• Asian Spine Journal
• /
• 제12권6호
• /
• pp.1010-1016
• /
• 2018

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Purpose: To report on spinal fusion assessment using computed tomography (CT) after adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery using ultra-low dose recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (RhBMP-2). Overview of Literature: The reported dose of RhBMP-2 needed for successful spinal posterolateral fusion in ASD ranges from 10 to 20 mg per spinal level. This study reports the use of ultra-low dose of RhBMP-2 (0.07 mg per facet) to achieve spinal fusion in multilevel ASD surgery. Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent ASD surgery using ultra-low dose RhBMP-2 were recruited. Routine postoperative CT analysis for spinal fusion was performed by two spine surgeons. Inter-observer agreement was calculated for facet fusion (FF) and interbody fusion (IBF) at 6 and 12 months after the procedure. Results: Six consecutive ASD patients with a mean age of 62 years (28-72 years) were examined. Each patient received a total dose of 12 mg with an average dose of $0.69{\pm}0.2mg$ (0.42-1 mg) per single FF and $1.38{\pm}0.44mg$ (0.85-2 mg) for IBF. Total 131 FF and 15 IBF were examined in the study, with 88 FFs and nine IBFs being analyzed specifically at 6 months after the surgery. FF and IBF reported by surgeons A and B at 6 months were 97.7% vs. 91.9% FF, respectively (${\kappa}=0.95$) and 100% vs. 100% IBF, respectively (${\kappa}=1$). Two patients underwent longitudinal follow-up CT at 12 months, and the FF rates reported by surgeons A and B were 100% vs. 95.8%, respectively (${\kappa}=0.96$). Five out of nine facet (56%) non-unions were identified at the cross-links. The remaining four facet pseudarthrosis were noted at 1-2 spinal levels caudal to the cross-links. At the final clinical follow-up, there was no rod breakage, deformity progression, neurological deficit, or symptom recurrence. The Oswestry Disability Index improved by an average of $32.8{\pm}6.3$, while the mental component summary of the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey improved by an average of $4.7{\pm}2.1$, and physical component summary improved by an average of $10.5{\pm}2.1$. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to report a CT that defined 92%-98% FF and 100% IBF using the lowest reported dose of RhBMP-2 in multilevel ASD surgery. The use of ultra-low dose RhBMP-2 reduces the RhBMP-2 related complications and healthcare costs.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• 제19권3호
• /
• pp.301-314
• /
• 2019

Purpose: Peritoneal carcinomatosis in gastric cancer (GC) patients results in extremely poor prognosis. Malignant ascites samples are the most appropriate biological material to use to evaluate biomarkers for peritoneal carcinomatosis. This study identified exosomal MicroRNAs (miRNAs) differently expressed between benign liver cirrhosis-associated ascites (LC-ascites) and malignant gastric cancer-associated ascites (GC-ascites), and validated their role as diagnostic biomarkers for GC-ascites. Materials and Methods: Total RNA was extracted from exosomes isolated from 165 ascites samples (73 LC-ascites and 92 GC-ascites). Initially, microarrays were used to screen the expression levels of 2,006 miRNAs in the discovery cohort (n=22). Subsequently, quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analyses were performed to validate the expression levels of selected exosomal miRNAs in the training (n=70) and validation (n=73) cohorts. Furthermore, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels were determined in ascites samples. Results: The miR-574-3p, miR-181b-5p, miR-4481, and miR-181d were significantly downregulated in the GC-ascites samples compared to the LC-ascites samples, and miR-181b-5p showed the best diagnostic performance for GC-ascites (area under the curve [AUC]=0.798 and 0.846 for the training and validation cohorts, respectively). The diagnostic performance of CEA for GC-ascites was improved by the combined analysis of miR-181b-5p and CEA (AUC=0.981 and 0.946 for the training and validation cohorts, respectively). Conclusions: We identified exosomal miRNAs capable of distinguishing between non-malignant and GC-ascites, showing that the combined use of miR-181b-5p and CEA could improve diagnosis.

