Purpose: We aimed to assess the humoral response to and reactogenicity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination according to the vaccine type and to analyze factors associated with immunogenicity in actively treated solid cancer patients (CPs). Materials and Methods: Prospective cohorts of CPs, undergoing anticancer treatment, and healthcare workers (HCWs) were established. The participants had no history of previous COVID-19 and received either mRNA-based or adenovirus vector–based (AdV) vaccines as the primary series. Blood samples were collected before the first vaccination and after 2 weeks for each dose vaccination. Spike-specific binding antibodies (bAbs) in all participants and neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) wild-type, Delta, and Omicron variants in CPs were analyzed and presented as the geometric mean titer. Results: Age-matched 20 HCWs and 118 CPs were included in the analysis. The bAb seroconversion rate and antibody concentrations after the first vaccination were significantly lower in CPs than in HCWs. After the third vaccination, antibody levels in CPs with a primary series of AdV were comparable to those in HCWs, but nAb titers against the Omicron variant did not quantitatively increase in CPs with AdV vaccine as the primary series. The incidence and severity of adverse reactions post-vaccination were similar between CPs and HCWs. Conclusion CPs displayed delayed humoral immune response after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. The booster dose elicited comparable bAb concentrations between CPs and HCWs, regardless of the primary vaccine type. Neutralization against the Omicron variant was not robustly elicited following the booster dose in some CPs, implying the need for additional interventions to protect them from COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to compare glycaemic control with insulin detemir administered according to two titration algorithms (3-0-3 and 2-4-6-8) after 20 weeks of treatment in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus inadequately controlled on metformin. METHODS: This was a 20-week, randomised, multicentre, open-labelled, treat-to-target trial. Forty-six patients were randomised in a 1:1 manner to either the 3-0-3 (G3, n=23) or 2-4-6-8 (G2, n=23) algorithm. The primary endpoint was change of haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and the secondary safety endpoint included hypoglycaemic events. RESULTS: After 20 weeks, HbA1c decreased similarly in the G3 and G2 groups, with a mean change of −0.9% from baseline. The mean change in fasting plasma glucose was numerically similar in both groups. The hypoglycaemia event rate per 100-patient-years of exposure (r) in the G2 group (r=1,427) was higher than that in the G3 group (r=807). CONCLUSION Both treatment groups had numerically similar HbA1c reductions. A trend towards fewer hypoglycaemia episodes after dose stabilisation was seen with the simpler G3. Clinically, this may be an important observation, as a simpler titration algorithm may support self-management and maintenance of insulin therapy.

BACKGROUND: Research into the Baumann skin type (BST) has recently expanded, with growing interest in the development of an efficient and effective skin type classification system for better understanding of this skin condition. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify male-specific skin type characteristics with investigation into the distribution of BST by age and region in the Korean male population and to determine the intrinsic and extrinsic factors related to skin type. METHODS: A questionnaire was administered to collect information about age, region, working behavior, drinking behavior, smoking behavior, usual habit of sun protection, medical history, and the BST which consisted of four parameters; oily (O) or dry (D), sensitive (S) or resistant (R), pigmented (P) or non-pigmented (N), and wrinkled (W) or tight (T). RESULTS: We surveyed 1,000 Korean males aged between 20 and 60 years who were divided equally by age and region. Of the total respondents, OSNW type accounted for the largest percentage and ORPW type the lowest. In terms of Baumann parameters, O type was 53.5%, S type was 56.1%, N type was 84.4% and W type was 57.5%. Several behavioral factors were found to have various relationships with the skin type. CONCLUSION: The predominant skin type in the Korean male respondents was OSNW type, and the distribution of skin types with regards to age and region was reported to be distinct. Therefore, skin care should be customized based on detailed skin types considering the various environmental factors.
Classification ; Drinking Behavior ; Humans ; Male ; Skin Care ; Skin ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Solar System ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: To meet the need for a subspecialized skin type system, the Baumann skin type (BST) system was proposed. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the distribution of BST types and influencing factors among Korean women. METHODS: BST questionnaires were administered to 1,000 Korean women. The possible responses were as follows: oily (O) or dry (D), sensitive (S) or resistant (R), pigmented (P) or non-pigmented (N), and wrinkled (W) or tight (T). The correlations of the BST with the subjects' age, location, ultraviolet (UV) ray exposure, drinking and smoking habits, and blood type were assessed. RESULTS: The OSNT, DSNT, DRNT, and OSNW skin types were the most common skin types (55.3%). The O, S, P, and W types accounted for 46.6%, 68.8%, 23.2%, and 31.9%, respectively. The proportion of the O and S type was the highest in Gyeongsangbuk-do (55.0%) and Seoul (77.2%). The proportion of the P and W type was the highest in Gyeongsangbuk-do (33.0%) and Chungcheong-do (39.0%). The O type decreased in the higher age group, whereas the P and W type showed a reversed tendency. In smokers, the proportion of W type was significantly higher than in the non-smokers (66.3% vs. 24.1%, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The 4 most common BST types were OSNT, DSNT, DRNT, and OSNW. In the comparison across the 4 BST parameters according to the age, region, smoking and drinking habits, occupation, blood type, and UV exposure, significant differences were observed. Individualized and customized skin care is required according to the personal skin type.
Drinking ; Female* ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Occupations ; Seoul ; Skin Care ; Skin* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Surveys and Questionnaires

