Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between mast cell (MC) density in rosacea-affected skin and the expression of key inflammatory mediators, including IL-6, TNF-α, and cathelicidin LL-37. By comparing lesions rich in MCs with those having fewer MCs, we sought to elucidate the role of MCs in the inflammatory mechanisms underlying rosacea pathogenesis.

Methods: Specimens were collected from 20 patients diagnosed with rosacea who attended the outpatient clinic between 2008 and 2013. Each specimen underwent staining using hematoxylin/eosin, Giemsa, IL-6, LL-37, and TNF-α for both histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses. The number of stained cells was counted across 10 randomly selected dermal layers at a magnification of ×400 using light microscopy. The results were categorized based on the number of MCs counted: more than 10 MCs were classified as MC-rich, and 10 or fewer MCs as MC-poor.

Results: Among the 20 patients (10 MC-rich and 10 MC-poor), the MC-rich group demonstrated significantly higher MC counts than the MC-poor group (P<0.001). However, there were no significant differences in the expression levels of IL-6, LL-37, or TNF-α between the two groups. Additionally, MC density did not show any significant associations with patient demographics, clinical characteristics, or systemic comorbidities.

Conclusion: Increased MC density was not associated with differences in IL-6, TNF-α, or LL-37 expression in rosacea lesions. These findings suggest that MC infiltration may not directly influence the inflammatory mediator profile in rosacea. Further research is required to identify distinctive pathological features or markers that can elucidate the mechanisms of rosacea.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between mast cell (MC) density in rosacea-affected skin and the expression of key inflammatory mediators, including IL-6, TNF-α, and cathelicidin LL-37. By comparing lesions rich in MCs with those having fewer MCs, we sought to elucidate the role of MCs in the inflammatory mechanisms underlying rosacea pathogenesis.

Methods: Specimens were collected from 20 patients diagnosed with rosacea who attended the outpatient clinic between 2008 and 2013. Each specimen underwent staining using hematoxylin/eosin, Giemsa, IL-6, LL-37, and TNF-α for both histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses. The number of stained cells was counted across 10 randomly selected dermal layers at a magnification of ×400 using light microscopy. The results were categorized based on the number of MCs counted: more than 10 MCs were classified as MC-rich, and 10 or fewer MCs as MC-poor.

Results: Among the 20 patients (10 MC-rich and 10 MC-poor), the MC-rich group demonstrated significantly higher MC counts than the MC-poor group (P<0.001). However, there were no significant differences in the expression levels of IL-6, LL-37, or TNF-α between the two groups. Additionally, MC density did not show any significant associations with patient demographics, clinical characteristics, or systemic comorbidities.

Conclusion: Increased MC density was not associated with differences in IL-6, TNF-α, or LL-37 expression in rosacea lesions. These findings suggest that MC infiltration may not directly influence the inflammatory mediator profile in rosacea. Further research is required to identify distinctive pathological features or markers that can elucidate the mechanisms of rosacea.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between mast cell (MC) density in rosacea-affected skin and the expression of key inflammatory mediators, including IL-6, TNF-α, and cathelicidin LL-37. By comparing lesions rich in MCs with those having fewer MCs, we sought to elucidate the role of MCs in the inflammatory mechanisms underlying rosacea pathogenesis.

Methods: Specimens were collected from 20 patients diagnosed with rosacea who attended the outpatient clinic between 2008 and 2013. Each specimen underwent staining using hematoxylin/eosin, Giemsa, IL-6, LL-37, and TNF-α for both histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses. The number of stained cells was counted across 10 randomly selected dermal layers at a magnification of ×400 using light microscopy. The results were categorized based on the number of MCs counted: more than 10 MCs were classified as MC-rich, and 10 or fewer MCs as MC-poor.

Results: Among the 20 patients (10 MC-rich and 10 MC-poor), the MC-rich group demonstrated significantly higher MC counts than the MC-poor group (P<0.001). However, there were no significant differences in the expression levels of IL-6, LL-37, or TNF-α between the two groups. Additionally, MC density did not show any significant associations with patient demographics, clinical characteristics, or systemic comorbidities.

Conclusion: Increased MC density was not associated with differences in IL-6, TNF-α, or LL-37 expression in rosacea lesions. These findings suggest that MC infiltration may not directly influence the inflammatory mediator profile in rosacea. Further research is required to identify distinctive pathological features or markers that can elucidate the mechanisms of rosacea.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between mast cell (MC) density in rosacea-affected skin and the expression of key inflammatory mediators, including IL-6, TNF-α, and cathelicidin LL-37. By comparing lesions rich in MCs with those having fewer MCs, we sought to elucidate the role of MCs in the inflammatory mechanisms underlying rosacea pathogenesis.

