PURPOSE: Allergic diseases have been increased in Korea. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes of sensitization rate to inhalant allergens over 10 years in children with allergic diseases from a tertiary referral hospital. METHODS: Skin prick tests were done in total 2,225 children in 2000, 2005, and 2010. Changes of skin reactivity to 12 major inhalant allergens, including Tree pollen mixture I (Alder, Elm, Hazel, Poplar, Willow), Tree pollen mixture II (Beech, Birch, Oak, Plane tree), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farina, Alternaria, cat dander, and dog dander were investigated. RESULTS: The sensitization rates to Tree pollen mixture I and II were increased as 5.0%, 6.8% in 2000, 8.5%, 9.8% in 2005, and 14.8%, 17.3% in 2010, respectively (trend P<0.001, P<0.001, respectively). And the sensitization rates to D. pteronyssinus cat dander and dog dander were changed as 55%, 4.8%, 4.8% in 2000, 62.2%, 11.9%, 28% in 2005, and 63.1%, 12.7%, 16.7% in 2010, respectively. The distribution of sensitized pollens was oak (12.8%), beech (12.4%), pine (10.3%), birch (10%), hazel (9.6%), alder (8%), elder (6.9%), elm (5.4%) in the study of 2010. When allergen/histamine ratio was compared, rates of strong sensitization over 4+ to tree pollen were increased. CONCLUSION: The sensitization rates to inhalant allergens were increased in children with asthma or allergic rhinitis from a tertiary referral hospital in Seoul over last 10 years. Especially, an increase in the degree of skin reactivity was observed in cat dander, dog dander, and tree pollens. The studies to investigate the etiology of this increase and prevention will be needed.
Allergens ; Alnus ; Alternaria ; Animals ; Asthma* ; Betula ; Cats ; Child* ; Dander ; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus ; Dogs ; Fagus ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Korea ; Pollen ; Pyroglyphidae ; Rhinitis* ; Seoul ; Skin ; Tertiary Care Centers*

OBJECTIVES: Diabetes and obesity each increases mortality, but recent papers have shown that lean Asian persons were at greater risk for mortality than were obese persons. The objective of this study is to determine whether an interaction exists between body mass index (BMI) and diabetes, which can modify the risk of death by cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHODS: Subjects who were over 20 years of age, and who had information regarding BMI, past history of diabetes, and fasting blood glucose levels (n=16 048), were selected from the Korea Multi-center Cancer Cohort study participants. By 2008, a total of 1290 participants had died; 251 and 155 had died of CVD and stroke, respectively. The hazard for deaths was calculated with hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) by Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: Compared with the normal population, patients with diabetes were at higher risk for CVD and stroke deaths (HR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.33 to 2.56; HR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.20 to 2.76; respectively). Relative to subjects with no diabetes and normal BMI (21 to 22.9 kg/m2), lean subjects with diabetes (BMI <21 kg/m2) had a greater risk for CVD and stroke deaths (HR, 2.83; 95% CI, 1.57 to 5.09; HR, 3.27; 95% CI, 1.58 to 6.76; respectively), while obese subjects with diabetes (BMI > or =25 kg/m2) had no increased death risk (p-interaction <0.05). This pattern was consistent in sub-populations with no incidence of hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that diabetes in lean people is more critical to CVD deaths than it is in obese people.
Aged ; Blood Glucose/analysis ; *Body Mass Index ; Cardiovascular Diseases/etiology/*mortality ; Cohort Studies ; Diabetes Complications ; Diabetes Mellitus/*pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Risk Factors ; Stroke/etiology/mortality

