OBJECTIVES: In April 2000, a series of wildfires occurred simultaneously in five adjacent small cities located on the eastern coast of Korea. These wildfires burned approximately 23,794 hectares of forestland over several days. We investigated the effects of prenatal exposure to the by-products generated by wildfire disasters on birth weight. METHODS: Birth weight data were obtained for 1999-2001 from the birth registration database of the Korean National Statistical Office and matched with the zip code and exposed/unexposed pregnancy week for days of the wildfires. Generalized linear models were then used to assess the associations between birth weight and exposure to wildfires after adjusting for fetal sex, gestational age, parity, maternal age, maternal education, paternal education, and average exposed atmospheric temperature. RESULTS: Compared with unexposed pregnancies before and after the wildfires, mean birth weight decreased by 41.4 g (95% confidence interval [CI], -72.4 to -10.4) after wildfire exposure during the first trimester, 23.2 g (95% CI, -59.3 to 13.0) for exposure during the second trimester, and 27.0 g (95% CI, -63.8 to 9.8) during the third trimester. In the adjusted model for infants exposed in utero during any trimester, the mean birth weight decreased by 32.5 g (95% CI, -53.2 to -11.7). CONCLUSIONS We observed a 1% reduction in birth weight after wildfire exposure. Thus, exposure to by-products generated during a wildfire disaster during pregnancy may slow fetal growth and cause developmental delays.

The methylglyoxal (MGO) trapping constituents from Malus baccata L. were investigated using incubation of MGO and crude extract under physiological conditions followed by HPLC analysis. The peak areas of MGO trapping compounds decreased, and their chemical structures were identified by HPLC-ESI/MS. Sieboldin was identified as a major active molecule representing MGO-trapping activity of the crude extract. After reaction of sieboldin and MGO, remaining MGO was calculated by microplate assay method using imine (Schiff base) formation of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) and aldehyde group. After 4 h incubation, sieboldin trapped over 43.8% MGO at a concentration of 0.33 mM and showed MGO scavenging activity with an RC 50 value of 0.88 mM for the incubation of 30 min under physiological conditions. It was also confirmed that sieboldin inhibited the production of advanced glycation end products (AGE) produced by bovine serum albumins (BSA)/MGO. Additionally, MGO trapping mechanism of sieboldin was more specifically identified by 1 H-, 13 C-, 2D NMR and, confirm to be attached to the position of C-3' (or 5').

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to determine factors affecting happiness of adolescents who attended community child centers. METHODS: We surveyed 154 adolescents attending a community child center in P City with a structured self-report questionnaire from October 3 to October 15, 2016. Data was analyzed by SPSS 18.0 descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffé test, Pearson's correlation coefficients and stepwise multiple regression. RESULTS: The mean scores of family strength, friend support, teacher support, and happiness were 3.8±0.84, 3.8±0.98, 3.7±0.84 and 3.7±0.63. There were significant differences in happiness according to the subjects' number of close friends and duration of their stay at the community child center. There were a significant positive correlations among family strength, friend support, teacher support, and happiness. The most significant factors affecting happiness included friend support (β=.40) and peaceable family strength (β=.35). These variables explained 44% of the total variance in happiness. CONCLUSION: It is desirable to prepare and support measures to increase friends' support and family strength in order to improve happiness of adolescents attending community child centers. The findings suggest that it is necessary to develop nursing intervention programs to promote friend support and family strength.
Adolescent* ; Child* ; Family Health ; Friends ; Happiness* ; Humans ; Nursing

PURPOSE: Diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) can induce and trigger airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of long-term DEP exposure on AHR, inflammation, lung fibrosis, and goblet cell hyperplasia in a mouse model. METHODS: BALB/c mice were exposed to DEPs 1 hour a day for 5 days a week for 3 months in a closed-system chamber attached to a ultrasonic nebulizer (low dose: 100 microg/m3 DEPs, high dose: 3 mg/m3 DEPs). The control group was exposed to saline. Enhanced pause was measured as an indicator of AHR. Animals were subjected to whole-body plethysmography and then sacrificed to determine the performance of bronchoalveolar lavage and histology. RESULTS: AHR was higher in the DEP group than in the control group, and higher in the high-dose DEP than in the low-dose DEP groups at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The numbers of neutrophils and lymphocytes were higher in the high-dose DEP group than in the low-dose DEP group and control group at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The levels of interleukin (IL)-5, IL-13, and interferon-gamma were higher in the low-dose DEP group than in the control group at 12 weeks. The level of IL-10 was higher in the high-dose DEP group than in the control group at 12 weeks. The level of vascular endothelial growth factor was higher in the low-dose and high-dose DEP groups than in the control group at 12 weeks. The level of IL-6 was higher in the low-dose DEP group than in the control group at 12 weeks. The level of transforming growth factor-beta was higher in the high-dose DEP group than in the control group at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The collagen content and lung fibrosis in lung tissue was higher in the high-dose DEP group at 8 and 12 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that long-term DEP exposure may increase AHR, inflammation, lung fibrosis, and goblet cell hyperplasia in a mouse model.
Airway Remodeling ; Animals ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage ; Collagen ; Fibrosis ; Goblet Cells ; Hyperplasia ; Inflammation* ; Interferon-gamma ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-13 ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukins ; Lung ; Lymphocytes ; Mice* ; Nebulizers and Vaporizers ; Neutrophils ; Plethysmography ; Pneumonia ; Ultrasonics ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; Vehicle Emissions*

