BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: No previous studies have investigated the relationship between various anti-ganglioside antibodies and the clinical characteristics of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) in Korea. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and types of anti-ganglioside antibodies in Korean GBS patients, and to identify their clinical significance. METHODS: Serum was collected from patients during the acute phase of GBS at 20 university-based hospitals in Korea. The clinical and laboratory findings were reviewed and compared with the detected types of anti-ganglioside antibody. RESULTS: Among 119 patients, 60 were positive for immunoglobulin G (IgG) or immunoglobulin M antibodies against any type of ganglioside (50%). The most frequent type was IgG anti-GM1 antibody (47%), followed by IgG anti-GT1a (38%), IgG anti-GD1a (25%), and IgG anti-GQ1b (8%) antibodies. Anti-GM1-antibody positivity was strongly correlated with the presence of preceding gastrointestinal infection, absence of sensory symptoms or signs, and absence of cranial nerve involvement. Patients with anti-GD1a antibody were younger, predominantly male, and had more facial nerve involvement than the antibody-negative group. Anti-GT1a-antibody positivity was more frequently associated with bulbar weakness and was highly associated with ophthalmoplegia when coupled with the coexisting anti-GQ1b antibody. Despite the presence of clinical features of acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN), 68% of anti-GM1- or anti-GD1a-antibody-positive cases of GBS were diagnosed with acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP) by a single electrophysiological study. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-ganglioside antibodies were frequently found in the serum of Korean GBS patients, and each antibody was correlated strongly with the various clinical manifestations. Nevertheless, without an anti-ganglioside antibody assay, in Korea AMAN is frequently misdiagnosed as AIDP by single electrophysiological studies.
Amantadine ; Antibodies* ; Axons ; Cranial Nerves ; Facial Nerve ; Guillain-Barre Syndrome* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Korea ; Male ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Prevalence*

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a complex problem that is now considered a chronic metabolic disease. In Korea, phentermine has been widely used for the treatment of obesity in the primary care setting since 2004. However, there have been very few studies on the safety and efficacy of phentermine. To investigate the safety and efficacy of this drug, a postmarketing surveillance study was performed. METHODS: A total of 795 patients with obesity (body mass index > or = 25 kg/m2) were enrolled from 30 primary care centers in Korea from September 2006 to November 2007. Patients were examined to ascertain safety and efficacy at 4-, 8-, and 12-week intervals. The criterion for efficacy was defined as a weight loss > or = 5% of body weight. RESULTS: Of the 795 enrolled patients, 735 (92.5%) were evaluated in safety assessments and 711 (89.4%) was included in efficacy assessments. A total of 266 adverse events (AEs) were reported by 218 patients (30.6%), and no serious AEs were reported. Among 711 patients, 324 patients (45.6%) lost > or = 5% of their body weight. The mean weight loss was 3.8 +/- 4.0 kg. CONCLUSION: AEs are commonly associated with phentermine, even though phentermine is effective for weight loss and relatively well-tolerated.
Body Weight ; Humans ; Korea ; Metabolic Diseases ; Obesity ; Phentermine ; Primary Health Care ; Weight Loss

The publisher wishes to apologize for incorrectly displaying the author (Seok Beom Gwon) name. We correct his name from Seok Beom Gwon to Seok Beom Kwon.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) type 1A (CMT1A) is the demyelinating form of CMT that is significantly associated with PMP22 duplication. Some studies have found that the disease-related disabilities of these patients are correlated with their compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs), while others have suggested that they are related to the nerve conduction velocities. In the present study, we investigated the correlations between the disease-related disabilities and the electrophysiological values in a large cohort of Korean CMT1A patients. METHODS: We analyzed 167 CMT1A patients of Korean origin with PMP22 duplication using clinical and electrophysiological assessments, including the CMT neuropathy score and the functional disability scale. RESULTS: Clinical motor disabilities were significantly correlated with the CMAPs but not the motor nerve conduction velocities (MNCVs). Moreover, the observed sensory impairments matched the corresponding reductions in the sensory nerve action potentials (SNAPs) but not with slowing of the sensory nerve conduction velocities (SNCVs). In addition, CMAPs were strongly correlated with the disease duration but not with the age at onset. The terminal latency index did not differ between CMT1A patients and healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: In CMT1A patients, disease-related disabilities such as muscle wasting and sensory impairment were strongly correlated with CMAPs and SNAPs but not with the MNCVs or SNCVs. Therefore, we suggest that the clinical disabilities of CMT patients are determined by the extent of axonal dysfunction.
Action Potentials ; Axons ; Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease ; Cohort Studies ; Humans ; Muscles ; Neural Conduction

