No abstract available.

OBJECTIVES: Brucellosis is a systemic disease with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of brucellosis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients in Hamadan Province in the west of Iran. METHODS: A total of 157 HIV-infected patients were screened through standard serological tests, including Wright’s test, Coombs’ Wright test, and 2-mercaptoethanol Brucella agglutination test (2ME test), blood cultures in Castaneda media, and CD4 counting. Data were analyzed using Stata version 11. RESULTS: Wright and Coombs’ Wright tests were carried out, and only 5 (3.2%) patients had positive serological results. However, all patients had negative 2ME results, and blood cultures were negative for Brucella spp. Moreover, patients with positive serology and a mean CD4 count of 355.8 ± 203.11 cells/μL had no clinical manifestations of brucellosis, and, and the other patients had a mean CD4 count of 335.55 ± 261.71 cells/μL. CONCLUSION: Results of this study showed that HIV infection is not a predisposing factor of acquiring brucellosis.
Agglutination Tests ; Brucella ; Brucellosis* ; Causality ; CD4 Lymphocyte Count ; HIV Infections ; HIV* ; Humans* ; Iran* ; Mercaptoethanol ; Seroepidemiologic Studies* ; Serologic Tests

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed at identifying the current nutrition knowledge, body-related perspectives, and weight control behaviors of Korean-Chinese college students. METHODS: We conducted a pilot study by employing a healthy weight education program targeting Korean-Chinese nursing school students at the Yanbian University of Science and Technology in Yanbian, China. RESULTS: This pilot study included 40 participants (38 women and 2 men; mean age, 20.5 years). The current weight status of the participants was as follows: 7.9% underweight, 78.9% normal weight, 7.9% overweight, and 5.3% obese. However, nearly two-thirds of the participants were dissatisfied with their current body size (43.6% a little dissatisfied; 20.5% very dissatisfied). Fifty percent of the participants perceived their current body size as being either slightly fat (35.0%) or very fat (15.0%). The following unhealthy weight control methods were commonly used among the 24 participants who practiced weight control: (1) laxatives or diuretics (91.7%), (2) saunas or spas (87.5%), and (3) a one-food diet (79.2%). In addition, the nutrition knowledge of the participants increased by 24 points from 117 points (pretest) to 141 points (posttest) through the healthy weight education program. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study indicate an urgent need to educate Korean-Chinese college students on healthy weight control methods and body-related perspectives.
Body Size ; Body Weight ; China* ; Diet ; Diuretics ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Laxatives ; Male ; Methods* ; Nursing* ; Overweight ; Pilot Projects* ; Schools, Nursing* ; Steam Bath ; Thinness ; Weight Loss ; Weight Perception

OBJECTIVES: Korea was an endemic area for lymphatic filariasis (LF), caused by the nematode parasite Brugia malayi, until the 1970s. The World Health Organization recognized Korea as LF-free in June 2008. However, it is necessary to confirm that patients that have had LF in the past still test negative, to prevent the re-emergence of LF in Korea. METHODS: We followed up a total of 83 patients who had been diagnosed with LF between 2002 and 2010 in endemic LF areas. RESULTS: Fifty-two of the 83 subjects were negative for LF, whereas 31 subjects had re-located to a different city or province, were dead, or were unaccounted for. Most subjects with negative test results still exhibited edema in the legs or the arms, and some complained of redness and swelling in the legs or ankle joints. However, we found that these symptoms were due to diseases other than LF. CONCLUSION: In this follow-up study, we did not find any evidence indicating the potential re-emergence of LF in Korea.
Ankle Joint ; Arm ; Brugia malayi ; Edema ; Elephantiasis, Filarial* ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Leg ; Parasites ; World Health Organization

OBJECTIVES: Rhinoviruses (RVs) cause common cold and are associated with exacerbation of chronic inflammatory respiratory diseases. Until now, no clinically effective antiviral chemotherapeutic agents to treat diseases caused by human rhinoviruses (HRVs) have been reported. We assessed the anti-HRV3 activity of sakuranetin isolated from Sorbus commixta Hedl. in human epithelioid carcinoma cervix (HeLa) cells, to evaluate its anti-rhinoviral potential in the clinical setting. METHODS: Antiviral activity and cytotoxicity as well as the effect of sakuranetin on HRV3-induced cytopathic effects (CPEs) were evaluated using the sulforhodamine B (SRB) method using CPE reduction. The morphology of HRV3-infected cells was studied using a light microscope. RESULTS: Sakuranetin actively inhibited HRV3 replication and exhibited antiviral activity of more than 67% without cytotoxicity in HeLa cells, at 100 μg/mL. Ribavirin showed anti-HRV3 activity similar to that of sakuranetin. Treatment of HRV-infected HeLa cells with sakuranetin visibly reduced CPEs. CONCLUSION: The inhibition of HRV production by sakuranetin is mainly due to its general antioxidant activity through inhibition of viral adsorption. Therefore, the antiviral activity of sakuranetin should be further investigated to elucidate its mode of action and prevent HRV3-mediated diseases in pathological conditions.
Adsorption ; Cervix Uteri ; Common Cold ; Female ; HeLa Cells ; Humans* ; In Vitro Techniques* ; Methods ; Rhinovirus* ; Ribavirin ; Sorbus

