Alternative complement pathway dysregulation plays a key role in glomerulonephritis (GN) and is associated with C3 deposition. Herein, we examined pathological and clinical differences between cases of primary GN with C3-dominant (C3D-GN) and nondominant (C3ND-GN) deposition. Methods: We extracted primary GN data from the Korean GlomeruloNEphritis sTudy (KoGNET). C3D-GN was defined as C3 staining two grades greater than C1q, C4, and immunoglobulin via immunofluorescence analysis. To overcome a large difference in the number of patients between the C3D-GN and C3ND-GN groups (31 vs. 9,689), permutation testing was used for analysis. Results: The C3D-GN group exhibited higher serum creatinine (p ≤ 0.001), a greater prevalence of estimated glomerular filtration rate of <60 mL/min/1.72 m2 (p ≤ 0.001), higher (but not significantly so) C-reactive protein level, and lower serum C3 level (p ≤ 0.001). Serum albumin, urine protein/creatinine ratio, number of patients who progressed to end-stage renal disease, and all-cause mortality were comparable between groups. Interstitial fibrosis and mesangial cellularity were greater in the C3D-GN group (p = 0.04 and p = 0.01, respectively) than in the C3ND-GN group. C3 deposition was dominant in the former group (p < 0.001), in parallel with increased subendothelial deposition (p ≤ 0.001). Conclusion: Greater progression of renal injury and higher mortality occurred in patients with C3D-GN than with C3ND-GN, along with pathologic differences in interstitial and mesangial changes.

Background: Although respiratory tract infection is one of the most important factors triggering acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AE-COPD), limited data are available to suggest an epidemiologic pattern of microbiology in South Korea. Methods: A multicenter observational study was conducted between January 2015 and December 2018 across 28 hospitals in South Korea. Adult patients with moderate-to-severe acute exacerbations of COPD were eligible to participate in the present study. The participants underwent all conventional tests to identify etiology of microbial pathogenesis. The primary outcome was the percentage of different microbiological pathogens causing AE-COPD. A comparative microbiological analysis of the patients with overlapping asthma–COPD (ACO) and pure COPD was performed. Results: We included 1,186 patients with AE-COPD. Patients with pure COPD constituted 87.9% and those with ACO accounted for 12.1%. Nearly half of the patients used an inhaled corticosteroid-containing regimen and one-fifth used systemic corticosteroids. Respiratory pathogens were found in 55.3% of all such patients. Bacteria and viruses were detected in 33% and 33.2%, respectively. Bacterial and viral coinfections were found in 10.9%. The most frequently detected bacteria were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9.8%), and the most frequently detected virus was influenza A (10.4%). Multiple bacterial infections were more likely to appear in ACO than in pure COPD (8.3% vs. 3.6%, p=0.016). Conclusion Distinct microbiological patterns were identified in patients with moderate-to-severe AE-COPD in South Korea. These findings may improve evidence-based management of patients with AE-COPD and represent the basis for further studies investigating infectious pathogens in patients with COPD.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection leads to hepatic and extrahepatic manifestations including chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the association between HBV and CKD is not clear. This study investigated the association between chronic HBV infection and CKD in a nationwide multicenter study. METHODS: A total of 265,086 subjects who underwent health-check examinations in 33 hospitals from January 2015 to December 2015 were enrolled. HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) positive cases (n = 10,048), and age- and gender-matched HBsAg negative controls (n = 40,192) were identified. CKD was defined as a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² or proteinuria as at least grade 2+ of urine protein. RESULTS: HBsAg positive cases showed a significantly higher prevalence of GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² (3.3%), and proteinuria (18.9%) than that of the controls (2.6%, P < 0.001, and 14.1%, P < 0.001, respectively). In the multivariate analysis, HBsAg positivity was an independent factor associated with GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² along with age, blood levels of albumin, bilirubin, anemia, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Likewise, HBsAg positivity was an independent factor for proteinuria along with age, male, blood levels of bilirubin, protein, albumin, and HbA1c. A subgroup analysis showed that HBsAg positive men but not women had a significantly increased risk for GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m². CONCLUSION: Chronic HBV infection was significantly associated with a GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² and proteinuria (≥ 2+). Therefore, clinical concern about CKD in chronic HBV infected patients, especially in male, is warranted.
Anemia ; Antigens, Surface ; Bilirubin ; Case-Control Studies* ; Female ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis B, Chronic* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prevalence ; Proteinuria ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic*

In this study, we investigated the effect of methanolic extract isolated from the root of Lycoris aurea (LA) on the growth of cancer cells and the tube formation activity of endothelial cells. Various cancer cells were treated with LA at doses of 0.3, 1, 3, 10 or 30 microg/ml and LA significantly suppressed the growth of several cancer cell lines, including ACHN, HCT-15, K-562, MCF-7, PC-3 and SK-OV-3, in a dose-dependent manner. We also found that LA induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase in ACHN renal cell adenocarcinoma cells. Further study demonstrated that LA concentration-dependently inhibited the tube formation, which is a widely used in vitro model of reorganization stage of angiogenesis, in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Collectively, these results show that LA inhibits the growth of cancer cells and tube formation of endothelial cells and the growth-inhibitory effect of LA might be mediated, at least in part, by blocking cell cycle progression.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; Cell Line ; Endothelial Cells ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; Lycoris ; Methanol

The purpose of this study was to compare differences in role conflict, self efficacy, job satisfaction, and job involvement perceived by school nutrition teachers and dietitians. A total of 335 female school nutrition teachers and dietitians from Incheon area were surveyed by a self-report questionnaire in November 2010. Collected data were processed using SPSS 15.0. The reliability of the questionnaire was tested and differences between the two groups were analyzed using the Student's t-test, the chi-square test, and a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The job satisfaction level of nutrition teachers was higher than that of dietitians. The effect of role conflict and job satisfaction for nutrition teachers and dietitians was different according to age. In addition, self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and job involvement of nutrition teachers and dietitians were influenced by their annual salaries. The frequency of meals served also affected role conflict, job satisfaction, and job involvement of the nutrition teachers and dietitians, and the effect of job involvement by the nutrition teachers and dietitians was different according to meal service type. Therefore, it is necessary to establish strategies for resolving role conflicts among school foodservice specialists and improve their self-efficacy for enhancing consumer's satisfaction with the general quality of school food service. These efforts may contribute to job satisfaction and job involvement of food service specialists and ultimately to the productivity of food service and the establishment of food service specialist roles.
Efficiency ; Female ; Food Services ; Humans ; Job Satisfaction ; Meals ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Salaries and Fringe Benefits ; Self Efficacy ; Specialization

This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of constipation, bowel habits and nutrient intakes of college students. The subjects were 353 college students (166 males and 187 females) aged 19 to 29 years in Incheon area. The subjects were asked about bowel habits and dietary intake using questionnaires during march, 2008 and the prevalence of functional constipation (FC) was based on the Rome II criteria. The prevalence of FC in male and female students was 12.7% and 28.9%, respectively. The prevalence of self-reported constipation in male and female students was 12.0% and 36.9%, respectively. Both were higher in female students compared to male students. Among the subjects that have self-reported constipation, proportions of FC were 35.0% in male students and 55.1% in female students. Of subjects that did not self-reported constipation, the proportions of FC were 9.6% in male students and 13.6% in female students. Over 90% of respondents that self-reported constipation in male students, had neither visited a hospital and nor used laxatives or functional foods for constipation relief. Seventy five point three percent of male students, and 40.1% of female students, had a defecation frequency of over 5 times per week (p < 0.001). Ratios intaken under the estimated average requirement (EAR) of Vit A, Vit C, folic acid and Ca were over the 50% regardless of functional constipation. Mean daily consumption of total dietary fiber was 15.0 g/day in male students and 13.5 g/day in female students. According to these results, both functional constipation and self-reported constipation are more frequent in female college students and further studies are required in case-control study and related to psychological factors as well as nutrients to relieve of constipation.
Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Constipation ; Defecation ; Dietary Fiber ; Female ; Folic Acid ; Functional Food ; Humans ; Laxatives ; Male ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rome