Growth factor stimulation induces Y783 phosphorylation of phosphoinositide-specific PLC-gamma1, and the subsequent activation of this enzyme in a cellular signaling cascade. Previously, we showed that a double point mutation, Y509A/F510A, of PLC-gamma1, abolished interactions with translational elongation factor 1-alpha. Here, we report that the Y509A/F510A mutant PLC-gamma1 displayed extremely high levels of Y783 phosphorylation and enhanced catalytic activity, compared to wild-type PLC-gamma1, upon treatment of COS7 cells with EGF. In quiescent COS7 cells, the Y509A/F510A mutant PLC-gamma1 exhibited a constitutive hydrolytic activity, whereas the wild-type counterpart displayed a basal level of activity. Upon treatment of COS7 cells with EGF, the Y783F mutation in Y509A/F510A PLC-gamma1 (Y509A/F510A/Y783F triple mutant) cells also led to an enhanced catalytic activity, whereas Y783F mutation alone displayed a basal level of activity. Our results collectively suggest that the Y509A/F510A mutant is more susceptible to receptor tyrosine kinase-induced Y783 phosphorylation than is wild-type PLC-gamma1, but no longer requires Y783 phosphorylation step for the Y509A/F510A mutant PLC-gamma1 activation in vivo.
Amino Acid Substitution/drug effects/*genetics ; Animals ; COS Cells ; Cercopithecus aethiops ; Enzyme Activation/drug effects ; Epidermal Growth Factor/*pharmacology ; Hydrolysis/drug effects ; Mutant Proteins/metabolism ; Phosphatidylinositols/*metabolism ; Phospholipase C gamma/*genetics/metabolism ; Phosphorylation/drug effects ; Phosphotyrosine/*metabolism ; Point Mutation/*genetics ; Rats

BACKGROUND: Since 2001, the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Korea has designated muscular dystrophy (MD) to be a rare and intractable disease, and has ensured that patients with this condition obtain support from the National Health Insurance Corporation for their medical expenditure. However, the health-related and socioeconomic status of Korean patients with MD has yet to be established. METHODS: We selected 441 patients with MD who received medical services at 17 neuromuscular centers during 2005. The medical records of selected patients were analyzed, and the subtype of MD was classified by its clinical course and diagnostic tests. A total of 95 patients or their family members participated in this health-related and socioeconomic status survey. RESULTS: Medical record analysis showed similar clinical and diagnostic characteristic data to those published previously in other countries: male predominance, being young at onset, and muscular weakness of the extremities as a predominant symptom in most patients. The diagnostic tests for MD were based on laboratory and electrophysiological studies. The most frequent form of MD among our cohort was Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy (42%). Our survey revealed the effect of the patients' profound disability on their activities of daily living. One-half of the patients were dissatisfied with the medical expenditure support service that was made available to them, and most patients suffered from a financial burden. The most important medical services to be developed in the future are expansion of the public health service or development of a rehabilitation hospital. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first multicenter-based epidemiologic study on the health-related and socioeconomic status of patients with MD in Korea. The findings indicate that medical coverage and public health service are currently inadequate and hence should be expanded in the future.
Activities of Daily Living ; Cohort Studies ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Extremities ; Health Expenditures ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Medical Records ; Morphinans ; Muscle Weakness ; Muscular Dystrophies ; National Health Programs ; Social Class ; United States Public Health Service

