Dopamine is a catecholamine used in the treatment of circulatory shock of various etiologies. The usual dose range used is from 1 to 25 ug/kg/min. When used at higher doses, the prominent effect of dopamine on the vasculature is vasoconstriction induced by stimulation of alpha-adrenergic receptors. We report a case of dopamine gangrene. The gangrene developed on the injection site in the right dorsum of foot in a 43-year-old man during infusion of dopamine for treatment of septic shock. The gangrenous lesion healded after change of injection site to subclavian vein. The dosage of dopamine was not higher, we think that the gangrene developed due to the local vasoconstriction caused by dopamine leakage from the vessels.
Adult ; Dopamine* ; Foot ; Gangrene* ; Humans ; Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha ; Shock ; Shock, Septic ; Subclavian Vein ; Vasoconstriction

A glomus tumor, is a benign neoplasm, which is derived from a normal glomus body, and participates in thermal regulation. This tumor is relatively uncommon and usually occurs in the peripheral soft tissue, most frequently in the digits, where the glomus bodies are normally present. We experienced a case of a glomus tumor in a 60-year-old man who had a solitary, dome-shaped, grayish blue-colored papule on his back. This was present in an area where a normal glomus body might not usually occur.
Glomus Tumor* ; Humans ; Middle Aged

Phage display technology provides a powerful tool to screen a library for a binding molecule via an enrichment process. It has been adopted as a critical technology in the development of therapeutic antibodies. However, a major drawback of phage display technology is that because the degree of the enrichment cannot be controlled during the bio-panning process, it frequently results in a limited number of clones. In this study, we applied next-generation sequencing (NGS) to screen clones from a library and determine whether a greater number of clones can be identified using NGS than using conventional methods. Three chicken immune single-chain variable fragment (scFv) libraries were subjected to bio-panning on prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Phagemid DNA prepared from the original libraries as well as from the Escherichia coli pool after each round of bio-panning was analyzed using NGS, and the heavy chain complementarity-determining region 3 (HCDR3) sequences of the scFv clones were determined. Subsequently, through two-step linker PCR and cloning, the entire scFv gene was retrieved and analyzed for its reactivity to PSA in a phage enzyme immunoassay. After four rounds of bio-panning, the conventional colony screening method was performed for comparison. The scFv clones retrieved from NGS analysis included all clones identified by the conventional colony screening method as well as many additional clones. The enrichment of the HCDR3 sequence throughout the bio-panning process was a positive predictive factor for the selection of PSA-reactive scFv clones.
Antibodies ; Bacteriophages ; Chickens ; Clone Cells* ; Cloning, Organism ; Complementarity Determining Regions ; DNA ; Escherichia coli ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Mass Screening ; Methods ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Single-Chain Antibodies

This study was conducted to establish the feasibility of corneal transplantation using the big-bubble technique (BBT) to perform deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) in three dogs. After the cornea was trephined 750 µm, 4 mL of air was injected, and the blanched stroma was removed to expose Descemet's membrane (DM). The donor corneal button, which was gently stripped off the DM, was sutured onto the bare DM of the recipient cornea. The dogs received topical antibiotics every 6 h for 7 days and 2% cyclosporine ointment every 12 h for 1 month. The eyes were examined post-operatively at 7, 14, 21, 28 and 150 days. The central portion of the transplanted cornea stayed transparent while corneal haze developed around the transplanted margin. Menace response was normal even though the transplanted cornea was edematous until 3 weeks after surgery. A marginal haze was rarely observed between the donor and recipient corneas at 150 days after the operation. A spotted haze developed in the central part of the deep stroma near the DM. Upon histopathological examination, the stroma and epithelium of the donor cornea had normal structures. Corneal transplantation using DALK with BBT can be performed in dogs preserving the healthy endothelium.
Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Cornea ; Corneal Transplantation* ; Cyclosporine ; Descemet Membrane ; Dogs* ; Endothelium ; Epithelium ; Humans ; Tissue Donors

