No abstract available.
Umbilical Cord*

OBJECTIVES: This study determined the work schedules of public project workers who work an irregular shift and assessed the effect of these schedules on depression. METHODS: Study subjects were 2934 laborers who are members of seven labor unions. Each was given a questionnaire requesting basic personal information, habits, socioeconomic status, and work schedules. Information gathered on work schedules included daytime, nighttime, and weekend work hours. Depression was evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), with Laborers who checked "not depressed" and "slightly depressive" categorized to a low-risk group, whereas laborers who checked "depressed" and "severely depressed" were categorized to a high-risk group. We used the Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression to examine associations between work schedules and depression. RESULTS: Laborers on an irregular work schedule averaged 47.8 hours/week and laborers who working over 48 hours/week comprised over half (54.5%) of the total population. Laborers performing night work, Sunday work, and Saturday work more than once in a month made up 25.7%, 30.8% and 33.5% of the examined population, respectively. A high-risk for depression was identified in 10.4% of laborers. Using logistic regression, depression was statistically associated with working : over 10 hours a day (OR=1.63, 95% CI 1.10~2.43), night work (OR=2.20, 95% CI 1.46~3.32), Sunday work (OR=1.81, 95% CI 1.15~2.85) and Saturday work (OR=1.82 95% CI 1.18~2.82). CONCLUSION: A significant number of laborers with irregular working shifts work long hours and on weekends. Depression was significantly associated with this type of work schedule.
Appointments and Schedules ; Depression ; Humans ; Labor Unions ; Logistic Models ; Public Sector ; Questionnaires ; Social Class

To develop an animal model of nephrolithiasis similar to the pattern of human renal stone disease, we adopted a protocol of administration of stone substrates along with induction of renal tubular injuries. Male Wister rats fed with 3% ammonium oxalate containing chows with or without additional 40 mg/kg/day of gentamicin for 8 days were compared with those fed with normal chows. On dissecting microscopic examination, rats receiving oxalate and gentamicin showed more crystals and plaques than rats receiving oxalate only, both in 15 days and 22 days after feeding, and most of the crystals were located at renal papilla. Average score of crystal abundance was 0.4, 1.15, respectively in rats receiving oxalate only and oxalate plus gentamicin after 15 days of feeding, and 0.9 and 1.55, respectively after 22 days. Little crystals were found in rats fed with normal chow with or without gentamicin. Urinary excretion of tubular epithelial brush border enzyme, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase(GGT), was increased by gentamicin administration whereas creatinine clearance rate was not changed. Urinary excretion of oxalate was unchanged, but calcium and uric acid was markedly decreased in rats fed with oxalate and formed crystals, and citrate and magnesium excretion was also decreased. These results indicate that administration of oxalate along with inducing renal tubular damages by subcutaneous injection of gentamicin seems to form crystals and plaques in the kidney more rapidly and abundantly than feeding with oxalate alone.
Animals* ; Calcium ; Citric Acid ; Creatinine ; Gentamicins ; Humans ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Kidney ; Magnesium ; Male ; Microvilli ; Models, Animal* ; Nephrolithiasis* ; Oxalic Acid ; Rats ; Uric Acid

Along with the enactment of a law separating the prescribing and dispensing of drugs in Korea in 2000, attempts at reducing medical expenses by generic substitution have been allowed since August 2001 so long as generic products are bioequivalent to the original products. In the pharmaceutical industry, the required development and investment to make generic products are much less in terms of time and money. Thus, the number of bioequivalence studies in Korea has increased. This has resulted in the need for bioequivalence recommendations (guidelines), taking into account the circumstances of the Korean pharmaceutical industry. In this paper, we provide procedures for making bioequivalence determinations for individual products acting on the circulatory system (30 drugs, 2011), the components of which are widely accepted for the development of generic products in Korea. These recommendations correspond with international guidelines, such as those of the US FDA and EMEA. For the 30 drugs that act on the circulatory system, we examined each in terms of subject selection (healthy volunteers vs. patients), dosage strength, dosage route, analytes to measure, and evaluation parameters, and prepared bioequivalence recommendations for individual products through an analysis of many published papers, US FDA and EMEA guidelines, and clinical trial websites. Based on the bioequivalence recommendations for individual products, we had several meetings in which KFDA officers (members of the New Drug Research team and the Office of Generic Drugs), three pharmacy professors with expertise in drug analysis and pharmacokinetics, and three professors of medicine with extensive experience in clinical trials participated to confirm and discuss the contents. Finally, the bioequivalence recommendations for individual products were provided on the KFDA website. The individual bioequivalence recommendations have been used by KFDA officers in drug evaluations and bioequivalency testing to improve consistency, clarity, and professionalism in the drug evaluation process. These recommendations will be useful for domestic pharmaceutical companies by shortening the time and cost associated with bioequivalence studies, especially in terms of standardized trial designs, dosage forms, and analytical methods.
Dosage Forms ; Drug Evaluation ; Drug Industry ; Drug Substitution ; Drugs, Generic ; Investments ; Jurisprudence ; Korea ; Pharmacy ; Therapeutic Equivalency

