BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection leads to hepatic and extrahepatic manifestations including chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the association between HBV and CKD is not clear. This study investigated the association between chronic HBV infection and CKD in a nationwide multicenter study. METHODS: A total of 265,086 subjects who underwent health-check examinations in 33 hospitals from January 2015 to December 2015 were enrolled. HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) positive cases (n = 10,048), and age- and gender-matched HBsAg negative controls (n = 40,192) were identified. CKD was defined as a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² or proteinuria as at least grade 2+ of urine protein. RESULTS: HBsAg positive cases showed a significantly higher prevalence of GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² (3.3%), and proteinuria (18.9%) than that of the controls (2.6%, P < 0.001, and 14.1%, P < 0.001, respectively). In the multivariate analysis, HBsAg positivity was an independent factor associated with GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² along with age, blood levels of albumin, bilirubin, anemia, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Likewise, HBsAg positivity was an independent factor for proteinuria along with age, male, blood levels of bilirubin, protein, albumin, and HbA1c. A subgroup analysis showed that HBsAg positive men but not women had a significantly increased risk for GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m². CONCLUSION: Chronic HBV infection was significantly associated with a GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² and proteinuria (≥ 2+). Therefore, clinical concern about CKD in chronic HBV infected patients, especially in male, is warranted.
Anemia ; Antigens, Surface ; Bilirubin ; Case-Control Studies* ; Female ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis B, Chronic* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prevalence ; Proteinuria ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic*

BACKGROUND: Occupational exposure to crystalline silica is a potential risk factor for various systemic autoimmune diseases including systemic sclerosis. The etiology of systemic sclerosis is not conclusively known, but there are epidemiological studies that show the relationship between exposure to crystalline silica and risk of systemic sclerosis. Here we report, for the first time, two cases of crystalline silica-related systemic sclerosis in patients who worked in crystal processing in the jewelry-manufacturing field. CASE PRESENTATION: Case 1 is a 57-year-old man who had worked mainly in crystal processing for multiple jewelry-processing companies for 17 years, since the age of 15 years. He contracted tuberculosis at the age of 25 years and showed Raynaud's phenomenon of both the hands and feet at age 32 years. Digital cyanosis and sclerosis developed at approximately age 41 years. The patient was diagnosed with systemic sclerosis at age 48 years. Case 2 is a 52-year-old man who worked in crystal processing for various jewelry-processing companies for 7 years, since the age of 23 years. He first showed signs of cyanosis in the third and fourth digits of both hands at age 32 years, was diagnosed with Raynaud's syndrome at age 37 years, and was diagnosed with systemic sclerosis at age 38 years. Crystal processing is a detailed process that involves slabbing and trimming the selected amethyst and quartz crystals, which requires close proximity of the worker's face with the target area. In the 1980s and 1990s, the working hours were 12 h per day, and the working environment involved 15 workers crowded into a small, 70-m2 space with poor ventilation. CONCLUSION: Two workers who processed crystals with a maximum crystalline silica content of 56.66% developed systemic sclerosis. Considering the epidemiological and experimental evidence, exposure to crystalline silica dust was an important risk factor for systemic sclerosis. An active intervention is necessary to reduce exposure in similar exposure groups in the field of jewelry processing.
Autoimmune Diseases ; Crystallins* ; Cyanosis ; Dust ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Foot ; Hand ; Humans ; Jewelry* ; Korea* ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; Quartz ; Risk Factors ; Scleroderma, Systemic* ; Sclerosis ; Silicon Dioxide* ; Tuberculosis ; Ventilation

PURPOSE: The purpose of this article was to announce the establishment of the multicenter Korean Prostate Cancer Database (K-CaP) and to provide urologists with details about K-CaP's methodology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The initial participating K-CaP institutions include five medical centers in Korea. First, we registered prostate cancer patients who underwent radical prostatectomy as the basic background data. K-CaP is poised to combine these initial observational longitudinal studies with those of other eligible institutions as the database grows. All current prostate cancer patients in Korea are able to be registered into the Web-based database system and thereby have a role in several observational studies. The structure of the database for K-CaP was developed by matching it with the respective data from different studies. The operability of the K-CaP database system was verified by using the existing databases from three participating institutions. RESULTS: The analysis of clinicopathologic characteristics of patients with the use of the Web-based database was successfully conducted. We confirmed the accurate operation of the Web-based database system without any difficulties. CONCLUSIONS: We are announcing the establishment of K-CaP the first database of comprehensive observational longitudinal studies about prostate cancer in Korea. The database will be successfully maintained by sufficiently and continuously updating all patient data covering several treatments. Complete statistical results for registered prostate cancer patients are forthcoming for the basic background data to establish the database. Even though much trial and error are expected during the development process, we expect that K-CaP will eventually become one of the most powerful longitudinal observation databases.
Humans ; Korea ; Longitudinal Studies ; Prostate ; Prostatectomy ; Prostatic Neoplasms

