• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.48-55
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• 2002

Purpose: Thin glomerular basement membrane nephropathy (TGBMN) is recognized as the leading cause of microscopic hematuria in both children and adults. However thinning of glomerular basement membrane (TCBM) has been found in healthy adult and also is known to be associated with various renal diseases such as Alport syndronh, IgA nephropathy and mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis. The association of TGBM with minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) has been very rare so that the present study was undertaken to determine the relationship between TGBM and MCNS. Methods: The study population consisted of 49 children with biopsy- proven MCNS who have been admitted to the pediatric department of Kyungpook University Hospital during the past 5 years from 1997 to 2001. Group I consisted of 8 children associated with TGBM and Group II 41 children without TCBM. Various parameters such as age of illness, duration from discovery of illness to the time of biopsy, family history of hematuria and other laboratory tests were compared between these two groups and the following results were obtained. Results: Age distribution showed slightly older age in Group I ($7.1{\pm}3.5$ years) compared to Group II ($4.8{\pm}2.9$ years). However this was not statistically different (P=0.056). Family history of hematuria was noted in 2 cases in Group II. Though statistically not significant, hematuria was seen in 2 out of 8 cases ($25\%$) in MCNS children with TGBM, compared to 7 out of 41 cases ($17\%$) with MCNS children without TGBM. Other parameters such as BUN, creatinine, 24 hours urine protein excretion, serum protein, albumin, cholesterol, and T4/T8 ratio, showed no difference. Also renal biopsy finding showed no significant difference and the thickness of glomerular basement membrane in Croup I was $188{\pm}30nm$. Conclusion: TGBM was found in 8 out of 49 children with MCNS ($16.3\%$). And this high frequency of occurrence indicates that these association is not an incidental findings. Typical clinical findings of TCBMN was not noted in all of the 8 children with MCNS associated with TGBM, suggesting that thinning of glomerular basement membrane (TCBN) is secondary to rather than the cause of MCNS. (J Korean Soc Pediatr Nephrol 2002;6: 48-55)

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.8 s.265
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• pp.619-625
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• 2006

Background: Peripheral arterial disease is frequently accompanied with systemic arteriosclerosis and more than half of the cause of deaths is due to the development of coronary arterial disease. Moreover, it is known that the most frequent cause of death after a bypass surgery of chronic arterial obstruction is heart related complications. Especially in patients with atherosclerotic arterial obstruction in the lower extremities who had no history of heart disease or had no presenting symptoms of ischemic heart disease showed a high rate of postoperative mortality and for this reason we suggest preoperative evaluation in these patients to evaluate whether or not coronary arterial disease is accompanied. Material and Method: Since Feb. 2001 to Oct. 2004, we analyzed 52 patients who were operated on for atherosclerotic arterial obstruction in the lower extremities, with the exception of patients with a past history of heart disease or symptoms of ischemic heart disease. They underwent on the same day a coronary and femoral angiography for evaluation of accompanying coronary arterial disease. Of among these patients, we compared those who received bypass surgery of the arteries of the peripheral extremities alone to those who underwent combined coronary artery bypass surgery. Result: 63% of the reported cases of atherosclerotic arterial obstruction in the lower extremities were accompanied with coronary arterial disease. Old age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, and hypercholesterolemia are known risk factors for arteriosclerosis and of these, only old age and hypertension had statistically significance in patients with severe atherosclerotic arterial obstruction in the lower extremities accompanied with coronary arterial disease. Diabetes, smoking, and hypercholesterolemia showed no statistical significance in this group. With the increase in severity of the range and the degree of atherosclerotic arterial obstruction, coronary arterial disease is frequently accompanied and its severity also increased. Patients who received both peripheral artery and coronary artery bypass surgery showed no difference in the period of hospitalization and ICU stay period compared with patients who received bypass surgery of the arteries of the lower extremities alone. Conclusion: Patients with atherosclerotic arterial obstruction in the lower extremities without symptoms of ischem to evaluate coronary arterial disease for active treatment, especially in the patients with old age, hypertension and high AVD scores.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.65-73
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• 2009

