Background: Patient-centered management is becoming increasingly important in gout, but there are limited studies exploring patients' perspectives and preferences. We aimed to investigate patients' perspectives and preferences regarding gout and gout management, and their impacts on adherence to urate lowering therapy (ULT). Methods: A paper-based survey was performed in patients with gout seen at the rheumatology outpatient clinics of 16 tertiary hospitals. The survey included questions regarding demographics, comorbidities, gout attacks, current treatment and adherence, and patients' perspectives and preferences regarding gout and gout management. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine the factors associated with ULT adherence. Results: Of 809 surveyed patients with gout, 755 (94.5%) were using ULT. Among those using ULT, 89.1% had ≥ 80% adherence to ULT. Majority of the patients knew management strategies to some extent (94.8%), perceived gout as a life-long disease (91.2%), and were making efforts toward practicing at least one lifestyle modification (89.2%). Most patients (71.9%) obtained information about gout management during their clinic visits.Approximately half of the patients (53.6%) preferred managing their disease with both ULT and lifestyle modification, 28.4% preferred ULT only, and 17.4% preferred lifestyle modification only. Adherence was better in patients with older age (odds ratio [OR], 1.03), those with better knowledge of gout management strategies (OR, 3.56), and those who had preference for ULT (OR, 2.07). Conclusion Patients' perspectives and management preferences had high impacts on adherence to ULT in gout. Consideration of patients' perspectives and preferences is important for achieving the desired clinical outcome in gout.

Background: Patient-centered management is becoming increasingly important in gout, but there are limited studies exploring patients' perspectives and preferences. We aimed to investigate patients' perspectives and preferences regarding gout and gout management, and their impacts on adherence to urate lowering therapy (ULT). Methods: A paper-based survey was performed in patients with gout seen at the rheumatology outpatient clinics of 16 tertiary hospitals. The survey included questions regarding demographics, comorbidities, gout attacks, current treatment and adherence, and patients' perspectives and preferences regarding gout and gout management. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine the factors associated with ULT adherence. Results: Of 809 surveyed patients with gout, 755 (94.5%) were using ULT. Among those using ULT, 89.1% had ≥ 80% adherence to ULT. Majority of the patients knew management strategies to some extent (94.8%), perceived gout as a life-long disease (91.2%), and were making efforts toward practicing at least one lifestyle modification (89.2%). Most patients (71.9%) obtained information about gout management during their clinic visits.Approximately half of the patients (53.6%) preferred managing their disease with both ULT and lifestyle modification, 28.4% preferred ULT only, and 17.4% preferred lifestyle modification only. Adherence was better in patients with older age (odds ratio [OR], 1.03), those with better knowledge of gout management strategies (OR, 3.56), and those who had preference for ULT (OR, 2.07). Conclusion Patients' perspectives and management preferences had high impacts on adherence to ULT in gout. Consideration of patients' perspectives and preferences is important for achieving the desired clinical outcome in gout.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection leads to hepatic and extrahepatic manifestations including chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the association between HBV and CKD is not clear. This study investigated the association between chronic HBV infection and CKD in a nationwide multicenter study. METHODS: A total of 265,086 subjects who underwent health-check examinations in 33 hospitals from January 2015 to December 2015 were enrolled. HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) positive cases (n = 10,048), and age- and gender-matched HBsAg negative controls (n = 40,192) were identified. CKD was defined as a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² or proteinuria as at least grade 2+ of urine protein. RESULTS: HBsAg positive cases showed a significantly higher prevalence of GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² (3.3%), and proteinuria (18.9%) than that of the controls (2.6%, P < 0.001, and 14.1%, P < 0.001, respectively). In the multivariate analysis, HBsAg positivity was an independent factor associated with GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² along with age, blood levels of albumin, bilirubin, anemia, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Likewise, HBsAg positivity was an independent factor for proteinuria along with age, male, blood levels of bilirubin, protein, albumin, and HbA1c. A subgroup analysis showed that HBsAg positive men but not women had a significantly increased risk for GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m². CONCLUSION: Chronic HBV infection was significantly associated with a GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² and proteinuria (≥ 2+). Therefore, clinical concern about CKD in chronic HBV infected patients, especially in male, is warranted.
Anemia ; Antigens, Surface ; Bilirubin ; Case-Control Studies* ; Female ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis B, Chronic* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prevalence ; Proteinuria ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic*

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to assess whether genetic functional variants of disintegrin and metalloprotease 33 (ADAM33) are associated with susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a Korean population. METHODS: We previously identified 48 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ADAM33. Six SNPs were selected with regard to the linkage disequilibrium pattern. An association study of ADAM33 was conducted in 190 patients with SLE and 469 control subjects. SNPs were genotyped using the TaqMan Real-time polymerase chain reaction method, and haplotype analyses of related variants were performed. RESULTS: All SNPs were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Significant associations were found between the ADAM33 polymorphisms and SLE at rs2787094 (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.88, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00 to 3.54; p<0.0001). The rs554743 polymorphism was associated with the presence of the immunoglobulin M anti-cardiolipin antibody (adjusted OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.83; p=0.021). CONCLUSION: ADAM33 polymorphisms were associated with susceptibility to SLE and development of clinical disease manifestations in a Korean population. Further study is warranted to clarify the role of ADAM33 in SLE pathogenesis.
Haplotypes ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Odds Ratio ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

