• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.10
• /
• pp.4447-4450
• /
• 2015

Background: Nasopharyngeal cancer is a disease with distinct ethnic and geographical distribution. The aim of this review was to describe the epidemiological characteristics of nasopharyngeal cancer in Iran from 2004 to 2009 because no systematic study has been performed to evaluate the trends of its incidence yet. Materials and Methods: The data were derived from the databases of the National Cancer Data System Registry in the period of 2004-2009. Nasopharyngeal cancers were classified according to the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology. Incidence rates and trends were calculated and evaluated by gender, age decade, and histopathology types. Results: A total of 1,637 nasopharyngeal cancers were registered in Iran from 2004 to 2009 giving an incidence of 0.38 per 100,000. The male-to-female ratio was 2.08:1. The trend of incidence was found to have increased, with a significant increase observed in males. Undifferentiated carcinoma was the most common histopathology type in all the age decades. Conclusions: Because the incidence of nasopharyngeal cancers in Iran has increased, especially in males, further studies are recommended for understanding of the etiological factors involved in the rise of the disease.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.10
• /
• pp.4999-5002
• /
• 2012

Introduction: There is epidemiological evidence indicating that the metabolic syndrome increases the risk of colorectal cancer. Since there is little information about this issue in Iran, the present study was conducted to evaluate prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components in patients with colorectal cancer. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional survey involved 200 patients with a new diagnosis of colorectal cancer. Demographic information of patients was collected through the interview with them. Components of metabolic syndrome including fasting glucose serum, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein, blood pressure and waist circumference were measured for all of the patients. Results: A total of 72 colorectal cancer patients (36%) met metabolic syndrome criteria with rates of 76% for women and 24% for men. BMI in metabolic syndrome patients was higher than other colorectal cancer patients. Disease history including hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease was most frequent in metabolic syndrome patients. Pathological characteristics of colorectal cancer were not significantly associated with the disease. Conclusion: The findings of present study indicated that the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in CRC patients is relatively high. Therefore, further analytical and multi centric studies are needed to better understand the role of metabolic syndrome in development of CRC in Iran. If this association is confirmed in future studies, metabolic syndrome patients should be considered in CRC screening programs.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.47 no.2
• /
• pp.144-153
• /
• 2014

Both docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) have attracted increasing attention since the first epidemiological report on the importance of n-3 essential fatty acids. Lipids in microbial cells play various biological roles and, consequently, much research has been carried out on their role in cell physiology. The lipid composition of microorganisms can exhibit considerable variations depending on environment. The effects of culture conditions, temperature (15, 20, 24, 28, 32 and $36^{\circ}C$), salinity (10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 psu), pH (pH5, 6, 7, 8 and 9), rotation speeds (50, 100, 150 and 200 rpm), carbon sources, nitrogen sources and C/N ratio on the production of docosahexaenoic acid, fatty-acid profiles, and acids secreted to the broth culture by the oleaginous microorganism, Schizochytrium mangrovei (KCTC 11117BP), were studied. Temperature (initially $28^{\circ}C$), salinity (20 psu), pH (pH7), rotation speeds (100 rpm), organism fatty acids, and secreted acids in the broth were varied during cultivation of S. mangrovei. At pH 7.0, S. mangrovei was able to accumulate lipids up to 40% of its biomass, with 13% (w/w) DHA content. The monosaccharides glucose and fructose, and yeast extract were suitable carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. The primary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid produced was docosahexaenoic acid.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.53 no.4
• /
• pp.465-470
• /
• 2015

The present study was performed to report 15 anisakiasis cases in Korea and to review the Korean cases reported in the literature. Total 32 Anisakis type I larvae were detected in the stomach of 15 patients by the endoscopy. Single worm was detected from 12 cases, and even 9 larvae were found from 2 cases. Epigastric pain was most commonly manifested in almost all cases, and hemoptysis and hematemesis were seen in 1 case each. Symptom manifestations began at 10-12 hr after eating fish in 73.3% cases. Endoscopy was performed 1-2 days after the symptom onset in most cases. The common conger, Conger myriaster, was the probable infection source in 7 cases. In the review of Korean anisakiasis cases, thus far, total 645 cases have been reported in 64 articles. Anisakis type I larva was the most frequently detected (81.3%). The favorable infection site of larvae was the stomach (82.4%). The common conger was the most probable source of human infections (38.6%). Among the total 404 cases which revealed the age and sex of patients, 185 (45.8%) were males, and the remaining 219 (54.2%) were female patients. The age prevalence was the highest in forties (34.7%). The seasonal prevalence was highest in winter (38.8%). By the present study, 15 cases of gastric anisakiasis are added as Korean cases, and some epidemiological characteristics of Korean anisakiasis were clarified.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.96-101
• /
• 2010