OBJECTIVES: Currently, time of alcohol purchase is not part of the policies to regulate alcohol consumption in South Korea. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between alcohol purchasing time and alcohol use disorder. METHODS: The survey for this study was conducted in geographically diverse regions of South Korea in 2012. Respondents’ purchasing behaviors for both on-licensed (i.e., allows for consumption within the premises) and off-licensed (i.e., where alcohol is consumed off the premises) outlets and time of alcohol consumption were collected. Alcohol consumption patterns were examined using the Rapid Alcohol Problem Screen 4 (RAPS4). Data were also analyzed by age, gender and purchasing time. RESULTS: Results showed that among the off-licensed premises, supermarkets appear to be the most popular venue while for on-licensed premises; alcohol was generally consumed inside hotels/pubs regardless of age and gender of the purchaser. Purchasing of alcohol was highest during the day and early evening period (9:00 a.m. to 9:59 p.m.). Females are most likely to abuse alcohol than males during the early morning period and is that period after 12:00 midnight. CONCLUSION: Analysis suggests that the survey instrument used in the International Alcohol Control Study is being used to collect data on alcohol purchasing time consumption; therefore, the potential is there to provide accurate results to contribute appropriate policy responses to reduce alcohol related-harm.
Alcohol Drinking ; Female ; Humans ; Korea* ; Male

No abstract available.
Adolescent* ; Humans

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify the effects of anti-smoking public service announcements on the attitudes of Korean college students toward smoking. METHODS: This study involved students via convenience sampling from seven universities who were randomly assigned to four groups. All groups completed a preliminary questionnaire, before being shown a public service announcement twice, and then completed a post viewing questionnaire. RESULTS: For announcements with positive messages, the proportion of changes in beliefs and attitudes were 39.1% and 19.8%, respectively, whereas those with negative messages showed a greater proportion of changes in the beliefs (59.7%) and attitudes (40.3%). After adjusting for sex and change in belief, the message types and smoking status were identified as factors affecting the change in the participants attitudes. A negative message resulted in a greater change in attitudes (odds ratio [OR], 3.047; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.847–5.053). Ever-smokers including current smokers showed a greater positive change in attitude than never-smokers (OR, 6.965; 95% CI, 4.107–11.812). CONCLUSION: This study found that positive anti-smoking public service announcements were more effective on attitude change than negative messages. Additionally these announcements were more effective among viewers who were current smokers or had a prior smoking experience.
Humans ; Public Service Announcements* ; Smoke* ; Smoking*

OBJECTIVES: Our study aims to provide basic scientific data on the importance of obesity management in middle-aged Korean women by analyzing its effects on blood pressure and arterial stiffness. In addition, we examined the correlations of these two parameters. METHODS: The study participants were 40 middle-aged female volunteers, who were classified into obesity group (n = 20) and normal weight group (n = 20). Statistical analysis was performed using independent t-test and the Pearson correlation coefficient was used to correlate blood pressure and arterial stiffness. RESULTS: This study evaluated the systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and pulse wave velocity (PWV). These results were higher in the obesity group than the normal weight group. Furthermore, blood pressure and arterial stiffness (PWV, augmentation pressure) were static correlated. CONCLUSION: Obesity is closely related to blood pressure and arterial stiffness. Therefore, indices for blood pressure and arterial stiffness may play a vital role in predicting and preventing obesity and its sequelae.
Blood Pressure* ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Obesity* ; Pulse Wave Analysis ; Vascular Stiffness* ; Volunteers

OBJECTIVES: To circumvent the limitations of the current golden standard method, colony-forming unit (CFU) assay, for viability of Bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccines, we developed a new method to rapidly and accurately determine the potency of BCG vaccines. METHODS: Based on flow cytometry (FACS) and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) as the most appropriate fluorescent staining reagent, 17 lots of BCG vaccines for percutaneous administration and 5 lots of BCG vaccines for intradermal administration were analyzed in this study. The percentage of viable cells measured by flow cytometry along with the total number of organisms in BCG vaccines, as determined on a cell counter, was used to quantify the number of viable cells. RESULTS: Pearson correlation coefficients of FACS and CFU assays for percutaneous and intradermal BCG vaccines were 0.6962 and 0.7428, respectively, indicating a high correlation. The coefficient of variation value of the FACS assay was less than 7%, which was 11 times lower than that of the CFU assay. CONCLUSION: This study contributes to the evaluation of new potency test method for FACS-based determination of viable cells in BCG vaccines. Accordingly, quality control of BCG vaccines can be significantly improved.
Administration, Cutaneous ; BCG Vaccine ; Cell Count ; Flow Cytometry* ; Fluorescein ; Methods ; Mycobacterium bovis ; Quality Control ; Stem Cells ; Vaccine Potency ; Vaccines*