Purpose: Fish allergy is rare in children, and there have been few studies on childhood fish allergy. This study aims to investigate the clinical characteristics and laboratory findings of white meat fish (WMF) allergy in Korean children. Methods: In this study, we enrolled 150 children with a history of WMF consumption who underwent serum specific immunoglobulin E to cod (cod-sIgE) at Ajou University Hospital from January 2019 to December 2022. The demographic characteristics, clinical symptoms, history of consuming 6 major Korean WMF (cod, cutlass, yellow croaker, brown sole, olive flounder, and anchovy), and cod-sIgE were investigated. Results: Sixty-five subjects (43.3%) had clinical responses to at least 1 of the 6 WMF (WMF-allergic), and 85 subjects had no allergic reaction to all 6 WMF (WMF-tolerant). The median age of first symptom onset in the WMF-allergic group was 15 months. Major causative WMF were yellow croaker (30.6%), cutlass (28.7%), cod (26.1%), brown sole (20.4%), anchovy (14.7%), and olive flounder (6.5%). Twenty-three of 65 WMF-allergic children (35.4%) had anaphylaxis. The median level of cod-sIgE was 4.61 kUA/L (range, 0.04–100.10 kUA/L) in the WMF-allergic group, and this value was significantly higher (P < 0.001) than that of the WMF-tolerant group (0.04 kUA/L; range, 0.04–3.08 kUA/L). The positive rates ( ≥ class 2, 0.7 kUA/L) of cod-sIgE for the 6 individual WMF ranged from 69% to 90%. Conclusion We propose that WMF allergy can develop in young children, with 35.4% experiencing anaphylaxis. Cod-sIgE is considered a useful tool for diagnosing not only cod allergy but also other WMF allergy in children.

Purpose: Fish allergy is the ninth common food allergy, and cutlassfish is one of the common allergenic fishes in Korean children.However, there is no commercial diagnostic tool for testing cutlassfish allergy in the world. We evaluated the usefulness of serum cod specific IgE (cod-sIgE) to diagnose cutlassfish allergy and cross-reaction between cutlassfish and cod. Methods: Nineteen children who experienced immediate type reactions after consumption of cutlassfish were enrolled. Cod-sIgE was measured by ImmunoCAP, and serum samples were obtained from 11 allergic patients and 11 controls. Using our own homemade crude extracts, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), anti-parvalbumin (PV) immunoglobulin G immunoblot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and ELISA inhibition were performed. Results: Thirteen patients were clinically allergic to both cutlassfish and cod, and 6 were allergic to cutlassfish alone. The median age and cod-sIgE concentrations were not significantly different between the 2 groups. The clear fish protein bands and PVs were identified on SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting. Serum cod-sIgE was positive in 4 out of 6 cutlassfish mono-allergic patients, however, there was no significant correlation between cod-sIgE by ImmunoCAP and cutlassfish-specific IgE by ELISA. The cutlassfish IgE ELISA was profoundly inhibited by cutlassfish, while the cod IgE ELISA was profoundly inhibited by cod but partially inhibited by cutlassfish. Conclusion We found a potential diagnostic value of cod-sIgE to diagnose cutlassfish allergy and the asymmetric cross-reaction between cutlassfish and cod. These results could help diagnose and provide a dietary guidance in cutlassfish allergic children.

Hair growth cycles are mainly regulated by human dermal papilla cells (hDPCs) and human outer root sheath cells (hORSCs).Protecting hDPCs from excessive oxidative stress and hORSCs from glycogen phosphorylase (PYGL) is crucial to maintaining the hair growth phase, anagen. In this study, we developed a new PYGL inhibitor, hydroxytrimethylpyridinyl methylindolecarboxamide (HTPI) and assessed its potential to prevent hair loss. HTPI reduced oxidative damage, preventing cell death and restored decreased level of anagen marker ALP and its related genes induced by hydrogen peroxide in hDPCs. Moreover, HTPI inhibited glycogen degradation and induced cell survival under glucose starvation in hORSCs. In ex-vivo culture, HTPI significantly enhanced hair growth compared to the control with minoxidil showing comparable results. Overall, these findings suggest that HTPI has significant potential as a therapeutic agent for the prevention and treatment of hair loss.

Background: Axillary evaluation is unnecessary for pure ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS);however, it is performed because of the risk of upstaging to invasive cancer. We assessed the role of intraoperative frozen section (IOF) biopsy in reducing invasive cancer upstaging and axillary evaluation in preoperative DCIS patients. Methods: We reviewed patients with preoperative DCIS who underwent breast-conserving surgery (BCS) with IOF biopsy. Positive IOF biopsy findings were defined as the presence of invasive or micro-invasive cancer. The IOF biopsy and permanent pathology findings were compared. Results: Seventy-eight patients underwent BCS with IOF biopsy. Six patients showed positive IOF biopsy findings; five of these patients showed concordant permanent pathology findings.Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) was positive in one patient. Thirteen patients with invasive breast cancer were missed by IOF biopsy; they underwent SLNB during the second surgery. None of them had metastatic lymph nodes. The sensitivity and specificity of IOF biopsy were 27.7% and 98.3%, respectively, with 82.1% accuracy. None of the other factors showed statistically significant relationships with the permanent pathology findings, except for the IOF biopsy findings. Conclusion IOF evaluation can aid in detecting the invasiveness of tumors in patients with preoperative DCIS.