The purpose of this study was to investigate the dietary behavior, health-related lifestyles and nutrient intake status of college students according to physical activity levels. The physical activity levels were measured using the Korean version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) short form. The subjects of this study were 438 college students (243 males and 195 females) in Incheon area and were divided by gender and by physical activity levels, which included low, moderate and high physical activity groups. The average age of male and female students were 23.7 and 21.0 years old, respectively. The prevalence of the low physical activity group was 11.5% for males and 30.8% for females and that of the high physical activity group was 38.7% for males and 22.6% for females. According to the criteria for obesity in Asia-Pacific region, 39.1% of the males and 64.1% of the female students investigated were in the normal range of BMI and 30.9% of the males and 4.6% of the female students were in the obesity category. However, percent of body fat in the female students was significantly higher than that of the male students. The soft lean mass of the high physical activity group was higher compared to the other groups. In the low physical activity group, frequency of "eating out" was lower compared to the other groups. The average consumption of energy was 74.4% for males and 80.1% for females of the estimated energy requirement (EER). The mean intakes of vitamin C, vitamin B2, folic acid and Ca were 67.3%, 84%, 52.7% and 36.7% for males and 64.8%, 99.9%, 51.1% and 40.1% for females of recommended intake (RI), respectively. Therefore, it was necessary for obesity prevention as well as health promotion to increase physical activity and to eat an adequate, balanced diet in female college students.
Adipose Tissue ; Ascorbic Acid ; Diet ; Female ; Folic Acid ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Life Style ; Male ; Motor Activity ; Obesity ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reference Values ; Riboflavin

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify nursing interventions performed by public health nurses in health centers. METHOD: Data was collected by the taxonomy of Nursing Intervention Classification (NIC 3rd: 486 nursing interventions) from 131 public health nurses in health centers and analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULT: As its result, more than 50% of public health nurses performed 137 nursing interventions at least monthly. The most frequently used intervention class was 'activity and exercise management', followed by 'physical comfort promotion', 'community health promotion', 'life span care', 'coping assistance', 'Self care facilitation', 'information management', 'nutrition support', 'community risk management' and 'patient education'. One hundred twenty nursing interventions were rarely performed by 90% or more of the nurses. Most of them were the physical complex domain. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, 137 interventions were performed by public health nurses at least monthly. NIC is helpful to build a standardized language for public health nursing.
Hospitals, Community ; Humans ; Nursing Care/*classification/*statistics & numerical data ; *Nursing Informatics ; Public Health Nursing/*statistics & numerical data ; Terminology as Topic

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Psychological distress may develop from tinnitus, or that recognition of tinnitus may even be greater during exposure to environmental stress. So, patients with tinnitus need to consider the psychologic aspect in their diagnosis and treatment. The aim of this study is to evaluate the degree and characteristics of the psychologic factors associated in patients undergoing tinnitus retraining therapy. MATERIALS AND METHOD: 119 patients with tinnitus who received the Symptom Check List-90-Revision (SCL-90-R) and a control group without tinnitus were compared first; and then 92 out of 119 patients performed the follow up study after three months of tinnitus retraining therapy. RESULTS: The results were as follows. 1. The tinnitus group scored higher than the control group in somatization, anxiety, phobic anxiety (p<0.05). 2. The gender difference, age, duration, position, hearing, and Feldmann masking curve of tinnitus were not related to the psychologic status of patients with tinnitus (p>0.05). 3. The psychologic aspect of patients with tinnitus were related to loudness, pitch, annoyance (p<0.05). 4. The follow-up study of 3 months on patients who underwent tinnitus retraining therapy showed diminished score in all components of SCL-90-R, except phobic anxiety, and paranoid (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study indicated that the compliant behaviour of tinnitus is related closely with intrinsic psychodynamic mechanism.
Anxiety ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hearing ; Humans ; Masks ; Psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tinnitus*

Laryngeal chondrosarcoma is an uncommon cartilaginous tumor very rarely encountered in the head and neck but most commonly in the sarcoma of the larynx. They occur most often in middle aged and older men. The prognosis of this tumor is potentially poor and surgical resection is generally recommended for the treatment. No benefit of chemotherapy or radiotherapy in chondrosarcoma has been documented in the literature. A 57 year-old male visited our clinic with history of dyspnea and hoarseness. Direct laryngoscopy showed a submucoid, intraluminal mass in subglottic space arising from posterolateral part of the cricoid cartilage. Neck computed tomography revealed a large calcified mass in the larynx. The perioperative frozen section showed it to be grade I chondrosarcoma of the cricoid cartilage. Conservative surgery with complete excision of tumor was performed through laryngofissure approach after tracheostomy. Follow up assesment was performed under close check up at 12 months after the surgery, but we found neither recurrence nor metastasis.
Chondrosarcoma* ; Cricoid Cartilage* ; Drug Therapy ; Dyspnea ; Equidae ; Follow-Up Studies ; Frozen Sections ; Head ; Hoarseness ; Humans ; Laryngoscopy ; Larynx ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence ; Sarcoma ; Tracheostomy