No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Lung*

BACKGROUND: Coal workers' pneumoconiosis is a fibrotic lung disease resulting from chronic inhalation of coal dust. The precise mechanism of lung fibrosis in coal workers' pneumoconiosis is uncertain. However, a relationship between the stimulation of fibroblast proliferation and collagen production by mediators released from inflammatory and resident lung cells is thought to be a major factor. The transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β), a multifunctional cytokine and growth factor, plays a key role in the scarring and fibrotic processes due to its ability to induce extracellular matrix proteins and modulate the growth and immune function of many cell types. To determine the involvement of TGF-βin the development of lung fibrosis in coal workers' pneumoconiosis, the TGF-β1 level in plasma was measured in patients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis. METHODS: Plasma was collected from 40 patients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis (20 with simple coal workers' pneumoconiosis and 20 with complicated coal workers' pneumoconiosis) and from 10 normal controls. The ELISA method was used to measure the plasma TGF-β1 concentration. RESULTS: Compared to the control group (0.63±0.18 ng/mL), there was no significant difference in the plasma TGF-β1 level in patients with simple coal workers' pneumoconiosis (0.64±0.17 ng/mL) (p>.05). However, in patients with complicated coal workers' pneumoconiosis the plasma TGF-β1 level (0.79±0.18 ng/mL) was significantly higher than in patients with simple coal workers' pneumoconiosis and control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The data suggests that TGF-β1 has some influence in the development of lung fibrosis in coal workers' pneumoconiosis.
Cicatrix ; Coal* ; Collagen ; Dust ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Extracellular Matrix Proteins ; Fibroblasts ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Lung ; Lung Diseases ; Plasma* ; Pneumoconiosis* ; Pulmonary Fibrosis

We made a mistake in our recently published article.

BACKGROUNDS: Intestinal obstruction is one of the main causes of neonatal operations. It is caused by congenital factors, inherited diseases, and acquired diseases. A study was made to understand the status of neonatal intestinal obstruction cases at our hospital. METHODS: This was a clinical analysis of 53 cases of neonatal intestinal obstruction which had been experienced from March 1992 to February 1998 at the Department of General surgery, Sung-Ae General Hospital. RESULTS: 1) Operations for neonatal intestinal obstructions accounted for 42.4% of all neonatal operations. 2) There were 38 males and 15 females; the male-to-female ratio was 2.5:1. 3) Gestational period of 9 cases (16.9%) was less than 36 weeks and the weight in 10 cases (18.8%) wre below 2,500 gm at birth. 4) The main clinical symptoms on admission were vomiting or abdominal distension. 5) There were 49 cases (92.4%) of mechanical obstruction and 4 cases of a paralytic ileus. 6) Associated anomalies were present in 9 cases (16.9%). 7) The postoperative complication and motality rates were 30.1% and 7.5% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our clinical data might provide clinical suspicisions leading to early diagnosis and treatment.
Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Intestinal Obstruction* ; Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction ; Male ; Parturition ; Postoperative Complications ; Vomiting

Objectives: An increasing emphasis has been placed on the integration of clinical data and patient-generated health data (PGHD), which are generated outside of hospitals. This study explored the possibility of using standard terminologies to represent PGHD for data integration. Methods: We chose the 2020 general health checkup questionnaire of the Korean Health Screening Program as a resource. We divided every component of the questionnaire into entities and values, which were mapped to standard terminologies—Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT) version 2020-07-31 and Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) version 2.68. Results: Eighty-nine items were derived from the 17 questions of the 2020 health examination questionnaire, of which 76 (85.4%) were mapped to standard terms. Fifty-two items were mapped to SNOMED CT and 24 items were mapped to LOINC. Among the items mapped to SNOMED CT, 35 were mapped to pre-coordinated expressions and 17 to post-coordinated expressions. Forty items had one-to-one relationships, and 17 items had one-to-many relationships. Conclusions We achieved a high mapping rate (85.4%) by using both SNOMED CT and LOINC. However, we noticed some issues while mapping the Korean general health checkup questionnaire (i.e., lack of explanations, vague questions, and overly narrow concepts). In particular, items combining two or more concepts into a single item were not appropriate for mapping using standard terminologies. Although it is not the case that all items need to be expressed in standard terminology, essential items should be presented in a way suitable for mapping to standard terminology by revising the questionnaire in the future.