Purpose: This study was conducted in order to evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of?children with fall-down injuries according to age groups and to analyze the major trauma groups that were treated at the emergency room (ER). Methods: Among 1,222 children under age 6 who were treated at the ER from January 2008 to December 2009, a retrospective study was conducted through examination of medical records. The children were classified by age into 3 groups: infant, toddler, and pre-schooler. In each group, the differences between the causative factors that led to the fall-down injuries were analyzed. Also, ISS (Injury Severity Score) score above 4 was classified as major trauma, and an ISS score 0-1 was classified as a minor trauma. The relationship between major trauma and age group was also analyzed. Results: Through an analysis of child fall-down injuries, men (56.6%), toddler (47.3%), head-related symptoms (72.9%), furniture-related traumas (80.2%), and falls from less than a 1-m height (69.9%) were found to be common factors. Furthermore, in radiological studies, fractures and brain hemorrhages accounted for 16.9% of major traumas, and simple skull fractures were the most common (21.4%). Distributed according to age group, the factors relevant to fall injuries were fall height and head-related symptoms for infants, accident site, fall height and head-related symptoms for toddlers, and accident site for pre-schoolers (p<0.05). Also, headrelated symptoms and fall height were independent factors of major trauma in all age groups. However, major traumas (17.3%) were related to dumped trauma, fall height and accident site (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study was mainly about head-related injuries, and toddler were most common victims. The relevant factors for the major trauma were falling height for infants, accident site and falling height for toddlers, and accident site, falling height for pre-schoolers.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.47 no.2
• /
• pp.125-130
• /
• 2009

To figure out the epidemiological status and relevance with other diseases in toxoplasmosis, we checked serum IgG antibody titers of 1,265 patients and medical records of seropositive patients. Seropositive rates were 6.6% by latex agglutination test (LAT) and 6.7% by ELISA. No significant differences were detected between sexes and age groups. The peak seroprevalence was detected in the 40-49-year-old age group. According to clinical department, Toxoplasma-positive rates were high in patients in psychiatry, ophthalmology, health management, emergency medicine, and thoracic surgery. Major coincidental diseases in seropositive cases were malignant neoplasms, diabetes mellitus, arthritis, chronic hepatitis B, chronic renal diseases, schizophrenia, and acute lymphadenitis, in the order of frequency. In particular, some patients with chronic hepatitis B and malignant neoplasms had high antibody titers. These results revealed that the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in a general hospital-based study was similar to that in a community-based study, and T. gondii seropositivity may be associated with neoplasms, diabetes, and other chronic infections.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.129-132
• /
• 2010

The epidemiology of reported food-borne disease (FBD) outbreaks from 2001 to 2008 in Korea nd Japan were compared in this study. The outbreak rate of FBD in Japan was significantly higher although the average umber of patient in each outbreak in Korea was much higher. In both countries, summer was the season when most FBD outbreaks occurred. The comparison study revealed that FBD outbreaks in spring were more frequent in Korea, and outbreaks in winter were more frequent in Japan. Almost half of FBD outbreaks were observed at restaurants in both countries while FBD outbreaks at schools and work-places in Korea were much higher than in Japan. The most frequent cause of bacterial FBDs in Korea was pathogenic Escherichia coli followed by Salmonella species. On the other hand, Campylobacter jejuni was the most frequent source of bacterial FBDs in Japan. Norovirus, which is elated to uncontrolled hand hygiene and involvement of ill food workers, was the main cause of viral FBDs in both countries. In conclusion, there are common epidemiological characteristics as well as several differences in FBD outbreaks of Korea and Japan. These are suggested to be originated from the characteristic of climate, food sources, and life styles in two countries. Establishment of stricter control and surveillance system for FBD outbreaks are required or prevention and reduction of FBD outbreaks in both countries.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.322-328
• /
• 2005

