BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Breast milk is the best available food for optimum growth and development of infants and the breastfeeding rate is increasing in Korea. The purpose of this study is to measure the concentrations of macronutrients and to evaluate their changes according to lactation period in breast milk from lactating Korean women. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Milk samples were obtained from 2,632 healthy lactating women (mean age; 32.0 +/- 3.3 years), where the lactating period was up to a period of 8 months, who also volunteered to participate in the Human Milk Macronutrient Analysis Research. Lactose, protein, fat and water content in the breast milk samples were analyzed with infrared spectrometry using MilkoScan FT-2. RESULTS: The mean macronutrient composition per 100 mL of mature breast milk was 7.1 g for lactose, 1.4 g for protein and 3.0 g for fat, and energy content was 61.1 kcal. The protein concentration was significantly lower in milk samples at 1-2 weeks (2.0 g/dL) to 2-3 months (1.4 g/dL) than those at 0-1 week (2.2 g/dL), but it was similar among samples from 3-4 months to 7-8 months (1.3 g/dL). Mean lipid levels varied among different lactational period groups (2.7-3.2 g/dL), but presented no significant difference. Lactose concentration in the milk samples did not differ with lactation period. Maternal body mass index was positively related to protein and lipid breast milk contents, but was negatively related to lactose content. General linear models examining the associations between maternal variables and milk macronutrient content revealed that lactation period had a major impact on protein and lipid, but not on lactose content in breast milk. CONCLUSIONS: These results warrant future studies to explore factors that may be associated with changes in macronutrient content in human milk.
Body Mass Index ; Breast Feeding ; Female ; Growth and Development ; Humans ; Infant* ; Korea ; Lactation ; Lactose ; Linear Models ; Milk ; Milk, Human* ; Mothers* ; Spectrum Analysis ; Water

The incidence of intussusception in adults is quite low. A preoperative diagnosis was quite difficult due to the atypical clinical features, but the success rate of preoperative diagnosis of intussusception has improved with the advances in abdominal US and CT. However, the value of colonoscopy in making a preoperative diagnosis is unclear. The incidence of multiple primary cancer of the colon and rectum can vary widely. We report a case of intussusception in a patient who had synchronous cecal and sigmoid colonic cancer. A 71-year-old man was visited our hospital for diarrhea and general weakness. The abdominal US and CT revealed a mass lesion in the cecal area. Preoperative colonoscopy confirmed the lesion to be cecal cancer with a synchronous sigmoid colon cancer. In conclusion, the rarity of these synchronous cancers may result in a misdiagnosis. Therefore, a preoperative colonoscopy or postoperative colonoscopy might be useful.
Adult ; Aged ; Cecal Neoplasms ; Colon* ; Colon, Sigmoid* ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Colonoscopy ; Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Errors ; Diarrhea ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intussusception* ; Rectum ; Sigmoid Neoplasms*

Gastritis cystica profunda (GCP) is a rare disease in which mature glandular epithelium extends into the muscularis mucosae or below. GCP lesions mainly develop at the gastroenterostomy stomas. These lesions show malignant histologic features such as metaplastic and even dysplastic alteration, however they usually exhibit benign behavior. We report a case of a patient with GCP who had not previously undergone gastric surgery. A 63-year-old woman visited our hospital for anorexia and epigastric discomfort. The esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed two polyps on the anterior wall of the greater curvature, antrum. The polyps were removed by snare polypectomy and the histology findings showed the character of a tubular adenoma and a hyperplastic polyp with an associated GCP.
Adenoma* ; Anorexia ; Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Epithelium ; Female ; Gastritis* ; Gastroenterostomy ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Mucous Membrane ; Polyps ; Rare Diseases ; SNARE Proteins

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been more and more often regarded as a serious disorder, because nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a part of NAFLD, may progress to the end stage of liver disease. Though an advanced age, obesity, diabetes mellitus (DM) etc. being not infrequent conditions in Korea, are known to exacerbate the severity of this disease, there are only a few Korean reports on this subject. The purpose of this study is to identify possible factors that might add up to the pathological severity of this disorder in Korean patients. METHODS: Of 60 patients with steatosis found at liver biopsy, 43 NAFLD patients were reviewed retrospectively after exclusion of other liver diseases. RESULTS: The cases of steatosis were mild, moderate, and severe in 9, 10, and 24 patients, respectively. The degree of necroinflammatory activity was mild, moderate, and severe in 33, 9, and 1 patients, respectively. There were no established factors directly related to these classes. As to fibrosis, the cases were classified as none, mild, moderate, severe, and cirrhotic in 9, 11, 16, 7, and 0 patients, respectively. The stage of fibrosis correlated with the age (p< 0.001), BMI (body mass index) (p=0.032), and the platelet count (p=0.009), but the presence of NASH was associated only with BMI (p=0.002) and obesity (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: It seems that there are no factors that are directly related to the degree of steatosis or necroinflammatory activity. BMI seems to be a unique factor directly related to both the severity of fibrosis and the presence of NASH. The age and the platelet count are factors that are directly related to the degree of fibrosis but not to the presence of NASH.
Adult ; Analysis of Variance ; Body Mass Index ; Fatty Liver/blood/classification/*pathology ; Female ; Human ; Korea ; Male ; Platelet Count ; Prognosis ; ROC Curve ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Severity of Illness Index

