Purpose: CEA is a useful tumor marker for colon cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of changes in CEA levels before and after surgery in colon cancer patients who underwent radical surgery. Methods: A total of 601 colon cancer patients who underwent radical surgery from January 2007 to December 2017 at a single institution were evaluated. Patients were categorized according to preoperative and postoperative CEA levels.We adjusted patient characteristics using propensity score matched analysis between groups and compared survival outcomes according to changes in CEA levels before and after surgery. Results: According to the preoperative and postoperative CEA levels, patients were classified into 3 groups: group 1, ≤5 and ≤5 ng/mL, respectively (n = 407); group 2, >5 and ≤5 ng/mL, respectively (n = 127); and group 3 (>5 and >5 ng/mL, respectively (n = 67). Postoperative CEA elevation was associated with adverse clinical features. Before and after matching, the patients in group 3 showed significantly lower disease-free survival and overall survival rates compared to the patients in group 1 and group 2. In multivariate analysis, changes in CEA levels were an independent prognostic factor of overall survival (P = 0.041). Conclusion The changes in CEA levels before and after surgery can be a useful prognostic factor for disease-free survival and overall survival in colon cancer patients.

Objective: In this study we investigated whether current mood states of patients with bipolar disorder have an influence on the screening accuracy of the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ). Methods: A total of 452 patients with mood disorder (including 192 with major depressive disorder and 260 with bipolar disorder completed the Korean version of the MDQ. Patients with bipolar disorder were subdivided into three groups (bipolar depressed only, bipolar euthymic only, bipolar manic/hypomanic only) according to current mood states. The screening accuracy of the MDQ including sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were evaluated according to current mood states. Results: The optimal cutoff of MDQ was 5 in this study sample. Sensitivity and specificity were not significantly different according to current mood states. Significant differences in AUCs of four independent ROC curves were not found (ROC 1st curve included all bipolar patients; ROC 2nd curve included only bipolar depressed patients; ROC 3rd curve included only bipolar manic/hypomanic patients; ROC 4th curve included only bipolar euthymic patients). Conclusion The study results showed that current mood states (either euthymic state, depressed or manic/hypomanic) did not significantly influence the screening accuracy of the MDQ suggesting that the MDQ could be a useful screening instrument for detecting bipolar disorder in clinical practice regardless of the current mood symptoms of subjects.

Purpose: Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET-CT) is gaining evidence as a predictive factor in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) is the standard treatment in early-stage NSCLC when a patient is unsuitable for surgery. We performed a study to assess the prognostic clinical significance of PET-CT after SABR in early-stage NSCLC. Materials and Methods: Seventy-six patients with stage I NSCLC treated with SABR were investigated. Total radiation dose ranged from 36 to 63 Gy in three to eight fractions depending on tumor location and size. Respiratory motion control was implemented at simulation and during treatment. PET-CT prior to SABR was performed in 66 patients (86.8%). Results: Median follow-up time was 32 months (range, 5 to 142 months). Local control rate at 1, 2, and 5 years were 95.9%, 92.8%, and 86.7%, respectively. Overall survival (OS) at 1, 2, and 5 years were 91.0%, 71.3%, and 52.1% respectively. Cause-specific survival at 1, 2, and 5 years were 98.6%, 93.1%, and 84.3% respectively. Tumor size and pre-SABR maximal standardized uptake value (SUVmax) demonstrated statistical significance in the Kaplan-Meier survival analyses with log-rank test. In multivariate analyses pre-SABR SUVmax remained statistically significant in correlation to OS (p=0.024; hazard ratio [HR], 3.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2 to 8.8) and with marginal significance in regards to regional progression-free survival (p=0.059; HR, 32.5; 95% CI, 2.6 to 402.5). Conclusion Pre-SABR SUVmax demonstrated a predictive power in statistical analyses. Tumors with SUVmax above 6 at diagnosis were associated with inferior outcomes.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are membrane receptors whose agonist-induced dynamic conformational changes trigger heterotrimeric G protein activation, followed by GRK-mediated phosphorylation and arrestin-mediated desensitization. Cytosolic regions of GPCRs have been studied extensively because they are direct contact sites with G proteins, GRKs, and arrestins. Among various cytosolic regions, the role of helix 8 is least understood, although a few studies have suggested that it is involved in G protein activation, receptor localization, and/or internalization. In the present study, we investigated the role of helix 8 in dopamine receptor signaling focusing on dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) and dopamine D2 receptor (D2R). D1R couples exclusively to Gs, whereas D2R couples exclusively to Gi. Bioinformatic analysis implied that the sequences of helix 8 may affect GPCR-G protein coupling selectivity; therefore, we evaluated if swapping helix 8 between D1R and D2R changed G protein selectivity. Our results suggest that helix 8 is not involved in D1R-Gs or D2R-Gi coupling selectivity. Instead, we observed that D1R with D2R helix 8 or D1R with an increased number of hydrophobic residues in helix 8 relative to wild-type showed diminished β-arrestin-mediated desensitization, resulting in increased Gs signaling.
Arrestin ; Arrestins ; Computational Biology ; Cytosol ; Dopamine ; Family Characteristics ; GTP-Binding Proteins ; Membranes ; Phosphorylation ; Receptors, Dopamine D1 ; Receptors, Dopamine D2 ; Receptors, Dopamine

