PURPOSE: The release of histamine from human basophils is controlled by an intrinsic, as yet unidentified, cellular property termed "releasability." We carried out this study to ascertain whether there was any difference in the releasability of basophils from asthmatic children compared to those from normal children. We intended also to clarify the correlation between the releasability and the atopic status of asthma. METHODS: We selected nineteen atopic asthmatic, eighteen nonatopic asthmatic and fourteen normal children for this study. Suspensions of leukocytes were isolated and stimulated with calcium ionophore A23187, anti-IgE and D. pteronyssinus antigen. After incubation, the supernatant was assayed for histamine with an automated fluorometric technique. RESULTS: Basophil histamine release with anti-IgE was different in three groups. Anti-IgE caused significantly more basophil histamine release in asthmatic children than in nomal children. Atopic asthmatic group showed greater basophil histamine release with anti-IgE than nonatopic asthmatic group. D. pteronyssinus antigen caused the significant amount of histamine release only in atopic asthmatic group. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggests that basophils from asthmatic children are characterized by a specific increase in IgE mediated histamine releasability. The difference of histamine releasability with anti-IgE between atopic and nonatopic asthmatic children may be due to the heterogeneity of IgE bound to cell surface, or may be due to the degree of the basophil activation by cytokines such as IL3. The specific release of histamine with D. pteronyssinus antigen in atopic asthmatic group suggests that the basophil histamine release test can be used to diagnose the causing antigen.
Asthma ; Basophils* ; Calcimycin ; Calcium ; Child* ; Cytokines ; Histamine Release ; Histamine* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Leukocytes ; Population Characteristics ; Suspensions

BACKGROUND: Several studies have suggested that impaired mucociliary clearance plays a role in the pathophysiology of bronchial asthma. Cough productive of mucoid sputum is common, and mucous plugs in the airways are frequently observed. These clinical features are in keeping with the histologic lesions of asthma, which involve primarily the epithelial and mucous-producing structures of the conducting airways. Some studies have shown that the mucociliary clearance is impaired in adult asthma, but it has not been studied in childhood asthma. The objectives of this study were to examine whether the mucociliary clearance is impaired in childhood asthma and to estimate the degree of impairment in comparison with that of immotile cilia syndrome. METHOD: Thirteen children with mild stable asthma and eight patients with immotile cilia syndrome completed this study. Ten healthy children were recruited as a normal control group. The whole-lung mucociliary clearance was measured by the radioaerosol technique. Aerosols, tin colloid particles tagged with the radionuclide technetium-99m(99mTc), were generated by means of nebulizer, and inhaled via a mouthpiece. The retention of radioactivity was measured at 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes by gamma camera, and mucociliary clearance was calculated as percent retention at each time. RESULTS: 1) In each subject, the percent retention decreased variably with the lapse of time. 2) The percent retention of radionuclide decreased at each time in order of normal control, bronchial asthma and immotile cilia syndrome and the percent retention of immotile cilia syndrome was significantly higher than that of normal control at each time(p<0.05). 3) At two hours, the percent retention of bronchial asthma(65.0 1.8(SE)%) was significantly higher than that of the normal control(54.4 3.5%, p<0.05), and significantly lower than that of immotile cilia syndrome(73.3 +/- 1.4%, p<0.01). 4) When the percent retention was analyzed according to PC20 in the children with bronchial asthma, they had no relationship with each other. CONCLUSION: Mucociliary clearance in the children with bronchial asthma was significantly lower than normal control. This finding indicates that impaired mucociliary clearance operates in childhood asthma as well, and suggests that it may be one contributing factor in the pathogenesis of asthma. The degree of impairment, however, was not so severe as immotile cilia syndrome.
Adult ; Aerosols ; Asthma* ; Child* ; Cilia ; Ciliary Motility Disorders ; Colloids ; Cough ; Gamma Cameras ; Humans ; Mucociliary Clearance* ; Nebulizers and Vaporizers ; Radioactivity ; Sputum ; Tin

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare clinical and radiographic outcomes of proximal opening wedge osteotomy using a straight versus oblique osteotomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 104 consecutive first metatarsal proximal opening wedge osteotomies performed in 95 patients with hallux valgus deformity. Twenty-six feet were treated using straight metatarsal osteotomy (group A), whereas 78 feet were treated using oblique metatarsal osteotomy (group B). The hallux valgus angle (HVA), intermetatarsal angle (IMA), distal metatarsal articular angle, and distance from the first to the second metatarsal (distance) were measured for radiographic evaluation, whereas the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) forefoot score was used for clinical evaluation. RESULTS: Significant corrections in the HVA, IMA, and distance from the first to the second metatarsal were obtained in both groups at the last follow-up (p<0.001). There was no difference in the mean IMA correction between the 2 groups (6.1+/-2.7degrees in group A and 6.0+/-2.1degrees in group B). However, a greater correction in the HVA and distance from the first to the second metatarsal were found in group B (HVA, 13.2+/-8.2degrees; distance, 25.1+/-0.2 mm) compared to group A (HVA, 20.9+/-7.7degrees; distance, 28.1+/-0.3 mm; p<0.001). AOFAS scores were improved in both groups. However, group B demonstrated a greater improvement relative to group A (p=0.005). CONCLUSION: Compared with a straight first metatarsal osteotomy, an oblique first metatarsal osteotomy yielded better clinical and radiological outcomes.
Adult ; Aged ; Bone Plates ; Epiphyses/surgery ; Ethnic Groups ; Female ; Foot ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/*instrumentation ; Hallux Valgus/radiography/*surgery ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Metatarsal Bones/*radiography/*surgery ; Middle Aged ; Osteotomy/*methods ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Upper Extremity