OBJECTIVE: Posttraumatic embitterment disorder (PTED) is characterized by states of “embitterment”, characteristically similar to “Hwa-byung”, which is a Korean culture-bound syndrome. The present study aimed to assess diagnostic relationships between PTED and Hwa-byung. METHODS: A total of 290 participants completed our survey. PTED and Hwa-byung were diagnosed using a diagnostic interview and scale. Scales for depression, suicide ideation, and anger were used for evaluation. Fisher's exact tests and Mann-Whitney U tests were performed to evaluate diagnostic overlap between PTED and Hwa-byung, and associations of scale scores for depression, suicide ideation, and anger between the PTED, Hwa-byung, and non-diagnosed groups. Associations of these scales between the depressive and non-depressive groups, and suicidal and non-suicidal groups were also evaluated. RESULTS: Among the participants, 1.7% of the sample fit the diagnostic criteria for PTED and 2.1% fit the criteria for Hwa-byung. No individual fit the criteria for both. Anger scores were significantly higher in the Hwa-byung group than in the non-diagnostic group. There were not any significant differences in anger scores between the PTED and non-diagnostic groups. Depression scores were significantly higher in the PTED than in the non-diagnostic groups. In contrast, no significant differences were observed between depression scores in the Hwa-byung and non-diagnostic groups. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that PTED may be a disorder category that is distinct from Hwa-byung.
Anger ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Depression ; Ethnopsychology ; Humans ; Suicide ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) is one of the most common causes of hospitalization in the pediatric population. In this study, we investigated the clinical characteristics of LRTI, particularly in low birth weight children. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of children at ages 0–6 years with LRTI in Korea University Anam Hospital between January and December of 2014. Clinical data including age, sex, birth history, viral pathogens, blood test results, and clinical courses were collected. RESULTS: In the 828 eligible cases, 617 (74.5%) were pneumonia and followed by bronchiolitis 180 (21.7%) and bronchitis 31 (3.7%). The median age of the subjects was 17 months (interquartile range [IQR], 7–28 months), the median gestational age was 39.0 weeks (IQR, 38.0–40.0 weeks) and the median birth weight was 3,200 g (IQR, 2,900–3,480 g). Sixty-four children (7.7%) were low birth weight (< 2,500 g) and their median gestational age and birth weight were 33.0 weeks (IQR, 30.0–36.0 weeks) and 2,045 g (IQR, 1,565–2,300 g), respectively. The rates of oxygen supplement (17.2% vs. 4.6%, P < 0.001) and systemic steroid use (20.3% vs. 4.7%, P < 0.001) were significantly higher in low birth weight children than normal birth weight children. Respiratory viruses were identified in 82.6% (519 of 628 subjects); RSV was detected in 240 subjects (38.2%), followed by rhinovirus 168 (26.8%) and adenoviruses 75 (11.9%). The distribution of respiratory viruses was not different between normal birth weight children and low birth weight children. CONCLUSION: Low birth weight children show more severe clinical manifestations than normal birth weight children during hospitalization for LRTI, although respiratory viral pathogens were not different. Clinicians should be aware that the severity may be increased when low birth weight children were hospitalized due to low respiratory tract infection.
Adenoviridae ; Birth Weight ; Bronchiolitis ; Bronchitis ; Child* ; Gestational Age ; Hematologic Tests ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Infant, Low Birth Weight* ; Infant, Newborn ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Oxygen ; Pneumonia ; Reproductive History ; Respiratory System* ; Respiratory Tract Infections* ; Rhinovirus

Background: The mechanisms leading to lung fibrosis are still under investigation. This study aimed to demonstrate whether antacids could prevent the development of interstitial lung disease (ILD). Methods: This population-based longitudinal cohort study was conducted between January 2006 and December 2010 in South Korea. Eligible subjects were ≥40 years of age, exposed to proton pump inhibitors (PPI)±histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H-2 blockers) or H-2 blockers only, and had no history of ILD between 2004 and 2005. Exposure to antacids was defined as the administration of either PPI or H-2 receptor antagonists for >14 days, whereas underexposure was defined as antacid treatment administered for less than 14 days. Newly developed ILDs, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), were counted during the 5-year observation period. The association between antacid exposure and ILD development was evaluated using adjusted Cox regression models with variables, such as age, sex, smoking history, and comorbidities. Results: The incidence rates of ILD with/without antacid use were 43.2 and 33.8/100,000 person-years, respectively and those of IPF were 14.9 and 22.9/100,000 person-years, respectively. In multivariable analysis, exposure to antacid before the diagnosis of ILD was independently associated with a reduced development of ILD (hazard ratio [HR], 0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45 to 0.71; p<0.001), while antacid exposure was not associated with development of IPF (HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.72 to 1.09; p=0.06). Conclusion Antacid exposure may be independently associated with a decreased risk of ILD development.

Acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy is generally associated with severe liver disease, manifesting with neuropsychiatric symptoms including confusion, lethargy, seizure, coma, and even death. Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a proven diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic tool in patients with acute and chronic encephalopathies. EEG changes in acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy are associated with background slowing in theta to delta ranges, accompanied by presence of triphasic waves. We reported a patient with acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy showing an unusual burst-suppression pattern, which was reversible with proper treatment.

PURPOSE: Recent data indicate that sensitization to mold contributes to the severity and persistence of asthma. In this study, we investigated the relationships between sensitization to mold and lung function parameters in children with asthma. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed clinical data from 551 asthmatic subjects. We selected subjects who met clinical diagnostic criteria of asthma. Their spirometry, methacholine challenge tests, and measurements of blood eosinophils, serum IgE, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) results were included. Skin prick testing (SPT) results with 13 common aeroallergens in Korea including house dust mites, animal dander, pollen, cockroach and mold were reviewed. Subjects were divided into 3 groups according to their SPT results. Subjects who showed no positive result to any aeroallergen were designated as group 1 (non-sensitized). Group 2 represented subjects who were sensitized to aeroallergens other than mold (other allergen-sensitized) and group 3 included subjects who were sensitized to mold allergens (mold-sensitized). RESULTS: Among the 551 asthmatic subjects, 67 (12.2%) were sensitized to mold and 366 (66.4%) were sensitized to other aeroallergens. The log mean IgE levels were higher in groups 2 (5.96±1.14 IU/mL) and 3 (5.81±0.97 IU/mL) compared to group 1 (3.88±1.68 IU/mL). Blood eosinophils, ECP and FeNO concentrations were significantly higher in groups 2 and 3, but no significant difference was found between the 2 groups. The mean FEV1 value was significantly lower in group 3 (86.9±12.1%pred) than in groups 2 (92.0±14.8%pred) and 1 (93.4±15.4%pred). The log mean methacholine PC20 was significantly lower in group 3 (0.08±1.91 mg/mL) than in groups 2 (1.31±1.69 mg/mL) and 1 (2.29±1.66 mg/mL). CONCLUSIONS: We observed a differential association between mold and other aeroallergen sensitization, and severity of asthma. Sensitization to mold is associated with lower lung function and increased airway hyper-responsiveness in children with asthma. Mold sensitization could be an important factor determining asthma severity particularly airflow limitation in children.
Allergens ; Animals ; Asthma* ; Child* ; Cockroaches ; Dander ; Eosinophil Cationic Protein ; Eosinophils ; Fungi* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Korea ; Lung ; Methacholine Chloride ; Nitric Oxide ; Pollen ; Pyroglyphidae ; Respiratory Hypersensitivity ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin ; Spirometry

Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to 1) explore the relationships among work-life balance (WLB), burnout, and empathy and 2) investigate the roles of the subtypes of burnout relating to WLB and empathy. Methods: A total of 105 health care professionals from a general hospital in Seoul were assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy, and a one-sentence-question on subjective WLB. Multiple questions on psychiatric problems, including sleep problems, anxiety, depressive symptom, and alcohol problems, were also included. Results: In the mediation analyses, personal achievement was considered as a potential mediating variable between WLB and empathy. The direct effect (β=3.93, 95% CI: 1.21–6.64) and the indirect effect (β=1.95, 95% CI: 0.52–3.76) of WLB on empathy were also significant. Conclusion Interventions encouraging personal achievement may help mitigate burnout of health professionals.