To preserve scientific integrity, Journal of Liver Cancer agreed with the authors that this paper be retracted.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Following sustained virological response (SVR) for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection, patients with advanced fibrosis require regular monitoring for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI) is a simple noninvasive surrogate marker known to reflect fibrosis. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 598 patients who achieved SVR with interferon-based therapy for CHC. RESULTS: Over a median of 5.1 years of follow-up, there were eight patients diagnosed with HCC and a 5-year cumulative incidence rate of 1.3%. The median pretreatment APRI was 0.83, which decreased to 0.29 after achieving SVR (p<0.001). Both the pre- and posttreatment indices were associated with HCC development. The 5-year cumulative HCC incidence rates were 0% and 2.8% for patients with pretreatment APRI <1.0 and ≥1.0, respectively (p=0.001) and 0.8% and 12.8% for patients with posttreatment APRI <1.0 and ≥1.0, respectively (p<0.001). Pretreatment APRI at a cutoff of 1.0 had a 100% negative predictive value until 10 years after SVR. CONCLUSIONS: HCC development was observed among CHC patients who achieved SVR. The pre- and post-treatment APRI could stratify HCC risk, indicating that the APRI could be a useful marker to classify HCC risk in CHC patients who achieved SVR. However, given the small number of HCC patients, this finding warrants further validation.
Aspartate Aminotransferases* ; Aspartic Acid* ; Biomarkers ; Blood Platelets* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Fibrosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis C ; Hepatitis C, Chronic* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Retrospective Studies

The therapeutic effectiveness and safety of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been clinically established, and the procedure is now generally accepted as a curative treatment for very early or early stage HCC. Recently, we observed an aggressive recurrence after RFA for HCC in 50 year-old female. RFA was performed for a 2.7 cm sized HCC, which was completely ablated. However, 7 months later, aggressive intrahepatic recurrence was observed. Herein, we report a case with a discussion.
Ablation Techniques ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Catheter Ablation* ; Female ; Humans ; Recurrence

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to evaluate skills in handling inhalers and factors associated with these skills among patients with asthma who had undergone treatment at special asthma and allergy clinics in Korea. METHODS: We enrolled 78 subjects who used Turbuhaler and 145 who used Diskus for asthma control at special clinics in 10 university hospitals and visually assessed their skills in handling these inhalers. We also evaluated skills in 137 subjects who had used pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) for symptom relief. Age, sex, duration of asthma and inhaler use, smoking status, monthly income, highest grade completed in school and previous instruction for handling inhalers were also measured to evaluate their association with overall inhaler skills. RESULTS: Performance grade was inadequate for 12.8% of participants using Turbuhaler, 6.2% for Diskus, and 23.4% for pMDIs. The success rates for each step in handling the inhalers were relatively high except for the "exhale slowly to residual volume" step, in which success rates ranged from 24.2% to 28.5%. Older age, male sex, lower educational grade, and absence of previous instruction for handling inhalers were associated with inadequate inhaler technique in univariate analysis; however, only older age and absence of previous instruction remained significant independent risk factors in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Among Korean asthmatic patients in special asthma and allergy clinics, skills in handling their inhalers were mostly excellent; meanwhile, older age and absence of previous instruction for handling inhalers were associated with inadequate techniques.
Asthma ; Handling (Psychology) ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Male ; Nebulizers and Vaporizers ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Tetranychus urticae(TU) is a widely distributed parasitic mite found on fruit trees and green house flowers. A recent investigation demonstrated that TU inhalation causes allergic asthma even in non-farmers. We tried to evaluate skin reactivity and specific IgE sensitization to TU, identify IgE binding components, and evaluate allergenic rela- tionship with house dust mite(HDM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We carried out skin prick test with TU in 1806 respiratory allergy patients over 1 year living in urban and rural areas. ELISA was performed for detection of specific IgE antibody. To evaluate the cross allergenicity between TU and HDM, ELISA inhibition test was carried out with two kinds of pooled sera ; serum pool A included patients' sera sensitized to both TU and HDM, and serum pool B included sera sensitized only to TU. To identify IgE binding components, SDS-PAGE followed by IgE-immunoblot were applied. RESULTS: 358 patients(19.8%) showed positive response(A/H > or = 2+) on skin prick test. Twelve patients showed isolated positive response to TU. Specific IgE was detected in sixty patients(54.5%) out of 110 sensitized patients. ELISA inhibition test using two sera pools (A and B) showed significant inhibitions by TU with minimal inhibitions by HDM. SDS-PAGE and IgE-immunoblot with patients' individual sera sensitized to both TU and HDM showed 10 IgE binding components (67kD, 29kD, 27kD, 10kD, 14kD, 39kD, 46kD, 35kD, 72kD, 77kD) and two(67kD and 29kD) were bound to IgE in more than 50% of sera tested. In patients' sera sensitized only to TU, nine IgE binding components(67kD, 10kD, 14kD, 29kD, 39kD, 46kD, 72kD, 77kD, 9kD) were found and two(67kD and 10kD) were bound to IgE in more than 50%. CONCLUSION: Of allergy patients visiting the Allergy Clinic, 19.8% were sensitized to TU and specific IgE was detected in 54.5% of them. No cross allergenicity was noted between TU and HDM. Eleven IgE binding components and three (67kD, 10kD and 29kD) major allergens were identified.
Allergens ; Asthma ; Dust ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Flowers ; Fruit ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E* ; Inhalation ; Mites ; Pyroglyphidae ; Skin* ; Trees

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to develop rapid and sensitive method to detect M. pneumoniae and C. pneumoniae. In addition, we prospectively investigate the prevalence of M. pneumoniae and C. pneumoniae infections in community-acquried pneumonia. METHODS: The nasopharyngeal aspirates were collected from July 1997 to April 2000. PCR or nested PCR techniques were used to detect causative agents. RFLP and nucleotide sequence analysis were performed to study molecular epidemiology. Furthermore, feasibility of one-step technique to detect two microorganisms was tested by use of multiplex PCR. RESULTS: Of 250 clinical specimens, 23 (9.2%) specimens were positive for M. pneumoniae and 33 (13.2%) for C. pneumoniae, including one dual-infected specimen. Most M. pneumoniae infection occurred during the colder months of the year. C. pneumoniae infection was predominently found between December to February. CONCLUSION: The result indicate that M. pneumoniae and C. pneumoniae infections are frequently found from patients with community-acquired pneumoniae.
Adult* ; Base Sequence ; Chlamydia* ; Chlamydophila pneumoniae* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Molecular Epidemiology ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae* ; Mycoplasma* ; Pneumonia* ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Prevalence ; Prospective Studies*

No abstract available.
Enterovirus* ; Humans ; Meningitis, Aseptic*

No abstract available.
Hemangioblastoma* ; Spinal Cord*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Hematoma*