The throat swabs obtained from 1,098 adults and 432 children patients with respiratory diseases were examined for Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection detected by culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Antimicrobial susceptibilities of the resulting 60 M. pneumoniae isolates were evaluated by testing minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of erythromycin, minocycline, tetracycline, josamycin, sparfloxacin, ofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin by a broth micro-dilution method. In a preliminary screening, the detection rate of M. pneumoniae by PCR was 29.2% (277/948) for the adults and 28.3% (90/318) for the children. In the second survey, the isolation rate of M. pneumoniae by culture was 29.3% (44/150) for the adults, and 14.0% (16/114) for the children. The PCR detection rate was 36.7% (55/150) for the adults and 23.7% (27/114) for the children. The MIC90s of the M. pneumoniae isolates were 0.015 mg/ml for erythromycin, lower than 0.03 mg/ml for josamycin, 0.06 mg/ml for sparfloxacin and minocycline, 0.12 mg/ml for tetracycline, 0.5 mg/ml for ofloxacin and CFC-222, and 1.0 mg/ml for ciprofloxacin. The isolates were susceptible to erythromycin, josamycin, sparfloxacin, minocycline, tetracycline, and ofloxacin, but the 63.3% of them was resistant to ciprofloxacin. These results indicate that the PCR method has a significant potential as a rapid and sensitive method for early detection of M. pneumoniae infection in clinical specimens as compared with the culture method, but the PCR method could not provide any information concerning the biological chracteristics of M. pneumoniae strains. Erythromycin, josamycin, sparfloxacin, minocycline, and tetracycline could be recommended as the antimicrobial agents of choice in Korea.
Adult ; Anti-Infective Agents ; Child ; Ciprofloxacin ; Erythromycin ; Humans ; Josamycin ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Minocycline ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae* ; Mycoplasma* ; Ofloxacin ; Pharynx ; Pneumonia* ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tetracycline

We report herein a 82-year-old male patient having pruritic purple or violaceous grouped papules and nodules based on the dark bluish plaques of a 5-year duration on both dorsa of the feet and toes. Also he complained of moderate-degree pitting edema and varicose veins for 30 years on both lower legs. We diagnosed his skin lesion as Mali variant of pseudo-Kaposi's sarcoma probably caused by chronic lymphedema and venous insufficiency.
Aged, 80 and over ; Edema ; Foot ; Humans ; Leg ; Lymphedema ; Male ; Mali ; Sarcoma* ; Skin ; Toes ; Varicose Veins ; Venous Insufficiency

Disposal of a homicide victim by dismemberment is rare, but individual cases are on record in most major medicolegal departments. Recognition of postmortem mutilation may be of importance in the interpretation of certain murders committed by sexual perverts and other mentally deranged individuals and sometimes performed for the sole reason of easier disposal of the body. Postmortem dismemberment is usually readily recognizable as such; The edges of the injuries are dry and lack evidence of bleeding. The joints may be disarticulated without fracture, or the use of an axe or saw may be evident from examination of bones. Parallel horizontal or oblique furrows in the bone surface are caused by skipping of the saw prior to establishing depth. Such patterns on the bone may assist in identifying the particular saw involved. So we report 25 dismembered corpses that autopsied in National Institute of Scientific Investigation. This paper can help in attempting to establish not only the first criminal investigation steps but also the medicolegal approach methods in unidentified and dismembered deaths.
Autopsy ; Cadaver* ; Criminals ; Hemorrhage ; Homicide ; Humans ; Joints

Isotopic response describes the occurrence of a new skin disorder at the site of another one, already healed and unrelated. The preceding diseases are mostly herpes zosters. Reactive perforating collagenosis is rare dermatosis that has characteristic histopathologic features; transepidermal elimination of degenerated dermal collagen fibers. There has been only one report of an reactive perforating collagenosis occurring on the healed site of herpes zoster. We present a case of acquired reactive perforating collagenosis that was developed on the site previously affected by herpes zoster in a 67-year-old woman, which is thought to be an isotopic response.
Aged ; Collagen ; Female ; Herpes Zoster* ; Humans ; Skin ; Skin Diseases

Herpes gestationis is a rare pregnancy-associated autoimmune bullous disease resembling bullous pemphigoid in both clinical and immunohistopathological aspects. Generally it may be improved spontaneously or easily controlled by topical or low-dose corticosteroid. Very rarely, however, severe and long-standing cases that did not respond to high-dose corticosteoid therapy were reported. We present a case of an unusual severe herpes gestationis in a 26-year-old woman that was resistant to high-dose corticosteroid and/or dapsone therapy. But the lesions responded dramatically to low-dose cyclosporine.
Adult ; Cyclosporine* ; Dapsone ; Female ; Humans ; Pemphigoid Gestationis* ; Pemphigoid, Bullous