Recent studies indicate that there is an increased risk of amebic liver abscess among those infected with HIV, which is associated with cell-mediated immunosuppression. Although Entamoeba histolytica infection is common among HIV infected patients, only a few cases of amebic liver abscess with bilateral pleural effusion have been reported. We present a case of a 44-year-old man who presented with fever and right lower quadrant abdominal pain. Amebic liver abscess with bilateral pleural effusion was confirmed by serologic test, clinical symptoms, and radiological findings. HIV infection was incidentally diagnosed during treatment. The possibility of the presence of amebic liver abscess should be considered in HIV infected patients with space-occupying lesions in the liver, and HIV screening should strongly be recommended in patients with amebic liver abscess.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Entamoeba histolytica ; Fever ; HIV ; HIV Infections ; Humans ; Immunosuppression ; Liver ; Liver Abscess, Amebic ; Mass Screening ; Pleural Effusion ; Serologic Tests

PURPOSE: Recently, an increase in the number of patients sensitized to rice allergen with or without clinical symptoms has been reported. This study was designed to determine the major allergens in rice and their clinical significance. METHODS: Twenty-four children (15 boys and 9 girls; mean age, 16.3 months) with allergic disease, who were sensitized to rice antigen (by UniCAP) in the Pediatric Allergy Respiratory Center at Soonchunhyang University Hospital, were enrolled in this study. The allergenicity of various types of rice (raw, cooked, and heat-treated, simulated gastric fluid [SGF], and simulated intestinal fluid [SIF]) was investigated using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and immunoglobulin E (IgE) immunoblots. The patients' medical records, including laboratory data and allergy symptoms after ingestion of rice were reviewed. RESULTS: Patients were sensitized to an average of 13.5 food antigens and their mean total IgE was 6,888.7 kU/L. In SDS-PAGE, more than 16 protein bands were observed in the raw rice, whereas only 14-16 kDa and 31-35 kDa protein bands were observed in cooked rice. The common SDS-PAGE protein bands observed in SGF-, SIF-, and heat-treated rice were 9, 14, and 31 kDa. In a heated-rice IgE immunoblot, protein bands of 9, 14, and 31-33 kDa were found in 27.8%, 38.9%, and 38.9% of all sera, respectively, and in 50%, 50%, and 75%, of ser a from the 4 symptomatic patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: The 9-, 14-, and 31-kDa protein bands appeared to be the major allergens responsible for rice allergy symptoms.
Allergens ; Child ; Eating ; Electrophoresis ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunoglobulins ; Medical Records ; Respiratory Center ; Sodium

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Retinoic acid (RA) is known as a potent chemopreventive agent in bladder tumor. Recently, RA has gained attention for up-regulation of transduced gene expression via long terminal repeat (LTR) transcriptional promotion. In this study, we investigated the possible dual effect of RA, growth inhibition and up-regulation of transduced gene expression which contains LTR promoter in human bladder carcinoma cell lines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human bladder carcinoma cell lines CY-24, J-82, HT-1197, ATCC) were transduced with Moloney murine leukemia virus containing cDNA of TNF-alpha. The growth of transduced and parent cell line was measured by tetrazolium based colorimetric assay (MTF). Transduced TNF-alpha gene expression was determined by ELISA method. RESULTS: TNF-alpha production was increased approximately twofold after treatment with RA (10 uM) in all three cell lines. This increase was dependent on RA concentration. RA treatment of transduced and parent cell line resulted in dose dependent inhibition of cell proliferation(up to 80% inhibitionwith 10 uM RA) in all parental and transduced cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that RA shows dual effect in cytokine gene transduced bladder carcinoma cells with retroviral vector containing LTR promoter and could be a supplement to the gene therapy of bladder cancer.
Cell Line* ; DNA, Complementary ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Gene Expression* ; Genetic Therapy ; Humans* ; Moloney murine leukemia virus ; Parents ; Terminal Repeat Sequences ; Tretinoin* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha* ; Up-Regulation ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms* ; Urinary Bladder* ; Zidovudine