• Annals of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism
• /
• 제23권4호
• /
• pp.210-214
• /
• 2018

Purpose: Premature adrenarche (PA) often leads to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Higher anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) levels are reported in PCOS. We studied the androgen profile and AMH profiles in Hispanic girls with PA (aged 5-8 years) and age and body mass index (BMI) matched controls. Methods: Retrospective review of electronic medical records of girls who met the inclusion criteria for premature adrenarche were done. Results: PA girls (n=76) were matched to control girls (n=12) for age (mean${\pm}$standard deviation) ($6.7{\pm}1years$ vs. $6.2{\pm}1.3years$) and BMI ($20{\pm}10kg/m^2$ vs. $17.8{\pm}2.7kg/m^2$). Dehydroepiandrostenedione sulfate ($63.3{\pm}51.3{\mu}g/dL$ vs. $29.8{\pm}17.3{\mu}g/dL$, P<0.001) and testosterone levels ($11.4{\pm}4.8ng/dL$ vs. $8.2{\pm}2.9ng/dL$, P=0.001) were significantly higher in the PA group than controls. AMH values (<14 years: reference range, 0.49-3.15 ng/mL) were $3.2{\pm}2.2ng/mL$ vs. $4.6{\pm}3.2ng/mL$ respectively in the PA and control groups and were not different (P=0.4). AMH did not show a correlation with bone age (P=0.1), and testosterone (P=0.9) in the PA group. 17-hydroxyprogesterone levels (17-OHP ng/dL) were $39.5{\pm}30.5ng/dL$ vs. $36.8{\pm}19.8ng/dL$ in PA versus control girls. The concentration of 17-OHP was not statistically different between the control and PA groups. Conclusion: Higher AMH was not observed in PA girls and no correlation with BA and androgen levels was observed.

• 한국환경보건학회지
• /
• 제45권1호
• /
• pp.30-41
• /
• 2019

Objectives: The effects of particulate matter and ozone on health are being reported in a number of studies. These effects are likely to be stronger on the elderly population, but studies in this regard are scarce. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of particulate matter ${\leq}2.5{\mu}m$ and ozone on the acute health status of the elderly population. Methods: In order to analyze the health status of the elderly population, the NHIS-Senior Cohort data was used. In this study of people 60 years or older in Seoul, the number of outpatient visits and ER visits between 2002 and 2013 were calculated. Each disorder and the lag effect were analyzed separately. Particulate matter and ozone were analyzed using both the single exposure model and the adjusted multi-exposure model. Results: In the single exposure analysis with PM2.5 as the exposure variable, with each increase of $10{\mu}g/m^3$, the number of outpatient visits increased by 1.0081 times, vascular disease 1.0065 times, chronic pulmonary disease 1.0086 times, and diabetes 1.0055 times. In the multi-exposure model adjusting for ozone, the number of outpatient visits increased by 1.0066 times. There was a one-day lag effect and 1.0066 times increase between PM2.5 and ER visits in the multi-exposure model and 1.0057 times when adjusted for ozone (p value <0.10). There was a one-day lag effect in all multi-exposure models with ozone as the main variable, and when the particulate matter was adjusted, there was a one-day delay and 1.0143 times increase in ER visits. Conclusions: In our study, an increase in the number of outpatient and ER visits in the elderly population in accordance with the increase in PM2.5 and ozone was found. The association found in our study could also produce a socioeconomic burden. Future studies need to be performed in regards to younger populations and other air pollutants.

• Endocrinology and Metabolism
• /
• 제33권4호
• /
• pp.459-465
• /
• 2018

Background: Differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) shows a very good prognosis, but older patients have a higher recurrence rate and those show poor prognosis than younger patients. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical outcomes of thyroid cancer patients who experienced recurrence in old age according to the treatment strategy used. Methods: This retrospective observational cohort study was conducted at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. Among DTC patients with no evidence of disease after initial treatment, we enrolled 86 patients who experienced recurrence at an age >65 years from 1994 to 2012. Sixty-nine patients had local recurrence and 17 patients showed distant metastasis. Results: The mean age of patients at recurrence was 72 years. Patients were followed up for a median of 4.1 years after recurrence. Sixty-three of the 69 patients with local recurrence received additional treatment, while the other six received conservative care. The cancer-specific mortality rate was 15.5% in the local recurrence group. Airway problems were the main cause of death in patients who did not receive further treatment for local recurrence. Among the 17 patients with distant metastasis, 10 underwent specific treatment for metastasis and seven received only supportive management. Seven of those 17 patients died, and the cancer-specific mortality rate was 35% in the distant metastasis group. Conclusion: The overall cancer-specific mortality rate was 20% in DTC patients in whom recurrence was first detected at an age >65 years. Mortality due to uncontrolled local disease occurred frequently in patients who did not receive definitive management for recurrence.

