessity of longitudinal study to define the factors facilitating successful adaptation among North Korean refugees. CONCLUSION: The following are our recommendations: 1) Appropriate measurements for North Korean refugees need to be developed reflecting their uniqueness. 2) Research of North Koreans has inherent selection bias. 3) It is essential to provide primary education on mental health to North Korean refugees.
Delphi Technique* ; Democratic People's Republic of Korea ; Education ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Longitudinal Studies ; Mental Competency ; Mental Health* ; Prevalence ; Refugees* ; Selection Bias

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to establish the prevalence of PTSD among North Korean defectors who visited the National Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea over a period of approximately 10 years by examining their medical records and to examine differences in the medical service usage patterns of patients with and without PTSD. METHODS: Data from North Korean defectors who used outpatient services at the National Medical Center during a period of 10 years and 3 months (January 1 2006 to February 28, 2016) were analyzed. The general characteristics of the defectors were analyzed by frequency analyses, and descriptive statistics were generated. Additionally, independent t-tests and chi square analyses were performed to examine differences between PTSD patients and those without PTSD. Linear regression analysis was performed to examine factors affecting the mental health of North Korean defectors suffering from PTSD. RESULTS: This study assessed the correlations between PTSD, the average number of outpatient visits, and the total revenue. The regression analysis showed a relationship between PTSD and the average number of outpatient visits. There was also a correlation between PTSD and total revenue. The average number of outpatient visits was 41.8 for PTSD patients, whereas it was 33.2 for those without PTSD. The total revenue visit was 953.6 USD for PTSD sufferers and 231.1 USD for those without PTSD. CONCLUSION This study found that the majority of North Korean defectors visit psychiatry departments, and that PTSD patients use outpatient services more frequently and have higher total revenue than those without PTSD. Additionally, patients with PTSD used a greater variety of medical services. Considering the high medical care expenses of North Korean defectors residing in South Korea, future investigations should examine the medical service usage patterns of such patients, especially those diagnosed with PTSD, in greater detail.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Korean women since 2001 and needs national interests. The incidence of breast cancer is increasing with new breast cancer cases reaching more than 10,000 cases annually. But, there are some difficulties in breast cancer control; first, the National Cancer Screening Program is ineffective and of low quality, second, the lack of psychosocial care for mastectomized patients, third, the lack of national care for terminal cancer patients. For effective breast cancer control, we need special support for breast cancer awareness campaign, activation of breast cancer registry, development of clinical practice guideline, development of hospice program, breast cancer research, and upgrading its guarantee on breast cancer treatment. The Korean Breast Cancer Society should have the leading role in solving the current problems, but moreover, we cannot overemphasize the need for national support.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Female ; Hospice Care ; Humans ; Incidence