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the features of endometrial hyperplasia with concurrent endometrial cancer that had been diagnosed by endometrial sampling. Further, we attempted to identify an accurate differential diagnostic method. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 125 patients who underwent a diagnostic endometrial biopsy or were diagnosed after the surgical treatment of other gynecological lesions, such as leiomyoma or polyps. Patients were diagnosed between January 2005 and December 2013 at Busan Paik Hospital. Clinical and histopathological characteristics were compared in patients who had atypical endometrial hyperplasia with and without concurrent endometrial cancer. RESULTS: The patients were grouped based on the final pathology reports. One hundred seventeen patients were diagnosed with endometrial hyperplasia and eight patients were diagnosed with endometrioid adenocarcinoma arising from atypical hyperplasia. Of the 26 patients who had been diagnosed with atypical endometrial hyperplasia by office-based endometrial biopsy, eight (30.8%) were subsequently diagnosed with endometrial cancer after they had undergone hysterectomy. The patients with endometrial cancer arising from endometrial hyperplasia were younger (39.1 vs. 47.2 years, P=0.0104) and more obese (body mass index 26.1+/-9.6 vs. 23.8+/-2.8 kg/m2, P=0.3560) than the patients with endometrial hyperplasia. The correlation rate between the pathology of the endometrial samples and the final diagnosis of endometrial hyperplasia was 67.3%. CONCLUSION: In patients with atypical endometrial hyperplasia, the detection of endometrial cancer before hysterectomy can decrease the risk of suboptimal treatment. The accuracy of endometrial sampling for the diagnosis of concurrent endometrial carcinoma was much lower than that for atypical endometrial hyperplasia. Therefore, concurrent endometrial carcinoma should be suspected and surgical intervention should be considered in young or obese patients who present with atypical endometrial hyperplasia.
Biopsy* ; Busan ; Carcinoma, Endometrioid ; Diagnosis ; Endometrial Hyperplasia ; Endometrial Neoplasms* ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperplasia* ; Hysterectomy ; Leiomyoma ; Pathology ; Polyps ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: Allergic diseases have been increased in Korea. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes of sensitization rate to inhalant allergens over 10 years in children with allergic diseases from a tertiary referral hospital. METHODS: Skin prick tests were done in total 2,225 children in 2000, 2005, and 2010. Changes of skin reactivity to 12 major inhalant allergens, including Tree pollen mixture I (Alder, Elm, Hazel, Poplar, Willow), Tree pollen mixture II (Beech, Birch, Oak, Plane tree), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farina, Alternaria, cat dander, and dog dander were investigated. RESULTS: The sensitization rates to Tree pollen mixture I and II were increased as 5.0%, 6.8% in 2000, 8.5%, 9.8% in 2005, and 14.8%, 17.3% in 2010, respectively (trend P<0.001, P<0.001, respectively). And the sensitization rates to D. pteronyssinus cat dander and dog dander were changed as 55%, 4.8%, 4.8% in 2000, 62.2%, 11.9%, 28% in 2005, and 63.1%, 12.7%, 16.7% in 2010, respectively. The distribution of sensitized pollens was oak (12.8%), beech (12.4%), pine (10.3%), birch (10%), hazel (9.6%), alder (8%), elder (6.9%), elm (5.4%) in the study of 2010. When allergen/histamine ratio was compared, rates of strong sensitization over 4+ to tree pollen were increased. CONCLUSION: The sensitization rates to inhalant allergens were increased in children with asthma or allergic rhinitis from a tertiary referral hospital in Seoul over last 10 years. Especially, an increase in the degree of skin reactivity was observed in cat dander, dog dander, and tree pollens. The studies to investigate the etiology of this increase and prevention will be needed.
Allergens ; Alnus ; Alternaria ; Animals ; Asthma* ; Betula ; Cats ; Child* ; Dander ; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus ; Dogs ; Fagus ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Korea ; Pollen ; Pyroglyphidae ; Rhinitis* ; Seoul ; Skin ; Tertiary Care Centers*

BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB) has been assessed based on the data of the analysis of TB patients notified to the surveillance system in Korea. However, the national status of TB is not validated through this surveillance system. The objective is to determine the epidemiology of TB and to understand the accurate status of TB patients treated in private institutions. METHODS: Medical records of 53,579 patients who had been diagnosed with TB in 2008 were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 53,579 patients, the number of sputum smear positive cases was 15,639(29.2%) and the number of new cases was 39,191 (73.1%). The drug resistance rate of new cases was 5.3%, while the rate stood at 13.3% for TB patients with treatment history. The number of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) patients was 2,472 (4.6%), which consists of 2.9% of new cases and 9.3% of TB patients with prior treatment history. The number of extensively drug-resistant TB patients was 749 (1.4%), consisting of 1.1% of new cases and 2.2% of TB patients with prior treatment history. In terms of treatment outcomes, 66.4% of all TB patients, 70.5% of new cases, 64.4% of relapse cases, and 46.8% of MDR-TB cases were cured or completed. It was inferred that in 2008, the total number of TB patients reached 70,767, 145.6 per 100,000 people (95% confidence interval, 145.5~145.7). CONCLUSION: We conclude that the medical records review of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) data can be very effective in promoting the understanding of the current status of TB in private institutions.
Data Collection ; Disease Notification ; Drug Resistance ; Humans ; Insurance, Health ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Recurrence ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant

BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB) has been assessed based on the data of the analysis of TB patients notified to the surveillance system in Korea. However, the national status of TB is not validated through this surveillance system. The objective is to determine the epidemiology of TB and to understand the accurate status of TB patients treated in private institutions. METHODS: Medical records of 53,579 patients who had been diagnosed with TB in 2008 were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 53,579 patients, the number of sputum smear positive cases was 15,639(29.2%) and the number of new cases was 39,191 (73.1%). The drug resistance rate of new cases was 5.3%, while the rate stood at 13.3% for TB patients with treatment history. The number of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) patients was 2,472 (4.6%), which consists of 2.9% of new cases and 9.3% of TB patients with prior treatment history. The number of extensively drug-resistant TB patients was 749 (1.4%), consisting of 1.1% of new cases and 2.2% of TB patients with prior treatment history. In terms of treatment outcomes, 66.4% of all TB patients, 70.5% of new cases, 64.4% of relapse cases, and 46.8% of MDR-TB cases were cured or completed. It was inferred that in 2008, the total number of TB patients reached 70,767, 145.6 per 100,000 people (95% confidence interval, 145.5~145.7). CONCLUSION: We conclude that the medical records review of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) data can be very effective in promoting the understanding of the current status of TB in private institutions.
Data Collection ; Disease Notification ; Drug Resistance ; Humans ; Insurance, Health ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Recurrence ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant

Due to the aging population and tremendous changes in life style over the past decades, cancer has been the leading cause of death in Korea. The incidence rate of breast cancer is the second highest in Korea, and it has shown an annual increase of 6.8% for the past 6 years. The major risk factors of breast cancer in Korean women are as follows: Early menarche, late menopause, late full-term pregnancy (FTP), and low numbers of FTP. Height and body mass index increased the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women only. There are ethnic variations in breast cancer due to the differences in genetic susceptibility or exposure to etiologic agent. With the epidemiological evidences on the possibility of further increase of breast cancer in Korea, the Korean Government began implementing the National Cancer Screening Program against breast cancer in 2002. Five-year survival rates for female breast cancer have improved significantly from 78.0% in early 1993-1995 to 90.0% in 2004-2008. This data indicate that improvement of the survival rate may be partially due to the early diagnosis of breast cancer as well as the increased public awareness about the significance of early detection and organized cancer screening program. The current primary prevention programs are geared towards strengthening national prevention campaigns. In accordance with the improvement in 5-year survival rate, the overall cancer mortality has started to decrease. However, breast cancer death rate and incidence rates are still increasing, which need further organized effort by the Korean Government.
Aging ; Body Mass Index ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cause of Death ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Formycins ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Life Style ; Menarche ; Menopause ; Pregnancy ; Primary Prevention ; Ribonucleotides ; Risk Factors ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship of menopause and serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) level and estradiol (E2) in Korean women with breast cancer. METHODS: We reviewed 1,404 women aged from 20- to 82-year-old (median 47 years) with breast cancer who had got surgery at Asan Medical Center in 2008. All patients were checked serum FSH before the operation. Three hundred fifty-three patients were in postmenopause state at the time of surgery. Their ages were from 40- to 60-year-old (median 50.3 years). RESULTS: The proportion of postmenopausal status in each age-group were 5.1% (45- to 49-year-old), 41% (50- to 54-year-old), 86.1% (55- to 59-year-old), and 100% over the age of 60, respectively. And the proportion of the patients with FSH over 30 mUI/mL were 68.6% (45- to 49-year-old), 87.5% (55- to 59-year-old), 75.0% (55- to 59-year-old) and 30.0% (over the age of 60), respectively. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that even though patients had been in amenorrhea over 1 year, not all patients have their FSH level over 30 mUI/mL. And this finding is more prominent in age group from 45- to 49-year-old.
Female ; Humans ; Breast Neoplasms