Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) has been used for over a century and has been demonstrated to be effective in treating patients with various allergic diseases. AIT allergens can be administered through various routes, including subcutaneous, sublingual, intralymphatic, oral, or epicutaneous routes. Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) has recently gained clinical interest, and it is considered an alternative treatment for allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma. This review provides an overview of the current evidence-based studies that address the use of SLIT for treating AR, including (1) mechanisms of action, (2) appropriate patient selection for SLIT, (3) the current available SLIT products in Korea, and (4) updated information on its efficacy and safety. Finally, this guideline aims to provide the clinician with practical considerations for SLIT.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in Korea and the third leading cause of death from cancer. Treatment outcomes for colon cancer are steadily improving due to national health screening programs with advances in diagnostic methods, surgical techniques, and therapeutic agents.. The Korea Colon Cancer Multidisciplinary (KCCM) Committee intends to provide professionals who treat colon cancer with the most up-to-date, evidence-based practice guidelines to improve outcomes and help them make decisions that reflect their patients’ values and preferences. These guidelines have been established by consensus reached by the KCCM Guideline Committee based on a systematic literature review and evidence synthesis and by considering the national health insurance system in real clinical practice settings. Each recommendation is presented with a recommendation strength and level of evidence based on the consensus of the committee.

Objective: We investigated the proportions of and reclassified BRCA1/2 variants of unknown significance (VUS) in Korean patients with epithelial ovarian, tubal, and primary peritoneal cancers. Methods: Data from 805 patients who underwent genetic testing for BRCA1/2 from January 1, 2006 to August 31, 2018 were included. The VUS in BRCA1/2 were reclassified using the 2015 American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and the Association for Molecular Pathology standards and guidelines. Results: A BRCA1 pathogenic variant was found in 17.0% (137/805) of the patients, and BRCA1 VUS were found in 15.9% (128/805) of the patients. Further, 8.7% (69/805) of the patients possessed a BRCA2 pathogenic variant and 18.4% (148/805) of the patients possessed BRCA2 VUS. Fifty-three specific BRCA1 VUS were found and 20 were further reclassified as benign (n=11), likely benign (n=5), likely pathogenic (n=3), and pathogenic (n=1). The remaining 33 remained classified as VUS. For BRCA2, 55 specific VUS were detected; among these, 14 were reclassified as benign or likely benign, and 2 were reclassified as likely pathogenic. Among the 805 patients, 195 were found to have only VUS and no pathogenic variants (PV), and 41.5% (81/195) were reclassified as benign or likely benign, and 10.3% (20/195) as pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants. Conclusions Approximately 33.3% (36/108) of the specific BRCA1/2 variants analyzed in this study that were initially classified as VUS over a 13-year period were reclassified. Among these, 5.6% (6/108) were reclassified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants.

The consensus guideline development committee of Korean Society of Gynecologic Oncology was reconvened in March 2012. The committee consisted of 36 experts representing 12 university hospitals and professional organizations. The objective of this committee was to develop standardized guidelines for cervical cancer screening tests for Korean women and to distribute these guidelines to every clinician, eventually improving the quality of medical care. Since the establishment of the consensus guideline development committee, evidence-based guidelines have either been developed de novo considering specific Korean situations or by adaptation of preexisting consensus guidelines from other countries. Recommendations for cervical cancer screening tests, management of atypical squamous and glandular cells, and management of low-grade and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions were developed. Additionally, recommendations for human papillomavirus DNA testing and recommendations for adolescent and pregnant women with abnormal cervical screening test results were also included.
Adolescent ; Consensus ; DNA ; Female ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Pregnant Women ; Societies ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to investigate the traumatic brain injury(TBI) in childhood and to identify factors related with its prognosis. METHODS: The medical records of 256 children with traumatic brain injury were analyzed retrospectively, who were treated in Chungnam National University Hospital for more than 6 years from January, 1998 to December, 2003. Outcomes were classified by age, sex, cause, Glasgow Coma Scale(GCS), Glasgow Outcome Scale(GOS), sequelae and so forth. RESULTS: A total of 256 patients were identified. The male to female ratio was 1.9:1. The main cause of TBI was traffic accidents(67.1%), followed by falls(25.8%). The outcomes of TBI were determined by GOS, in which death occurred in 16 cases(6.2%), severe disabilities in 11 cases(4.3%), moderate disabilities in 24 cases(9.4%), and good recoveries in 205 cases(80.1%). Poor prognostic factors were low GCS, post-traumatic early seizure, high blood glucose levels and abnormal pupil reflexes(P<0.05). The sequelae of TBI were quadriparesis(3.5%), learning disability(3%), mental retardation(2.3%), hemiparesis(1.6%) and others. CONCLUSION: This study suggest that it is possible to predict poor outcomes of TBI children by assessing the clinical manifestations. A long term follow-up of seizures and other sequelae is essential to TBI children who have poor prognosis.
Blood Glucose ; Brain ; Brain Injuries* ; Child ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Coma ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Humans ; Learning ; Male ; Medical Records ; Prognosis ; Pupil ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures

PURPOSE: The most common complication of Kawasaki disease(KD) is the development of coronary artery aneurysm. Other cardiac complication include myocarditis, pericarditis, mitral or aortic insufficiency, congestive failure, and arrhythmia. These non- coronary cardiac problems have important role on clinical course in acute phase of KD. Extensive researches have been performed about the pathogenesis, natural course and treatment of coronary artery lesion. But the studies about non-coronary cardiac complication have been limited, so we aimed to study the manifestation, incidence, and clinical predictor of carditis. METHODS: The retrospective studies was performed to the 48 KD patients diagnosed in Chungnam National University Hospital from May 1998 to September 2004. The patients were divided into two groups. Patients with carditis(11 patients) and without carditis(37 patients) before receiving the IVGG infusion were analyzed. RESULTS: There were no differences in age and sex between two groups. Patients with long duration of fever and high Harada score had the significant increase in the incidence of carditis before the initial IVGG infusion. No significant differences were not shown between the two groups in terms of WBC count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelet count, total protein, AST/ALT, LDH, CPK, troponin I, total cholesterol, and triglyceride before the initiL IVGG infusion. The incidence of carditis was high in patient with high CRP, low albumin, and high cholesterol and triglyceride. CONCLUSION: The possibility of significant carditis should be considered before the infusion of high dose IVIG, which may worse the caridac dysfunction. Some predictors of significant carditis such as long duration of fever, high Harada score, high levels of CRP, and low levels of albumin can be suggested.
Aneurysm ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Child* ; Cholesterol ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Coronary Vessels ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Fever ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; Incidence ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* ; Myocarditis* ; Pericarditis ; Platelet Count ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Triglycerides ; Troponin I

PURPOSE: Simple and noninvasive methods for the diagnosis of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder are needed for the prevention of invasive tumor. A proteomic technology has recently been developed to facilitate protein profiling of biological mixtures. We investigated the role of this proteomic approach as a possible tool to detect the marker protein during the initiation stages on BBN-induced bladder carcinogenesis in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten rats group A were given 0.05% BBN in drinking water for 12 weeks. Ten rats in group B were designated as a control group and were not given BBN. Whole urinary bladders of all rats were excised at 12 weeks from the beginning of the experiment. Conventional proteomics was performed with high resolution 2-D gel electrophoresis followed by computational image analysis and protein identification using mass spectrometry. RESULTS: A comparison of urinary bladder hyperplasia tissue with control tissue showed that five proteins; actin gamma2 propeptide, cytokeratin-20, proapolipoprotein, alpha2 actin(alpha-cardiac actin) and heat shock 27kDa protein 1 were over-expressed in hyperplastic tissues. Three protein; transcription factors, seminal vesicle secretory protein VI precursor and hypothetical protein RMT-7 were under-expressed in hyperplastic tissues. CONCLUSIONS: In an animal model system, BBN-induced, urinary bladder mucosal hyperplasia resulted in an increase in five proteins and a decrease in three proteins. Of these altered proteins, CK-20 and SVS-VI seem to be important. The proteomic approach may be a simple and noninvasive method for monitoring and follow-up of bladder cancer patients. However more information is needed regarding CK-20 expression in nonmalignant urological disease and in human tumor tissue, and regarding SVS-VI expression in other organs, for clinical usage.
Actins ; Animals ; Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell ; Diagnosis ; Drinking Water ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Keratin-20 ; Mass Spectrometry ; Models, Animal ; Precancerous Conditions* ; Proteomics ; Rats ; Seminal Vesicles ; Shock ; Transcription Factors ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; Urinary Bladder* ; Urologic Diseases

Gastric cancer is a very serious disease and is naturally resistant to many anticancer drugs. To reduce the mortality and improve the effectiveness of therapy, many studies have tried to find key biomarkers. Proteomic technologies are providing the tools needed to discover and identify disease-associating biomarkers. The proteomic study of gastric cancer establishes any specific events that lead to cancer, and it provides a direct way to define the true function of genes. Using two dimensional (2-D) electrophoresis of the stomach cancer tissue, we have gained about 1,500 spots in each gel, and 140 protein spots also were identified. Among the identified proteins, there were seven over-expressed proteins in stomach cancer tissue: NSP3, transgelin, prohibitin, heat shock protein (hsp) 27 and variant, protein disulfide isomerase A3, unnamed protein product and glucose regulated protein. There were also seven under-expressed proteins in stomach cancer: Apolipoprotein A-1, p20, nucleoside diphosphate isomerase A, alpha 1 antitrypsin, desmin, serum albumin and sero-transferrin.
Aged ; Carrier Proteins/biosynthesis ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional ; Female ; Human ; Male ; Microfilament Proteins/biosynthesis ; Middle Aged ; Muscle Proteins/biosynthesis ; Neoplasm Proteins/biosynthesis ; Proteins/biosynthesis ; *Proteome ; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization ; Stomach Neoplasms/*metabolism ; *Tumor Markers, Biological

We report two cases of lipoma of the parotid gland which present as a non-tender, freely movable and intraparotid mass. Lipomas are common soft tissue neoplasms but found very rarely in the parotid gland, and so are often not considered in the initial differential diagnosis of parotid gland tumor. We believe that these tumors are cured by simple excision, and thus superficial parotidectomy is enough for treatment.
Adult ; Aged ; Case Report ; Female ; Human ; Lipoma/*pathology/radiography/ultrasonography ; Male ; Parotid Gland/*pathology/radiography/ultrasonography ; Parotid Neoplasms/*pathology/radiography/ultrasonography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

We report two cases of lipoma of the parotid gland which present as a non-tender, freely movable and intraparotid mass. Lipomas are common soft tissue neoplasms but found very rarely in the parotid gland, and so are often not considered in the initial differential diagnosis of parotid gland tumor. We believe that these tumors are cured by simple excision, and thus superficial parotidectomy is enough for treatment.
Adult ; Aged ; Case Report ; Female ; Human ; Lipoma/*pathology/radiography/ultrasonography ; Male ; Parotid Gland/*pathology/radiography/ultrasonography ; Parotid Neoplasms/*pathology/radiography/ultrasonography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed