No abstract available.
Animals ; Horns* ; Nevus, Sebaceous of Jadassohn*

PURPOSE: This study was aimed to analyze the level of serum amino acids according to the sex, birth weight, gestational age in neonates. METHODS: Amino acid was measured by tandem mass spectrometry from the dried blood spots. We measured serum alanine, citrulline, glycine, methionine, ornitine, tyrosine, valine, leucine, phenylalanine levels in 172 neonates admitted to the NICU at Chungnam National University hospital from March 2003 to September 2003 and the data was analyzed according to the sex, birth weight, gestational age. RESULTS: There were no differences of serum amino acid level between term and preterm neonates according to the sex. However, there were significant statistical differences in serum amino acid level according to the birth weight (> or =2,500 g vs. <2,500 g) and gestational age (> or =37 weeks vs. <37 weeks). The level of alanine, citrulline, glycine, methionine, ornitine, tyrosine, valine, leucine was low in under 2,500 g (P<0.05), and in preterm neonates (P<0.05). Especially, preterm neonates under 1,800 g had low levels of valine and leucine (P<0.05). The serum levels of methionine, ornitine, valine, leucine were low in neonates with gestational age of less than 34 weeks (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Awareness of low serum amino acid levels in preterm neonates is essential to improve nutritional supplements and catch-up growth.
Alanine ; Amino Acids ; Birth Weight ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Citrulline ; Gestational Age ; Glycine ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Leucine ; Methionine ; Phenylalanine ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Tyrosine ; Valine

PURPOSE: The nephrotic syndrome (NS) is characterized by the favorable response to glucocorticoid therapy and the development of NS may be associated with dysfunctional immune systems. In order to investigate the serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels and cytokines activity in pediatric NS, the total of 32 steroid responsive NS patients and 5 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients were divided into two groups according to the initial serum IgE levels, such as normal and high IgE group, and their clinical characteristics were evaluated. In addition, serum levels of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta were compared and correlated with serum albumin, proteinuria by means of disease severity, and cytokines. RESULTS: In the high IgE group, the higher comorbidity of allergic diseases and relapsing rate, the longer duration of steroid therapy before initial remission, and the higher serum IL-4 and IL-5 levels were found. In all patients, initially higher serum levels of IL-4 and IL-5 declined to normal levels after steroid therapy, whereas the serum IL-10 levels showed no significant difference between nephrotic phase (heavy proteinuria) and remission phase (no proteinuria) of NS. The serum TGF-beta levels of the nephrotic phase were significantly lower than those of remission phase or control group, and returned to normal control levels after steroid therapy. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that initial IgE level is associated with steroid responsiveness and disease severity, and cytokine activities may also be related to the pathogenesis of pediatric steroid responsive NS.
Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cytokines/*blood ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A/blood ; Immunoglobulin E/*blood ; Immunoglobulin G/blood ; Immunoglobulin M/blood ; Infant ; Interleukin-4/blood ; Interleukin-5/blood ; Male ; Nephrotic Syndrome/*blood/*drug therapy ; Steroids/*therapeutic use ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/blood

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP), the smallest self-replicating biological system, is a common cause of upper and lower respiratory tract infections, leading to a wide range of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary manifestations. MP pneumonia has been reported in 10 to 40% of cases of community-acquired pneumonia and shows an even higher proportion during epidemics. MP infection is endemic in larger communities of the world with cyclic epidemics every 3 to 7 years. In Korea, 3 to 4-year cycles have been observed from the mid-1980s to present. Although a variety of serologic assays and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques are available for the diagnosis of MP infections, early diagnosis of MP pneumonia is limited by the lack of immunoglobulin (Ig) M antibodies and variable PCR results in the early stages of the infection. Thus, short-term paired IgM serologic tests may be mandatory for an early and definitive diagnosis. MP infection is usually a mild and self-limiting disease without specific treatment, and if needed, macrolides are generally used as a first-choice drug for children. Recently, macrolide-resistant MP strains have been reported worldwide. However, there are few reports of apparent treatment failure, such as progression of pneumonia to acute respiratory distress syndrome despite macrolide treatment. The immunopathogenesis of MP pneumonia is believed to be a hyperimmune reaction of the host to the insults from MP infection, including cytokine overproduction and immune cell activation (T cells). In this context, immunomodulatory treatment (corticosteroids or/and intravenous Ig), in addition to antibiotic treatment, might be considered for patients with severe infection.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Antibodies ; Child ; Drug Resistance ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Immunoglobulins ; Korea ; Macrolides ; Mycoplasma ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; Pneumonia ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Serologic Tests ; Treatment Failure