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical and polysomnographic characteristics of Korean patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), especially in relation to differences due to age and gender. Methods: All subjects were consecutive patients who were proven to have OSAS with nocturnal polysomnography. They were interviewed with a structured interview format including sociodemographic information, past medical history, medication, and sleep-related history. Simultaneously, they were also given Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) to answer in order to check subjective sleep quality and subjective sleepiness. Results: Mean age of the 308 subjects was $49.5{\pm}$13.3 years, with 77.6% of the subjects being males and 22.4% of the subjects being females. The aging effects on the sleep architecture in Korean OSAS corresponded with normal aging, but with the effect of OSAS itself superimposed, the extent of aging effects was more marked than that of normal aging. The severity of Korean patients of OSAS was not correlated with age. When divided into age subgroups, significant correlation was found between RDI and BMI in patients of each subgroup of those in the 4th to 7th decades. The oldest subgroup (>70 years) described their subjective sleep quality as poorer than any other age subgroups, despite of less subjective drowsiness. The severity of OSAS and the change of sleep architecture of male subjects turned out to be severer than those of female ones. The female/male ratio of the subjects tended to increase with aging. Conclusions: The aging effect on the sleep architecture in Korean OSAS seems to be a mixture of the changes by normal aging and sleep disorder per se. The severity of OSAS was not correlated with age, but highly correlated with BMI. The severity of OSAS and the change of sleep architecture of male patients were severer than those of female ones.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.457-467
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was performed to investigate the relationship between ocular and allergy symptoms in children by environmental pollutants emitted from new constructed building. Methods: Two different types of survey (6-Item Dry Eye Questionnaire and Ocular Surface Disease Index) were used to study dry eye syndromes and ocular subjective symptoms for a six-grade of elementary school students (54 males and 61 females) in newly built buildings in the past three month, located near capital city, Seoul. Atopy and medical history of allergic rhinitis were investigated with using questionnaire for allergy, and also nose itchiness and ocular symptoms were checked as visual analog scale(10-score) with using questionnaire of allergy rhinitis and conjunctivitis under the guideline of ARIA(Allergic Rhinitis Impacts on Asthma). Results: Fifty seven students (50%) from DEQ and 19 students (16.52%) from OSDI were diagnosed as dry eye, and 18 students (15.79%) were diagnosed as dry eye from both questionnaires. It was surveyed that 45 students (39.5%) and 29 students (25.4%) had atopy and allergy rhinitis, respectively. Among 45 students having atopy, 30 students and 8 students were diagnosed as dry eye with using DEQ and OSDI, respectively. And also, 22 students were diagnosed as dry eye by DEQ and 5 students were diagnosed as dry eye by OSDI from 29 students having allergy rhinitis. Among 29 students having both medical history atopy and allergy rhinitis, 15 students detected observable ocular symptom. The complicating allergy symptoms with ocular syndrome were arranged with sneeze, nose itchiness, nose stuffiness, and runny nose in order of frequency. As students recognized eye symptoms, the number of allergy found and student's number were increased proportionally. Conclusions: It was found that children's subjective ocular symptoms were confirmed in the environment as newly built building. The number of student for dry eye was proportionally increased to students having atopy and allergy symptoms.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.161-172
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• 2002

Background : To Investigate the association between bronchial anthracofibrosis (AF) and tuberculosis (TB), and the clinical utility of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on bronchial specimens for rapid diagno-sis of active pulmonary TB in patients with bronchial AF. Method : Thirty patients (25 women and 5 men ranging in age from 53 to 88), who were diagnosed with bronchial AF by a bronchoscopic exami-nation, were enrolled in this study. PCR targeting the IS6110 segment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was performed on the bronchial wash fluid and anthracofibrotic bronchial tissue. The PCR results were compared with the bacteriological, histological, and clinical findings. Results : Eighteen of the 30 patients (60%) were associated with TB, nine of whom were confirmed as having active TB. The remaining 9 had a past history of TB. The sputum or bronchial aspirate AFB smear, culture, and histological findings were positive in 4 (13%), 9 (30%), and 5 (17%) patients, respectively. PCR of the AF tissue and bronchial wash fluid was positive in 5 (17%) and 11 (37%) of the 30 patients, respectively. PCR was more sensitive than the AFB smears for diagnosing pulmonary TB (22 % us 89 %, respectively, p<0.05). All 5 patients with positive AF tissue PCR results also had both histological findings and positive bronchial wash fluid PCR results. Of the 3 patients with positive PCR but negative bacteriological or histological results, 2 of these patients appeared to have active tuberculosis on a clinical basis. Conclusion: Although TB-PCR did not reveal an increased association between bronchial AF and TB compared with traditional methods, PCR on the bronchial wash fluid appears to be useful for the rapid diagnosis of pulmonary TB in patients with bronchial AF. TB-PCR on AF bronchial tissue itself did not yield additional benefits for diagnosing TB, which suggests that an AF lesion itself may not be an active or original site of the infection, but a secondary change of TB.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.139-149
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• 2003

