• IEIE Transactions on Smart Processing and Computing
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• v.2 no.5
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• pp.302-309
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• 2013

This paper proposes a mathematical model of Caprine arthritis encephalitis (CAE), which is a disease causing significant economic damage to the goat farming industry, and reports the application of this model to the development of an information management system of animal quarantine to overcome this disease. The mathematical model of CAE was derived from the AIDs model in human case because epidemical characteristics of these diseases including infection pass are similar. This model can be expressed by simultaneous differential equations. Simulations using a new model were performed according Euler's and Runge-Kutta method using numerical analysis software. In each method, strong convergence was observed and the results were similar. The design of an information management system of animal quarantine was proposed as an application of the new model. System design was constructed on the assumption that in subtropical islands, the expected development of information infrastructure and utilization will become valuable in the future.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.431-451
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• 2000

In this paper, I will examine the variables influencing the Quality of Life of arthritis patients and present basic materials which help arthritis patients have positive thinking in life and ultimately lead a satisfactory life. The subjects for this study are 231 inpatients and outpatients with arthritis living in J and K city in Chonbug Province. For the analysis of collected data I employed the SAS program. The variables for characteristics and the quality of life were analysed by descriptive statistics, T-test and ANOVA, and the relations among variables were analysed through Pearson Correlation; the Regression method was employed to predict the factors affecting quality of life. For the validity of reliance on measuring equipment Cronbach Alpha was used. The results of the study are as follows : (1) The mean score of quality of life of arthritis patients is 3.09(5 in the maximum). The general characteristics which affect the quality of life are age(F=5.13, p=0.0006), standard of education(F=6.49, p=0.0003), marriage status(F=7.77, p=0.0005), monthly pay(F=4.37, p=0.0020), medical benefits (F=4.85, p=0.0087), and supports(F=4.39, p=0.0050). For the disease-related characteristics, there is a significant difference in the 6 items: pain control method(F=5.92, p= 0.0002), physical therapy(F=3.25, p=0.013), whethere or not patients exercise(F=4.62, p=0.0000), regularity of exercise(F=4.79, p=0.0000), frequency of exercise(F=6.29, p=0.0001), and amount of exercise(F=4.62, p=0.0043). Depending on the type of arthritis, there is also a significant difference in the degree of pain felt. The patients with infectious arthritis suffer from pain the most, followed by those with gout, rheumatism and degenerative arthritis, in that order. Although statistics don't show any convincing evidence, those with gout perceive that they are in best health condition, followed by those with rheumatism, degenerative arthritis, and infectious arthritis, in that order(F=2.23, p=0.0669). (2) The quality of life of arthritis patients is correlated positively with perceived health status(r=0.56, p=0.0001), health promoting behavior(r=0.53, p=0.0001), family support (r=0.46, p=0.0001), amount of exercise (r=0.36, p=0.0001), ADL(r=0.36, p=0.0001), HLOC(r=0.32, p=0.0001), frequency of exercise(r=0.32, p=0.0001)in that order, while correlated negatively with the degree of pain felt(r=-0.32, p=0.0001), the number of pain regions(r=-0.19, p= 0.0041), and the duration of pain(r=-0.14, p=0.0279). (3) Regression analysis reveals that the most powerful predictor of the quality of life is perceived health status, which account for 31.11%. The other predictors of the quality of life, which account for 60.22%, are health promoting behavior(16.51%), family support(3.81%), ADL(2.52%), gender(1.86%), the number of family members(1.36%), level of pain(1.24%), duration of pain (1.08%), and level of education(0.67%). The results of the study show that perceived health status and health promoting behavior are the two most important variables. However, considering that the perceived health condition is difficult to control by nursing intervention, it is suggested that the level of expectation for patients, must be decided first, and the health promoting behavior and the family support influencing the quality of life must be taken into account as targets for nursing intervention. As a way of controlling the quality of life, I think that a more comprehensive approach comprising the above important variables along with demographic and general characteristics is needed. I also suggest that we must continue to explore the variables affecting the quality of life and include those variables in nursing intervention.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.3-12
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• 2024