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is treated with appropriate canalith repositioning procedures, which are very effective for the treatment of BPPV. Nevertheless, the recurrence of BPPV may occur after the initial successful treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors and clinical features of recurrent BPPV.SUBJECTS AND METHOD: The retrospective study was performed for 227 patients who were diagnosed with BPPV and treated with appropriate canalith repositioning procedures from March 2013 to December 2014. We analyzed various clinical characteristics, locations and types of canalith for the whole BPPV patients, and the interval and frequency of recurrence in the patients of recurrent BPPV. RESULTS: Of the total of 227 BPPV patients, 47 patients were recurrent BPPV (21%). The patients of recurrent BPPV were significantly older than those of non-recurrent BPPV (p=0.034). BPPV patients recurred more with increased age, with the significantly increased frequency of recurrence (p=0.010). Twenty two patients were posterior semicircular canal canalolithiasis (PSCC) (46.8%) and 25 patients were lateral semicircular canal canalolithiasis (LSCC) (53.2%). The number of canalith repositioning procedures was significantly higher in LSCC patients than in PSCC patients (p=0.041). The location change of affected canal were identified for 23 patients and the type change of LSCC to ipsilateral PSCC was the most common. CONCLUSION Age is an important prognostic factor to be considered in BPPV recurrence. Also, the affected semicircular canals were frequently changed in the recurrent BPPV.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is treated with appropriate canalith repositioning procedures, which are very effective for the treatment of BPPV. Nevertheless, the recurrence of BPPV may occur after the initial successful treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors and clinical features of recurrent BPPV. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: The retrospective study was performed for 227 patients who were diagnosed with BPPV and treated with appropriate canalith repositioning procedures from March 2013 to December 2014. We analyzed various clinical characteristics, locations and types of canalith for the whole BPPV patients, and the interval and frequency of recurrence in the patients of recurrent BPPV. RESULTS: Of the total of 227 BPPV patients, 47 patients were recurrent BPPV (21%). The patients of recurrent BPPV were significantly older than those of non-recurrent BPPV (p=0.034). BPPV patients recurred more with increased age, with the significantly increased frequency of recurrence (p=0.010). Twenty two patients were posterior semicircular canal canalolithiasis (PSCC) (46.8%) and 25 patients were lateral semicircular canal canalolithiasis (LSCC) (53.2%). The number of canalith repositioning procedures was significantly higher in LSCC patients than in PSCC patients (p=0.041). The location change of affected canal were identified for 23 patients and the type change of LSCC to ipsilateral PSCC was the most common. CONCLUSION: Age is an important prognostic factor to be considered in BPPV recurrence. Also, the affected semicircular canals were frequently changed in the recurrent BPPV.
Age Factors ; Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo ; Humans ; Methods ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Semicircular Canals

No abstract available.
Dermatitis, Atopic ; Stem Cells

Legionella species are abundant in the built environment and are increasingly recognized as a cause of Legionnaires' disease (LD). As the number of cases of Legionnaires' disease acquired by local communities in the Seoul metropolitan area in Korea has been increased, there was concern that changes in environmental factors could affect disease outbreaks. We described the association between climatic variables and occurrence of legionellosis in Korea and Legionella detection rate in Seoul area. A total of 418 cases of legionellosis were reported between 2014 and 2017. There was a seasonal peak in summer. LD continuously occurred from early spring to winter every year and rapidly increased in summer. In the regression analysis, the primary variables of interest- PM2.5 (µg/m³), NO₂ (ppb), and a number of the date of issue O₃ warning were not significant except for average temperature (R²=0.8075). The Legionella detection rate in Seoul, Korea showed a trend similar to precipitation (P=0.708, ANOVA). A relatively high proportion of Legionella detection rate was shown, especially cooling tower (17.7%) and public bath (19.3%). This finding is in line with current understanding of the ecological profile of this pathogen and supports the assertion that legionellosis occurs through contamination of water sources.
Baths ; Disease Outbreaks ; Epidemiology ; Korea ; Legionella ; Legionellosis ; Legionnaires' Disease ; Regression Analysis ; Seasons ; Seoul ; Water

PURPOSE: ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is the standard imaging modality for response evaluation in FDG-avid lymphoma, but the prognostic value is not established in follicular lymphoma (FL). This study investigated the prognostic value of Deauville 5-point scale (D5PS) from paired interim PET/CT (PET(Interim)) and end-of-induction therapy PET/CT (PET(EOI)) in patients with FL.METHODS: FL staging and response assessment PET/CT images from 2013 to 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. PET(Interim) was performed 3 or 4 cycles after chemotherapy and PET(EOI) after 6 or 8 cycles. D5PS scores of 1, 2, and 3 were considered as negative (−), and scores 4 and 5 were considered as positive (+). Statistical analysis was done using Cox regression analysis, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and the log-rank test.RESULTS: Thirty-three patients with set of baseline, interim, and end-of-induction therapy PET/CTstudies were included. Ten patients (30.3%) had progression. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 38.8 months (range 3.5–72.7 months). On PET(Interim), 23 patients were negative and 10 were positive. On PET(EOI) scans, 29 patients were negative, and 4 were positive. On multivariate analysis, PET(EOI)(−) was associated with longer PFS. PET(Interim)(+) and PET(EOI)(+) patients had a significantly shorter PFS than PET(Interim)(−) patients (39.9 months, 95%confidence interval [CI] 23.0–56.9, versus 55.5months, 95%CI 49.7–61.2, p=0.005) and PET(EOI)(−) patients (14.2 months, 95% CI 8.5–19.8, versus 60.5 months, 95% CI 52.1–69.0, p<0.001).CONCLUSION: For patients with FL, PET(Interim) and PET(EOI) response is predictive of PFS, and PET(EOI)(+) is an independent prognostic factor for progression of FL.
Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Electrons ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, Follicular ; Multivariate Analysis ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Positron-Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography ; Retrospective Studies