BACKGROUND: Although good clinical effects have been reported, immunotherapy with house dust mite ( HDM ) antigen - autologous specific antibody complex ( IC - IT ) is not yet accepted as an effective immunomodulating tool in HDM allergic diseases. We aimed to prove the clinical effect of IC - IT in HDM sensitized respiratory allergic subjects. Method : Six HDM sensitized respiratory allergic subjects were enrolled. Autologous D. farinae specific IgG was purified with DEAE ion exchange and affinity chromatography. After one year of IC - IT treatment the clinical effects were analyzed with symptom scores, methacholine PC20, ELISA assay of D. farinae specific antibodies and intradermal skin reactivity. Result : The rhinitis symptom score significantly improved after a one - year administration of IC - IT ( 1.23 +/- 0.30 vs. 0.37 +/- 0.15, p< 0.05), but no significant differences were found in asthma symptom score, intradermal skin reactivity to D. farinae and ELISA optic absorbances of D. farinae specific IgE, IgG, and IgG subclasses. Methacholine PC20 values improved in all 6 patients who were administered with IC - IT ( 0.35 vs. 1.66 mg/ml, p< 0.05 ). CONCLUSION: IC - IT may be efficient for management of HDM atopic asthma. Further studies are needed before clinical application of IC - IT in house dust mite atopic subjects.
Antibodies ; Asthma ; Chromatography, Affinity ; Dermatophagoides farinae* ; Dust* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunotherapy* ; Ion Exchange ; Methacholine Chloride ; Pyroglyphidae* ; Rhinitis ; Skin

Apoptosis is a distinct mode of cell death that is responsible for deletion of cells in normal tissues. Apoptotic cell death plays an important role in the proliferation and turnover of cells in various tumors. Apoptosis occurs spontaneously in malignant tumors, often markedly retarding their growth, and increased in tumors responding to irradiation, cytotoxic chemotherapy, heating and hormone ablation. Flowcytometric analysis of the cellular DNA content appears to be a useful clinical prognostic indicator in colorectal cancer. The relationship of apoptotic index(AI) and proliferative indices have being investigated. We analyzed the tumor DNA content and AI in 84 patients who underwent resection for colorectal cancer between January 1989 and December 1994 in order to evaluate the prognostic significance of apoptosis, DNA ploidy and index using in situ apoptosis detection method and flowcytometry. The mean value of AI was 32.4, and median value 21. In the cellular DNA, forty-two percent of the tumors were diploidy, fifty-eight percent aneuploidy. The mean value of DNA index(DI) was 1.38, G0/G1 72%, S phase fraction 21.7%, G2/M 6.3%, and proliferative fraction 28%. There was no significant difference between AI and tumor invasion, LN metastasis, DNA ploidy, DI.(p>0.05) There was no significance between overall survival and AI, DNA ploidy, DI. But patients who had tumors with low DNA index had a significantly longer disease free survival than high DNA index.(p<0.05) As a result, this study shows that AI is a less useful as prognostic factor and DNA index is a more important prognostic factor in patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer.
Aneuploidy ; Apoptosis ; Cell Death ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Diploidy ; Disease-Free Survival ; DNA* ; Drug Therapy ; Heating ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Ploidies ; S Phase

