BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPDs) are common in children, the accurate pathogenesis of FAPDs is not known yet. Micro-inflammation, particularly tissue eosinophilia of gastrointestinal (GI) tract, has been suggested as the pathophysiology observed in several GI disorders. We aimed to evaluate eosinophilic infiltration throughout the entire GI tract in children with FAPDs, compared to those with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and to normal reference values. METHODS: We included 56 children with FAPDs, 52 children with Crohn’s disease, and 23 children with ulcerative colitis. All subjects underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopic and colonoscopic examination with biopsies. Tissue eosinophil counts were assessed in 10 regions throughout the GI tract. RESULTS: Eosinophil counts of the gastric antrum, duodenum, terminal ileum, cecum, and ascending colon were significantly higher in children with FAPDs compared to normal reference values. Eosinophil counts of the stomach and the entire colon were observed to be significantly higher in children with IBD than in those with FAPDs. Even after selecting macroscopically uninvolved GI segments on endoscopy in children with IBD, eosinophil counts of the gastric body, cecum, descending colon, sigmoid colon, and the rectum were also significantly higher in children with IBD than those with FAPDs. CONCLUSIONS: Significantly high eosinophil counts of the stomach and colon were observed in the order of IBD, followed by FAPDs, and normal controls, regardless of endoscopically detected macroscopic IBD lesions in children. This suggests some contribution of GI tract eosinophils in the intrinsic pathogenesis of FAPDs in children.
Abdominal Pain ; Biopsy ; Cecum ; Child ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; Colon ; Colon, Ascending ; Colon, Descending ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Duodenum ; Endoscopy ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Ileum ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ; Pyloric Antrum ; Rectum ; Reference Values ; Stomach

Interferons(IFNs) exhibit an antiproliferative effect on many normal and transformed cells and have in vivo antitumor activity in a variety of cancers. Recent clinical studies have suggested major activity with IFNs, especially in advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the skin and cervix. With the objective of exploring how the IFNs might work in squamous carcinoma cell line, we studied the effect of IFN-a on cervical cancer cell lines. The effect of IFNs on apoptosis and cell cycle of cervical cancer cell lines(C33A, CaSki, SiHa, HeLa, ME-180) was analysed by flow cytometry in time dependent manner. Results were as follows: (1) According to cell count of studied cancer cell lines treated with 2,000 IU/ml IFN-a for 7 days exposure, IFN-a had the antiproliferative effect on all five tested cervical cancer cell lines. Also this antiproliferative effect was confirmed by WST-1 assay. (2) The effect of IFN-a on apoptosis of each cultute was analysed by flow cytometry after 3 days and 7 days exposure with 2,000 IU/ml IFN-a, Apoptosis was not induced by IFN-a treatment. (3) The effect of IFN-a on the cell cycle of each culture was analysed by flow cytometry after 3 days exposure with 2,000 IU/ml IFN-a. As compared to control cells, treatment with IFN-a resulted in a higher proportion of cells in S phase with lower portion of cells with G2/M phase. (4) Time course of IFN-a effect on HPV 16 and HPV 18 E6 mRNA levels was evaluated by northern blot analysis. In CaSki cell line, HPV 16 E6 mRNA expression induced by IFN-a was not inhibited. But in HeLa cell line, HPV 18 E6 inRNA expression was inhibited. IFN-a appears to have the antiproliferative effect on all five tested cervical cancer cell lines and the antiproliferative effect of IFN-a seemed to be induced not by apoptosis but by disruption on specific cell cycle. Also regulation of HPV E6 mRNA expression induced by IFN-a is not directly related to the mechanisms of the antiproliferative effect of IFN-a in cancer cell lines.
Apoptosis ; Blotting, Northern ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cell Count ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Line* ; Cervix Uteri ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; HeLa Cells ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; Human papillomavirus 18 ; Humans ; RNA, Messenger ; S Phase ; Skin ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of malnutrition among hospitalized children ranges between 12% and 24%. Although the consequences of hospital malnutrition are enormous, it is often unrecognized and untreated. The aim of this study was to identify the current status of in-hospital nutrition support for children in South Korea by carrying out a nationwide hospital-based survey. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Out of 345 general and tertiary hospitals in South Korea, a total of 53 institutes with pediatric gastroenterologists and more than 10 pediatric inpatients were selected. A questionnaire was developed by the nutrition committee of the Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. The questionnaires were sent to pediatric gastroenterologists in each hospital. Survey was performed by e-mails. RESULTS: Forty hospitals (75.5%) responded to the survey; 23 of them were tertiary hospitals, and 17 of them were general hospitals. Only 21 hospitals (52.5%) had all the required nutritional support personnel (including pediatrician, nutritionist, pharmacist, and nurse) assigned to pediatric patients. Routine nutritional screening was performed in 22 (55.0%) hospitals on admission, which was lower than that in adult patients (65.8%). Nutritional screening tools varied among hospitals; 33 of 40 (82.5%) hospitals used their own screening tools. The most frequently used nutritional assessment parameters were weight, height, hemoglobin, and serum albumin levels. In our nationwide hospital-based survey, the most frequently reported main barriers of nutritional support in hospitals were lack of manpower and excessive workload, followed by insufficient knowledge and experience. CONCLUSIONS: Although this nationwide hospital-based survey targeted general and tertiary hospitals with pediatric gastroenterologists, manpower and medical resources for nutritional support were still insufficient for hospitalized children, and nutritional screening was not routinely performed in many hospitals. More attention to hospital malnutrition and additional national policies for nutritional support in hospitals are required to ensure appropriate nutritional management of hospitalized pediatric patients.
Academies and Institutes ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Hospitalized* ; Electronic Mail ; Enteral Nutrition ; Gastroenterology ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Korea* ; Malnutrition ; Mass Screening ; Nutrition Assessment ; Nutritional Support* ; Nutritionists ; Parenteral Nutrition ; Pharmacists ; Prevalence ; Serum Albumin ; Tertiary Care Centers