Providing a protocol in the case of multiple food allergies is difficult although the demand of immunotherapy for patients with wheat anaphylaxis is increasing. This case series study aimed to report the wheat oral immunotherapy successfully achieving the maintenance dose along with immunological changes in children with multiple food anaphylaxis. In oral food immunotherapy, personalized therapeutic protocol, which sets the initial dose using the oral food provocation test and increase the dose considering the patients’ needs and compliance, for each patient is essential.

Purpose: Recent studies have reported that nasal nitric oxide (NO) increases in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and bronchial asthma (BA), and can be used as a noninvasive test to determine treatment efficacy. We aimed to investigate the changes in fractional exhaled NO (FeNO) and nasal NO levels before and after treatment in patients with AR and asthma. Methods: Children aged 6–18 years who visited Dong-A University Hospital from August 2013 to July 2014 were treated for mildpersistent or severe-intermittent AR according to Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma guidelines. FeNO and nasal NO were measured using NObreath. Among all patients, rhinitis was treated for 1 month, and the results were evaluated in patients with improved AR (n = 31), improved AR+BA (n = 23), and control (n = 19) groups. Results: Sex, age, body mass index, allergy, serum total eosinophil count and immunoglobulin E, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein showed no intergroup differences before or after treatment. Nasal NO before treatment was higher in the BA+AR and AR groups than controls (P = 0.005), but there was no difference between disease groups after treatment. Both groups showed a significant decrease in nasal NO after treatment compared with measurements before treatment (AR, P = 0.044; AR+BA, P = 0.004). Conclusion Nasal NO can be effectively used as a noninvasive test for clinical efficacy because it was significantly reduced by improving symptoms in AR patients with and without asthma.

Theca lutein cysts are rare, benign lesions responsible for gross cystic enlargement of both ovaries during pregnancy. This condition is also termed hyperreactio luteinalis. Elevated human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels or states of hCG hypersensitivity seem to promote these changes, which in up to 30% of patients produce clinical signs of hyperandrogenism. Given the self-limiting course of theca lutein cysts, which are subject to spontaneous postpartum resolution, conservative treatment is the mainstay of patient management. Described herein is a rare case of theca lutein cysts with maternal virilization that failed to regress by 9 months after childbirth. Surgical intervention was eventually undertaken, necessitated by adnexal torsion.

PURPOSE: To validate and update a nomogram for predicting ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) upstaging in preoperative biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records of 444 preoperative DCIS patients were evaluated and used to validate a previous version of the Severance nomogram for predicting DCIS upstaging in preoperative biopsy. Patients were divided into two groups according to the final postoperative pathology. Univariate and multivariate analyses with the chi-square test, Student's t-test, and binary logistic regression method identified new significant variables. The updated nomogram was evaluated with the C-index and Hosmer—Lemeshow goodness of fit test. RESULTS: The area under a receiver operating characteristic curve for comparison with the previous nomogram was 0.48. In postoperative pathology, the pure DCIS and invasive cancer groups comprised 345 and 99 cases, respectively. Approximately 22.3% of patients preoperatively diagnosed with DCIS were upstaged to invasive cancer. Significant variables in the univariate analysis were operation type, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 overexpression, comedo necrosis, sonographic mass, mammographic mass, preoperative biopsy method, and suspicious microinvasion in preoperative biopsy. In multivariate analysis, operation type, sonographic mass, mammographic mass, and suspicious microinvasion were risk factors for upstaging. The updated model with these variables showed moderate discrimination and was appropriate in the calibration test. CONCLUSION: The previous nomogram did not effectively discriminate upstaging of preoperative DCIS in an independent cohort. An updated version of the nomogram appears to provide more accurate information for predicting preoperative DCIS upstaging.
Biopsy ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast ; Calibration ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating ; Cohort Studies ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Medical Records ; Methods ; Multivariate Analysis ; Necrosis ; Nomograms ; Pathology ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Risk Factors ; ROC Curve ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: This study was to compare health behaviors, DM management and HRQoL among Diabetic patients according to education experience. METHODS: Data were obtained from Community health Survey(CHS) of 2015. The participants were 22,937 diabetic patients who had education experience or not. Data were analyzed on complex sample anaysis using SPSS 24 program. RESULTS: The education experience group showed higher percentages of health behaviors and DM Management and higher HRQoL. The significant negative factors influencing HRQoL were Bed ridden experience, higher subjective stress, depression expereince, age, low education and positive factors were good subjective health status, walking, mod-exercise, drinking, employment, spouse, good subjective happiness. CONCLUSION: These results show that education experience is a way to help diabetic patients' health behavior, DM management, HRQoL.
Depression ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Drinking ; Education* ; Employment ; Happiness ; Health Behavior* ; Humans ; Spouses ; Walking

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed at investigating the potential of using 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid against the cariogenic characteristics of Streptococcus mutans UA159. METHODS: The effects of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid on biofilm formation and acid production were evaluated; the latter are indicators of cariogenicity of S. mutans. Biofilm architecture was also analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and changes in gene expression related to biofilm formation were studied by quantitative RT-PCR. RESULTS: Treatment with 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid at a concentration of 20 µg/ml inhibited biofilm formation by 95% in the absence of sucrose and 60% in its presence, reduced acid production by 88.8%, and significantly suppressed the gene expression of comDE, gbpB, gtfC and vicR, which are thought to be involved in the virulence of S. mutans. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid could be used as a complementary or alternative agent for preventing dental caries by interfering with the virulence properties of S. mutans without affecting the viability of the bacterial population.
Biofilms ; Dental Caries ; Gene Expression ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Streptococcus mutans ; Streptococcus ; Sucrose ; Virulence