Objectives：To review the history of the development and current status of Korean Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and to propose the future tasks at this 20th anniversary of Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Methods：Records and publications of Korean Academy, personal communications with senior members of the Academy, the author's recollections and memoirs. Results：Korean Child Psychiatry started with opening Child Psychiatry Clinic at Seoul National University Hospital in 1979 and establishing Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the same hospital in 1980. A Child Psychiatry Study Group was formed in 1983 and it transformed into Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 1986. In the past 20 years, Korean child and adolescent psychiatry made an impressive progress and contributed significantly to the development of Korean medicine as well as to the establishment of child mental health service. There are 77 board-certified and 48 board-eligible child psychiatrists, and 18 child psychiatry fellows are in training as of 2003. Main forces of this successful introduction of child psychiatry are 1) 7 child psychiatry training centers at major university hospitals, 2) publication of Korean Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 1990, 3) the establishment child psychiatry board certification system in 1996. Korean child psychiatry has extended its role in the international child psychiatry and took leadership in establishing Asian Society of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions(ASCAPAP). Conclusion：Korean child psychiatry has achieved a remarkable progress for the past 20 years and is currently producing 15 or more child psychiatry each year. However, there are needs of more active involvements in adolescent problems, more active consultation-liaison services at general hospitals as well as community mental health institutions. More school consultation and preventive educational services are desired. There is a urgent need of carrying out more empirical studies with strong scientific rigor. Korean Academy should pay attention and provide assistance to the development of child psychiatry service in other countries in Asia.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.119-133
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• 1997

In spite of much progress in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) program, the pregnancy rate remains at 20-30%, and the endometrial implantation rate per embryo transferred at 10-15%. As a result, about 90% of embryos may fail to implant to the endometrium, and many attempts such as optimization of follicular development, improvement of in vitro culture system including coculture, and micromanipulation of zona pellucida have been made to improve embryonic implantation after IVF-ET. Recently, several procedures of assisted hatching (AH) using micromanipulation have been introduced, and pregnancies and births have been obtained after AH. To develop and establish AH as an effective procedure to improve embryonic implantation, AH with partial zona dissection (PZD) was performed in 116 cycles of 89 infertile couples who had previous repeated failures of standard IVF-ET more than two times (Group I: 71 cycles in 54 patients), or who had implantation failure of embryos with good quality (Group II: 15 cycles in 13), or who had undergone AH without specific indication (Group III: 30 cycles in 22) from January, 1995 to Februry, 1996, and the outcomes of AH were analyzed according to pregnancy rate. The number of oocytes retrieved after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) was $9.9{\pm}7.1$ in Group I, $11.5{\pm}4.5$ in Group II, and $7.9{\pm}6.4$ in Group III. The number of embryos transferred after AH was $4.7{\pm}1.8$ in Group I, $5.3{\pm}1.3$ in Group II, and $3.5{\pm}2.4$ in Group III. The mean cumulative embryo score (CES) was $56.8{\pm}30.0$ in Group I, $76.1{\pm}35.9$ in Group II, and $38.5{\pm}29.9$ in Group III. The overall clinical pregnancy rate per cycle and per patient was 12.7% (9/71) and 16.7% (9/54) in Group I, 33.3% (5/15) and 38.5% (5/13) in Group II, and 6.7% (2/30) and 9.1% (2/22) in Group III, respectively. There were significant differences in the numbers of oocytes retrieved and embryos transferred, CES, and the clinical pregnancy rate per cycle among three groups. There was a significant inverse correlation between basal serum FSH level and CES, and no pregnancy occurred in patients with CES less than 20. In conclusion, AH of human embryos with PZD prior to ET has improved the implantation and pregnancy rates in IVF-ET patients with the past history of repeated failures, especially in spite of transfer of embryos with good quality, and AH will provide a range of novel techniques which may contribute much to effective management of infertile couples.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.560-569
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• 2003

