Diagnosis ; Focus Groups ; Health Occupations ; Humans ; Information Dissemination ; Korea ; Methods ; Precision Medicine ; Qualitative Research ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Asthma ; Bronchitis ; Cohort Studies ; Cough ; Diagnosis ; Disease Management ; Eosinophils ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Humans ; Korea ; Lung Diseases ; Multivariate Analysis ; Observational Study ; Pregnant Women ; Retrospective Studies ; Tuberculosis

Cohort Studies ; Coinfection ; Hepatitis B virus ; HIV Infections ; HIV ; Humans ; Immunization, Secondary ; Korea ; Parturition ; Prevalence ; Vaccination

PURPOSE: The pollen calendar is the simplest forecasting method for pollen concentrations. As pollen concentrations are liable to seasonal variations due to alterations in climate and land-use, it is necessary to update the pollen calendar using recent data. To attenuate the impact of considerable temporal and spatial variability in pollen concentrations on the pollen calendar, it is essential to employ a new methodology for its creation.METHODS: A pollen calendar was produced in Korea using data from recent observations, and a new method for creating the calendar was proposed, considering both risk levels and temporal resolution of pollen concentrations. A probability distribution was used for smoothing concentrations and determining risk levels. Airborne pollen grains were collected between 2007 and 2017 at 8 stations; 13 allergenic pollens, including those of alder, Japanese cedar, birch, hazelnut, oak, elm, pine, ginkgo, chestnut, grasses, ragweed, mugwort and Japanese hop, were identified from the collected grains.RESULTS: The concentrations of each pollen depend on locations and seasons due to large variability in species distribution and their environmental condition. In the descending order of concentration, pine, oak and Japanese hop pollens were found to be the most common in Korea. The pollen concentrations were high in spring and autumn, and those of oak and Japanese hop were probably the most common cause of allergy symptoms in spring and autumn, respectively. High Japanese cedar pollen counts were observed in Jeju, while moderate concentrations were in Jeonju, Gwangju and Busan.CONCLUSIONS: A new methodology for the creation of a pollen calendar was developed to attenuate the impact of large temporal and spatial variability in pollen concentrations. This revised calendar should be available to the public and allergic patients to prevent aggravation of pollen allergy.
Alnus ; Ambrosia ; Artemisia ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Betula ; Busan ; Climate ; Corylus ; Cryptomeria ; Forecasting ; Ginkgo biloba ; Gwangju ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Jeollabuk-do ; Korea ; Methods ; Poaceae ; Pollen ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal ; Seasons

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence and development of de novo malignancy (DNM) after liver transplantation (LT) are the major causes of late recipient death.METHODS: We analyzed the incidence of extrahepatic DNM following living donor LT according to the status of pretransplant hepatic malignancy. We selected 2,076 adult patients who underwent primary LDLT during 7 years from January 2010 to December 2016.RESULTS: The pretransplant hepatic malignancy group (n = 1,012) showed 45 cases (4.4%) of the following extrahepatic DNMs: posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) in 10; lung cancer in 10; stomach cancer in 6; colorectal cancer in 5; urinary bladder cancer in 3; and other cancers in 11. The pretransplant no hepatic malignancy group (n = 1,064) showed 25 cases (2.3%) of the following extrahepatic DNMs: colorectal cancer in 3; stomach cancer in 3; leukemia in 3; lung cancer in 3; PTLD in 2; prostate cancer in 2; and other cancers in 9. Incidences of extrahepatic DNM in the pretransplant hepatic malignancy and no hepatic malignancy groups were as follows: 1.1% and 0.5% at 1 year, 3.2% and 2.0% at 3 years, 4.6% and 2.5% at 5 years, and 5.4% and 2.8% at 8 years, respectively (P = 0.006). Their overall patient survival rates were as follows: 97.3% and 97.2% at 1 year, 91.6% and 95.9% at 3 years, 89.8% and 95.4% at 5 years, and 89.2% and 95.4% at 8 years, respectively (P < 0.001). Pretransplant hepatic malignancy was the only significant risk factor for posttransplant extrahepatic DNM.CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that patients who had pretransplant hepatic malignancy be followed up more strictly because they have a potential risk of primary hepatic malignancy recurrence as well as a higher risk of extrahepatic DNM than patients without pretransplant hepatic malignancy.