Methods: Specimens were collected from 20 patients diagnosed with rosacea who attended the outpatient clinic between 2008 and 2013. Each specimen underwent staining using hematoxylin/eosin, Giemsa, IL-6, LL-37, and TNF-α for both histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses. The number of stained cells was counted across 10 randomly selected dermal layers at a magnification of ×400 using light microscopy. The results were categorized based on the number of MCs counted: more than 10 MCs were classified as MC-rich, and 10 or fewer MCs as MC-poor.

Results: Among the 20 patients (10 MC-rich and 10 MC-poor), the MC-rich group demonstrated significantly higher MC counts than the MC-poor group (P<0.001). However, there were no significant differences in the expression levels of IL-6, LL-37, or TNF-α between the two groups. Additionally, MC density did not show any significant associations with patient demographics, clinical characteristics, or systemic comorbidities.

Conclusion: Increased MC density was not associated with differences in IL-6, TNF-α, or LL-37 expression in rosacea lesions. These findings suggest that MC infiltration may not directly influence the inflammatory mediator profile in rosacea. Further research is required to identify distinctive pathological features or markers that can elucidate the mechanisms of rosacea.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between mast cell (MC) density in rosacea-affected skin and the expression of key inflammatory mediators, including IL-6, TNF-α, and cathelicidin LL-37. By comparing lesions rich in MCs with those having fewer MCs, we sought to elucidate the role of MCs in the inflammatory mechanisms underlying rosacea pathogenesis.

Methods: Specimens were collected from 20 patients diagnosed with rosacea who attended the outpatient clinic between 2008 and 2013. Each specimen underwent staining using hematoxylin/eosin, Giemsa, IL-6, LL-37, and TNF-α for both histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses. The number of stained cells was counted across 10 randomly selected dermal layers at a magnification of ×400 using light microscopy. The results were categorized based on the number of MCs counted: more than 10 MCs were classified as MC-rich, and 10 or fewer MCs as MC-poor.

Results: Among the 20 patients (10 MC-rich and 10 MC-poor), the MC-rich group demonstrated significantly higher MC counts than the MC-poor group (P<0.001). However, there were no significant differences in the expression levels of IL-6, LL-37, or TNF-α between the two groups. Additionally, MC density did not show any significant associations with patient demographics, clinical characteristics, or systemic comorbidities.

Conclusion: Increased MC density was not associated with differences in IL-6, TNF-α, or LL-37 expression in rosacea lesions. These findings suggest that MC infiltration may not directly influence the inflammatory mediator profile in rosacea. Further research is required to identify distinctive pathological features or markers that can elucidate the mechanisms of rosacea.

Background: Occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) is prevalent among hairdressers due to frequent exposure to chemicals like hair dyes and bleaching agents. Despite the risks, awareness among hairdressers remains low, leading to underreporting and inadequate preventive measures. Objective: This study evaluated hairdressers’ awareness of harmful hair dye ingredients, their experiences with OCD, and the association with product usage patterns. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 100 hairdressers in Korea examined the relationship between work experience, product usage, and OCD. Chi-square tests and multivariate regression identified significant correlations. Results: Among the participants, 51% reported experiencing adverse skin reactions, with the hands being the most commonly affected area. Longer work experience as a hairdresser was significantly associated with the occurrence of adverse effects ( p=0.046). Notably, shampoo was identified as a suspected causative material significantly more often by the severe group compared to the non-severe group (28.0% vs. 3.8%, p=0.04). Conclusion Chemical exposure and frequent wet work contribute to high rates of OCD among hairdressers. Poor glove usage, especially during shampooing due to inconvenience, is a major risk factor. Raising awareness, promoting proper glove use, and improving workplace safety training are essential for reducing these skin conditions.