Background : A large number of pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and ozone influence on the body. These pollutants put a burden on the lung and the sequelae resulting from the oxidative stress are thought to contribute to the development of fibrotic lung disease, emphysema, chronic bronchitis and lung cancer. Also, carbon monoxide generated from the incomplete combustion of carbon-containing compounds is an important component of air pollution caused by traffic exhaust fumes and has the toxic effect of tissue hypoxia and produce various systemic and neurologic complications. The objective of this study is to compare the difference of pulmonary function and serum carboxyhemoglobin(CO-Hb) level between the traffic policemen and clerk policemen. Method : Three hundred and twenty-nine of traffic policemen, and one hundred and thirty clerk policemen were included between 2001 May and 2002 August. The policemen who took part in this study were asked to fill out a questionnaire which included questions on age, smoking, drinking, years of working, work-related symptoms and past medical history. The serum CO-Hb level was measured by using carboxyoximeter. Pulmonary function test was done by using automated spirometer. Additional tests, such as elecrocardiogram, urinalysis, chest radiography, blood chemistry, and CBC, were also done. Results : $FEV_1(%)$ was $97.1{\pm}0.85%$, and $105.7{\pm}1.21%$(p<0.05). FVC(%) was $94.6{\pm}0.67%$, and $102.1{\pm}1.09%$, respectively(p<0.05). Serum CO-Hb level was $2.4{\pm}0.06%$, and $1.8{\pm}0.08%$(p<0.05). After correction of confounding factors (age, smoking), significant variables were FVC(%), $FEV_1(%)$ and serum CO-Hb level(%)(p<0.05). Conclusion : Long exposure to air pollution may influence the pulmonary function and serum CO-Hb level. But, further prospective cohort study will be needed to elucidate detailed influences of specific pollutants on pulmonary function and serum carboxyhemoglobin level.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.275-287
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• 1992

In order to survey the reality of anxiety and depression among the Koreans residing in China, a study was conducted between January and March of 1991, on the residents of Yun-Kil city, with subjects of 472 Koreans and 479 Chinese. The evaluation was based on the questionairs, named Combined self-rating anxiety depression scale(CADS), distributed among the subjects. ANOVA and t-test were applied for data processing. The results were as follows : There was not significant difference in the mean of total scores between the two groups. The scores of Koreans were $29.70{\pm}7.03$, while those of Chinese were $29.45{\pm}9.01$. The score of the CADS above 50(clinially significant level) was seen in 12(2.54%) Koreans and 21(4.38%) Chinese. The anxiety-depression scores relating to the items of indigestion and decreased appetite, sleep disturbance, apprehension, decreased libido were relatively high among the Koreans. The items appeared low in scores among the Koreans were faintness, fear, suicidal rumination, hopelessness, paresthesias. The highs among the Chinese were facial flushing, anxiousness, dissatisfaction, suicidal rumination. The items appeared low among the Chinese were fear, faintness, paresthesias, weight loss, suicidal rumination. In the comparison of evaluation by items between the two groups, the items placing the Koreans significantly higher over the Chinese are indigestion & decreased appetite, sleep disturbance, apprehension, decreased libido. The Chinese marked significantly higher in facial flushing, anxiousness, dissatisfaction, suicidal rumination. Those in the case of female (p<0.01 respectively), less than twenty years old (p<0.01 respectively), dissatisfied with family relationship(p<0.01 respectively), with past history of psychiatric hospitalization(Koreans p<0.01, Chinese p<0.05), pessimistic toward future, present, past self image(p<0.01 respectively) had significantly higher scores in both groups. In religion, neither group showed significant difference. In religion, neither group showed significant difference. In marital status, the Koreans showed a higher degree of divorce and separation and the Chinese in singleness(p<0.01 respectively). The Korean were higher in illiteracy and the Chinese had more college education(p<0.01 respectively). In place of growth, the Koreans showed not much difference in the areas while more Chinese grew up un large cities(p<0.01). More Koreans lived in the dormitory while the Chinese were engaged more in self-cooking(p<0.01 respectively). In pocket money per mouth, more Koreans were less than 1 dollar while the Chinese were between 7 and 10 dollars(p<0.01 respectively). There were no significant difference between two groups about religion.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.121-127
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• 2009

Objective: To investigate the prevalence, the distribution of deciduosis, and the relationship with endometriosis in fertile women during Cesarean delivery. Methods: In this study, pelvic tissues suspicious for ectopic deciduas were taken for biopsy during Cesarean section from 154 parturients of full term pregnancy from January 1990 to December 2003. And then those patients were followed up till April 2008. Results: Tissues from 94 parturients (94/154, 61%) were evaluated histopathologically, and ectopic decidua was observed in 70.2% (66/94). Ectopic sites were ovaries only (65/94, 69.1%), ovaries and uterine serosa (12/94, 12.8%), uterine serosa only (9/94, 9.6%), and pelvic serosa. Twenty seven (27/66, 40.9%) parturients had past history of diagnosis and treatments for endometriosis. We have tried to connect 39 (39/66, 59.1%) patients who had never been diagnosed for endometriosis but pathologically confirmed for deciduosis, and 18 patients were able to contact by phone. Twelve patients (12/18, 66.6%) showed no symptoms of endometriosis and had not received any treatments for endometriosis. Conclusion: We can conclude that most of incidental cases confirmed pathologically for deciduosis during pregnancy do not symptomatically progress.