Background: Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) have been associated with various safety concerns including weight gain, bladder cancer, and congestive heart failure (CHF). This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of lobeglitazone, a novel TZD in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in real practice. Methods: In this non-interventional, multi-center, retrospective, and observational study conducted at 15 tertiary or secondary referral hospitals in Korea, a total of 2,228 patients with T2DM who received lobeglitazone 0.5 mg for more than 1 year were enrolled. Results: Overall adverse events (AEs) occurred in 381 patients (17.10%) including edema in 1.97% (n=44). Cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases were identified in 0.81% (n=18) and 0.81% (n=18), respectively. One case of CHF was reported as an AE. Edema occurred in 1.97% (n=44) of patients. Hypoglycemia occurred in 2.47% (n=55) of patients. Fracture occurred in 1.17% (n=26) of all patients. Lobeglitazone significantly decreased HbA1c level, resulting in a mean treatment difference of -1.05%± 1.35% (P<0.001), and decreased total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. However, it increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, regardless of statin administration. The patients who received lobeglitazone 0.5 mg showed an apparent reduction in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) from baseline during the first 6 months of treatment. The HbA1c levels remained stable between months 6 and 42. Conclusion Lobeglitazone has long-term safety profile, good glycemic-lowering effect and long-term durability of glycemic control in real-world clinical settings.

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a rare complication after kidney transplantation. We describe a 62-year-old female with end-stage renal disease due to hypertension. She received a kidney with 4 mismatched human leukocyte antigen (HLA) out of 6 HLA - A, B, DR from a deceased donor. After the procedure, the patient showed watery diarrhea on postoperative day (POD) 45. An endoscopic biopsy of the colon revealed some apoptotic cells consistent with GVHD. Thrombocytopenia was gradually developed on POD 54. She received steroid pulse therapy, and thrombocytopenia did not progress. However, pneumonia, renal failure, and cardiac failure occurred. She died due to multiple organ failure. We must consider GVHD in renal transplant recipients without homozygous or identical HLA, who had only watery diarrhea without other typical GVHD symptoms such as skin rash and fever, although GVHD is rare in renal transplant recipients.
Biopsy ; Colon ; Diarrhea ; Exanthema ; Female ; Fever ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Kidney ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Kidney Transplantation ; Leukocytes ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Organ Failure ; Pneumonia ; Renal Insufficiency ; Thrombocytopenia ; Tissue Donors

In 2007, the Korean Interstitial Lung Disease Society had collected clinical data of patients who have diagnosed as Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) since 1990 through nationwide survey, which showed that LAM patients had increased sharply after 2004. The present study was performed to show the clinical features of Korean patients with LAM, and to establish the reason for the recent increase in the diagnosis. All 63 patients were women and the mean age at diagnosis was 36 yr. The most common presenting symptom was dyspnea and 8 patients had tuberous sclerosis complex. The survival rate at 5 yr after diagnosis was 84%. Compared with patients diagnosed after 2004 (n=34), the patients diagnosed before 2004 (n=29) complained with dyspnea more (P=0.016) and had lower FEV1% predicted (P=0.003), and DLco% predicted (P=0.042). The higher proportion of patients diagnosed after 2004 showed the normal chest radiography, and they were detected by routine chest CT screening (P=0.016). This study showed that clinical features of Korean patients with LAM were not different from those reported elsewhere. It is concluded that the reason for the increase of newly diagnosed patients is the result of increase in detection of the early stage LAM by the widespread use of chest CT screening.
Adult ; Aged ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/*diagnosis/mortality/radiography ; Lymphangioleiomyomatosis/*diagnosis/mortality/radiography ; Middle Aged ; Republic of Korea ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Survival Rate ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (PLCH) is characterized by a proliferation of Langerhans cells and this results in granulomas that involve multiple organs of the body. Because the incidence of PLCH is very low in Korea and worldwide, collecting the clinical data of patients with PLCH nationwide is needed to determine the clinical features of Korean patients with PLCH. METHODS: The patients with PLCH confirmed by biopsy at any body site were included and the patients should have lung lesions present. A questionnaire that had items on the symptoms, lung function tests, the roentgenographic findings and the treatment was collected retrospectively at a Korean ILD Research Meeting. RESULTS: A total of 56 cases were collected. The number of males and females was 48 and 8, respectively, and their median age was 43 years (range: 18~67 years). The patients were current or ex-smokers in 79% of the cases. The most frequent symptom was coughing (39%), followed in decreasing order by dyspnea (38%), sputum (20%) and chest pain (20%). Pneumothorax was observed in 16 (29%) patients. Lung function tests showed a normal, restrictive, mixed or obstructive pattern in 26 (61%), 7 (16%), 7 (16%) and 3 patients (7%), respectively. Nodular-cystic lesion was most frequently observed in 59% of the patients on HRCT. The lung lesions were located in the middle and upper lobes in almost the cases. The median follow-up period was 90 months (range: 1~180 months) and only two patients died during this period. CONCLUSION: This study provides a national survey of the patients with PLCH during a long follow-up period.
Biopsy ; Chest Pain ; Cough ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Granuloma ; Histiocytosis ; Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Langerhans Cells ; Lung ; Lung Diseases ; Male ; Pneumothorax ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Retrospective Studies ; Sputum

