Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of treatment with drug-coated balloon (DCB) in a large real-world population. Methods: Patients treated with DCBs were included in a multicenter observational registry that enrolled patients from 18 hospitals in Korea between January 2009 and December 2017. The primary outcome was target lesion failure (TLF) defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, target vessel myocardial infarction, and clinically indicated target lesion revascularization at 12 months. Results: The study included 2,509 patients with 2,666 DCB-treated coronary artery lesions (1,688 [63.3%] with in-stent restenosis [ISR] lesions vs. 978 [36.7%] with de novo lesions).The mean age with standard deviation was 65.7±11.3 years; 65.7% of the patients were men.At 12 months, the primary outcome, TLF, occurred in 179 (6.7%), 151 (8.9%), 28 (2.9%) patients among the total, ISR, and de novo lesion populations, respectively. A history of hypertension, diabetes, acute coronary syndrome, previous coronary artery bypass graft, reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, B2C lesion and ISR lesion were independent predictors of 12 months TLF in the overall study population. Conclusions This large multicenter DCB registry study revealed the favorable clinical outcome of DCB treatment in real-world practice in patient with ISR lesion as well as small de novo coronary lesion.

BACKGROUND: Because conventional echocardiographic parameters have several limitations, strain echocardiography has often been introduced in clinical practice. However, there are also obstacles in using it in clinical practice. Therefore, we wanted to find the current status of awareness on using strain echocardiography in Korea. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide survey to evaluate current use and awareness of strain echocardiography from the members of the Korean Society of Echocardiography. RESULTS: We gathered total 321 questionnaires from 25 cardiology centers in Korea. All participants were able to perform or interpret echocardiographic examinations. All participating institutions performed strain echocardiography. Most of our study participants (97%) were aware of speckle tracking echocardiography and 185 (58%) performed it for clinical and research purposes. Two-dimensional strain echocardiography was the most commonly used modality and left ventricle (LV) was the most commonly used cardiac chamber (99%) for clinical purposes. Most of the participants (89%) did not think LV strain can replace LV ejection fraction (LVEF) in their clinical practice. The common reasons for not performing routine use of strain echocardiography was diversity of strain measurements and lack of normal reference value. Many participants had a favorable view of the future of strain echocardiography. CONCLUSION: Most of our study participants were aware of strain echocardiography, and all institutions performed strain echocardiography for clinical and research purposes. However, they did not think the LV strain values could replace LVEF. The diversity of strain measurements and lack of normal reference values were common reasons for not using strain echocardiography in clinical practice.
Cardiology ; Echocardiography* ; Heart Ventricles ; Korea* ; Reference Values

BACKGROUND: Several studies have shown that the presence of cerebrovascular lesions may play an important role for determining the severity of the clinical symptoms of dementia. But no study to date has explored the clinical effect of cerebrovascular disease in Parkinson's disease with dementia (PDD), although cerebrovascular disease is common causes of dementia in elderly population. Therefore we conducted this study to evaluate the relationship between silent cerebrovascular lesions and cognitive decline in PDD. METHODS: Only 27 patients with PDD were chosen; 17 patients had PDD with silent cerebral ischemic lesions (PDDI) and 10 patients had PDD without silent cerebral ischemic lesions (pure PDD). These subjects received the global cognitive function testing and were all evaluated with detailed neuropsychological tests including attention, memory, language, and also the visuospatial and frontal function. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between pure PDD and PDDI group on general cognitive functions tests. Regard to mean time duration of suffering from Parkinson motor symptoms and motor function scale, pure PDD group showed more long duration than PDDI group but there was no significant difference between two groups. Furthermore, there were not any significant differences between the two groups on detailed neuropsychological tests. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that silent cerebrovascular lesions do not contribute to neuropsychological severity of PDD, although vascular disease is a common cause of cognitive impairment in the elderly. Thus the results of the present study suggest that factors other than cerebrovascular disease contribute to severity of PDD.
Aged ; Cognition ; Dementia ; Humans ; Memory ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Parkinson Disease ; Stress, Psychological ; Vascular Diseases