• 재활치료과학
• /
• 제10권1호
• /
• pp.19-35
• /
• 2021

목적 : 본 연구는 지역사회 거주 노인의 생활범위 이동성에 대한 연구를 체계적으로 고찰하여 연구 동향에 대해 분석하여 정리하고자 한다. 연구방법 : 2010년부터 1월부터 2020년 1월까지 PubMed, Embase의 데이터베이스를 이용하여 지역사회 거주 노인의 생활공간 이동성에 대한 논문을 검색하였으며, 1차 검색된 335편의 논문 중 선정기준 및 배제기준에 따라 27편의 논문을 최종 선택하여 분석하였다. 결과 : 총 27편의 선정된 연구 중 근거수준 II에 해당하는 코호트 연구가 11편(40.7%)으로 가장 많았다. 연구 대상자는 일반 노인이 가장 많았고(81.5%), 생활공간 이동성 평가도구는 University of Alabama Life-Space Assessment(UAB-LSA)의 사용이 가장 많았다(88.9%). 총 27편의 연구 중 신체적 영역의 연구는 8편(29.6%), 정신사회적 영역의 연구는 8편(29.6%), 인지적 영역의 연구는 6편(22.2%), 사회적 영역의 연구는 2편(7.4%), 기타 영역의 연구는 3편(11.1%)으로 나타났다. 노인의 생활공간 이동성은 신체적, 인지적, 정신사회적 또는 사회적 요인과 같은 단일 요인이 영향을 미치는 것이 아닌 다차원적인 관점에서 분석될 필요성이 있다. 결론 : 본 연구결과를 통해 향후 지역사회 거주하는 다양한 상태의 노인들의 생활공간 이동성의 연구를 통해 인과관계를 검증하고, 지역사회에서 작업치료적인 접근이 가능한 중재 프로그램의 개발을 통해 노인의 생활공간 이동성에 대한 연구가 확대될 것을 기대한다.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• 제20권4호
• /
• pp.442-453
• /
• 2020

Purpose: Expanded indications for endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in early gastric cancer (EGC) remain controversial due to the potential risk of undertreatment after adequate lymph node dissection (LND). Regional LND (RLND) is a novel technique used for limited lymphadenectomy to avoid gastrectomy. This study established the safety and effectiveness of RNLD as an additional treatment option after ESD for expanded indications. Materials and Methods: A total of 69 patients who met the expanded indications for ESD were prospectively enrolled from 2014 to 2017. The tumors were localized using intraoperative esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) before RLND. All patients underwent RLND first, followed by conventional radical gastrectomy with LND. The locations of the preoperative and intraoperative EGD were compared. Pathologic findings of the primary lesion and the RLND status were analyzed. Results: The concordance rates of tumor location between the preoperative and intraoperative EGD were 79.7%, 76.8%, and 63.8% according to the longitudinal, circumferential, and regional locations, respectively. Of the 4 patients (5.7%) with metastatic LNs, 3 were pathologically classified as beyond the expanded indication for ESD and 1 had a single LN metastasis in the regional lymph node. Conclusions: RLND is a safe additional option for the treatment of EGC in patients meeting expanded indications after ESD.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• 제24권1호
• /
• pp.7-18
• /
• 2021

