Antigen distributions of rotavirus and adenovirus were detected by enzyme immuno assay (EIA) in patients with acute gastroenteritis in Seoul from 2008 to 2012. Tested feces sample numbers from patients were 9,597. Antigen distributions of rotavirus and adenovirus were 13.9%, and 2.1%, respectively. The patterns of each viral pathogen may give potentially effective data for epidemiological studies.
Adenoviridae* ; Feces ; Gastroenteritis* ; Humans ; Rotavirus* ; Seoul*

BACKGROUND: Viruses that cause acute respiratory infection include adenovirus (ADV), respiratory syncytial virus A and B (RSV(A), RSV(B)), influenza virus A and B (FluA, FluB), parainfluenza virus 1, 2 and 3 (PIV1, PIV2, PIV3), human metapneumovirus (hMPV), human coronavirus (hCoV), human rhinovirus (hRV), and enterovirus, among others. METHODS: Viral incidence was evaluated in acute respiratory patients in Seoul, Korea from 2010 to 2012. A total of 2,544 oropharyngeal swab specimens were tested by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. RNA viruses (hRV, PIV, RSV, hCoV, and hMPV) and DNA viruses (ADV and bocavirus) were detected using the one-step reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) premix kit (SolGent, Korea) from January 2010 to June 2011, and using the real-time PCR kit (Kogenebiotech, Korea) from July 2011 to December 2012. RESULTS: Thirty-two percent (813/2,544) of specimens were positive; 31.9% (294/923) in 2010, 31.4% (232/738) in 2011, and 32.5% (287/883) in 2012. The most frequently isolated virus was hRV (40.7%, 331/813), followed by ADV (23.9%, 194/813), RSV (14.1%, 115/813), PIV (12.3%, 100/813), and hCoV (8.7%, 71/813). PIV1 was the most commonly isolated PIV, followed by PIV3 and PIV2, respectively. hCo OC43 was the most commonly isolated hCoV, followed by hCoV NL63 and hCoV 229E, respectively. CONCLUSION: Information on respiratory viruses circulating in Seoul, Korea over the last three years will be helpful in the management of acute respiratory infections, and for larger-scale epidemiological studies.

Larvae, nymphs, and adult stages of 3 species of ixodid ticks were collected by tick drag methods in Seoul during June-October 2013, and their infection status with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus was examined using RT-PCR. During the period, 732 Haemaphysalis longicornis, 62 Haemaphysalis flava, and 2 Ixodes nipponensis specimens were collected. Among the specimens of H. longicornis, the number of female adults, male adults, nymphs, and larvae were 53, 11, 240, and 446, respectively. Ticks were grouped into 63 pools according to the collection site, species, and developmental stage, and assayed for SFTS virus. None of the pools of ticks were found to be positive for SFTS virus gene.
Animals ; Female ; Fever/virology ; Humans ; Ixodidae/*classification/*virology ; Larva/pathogenicity ; Male ; Phlebotomus Fever/virology ; Phlebovirus/*isolation & purification ; Republic of Korea ; Thrombocytopenia/virology ; Tick Infestations/*virology

The prevalence of human astroviruses was tested in patients with acute gastroenteritis by using conventional duplex reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and electrophoresis. Diarrheal fecal samples were collected from 9,597 patients at local hospitals in Seoul. The prevalence of astroviruses was 1.0% (94/9,597 patients; mostly infants), and that of sapoviruses was 0.1% (14/9,597 patients). Age- and gender-wise analyses were carried out on 29 astrovirus-positive patients having complete information on file regarding their age, gender, and other particulars. The results were higher in patients of ages 0 to 14 yr, and 69.0% of the astrovirus-positive patients were females, of which 69.2% were infants (0 to 12 months), and 61.5% were 1-4 yr old. Notably, in the case of 5 to 78-yr-old acute gastroenteritis patients, 100% were females.
Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Astroviridae Infections/complications/*epidemiology/virology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; DNA, Viral/analysis ; Feces/virology ; Female ; Gastroenteritis/complications/*diagnosis ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Mamastrovirus/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sapovirus/genetics/isolation & purification ; Sex Factors ; Young Adult

Background and Objectives: Recently, the improvement of music perception abilities for emotional stability and high quality of life has become important for the hearing loss group. This study aimed to examine and compare the music perception abilities of the normal hearing (NH) and hearing amplification system (HAS) groups to find the needs and methods of music rehabilitation. Subjects and Methods: The data were collected from 15 NH adults (33.1±11.4 years) and 15 HAS adults (38.7±13.4 years), of whom eight wore cochlear implant [CI] systems and seven wore CI and hearing aid systems depending on pitch, melody, rhythm, timbre, emotional reaction, and harmony perception tests. A mismatch negativity test was also conducted, and attitudes toward and satisfaction with listening to music were measured. Results: The correction percentages for the NH and HAS groups were 94.0%±6.1% and 75.3%±23.2% in the pitch test; 94.0%±7.1% and 30.3%±25.9% in the melody test; 99.3%±1.8% and 94.0%± 7.6% in the rhythm test; 78.9%±41.8% and 64.4%±48.9% in the timbre test; 96.7%±10.4% and 81.7%±16.3% in the emotional reaction test; and 85.7%±14.1% and 58.4%±13.9% in the harmony test, respectively, showing statistical significance (p<0.05). For the mismatch negativity test, the area of the waveform was smaller in the HAS groups than in the NH groups, with 70 dB of stimulation showing no statistical significance. The response rates for satisfaction with listening to music were 80% and 93.3% for the NH and HAS groups, showing no statistical significance. Conclusions Although the HAS group showed lower music perception ability than the NH group overall, they showed a strong desire for music listening. Also, the HAS group revealed a higher degree of satisfaction even when listening to unfamiliar music played with unusual instruments. It is suggested that systematic and constant musical rehabilitation based on musical elements and different listening experiences will improve music perception qualities and abilities for HAS users.