No abstract available.
Cartilage ; Tissue Engineering

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to investigate the expression pattern of pro-inflammatory cytokines during distraction osteogenesis and to compare these with expression during simple fracture healing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Regenerated bones from the rat tibia subjected distraction osteogenesis and simple fracture healing models were harvested over three-week periods. Temporal expressions of mRNA of pro-inflammatory cytokines were investigated by RNase protection assay. Immunohistochemical studies for IL-6 were performed in postoperative day 7 and 9 tissue section specimens. RESULTS: IL-1beta and IL-6 produced detectable signals, while IL-1alpha, TNFalpha and TNFbeta did not. The mRNA expressions of IL-1beta and IL-6 were markedly upregulated on postoperative day 1 and then subsided to the preoperative level. IL-1beta mRNA expression remained the same even when distraction began. However, IL-6 mRNA expression was reactivated during the distraction phase. Immunohistochemical study revealed the expressions of IL-6 not only at the transitional zone of the transchondroid ossification, in young osteoblasts lining newly formed trabeculae and in hematopoietic cells in the marrow but also in primitive mesenchymal cells at the distraction gap. CONCLUSIONS: Distraction strain re-induced IL-6 expression during distraction osteogenesis, which suggests that well-controlled inflammatory reaction might contribute to active new bone formation in distraction osteogenesis.
Animals ; Bone Marrow ; Cytokines* ; Fracture Healing ; Interleukin-6 ; Osteoblasts ; Osteogenesis ; Osteogenesis, Distraction* ; Rats* ; Ribonucleases ; RNA, Messenger ; Tibia* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Four cases of congenital coronary arteriovenous fistula were diagnosed using coronary angiography. Three cases had fistula-related chest pain and the remaining case showed no symptoms but displayed electrocardiographic changes suggesting myocardial ischemia. As he was elderly and had a potential for future complications, we decided to close the fistulas of all cases. Three cases were closed with transcatheter coil embolization and one with surgical ligation due to a suspicious accompanying pericardial cyst. None of the patients demonstrated periprocedural or perioperative complications and all were relieved from symptoms during the 2 year follow-up period. We concluded that transcatheter coil embolization and surgical ligation are effective methods for use in the management of coronary arteriovenous fistula.
Aged ; Arteriovenous Fistula* ; Chest Pain ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Disease ; Electrocardiography ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; Fistula ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Ligation ; Mediastinal Cyst ; Myocardial Ischemia

We investigated population densities of mosquitoes infected with sporozoites in three highly epidemic areas of Josan-ri and Jangpa-ri (Paju City) and Dongjung-ri (Yeoncheon County) in Korea. Anopheline mosquitoes were collected from both indoors and outdoors by human baiting collection method during the period of the first week of June to the second week of September 1999. Total 13,296 female mosquitoes were collected and 8,650 (65.1%) were Anophelines. Thirty seven percent (3,199) of the Anopheline mosquitoes were captured outdoors and 63.9% (5,531) indoors. Employing a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we analyzed a total of 7,820 Anopheline mosquitoes and found that 7 Anopheline mosquitoes were infected with sporozoites. The positive rate in Josan-ri was 0.14% (5/3,500) and 0.15% (2/1,370) in Jangpa-ri. The total positive rate in all three surveyed areas was 0.09% (7/7,820). The mosquitoes infected with the sporozoites were detected on June 28th (n=2), July 5th (n=1), July 19th (n=1), August 9th (n=1), September 6th (n=1), and the last one on September 13th (n=1). They were all classified as Anopheles sinensis, which showed positive reaction in ELISA test. Therefore it might be concluded that A. sinensis plays an important role in re-emerging malaria transmission in Korea.
Animals ; Culicidae/*parasitology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Human ; Korea/epidemiology ; Malaria, Vivax/epidemiology/parasitology/transmission ; Plasmodium vivax/*isolation & purification ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