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. OBJECTIVES: Sagittal imbalance cannot be predicted depending on the degree of lumbar lordosis. Thus, we tried to evaluate the necessity of whole spine standing lateral radiograph through comparison of the spinal and pelvic parameter between supine lumbar lateral radiograph and whole spine standing lateral radiograph. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: No studies in the literature compare supine lumbar lateral radiograph and whole spine standing lateral radiograph. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We randomly selected 50 males and 50 females among the patients over the age of 50 who visited our hospital for outpatient due to degenerative lumbar disease. Lumbar lordosis (sLL/wLL), sacral slope (sSS/wSS), and pelvic tilt (sPT/wPT) were measured and compared respectively by supine lumbar lateral radiograph and whole spine standing lateral radiograph. We categorized as group AI (sLL<30degrees) and group AII (sLL> or =30degrees) by supine lumbar lateral radiograph and analyzed them. We also categorized as group BI (SVA< or =5 cm) and group BII (SVA>5 cm) by whole spine standing lateral radiograph and analyzed them. RESULTS: There were no statistical difference in lumbar lordosis (sLL/wLL: 35.1degrees/37.7degrees) and pelvic parameter (sSS/wSS: 32degrees/31.7degrees, sPT/wPT: 24.3degrees/24.2degrees. sPI/wPI: 56.3degrees/58.2degrees) between supine lumbar lateral radiograph and whole spine standing lateral radiograph, and there were also no statistical difference between two groups (group AI & AII) in SVA, lumbar lordosis and pelvic parameter. Pelvic parameter compared by supine lumbar lateral radiograph and whole spine standing lateral radiograph based on sagittal balance was no significant difference, but lumbar lordosis appeared statistical difference. CONCLUSION: Sagittal imbalance appears quite a lot in patients with degenerative lumbar disease and supine lateral radiograph can't reflect the whole sagittal imbalance. So, whole spine standing lateral radiograph should be performed routinely to analyze the sagittal alignment.
Adult* ; Animals ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Lordosis ; Male ; Outpatients ; Spine*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES It is being increasing recognized that the morbidities of migraine and balance disorders are interrelated. In fact, migrainous vertigo (MV) is one of frequent causes of recurrent vertigo in patients presenting to specialized dizziness clinics. Nevertheless, not many studies have reported clinical manifestations and treatment. Therefore, the aim of study was designed to assess clinical features and treatment patterns by a nationwide multicenter study. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients between 9 and 74 years of age who visited 17 Korean tertiary referral centers and 1 clinic from February to March 2009 were investigated using two forms of questionnaires. RESULTS Overall, 318 patients with MV were enrolled. MV was responsible for ~8.45% of visits to the specialized dizziness clinics. One hundred seventy-five of these patients had definite MV and were included in assessing the clinical features. Vertigo characteristics of patients with definite MV were various. Vertigo was regularly as sociated with headache in 87% of the patients. The duration of vertigo ranged from seconds to days. For the treatment patterns, an acute and prophylactic therapies were carried in most clinics. There were no differences in either acute or prophylactic therapies between department of neurology and otorhinolaryngology. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study suggest that MV the clinical features of MV also varies in Korea. In addition, most clinics provide similar patterns of practice in treatment for MV. The syndrome of MV deserves further research activity as it is relatively common and clinically relevant.
Dizziness ; Headache ; Humans ; Korea ; Migraine Disorders ; Neurology ; Prospective Studies ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Vertigo