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine in vitro development of early preimplantation mouse embryos in various kind of serum-free conditioned media (SF-VCM) manufactured from DMEM cultured with Vero Cells. METHODS: A total of 846 two-cell mouse embryos were cultured in different kind of SF-VCM. SF-VCMs were divided into SF-VCM-10, -30 and -50 by media volume using DMEM #1 media, and divided into SF-VCM #1, #2 and #3 by controlled concentration of glucose and pyruvate (manufactured by DMEM #1: mixed three volume of DMEM-G (DMEM with glutamine without glucose and pyruvate) and one volume of DMEM-GGP (DMEM with glutamine, glucose, pyruvate), #2: mixed same volume of DMEM-G and DMEM-GGP and #3: mixed one volume of DMEM-G and three volume of DMEM-GGP, respectively). Experimental groups were mainly added 10% SSS, and 20% hFF was added to only Control group co-cultured with Vero cells. Development of embryos was observed every 24 hours. Results between different groups were analyzed using Chi-square test, and considered statistically significant when P-value was less than 0.05. RESULTS: In vitro developmental rate by each cleavage stages of mouse embryos cultured in SF-VCMs with a various volumes were significantly (P<0.05) higher in SF-VCM-30 (morula< or =: 97.2%, Blastocyst (BL)< or =: 97.2%, Hatching BL< or =: 82.2%) than other groups. In the rate of development on in vitro co-culture vs. a various SF-VCMs manufactured by DMEM controlled concentration of glucose and pyruvate, Group I (SF-VCM #1) was higher than other groups in each cleavage stages (morula< or =: 98.1%, Blastocyst (BL)< or =: 97.1%, hatching BL< or =: 81.7%, respectively). Moreover, specially, in the developmental rate into the hatching blastocyst < or = after 96 hours in vitro culture, Group I (81.7%) was significantly higher than control group (67.6%, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: SF-VCM #1 manufactured by volume of 30 mL DMEM #1 media cultured in vitro for 48 hours in 250 mL flask was the most effective on in vitro developmental rate of mouse preimplantation embryos. Therefore, it is expected that SF-VCM #1 has application to human IVF-ET.
Animals ; Blastocyst ; Coculture Techniques ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; Embryonic Structures ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Glucose ; Glutamine ; Humans ; Mice ; Pyruvic Acid ; Vero Cells

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We assessed twelve cases of suspected chronic pesticide intoxication, with medically unexplained physical symptoms. METHODS: Complete blood cell count (CBC), blood chemistry, routine urinalysis, chest X-ray, ECG, gastrofiberscopy, abdominal ultrasonography, neuroselective sensory nerve conduction threshold, and psychological assessment were performed on 12 farmers who believe themselves to have suffered from chronic pesticide intoxication. RESULTS: No specific abnormalities were observed on CBC, routine urinalysis, chest X-ray, ECG, gastroscopy, abdominal ultrasonography, or peripheral nerve conduction velocity test. They persistently manifested helplessness, depression, and anxiety. The results of both psychological assessment and general physical examination revealed the following clinical features: depression (8 cases), multiple chemical hypersensitivity syndrome (2 cases), alcoholism (1 case), and religious preoccupation (1 case). CONCLUSION: In those living in the western rural area of South Korea, depression is a prominent ongoing presentation in pesticide-exposed farmers, in addition to unexplainable physical symptoms.
Aged ; Agricultural Workers' Diseases/*diagnosis/psychology ; Chronic Disease ; Environmental Illness/*diagnosis/psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Observation ; *Occupational Exposure ; Pesticides/*poisoning ; Psychological Tests

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, decreased physical activity is considered to be a contributor to increase the prevalence of many diseases such as obesity, coronary heart disease and so on. Many researches demonstrated that regular physical activity reduce all cause mortality. To increase the physical activities of the population, accurate estimation of the activities is needed. Actical and actigraph are confirmed as accurate tools to measure physical activities. But the target populations of the validity studies were not Asian people. Therefore, the accuracy of the accelerometers should be confirmed in Asian people. The accuracy of the tools could be different. Therefore head to head comparison study between the tools would be needed. METHODS: Thirty volunteers from the community, ages over 20 yrs, were recruited. The participants put on the two accelerometers (Actical, Actigraph) on the waists, secured with elastic belts, and performed a session of rest and three structured activities (two walking speeds, 4 km/hr and 6 km/hr, and one jogging speed, 8 km/hr). During each activity, expired respiratory gases were collected, and oxygen consumption (VO2) was measured by indirect calorimetry (Model Quark beta2(R)). The calories measured by gas analyzer and two accelerometers were compared by correlation analysis using SPSS program. RESULTS: Pearson correlation coefficient between gas analyzer and two accelerometers was calculated at three structured activities. The r in Actical was 0.747, 0.785, and 0.677, at speed of 4, 6, 8 km/hr, respectively (P<0.05), and the same measures in Actigraph was 0.617, 0.737, and 0.530 (P<0.05), respectively. Pearson correlation coefficient was also calculated between the two accelerometers, and the r was 0.881, 0.927, and 0.824, at each speed. CONCLUSION: The Actical and Actigraph are valid tools for measuring physical activities in Korean people.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Calorimetry, Indirect ; Coronary Disease ; Gases ; Head ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; Humans ; Jogging ; Motor Activity ; Obesity ; Oxygen Consumption ; Prevalence ; Walking

