PURPOSE: As a result of various independently proposed nomenclatures and classifications, there is confusion in the diagnosis and prediction of biological behavior of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs). A comprehensive nationwide study is needed in order to understand the biological characteristics of GEP-NETs in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected 4,951 pathology reports from 29 hospitals in Korea between 2000 and 2009. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to determine the prognostic significance of clinicopathological parameters. RESULTS: Although the GEP-NET is a relatively rare tumor in Korea, its incidence has increased during the last decade, with the most significant increase found in the rectum. The 10-year survival rate for well-differentiated endocrine tumor was 92.89%, in contrast to 85.74% in well differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma and 34.59% in poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma. Disease related death was most common in the biliary tract (62.2%) and very rare in the rectum (5.2%). In Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, tumor location, histological classification, extent, size, mitosis, Ki-67 labeling index, synaptophysin expression, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, and lymph node metastasis showed prognostic significance (p<0.05), however, chromogranin expression did not (p=0.148). The 2000 and 2010 World Health Organization (WHO) classification proposals were useful for prediction of the prognosis of GEP-NET. CONCLUSION: The incidence of GEP-NET in Korea has shown a remarkable increase during the last decade, however, the distribution of tumors in the digestive system differs from that of western reports. Assessment of pathological parameters, including immunostaining, is crucial in understanding biological behavior of the tumor as well as predicting prognosis of patients with GEP-NET.
Biliary Tract ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine ; Digestive System ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intestinal Neoplasms ; Korea ; Lymph Nodes ; Mitosis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neuroendocrine Tumors ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Population Characteristics ; Prognosis ; Rectum ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Survival Rate ; Synaptophysin ; World Health Organization

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a substantially under-diagnosed disorder, and the diagnosis is usually delayed until the disease is advanced. However, the benefit of early diagnosis is not yet clear, and there are no guidelines in Korea for doing early diagnosis. This review highlights several issues regarding early diagnosis of COPD. On the basis of several lines of evidence, early diagnosis seems quite necessary and beneficial to patients. Early diagnosis can be approached by several methods, but it should be confirmed by quality-controlled spirometry. Compared with its potential benefit, the adverse effects of spirometry or pharmacotherapy appear relatively small. Although it is difficult to evaluate the benefit of early diagnosis by well-designed trials, several lines of evidence suggest that we should try to diagnose and manage patients with COPD at early stages of the disease.
Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Korea ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; Spirometry

Social welfare services for respiratory-disabled persons in Korea are offered based on the respiratory impairment grade, which is determined by 3 clinical parameters; dyspnea, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and arterial oxygen tension. This grading system has several limitations in the objective assessment of respiratory impairment. We reviewed several guidelines for the evaluation of respiratory impairment and relevant articles. Then, we discussed a new grading system with respiratory physicians. Both researchers and respiratory physicians agreed that pulmonary function tests are essential in assessing the severity of respiratory impairment, forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1 and single breath diffusing capacity (DLco) are the primarily recommended tests. In addition, we agreed that arterial blood gas analysis should be reserved for selected patients. In conclusion, we propose a new respiratory impairment grading system utilizing a combination FVC, FEV1 and DLco scores, with more social discussion included.
Blood Gas Analysis ; Disability Evaluation ; Dyspnea ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Korea ; Oxygen ; Pulmonary Diffusing Capacity ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Respiratory System ; Social Welfare ; Spirometry ; Vital Capacity

OBJECTIVES: This prospective study was performed to investigate the association between occupational stress and the development of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases. METHODS: A total of 8,429 employees were selected from a nationwide sample, proportional to both the Korean Standard Industrial Classification and the Korean Standard Occupational Classification. A structured self-reported questionnaire was used to access the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, health behavior and work related characteristics. 43-items of the full version of Korean Occupational Stress Scale (KOSS) were used to access the participants occupational stress. New cases of hospitalization due to cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases were evaluated using medical utilization files received from the National Health Insurance Corporation for the period of March 2004 to December 2005. A logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between occupational stress and cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases. RESULTS: 43 new cases of hospitalization due to cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases were found. According to the results of the logistic regression analysis, job stressors were related with circulatory diseases after adjustment for gender, age, number of workers, employment type, shift work, smoking, alcohol intake, and regular exercise. Of the 8 subscales, insufficient job control (Adj. RR 2.802; 95% CI 1.038-7.564) and occupational climate (Adj. RR 2.365; 95% CI 1.087~5.143) were significantly associated with cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases. However, no significant relationships were found between the 6 KOSS subscales and cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the short-term follow-up of about two years, the KOSS subscales of insufficient job control and occupational climate were significantly associated with cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases.
Cardiovascular Diseases* ; Classification ; Climate ; Employment ; Follow-Up Studies ; Health Behavior ; Hospitalization ; Logistic Models ; National Health Programs ; Prospective Studies ; Questionnaires ; Smoke ; Smoking