Enterococcus faecium, particularly in its multidrug-resistant forms, causes invasive nosocomial infections. Given the limited data comparing the effectiveness of the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) and the CLSI clinical breakpoints (CBPs) for quinupristin–dalfopristin (QD) resistance and the need to evaluate their practical application, we retrospectively investigated the susceptibility patterns of 287 E.faecium bloodstream isolates from Korean hospitals to QD using the updated EUCAST and CLSI CBPs and two antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods: disk diffusion (DD) and Sensititre broth microdilution (Sensititre). QD resistance rates were 5.9% (CLSI) and 18.8% (EUCAST) for DD and 22.6% (CLSI) and 28.2% (EUCAST) for Sensititre. The most prevalent QD resistance gene types among QD-resistant isolates were ermB+msrC+ or ermB– msrC+. Categorical agreement between DD and Sensititre ranged from 77.7% to 90.7%, depending on the testing method and CBPs applied. The EUCAST zone diameter CBPs more effectively help identify QD-resistant E. faecium isolates using the DD method than the CLSI zone diameter CBPs. In comparison, the CLSI minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) CBPs provide more reliable results for resistance classification in the Sensititre method than EUCAST MIC CBPs. These findings would help improve clinical decision-making for treating multidrug-resistant E. faecium infections.

Purpose: This study compared the diagnostic performance of quantitative ultrasonography (QUS) with that of conventional ultrasonography (US) in assessing hepatic steatosis among individuals undergoing health screening using magnetic resonance imaging–derived proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) as the reference standard. Methods: This single-center prospective study enrolled 427 participants who underwent abdominal MRI and US. Measurements included the attenuation coefficient in tissue attenuation imaging (TAI) and the scatter-distribution coefficient in tissue scatter-distribution imaging (TSI). The correlation between QUS and MRI-PDFF was evaluated. The diagnostic capabilities of QUS, conventional B-mode US, and their combined models for detecting hepatic fat content of ≥5% (MRI-PDFF ≥5%) and ≥10% (MRI-PDFF ≥10%) were compared by analyzing the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves. Additionally, clinical risk factors influencing the diagnostic performance of QUS were identified using multivariate linear regression analyses. Results: TAI and TSI were strongly correlated with MRI-PDFF (r=0.759 and r=0.802, respectively; both P<0.001) and demonstrated good diagnostic performance in detecting and grading hepatic steatosis. The combination of QUS and B-mode US resulted in the highest areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) (0.947 and 0.975 for detecting hepatic fat content of ≥5% and ≥10%, respectively; both P<0.05), compared to TAI, TSI, or B-mode US alone (AUCs: 0.887, 0.910, 0.878 for ≥5% and 0.951, 0.922, 0.875 for ≥10%, respectively). The independent determinants of QUS included skinliver capsule distance (β=7.134), hepatic fibrosis (β=4.808), alanine aminotransferase (β=0.202), triglyceride levels (β=0.027), and diabetes mellitus (β=3.710). Conclusion QUS is a useful and effective screening tool for detecting and grading hepatic steatosis during health checkups.

Purpose: We investigated potentially promising imaging findings and their combinations in the evaluation of cognitive decline. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 138 patients with subjective cognitive impairments, who underwent brain MRI. We classified the same group of patients into Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and non-AD groups, based on the neuropsychiatric evaluation. We analyzed imaging findings, including white matter hyperintensity (WMH) and cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), using the Kruskal–Wallis test for group comparison, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis for assessing the diagnostic performance of imaging findings. Results: CMBs in the lobar or deep locations demonstrated higher prevalence in the patients with AD compared to those in the non-AD group. The presence of lobar CMBs combined with periventricular WMH (area under the ROC curve [AUC] = 0.702 [95% confidence interval: 0.599–0.806], p < 0.001) showed the highest performance in differentiation of AD from non-AD group. Conclusion Combinations of imaging findings can serve as useful additive diagnostic tools in the assessment of cognitive decline.

Purpose: We investigated potentially promising imaging findings and their combinations in the evaluation of cognitive decline. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 138 patients with subjective cognitive impairments, who underwent brain MRI. We classified the same group of patients into Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and non-AD groups, based on the neuropsychiatric evaluation. We analyzed imaging findings, including white matter hyperintensity (WMH) and cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), using the Kruskal–Wallis test for group comparison, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis for assessing the diagnostic performance of imaging findings. Results: CMBs in the lobar or deep locations demonstrated higher prevalence in the patients with AD compared to those in the non-AD group. The presence of lobar CMBs combined with periventricular WMH (area under the ROC curve [AUC] = 0.702 [95% confidence interval: 0.599–0.806], p < 0.001) showed the highest performance in differentiation of AD from non-AD group. Conclusion Combinations of imaging findings can serve as useful additive diagnostic tools in the assessment of cognitive decline.