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Abdominal pain-related functional gastrointestinal disorder (AP-FGID) is common in children and adults. However, the mechanism of AP-FGID is not clearly known. Recently, micro-inflammation, especially eosinophilia in the gastrointestinal tract, was suggested in the pathophysiology of AP-FGID in adults. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of gastric and duodenal eosinophilia with pediatric AP-FGID. METHODS: In total, 105 pediatric patients with AP-FGID were recruited and classified into 4 subgroups based on the Rome III criteria. Eosinophil counts in the gastric and duodenal tissues of children with AP-FGID were compared to those from normal pathology references or those of children with Helicobacter pylori infection. Tissue eosinophil counts were also compared among the 4 subtypes of AP-FGID. RESULTS: Eosinophil counts in the gastric antrum and body were significantly higher in children with AP-FGID than normal reference values. Duodenal eosinophil counts were higher in children with AP-FGID, but not significantly when compared with normal reference values. There were no significant differences in eosinophil counts of the stomach or duodenum among the 4 subtypes of AP-FGID. Eosinophils counts in the gastric antrum and body were significantly higher in children with H. pylori infection than in those with AP-FGID. Duodenal eosinophilia was prominent in cases of H. pylori infection, but not statistically significant when compared with AP-FGID. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that gastric eosinophilia is associated with AP-FGID in children, regardless of the subtype of functional abdominal pain. This suggests some contribution of gastrointestinal eosinophils in the development of pediatric AP-FGID.
Abdominal Pain* ; Adult ; Child* ; Duodenum ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils* ; Gastrointestinal Diseases* ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Pathology ; Pyloric Antrum ; Reference Values ; Stomach

This study aimed to compare the effects of activity-based personalized nutrition education (APNE) with a general instruction for diabetes (control, CTRL) in middle-aged and older Korean outpatients with type 2 diabetes. After an initial screening, 70 subjects were randomly assigned to APNE (n = 37) or CTRL (n = 33) group. APNE considered each patient’s anthropometry, blood chemistry data, and dietary habits in addition to planning meal choices with the aid of registered dietitians. After 3 months, dietary behavior, food intake, and anthropometric and blood measurement results were evaluated. Fasting blood glucose, 2-hour postprandial blood glucose, and glycated hemoglobin levels decreased in the APNE group (n = 33) but not in the CTRL group (n = 23). In the APNE group, the meal intervals and number of days of consuming high-fat food were decreased, while the number of days following a meal plan and balanced diet that entailed consuming fruits, vegetables, and healthy food was increased. A lower consumption of carbohydrates, saccharides, grains, and tuber crops and a higher protein, pulses, and fat-derived calorie intake compared with the initial values were observed in the APNE group. In contrast, only the number of days following the meal plan and balanced diet was increased in the CRTL group, without significantly changing the individual macronutrient-derived calorie intake. The APNE approach appeared to effectively educate outpatients with type 2 diabetes about changing their dietary behavior and food intake and improving the clinical parameters related to diabetic conditions.
Anthropometry ; Blood Glucose ; Carbohydrates ; Chemistry ; Diet ; Eating ; Education* ; Fasting ; Food Habits ; Fruit ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Meals ; Nutritionists ; Outpatients* ; Vegetables

The foodbank program is one of the social welfare programs that collects donated food and grocery products from the nation's food and grocery industry and distributes them to people who are in need. The purposes of this study were to: (a) investigate the food donators' perceptions of the foodbank program, (b) analyze the attitude toward the program by businesses, (c) compare the opinions on whether to donate or not, and (d) examine the frequency and category of the donated food. This research was conducted on three donator groups, such as contract foodservice management companies, franchising restaurant companies, and food manufacturing and grocery companies. A total of 63 donators participated in this survey. The main results of the investigation on the operating conditions were as follows; (a) From the donators' perspective, 73.0% and 71.0% of the respondents recognized the definition and purpose of this program, respectively. (b) Only 33.3% of respondents recognized the tax benefits of donating. (c) Contract foodservice management companies, and food manufacturing and grocery companies recognized the program more than franchising restaurant companies, and food manufacturing and grocery companies donated more than any of the others. (d) Most of the donated foods were bakery and confectionery, rice, and milk and dairy products.
Commerce ; Dairy Products ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Korea* ; Milk ; Restaurants ; Social Welfare ; Taxes

This is a report of the clinico-pathologic findings in six cases of histologically verified malignant meningiomas-three hemangiopericytic and three anaplastic types. They were three males and three females and two of them were reoperated for recurrence. The hemangiopericytic types had similar angiographic and macroscopic features and malignant characteristics such as increased mitoses. The anaplastic types lacked typical arrangement, but had a large number of mitoses, increased cellularity, focal necrosis, pleomorphism, anaplasia, and the adjacent normal parenchymal infiltration. However the metastasis was not yet proven in these cases.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis

This is a report of the clinico-pathologic findings in six cases of histologically verified malignant meningiomas-three hemangiopericytic and three anaplastic types. They were three males and three females and two of them were reoperated for recurrence. The hemangiopericytic types had similar angiographic and macroscopic features and malignant characteristics such as increased mitoses. The anaplastic types lacked typical arrangement, but had a large number of mitoses, increased cellularity, focal necrosis, pleomorphism, anaplasia, and the adjacent normal parenchymal infiltration. However the metastasis was not yet proven in these cases.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis

Education about self-management is critical for improving the lifestyles of diabetic patients. Medical nutritional therapy is especially important to keep blood glucose levels in the normal range. Several studies report that education involving cooperation with patients to actually improve lifestyle habits, as opposed to lecture-based education, was more effective in controlling blood glucose level as well as improving eating behavior. This review examines the current status and the effects of medical nutritional therapy and practical training in Korea and abroad. The findings of this review suggest that practical education involving hands-on training should be used as an essential treatment method of diabetic patients.
Blood Glucose ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Education ; Feeding Behavior ; Humans ; Korea* ; Life Style ; Methods ; Nutrition Therapy ; Reference Values ; Self Care

Purpose: This study evaluated the -202 A/C insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) promoter polymorphism as a predictor of serum IGFBP-3 concentration and growth velocity after recombinant growth hormone (rhGH) therapy in patients with idiopathic short stature (ISS). Methods: Genotyping and serial measurement of clinical parameters were performed in 69 children with a confirmed diagnosis of ISS. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was performed to determine the genotype at the -202 IGFBP-3 locus. Serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and IGFBP-3 levels were measured at baseline and after 1 year of rhGH treatment, as were height standard deviation score and growth velocity. Results: The -202 A/C IGFBP-3 genotype comprised 69.6% AA, 24.6% AC, and 5.8% CC. One year of treatment did not produce a meaningful difference in IGF-1 or IGFBP-3 levels between children in the AA group and those with at least one copy of the C allele (AC/CC group). Comparing the 2 groups after one year also revealed no significant difference in growth velocity (ΔHeight: 9.061±1.612 cm/yr in the AA group, 9.421±1.864 in the AC/CC group, P=0.419). Conclusion rhGH treatment was effective and there were no significant differences in IGF-1, IGFBP-3, or growth velocity according to genotype. Thus, -202 IGFBP-3 genotype may not be a major factor affecting individual growth responses in Korean children with ISS.