Purpose: The long-term efficacy and safety of infliximab (IFX) in children with ulcerative colitis (UC) have not been well-evaluated. Here, we reviewed the long-term durability and safety of IFX in our single center pediatric cohort with UC. Methods: This retrospective study included 20 children with UC who were administered IFX. Results: For induction, 5 mg/kg IFX was administered at weeks 0, 2, and 6, followed by every 8 weeks for maintenance. The dose and interval of IFX were adjusted depending on clinical decisions. Corticosteroid (CS)-free remission without dose escalation (DE) occurred in 30% and 25% of patients at weeks 30 and 54, respectively. Patients who achieved CS-free remission without DE at week 30 sustained long-term IFX treatment without colectomy. However, one-third of the patients discontinued IFX treatment because of a primary nonresponse, and one-third experienced secondary loss of response (sLOR). IFX durability was higher in patients administered IFX plus azathioprine for >6 months. Four of five patients with very early onset UC had a primary nonresponse. Infusion reactions (IRs) occurred in 10 patients, resulting in discontinuation of IFX in four of these patients. No severe opportunistic infections occurred, except in one patient who developed acute focal bacterial nephritis. Three patients developed psoriasis-like lesions. Conclusion: IFX is relatively safe and effective for children with UC. Clinical remission at week 30 was associated with long-term durability of colectomy-free IFX treatment. However, approximately two-thirds of the patients were unable to continue IFX therapy because of primary nonresponse, sLOR, IRs, and other side effects.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• 제84권2호
• /
• pp.125-133
• /
• 2021

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can manifest in a range of symptoms, including both asymptomatic systems which appear nearly non-existent to the patient, all the way to the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Specifically, COVID-19-associated pneumonia develops into ARDS due to the rapid progression of hypoxia, and although arterial blood gas analysis can assist in halting this deterioration, the current environment provided by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to an overall lack of medical resources or equipment, has made it difficult to administer such tests in a widespread manner. As a result, this study was conducted in order to determine whether the levels of oxygen saturation (SpO₂) and the fraction of inhaled oxygen (FiO₂) (SF ratio) can also serve as predictors of ARDS and the patient's risk of mortality. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted from February 2020 to Mary 2020, with the study's subjects consisting of COVID-19 pneumonia patients who had reached a state of deterioration that required the use of oxygen therapy. Of the 100 COVID-19 pneumonia cases, we compared 59 pneumonia patients who required oxygen therapy, divided into ARDS and non-ARDS pneumonia patients who required oxygen, and then investigated the different factors which affected their mortality. Results: At the time of admission, the ratios of SpO₂, FiO₂, and SF for the ARDS group differed significantly from those of the non-ARDS pneumonia support group who required oxygen (p<0.001). With respect to the predicting of the occurrence of ARDS, the SF ratio on admission and the SF ratio at exacerbation had an area under the curve which measured to be around 85.7% and 88.8% (p<0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified that the SF ratio at exacerbation (hazard ratio [HR], 0.916; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.846-0.991; p=0.029) and National Early Warning Score (NEWS) (HR, 1.277; 95% CI, 1.010-1.615; p=0.041) were significant predictors of mortality. Conclusion: The SF ratio on admission and the SF ratio at exacerbation were strong predictors of the occurrence of ARDS, and the SF ratio at exacerbation and NEWS held a significant effect on mortality.

• 한국콘텐츠학회논문지
• /
• 제20권12호
• /
• pp.406-416
• /
• 2020

본 연구의 목적은 아동이 지각한 부모의 긍정적 양육태도와 부정적 양육태도가 스마트폰 의존도에 미치는 영향을 확인하고, 공격성과 사회적 위축이 부모의 양육태도와 스마트폰 의존도 간의 관계에서 매개 구실을 하는지 검증하는 것이다. 이를 위해 '한국아동·청소년패널조사 2018(KCYPS 2018)' 데이터를 활용하여 분석하였다. 연구대상은 "초4 코호트" 2,607명 중 불성실한 응답표본 208명을 제외한 2,399명이다. 본 연구를 통해 도출한 연구결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 자율성 지지와 강요는 아동의 공격성에 대해 부(-)영향을 미치지만, 거부와 비일관성은 공격성에 대해 정(+)의 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 둘째, 비일관성과 거부는 아동의 사회적 위축에 대해 정(+)의 영향을 미치지만, 강요는 부(-)의 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 셋째, 공격성은 아동의 스마트폰 의존도에 정(+)의 영향을 미치지만, 사회적 위축은 유의적인 영향을 미치지 않는 것으로 나타났다. 넷째, 매개효과 검증을 통해 아동이 지각한 부모의 양육태도의 하위요인인 자율성지지, 거부, 강요 그리고 비일관성은 아동의 스마트폰 의존도에 직접적인 영향을 미치기 보다는 공격성을 매개로 하여 간접적으로 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구의 결론에서는 아동의 스마트폰 의존도를 낮추기 위한 시사하는 실천적 함의를 논의하였다.