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSES: Over the past three decades, numerous studies performed in Korea have reported that job stress is a determinant risk factor for chronic diseases and work disability. Every society has its own culture and occupational climate particular to their organizations, and hence experiences different occupational stress. An occupational stress measurement tool therefore needs to be developed to estimate it objectively. The purpose of this study is to develop and standardize the Korean Occupational Stress Scale (KOSS) which is considered to be unique and specific occupational stressors in Korean employees. Subjects and METHODS: Data were obtained from the National Study for Development and Standardization of Occupational Stress (NSDSOS Project: 2002-2004). A total of 12,631 employees from a nationwide sample proportional to the Korean Standard Industrial Classification and the Korean Standard Occupational Classification were administered. The KOSS was developed for 2 years (2002- 2004). In the first year, we collected 255 items from the most popular job stress measurement tools such as JCQ, ERI, NIOSH and OSI, and 44 items derived from the a qualitative study (depth interview). Fortythree items of KOSS, in the second year, were retained for use in the final version of the KOSS by using Delphi and factor analysis. Items were scored using conventional 1-2-3-4 Likert scores for the response categories. RESULTS: We developed eight subscales by using factor analysis and validation process: physical environment (3 items), job demand (8 items), insufficient job control (5 items), interpersonal conflict (4 items), job insecurity (6 items), organizational system (7 items), lack of reward (6 items), and occupational climate (4 items). Together they explained 50.0% of total variance. Internal consistency alpha scores were ranged from 0.51 to 0.82. Twenty-four items of the short form of the KOSS (KOSS-SF) were also developed to estimate job stress in the work setting. Because the levels of the subscales of occupational stress were gender dependent, gender-specific standard norms for both the 43-item full version and the 24-item short form using a quartile for the subscales of KOSS were presented. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that KOSS might be an appropriate measurement scale to estimate occupational stress of Korean employees. Further and more detailed study needs to be conducted to improve the validity of this scale.
Chronic Disease ; Classification ; Climate ; Korea ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (U.S.) ; Reward ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: The therapeutic requirements of patients with non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) are similar to those with erosive esophagitis. The pharmacological action mechanism of prokinetics is quite different; domperidone is a peripheral dopamine D2-antagonist and cisapride is a HT4-agonist. This study was performed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of these two different prokinetics in patients with NERD. METHODS: 178 patients, with heartburn and/or regurgitation, without reflux esophagitis were enrolled and divided into 2 groups by randomization code. In this prospective multicenter trial, 178 patients (93 patients in cisapride group, 85 patients in domperidone group) received 10 mg of cisapride three times a day or 10 mg of domperidone three time a day for 2 or 4 weeks. Symptom assessment was performed in each patients before treatments, 2 and 4 weeks after treatment. RESULTS: Of the 133 patients available for final analysis, 65 were allocated to the cisapride group and 68 to the domperidone group. After 2 weeks treatment, heartburn was reduced in 81.1% of cisapride group, 56.7% of domperidone group (p < 0.05) and regurgitation was reduced in 89.7% of cisapride group, 77.7% of domperidone group. After 4 weeks treatment, heartburn was reduced in 94.3% of cisapride group, 88.7% of domperidone group and this difference was not significant. The proportion of adverse events in cisapride group was 9.4% and was 5.5% in domperidone group. CONCLUSIONS: Cisapride tartrate was more effective in relieving heartburn in NERD patients than domperidone maleate after 2 week treatment. However, this superior effect dose not persist longer than 2 weeks.
Cisapride* ; Domperidone* ; Dopamine ; Esophagitis ; Esophagitis, Peptic ; Heartburn ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Random Allocation ; Symptom Assessment

OBJECTIVES: To describe health behaviors related to hypertension in rural population of Korea and focused to identify inappropriate awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension. METHODS: We surveyed 5,517 adults (2,288 males, 3,229 females) older than 30 years in 58 rural areas, purposely sampled nationwide from December 1996 to February 1997. Blood pressure was checked twice at the time of the first visit. For those who showed high blood pressure using the JNC-6 criteria at their initial visit, we followed up their blood pressure one week later. Also information on the health behavior related to hypertension was collected through the person-to-person interview using structured questionnaire at the first visit. RESULTS: For the past one year, females had more experiences of checking their blood pressure than males (77.3% versus 69.5%, p=0.001). Through the results of consecutively checked blood pressure, only 51.7% of the hypertensives were aware of their condition. Of the hypertensives who aware of their condition, 44.4% did not receive any medication and/or recommendation. And 50.4% of the hypertensives who had anti-hypertensive medication were classified as still having hypertensive blood pressure by 160/95 mmHg criteria. Of the medicated, 54.8% were found to take medication regularly for the past six months. Among the medicated, only 11.4% knew the name of anti-hypertensive drug they had. CONCLUSIONS: 'Rule of halves', which works in the situation of no special efforts for hypertension control, was identified. This study showed that much efforts to control hypertension would be required in the rural population of Korea.
Adult ; Blood Pressure ; Female ; Health Behavior* ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Korea* ; Male ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rural Population*

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma(EH) is a rare vascular tumor of low-grade malignancy. It was previously described as intravascular bronchioloalveolar tumor (IVBAT). But electron microscopic study and immunohistochemical staining results have proved endothelial origin. Patients are usually asymptomatic and the tumors are found incidentally on routine chest X-rays. Most patients show a slowly progressive clinical course, even though some patients occasionally die as results of respiratory failure or extrathoracic complications. Confirmative diagnosis is made through thoracoscopic or open-lung biopsy. There is still no effective therapeutic modality for pulmonary EH. We have experienced a 55-year-old woman whose simple chest x-ray film revealed bilateral multiple small nodules. The nodules were histopathologically and immunohistochemically diagnosed as primary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the lung. The possibility of metastatic disease was excluded thorough clinical, laboratory and radiological studies. Comparison of radiographic chest film taken 3 years ago showed no significant progression of the pulmonary nodular lesions. Conservative management was instituted and careful 4 months follow-up showed no significant changes.
Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemangioendothelioma, Epithelioid* ; Humans ; Lung ; Middle Aged ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Thorax ; X-Ray Film

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aims of this study were to determine subgoups of functional dyspesia and to evaluate the short-term effect of cisapride in patients with functional dyspepsia in Korea. METHODS: 1025 patients, with a mean age of 42.6 years, with symptoms of functional dyspepsia, were recruited consecutively and upper gastrointestinal symptoms were investigated by interview in 41 hospitals in Korea. In an open, multicenter trial, 1025 patients received Smg of cisapride three times a day (TID) for at least .2 weeks for the treatment of symptoms of functional dyspepsia. When necessary, the dose of cisapride was increased to 10mg TID and the duration of therapy was extended to 4 weeks. RESULTS: The most frequently reported symptoms of functional dyspepsia were epigastric discomfort or fullness (85%), bloating (70%), belching (53%), early satiety (52%) and epigastric pain (46%) retrospectively. Subgroups of functional dyspepsia were as follows; dysmotility-like 73.5%, ulcer-like 39.7%, reflux-like 13.0%, and unspecified dyspepsia 14.0%. However, 33.2% of subjects with functional dyspepsia could be classified into more than one subgroup. Upper gastrointestinal symptoms were decreased to average 50.3% (range; 42.2 to 59.2%) after 2 weeks of cisapride treatment and to 25% (19.2 to 29.9%) after 4 weeks. cisapride therapy resulted in good or excellent improvement in 59.0% of the patients after two weeks, in 75% of patients after 4 weeks. Adverse events were occurred in 52 patients (5.8% of all patients), most commonly, loose stools or diarrhea (3.5%), abdominal pain (1.1%), and dizziness (0.3%). The majority of adverse events was mild and transient in nature and led to premature discontinuation of treatment in 4 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Although the majorities of patients with functional dyspepsia have dysmotility like symptoms in Korea, there is such overlap among the dyspepsia subgroups. Most patients responded well to a short therapeutic trial with cisapride without significant side effects.
Abdominal Pain ; Cisapride* ; Diarrhea ; Dizziness ; Dyspepsia* ; Eructation ; Humans ; Korea* ; Retrospective Studies

The effects of vanadate on cellular Ca2+ movements across the sarcolemma of cardiac muscle cells were investigated by measuring the intracellular and extracellular Ca2+ activities of guinea pig papillary muscle with Ca2+-selective electrodes. During the rest period following a steady-state of 2 contractions per second the extracellular Ca2+ concentration was increased over the basal level within a minute. During the rest period Ca2+ was transported across the sarcolemma into the extracellular space. Vanadate decreased the change in extracellular Ca2+ concentration during the rest period implying that the Ca2+ efflux across the sarcolemma was decreased by vanadate. Vanadate increased intracellular Ca2+ activities significantly (from 1.9 X 10(-7) M to 10(-6)M) resulting in an increase in resting tension. These results suggest that vanadate decreases Ca2+ efflux from the cells into the extracellular space by blocking Ca2+ transport across the sarcolemma, possibly blocking the Na+-Ca2+ exchange transport.
Animal ; Calcium/metabolism* ; Female ; Guinea Pigs ; Ion Channels/drug effects* ; Male ; Membrane Potentials/drug effects ; Papillary Muscles/drug effects* ; Vanadates ; Vanadium/pharmacology*