PURPOSE: Isosulfan blue dye has been widely used for localizing sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in breast cancer patients. The use of methylene blue has recently been applied for localizing SLNs. We compared the use of each dye to investigate the effectiveness of methylene blue for the localization of SLNs. METHODS: From January to December of 2005, 326 patients underwent surgery for breast cancer at Samsung Medical Center. In 86 patients, only a blue dye was used for SLN localization. Isosulfan blue and methylene blue were randomly given. Each dye (5 mL) was given by subareolar or peritumoral injection. The injection site was gently massaged with a warm gauze for 5 min. A frozen biopsy was performed for all SLNs, and an axillary dissection was done for positive frozen biopsy cases or cases in which axillary metastasis was clinically suspected. RESULTS: Fifty-eight cases (61.1%) had been treated with isosulfan blue and 37 cases (38.9%) had been treated with methylene blue. Blue nodes were found in 96.6% of samples in the isosulfan blue group and 86.5% of samples in the methylene blue group. The mean number of SLNs was 2.10 in the isosulfan blue group and 2.27 in the methylene blue group (p>0.05). The frozen biopsy was positive for malignant cells in 16 of 56 cases in the isosulfan blue group and 4 of 32 cases in the methylene blue group. Axillary lymph node dissection was performed in 23 cases in the isosulfan blue group and 19 cases in the methylene blue group. CONCLUSION: There are no significant differences in the success rate, the mean number of SLNs found and the false negative rate between the use of isosulfan blue and methylene blue for localization of SLNs in breast cancer patients.
Biopsy ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes* ; Methylene Blue* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy

Angiogenesis is considered to be an integral process to the growth and spread of solid tumors. Anti-angiogenesis therapy recently has been found to be one of the most promising anti-cancer therapeutic strategies. In this study, we provide several lines of evidences showing that KR-31831, a new benzopyran derivative, has anti-angiogenic activities. KR-31831 inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion and tube formation of bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs), and suppressed the release of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) of BAECs. KR-31831 also inhibited in vivo angiogenesis in mouse Matrigel plug assay. Furthermore, the mRNA expressions of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), fibroblast growth factor receptor-2 (FGFR-2), and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) were decreased by KR-31831. Taken together, these results suggest that KR-31831 acts as a novel angiogenesis inhibitor and might be useful for treating hypervascularized cancers.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2/metabolism ; Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 2/metabolism ; Neovascularization, Physiologic/drug effects ; Neovascularization, Pathologic/*drug therapy ; Models, Biological ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2/metabolism ; Male ; Ischemia/drug therapy ; Imidazoles/*pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2/metabolism ; Endothelial Cells/drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Cell Movement/drug effects ; Cattle ; Benzopyrans/*pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Animals ; Angiogenesis Inhibitors/*pharmacology/therapeutic use

BACKGROUND: Density patterns on mammography have been related to the risk factors for breast cancer in the western countries. High mammographic density appears to confer a 4-fold risk of breast cancer. While the proportion of high-density mammography is higher in Korean women than in Caucasian women, the incidence of breast cancer in Korean women is considerably lower. Therefore, we examined if the mammographic breast density pattern correlates with the risk factors for breast cancer in Korean women. METHODS: In a cross-sectional design, we recruited 1,758 pre- and post-menopause women without prior history of breast cancer and breast surgery who underwent screening mammogram and completed a self-administered questionnaire in 6 general hospitals. On the basis of ACR BI RADS breast composition, four density patterns were classified in caudocranial and mediolateral mammography by a designated radiologist in each hospital. Multiple linear logistic regression was used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: Inter-rater reliability between the initial report and the report made by another blinded radiologist was high (Pearson's co-efficient=0.81). Overall, the age, body mass index, family history of breast cancer, and duration of hormone replacement therapy correlated with the mammographic density patterns. In pre-menopausal women, the high body mass index and parity (=2) were associated with low mammographic density. In post- menopausal women, older age, high body mass index, negative family history of breast cancer, and duration of hormone replacement therapy were associated with low mammographic density. CONCLUSION: Our data showed that the mammographic breast density patterns correlated with risk factors for breast cancer in Korean women. While the proportion of high-density mammography is higher in Korean women, the incidence of breast cancer is lower than in the western population. This maybe dependent on other unknown factors. (J Korean Acad Fam Med 2006;27: 33-41)
Body Mass Index ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Female ; Hormone Replacement Therapy ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Incidence ; Logistic Models ; Mammography ; Mass Screening ; Parity ; Postmenopause ; Risk Factors* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: Cryopreservation of pancreas islet cells can facilitate the clinical islet transplantation by giving a means of storage of islets and immunomodulation on pancreatic islet preparations. METHODS: Pancreatic islets were isolated by standard technique using collagenase in rat. Cryopreservation was performed by using DMSO as a cryoprotectant after one day or 48 hr culture. Recovery rate, viability and insulin release in assay in vitro and vivo were checked under the various conditions, such as concentration of DMSO (1.5 M or 2.0 M), culture condition (1 day or 2 day), and taurine treatment. RESULTS: Percentage of recovery of cryopreserved islet was 56.8+/-10% after thawing. Viability was decreased from 97.2+/-1.1% before cryopreservation to 82.7+/-9.9% after thawing. Glucose stimulation index was reduced from 1.7+/-0.2 before cryopreservation to 1.2+/-0.8 after thawing. Nucleation method by metal rod showed better viability than control (no nucleation) or chamber nucleation method. Mean viability and glucose stimulation index was 81% and 1.5 in one day culture, and 84.2% and 1.2 in 2 day culture before cryopreservtion. Islet treated with taurine showed better insulin release and intracellular insulin content compared with non treated islets before and after cryopreservation. When 4000 IEQ (Islet Equivalent) of islets treated with taurine and non treated cryopreserved islets were transplanted into syngenic streptozotocin induced diabetic rat, all showed normoglycemia over 60 days. CONCLUSION: Cryopreservation of islets could give a tool of storage with preservation of islet secretion function. However pertinent effort to improve the recovery is needed in order to be used in the clinical islet transplantation.
Animals ; Collagenases ; Cryopreservation* ; Dimethyl Sulfoxide ; Glucose ; Immunomodulation ; Insulin ; Islets of Langerhans Transplantation ; Islets of Langerhans* ; Pancreas* ; Rats* ; Streptozocin ; Taurine

PURPOSE: To identify the characteristic ultrasonographic findings of the normal appendix in children in order to detect it more easily and so to exclude acute appendicitis from a diagnosis with more confidence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among 64 patients presenting with right lower quadrant pain, 44 patients, excluding 15 patients diagnosed as acute appendicitis and 5 patients with non-visualization of the appendix due to severe ileus and obesity, were evaluated for the point of incidence, the thickness and the presence of folding of the inner hypoechoic band of the normal appendix. The age of the patients ranged from 3 to 15 years with a mean age of 6.5 years. Two patients were operated on and we correlated the preoperative ultrasonographic findings with the histologic findings. RESULTS: In all the cases of the 44 patients with normal appendix, the inner hypoechoic band was discovered, which was seen as a linear structure without folding along the whole length of appendix. This measured as 0.75 mm (0.3-1.5 mm) for the mean thickness. The inner hypoechoic band corresponded to the mucosal layer that had abundant lymphoid tissue on the histologic examination. CONCLUSION:For the pediatric normal appendix, the inner hypoechoic band without folding is present, and this corresponds to the mucosal layer with abundant lymphoid tissue.
Appendicitis ; Appendix* ; Child* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Ileus ; Incidence ; Lymphoid Tissue ; Obesity ; Ultrasonography*