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of a new air cleaning device (LG Electronics, Korea) equipped with electrostatic precipitator (EP) and photocatalytic plasma filter (PCP) in 24 respiratory allergic subjects. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Air cleaning conditioner and air cleaner were placed in living room and bedroom. Both EP and PCP (EP/PCP) filters were used for the first 4 weeks and for another 4 weeks, PCP without EP filter (PCP) was used. We measured symptom scores of asthma and rhinitis, peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), serum eosinophil cataionic prote in? in ECP, Dermatophagoides farinae (DF) specific IgE and IgG in sera, concentrations of major allergens of DF in floor dust of living room, bedroom and in airborne dust. RESULTS: Both asthma and rhinitis symptom scores were significantly improved not only with EP/PCP filters but also with PCP filter. The morning PEFR was significantly improved with EP/PCP filters, but not with PCP filter. Frequency of salbutamol inhalation by air cleaner with EP/PCP filter tended to de crease(p=0.051), with no significant difference in serum ECP concentration. DF specific IgE significantly decreased at the 8th week with no differences in specific IgG. However, the mean Der f I levels in floor dust of bedroom (1, 128 vs. 374 ng/gm dust, p<0.01) and living room (1,516 vs 812 ng/gm dust, p<0.01) decreased, Der f1 in airborne dust measured only in 8 out of 22 subjects, and they decreased significantly with the trial of EP/PCP filter (172.2 pg/4.5m vs. 62.1 pg/4.5m, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the EP/PCP air cleaner may be an effective tool for environmental control in respiratory allergic subjects.
Albuterol ; Allergens ; Asthma ; Dermatophagoides farinae ; Dust ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunoglobulin G ; Inhalation ; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate ; Plasma* ; Rhinitis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Fungi cause allergies and are difficult to avoid in daily life. People spend much of their time indoors, but distribution of fungi spores the indoor and outdoor invironment is not well known in this country. The aim of this study was to measure fungus spores indoor and outdoor environment simultaneously and to investigate any relationships in fungus spores between indoor and outdoor environments. METHOD: We collected samples from 198 households from September to November, 1999. Burkard Personal Volumetric Air Sampler was used to collect airborne fungus spores. RESULTS: Mean number of indoor spores was 603 sp/m2 and 1,214 sp/m2 for outdoors. Cladosporium was the most predominant fungus both indoors and outdoors, followed by Leptospheria spp., Massarina spp., Alternaria spp. in order from September( indoor 928 sp/m2, outdoor 2,123 sp/m2) to November( indoor 95 sp/m2, outdoor 344 sp/m2). There were significant correlations between number of spores, and temperature and wind velocity(p<0.05), but no significant correlations with humidity. CONCLUSION: Cladosporium spp. followed by Leptospheria, Massarina and Alternaria were the predominant fungi for both indoor and outdoor environments from September to November in Seoul.
Alternaria ; Cladosporium ; Family Characteristics ; Fungi* ; Humans ; Humidity ; Hypersensitivity ; Korea* ; Seoul* ; Spores* ; Wind

PURPOSE: We investigated the causative organism and its antibiotic susceptibility of community acquired urinary tract infection (UTI) in children at a secondary hospital to test the adequacy of the current guidelines. METHODS: Children diagnosed with UTI at the Department of Pediatrics, Kwandong University Myongji Hospital by pyuria and bacterial growth of greater than 1.0x10(5) CFU/mL on clean catch midstream urine from January 2005 to December 2008 were studied retrospectively. The epidemiologic data, causative organism, and the antibiotic susceptibility were analyzed. RESULTS: Sixty two children were diagnosed with sixty four cases of UTI's. Two bacteria were isolated in one case and thus data on 65 urine cultures were analyzed. The male:female ratio was 1.6:1 and 78.1% were less than 12 months of age. Escherichia coli was the predominant cause consisting of 53 cases (82.8%) of the cases. K. pneumoniae (5), Enterobacter (4), Enterococcus (1), beta-streptococcus (1), Diphtheroides (1) were isolated. The antibiotic resistance of E. coli were as follows; ampicillin 69.8%, cefotaxime 1.9%, gentamicin 15.1%, amikacin 0.0%, levofloxacin 1.9%, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole 26.4%. Only one case of the E. coli was extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) positive. CONCLUSION: Compared to prior reports from other tertiary hospitals in Korea, E. coli was the predominant cause in childhood UTI and the rate of ESBL positivity was low. The antibiotic resistance was also different compared to prior reports. We conclude that a difference in the cause and antibiotic resistance of childhood UTI exists between centers and this should be taken into consideration when prescribing antibiotics for childhood UTIs.
Amikacin ; Ampicillin ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria ; beta-Lactamases ; Cefotaxime ; Child ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Enterobacter ; Enterococcus ; Escherichia coli ; Gentamicins ; Humans ; Korea ; Ofloxacin ; Pediatrics ; Pneumonia ; Pyuria ; Retrospective Studies ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Urinary Tract ; Urinary Tract Infections