No abstract available.
Antibodies* ; Cerebellar Ataxia ; Guillain-Barre Syndrome* ; Humans

BACKGROUND: Although idiopathic cardiomyopathies(i-CMP) are very important in all age groups, the epidemiology of i-CMP in children has not been well defined. A retrospective study in Korean children was performed in 1998 to obtain basic data on i-CMP. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The medical records of all patients aged birth to 15 years from the hospitals where pediatric cardiologists worked were reviewed to obtain information on i-CMP. Pediatric cardiologists from a total of 22 hospitals were participated in reviewing the medical records of their patients and filling up the protocol. The data were pooled to the study committee and reviewed. RESULTS: Of the 278 cases with i-CMP, there were dilated cardiomyopathy (d-CMP) in 182 (65.4%): hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (h-CMP) in 74 (26.6%): restrictive cardiomyopathy (r-CMP) and unclassified in 17 (6.1%) and 5 (1.9%) each. The average annual occurrence of new cases as a whole was 2.65 per 100,000 (95% CI: 1.5-3.7): d-CMP, 1.73/100,000/year (95% CI: 0.73-2.73): h-CMP, 0.71/100,000/year (95% CI: 0.35-1.07): r-CMP, 0.16/100,000/year (95% CI: 0.02-0.3). The median age at the time of diagnosis was 11 months in d-CMP: 3.0 years in h-CMP: 6.9 years in r-CMP. The survival rate in d-CMP was 76% at 1 year, 72.5% at 2 year, 70% at 5 year. There was no difference in survival rate according to age (in d-CMP, between children less than 2 years of age and over 2 years of age (74% vs. 79% at 1 year: 67% vs. 76% at 5 year, p=NS): in h-CMP, between children less than 1 year of age and over 1 year of age (84% vs. 96% at 1 year: 63% vs. 81% at 5 year, p=NS)). R-CMP showed the worst survival rate (72% at 1 year, 30.2% at 5 year). CONCLUSION: In spite of the inherent defects of retrospective analysis, this study provides the useful epidemiological data in children with i-CMP. However, more systemic approach is needed to define the nature of the i-CMP in children.
Cardiomyopathies* ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated ; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic ; Cardiomyopathy, Restrictive ; Child* ; Diagnosis ; Epidemiology ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Parturition ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: The objective of this study is anthropometric analysis of mouth and lower face of Korean. The relationship of soft-tissue to underlying bony structures determine the overall aesthetics of the face. The goal of aesthetic surgery of the face is to achieve the ideal normal and enhance the aging face. The purpose of present study was to determine the change of the morphology of the mouth and lower face based on soft-tissue landmarks according to age group to facilitate prediction during aesthetic surgery. METHODS: The standardized photographs of 2,018 healthy volunteers(18 to 79 years of age; 1,070 males, 948 females) were investigated. Age groups were classified into young, middle-aged, and elderly groups. Five and seven items were measured on frontal and lateral view photographs, respectively. Individual dimensions were compared in the three age groups and between males and females. RESULTS: The width of mouth is 4.5 times larger than that of philtrum. Most of measured data decreased with age. However, woman's lip width of the mouth somewhat increased from the young to elderly. The width of lower face is 2.5 times larger than mouth in young age group and increased slightly from the young to middle- aged and thereafter slightly decreased to elderly group. Upper lip was more higher than lower lip and male lip was more higher than female. But male and female lip height is similar at old age. CONCLUSION: Most of Koreans showed prominent lower face because of the development or protrusion of the mandible. And the descent of soft-tissue around the mouth was one of the significant characteristics of senile change. The posterior retrusion of the subnasal was an another characteristic. This study will help to elucidate the age-related dimensional differences of the human being and to provide useful information for clinical applications in oral and aesthetic surgery.
Aged ; Aging ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Esthetics ; Female ; Humans ; Lip ; Male ; Mandible ; Mouth

