PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to collect basic data in the quality of life related to health in migrant workers. METHODS: Data from 133 migrant workers was collected from August to December 2007 using a questionnaire from two free clinics located in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. The data was scored by mean and standard deviation. Differences were evaluated according to the subjects' general characteristics by the t-test and the ANOVA test. The relationships in the quality of life related to health between the 9 sub-scales were evaluated by the Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: 1) Total average score of migrant workers' quality of life related to overall health is 61.09 +/- 13.68. The score of the quality of life related to physical health is 64.39 +/- 15.21 and the quality of life related to mental health is 57.80 +/- 16.18. 2) With respect to the general characteristics of subjects, the quality of life related to health was significantly different in age(F=3.852, p=.013), especially in physical health(F=6.868, p=.000). 3) The relationship between physical health and mental health was significant(r=.663, p=.000). CONCLUSION: Program development to improve quality of life related to health for migrant workers is needed.
Humans ; Mental Health ; Program Development ; Quality of Life ; Transients and Migrants ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Elevated plasma homocysteine is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases caused by atherosclerosis. Previous studies have shown that plasma homocysteine is associated with components of the metabolic syndrome such as hypertension, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia. In this study, we investigated the association between the plasma homocysteine levels and the metabolic syndrome on Korean adults. METHODS: The study group with the metabolic syndrome and the control group without the metabolic syndrome were selected from the examinees of equivalent age and gender in the Health Promotion Center. Among the subjects, 107 adults with the metabolic syndrome and 123 adults without the metabolic syndrome were categorized into the study and the control groups, respectively. Medical history, medication, and life style were recorded through a questionnaire and physical examination was performed on all subjects. We measured fasting glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, hs-CRP, homocysteine levels and others by blood sampling. The metabolic syndrome was defined by the criteria for clinical diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome by AHA/NHLBI. RESULTS: The mean ages in the study group and the control group were 54.6+/-9.3 and 54.6+/-8.7 years, respectively, and the numbers of males 29 (27.1%) and 39 (31.7%), respectively. The plasma homocysteine was observed to be positively correlated with age, waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure, apolipoprotein A-1, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, and hs-CRP. Among the components of the metabolic syndrome, hypertension showed a strong correlation with the levels of the plasma homocysteine (10.62+/-3.92 micronmol/L vs. 9.09+/- 2.63 micronmol/L, P=0.001), whereas hyperglycemia, abdominal obesity, and dyslipidemia did not correlate with the levels of plasma homocysteine. Adjusted homocysteine levels to age, gender, alcohol drinking history, and smoking history was still higher in the study group compared to those in the control group (10.320+/-0.290 micronmol/L vs. 10.320+/-0.290 micronmol/L, P=0.017). CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the metabolic syndrome leads to a higher level of homocysteine in adults after adjustment to age, gender, alcohol drinking history, and smoking history.
Adult ; Alcohol Drinking ; Apolipoprotein A-I ; Atherosclerosis ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cholesterol ; Dyslipidemias ; Fasting ; Glucose ; Health Promotion ; Homocysteine ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Hypertension ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Life Style ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Physical Examination ; Plasma ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Triglycerides ; Waist Circumference ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Follow-Up Studies* ; Itraconazole* ; Nails* ; Onychomycosis* ; Recurrence*

Telomeres undergo attrition with each cell division, and telomere length is associated with age-related diseases and mortality in the elderly. Estrogen can influence the attrition of telomeres by diverse mechanisms. This is a retrospective case control study that investigated the influence of long-term hormone therapy (HT) on telomere length in postmenopausal women. We recruited 130 postmenopausal women from 55 to 69 years of age for this study, and divided them into two groups. The first group included 65 women who had been on estrogen and progesterone therapy for more than five years (HT group). The other group was composed of 65 women matched in age to the HT group who had never had HT (non- HT group). The relative ratios of telomere length of study subjects to a reference DNA from a healthy young female were measured using quantitative PCR. Plasma levels of lipid profiles, total antioxidant status (TAS), C-reactive proteins (CRP), fasting glucose levels, and estradiol levels were measured. Age at menopause, vitamin use, and exercise, alcohol, and cigarette smoking histories were also assessed in a questionnaire. Mean duration (+/- SD) of HT was 8.4 +/- 2.3 years. Prevalence of vitamin use and regular exercise were higher in the HT group than in the non-HT group (p < 0.01). Relative telomere length ratios in the HT group were significantly greater than those in the non-HT group (p < 0.01). HT was significantly correlated with the relative telomere length ratio in multivariate analysis when potential confounding variables were controlled for (p < 0.05). In conclusion, telomere lengths were longer in postmenopausal women who had a history of long-term HT than in postmenopausal women without HT. Long-term HT in postmenopausal women may alleviate telomere attrition.
Aged ; DNA Damage ; Estrogens/*administration & dosage ; Female ; *Hormone Replacement Therapy ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Postmenopause ; Progesterone/*administration & dosage ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Telomere/*drug effects ; Time Factors

Pyoderma gangrenosum is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, characterized by the recurring destructive and painful skin ulcers. Although the mainstay of therapy is the systemic administration of high doses of corticosteroids, many other treatment modalities have been widely used. Recently, there have been several reports of the successful treatment of pyoderma gangrenosum using topical tacrolimus. We report a successful treatment of pyoderma gangrenosum with combination therapy of topical tacrolimus and systemic cyclosporin.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Cyclosporine* ; Pyoderma Gangrenosum* ; Pyoderma* ; Skin Diseases ; Skin Ulcer ; Tacrolimus*

BACKGROUND: Glomus tumor is a small encapsulated tumor that is derived from the subcutaneous glomus body. Treatment of subungual glomus tumor is the complete removal of the tumor. However, the surgical method is not familiar to us. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to introduce surgical treatment results of subungual glumus tumor in dermatologic surgery clinic of Seoul National University Hospital and Seoul City Boramae Hospital from 1995 to 2002. METHOD: We reviewed the medical records and checked clinical aspects, surgical methods and results. RESULTS: All patients, 10, were female. Pain was elicited by contact in 80% and occurred spontaneously in 60%. Temperature hypersensitivity occurred in 50%. 90% of tumors were located in fingers. 70% of tumors revealed just blue or erythermatous discoloration of nail plate. Nail deformity was found in 30%. Post-operative mild distal nail splitting had developed in 2 cases. In 8 cases nails showed normal growth. Nobody complained of a recurrence of pain. CONCLUSION: Careful dissection and complete removal of the tumor almost offered permanent relief and it is thought that appropriate education of surgical skills should be needed and offered.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Dermatologic Surgical Procedures ; Education ; Female ; Fingers ; Glomus Tumor* ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Medical Records ; Recurrence ; Seoul

BACKGROUND: Cryotherapy of warts with liquid nitrogen is the most widely used method of treatment by dermatologist , but little is known about its ideal method. OBJECTIVE: This study is to investigate the ideal methods in cryotherapy of warts. METHODS: 127 cases of viral warts were studied. These warts consisted of three groups of verruca vulgaris, palmoplantar wart, and periungual wart. 104 cases were treated with a Cry-Ac(R) spray, 23 cases with a cotton wool bud. Using either technique, liquid nitrogen was applied until ice-ball formation had spread from the center to include a margin of 2-4 mm around each wart. Treatment was done at 2-week or 3-weekly intervals and with two to six freeze thaw cycles. The endpoint of the study was complete clearance of all warts. RESULT: Each cure rate for treatment interval is 70.0% for 2-weekly treatment, and 71.6% for 3-weekly treatment. The rate of pain and blister with a shorter interval is higher. Each cure rate for freeze thaw cycles is 73.7% for 2 cycles, 70.4% for over 3 cycles. The morbidity for blister is higher in over 3 cycles than 2 cycles. Cure rates were 70.2% in the spray and 73.9% in the cotton wool bud. CONCLUSION: This study shows no significant benefit of the trial beyond 2 freeze-thaw cycles. We suggest that 3-weekly treatment is the optimal treatment and cryotherapy is equally effective when treated with a spray or a cotton wool bud.
Blister ; Cryotherapy* ; Nitrogen ; Warts* ; Wool

BACKGROUND: Standardization of antifungal susceptibility testing for dermatophytes is important and several variables, such as inoculum size, length and temperature of incubation, media, and end point determination has recently been established. However, a more improved test model which can evaluate bioavailability and has clinical relevance is still needed. OBJECTIVE: We performed antifungal susceptibility testing by using three-dimensional keratinoctyte culture model, living skin equivalent (LSE), as an in vitro model. METHODS: LSE was prepared and various concentrations of antifungals were added to media. Microconidia of Trichophyton mentagrophytes was inoculated onto LSE and incubated for 6 days at 35 degrees C. RESULTS: Inhibition of fungal proliferation and invasion were observed at 0.1microgram/ml of terbinafine, 0.01 microgram/ml of itraconazole solution, 0.1 microgramg/ml of itraconazole powder, and 10 microgram/ml of fluconazole, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our culture model is similar to in vivo situation and the results were relatively well accordant to those of other previous studies. Our LSE model is considered as a promising in vitro system for evaluating the activity and safety of antifungal agents. However, further study using more various species of dermatophytes and more strains is still needed.
Antifungal Agents ; Arthrodermataceae ; Biological Availability ; Endpoint Determination ; Fluconazole ; Itraconazole ; Keratinocytes* ; Skin ; Trichophyton

Dermatophytes are keratinophilic fungi responsible for superficial infections called dermatophytoses and composed of three anamorphic genera, Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton. The identification of these species by mycological methods is sometimes difficult and time-consuming. Moreover, suitable methods for subtyping of these species are not established yet. Therefore, several approaches using molecular biological methods have been proposed to identify dermatophyte species and to clearly define their taxonomic and phylogenetic relationship to the teleomorphs and to other dermatophyte species. For identification, distinction among isolates to the species level was easily performed using molecular biological methods, particularly for atypical isolates. In contrast, in all but a few cases, distinction between dermatophyte strains failed. The development of new techniques to reveal molecular polymorphisms in dermatophytes is required.
Arthrodermataceae* ; Epidermophyton ; Fungi ; Microsporum ; Molecular Biology ; Tinea ; Trichophyton

BACKGROUND: Glycolic acid is currently reported to have beneficial effects on the photoaged skin. These effects may be through the modulatory action of glycolic acid in the production of dermal extracellular matrix proteins of fibroblast. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the specific effect of glycolic acid on the collagen and elastic fiber gene expression in vitro. METHODS: Human skin fibroblasts were cultured from normal skins of excised specimens and glycolic acid (75 µg/ml) was treated. After 24 hours of treatment, six each cell lines were processed for extraction of RNA and subjected to Northern analysis. RESULTS: Type I collagen mRNA expression was significantly increased in the glycolic acid-treated fibroblasts. Elastin mRNA expression did not show any significant change. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that glycolic acid induced the increase of type I collagen mRNA expression and had the specific biologic effect on fibroblast.
Cell Line ; Collagen Type I ; Collagen* ; Elastic Tissue ; Elastin ; Extracellular Matrix Proteins ; Fibroblasts* ; Gene Expression* ; Humans* ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin*