BACKGROUND: Although vitamin D analogs have been used in the topical treatment of psoriasis, their mechanisms of action are not well understand. Calcitriol, the hormonally active vitamin D3 metabolite, has been demonstrated to exert immunomodulatory effects in the skin by down-regulating the expression of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and proinflammatory cytokines. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effects of calcitriol on the expression of TLR2, TLR4, antimicrobial peptide LL-37, and proinflammatory cytokines in cultured human keratinocytes. METHODS: The mRNA expression levels of TLR2, TLR4, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin (IL)-1beta and LL-37 in cultured human keratinocytes were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse transcription (RT). Furthermore, we measured supernatant TNF-alpha levels by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to confirm the effects of calcitriol on TLR2 and TLR4. RESULTS: As measured by RT-PCR and real-time PCR, calcitriol was found to suppress the lipopolysaccharide- and ultraviolet B radiation-mediated induction of expression of TLRs, LL-37 and proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha and IL-1beta in normal human keratinocytes. The supernatant TNF-alpha levels measured by ELISA were also suppressed after treatment with calcitriol. CONCLUSION: Calcitriol may down-regulate inflammatory stated over-expression of LL-37 and proinflammatory cytokines.
Calcitriol* ; Cholecalciferol ; Cytokines* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Interleukins ; Keratinocytes* ; Psoriasis ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reverse Transcription ; RNA, Messenger* ; Skin ; Toll-Like Receptors ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Vitamin D

Neurofibromatosis is a rare systemic disease, and genitourinary tract involvement is especially uncommon. Bladder is the most frequently involved organ in the genitourinary tract. Bladder neurofibromatosis may present as a diffuse infiltrative process or an isolated neurofibroma. The symptoms vary, ranging from urinary incontinence to retention. Treatment is usually conservative. The patient should be worked up to rule out other manifestation of tumor enlargement and followed to evaluate the development of new lesion. We report a case of the development of invasion of bladder in a patient with neurofibromatosis.
Humans ; Neurofibroma ; Neurofibromatoses ; Neurofibromatosis 1 ; Retention (Psychology) ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Incontinence ; Urinary Retention

Acute pyelonephritis (APN) is a relatively common bacterial infection in children. In previously healthy children, acute kidney injury (AKI) is very rare in the course of APN without urinary tract obstruction, renal hypoperfusion due to hypotension or exposure to nephrotoxic agents. We describe a case of AKI secondary to APN and renal abscess in a child with vesicoureteral reflux. With antibiotic treatment and adequate hydration, the patient was improved. APN should be included in the differential diagnosis of AKI and adequate treatment by proper antibiotics is crucial for full recovery of renal function.
Abscess ; Acute Kidney Injury ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacterial Infections ; Child ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Pyelonephritis ; Urinary Tract ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux

PURPOSE: The incidence of community-acquired urinary tract infection (UTI) due to extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing Escherichia coli (ESBL(+) E. coli) has increased worldwide. ESBL causes resistance to various types of the newer beta-lactam antibiotics, including the expanded spectrum cephalosporins and monobactams. We aimed to investigate the severity of UTI and associated genitourinary malformations in children with febrile UTI caused by ESBL(+) E. coli. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 290 patients diagnosed as febrile UTI caused by E. coli between January 2008 and October 2010 at Korea University Medical center. We classified the patients into two groups with ESBL(+) and ESBL(-) E. coli group according to the sensitivity of urine culture. Fever duration, admission period, white blood cell (WBC) counts and C-reactive protein (CRP) in peripheral blood, the presence of hydronephrosis, cortical defects, vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) and renal scar were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Patients with ESBL(+) E. coli were 32, and those with ESBL(-) E. coli were 258. If we excluded those tested with a sterile urine bag, patients with ESBL(+) E. coli were 22, and those with ESBL(-) E. coli were 212. Whether the results of sterile urine bag tests were included or not, there was no significant difference in all parameters between the two groups statistically. CONCLUSION: Our data shows that ESBL(+) E. coli may not be related to the severity of UTI and associated genitourinary malformations.
Academic Medical Centers ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; beta-Lactamases ; C-Reactive Protein ; Cephalosporins ; Child ; Cicatrix ; Escherichia ; Escherichia coli ; Fever ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Incidence ; Korea ; Leukocytes ; Medical Records ; Monobactams ; Retrospective Studies ; Urinary Tract ; Urinary Tract Infections ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated potential correlations between the allele burden of the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) V617F mutation and clinicohematologic characteristics in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). METHODS: Clinical and hematologic features were reviewed for 103 MPN patients, including patients with polycythemia vera (PV, 22 patients), essential thrombocythemia (ET, 64 patients), and primary myelofibrosis (PMF, 17 patients). JAK2 V617F allele status and allele burdens were measured by allele-specific PCR and pyrosequencing, respectively. RESULTS: The JAK2 V617F mutation was detected in 95.5%, 68.8%, and 52.9% of PV, ET, and PMF patients, respectively. JAK2 V617F-positive ET patients were significantly older and exhibited higher neutrophil fractions, a higher frequency of thrombotic events, and a higher myelofibrosis rate than JAK2 V617F-negative patients (P <0.05). PV patients carried the highest mean T allele burden (66.0%+/-24.9%) compared with ET (40.5%+/-25.2%) and PMF patients (31.5%+/-37.0%) (P =0.00). No significant correlations were detected between V617F allele burden and patient age, white blood cell count, Hb, Hct, or the platelet count for PV, ET, or PMF patients. ET patients with organomegaly had a higher JAK2 V617F allele burden (53.4%+/-23.7%) than patients without organomegaly (35.6%+/-24.3%) (P =0.03). CONCLUSIONS: The JAK2 V617F mutational status and its allele burden correlate with the clinicohematologic phenotypes of ET patients, including older age, higher neutrophil count, and greater rates of organomegaly, thrombotic events, and myelofibrosis. For PV and PMF patients, larger-scale studies involving more MPN patients are needed.

Cooked rice is a staple food for Koreans which provides more than 60% of daily required energy. In 1960's, Koreans ate 600 g-800 g of cooked rice per meal and the energy obtained from cooked rice was almost more than 80% of the daily intake of energy. However, as the economy of Korea improved, the major industry has been shifted from agriculture to various manufacturing industries and the export of those products has been increased thus increasing the national income but decreasing the farming population and thus rice consumption have been decreased. It has been said that the decreased rice consumption is caused solely by decreased farming population but it can also be said that the decreased farming population is caused by decreased rice consumption.
Agriculture ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Diet* ; Humans ; Korea ; Meals

OBJECTIVE: Umbilical cord blood is an effective alternative to bone marrow as a source of hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation. But the amount of collected umbilical cord blood and its contents are limited and obtaining an adequate volume of umbilical cord blood is essential for successful transplantation. The aim of this study was to identify factors that influence the volume of umbilical cord blood. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the maternal, neonatal and placental factors that were obtained by medical record review was conducted. The variables that were evaluated for this study were mother's age, parity, gestational age, presence of maternal diabetes mellitus, route of delivery, multiple births, neonatal sex and birth weight, and placental weight. Total 484 deliveries were evaluated from March 2003 to April 2004. The statistical significance of observed differences was calculated using t-test and multiple regression analysis; p-value<0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Gestational age, neonatal birth weight, placental weight, parity, number of fetus and maternal diabetes mellitus were significantly associated with a greater volume of collected umbilical cord blood. Obstetric factors that influenced the total nucleated cell concentration were gestational age, neonatal birth weight, placental weight, number of fetus, and route of delivery. CONCLUSION: To prolong a gestational age as far as possible, at least beyond the 37 completed weeks of gestation, and modifying a method of vaginal delivery or cesarean section rather than conventional vaginal delivery method can increase significantly the volume of collected cord blood and the yield of the concentration of total nucleated cell.
Birth Weight ; Bone Marrow ; Cesarean Section ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Female ; Fetal Blood* ; Fetus ; Gestational Age ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells* ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Multiple Birth Offspring ; Parity ; Postpartum Period* ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Umbilical Cord*