No abstract available.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast*

OBJECTIVE: Since less invasive endovascular treatment was introduced to South Korea in 1994, a considerable proportion of endovascular treatments have been performed by neuroradiology doctors, and endovascular treatments by vascular neurosurgeons have recently increased. However, few specific statistics are known regarding how many endovascular treatments are performed by neurosurgeons. Thus, authors compared endovascular treatments collaboratively performed by vascular neurosurgeons with all cases throughout South Korea from 2013 to 2017 to elucidate the role of neurosurgeons in the field of endovascular treatment in South Korea.METHODS: The Society of Korean Endovascular Neurosurgeons (SKEN) has issued annual reports every year since 2014. These reports cover statistics on endovascular treatments collaboratively or individually performed by SKEN members from 2013 to 2017. The data was requested and collected from vascular neurosurgeons in various hospitals. The study involved 77 hospitals in its first year, and 100 in its last. National statistics on endovascular treatment from all over South Korea were obtained from the Healthcare Bigdata Hub website of the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service based on the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) codes (in the case of intra-arterial (IA) thrombolysis, however, statistics were based on a combination of the EDI and I63 codes, a cerebral infarction disease code) from 2013 to 2017. These two data sets were directly compared and the ratios were obtained.RESULTS: Regionally, during the entire study period, endovascular treatments by SKEN members were most common in Gyeonggi-do, followed by Seoul and Busan. Among the endovascular treatments, conventional cerebral angiography was the most common, followed by cerebral aneurysmal coiling, endovascular treatments for ischemic stroke, and finally endovascular treatments for vascular malformation and tumor embolization. The number of endovascular treatments performed by SKEN members increased every year.CONCLUSION: The SKEN members have been responsible for the major role of endovascular treatments in South Korea for the recent 5 years. This was achieved through the perseverance of senior members who started out in the midst of hardship, the establishment of standards for the training/certification of endovascular neurosurgery, and the enthusiasm of current SKEN members who followed. To provide better treatment to patients, we will have to make further progress in SKEN.
Busan ; Cerebral Angiography ; Cerebral Infarction ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Dataset ; Delivery of Health Care ; Endovascular Procedures ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Insurance, Health ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Korea ; Neurosurgeons ; Neurosurgery ; Seoul ; Stroke ; Vascular Malformations

Purpose: This study focused on analyzing the contact pressure and area on different patellar component designs in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) to evaluate biomechanics related to the patellofemoral (PF) joint. Materials and Methods: The patellar components studied included the dome design, modified dome design, and anatomical design implants. Using finite element analysis and mechanical testing, the pressure and area were evaluated. The first loading condition was simulated at flexion angles of 0°, 15°, 45°, 90°, 120°, and 150°. The second loading condition was simulated for a clinically relevant scenario, involving a 2-mm medial shift at a flexion angle of 45°. Results: For both the modified dome and anatomical designs, the contact area and pressure increased with the flexion angle. The dome design reached its maximum contact area at a flexion angle of 120°. Among the designs, the anatomical design had the largest contact area and a lower contact pressure compared to the dome and modified dome designs. However, when a medial shift of 2 mm was simulated at a 45° flexion angle, which can occur clinically, the anatomical design showed edge contact, leading to higher contact pressure and reduced contact area. In contrast, the modified dome design demonstrated the lowest contact pressure and the greatest contact area under the same shifted conditions. Conclusion These findings suggest that the design of the patellar component significantly affects patellar biomechanics and stability. Specifically, the modified dome design showed improved biomechanical effects in clinically relevant scenarios. Therefore, patellar components with a modified dome design are expected to better manage PF joint pain and reduce complications in TKA.

Purpose: This study focused on analyzing the contact pressure and area on different patellar component designs in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) to evaluate biomechanics related to the patellofemoral (PF) joint. Materials and Methods: The patellar components studied included the dome design, modified dome design, and anatomical design implants. Using finite element analysis and mechanical testing, the pressure and area were evaluated. The first loading condition was simulated at flexion angles of 0°, 15°, 45°, 90°, 120°, and 150°. The second loading condition was simulated for a clinically relevant scenario, involving a 2-mm medial shift at a flexion angle of 45°. Results: For both the modified dome and anatomical designs, the contact area and pressure increased with the flexion angle. The dome design reached its maximum contact area at a flexion angle of 120°. Among the designs, the anatomical design had the largest contact area and a lower contact pressure compared to the dome and modified dome designs. However, when a medial shift of 2 mm was simulated at a 45° flexion angle, which can occur clinically, the anatomical design showed edge contact, leading to higher contact pressure and reduced contact area. In contrast, the modified dome design demonstrated the lowest contact pressure and the greatest contact area under the same shifted conditions. Conclusion These findings suggest that the design of the patellar component significantly affects patellar biomechanics and stability. Specifically, the modified dome design showed improved biomechanical effects in clinically relevant scenarios. Therefore, patellar components with a modified dome design are expected to better manage PF joint pain and reduce complications in TKA.