BACKGROUND/AIMS: While gastric variceal bleeding (GVB) is not as prevalent as esophageal variceal bleeding, it is reportedly more serious, with high failure rates of the initial hemostasis (>30%), and has a worse prognosis than esophageal variceal bleeding. However, there is limited information regarding hemostasis and the prognosis for GVB. The aim of this study was to determine retrospectively the clinical outcomes of GVB in a multicenter study in Korea. METHODS: The data of 1,308 episodes of GVB (males:females=1062:246, age=55.0+/-11.0 years, mean+/-SD) were collected from 24 referral hospital centers in South Korea between March 2003 and December 2008. The rates of initial hemostasis failure, rebleeding, and mortality within 5 days and 6 weeks of the index bleed were evaluated. RESULTS: The initial hemostasis failed in 6.1% of the patients, and this was associated with the Child-Pugh score [odds ratio (OR)=1.619; P<0.001] and the treatment modality: endoscopic variceal ligation, endoscopic variceal obturation, and balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration vs. endoscopic sclerotherapy, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, and balloon tamponade (OR=0.221, P<0.001). Rebleeding developed in 11.5% of the patients, and was significantly associated with Child-Pugh score (OR=1.159, P<0.001) and treatment modality (OR=0.619, P=0.026). The GVB-associated mortality was 10.3%; mortality in these cases was associated with Child-Pugh score (OR=1.795, P<0.001) and the treatment modality for the initial hemostasis (OR=0.467, P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The clinical outcome for GVB was better for the present cohort than in previous reports. Initial hemostasis failure, rebleeding, and mortality due to GVB were universally associated with the severity of liver cirrhosis.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Endoscopy ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices/*diagnosis/mortality/therapy ; Female ; *Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Odds Ratio ; Prognosis ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Sclerotherapy ; Severity of Illness Index ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Bicuspid ; Dentofacial Deformities ; Mandible ; Maxilla ; Molar ; Orthognathic Surgery ; Osteotomy ; Palate ; Skeleton

Cartilage ; Facial Asymmetry ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Joints ; Malocclusion ; Mandible ; Mandibular Condyle ; Molar ; Osteochondroma ; Splints ; Therapeutic Irrigation ; Trismus

No abstract available.
Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use ; Ascites/diagnosis/prevention & control/therapy ; Cholagogues and Choleretics/therapeutic use ; Fatty Liver/diagnosis/diet therapy ; Fatty Liver, Alcoholic/diagnosis/drug therapy ; Hemorrhage/prevention & control/therapy ; Hepatic Encephalopathy/diagnosis/prevention & control/therapy ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/diagnosis/drug therapy ; Hepatitis C, Chronic/diagnosis/drug therapy ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis/*diagnosis/drug therapy/pathology/*therapy ; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary/drug therapy ; Vasodilator Agents/therapeutic use

3degrees).CONCLUSION: This study evaluated the amount of horizontal relapse, and the degree of relapse. Stable results were obtained. Although there was no statistical significance between the degree of openbite and the amount of horizontal relapse, the group with a greater amount of openbite had a greater amount of relapse.]]>
Genioplasty ; Humans ; Malocclusion ; Mandible ; Open Bite ; Organothiophosphorus Compounds ; Orthognathic Surgery ; Recurrence

Airway Obstruction ; Cervical Vertebrae ; Compensation and Redress ; Edema ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hyoid Bone ; Malocclusion ; Mouth ; Muscles ; Orthognathic Surgery ; Osteotomy, Sagittal Split Ramus ; Palate, Soft ; Recurrence ; Spine ; Tongue

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the subperiosteal tunneling technique with iliac block bone graft for bone augmentation in an edentulous alveolar ridge. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Total of 8 sites in 7 patients were included in this study. The bone height was evaluated by CBCT preoperatively and 4 months after operation. Total of 11 implants were inserted and evaluated clinically and radiographically. RESULTS: Mean value of the increased bone height was 6.29 mm and no implant failure was observed. There were no complications such as soft tissue dehiscence, exposure of the grafted bone and infection. CONCLUSION: We have achieved excellent clinical outcomes by this technique, so we concluded that it is useful for augmentation of severely deficient alveolar ridge.
Alveolar Process ; Alveolar Ridge Augmentation ; Bone Resorption ; Humans ; Transplants