Cutaneous pseudolymphoma is a heterogeneous group of benign reactive T- or B-cell lymphoproliferative diseases of the skin that simulate cutaneous lymphomas histologically and, sometimes, clinically. Thus far, only a few cases of pseudolymphomas showing atypical clinical manifestations have been reported. A 10-month-old boy presented with multiple flesh-colored, yellowish erythematous disseminated papules on the face, abdomen, and arms. The cutaneous lesions morphologically resembled molluscum contagiosum, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, or juvenile xanthogranuloma. Punch biopsy and immunohistochemistry studies were performed, and the lesion was identified as a cutaneous B-cell pseudolymphoma. Most of the lesions were cleared within a month with systemic corticosteroids and oral antihistamine administration. In this report, we present an interesting rare case of infantile cutaneous B-cell pseudolymphoma mimicking many other dermatological diseases in addition to a cutaneous lymphoma.

Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome is an adverse drug reaction that is difficult to predict. It is characterized by fever, skin rash, and internal organ involvement that usually manifests 2∼6 weeks after use of the culprit drug. The antihyperglycemic agent sitagliptin is commonly used for treating diabetes mellitus, and sitagliptin-induced DRESS syndrome has not been previously reported in Korea. Herein, we report a case of DRESS syndrome after sitagliptin use; these observations may contribute to the timely diagnosis of sitagliptin induced DRESS syndrome and help reduce associated complications or morbidities.

Background: The hair pull test is a quick and easy examination to monitor hair loss. It was recently studied in a large group consisting primarily of Caucasians. Considering the ethnic differences in hair and follicles characteristics, hair pull test results could differ in Asians, including Koreans. Objective: To determine the normal hair pull test value in Koreans and which factors influenced the results. Methods: After the participants (n=102) completed a questionnaire, the experimenter performed the hair pull test on five parts of the scalp including the vertex, right parietal, left parietal, occipital, and frontal areas in two different methods. Results: The normal hair pull test value among the Koreans in this study was less than 1. The results were not affected by tugging (p=0.628) or site (p=0.934). No significant differences in results were observed regardless of time since the last washing (p=0.319) or brushing (p=0.851). However, participants over 50 years of age (p=0.035), those who washed their hair less than once daily (p=0.000), and those who never used a dryer (p=0.037) showed significantly increased values, with normal values of less than 2, while those who washed their hair before sleep showed significantly lower values (p=0.027). Conclusion The normal hair pull test value in Koreans was less than 1, less than that in Caucasians. Age, number of washings per day, and the use of a dryer affected the hair pull test results. Therefore, care must be taken when interpreting the results.

Bee pollen is a mixture made by worker bees and consists of pollen, nectar, and salivary secretions. Due to its abundant nutritional and medicinal effects, people are consuming bee pollen increasingly these days. By the way, some of the elements of bee pollen, such as pollen and fungus, can cause allergic reactions. Anaphylaxis is the most common symptom and other symptoms such as bronchospasm, abdominal pain and urticaria can occur. But localized cutaneous bee pollen allergy has never been reported. A 29-year-old man presented with erythematous vesicular patches on the lower abdomen 3 months ago. The skin biopsy specimen showed a subcorneal pustule filled with eosinophilic microabscess, perivascular eosinophilic infiltration, and epidermal spongiosis. He was diagnosed with skin allergy caused by bee pollen. He stopped ingesting bee pollen and was treated with oral antihistamines and a topical steroid. We report this case because of its unique clinical and histological appearance.