The first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Korea was reported in January 2020.As the secondary transmissions accelerated within the country, the government revised the outbreak alert for COVID-19 from attention to caution. Mid-February, when a massive outbreak was reported from a church in Daegu, our institution initiated testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). More than 300 laboratory tests were performed within the first 2 months, before the number of cases began to decline. Here, we describe our experience of 4 months at the department of Laboratory Medicine, Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital, located in Daegu, where a massive COVID-19 outbreak occurred.

BACKGROUND: IL-1beta and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RN) genetic polymorphisms have been associated with development of gastric atrophy and increased risk of gastric carcinoma. This study aimed to determine the effects of these polymorphisms in gastroduodenal diseases. METHODS: This study population was comprised of 297 patients and they were grouped into gastritis, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, and gastric cancer. We determined IL-1beta-511/-31/+3954 and IL-1RN genotype by polymerase chain reaction using gastric biopsy specimens. RESULTS: The genotype of IL-1beta-511 C/T, -31 T/C, +3954 C/C, and IL-1RN *1/*1 was predominant in all four groups. Allelic and genotypic frequencies of IL-1beta-511/-31/+3954 and IL-1RN showed no significant difference in four groups. IL-1beta-511 T/T, -31 C/C, +3954 C/T, and IL-1RN *2 carriers did not show increased risk of gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer and gastric cancer. Classification of gastric cancer into intestinal and diffuse type also showed no significant difference of IL-1beta-511/-31/+3954 and IL-1RN genotypic frequencies. CONCLSUION: There was no significant difference of IL-1beta and IL-1RN polymorphisms between patients with gastritis, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer and gastric cancer. Therefore, other endogenous or exogenous factors will play more important role in the development of gastroduodenal diseases in Korean.
Atrophy ; Biopsy ; Classification ; Duodenal Ulcer ; Gastritis ; Genotype ; Humans ; Interleukin-1 ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Stomach Ulcer

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Noncardiac chest pain (NCCP) mainly results from esophageal lesions in the developed world. By contrast, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a less frequent cause of NCCP than peptic ulcer disease in China and Japan. Therefore, both esophageal lesions and stomach and duodenal lesions are likely to be important causes of NCCP in Korea. We used upper gastrointestinal endoscopy to evaluate lesions of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum in NCCP patients after cardiac chest pain was ruled out by coronary angiography (CAG). METHODS: From the patients who underwent CAG between 2004 and 2008, we identified 89 patients who had normal CAG or minimal disease. We retrospectively analyzed the endoscopic findings of these 89 patients who were diagnosed with NCCP. RESULTS: At endoscopy for the 89 patients, the percentages of GERD, gastric ulcer, and duodenal ulcer were 20.2% (n=18), 14.6% (n=13), and 3.3% (n=3) respectively. Of the 16 cases diagnosed as peptic ulcer, 11 were evaluated by biopsy or the Campylobacter-like organism (CLO) test for suspected Helicobacter pylori infection. Six (54%) cases were positive for H. pylori and five (46%) were negative. CONCLUSIONS: In Korea, the incidence of peptic ulcer disease (17.9%) as a cause of NCCP is similar to that of GERD (20.2%). Consequently, we should perform endoscopy to determine the cause of NCCP.
Biopsy ; Chest Pain ; China ; Coronary Angiography ; Duodenal Ulcer ; Duodenum ; Endoscopy ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Esophagus ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Incidence ; Japan ; Korea ; Peptic Ulcer ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach ; Stomach Ulcer ; Thorax