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pregnancy outcomes of women with congenital uterine anomaly exceeding 20 weeks of gestation. METHODS: We reviewed retrospectively the birth records of the Seoul National University Hospital between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 2005. We grouped congenital uterine anomalies into five classes, namely bicornuate, didelphys, septate, arcuate, and unicornuate uterus. We compared the pregnancy outcomes with each anomaly. RESULTS: We found 106 cases of congenital uterine anomaly within a given period of time. There were 63 cases of bicornuate uterus, 19 cases of didelphys, 16 cases of septate uterus, 5 cases of arcuate uterus, and 3 cases of unicornuate uterus. The overall preterm delivery rate was 22.6% (24/106) and cesarean section rate was 74.5% (79/106). A high cesarean section rate was due to metroplasty, abnormal fetal presentation, and uterine anomaly itself. The preterm delivery rate and cesarean section rate of each uterine anomaly did not differ statistically from one another. Five fetuses were stillborn, and one fetus died after birth because of a placenta abruption. The overall take-home baby rate was 94.3% (100/106). There was no maternal mortality and only one case was suffered from postpartum bleeding. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the most of women with uterine anomaly exceeding 20 weeks of gestation may take their baby home.
Birth Certificates ; Cesarean Section ; Female ; Fetus ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Labor Presentation ; Maternal Mortality ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Parturition ; Placenta ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome* ; Pregnancy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Uterus

BACKGROUND: Although several hospital-based stroke studies were published, there has not been any reliable data representing the clinical characteristics of stroke in Korea. We analyzed the clinical characteristics of patients with ischemic stroke registered in the Korean Stroke Registry (KSR), which is the largest prospective hospital-based nation-wide stroke registry in Korea. METHODS: The KSR provided standardized protocols for collecting data, which includes the data of demographics, subtypes of stroke, risk factors, and neurological outcome at discharge. The brain imaging studies, including CT or MRI, were performed in all cases. RESULTS: KSR registered 10,811 patients of acute ischemic stroke between Nov. 2002 and Jun. 2004. The large-artery atherosclerosis was the most common subtype (37.3%), followed by small vessel occlusion (30.8%). Hypertension (65.4%) was the most common risk factor, followed by smoking (34.5%) and diabetes (28.3%). Although most of the hypertensive and diabetic patients had been diagnosed before the stroke, less than 45.4% and 32.5% of them were under regular control. The steno-occlusive lesion of extracranial carotid artery was only 29.3% and the ratio of intra- to extracranial artery disease was more than 2 in KSR. Only 20.5% of patients were admitted within 3 hours after stroke onset and 2.1% were treated with intravenous thrombolysis. In-hospital case-fatality was 5.2%, which is relatively comparable to those of previous studies. CONCLUSIONS: The KSR provided informative data in understanding the clinical characteristics of ischemic stroke in Korea. Further analysis of KSR will facilitate clinical trials and development of guidelines for the management of stroke patients.
Arteries ; Atherosclerosis ; Carotid Arteries ; Cerebrovascular Disorders ; Demography ; Epidemiology ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neuroimaging ; Prospective Studies* ; Registries ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Stroke*

PURPOSE: To investigate the bone union time of patients treated with interlocking intramedullary nailing in wedged tibial shaft fracture and to evaluate the factors that influence this result. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 32 patients treated with interlocking intramedullary nailing for wedge tibial shaft fracture were reviewed with a follow-up period of more than 1 year. Radiographic results were assessed with diameter (%) and length (mm) of wedge fragment, pre and postoperative displacement (mm) of wedge fragment. We also checked the bone union time of the main fragment and the wedge fragment (paired t-test). We investigated the bone union time acocording to the diameter, length of wedge fragment, pre and postopertvie displacement (correlation analysis). RESULTS: Bone union time of the main fragments averaged 15.3 weeks (6~53 weeks) and that of wedge fragment averaged 24.2 weeks (8~64 weeks) (p=0.005). There was no correspondence between wedge fragment diameter and bone union time (p=0.681), but the bone union time of wedge fragment increased in proportion to its diameter (r2=0.747, p=0.031). There was no correspondence between preoperative displacement of wedge fragment and bone union time (p=0.574), but the bone union time increased in proportion to postoperative displacement of wedge fragment (r2=0.730, p=0.001). CONCLUSION: Wedge fragments need longer time for bone union than main fragments in interlocking intramedullary nailing for wedge tibial shaft fractures. We need to pay attention to the displacemet of fragments in treating tibial shaft fractures with large wedge fragment.
Follow-Up Studies ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; Humans ; Tibia

Pseudoaneurysm is defined as the aneurysmal cyst resulted from partial or total rupture of vessel membrane, and it can be caused by fracture, operation, laceration, blunt trauma, osteochondroma and so on. When the displaced pelvic bone fracture is diagnosed, the traumatic pseudoaneurysm, which is frequently related by the direct injury of vessel, is one of the common complications, and it can result the massive hemorrhage even death. In case of the displaced pelvic bone fracture, surgeon should check the hemoglobin level and vital sign carefully for the possibility of vascular injury. Authors report the rare case of superior gluteal artery pseudoaneurysm without pelvic bone fractrure.
Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, False* ; Arteries* ; Hemorrhage ; Lacerations ; Membranes ; Osteochondroma ; Pelvic Bones* ; Rupture ; Vascular System Injuries ; Vital Signs