Concurrent medical problem is common in dementia patients and critical to their care. Despite its importance, there was no bedside global rating scale for the seriousness of medical comorbidity. Lykestos et al. newly developed a reliable bedside scale, the General Medical Health Rating(GMHR). The objective of this study was to standardize the GMHR in form of Korean version(KGMHR). The study population consisted of 35 dementia patients in nursing home. Rating was performed by 1 physician and 2 nurses. Forty percent(14/35) of patients had one or more unstable medical illnesses. KGMHR ratings no more than 3 were 71.5%(25/35) of patients. The value of interrater reliability coefficient alpha was 0.9121. Correlations between KGMHR ratings and number of unstable medi-cal illnesses were high(r=-0.487, p<0.01). KGMHR ratings were also correlated with number of medications being taken for comorbid conditions(r=-0.542, p<0.01). In conclusion, KGMHR is a very reliable and simple rating scale for medical comorbidity in dementia patients. So the KGMHR could be a useful tool for evaluation of comorbidity in dementia patients. To verify the prognostic value of KGMHR, further large sized long-term study are needed.
Comorbidity ; Dementia* ; Humans ; Nursing Homes

No abstract available.
Epstein-Barr Virus Infections* ; Herpesvirus 4, Human* ; Humans ; Lymphoma*

PURPOSE: Although methacholine PC20 helps clinicians to identify asthma, there are practical limitations in using methacholine PC20 to assess asthma control. We assessed the relationship between methacholine PC20 levels and asthma control status in child patients with atopic asthma. METHODS: We enrolled 153 children of 8 to 15 years of age with atopic asthma and measured methacholine PC20 of these children when their asthma was controlled. We followed up these patients for more than 2 years with measurements of asthma control score, lung function, bronchodilator response (BDR), and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO). RESULTS: The geometric mean of methacholine PC20 in the study population was 2.81 mg/mL. Lower methacholine PC20 was found to be associated with lower lung function, higher rate of BDR greater than 12%, higher level of BDR, higher rate of FeNO levels greater than 23 ppb, higher FeNO, higher numbers of asthma aggravation per year, and higher rate of asthma control test scores of 19 or less. CONCLUSION: These data provide evidences that the degree of methacholine PC20 is linked to disease severity in children with atopic asthma. Thus, regular and close monitoring of asthma control should be required for patients with lower levels of methacholine PC20.
Asthma ; Child ; Humans ; Lung ; Methacholine Chloride ; Nitric Oxide

To determine the source of Cysticercus-specific IgG antibody in cerebro-spinal fluid(CSF), paired samples of serum and CSF were collected from confirmed neurocysticercosis, other neurologic diseases and normal control. The antibody levels in serum and CSF were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). With the measurement of total protein, albumin and IgG concentration in serum and CSF, the contribution of IgG in CSF were calculated in transudation, exudation and intracranial synthesis using the formula of Tourtellotte and Ma (1978). Mean concentrations of total protein, albumin, IgG and proportional IgG levels in CSF by transudation, exudation and intracranial synthesis were elevated in neurocysticercosis. But only the intracranial synthesis of IgG showed a statistically significant correlation with the specific IgG antibody levels in CSF. In CSF from lateral ventricle in the 4th ventricular neurocysticercosis, the protein concentrations were normal and the specific antibody levels were negative. However, in consecutively secured lumbar CSF from the same patients, the former were increased and the latter were positive. These results indicated that, in neurocysticercosis, the specific IgG antibody in CSF was a local product of intracranial synthesis.
parasitology-helminth-cestoda ; Taenia solium ; cysticercus ; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ; cerebrospinal fluid ; brain ; IgG ; immunology

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the association between common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT), brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), carotid plaque, and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) as indicators of macroangiopathy and diabetic retinopathy as an indicator of microangiopathy in type 2 diabetic patients. METHODS: We analyzed 605 type 2 diabetic patients registered at a public health center in Korea. Following overnight fasting, venous blood and urine samples were collected and analyzed. The CCA-IMT, levels of carotid plaque, baPWV, and ankle-brachial index (ABI) of the subjects were assessed. We used non-mydriatic fundus photography to diagnose diabetic retinopathy. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between macroangiopathy and diabetic retinopathy. CCA-IMT and baPWV were divided into tertiles: CCA-IMT, 0.39 to 0.65 mm, 0.66 to 0.78 mm, and 0.79 to 1.30 mm; baPWV, 9.9 to 15.8 m/s, 15.9 to 18.9 m/s, and 19.0 to 38.0 m/s. RESULTS: The association between baPWV and diabetic retinopathy remained significant after adjustment, with an increasing odds ratio (OR) in the second tertile (OR, 2.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.27 to 4.55) and the third tertile (OR, 4.63; 95% CI, 2.33 to 9.21). No significant differences were observed in carotid plaque, PAD, and each tertile of CCA-IMT. CONCLUSIONS: BaPWV was associated with diabetic retinopathy, while CCA-IMT, carotid plaque, and PAD were not. This study suggests that the association between macroangiopathy and microangiopathy may be attributable to functional processes rather than structural processes within the vascular system.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Ankle Brachial Index ; Carotid Artery Diseases/epidemiology/*pathology ; Confidence Intervals ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/epidemiology/*pathology ; Diabetic Retinopathy/epidemiology/*pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Peripheral Arterial Disease/epidemiology/*pathology ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Assessment ; Tunica Intima/pathology ; Tunica Media/pathology