Cholecystectomy is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, but little is known about the relationship between gallbladder disease and colorectal adenoma. Gallbladder polyps and colorectal neoplasia (CRN) share several risk factors such as obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, which might account for their association. In this study, we investigated whether asymptomatic patients with gallbladder disease are at increased risk of CRN and identified the factors to their association. The study population consisted of 4,626 consecutive, asymptomatic individuals drawn from a prospective health check-up cohort who underwent both ultrasonography and colonoscopy screening. The prevalence of CRNs in patients with gallbladder polyps or gallstones was significantly higher than that in the control group (32.1% vs. 26.8%; P = 0.032, 35.8% vs. 26.9%; P = 0.020). A multivariate regression analysis showed that gallbladder polyps were an independent risk factor for CRN [adjusted odds ratio (OR): 1.29; 95% confidence interval (CI); 1.03-1.62] whereas gallstones were not (adjusted OR: 1.14; 95% CI: 0.79-1.63). The adjusted OR for the risk of CRN was 1.12 for gallbladder polyps < 5 mm (95% CI, 0.85-1.46) and 1.79 for gallbladder polyps > or = 5 mm (95% CI, 1.15-2.77). The prevalence of CRN increased with increasing polyp size (P trend = 0.022). Our results suggest that colorectal neoplasia is significantly related to gallbladder polyps, especially those > or = 5 mm.
Adult ; Age Distribution ; Causality ; Colorectal Neoplasms/*diagnosis/*epidemiology ; Comorbidity ; Female ; Gallbladder Diseases/*diagnosis/*epidemiology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Assessment ; Sex Distribution

PURPOSE: To compare the clinical and anterior segment anatomical features in primary angle closure sub-groups based on configurations of iris root insertion. METHODS: Primary angle closure patients were imaged using anterior segment optical coherence tomography. Anterior chamber depth, iris curvature, iris thickness (IT) at the scleral spur and 500, 750, and 1,500 µm from the scleral spur (IT(0), IT(500), IT(750), and IT(1500)), lens vault, iris area, angle opening distance (AOD(500)), angle recess area (ARA(750)), and trabecular iris space area (TISA(750)) were measured. Iris root insertion was categorized into a non-basal insertion group (NBG) and basal insertion group (BG). RESULTS: In total, 43 eyes of 39 participants belonged to the NBG and 89 eyes of 53 participants to the BG. The mean age of participants was greater in the NBG than the BG (62.7 ± 5.7 vs. 59.8 ± 7.3 years, p = 0.043), and the baseline intraocular pressure was higher in the BG than the NBG (16.4 ± 4.4 vs. 14.9 ± 3.3 mmHg, p = 0.037). The BG showed a greater IT(0) (0.265 ± 0.04 vs. 0.214 ± 0.03 mm, p < 0.001) and iris area (1.59 ± 0.24 vs. 1.52 ± 0.27 mm2, p = 0.045), lower ARA(750) (0.112 ± 0.08 vs. 0.154 ± 0.08 mm2, p = 0.017) and AOD(500) (0.165 ± 0.07 vs. 0.202 ± 0.08 mm, p = 0.014) compared to the NBG. CONCLUSIONS: The BG had a narrower anterior chamber angle, thicker peripheral iris, and higher pretreatment intraocular pressure.
Anterior Eye Segment/*diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Glaucoma, Angle-Closure/diagnosis/physiopathology/*surgery ; Gonioscopy ; Humans ; *Intraocular Pressure ; Iridectomy/*methods ; Iris/diagnostic imaging/*surgery ; Lens, Crystalline/diagnostic imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Tomography, Optical Coherence/*methods

Pulsed Doppler echocardiography was performed before and five to fifteen days (mean, 9.3 days) after mitral valve surgery to evaluate the change of pulmonary arterial pressure in 80 patients (29 males and 51 females) with mitral valve disease by preejection period (PEP)/acceleration time (AT) ratio at the right ventricular outflow tract. In 13 patients with pulmonary hypertension (mean pulmonary arterial pressure equal to or greater than 20mmHg), Doppler echocardiography was followed three to twelve months after operation. In 76 patients with a mitral valve prosthesis (15 patients with the Bjork-Shiley valve, 28 patients with the Ionescu-Shiley valve, and 33 patients with the St. Jude valve), mean transmitral pressure gradient and pressure-half time were estimated by continuous wave Doppler echocardiography five to fifteen days after operation. 1) PEP/AT Ratio by pulsed Doppler echocardiography correlated well with the mean pulmonary arterial pressure gradient by cardiac catheterization (r=0.83, p<0.001). 2) After mitral valve surgery, PEP/AT ratio decreased significantly (p<0.001). In group with mean pulmonary arterial pressure equal to or greater than 40mmHg, immmediate postoperative PEP/AT ratio was greater (P<0.05) than that in group with mean pulmonary arterial pressure less than 20 mmHg, but, difference between the preoperative and postoperative PEP/AT ratio was much greater (P<0.001) than that in group with mean pulmonary arterial pressure between 20 and 39 mmHg. 3) In 13 patients, on whom repeated Doppler echocardiography performed, PEP/AT ratio decreased immediately after mitral valve surgery (p<0.001). After then, it decreased further, but, the amount of the decrease was much smaller than immediate one (p<0.001). 4) There was no significant difference in postoperative PEP/AT ratio among the different prosthesis. Mean transmitral pressure gradient and pressure half-time of the Bjork-Shiley, Ionescu-Shiley, and St, jude valves were 3.1 mmhg and 67.3 msec, 2.9 mmHg and 65.3 msec, and 2.7 mmhg and 60.2 msec, repectively. The St.Jude valve had somewhat smaller mean transmitral pressure gradient and pressure half-time, but there was no statistical significance. In conclusion, elevated pulmonary arterial pressure in patients with mitral valve disease decreased greatly within 15 days after operation, and Doppler echocardiography was a useful method in the follow-up of prosthetic mitral valve function.
Arterial Pressure ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Echocardiography* ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Male ; Mitral Valve* ; Prostheses and Implants

PURPOSE: Inhalational therapy is now one of the major method in managing asthma. Nebulizer is widely used at home nowadays, but there has been no survey on the usage of home nebulizer in Korea yet. This study was performed using questionnaires to evaluate that how the asthmatic patients use the personal nebulizer properly as an treatment tool for asthma. METHODS: Forty-six asthmatic children living in Chunlabukdo area in Korea who use the personoa nebulizer at home from October 1999 to March 2000 were enrolled. Personal history, purpose of personal nebulizer, understanding of the instruction to use were analyzed using questionnaires. RESULTS: 1) The sex ratio was not statistically significant (M : F ratio was 1.3 : 1) and the mean age was 3.7 years. 2) Thirty-seven cases (80.4%) purchased nebulizer by doctor's recommendation. 6 cases (13.1%) by personal need without doctor's recommendation and 3 cases (6.5%) by acquaintances' recommendation. 47.8% of patients purchased through small-scale suppliers. 32.6% purchased through hospital, and 19.6% through large nebulizer manufacturers. 3) Sixty-three percents of patients had an explanations about the basic instructions to use the nebulizer. Explanations on maintenance were given only in 19.6% of total and was mostly given through large nebulizer manufacturers. 4) Proper washing with sterilization took place in 54.3%, replacement of kits and air filters were done in only 15.2% of the total, but nobody was recommended annual check up. 5) There was no difference in the techniques of using nebulizers by the parents' level of knowledge about asthma. CONCLUSION: Many problems on the usage of personal home nebulizer in asthmatic children were revealed by this study. Education of patients on how to use and manage nebulizers is necessary when prescribe or sell the nebulizers.
Air Filters ; Asthma ; Child* ; Humans ; Korea ; Nebulizers and Vaporizers* ; Patient Education as Topic ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sex Ratio ; Sterilization

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection may cause systemic inflammation and increase the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1, and interleukin-6. Unfortunately, bone mineral density also may be affected by these cytokines. This study aimed to evaluate the association between bone mineral density and H. pylori infection. METHODS: A cross-sectional study evaluated 1,126 men undergoing a comprehensive health screening in a private Korean screening center. Subjects' sera were tested for H. pylori antibodies (immunoglobulin G) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and bone mineral densities (g/cm2) of the lumbar spine, femoral neck, and total femur were obtained using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. To evaluate the difference in bone mineral density according to H. pylori infection status, the adjusted mean bone mineral densities at each site were compared after adjusting for potential confounders, including age, sex, body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, and exercise. RESULTS: H. pylori infection was associated with a significant decrease in mean lumbar bone mineral density (H. pylori-positive, 1.190 g/cm2; H. pylori-negative, 1.219 g/cm2; P=0.006), which was greatest among men who were > or =50 years old (H. pylori-positive, 1.193 g/cm2; H. pylori-negative, 1.233 g/cm2; P=0.006). However, no significant association was observed in the bone mineral densities of the total femur and femoral neck. CONCLUSION: In men, H. pylori infection was negatively associated with lumbar bone mineral density. This association may be useful in the early detection, prevention, and management of male osteoporosis.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Alcohol Drinking ; Antibodies ; Body Mass Index ; Bone Density ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Cytokines ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Femur ; Femur Neck ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-1 ; Interleukin-6 ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Osteoporosis ; Risk Factors* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Spine ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha