Background and Objectives: There is growing evidence supporting the association between ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption and metabolic disease risk. However, little is known about the association between UPF consumption and blood pressure (BP). Thus, this study examined the association between UPF consumption and elevated BP in Korean adults. Methods: This study used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016–2018) and included 9,188 participants aged 30–79 years without a history of hypertension diagnosis. Food items reported in a one-day 24-hour recall were categorized on the basis of the NOVA (not an acronym) food classification criteria. UPF consumption was estimated as the contribution to total energy intake. Elevated BP was defined as systolic BP ≥120 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥80 mmHg. The independent association between UPF consumption and elevated BP was assessed by multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results: The upper tertile of UPF consumption was significantly associated with elevated BP compared with the lower tertile, after adjusting for potential confounders. A linear trend was observed for elevated BP across the tertiles of the dietary energy contribution of UPF. Similar results were found in stratified analyses by age group, smoking, obesity, and overall dietary quality. However, a marginal level of association was found in some subgroups, current smokers, and non-obese adults. Conclusions The dietary energy contribution of UPF consumption was positively associated with increased prevalence of elevated BP, and these findings suggest that lowering UPF consumption might help prevent BP elevation.

Nocardia species are aerobic, gram-positive, acid-fast, filamentous branching bacilli. Nocardia is a localized or disseminated infection which may involve all tisuses and is produced by members of the genus Nocardia, principally N. asteroides. Other species, notably N. brasiliensis and N. caviae have been implicated, but N. asteroides appears to be the overwhelming predominant pathogen. Nocardial infections are usually opportunistic in the compromised host, at least 15% of the infections occurred in patients without a definable predisposing condition. Recently, we experienced an autopsy case of systemic nocardiosis. The patients was fiffty-three days old female infant, who had suffered from productive cough, dyspnea and fever. The patient was treated under the impression of the miliary tuberculosis, but she died at 34th hosital day. The postmortem examination reveals multiple tan gray colored abscess involving both lungs, both kidneys, and thymus. Microscopically, lung, kidney and thymus reveal multiple abscess, which are composed of necrotic tissue debris admixed with infiltrates of neutrophils, and they are surrounded by fibrosis, ad acute and chronic inflammatory cells. By histologic, microbiologic and biochemical studies, N. asteroides is identified in the lesion of the lung, kidney, thymus, and bronchial washing specimen.
Infant ; Male ; Female ; Humans

The spindle and epithelioid cell nevus, is known also as Spitz's nevus or benign juvenile melanoma. The histologic picture of the lesion often closely resembles that of a malignant melanoma, but spindle and epithelioid cell nevus hehaves benignly. Criteria for accurate histological diagnosis of this nevus now exist. However, a difficult lesion occasionally brings one to the worrisome situation even now. We experienced four cases (three children and one adult) of spindle and epithelioid cell neveus with nodular or macular skin lesions. In children (7/F, 9/F, 4/M), all of the lesion show a solitary pinkish red or light brown nodular firm masses, 0.7 cm to 1.0 cm in greatest dimension, which are located at the left posterior thigh, posterior neck and right anterior neck region, respectively. In adult (36/F), the lesion shows a light brown, erythematous macule, 0.8 cm in greatest diameter, in the skin of the back. Microscopically, both spindle and epithelioid cells are found in all the four cases, but epithelioid cells predominate in children and spindle cells predominate in adult.
Child ; Adult ; Male ; Female ; Humans

Intracranial teratomas which were first described by Maier in 1861 are uncommon. Those presenting at birth are very rare and in our knowledge no case has been reported in Korea. In November, 1988, we experience a case of congenital intracrainal teratoma which replaced almost all cerebral tissue, filled out the oral cavity, and was protruded from the mouth. A female fetus was artificially delivered by a 25-year-old primigravida at 22 weeks of gestation, because of marked hydramnios and fetal hydrocephalus which were detected by prenatal ultrasonography. Microscopically, tissues from all three germ layers, including a lot of neuroepithelim and primitive mesenchymal tissue, were shown. A brief review of the literature was done.
Female ; Humans

No abstract available.
Mesothelioma* ; Pleura*

BACKGROUND: Previous reports have suggested that alleles at the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) gene are associated with increased risk of developing coronary artery disease, including myocardial infarction and stroke through their effect on PAI-1 levels. Method: We attempted to search English literatures for all reports of possible effects of PAI-1 gene on cardiovascular disease in human published prior to November 1998. We used a Mantel-Haenszel method (fixed effect model) and random effect model, respectively, to perform a meta-analysis of 7 case-control studies that provided information related to the effects of PAI-1 gene on risk of cardiovascular disease. RESULTS: From 7 studies for diagnosed cardiovascular disease, the relative frequencies of the three genotypes among controls was (5G/5G) (homozygous normal), 24.5%; (4G/5G) (heterozygous), 48.2%, and (4G/4G) (homozygous for the mutant, 675 GGGG), 27.3%. These relative frequencies in cases were 21.7% for 5G/5G, 48.0% for 4G/5G, and 30.3% for 4G/4G. In fixed effect model, compared with those with genotype (5G/5G), the overall odds ratio (OR) for cardiovascular disease among those with (4G/5G) was 1.12 (95% CI, 0.93 to 1.34), and it was 1.20 (1.01 to 1.44) for the (4G/4G) genotype. For five studies with myocardial infarction as the outcome, the overall OR of myocardial infarction was 1.20 (0.99 to 1.47) for those with (4G/5G) and 1.24 (1.00, 1.54) for those with (4G/4G) genotypes, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide support for the weak association between PAI-1 gene and cardiovascular disease, in particular, myocardial infarction.
Alleles ; Cardiovascular Diseases* ; Case-Control Studies* ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Genotype ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Odds Ratio ; Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1* ; Plasminogen Activators ; Polymorphism, Genetic* ; Stroke

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of study was to assess the status of posterior communicating artery in patient with aneurysms arising from the internal carotid-posterior communicating artery and the angiographic blood flow pattern of anterior-posterior circulation through the posterior communicating artery especially to the posterior cerebral artery. The clinical outcomes according to the pattern of posterior communicating artery and the blood flow to the posterior cerebral artery were analysed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The data includes 41 cases of internal carotid-posterior communicating artery aneurysm among 248 cases of aneurysms which were operated from September 1993 to August 1998. The clinical informations were obtained by review of the records and radiologic films retrospectively. The statistical analysis were performed using Chi-square tests. RESULTS: The female was predominant and peak age was fifties. The operative result was in close relation with initial Hunt-Hess grades(p=0.039), Fisher grade(p=0.001) but showed no statistical differences with age(p=0.106). The flow pattern of posterior cerebral artery was mainly from both anterior and posterior circulation(28cases, 68%), and the size of posterior communicating artery was smaller than P1 segment of posterior cerebral artery in 28cases(68%) but each of them showed no statistical differences with outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Even though there were no statistical differences of outcome according to the size of posterior communicating artery and the pattern of blood flow to the posterior cerebral artery, it is mandatory to save the posterior communicating artery for the preservation of otherwise normal blood flow to the perforators and main branches of posterior circulation.
Aneurysm ; Arteries ; Female ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm* ; Posterior Cerebral Artery ; Retrospective Studies

Lithoring is a third generation lithotriptor which is developed by Medas company in Italy. It is characterized by pendulum-ESWL and composed by electrohydraulic spark gap generator, computerized control system, fluoroscopic and ultrasonic focusing system, treatment table and ring. From January 1995 to December 1995, 174 patients underwent 286 treatments with Pendulum-ESWL, Lithoring. The results were obtained as follows; 1. The average numbers of treatment were 1.6 sessions and the average treatment time is 32 minutes. average shock waves were 22l2 times. 2. The locations of stone were kidney in 144 (50.4%), ureter in 139 (48.6%) and bladder in 3 (1.0%). 3. As a pre-ESWL additional manipulation, we did ureteral stent in 34 cases, and ureteral catheter in 5 cases. The position of patients was all supine position and so patients felt comfortable. The localization of stones was used by fluoroscopy in 270 cases, and ultrasound in 16 cases. 4. The average success rates were 87.1% and it was almost same compared with others. 5. No complications were reported except nausea, vomiting, fever, steinstrasse. 6. No general or regional anesthesia were required. Therefore, we suggest that extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy with Lithoring is considered to be safe and effective treatment of urinary stones.
Anesthesia, Conduction ; Fever ; Fluoroscopy ; Humans ; Italy ; Kidney ; Lithotripsy* ; Nausea ; Shock* ; Stents ; Supine Position ; Ultrasonics ; Ultrasonography ; Ureter ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Calculi ; Urinary Catheters ; Vomiting

No abstract available.
Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute* ; P-Glycoprotein*

No abstract available.
Agaricales* ; Anemia, Aplastic* ; Humans