BACKGROUND AND OBJECT: We intended to assess the characteristics of ST segment deviation in lateral leads(aVL, I, V5, V6) in patients with acute inferior myocardial infarction(AIMI) and find out the relationship with culprit arteries. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The subjects were 51 patients diagnosed as AIMI by standard electrocardiogram, cardiac enzymes and typical chest pain. Subjects were devided into two groups by angiographically proven culprit arteries ; left circumflex artery(LCx) group and right coronary artery(RCA) group. We compared the frequencies of ST segment depression more than 1 mm and less than 1 mm in aVL and I, and ST segment elevation more than 0.5 mm and less than 0.5 mm in V5 and V6 in each culprit artery group. RESULTS: Among 51 patients with AIMI, 42 were RCA group and 9 were LCx group. The frequency of ST segment depression more than 1 mm in aVL was 44% in LCx group and 71% in RCA group(p=0.140). 11% of LCx group and 43% of RCA group showed more than 1 mm ST segment depression in lead I (p=0.128). 56% of LCx group showed more than 0.5 mm ST segment elevation in V5 and V6 and 81% of RCA group showed less than 0.5 mm ST segment elevation in V5 and V6 (p=0.036). CONCLUSION: Culprit arteries in patients with AIMI and ST segment deviation in V5 and V6 are significantly related with each other. ST segment elevation more than 0.5 mm in V5 and V6 was predominantly found in LCx group than RCA group. Observation for ST segment deviation in lateral precordial lead V5 and V6 would be important in predicting the culprit artery in AIMI.
Arteries* ; Chest Pain ; Depression ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Inferior Wall Myocardial Infarction*

Thyroid storm (thyrotoxicosis) is rarely encountered during pregnancy or the puerperium, even in untreated women and characterized by hypertension, hyperthermia, and multiple systems involvement. Much more common is heart failure, apparently caused by the long-term myocardial effects of thyroid hormone and intensified by other pregnancy complications that include severe preeclampsia, infection, anemia, or combinations of these. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of thyroid storm are essential in reducing morbidity and mortality of a patient from this disorder. We experienced a case of triiodothyroxine induced thyroid storm (T3 thyrotoxicosis) developed after Cesarean section. This case highlights both physicians should be aware of the symptoms and risk factors and reversing of heart failure successfully by reducing cardiac workload is important through immediate medical treatment - adequate hydration, thermoregulation, and control of hypertension, infection and anemia et al.
Anemia ; Body Temperature Regulation ; Cesarean Section* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Fever ; Graves Disease ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Mortality ; Postpartum Period ; Pre-Eclampsia ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; Risk Factors ; Thyroid Crisis ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyrotoxicosis*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study was designed to evaluate normal Korean pancreaticobiliary ducts and to assess the prevalence and pattern of variations and anomalies of theses structures. METHODS: We performed this multicenter study in which 7 university hospitals in Korea participated from March 1997 until June 1999. Total 10,243 ERCP cases were reviewed during this study period. RESULTS: 1) Maximal and midportion diameters of common bile ducts were 6.4+/-1.8 mm and 5.5+/-1.7 mm, respectively. Maximal and midportion diameters of pancreas head were 3.2+/-1.1 mm and 2.7+/-1.0 mm, respectively. Pancreaticobiliary duct diameters of subjects above the age of 40 were greater than those of subjects below the age of 40 (p<0.05). 2) The prevalence of choledochal cyst was 0.32%. The prevalence of gallbladder anomalies and anomalous union of pancreaticobiliary duct was 4.2% and 4.1%, respectively. The prevalence of pancreas divisum and annular pancreas was 0.49% and 0.05%, respectively. The most common type of pancreaticobiliary duct union was V shape (60.2%), followed by U shape (23.7%) and Y shape (16.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Understanding normal pancreaticobiliary structures and being aware of the prevalence and pattern of variations and anomalies of pancreaticobiliary structures will be helpful to diagnose and treat patients with pancreaticobiliary problems.
Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Choledochal Cyst ; Common Bile Duct ; Gallbladder ; Head ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Korea ; Pancreas ; Prevalence