To determine the prevalence and risk factors of hypertension we performed cross-sectional study in a rural area. We measured BP and body mass index(BMI), and interviewed adult residents over 30-year-old age. 337 males and 357 females participated the survey. BP was checked twice and the mean was used to determine age and sex specific mean BP and prevalence of hypertension. Prevalence of definite hypertension(BP>or=160/95 or on medication) was 14. 0% in males and 17. 7% in females. Risk factor for hypertension was analysed by multiple logistic regression; age (10years: OR=l. 7) and BMI(1 BMI unit: OR=l. 2) were positively associated with hypertension but smoking(1 pack year: OR=0.9) was shown to have inverse relationship.
Adult* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Prevalence* ; Risk Factors

No abstract available.
Leukemia*

PURPOSE: It is well known that duodenal ulcer disease does not relapse if H. pylori is cleared from the gastric mucosa. Little is known about the recurrence of duodenal ulcer in children. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the eradication of H. pylori in duodenal ulcer in children upon the duodenal ulcer recurrence. METHODS: 105 patients (M : F=78 : 27) diagnosed as duodenal ulcer by endoscopy in 1987~1995 were reviewed clinically, and were parted into two groups. The two treatment groups were ranitidine/antacid (RAN/ANT) and ranitidine/amoxicillin/denol (RAN/AMX/D). The latter was for H. pylori-positive children with duodenal ulcer who were diagnosed by serology and/or antral biopsies for histology, culture, and urease testing. The recurrence rates were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: 1) 30 patients with primary duodenal ulcer underwent endoscopy for H. pylori and 27 (90.0%) of them were positive for H. pylori. 2) 27 of H. pylori-positive children received RAN/AMX/D. 23(85.2%) of them showed cure of duodenal ulcer and eradication of H. pylori. 3) The duodenal ulcer recurrence rate in RAN/ANT group was 65.3% and the rate in RAN/AMX/D was 4.3% by a year. CONCLUSIONS: There is a strong correlation between the duodenal ulceration and H. pylori infection in children, and the eradication of H. pylori in duodenal ulcer patients reduces the recurrence of the ulcer. Because of the low incidence of duodenal ulcers in children, a multicenter prospective study is required to determine the effect of treating H. pylori infetion on the long term natural history of duodenal ulcer disease.
Biopsy ; Child* ; Duodenal Ulcer* ; Endoscopy ; Gastric Mucosa ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Natural History ; Recurrence* ; Ulcer ; Urease

Emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN) is a life-threatening infection characterized by the formation of gas. Complications of EPN include septic shock, acute renal failure, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Spontaneous subcapsular hematoma (SCH) has also been reported as a rare complication of EPN, although there have been no reports to date of this occurring prior to the presentation of EPN. We report a case of EPN that initially presented as spontaneous SCH. The patient was admitted for left flank pain, and initial computed tomography revealed SCH without any air shadows. Laboratory findings and clinical symptoms suggested the presence of urinary tract infection and the patient was started on antibiotics. Fever developed 24 hours after admission. On follow-up computed tomography 7 days later, EPN was newly observed, and a percutaneous drain was inserted. Blood, urine, and drainage fluid cultures all revealed growth of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-negative Escherichia coli.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation ; Drainage ; Emphysema ; Escherichia coli ; Fever ; Flank Pain ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematoma* ; Humans ; Pyelonephritis* ; Shock, Septic ; Urinary Tract Infections

Renal cell carcinoma accounts for 2.6% of all cancer, and most renal cell carcinoma has a clear cell origin. Bellini duct carcinoma, which arises from collecting duct cells (Bellini cells), is a rare type of renal cell carcinoma, constituting less than 1% of all renal cell carcinoma. The prognosis of Bellini duct carcinoma is very poor, and more than 60% of the patients die within 2 years of diagnosis. There is no consensus regarding the optimal treatment. We report a case of Bellini duct carcinoma in a 53-year-old male with multiple lung and liver metastases. The patient was treated with eight cycles of M-VAC (methotrexate, vincristine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin) combination chemotherapy. The patient currently shows a radiological partial response without disease progression 10 months after the chemotherapy.
Antineoplastic Agents ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Consensus ; Disease Progression ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Humans ; Liver ; Lung ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Vincristine

Renal cell carcinoma accounts for 2.6% of all cancer, and most renal cell carcinoma has a clear cell origin. Bellini duct carcinoma, which arises from collecting duct cells (Bellini cells), is a rare type of renal cell carcinoma, constituting less than 1% of all renal cell carcinoma. The prognosis of Bellini duct carcinoma is very poor, and more than 60% of the patients die within 2 years of diagnosis. There is no consensus regarding the optimal treatment. We report a case of Bellini duct carcinoma in a 53-year-old male with multiple lung and liver metastases. The patient was treated with eight cycles of M-VAC (methotrexate, vincristine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin) combination chemotherapy. The patient currently shows a radiological partial response without disease progression 10 months after the chemotherapy.
Antineoplastic Agents ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Consensus ; Disease Progression ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Humans ; Liver ; Lung ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Vincristine

Oleanolic acid is a natural triterpenoid that exists widely in foods and some medicinal herbs. The purpose of this study was to determine the antimicrobial activity of oleanolic acid against Streptococcus mutans strains isolated from a Korean population. Antimicrobial activity against these bacteria was evaluated by minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and time kill curves. The tolerance of human gingival fibroblasts and human periodontal ligaments to oleanolic acid was tested using a methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. The MIC90 value of oleanolic acid for both S. mutans and S. sobrinus isolated from Koreans was 8 microg/ml. Oleanolic acid showed bactericidal effects against S. mutans ATCC 25175T and S. sobrinus ATCC 33478T at 1 x MIC (8 microg/ml) and had no cytotoxic effects against KB cells at this dose. The results suggest that oleanolic acid could be useful in the future development of oral hygiene products for the prevention of dental caries.
Bacteria ; Dental Caries ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; KB Cells ; Oleanolic Acid ; Oral Hygiene ; Periodontal Ligament ; Plants, Medicinal ; Streptococcus ; Streptococcus mutans ; Streptococcus sobrinus

PURPOSE: It has been reported that daily recombinant human growth hormone (GH) treatment showed beneficial effects on growth in prepubertal children with idiopathic short stature (ISS). The present study aimed to validate the GH (Eutropin(R)) effect on growth promotion and safety after short-term GH treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was an open-label, multicenter, interventional study conducted at nine university hospitals in Korea between 2008 and 2009. Thirty six prepubertal children with ISS were enrolled in this study to receive 6-month GH treatment. Yearly growth rate, height standard deviation score (SDS), and adverse events were investigated during treatment. RESULTS: After 26 weeks of GH treatment, the height velocity significantly increased by 6.36+/-3.36 cm/year (p<0.001). The lower end of one-sided 95% confidence interval was 5.22 cm/year, far greater than the predefined effect size. The gain in height SDS at week 26 was 0.57+/-0.27 (p<0.0001). Bone age significantly increased after GH treatment, however, bone maturation rate (bone age for chronological age) showed limited advancement. This 26-week GH treatment was effective in increasing serum levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and IGF binding protein (IGFBP)-3 from baseline (p<0.0001). Eutropin was well tolerated and there were no withdrawals due to adverse events. No clinically significant changes in laboratory values were observed. CONCLUSION: This 6-month daily GH treatment in children with ISS demonstrated increased height velocity, improved height SDS, and increased IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels with a favorable safety profile.
Child ; Female ; Growth Disorders/blood/*drug therapy ; Growth Hormone/*therapeutic use ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3/blood ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I/metabolism ; Male ; Treatment Outcome

Chronic sclerosing mediastinitis is a rare disease of unknown etiology, pathologically characterized by chronic inflammation and fibrosis of mediastinal soft tissue. The process is often progressive and can occur either focally or diffusely throughout the mediastinum. This can result in compression of adjacent mediastinal structures, most commonly the low-pressure superior vena cava but also the pulmonary artery and vein, trachea and bronchi, esophagus and can result in a variety of functional and roentgenographic manifestation and occasionally death. We experienced a case of chronic sclerosing mediastinitis of unknown cause, which was confirmed by biopsy with thoracotomy, so reported it with a review of literature.
Biopsy ; Bronchi ; Esophagus ; Fibrosis ; Inflammation ; Mediastinitis* ; Mediastinum ; Pulmonary Artery ; Rare Diseases ; Thoracotomy ; Trachea ; Veins ; Vena Cava, Superior

Evidence of the ethical appropriateness and clinical benefits of shared decision-making (SDM) are accumulating. This study aimed to not only identify physicians’ perspectives on SDM, and practices related to end-of-life care in particular, but also to gauge the effect of SDM education on physicians in Korea. Methods: A 14-item questionnaire survey using a modified Delphi process was delivered to nephrologists and internal medicine trainees at 17 university hospitals. Results: A total of 309 physicians completed the survey. Although respondents reported that 69.9% of their practical decisions were made using SDM, 59.9% reported that it is not being applied appropriately. Only 12.3% of respondents had received education on SDM as part of their training. The main obstacles to appropriate SDM were identified as lack of time (46.0%), educational materials and tools (29.4%), and education on SDM (24.3%). Although only a few respondents had received training on SDM, the proportion of those who thought they were using SDM appropriately in actual practice was high; the proportion of those who chose lack of time and education as factors that hindered the proper application of SDM was low. Conclusion: The majority of respondents believed that SDM was not being implemented properly in Korea, despite its use in actual practice. To improve the effectiveness of SDM in the Korean medical system, appropriate training programs and supplemental policies that guarantee sufficient application time are required.