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease, a highly contagious viral infection, occurs more common in children than in adults. However, there was a recent outbreak of Coxsackievirus A6-induced infection with an atypical presentation among the adult population. Stevens– Johnson syndrome is a severe mucocutaneous disease characterized by extensive necrosis and detachment of the epidermis, and this condition is commonly caused by medications.Herein, we describe a 30-year-old male patient taking allopurinol for the management of gout. The patient presented with numerous erythematous papules, vesicles, and patches with mucosal eruptions on the whole body, oral mucositis, and fever, and he was finally diagnosed with hand-foot-and-mouth disease.

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease, a highly contagious viral infection, occurs more common in children than in adults. However, there was a recent outbreak of Coxsackievirus A6-induced infection with an atypical presentation among the adult population. Stevens– Johnson syndrome is a severe mucocutaneous disease characterized by extensive necrosis and detachment of the epidermis, and this condition is commonly caused by medications.Herein, we describe a 30-year-old male patient taking allopurinol for the management of gout. The patient presented with numerous erythematous papules, vesicles, and patches with mucosal eruptions on the whole body, oral mucositis, and fever, and he was finally diagnosed with hand-foot-and-mouth disease.

This study evaluated the incidence, the survival outcomes and its prognostic factors for male breast cancer (MBC) in Korea. Using the National Health Insurance Service database of Korea, we identified MBC patients who had the new claim code of C50. Medical records including type of surgeries and radiotherapy within one year of the first claim and death records were reviewed. Between 2005 and 2016, 838 newly diagnosed MBC patients were included (median follow-up, 1,769 days). The 70–74-year age group had the highest incidence of MBC. The 5-year survival rate was 73.7%. Age > 65 years, low income, no surgical intervention, no tamoxifen use, and > 2 comorbidities correlated with a worse outcome. MBC incidence has increased over time, and its peak is noted at age > 70 years. Age > 65 years, > 2 comorbidities, no surgical intervention, and no tamoxifen use correlate to poor prognosis.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in Korean women, and its incidence continues to increase. The Korean Breast Cancer Society (KBCS) established a nationwide breast cancer database through its online enrollment program in 1996. This study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics of breast cancer in Korea, and to assess the pattern of changes in breast cancer management in 2018. We analyzed the KBCS and Korea Central Cancer Registry (KCCR) databases in 2018. In 2018, 28,157 patients were newly diagnosed with breast cancer, of whom 4,510 had noninvasive breast cancer and 23,647 had invasive breast cancer. The age-standardized rate of breast cancer in 2018 was 79.0 per 100,000 women (65.6 invasive, 13.4 noninvasive). The median age of female patients diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018 was 52 years, and the incidence of breast cancer was the highest in the 40–49-years age group (9,432 patients, 33.6%). The proportion of patients with stage 0 and stage I breast cancer continued to increase, accounting for 63.8% of cases, and breast-conserving surgery was performed more often than mastectomy (66.2% vs. 33.0%). The most common subtypes of breast cancer were hormone receptor [HR]-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-negative types (65.9% of cases), while the HR-negative and HER2-positive types accounted for 9.2% of cases. According to the KCCR data, from 2014 to 2018, the 5-year relative survival rate of patients with breast cancer was 93.3%, which was 14.0% higher than that from 1993 to 1995 (79.3%). The clinical characteristics of breast cancer in Korea have been changing, and national databases can improve our understanding of the disease characteristics of Korean women. Therefore, updating the KBCS registry is important for the effective management of breast cancer in Korea.

Community-acquired pneumonia is common and important infectious disease in adults. This work represents an update to 2009 treatment guideline for community-acquired pneumonia in Korea. The present clinical practice guideline provides revised recommendations on the appropriate diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of community-acquired pneumonia in adults aged 19 years or older, taking into account the current situation regarding community-acquired pneumonia in Korea. This guideline may help reduce the difference in the level of treatment between medical institutions and medical staff, and enable efficient treatment. It may also reduce antibiotic resistance by preventing antibiotic misuse against acute lower respiratory tract infection in Korea.
Adult* ; Communicable Diseases ; Community-Acquired Infections ; Diagnosis ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Humans ; Korea ; Medical Staff ; Pneumonia* ; Respiratory Tract Infections