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Alcoholic hepatitis is an acute or acute-on-chronic inflammatory syndrome associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Traditionally, Maddrey discriminant function (DF) score and Child-Turcott- Pugh (CTP) score have been used for stratifying the prognosis of alcoholic hepatitis. Recently, the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score has been applied to alcoholic hepatitis and some investigators consider MELD score as a better prognostic indicator for severe alcoholic hepatitis. Therefore, this analysis was aimed to compare MELD score with DF and CTP scores for predicting the short-term mortality in Korean patients with alcoholic hepatitis. METHODS: The medical records of patients hospitalized with alcoholic hepatitis between January 1, 1999 and December 31, 2004 at Hanyang University Guri-Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Of the 138 medical records reviewed, 74 cases fulfilled the inclusion criteria (61 males and 13 females; mean age 47.1 years). Twelve patients (16.2%) died within 90 days after admission. Univariate analysis demonstrated that variables such as ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, splenomegaly, international normalized ratio, CTP, and DF scores were significantly correlated with increased 90-day mortality while MELD score was not. According to the multivariate analysis, only CTP score was statistically significant (p=0.012) while DF and MELD scores were not significant for predicting 90-day mortality. The survival analysis with Cox regression test showed higher DF and CTP scores, but not MELD score, significantly increased the risk of in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that DF and CTP scores are independent predictors of short-term mortality in patients with alcoholic hepatitis.
Adult ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis, Alcoholic/diagnosis/*mortality ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver Diseases/diagnosis/mortality ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Prognosis ; ROC Curve ; *Severity of Illness Index ; Survival Analysis ; Time Factors

The hepatic hemangioma is the most common benign tumor in the liver. Most hemangiomas are asymptomatic and treatment is not required. Rarely, complications occur due to a hepatic arterioportal shunt through a large high-flow hemangioma. We report a case of recurrent esophageal variceal bleeding despite repeated esophageal variceal ligation (EVL) due to a hepatic arterioportal shunt through a large high-flow hemangioma that was successfully treated with hepatic arterial embolization, in a patient with cirrhosis and end stage renal disease.
Esophageal and Gastric Varices* ; Fibrosis* ; Hemangioma* ; Hematemesis ; Humans ; Hypertension, Portal ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Ligation ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis

BACKGROUND: Chronic graft-versus-host disease(GVHD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in long-term survivors of bone marrow transplantation, an increasingly used therapeutic option for hematological disorders. Cutaneous manifestations are frequently the presenting feature; therefore, the dermatologist needs to be aware of the wide spectrum of chronic cutaneous GVHD, enabling early diagnosis and management. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the clinical and histological features of chronic cutaneous GVHD in recipients receiving allogenic BMT. METHODS: On the basis of the patients' charts, photographs and biopsy specimens, we investigated the occurring interval, clinical manifestations and histological characteristics of chronic cutaneous GVHD in 37 patients from January 1, 1996 through December 31, 2000. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: 1. The chronic cutaneous GVHD was preceded by the acute form of GVHD in 56.7% of patients, and occurred as an extension(18.9%) of acute GVHD, after a disease-free interval(37.8%), or with no precedent(43.2%). The disease usually developed at a mean 251days after transplant. 2. The chronic cutaneous GVHD mainly presented as maculopapular(37.8%), lichenoid(37.8%), or sclerodermoid(13.5%) patterns. 3. Histologically, 35.1% of biopsy specimens showed characteristic acute GVHR-like change, 40.5% showed lichen planus-like, and 13.5% was scleroderma-like histology. Lichen planus-like feature mixed with scleroderma-like was 2.7%, and 8.1 % was non-specific. 4. Appearing after day 100, the acute GVHD other than chronic GVHD was detected in some cases, and the lichenoid rash of chronic GVHD in one case was observed as early as day 60. 6. Our opinions are that the time of occurrence is not a reliable parameter for the clinical picture of GVHD and histologic parameters do not absolutely separate between acute and chronic GVHD as defined by days after BMT. 7. Mortality rate was 21 % in our cases.
Biopsy ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Early Diagnosis ; Exanthema ; Graft vs Host Disease* ; Humans ; Lichens ; Mortality ; Survivors ; Transplants*

