BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The present study evaluated the results of skin prick test using 55 allergens at 20 centers in the Republic of Korea in 2006, 2010, and 2014–2015. The aim was to assess changes in the positive rate of allergens according to temporal, regional, and environmental factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 20 hospitals were selected based on the population distribution in the Republic of Korea. A skin prick test panel comprising 55 aeroallergens was distributed to 18 hospitals for this prospective study. The 2006 and 2010 skin prick test results were collected and analyzed retrospectively from 20 hospitals, while the 2014/2015 skin prick test results (from June 2014 to May 2015) were collected prospectively from 18 hospitals. RESULTS: A total of 14,897 SPT test results were analyzed: 4,319 in 2006, 7,431 in 2010, and 1,852 in 2014/2015. The overall rate of skin prick test positivity to more than two allergens was significantly higher in males than females. The positive rates of alder pollens and birch, oak and ragweed pollen positivity were increased in older patients. Several positive rates were increased according to the temperature in spring. The positive rates for beech pollen, birch pollen, hazel pollen, oak pollen, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, mugwort, cat, Acarus siro, Lepidoglyphus destructor and Tyrophagus putrescentiae were significantly increased, while those of Cult rye pollen and dandelion were significantly decreased over the three test periods. The overall positive rate for allergens in Jeju province varied significantly from Seoul and other cities. CONCLUSION: Change in the positive rate of multiple aeroallergens was evaluated in the Republic of Korea over time. Our findings can be used to recommend aeroallergens suitable for inclusion in skin prick test panels in the Republic of Korea and will facilitate further investigation of changes in the patterns of allergic diseases.
Allergens* ; Alnus ; Ambrosia ; Animals ; Artemisia ; Betula ; Cats ; Demography ; Fagus ; Female ; Humans ; Korea* ; Male ; Mites ; Pollen ; Prospective Studies ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Secale ; Seoul ; Skin* ; Taraxacum

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Several recent studies have reported that the early use of infliximab (IFX) improves the prognosis of Crohn's disease (CD). However, no data are available from Asian populations, as the forementioned studies have all been conducted in Western countries. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of early use of IFX on the prognosis of Korean patients with CD. METHODS: Patients with a diagnosis of CD established between July 1987 and January 2012 were investigated in 12 university hospitals in Korea. Because insurance coverage for IFX treatment began in August 2005, patients were assigned to either of 2 groups based on diagnosis date. The first group included patients diagnosed from July 1987 to December 2005, and the second from January 2006 to January 2012. We compared the cumulative probabilities of operation and reoperation between the two groups using the Kaplan-Meier method and a log-rank test. RESULTS: Of the 721 patients investigated, 443 (61.4%) comprized the second group. Although the cumulative probabilities of immunosuppressant (P<0.001) and IFX use (P<0.001) after diagnosis were significantly higher in the second group, there were no significant differences in cumulative probabilities of operation (P=0.905) or reoperation (P=0.418) between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The early use of IFX did not reduce CD-related surgery requirements in Korean patients with CD. These study results suggest that the early use of IFX may have little impact on the clinical outcome of CD in Korean patients in the setting of a conventional step-up algorithm.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Crohn Disease* ; Diagnosis ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Infliximab ; Insurance Coverage ; Korea ; Prognosis ; Reoperation

PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence and clinical features of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Korea. METHODS: Web-based (www.armd-nova.or.kr) registration was conducted for AMD patients aged 50 or more who were newly diagnosed by retinal specialists in Korea from August 20, 2005 to August 20, 2006. Patient data including ophthalmologic examination, fundus photography, fluorescein angiogram and/or indocyanin green angiogram (ICG), past medical history, behavioral habit, combined systemic diseases were up-loaded. RESULTS: Among finally enrolled 1,141 newly diagnosed AMD patients, 690 patients (60.5%) were male and 451 patients (39.5%) were female. The average age of AMD patients was 69.7+/-8.0. Early AMD was observed in 190 patients and 951 patients had late AMD. Classic choroidal neovascular membrane (CNVM) was observed in 18.6% of exudative AMD patients and 63.4 % had occult CNVM. Subfoveal CNVM was observed in 80.4% of the patients with CNVM. Among the 580 exudative AMD eyes that performed indocyanin green angiography (ICG), 184 eyes (31.7%) had polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and 36 eyes (6.2%) showed retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP). Age, male gender, smoking, diabetes and hypertension significantly increased the risk of the AMD among Koreans. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the low rate of participation by retinal specialists, definite incidence of AMD was not obtainable. However, the estimated 1-year AMD incidence in the Pusan area of Korea is at least 0.4%. In contrast to Western people, 31.7% of exudative AMD cases were revealed to be PCV and 6.2% were revealed to be RAP. This discrepancy between ethnic groups should be considered in the diagnosis and treatment modality selection of Korean AMD patients.
Aged ; Angiography ; Choroid ; Ethnic Groups ; Eye ; Female ; Fluorescein ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Korea ; Macular Degeneration ; Male ; Membranes ; Photography ; Retinaldehyde ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Specialization

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Bowel preparation for colonoscopy remains an unpleasant experience because oral solutions have unpleasant tastes and may provoke abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and sleep disturbance. Duodenoscopic bowel preparation is an alternative method for patients who are unwilling to take oral preparation solution or for those who are supposed to have both gastroscopic and colonoscopic examination on the same day. We assessed the effectiveness and tolerance of duodenoscopic bowel preparation. METHODS: Patients in group OA (orally administered) ingested 45 mL of sodium phosphate (NaP) in the evening before the day of procedure and in the morning on the day of colonoscopy, whereas patients in group EA (endoscopically administered) were prepared for the procedure by duodenoscopic infusion of 90 mL of NaP diluted with 180 mL of water into the second portion of the duodenum. After 4 hours, we assessed the overall quality of colonic cleansing, using a range of excellent to inadequate. The patients completed a questionnaire on their preparation-associated symptoms, tolerance, and preference. RESULTS: In group EA, sleep disturbance (p<0.05) and nausea (p<0.05) occurred less frequently than in group OA. Overall, the tolerance rating for preparation was higher in group EA. However, the quality of colonic cleansing and cecum intubation time was not different between the two groups. Patients in group EA who had ingested NaP in the past preferred duodenoscopic bowel preparation. CONCLUSIONS: Duodenoscopic bowel preparation may play a role in colonic cleansing especially for patients who are scheduled to undergo gastroscopic and colonoscopic examination on the same day and for those who are unwilling to ingest NaP.
Administration, Oral ; Adult ; Aged ; Cathartics/*administration & dosage/adverse effects ; *Colonoscopy ; *Duodenoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Image Enhancement ; Irrigation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phosphates/*administration & dosage/adverse effects/chemistry ; Questionnaires ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Bowel preparation for colonoscopy remains an unpleasant experience because oral solutions have unpleasant tastes and may provoke abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and sleep disturbance. Duodenoscopic bowel preparation is an alternative method for patients who are unwilling to take oral preparation solution or for those who are supposed to have both gastroscopic and colonoscopic examination on the same day. We assessed the effectiveness and tolerance of duodenoscopic bowel preparation. METHODS: Patients in group OA (orally administered) ingested 45 mL of sodium phosphate (NaP) in the evening before the day of procedure and in the morning on the day of colonoscopy, whereas patients in group EA (endoscopically administered) were prepared for the procedure by duodenoscopic infusion of 90 mL of NaP diluted with 180 mL of water into the second portion of the duodenum. After 4 hours, we assessed the overall quality of colonic cleansing, using a range of excellent to inadequate. The patients completed a questionnaire on their preparation-associated symptoms, tolerance, and preference. RESULTS: In group EA, sleep disturbance (p<0.05) and nausea (p<0.05) occurred less frequently than in group OA. Overall, the tolerance rating for preparation was higher in group EA. However, the quality of colonic cleansing and cecum intubation time was not different between the two groups. Patients in group EA who had ingested NaP in the past preferred duodenoscopic bowel preparation. CONCLUSIONS: Duodenoscopic bowel preparation may play a role in colonic cleansing especially for patients who are scheduled to undergo gastroscopic and colonoscopic examination on the same day and for those who are unwilling to ingest NaP.
Administration, Oral ; Adult ; Aged ; Cathartics/*administration & dosage/adverse effects ; *Colonoscopy ; *Duodenoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Image Enhancement ; Irrigation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phosphates/*administration & dosage/adverse effects/chemistry ; Questionnaires ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been used for the endoscopic treatment of digestive cancer, its curative efficacy remains uncertain. This study evaluated the curative role of PDT in superficial gastrointestinal cancer. METHODS: Fifteen lesions in 14 patients with a histologically proven carcinoma (early esophageal cancer 6, early gastric cancer 8, ampulla of Vater cancer 1) were injected with an intravenous hematoporphyrin derivative (2 mg/kg), and PDT was performed 48 hours later. The response to treatment was assessed by gastroscopy with biopsies. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 273 days (42~1,030 days). According to the TNM stage of endoscopic ultrasonography, there were 14 T1 cases and 1 T2 case. Complete remission was observed in 13 cases after the initial and consecutive PDT. There were 2 cases of failure. The recurrence rate was 15.4% (2/13), and the median time from the initial PDT to recurrence was 349 days. CONCLUSIONS: PDT using a hematoporphyrin derivative as a photosensitizer is a safe and efficient method for treating early cancer. However, a long-term follow up period using a large population sample will be needed for confirmation.
Ampulla of Vater ; Biopsy ; Endosonography ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; Gastroscopy ; Hematoporphyrin Derivative ; Humans ; Photochemotherapy* ; Recurrence ; Stomach Neoplasms

Overexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has been associated with hepatocarcinogenesis. Inhibitors of COX-2 have proapoptotic and antiproliferative effects on malignant tumors and inhibit tumor invasion to the surrounding tissues. We report here a case of complete regression of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) during COX-2 inhibitor administration. An eighty-year-old female was diagnosed as an advanced HCC, which was associated with HCV infection. She received COX-2 inhibitor for 3 months due to degenerative arthritis of both knees. Tumor enhancement on arterial phase CT completely disappeared without specific treatment for the HCC, and the tumor size decreased on the follow-up CT scan.
Aged, 80 and over ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/*therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*drug therapy ; Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Diclofenac/administration & dosage/analogs & derivatives/therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Lactones/administration & dosage/therapeutic use ; Liver Neoplasms/*drug therapy ; Pyrazoles/administration & dosage/therapeutic use ; Sulfonamides/administration & dosage/therapeutic use ; Sulfones/administration & dosage/therapeutic use

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The origin of gastric mucosa outside of the stomach may be developmental (heterotopic gastric mucosa) or acquired (gastric metaplasia). The aim of this study was to evaluate the endoscopic features, according to the subtypes, of the gastric mucosa outside the stomach in the duodenum. METHODS: A total of 30 consecutive patients who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy from January 2002 to August 2004 and who were confirmed histopathologically as having gastric mucosa outside the stomach were retrospectively analyzed. Twenty three patients were males and seven were females. RESULTS: Nine patients had heterotopic gastric mucosa and 21 patients had gastric metaplasia. Seven patients with heterotopic gastric mucosa were asymptomatic and 2 patients had dyspepsia, whereas 21 patients with gastric metaplasia had dyspepsia. The dyspepsia rate showed a significant difference between the two groups (p<0.001). Endoscopically, the appearance of the heterotopic gastric mucosa tended to resemble area gastricae (p=0.08). However, there were no statistically differences between the two groups for the endoscopic features of the duodenum. Other abnormal lesions in stomach and duodenum appeared more frequently in the gastric metaplasia than in the heterotopic gastric mucosa (p=0.004, p<0.001). There was no difference in the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: There are no specific endoscopic findings to differentiate heterotopic gastric mucosa from gastric metaplasia. The presence of symptoms and the associated gastroduodenal inflammatory lesions were more prominent in the gastric metaplasia compared with the heterotopic gastric mucosa.