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to understand and explore perception of healthy adults and chronically ill adults on health and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). METHODS: Data were collected by open questions using a focus group discussion for healthy adults (N=6) and in-depth interviews for chronically ill adults (N=6). Previously developed 34 HRQoL items also were offered and participants were asked to select the five most important HRQoL items among them. RESULTS: Findings were elicited along the following themes: health, HRQoL, health maintenance strategies, and elements affecting health. The definition on "being healthy" by healthy participants had a variety of standards and required several conditions to be fulfilled. Whereas chronically ill adults have more flexible perception about the coexistence of health and disease. Health dimensions were thought to affect each other, and physical and mental health dimension were selected as the most important items. As for the five most important HRQoL items, both group participants selected mental health dimension than physical or social health dimensions. Health maintenance strategies were similar in both groups except more healthcare service use in chronically ill adults. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the difference of perception on health and HRQoL between health group and disease group in Korea. It can be used for developing the HRQoL assessment tool reflecting the perception of Korean people.
Adult ; Chronic Disease ; Delivery of Health Care ; Focus Groups* ; Humans ; Korea ; Mental Health ; Quality of Life*

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of prostatitis symptoms in the general population by questionnaire survey and to measure the effect of prostatitis symptoms on quality of life(QOL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross sectional community-based epidemiologic study was performed on 2,034 men, living in the Seoul metropolitan area using stepwise random sampling. Out of 2,034 interviewees, 1,356 men who were older than 40 and provided sufficient information were selected for this study. The questionnaires were completed by well trained interviewers. Contents of the questionnaires included demographic data, the Prostatitis Symptom Index(PSI), the International Prostate Symptom Score(IPSS), a general health questionnaire section and a sexual health questionnaire section. The PSI was composed of a sum of the scores from three questions about dysuria, penile pain and perineal pain and it ranged 0 to 12. Incidence of prostatitis symptoms was defined by a score of 4 or more and the reference group was defined as consisting of those with a score of 3 or less. The rate of incidence of prostatitis symptoms was assessed according to age and the difference of QOL between the prostatitis symptoms group and the reference group. RESULTS: The overall positive rate of prostatitis symptoms measured by the PSI, in men older than 40, living in the Seoul metropolitan area, was 4.5%(61/1,356), adjusted to 4.8% by the relative proportion of this age group in the general population of the Seoul metropolitan area as compared to Korea and the World. The proportion of the group with prostatitis symptoms assessed by the PSI did not increase with age although the proportion of participants with moderate to severe lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) did increase with age. The group with prostatitis symptoms suffered from a much greater incidence of LUTS compared to the reference group (p<0.05). The QOL scores of the IPSS, and the general health and sexual health status of the group with prostatitis symptoms, were worse than those of the reference group.(p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The positive rate of prostatitis symptoms in men older than 40, living in the Seoul metropolitan area, was 4.8% and it didn't increase with age. The general QOL of the group with prostatitis symptoms was much worse than that of the reference group.
Dysuria ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms ; Male ; Prevalence ; Prostate ; Prostatitis* ; Quality of Life* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reproductive Health ; Seoul

PURPOSE: The purpose of this report is to clarify the clinicopathologic features, survival rates and prognostic factors of gastric cancers in young age group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 133 patients with gastric cancer under 30 years of age who underwent surgery from January 1986 to December 1995 at the Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital. We have analyzed the sex, age, Borrmann type, histologic differentiation, Lauren classification, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, location of tumor, size of tumor, curability and extent of operation. The 5 year survival rates and prognostic factors were also evaluated. The Kaplan-Meier method, Log-Rank test and Cox hazards proportional mode were used for the statistical analyses. RESULTS: The overall 5 year survival rate was 55.3% in all 133 patients in contrast to 67.4% in 108 patients who underwent gastric resections. Significant prognostic factors were Borrmann type, histologic differentiation, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, location of tumor, size of tumor, curability and extent of operation in univariate analysis. Lymph node metastasis was the only significant independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: In our study, the 5 year survival rate in young age group was comparable to that of prevalent age group. This is attributed to the relatively higher incidence of early gastric cancer and more frequent curative resections in this young age group.
Classification ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lymph Nodes ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Seoul ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Survival Rate*