PURPOSE: D-lactate, optical isomer of L-lactate is not a human metabolite. Once the D-lactate enters the human body, it is mainly metabolized in liver. The metabolism of D-lactate can be changed in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis with the exposure of antibiotics and the frequent trial of lactulose, if neccessory. The aim of this study is to analyze blood D-lactate level in cirrhotic patients and it's relationship with the degree of hepatic insufficiency and acid-base imbalance. METHODS: Plasma L-lactate and D-lactate levels were measured in 40 cirrhotic patients classified by Child-Pugh system with L-LDH and D-LDH with comparison of their changes before and after the use of antibiotics and lactulose(n=14). Also, acid-base disorders were analyzed in 35 cirrhotic patients, and plasma L, D-lactate levels were determined in each acid-base disorder. RESULTS: Plasma D-lactate level was not significantly elevated in cirrhotic patients compared to the control group(2.34+/-.48 mmol/L vs. 1.63+/-.26 mmol/ L, p=NS), but some patients(n=4, 10%) revealed abnormally elevated D-lactate level. The plasma L, D- lactate levels were not different in subgroups classified by Child-Pugh system as well as by underlying causes of liver cirrhosis, and plasma D-lactate level was not sugnificnatly different before and after the exposure of antibiotics and lactulose. Plasma D-lactate level was significantly increased in 3 patients with respiratory alkalosis and metabolic acidosis(12+/-.98 mmol/L) compared to others(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that, regardless of its decompensated degree and exposure to drugs, a subset of patients with liver cirrhosis can develop elevation of D-lactate in blood, particularly when metabolic acidosis is accompanied.
Acid-Base Imbalance* ; Acidosis ; Alkalosis, Respiratory ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Hepatic Insufficiency ; Human Body ; Humans ; Lactic Acid ; Lactulose ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Metabolism ; Plasma*

Hepatitis B virus infection is known to be associated with various types of glomerulonephritis (GN), including membranous GN, membranoproliferative GN, and mesangial proliferative GN. Although there has been considerable experiences with interferon in clinical trials during the past decade, acute renal failure as a complication of interferon treatment has rarely been reported. We report a case in which acute renal failure with proteinuria was associated with interferon-alpha treatment. A 33-year-old man with chronic hepatitis B presented with diarrhea and RUQ pain. Two weeks after INF-alpha treatment, Oliguria and proteinuria suddenly occurred, although the hepatic function was improved. With discontinuation of interferon treatment and ultrafiltration, his renal function was improved.
Acute Kidney Injury* ; Adult ; Diarrhea ; Glomerulonephritis ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis B, Chronic* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; Interferons* ; Oliguria ; Proteinuria ; Ultrafiltration

BACKGROUND: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity. Despite progress in diagnostic techniques and treatments, management of pneumonia remains challenging, because the precise etiology remains uncertain in as many as 49 % of cases. The limitaions of identifying etiologic agents make it necessary to use empiric antibiotics in almost all patients, and furthermore emergence of antibiotic-resistant organisms pose difficulties to the selection of an empiric antibiotic regimen. For the optimal choice of empirical antibiotics, we should know the frequency of etiologic agents and antimicrobial resistance rates in the community. METHODS: A prospective multicenter study of community-acquired pneumonia in Korea was carried out between May 1997 and April 2000. The microbiologic diagnosis was based on the results of sputum culture, blood culture and pleural culture. RESULTS: Five hundred eighty eight cases of community-acquired pneumonia in 562 patients admitted to the hospitals. The mean age was 59.9 with male predominance (58.3%), and 370 (63%) had underlyin gillness. The etiologic agents were identified in 38.3%, and the list of individual agents, in decreasing order, was Streptococcus pneumoniae (21.7%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (14.8%) Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9.8%), Staphylococcus aureus (9.5%), viridans group streptococci (5.7%), Enterobacter cloacae (4.2%), Hemophillus Influenza (3.8%). The rates of admission to the intensive care unit was 10.4%. The motality was 7.1%. Susceptible rates of S. pneumoniae to penicillin was 36.6% and showed multidrug resistant. Forty percents of S. aureus were methicillin-resistant S. aureus. K. penumoniae were susceptible to cephalosporin and quinolone. CONCLUSION: In Korea, S. pneumoniae is the most important agent causing community-acquired pneumonia. Susceptible rates of S. pneumoniae to penicillin was 36.6 % and showed multidrug resistant. Gram negative bacteria such as K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa showed high incidence when compared with that of other countries. Most of them had underlying diseases including bronchiectasis and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.
Adult* ; Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bronchiectasis ; Diagnosis ; Enterobacter cloacae ; Gills ; Gram-Negative Bacteria ; Humans ; Incidence ; Influenza, Human ; Intensive Care Units ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; Korea ; Lung Diseases, Obstructive ; Male ; Methicillin Resistance ; Mortality ; Penicillins ; Pneumonia* ; Prospective Studies* ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Sputum ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Streptococcus pneumoniae