Duodenum* ; Dyspepsia ; Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Female ; Gastric Mucosa* ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Male ; Metaplasia ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach

BACKGROUND/AIMS: p53 is known to play a central role in sensing and signaling for the growth arrest and apoptosis in cells with DNA damage. Mutation of p53 is a frequent event in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). p16 protein binds to cyclin dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) inhibiting the ability of CDK4 to interact with cyclin D1, and stimulates the passage through the G1 phase of cell cycle. We observed the expression patterns and frequencies of p53, p16, and cyclin D1 in esophageal dysplasia and in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas. METHODS: In 15 patients of ESCC, 5 patients of esophageal dysplasia and 5 volunteers with normal esophagus, tissue specimens were taken from esophageal lesions during the operation or endoscopic examination. We used specific monoclonal antibodies for p53 protein, p16INK4 protein and cyclin D1. Immunoreactivity was scored. RESULTS: Mean age of all groups was 66 years old (range 47-93) and men to women ratio was 19:1. p53 mutation was observed in 87% (13/15) of ESCC, in 80% (4/5) of esophageal dysplasia, in 0% (0/5) of normal mucosa (p=0.001). p16 expression was seen in 40% (2/5) of esophageal dysplasia, 27% (4/15) of ESCC and 100% (5/5) of normal mucosa (p=0.016). Cyclin D1 expression was not significantly different among 20% (1/5) of esophageal dysplasia, 53% (8/15) of ESCC and 20% (1/5) of normal mucosa. Either the expression of p53 mutation or the loss of p16 occurred in 80% (4/5) of esophageal dysplasia and in 93% (14/15) of ESCC. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of p53 mutation and the loss of p16 might play a central role in the pathogenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and contribute to the development of precancerous lesion such as dysplasia. In addition, there is a possibility that the mutations of p53 and p16 silencing would be the early events in ESCC development.
Aged ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine/*diagnosis/pathology ; Chromogranin A/analysis/immunology ; Drainage ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Liver Abscess/*radiography/surgery ; Liver Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology ; Radiography, Abdominal ; Synaptophysin/analysis/immunology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: Endoscopic incision and submucosal dissection (EISD) is a technique that is being implemented for the resection of gastric adenomas and early gastric cancer (EGC). Since EISD requires a high degree of skill and experience, and due to its association with a moderate risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, its use has been limited. The objective of this study is to investigate the clinical benefits of EISD based upon clinical data on the EISD procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted at Soonchunhyang University Hospital and it included 179 gastric adenoma and early gastric carcinoma lesions from 164 patients who had undergone an EISD from February 2003 to May 2005. RESULTS: Among the total of 179 lesions, the distributions of EGC and adenomas were 70.3% (126/179) and 23.4% (42/179) respectively. The sizes of lesions were divided into 10 mm or less, 11~20 mm, 21~30 mm and greater than 31 mm and each rates are 10.0% (18/179), 46.3% (83/179), 30% (50/179) and 15.6% (28/ 179). Among 120 cases which could be measured depth of lesion in according to pathologic findings, m1 (0.8%, 1/120), m2 (38.3%, 46/120), m3 (25%, 57/120), sm1 (11.7%, 14/120), sm2 (1.6%, 2/120) were diagnosed as early stages of gastric cancer. The complete resection rate was 85.2% (150/176) and en-bloc resection rate was 96.0% (169/176). Complications as such as perforation and bleeding developed in 4.4%(8/179) and 21.2% (38/ 179), respectively. CONCLUSION: EISD is an effective in the endoscopic treatment for gastric adenoma and early gastric cancers. However, further evaluation of this method and long-term follow-up will be necessary for an evaluation of the recurrence rate after resection of a tumor.
Adenoma ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Recurrence ; Stomach Neoplasms*