The objective of this study is to develop a nutrition policy on food and nutrition labeling and education systems for fast food and carbonated soft drinks in Korea by identifying the fast food and soft drink use and by examining nutrition policies and labeling in Korea and other countries. Fast food is defined as food dispensed quickly at a restaurant generally offering a limited menu of inexpensive items, which may be mostly not nutritious. It is a growing component of the Korean diet, especially on children and adolescent population. Low nutrient dense beverages such as carbonated drinks are also increasing in the children and adolescent's diet in Korea and concern has been raised that these beverages may replace more nutritious beverage and provide empty calories. According to 2001 Korean national health and nutrition survey, fast food and carbonated soft drinks were most popular among 13 - 19 years old adolescents. Thirty six and 72 percent of adolescents consumed hamburger and carbonated beverage equal to or more than once a week, respectively. In United States, all processed food including soft drinks should disclose full nutrition information by nutrition labeling requirement. Restaurant foods are not required to provide nutrition information currently, but legislation on mandatory nutrition labeling of fast foods with other restaurant foods has been proposed currently in US. The sales of foods of minimal nutritional value, such as soft drinks, in the nation's schools is regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture. Nutrition information about fast food in US has been provided by fast food companies, non-profit organizations, hospitals and government through internet, booklet and brochure, etc, but the information is available from only a few resources in Korea. This study suggests a nutrition policy on fast food and soft drink use which includes establishing mandatory nutrition labeling and developing nutrition education materials and programs by web-site, booklet and government and school programs in Korea.
Adolescent ; Beverages ; Carbon* ; Carbonated Beverages* ; Child ; Commerce ; Diet ; Education* ; Fast Foods* ; Food Labeling* ; Humans ; Internet ; Korea* ; Nutrition Policy* ; Nutrition Surveys ; Nutritive Value ; Organizations, Nonprofit ; Pamphlets ; Restaurants ; United States ; United States Department of Agriculture ; Young Adult

This study investigated elementary, middle, and high school teachers' satisfaction, nutrition education, workload changes, and demands in school foodservice programs (SFPs). The subjects were 630 teachers at 12 elementary, 9 middle, and 9 high school within the nation. Ninety five percent of the teachers felt that there was a necessity for SFPs. Middle school teachers (MTs) and high school teachers (HTs) thought that it was necessary in order to reduce the students'burden of carrying lunch boxes. The teachers were relatively satisfied with their school's foodservice management types, food distribution types, meal quality, and sanitation. Elementary teachers (ETs) and HTs had a higher satisfaction than MTs. Teachers thought that SFPs had positive effects on their students' nutrition and health, enhancing desirable eating habits, and socialization. ETs had more positive opinions than MTs or HTs. ETs and MTs thought that their workload had been increased by SFPs more than HTs, but they had relatively positive opinions on the workload change. ETs taught nutrition and health through SFPs more frequently than MTs or HTs. Many teachers thought that there was a lack of appropriate teaching materials. Some teachers thought that the problems in the present SFPs were: a lack of cafeteria facilities, poor quality of meals, and management of leftovers. Their demands for SFPs were a improvement of meal quality and the establishment of cafeterias. In conclusion, MTs had more negative opinions than ETs or HTs. ETs perceived that SFPs had a function as an important educational activity as well as the supply of nutritional meals. MTs or HTs tended to consider only a meal. It is suggested that teachers, especially MTs and HTs, should modify their attitudes and recognize the educational functions of SFPs. Training programs should be developed under government auspices.
Eating ; Education ; Humans ; Lunch ; Meals ; Sanitation ; Socialization ; Teaching Materials

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of video feedback training for the parents of autistic spectrum disorder children. METHOD: Ten Autistic spectrum disorder children and their mothers participated in this training. Twenty minutes play times were videotaped including free play time and chosen play time. After one session, watching videotape, the researcher analyzed the relation of the children and their mother and had a feedback training with the mother of child. RESULTS: The child's responses to the mother's start actions had significant differences (p<0.05). The language responses of children increased in the organized environment of chosen play. Language responses increased but negative actions and no responses reduced when mother encouraged child centered play rather than mother engaged in children's play directly. In log sector model, mother's responses according to the play type had meaningless difference (p0.05). But in division analysis mother's responses to child's start action had meaningful difference in pre/post treatment and play type. CONCLUSION: The effects of video feedback training of autistic spectrum disorder children's parents were positive. Through this investigation the interaction and the communication with autistic spectrum disorder children and their parents are influenced positively.
Child ; Humans ; Language Development* ; Mothers ; Parents* ; Videotape Recording