Oral and maxillofacial infections are most commonly odontogenic in origin. The present study was implemented for patients with oral and maxillofacial infections in order to determine what differences were present in cultured bacteria, depending upon the different types of infection. For the present study, the epidemiological characteristics, the state of infection, and the results of the pus culture and antibiotic susceptibility tests were analyzed for the 159 cases where pus culture tests were performed. The patients were treated at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Department of Chonnam National University Hospital during an 18-months period from March 2003 to August 2004. Among the total 159 pus culture specimens, bacteria were cultured in 111 cases (69.8%). In the 111 pus culture specimens, Streptococcus species, Neisseria species, and Staphylococcus species were cultured from 69 cases (51.1%), 21 cases (15.6%), and 15 cases (11.1%), respectively and were determined to be bacterial strains the predominant bacteria responsible for oral and maxillofacial infectious diseases. Twenty four cases (15.1%) among the 159 specimens showed mixed infections. The mostly isolated bacteria from each of the space abscess, dentoalveolar abscess, inflammatory cyst, and pericoronitis cases were the Viridans streptococci. There was little relevance between the type of infection and the type of cultured bacteria. Antibiotic susceptibility tests showed a high level of susceptibility to teicoplanin(100%), vancomycin(100%), chloramphenicol(96.4%), ofloxacin(88.3%), imipenem(83.3%), erythromycin(82.5%) and a low susceptibility to cefazolin(40.0%), oxacillin(44.7%), ampicillin(49.4%), penicillin(51.1%). These results indicate that there was no significant difference among the cultured bacteria depending on the type of infections and their susceptibility to cephalosporin and penicillin G was low.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.42 no.3
• /
• pp.121-127
• /
• 2004

The aim of this study was to relate personal data, socio-cultural and environmental characteristics, and the presence of symptoms/signs with the frequencies of Giardia spp. and Blastocystis hominis among a rural population in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Of the surveyed population (350), 3.7% were infected with only Giardia spp. or 22.9% with B. hominis, and 2.3% were infected with both protozoa. The frequency of infection according to sex; 6.1% of males were infected and 1.6% of females by Giardia spp., 26.7% and 19.5% by B. hominis, and 2.4% and 2.2% by both parasites, respectively. Giardia spp. was detected in only three adults (over 14 years), but B. hominis was more frequent in adults than in children. The prevalences of these protozoa in this community are lower than those reported by other Argentinean studies, which is probably associated with the low density of the studied population ($5.95{\;}inhab/\textrm{km}^2$). Statistical analysis revealed that a male sex, flooding of the home, the use of a latrine, and an abdominal pain were correlated with the presence of these parasites, which indicate the importance of these factors in rural communities.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.89-93
• /
• 2014

Background: This study was conducted to investigate the epidemiological features, clinical courses, and diagnoses of neonates who are transferred to neonatal intensive care unit of Yeungnam University Hospital due to tachypnea soon after birth. Methods: Based on medical records, we performed a retrospective study of neonatal intensive care unit admissions due to tachypnea from January 2010 to December 2013. Results: A total of 311 neonates were included in this study. The patient characteristics showed male predominance at 2.65:1. Among the 311 neonates with tachypnea, 127 (40.8%) neonates needed oxygen supply, and 54 (17.4%) neonates needed assisted mechanical ventilation. Transient tachypnea of the newborns (TTN) (158, 50.8%) showed the highest incidence, followed by pneumonia (63, 20.3%), extrapulmonary infection (37, 11.9%), respiratory distress syndrome (21, 6.8%), air leak (16, 5.1%), meconium aspiration syndrome (12, 3.9%), congenital heart disease (5, 1.6%), metabolic acidosis (3, 1%), primary pulmonary hypertension of newborns (2, 0.6%) and anemia (2, 0.6%). Conclusion: Although the neonates with tachypnea showed no other respiratory distress symptom, clinicians should be aware of the possibility of other pulmonary diseases as well as TTN and their extra-pulmonary causes. If tachypnea does not improve within a few hours, the clinician should consider further evaluation and management as soon as possible.