A large aortic aneurysm invading the aortic arch can be catastrophic if rupture occurs. In the past, the standard treatment was an open thoracotomy followed by total aortic arch replacement. However, open surgery is difficult in patients at high operative risk. Consequently, thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is preferred in high-risk patients. In patients with a short proximal landing whose aortic aneurysm invades the aortic arch, TEVAR is not available because of innominate, left carotid, and left subclavian artery occlusion. We report two cases in which aortic aneurysms invaded the aortic arch, and who were treated with TEVAR after a supra-aortic artery bypass operation.
Aneurysm* ; Aorta ; Aorta, Thoracic* ; Aortic Aneurysm ; Arteries ; Endovascular Procedures ; Humans ; Rupture ; Stents ; Subclavian Artery ; Thoracotomy

A large aortic aneurysm invading the aortic arch can be catastrophic if rupture occurs. In the past, the standard treatment was an open thoracotomy followed by total aortic arch replacement. However, open surgery is difficult in patients at high operative risk. Consequently, thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is preferred in high-risk patients. In patients with a short proximal landing whose aortic aneurysm invades the aortic arch, TEVAR is not available because of innominate, left carotid, and left subclavian artery occlusion. We report two cases in which aortic aneurysms invaded the aortic arch, and who were treated with TEVAR after a supra-aortic artery bypass operation.
Aneurysm* ; Aorta ; Aorta, Thoracic* ; Aortic Aneurysm ; Arteries ; Endovascular Procedures ; Humans ; Rupture ; Stents ; Subclavian Artery ; Thoracotomy

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to investigate current status, indications, and complications of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. METHODS: A retrospective investigation of patients who underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy at a university medical center from September 2004 to August 2013 was conducted based on patients' medical records and results of an email survey for 99 emergency centers. RESULTS: During the study period, a total of 233 patients underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Indications for hyperbaric oxygen treatment of illness or injury were as follows: 1) 151 cases of acute carbon monoxide poisoning(65.4%), 2) flap wound management, including 42 cases(18.2%), 3) skin care transplanted, including 23 cases(10.4%), 4) Burger's disease, including 5 five cases(2.1%), respectively. Total application time* frequency was 1,088 and total time was 1,239 hours. Among 233 patients who underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy, 32 patients(13.7%) had complications: 1) otalgia in 21 cases(9.0%), 2) mastoiditis? in six cases(2.6%), 3) hemotympanum in five cases(2.1%), respectively. There were only 8 emergency centers that currently had an operational hyperbaric oxygen chamber in 77 emergency centers(10.4%). CONCLUSION: Indications identified through this study showed difference from current indications worldwide. It seems necessary that physicians' perception regarding application of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for more indications be changed and improved. A hyperbaric chamber capable of providing respiratory assistance and intensive care is also needed. A good network for sharing treatment experiences and a specialized team for administration of hyperbaric oxygen therapy is also required.
Academic Medical Centers ; Carbon Monoxide ; Earache ; Electronic Mail ; Emergencies* ; Humans ; Hyperbaric Oxygenation* ; Critical Care ; Mastoid ; Mastoiditis ; Medical Records ; Oxygen ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin Care ; Wounds and Injuries

Apoptosis ; Apoptosis Inducing Factor ; Blotting, Western ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Death ; Cell Survival ; Cyclin A ; Cyclin D1 ; Cyclin E ; Cyclins ; Cytochromes c ; Cytosol ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Integrin alpha2 ; Lung ; Mitochondria ; Nanoparticles ; Phosphotransferases ; Plasma ; Proteins ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; S Phase

PURPOSE: Various studies searching for biomarkers to predict tumor metastasis or prognosis in both esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are currently underway. However, few data have been reported on its association with colorectal cancer (CRC). Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the most common known form of human genetic variation and may contribute to an increased susceptibility to cancer including CRC. The present study aimed to investigate whether the polymorphisms in the CTTN gene are associated with susceptibility to CRC in the Korean population. METHODS: A case-control study was performed to examine the relationship between the CTTN g.-9101C>T, g.-8748C>T, and g.72C>T polymorphisms and the risk of CRC. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of g.-8748C>T, g.-9101C>T and Taqman analysis of g.72C>T were performed on blood samples from 218 patients with CRC and 533 control individuals. The g.-9101C>T, g.-8748C>T, and g.72C>T SNPs in CTTN and their haplotypes were analyzed. RESULTS: The genotype and allele frequencies of g.-9101C>T, g.-8748C>T, and g.72C>T did not differ between the patient group and the control group. Further, the haplotype of CTTN g.-9101C>T, g.-8748C>T, and g.72C>T did not differ between patient group and the control group. However, the genotype and allele frequencies of CTTN g.-9101C>T were significantly increased in the lymph node positive CRC group compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: The CTTN g.-9101C>T polymorphism may influence lymph node positive CRC.
Biomarkers ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Case-Control Studies ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Variation ; Genotype ; Haplotypes ; Head ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Prognosis

Cardiac injury is a common but occasionally serious complication of blunt chest trauma. A ventricular septal rupture (VSR) is a rare complication and is variable in its presentation, temporal course and severity. Here, we report a rare case of 75-year-old man who developed delayed VSR following blunt chest trauma.
Aged ; Humans ; Thoracic Injuries ; Thorax ; Ventricular Septal Rupture