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the temperament and character profiles of the patients with posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD) after burn injury. METHODS: The study subjects consisted of 23 PTSD patients after burn injury, 24 patients not being diagnosed as PTSD after burn injury(non-PTSD) and 53 healthy controls. The assessment of PTSD was performed using clinician administered PTSD scale. All participants were instructed to complete the Temperament and Character Inventory(TCI), the Beck Depression Inventory and the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory of Spielberger. RESULTS: The PTSD group after burn injury, compared with the non-PTSD group and the normal controls, had the higher novelty seeking and harm avoidance scores. But there were no differences in other dimensions in the TCI among the three groups. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that the PTSD group after burn injury showed the specific properties of temperament and character compared with the non-PTSD group and the normal group.
Anxiety ; Burns* ; Depression ; Humans ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* ; Temperament*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Inflammation plays a central role in the development of neointimal hyperplasia. Due to its potent anti-inflammatory property, thalidomide is being re-evaluated in several clinical fields. Thus, we examined whether thalidomide affects neointimal overgrowth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats, pretreated with thalidomide (100 mg/kg qd) for 3 days, underwent carotid artery angioplasty. Thalidomide administration was then continued for 2 weeks after injury. RESULTS: Compared with the control rats, the systemic inflammatory marker (serum TNF-alpha) reduced significantly in the thalidomide-treated rats at 3 and 14 days after injury (856+/-213 vs 449+/-68 pg/mL, p=0.001, day 3;129+/-34 vs 63+/-18 pg/mL, p=0.001, day 14). This effect was accompanied by marked decreases in the arterial macrophage infiltration and by attenuated expressions of TNF-alpha and bFGF in the arteries, which were measured as local tissue inflammatory indicators. The anti-proliferative effect of thalidomide was confirmed by a reduced number of PCNA-positive vascular smooth muscle cells in the arteries (43.1+/-2.9 vs 7.4+/-1.7 %, p<0.001, day14). Morphometric analysis 2 weeks after injury revealed that gains in the luminal area of the thalidomide-treated rats (0.17+/-0.04 vs 0.05+/-0.02 mm2, p=0.001) were due to the suppression of neointimal hyperplasia (neointima-to-media[N/M] ratio, 0.35+/-0.13 vs 1.26+/-0.29, p<0.001). Moreover, a strong positive correlation was observed between the serum TNF-alpha and the N/M ratio. CONCLUSION: Through its anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative effect, thalidomide significantly inhibits neointimal hyperplasia. Therefore, thalidomide can be applied in various ways, for instance, as a new drug-eluting stent or as a systemic oral drug against restenosis.
Angioplasty ; Animals ; Arteries ; Carotid Arteries* ; Coronary Restenosis ; Cytokines ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; Humans ; Hyperplasia* ; Inflammation ; Macrophages ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Phenobarbital ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Thalidomide* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Inflammation plays a central role in the development of neointimal hyperplasia. Due to its potent anti-inflammatory property, thalidomide is being re-evaluated in several clinical fields. Thus, we examined whether thalidomide affects neointimal overgrowth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats, pretreated with thalidomide (100 mg/kg qd) for 3 days, underwent carotid artery angioplasty. Thalidomide administration was then continued for 2 weeks after injury. RESULTS: Compared with the control rats, the systemic inflammatory marker (serum TNF-alpha) reduced significantly in the thalidomide-treated rats at 3 and 14 days after injury (856+/-213 vs 449+/-68 pg/mL, p=0.001, day 3;129+/-34 vs 63+/-18 pg/mL, p=0.001, day 14). This effect was accompanied by marked decreases in the arterial macrophage infiltration and by attenuated expressions of TNF-alpha and bFGF in the arteries, which were measured as local tissue inflammatory indicators. The anti-proliferative effect of thalidomide was confirmed by a reduced number of PCNA-positive vascular smooth muscle cells in the arteries (43.1+/-2.9 vs 7.4+/-1.7 %, p<0.001, day14). Morphometric analysis 2 weeks after injury revealed that gains in the luminal area of the thalidomide-treated rats (0.17+/-0.04 vs 0.05+/-0.02 mm2, p=0.001) were due to the suppression of neointimal hyperplasia (neointima-to-media[N/M] ratio, 0.35+/-0.13 vs 1.26+/-0.29, p<0.001). Moreover, a strong positive correlation was observed between the serum TNF-alpha and the N/M ratio. CONCLUSION: Through its anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative effect, thalidomide significantly inhibits neointimal hyperplasia. Therefore, thalidomide can be applied in various ways, for instance, as a new drug-eluting stent or as a systemic oral drug against restenosis.
Angioplasty ; Animals ; Arteries ; Carotid Arteries* ; Coronary Restenosis ; Cytokines ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; Humans ; Hyperplasia* ; Inflammation ; Macrophages ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Phenobarbital ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Thalidomide* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

CT-guided transthoracic needle biopsy is a common procedure for the evaluation of pulmonary and mediastinal lesions. The most frequent complications include pneumothorax, hemorrhage, and hemoptysis. Air embolism especially cerebral embolism is rare but potentially fatal complication after this procedure. Here, we report a case of cerebral air embolism occurred after CT-guided transthoracic needle biopsy for the peripheral lung mass.
Biopsy, Needle* ; Embolism, Air* ; Hemoptysis ; Hemorrhage ; Intracranial Embolism ; Lung ; Needles* ; Pneumothorax