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP), the smallest self-replicating biological system, is a common cause of upper and lower respiratory tract infections, leading to a wide range of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary manifestations. MP pneumonia has been reported in 10 to 40% of cases of community-acquired pneumonia and shows an even higher proportion during epidemics. MP infection is endemic in larger communities of the world with cyclic epidemics every 3 to 7 years. In Korea, 3 to 4-year cycles have been observed from the mid-1980s to present. Although a variety of serologic assays and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques are available for the diagnosis of MP infections, early diagnosis of MP pneumonia is limited by the lack of immunoglobulin (Ig) M antibodies and variable PCR results in the early stages of the infection. Thus, short-term paired IgM serologic tests may be mandatory for an early and definitive diagnosis. MP infection is usually a mild and self-limiting disease without specific treatment, and if needed, macrolides are generally used as a first-choice drug for children. Recently, macrolide-resistant MP strains have been reported worldwide. However, there are few reports of apparent treatment failure, such as progression of pneumonia to acute respiratory distress syndrome despite macrolide treatment. The immunopathogenesis of MP pneumonia is believed to be a hyperimmune reaction of the host to the insults from MP infection, including cytokine overproduction and immune cell activation (T cells). In this context, immunomodulatory treatment (corticosteroids or/and intravenous Ig), in addition to antibiotic treatment, might be considered for patients with severe infection.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Antibodies ; Child ; Drug Resistance ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Immunoglobulins ; Korea ; Macrolides ; Mycoplasma ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; Pneumonia ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Serologic Tests ; Treatment Failure

The objective of this study was to compare early child care center teachers' attitudes for meal and snack guidance between Sweden and Korea. Participants were 251 early child care center teachers (Sweden: 134, Korea: 117) working in Goetebory, Sweden, and Seoul, Korea. The survey was conducted from December in 2003 to February in 2004. SPSS programme was used for statistical analysis. Sixty five point eight percent of the Korean early child care center teachers provided a certain amount of foods for children. But 20.9% of Swedish provided a certain amount of foods for children, 79.1% of them provided the amount a child wanted. Sixty one point seven percent of Korean teachers allowed a child leave foods on the plate, but 95.5% of Swedish teachers asked a child eat all food on the plate. When a child didn't want to eat, 61.1% of the Korean teachers fed him/her, but 11.0% of the Swedish teachers did. Only 42.4% of the Swedish teachers allowed a children eat sweets, but 92.9% of Korean did. The Swedish teachers' perception for food guidance were eating by child himself/herself > washing hands before eating > having appropriate table manner > eating as talking with friends > not playing during the meal time, while the Korean teachers' was taking various food > having appropriate table manner > eating by child himself/herself, not playing during the meal time > washing hands before eating. The Swedish teachers thought 'eating as talking with friends' and 'eating by child himself/herself' is important, where as the Korean's did 'eating without making noise', 'not playing during the mealtime' in the eating behavior. For 'brushing teeth after meal' the Swedish teachers' score (1.5) was lower than the Korean (4.2). The results is necessary to improve meal and snack guidance for Korean early child care center teachers' education.
Child ; Child Care* ; Child* ; Eating ; Education ; Feeding Behavior ; Friends ; Hand ; Humans ; Korea* ; Meals* ; Seoul ; Snacks* ; Sweden* ; Tooth