One of the most common sources of spinal pain syndromes is the facet joints. Cervical, thoracic, and lumbar facet joint pain syndromes comprise 55%, 42%, and 31% of chronic spinal pain syndromes, respectively. Common facet joint disorders are degenerative disorders, such as osteoarthritis, hypertrophied superior articular process, and facet joint cysts; septic arthritis; systemic and metabolic disorders, such as ankylosing spondylitis or gout; and traumatic dislocations. The facet pain syndrome from osteoarthritis is suspected from a patient's history (referred pain pattern) and physical examination (tenderness). Other facet joint disorders may cause radicular pain if mass effect from a facet joint cyst, hypertrophied superior articular process, or tumors compress the dorsal root ganglion. However, a high degree of morphological change does not always provoke pain. The superiority of innervating nerve block or direct joint injection for diagnosis and treatment is still a controversy. Treatment includes facet joint injection in facet joint osteoarthritis or whiplash injury provoking referred pain or decompression in mass effect in cases of hypertrophied superior articular process or facet joint cyst eliciting radicular pain. In addition, septic arthritis is treated using a proper antibiotic, based on infected tissue or blood culture. This review describes the diagnosis and treatment of common facet joint disorders.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.126-128
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• 2019

A 5-year-old male Labrador Retriever that lived outdoors was presented to the animal hospital with a right hind limb lameness. The lameness had been present for more than 10 days, and there was a severe swelling of the right stifle joint. The dog underwent physical, laboratory, and radiographic examinations. As a result, the dog was diagnosed with infectious monoarthropathy secondary to granulocytic ehrlichiosis. The dog received medication for the rickettsial arthritis and surgical treatment for reconstruction of the soft tissue damage caused by the infection. After treatment, the function of the dog's leg was recovered. This report describes a case of atypical monoarthropathy caused by ehrlichiosis in a dog.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.106-110
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• 2010

Purpose: We report a case of pyogenic arthritis of the shoulder secondary to infective endocarditis. Materials and Methods: A 70 year-old male who had suffered from pyogenic arthritis of the left shoulder secondary to infective endocarditis was treated with artificial valvuloplasty, arthroscopic synovectomy and drainage. Results: Infection was cured and the patient achieved a good functional outcome. Conclusion: Pyogenic arthritis of the shoulder is rarely associated with infective endocarditis. However, if the symptoms are misdiagnosed as musculoskeletal symptoms associated with infective endocarditis, serious complications may arise. As such, musculoskeletal symptoms associated with infective endocarditis should be paid careful attention.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.179-187
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• 2000

The etiology of rheumatic arthritis (RA) is associated with a number of genetic and environmental factors, but is not definitively elucidated. Recently, more attention has been paid to the possibility of microbial etiology in the pathogenesis of RA, because many different infectious agents have been reported to precede the onset or exacerbation of RA. Adenovirus (ADV) may be one cause of persistent or recurrent inflammatory arthritis. Varicella zoster virus (VZV) arthritis is detected frequently in RA patients treated with low dose methotrexate. The demonstration of simultaneous presence of both viral agents of specific viral nucleic acid in synovial fluids from synovitis patients would provide more direct evidence for arthritis etiological relationship, but there are no confirmed results. Therefore, we studied the ability of adenovirus and VZV to establish coinfection and persistent infection in synovial fluid from synovitis patients. The presence of viral agents in the synovial fluid demonstrated by isolation of cell culture, enzyme immunoassay and nested-PCR. The synovial fluids were also investgated for the presence of viral nucleic acid by nested-PCR using specific primer. ADV produced 220 bp and VZV produced 447 bp by each nested-PCR with specific primers. We detected 4/6 cases (66.7%) with persistent infection of ADV and 5/6 cases (83.3%) of VZV with 13 synovial fluids (between 7 to 52 day intervals) from synovitis patients by monoclonal ErA and nested-PCR. 21/28 cases (75%) with coinfection of adenovirus and VZV with synovial fluids from synovitis patients by nested-PCR. ADV and VZV coinfection and persistent infection of synovial fluids may provide a chronic antigenic stimuli to the immune system therefore provoking a continuing inflammatory response and caused the possibility of synovitis and arthritis.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.208-211
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• 2004

The patient with group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection and articular disease who does not fulfill the modified Jones criteria for a diagnosis of acute rheumatic fever(ARF) have been classified as poststreptococcal reactive arthritis/arthralgia. A 10-year-old girl had presented with fever and arthralgia. She had pain in her left knee for 7 days but no swelling. A throat culture showed no growth but antistreptolysin O titer and C-reactive protein were elevated. A clinical follow up one month later showed neither arthralia nor sequelae as acute rheumatic fever. Poststreptococcal reactive arthritis/arthralgia seems to be part of the disease spectrum of ARF and to prevent subsequent development of ARF and carditis in these patient, it is recommended that antistreptococcal prophylaxis should be administered for 1 year and then could be discontinued if there is no evidence of cardiac involvement.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.77-85
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• 2017

Purpose: Fever is one of the most common symptoms in children. In previous studies, infectious disease was the most common cause of pediatric fever of unknown origin (FUO). The aim of this study is to investigate the etiology, clinical characteristics and prognosis of pediatric FUO in 21 century with more diagnostics available and to analyze the factors for certain disease categories. Methods: Among the children under 18 years old who were hospitalized at Samsung Medical Center from January 2000 to December 2014, the patients who met the criteria including fever of ${\geq}38.0^{\circ}C$ for longer than ${\geq}14days$ and failure to reach a diagnosis after one week of investigations were included. Results: Total 100 patients were identified. Confirmed diagnosis was achieved in 57 patients (57%). Among them, infectious diseases (n=19, 19%) were most common, followed by connective tissue diseases (n=15, 15%), necrotizing lymphadenitis (n=8, 8%), and malignancies (n=7, 7%). Children with fever duration over 28 days had a trend for higher frequency of connective tissue diseases (28.3%) except undiagnosed etiology. The symptoms such as arthritis, lymph node enlargement and only fever without other symptoms were significantly related with connective tissue diseases, necrotizing lymphadenitis and undiagnosed respectively (P<0.001). Ninety-two patients have become afebrile at discharge and 1 patient died (1%). Conclusion: Almost half of our patients were left without diagnosis. Although it has been known that infectious disease was most common cause of pediatric FUO in the past, undiagnosed portion of FUO have now increased due to development of diagnostic techniques for infectious diseases.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.7-13
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• 2014

Molecular mimicry is an attractive mechanism for triggering autoimmunity. In this review, we explore the potential role of evolutionary conserved bacterial proteins in the production of autoantibodies with focus on granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Seven autoantigens characterized in GPA and RA were BLASTed against a bacterial protein database. Of the seven autoantigens, proteinase 3, type II collagen, binding immunoglobulin protein, glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, ${\alpha}$-enolase, and heterogeneous nuclear ribonuclear protein have well-conserved bacterial orthologs. Importantly, those bacterial orthologs are also found in human-associated bacteria. The wide distribution of the highly conserved stress proteins or enzymes among the members of the normal flora and common infectious microorganisms raises a new question on how cross-reactive autoantibodies are not produced during the immune response to these bacteria in most healthy people. Understanding the mechanisms that deselect auto-reactive B cell clones during the germinal center reaction to homologous foreign antigens may provide a novel strategy to treat autoimmune diseases.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.220-230
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• 2023

Identification of the pathogens causing infection is important in terms of patient's health management and infection control. Synovial fluids could be used as clinical samples to detect causative pathogens of prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) using molecular diagnostic assays, therefore, normalization and validation of clinical samples are necessary. Microbial culture is considered the gold standard for all infections, including PJIs. Recently, molecular diagnostic methods have been developed to overcome the limitation of microbial culture. Therefore, guideline for validating clinical samples to provide reliable results of molecular diagnostic assays for infectious diseases is required in clinical field. The present study aimed to develop an accurate validating method of synovial fluid clinical samples using GAPDH gene as an internal control to perform the quantitative PCR TaqMan probe assay to detect pathogens causing PJIs.