BACKGROUND: Although atopic dermatitis (AD) is a very common disease, there is no specific diagnostic or prognostic marker for it. Minor clinical features and a few laboratory findings can be used as ancillary diagnostic criteria and reflect the present state of AD, but cannot predict the disease severity. OBJECTIVE: We performed this study to find out if there is any correlation among minor clinical features, laboratory findings such as blood eosinophil count and serum IgE levels, and the severity of AD. METHODS: One hundred patients with AD were involved in the study. They were divided into two groups by the age of 12 years; group 1(< or = 12-year-old, n=47) represented childhood AD and group 2 (> or = 12-year-old, n=53) represented adolescence and adult AD. Subsequently, the severity of AD was assessed by the SCORAD index, and then all the patients were classified into 3 subgroups; mild, moderate and severe groups. They were evaluated for 28 minor clinical features of AD. In addition, blood samples were measured for blood eosinophil count and serum IgE levels. RESULTS: The pattern of minor clinical features correlated significantly with the disease severity was quite different between the two groups, except ventral wrist eczema and eyelid eczema. Blood eosinophil count and serum IgE levels increased significantly as the SCORAD index increased. While perifollicular accentuation was a significant minor clinical feature that correlated with blood eosinophil count in the both groups, there were no minor features showing statistically significant correlation with serum IgE levels. In group 1, keratosis pilaris and infragluteal eczema appeared more frequently as all 3 variables such as the SCORAD index, blood eosinophil count and serum IgE levels, increased simultaneously. However, no minor clinical features which correlated significantly with all variables were observed in group 2. CONCLUSION: We concluded that minor clinical features such as keratosis pilaris and infragluteal eczema reflect the disease severity and can be used as an anticipating sign of severe disease, especially in childhood AD.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Eczema ; Eosinophils ; Eyelids ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Keratosis ; Wrist

Epithelioid angiosarcoma has recently been described as a variant of angiosarcoma, based on its pathologic feature which is characterized by epithelioid or histiocytoid morphology of the malignant tumor cells. We report a case of epithelioid angiosarcoma on the lower back of a 65-year-old man. The patient had several, variable-sized, pedunculated, fungating masses. On histopathologic examination, the tumor was chiefly composed of solid sheets of atypical epithelioid cells with prominent eosinophilic cytoplasm, a large vesicular nuclei, and occasional intracytoplasmic vacuoles. Primitive vascular spaces, and a cleft with malignant cells and proliferating vessels were also found in some areas. The reticulum stain and immunohistochemical stain using factor VII-related antigen and CD 31 were focally positive in the tumor. He was treated by wide surgical excision.
Aged ; Cytoplasm ; Eosinophils ; Epithelioid Cells ; Hemangiosarcoma* ; Humans ; Reticulum ; Vacuoles

Folliculosebaceous cystic hamartoma (FSCH) is a recently-recognized cutaneous hamar- toma composed of follicular, sebaceous and mesenchymal elements. We describe an unusual case of FSCH in a 61-year-old male, who had a relatively large, 3x2.5cm sized, smooth subcutaneous nodule on the occipital area of the scalp, an uncommon location for FSCH.
Hamartoma* ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Scalp

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a rare, life-threatening, mucocutaneous drug reaction, which causes extensive epidermal detachment and serious complications involving ocular structures and internal organs. Recently, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) was suggested to be effective in treating TEN through the blockage of Fas receptors which initiate keratinocyte apoptosis. Herein, we tried IVIG teratment (0.6 g/kg/day for 4 consecutive days) for a case of TEN. As a result, the progression of epidermal detachment was interrupted within 2 days and epithelialization was completed in 3 weeks without significant side effects.
Antigens, CD95 ; Apoptosis ; Immunoglobulins* ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; Keratinocytes ; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome*