Systemic contact dermatitis induced by Rhus allergens in Korea: exercising caution in the consumption of this nutritious food.

Systemic contact dermatitis (SCD) develops when a person who was previously sensitized to an allergen is exposed to the same allergen via the systemic route. In East Asia, the use of lacquer for polishing furniture is common and a part of the traditional culture. Contact exposure to tableware polished with Rhus lacquer may lead to sensitization. In Korea, SCD is commonly observed after systemic exposure to Rhus, a nutritious food item consumed because of the common belief of it improving the immune system. In this study, we reviewed the medical records of 21 Korean patients with SCD caused by Rhus ingestion. We found that the most significant epidemiological factor for SCD was the season of the year. Furthermore, 66.67% of the patients presented with leucocytosis and 23.81% showed increased liver enzyme levels. It is important to educate people on the risks associated with the systemic ingestion of Rhus.

A study of the microbiological profile of filler-induced skin necrosis.

Skin necrosis is one of the most severe complications following filler injections, and can result in permanent aesthetic defects. Although an increasing number of studies have addressed the management of dermal filler complications, no study has described the spectrum of microbial pathogens. The aim of this study was to delineate the bacterial profile and prognostic factors of filler-related skin necrosis by reviewing the clinical and microbiological features of these patients. A retrospective medical record review of patients undergoing treatment for skin necrosis induced by fillers was conducted. In total, 10 cases were identified, with injection sites being the nasolabial fold (70%; n = 7), nasal dorsum (20%; n = 2) and nasal tip (10%; n = 1). Reviewing the culture results, the true culture-positive rate was found to be 50% after cases of contamination were excluded. To avoid permanent sequelae, all physicians should be aware of possible secondary infections when treating filler-induced skin necrosis.

Randomized, double-blind, active-controlled, multicentre, phase III clinical trial with two stages to assess the safety and efficacy of letibotulinum toxin a vs. onabotulinum toxin a for subjects with moderate to severe crow's feet.

BACKGROUND: Letibotulinum toxin A (LeBA) was approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (known as the Korea Food & Drug Administration) for cosmetic indications in 2012. However, the efficacy and safety of this newly introduced LeBA have not been investigated in crow's feet lines (CFL) treatment and standardization before its universal use. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this multicentre, double-blind, randomized, parallel, active-controlled Phase III clinical trial with two stages (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03408236) was to investigate the non-inferiority of LeBA vs. the existing onabotulinum toxin A (OnBA) for the treatment of CFL. METHODS: A total of 240 subjects were randomized to either the test (LeBA) or control (OnBA) group. At the baseline and at weeks 4 while maximum smiling (primary efficacy assessment), 8, 12 and 16, investigator's on-site evaluation, independent evaluator, evaluation by the subjects, subjects' satisfaction assessment and safety assessment were performed. RESULTS: At week 4, the response rate of primary efficacy assessment was 69.75% and 68.33% in the test (LeBA) and control (OnBA) groups, respectively, without a significant difference. Other minor secondary evaluation results showed significant differences suggesting that LeBA offered better improvement than OnBA, but the overall results did not show significant differences between the two groups. CONCLUSION: This study showed that LeBA was as effective and safe as OnBA for the treatment of CFL at the same doses.

Split-axilla comparison study of 0.5-MHz, invasive, bipolar radiofrequency treatment using insulated microneedle electrodes for primary axillary hyperhidrosis.

BACKGROUND: Energy-delivering devices can be used to induce thermal coagulation of the eccrine sweat glands for treating primary axillary hyperhidrosis (PAH). OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of invasive, bipolar radiofrequency (RF) treatment for PAH. METHODS: A split-axilla study was performed to compare the clinical outcomes of 0.5 MHz, invasive, bipolar RF treatment with treatment settings of a longer conduction time and lower power (LC/LP) vs a shorter conduction time and higher power (SC/HP) for treating PAH. RESULTS: The in vivo study revealed median hyperhidrosis disease severity scale scores of 1.5 (interquartile range [IQR], 1-2) at 1 month and 1 (IQR, 1-2) at 3 months after treatment with the LC/LP setting, compared to baseline. Meanwhile, the other side of the axillae treated with the SC/HP setting showed scores of 2 (IQR, 2-2) at 1 month and 2 (IQR, 1.25-2) at 3 months. Analysis via a linear mixed model revealed a significant interaction (group, P = .011; time, P < .001; and group × time, P = .048) between treatment group and time. CONCLUSION: PAH can be effectively and safely treated with invasive, multilayered, multiple-pass, 0.5-MHz, bipolar RF treatment, particularly with LC/LP.

Registered Nurses (RNs)' knowledge sharing and decision-making: the mediating role of organizational trust.

AIM: This study study aimed to investigate the effects of explicit and tacit knowledge sharing on clinical decision-making abilities and the mediating role of trust among registered nurses at Korean hospitals. BACKGROUND: Decision-making abilities comprise a key area of nursing practice and link nurses' perceptions with behaviours. INTRODUCTION: Tacit knowledge is embedded within an individual and cannot be expressed or transmitted to other people in a specific form. Over time, new nurses gradually gain experience and tacit knowledge and become experts. Trust, an organizational characteristic, may serve as a potential mediator in the association between knowledge sharing and decision-making abilities among nurses. However, few studies have investigated the mediatory role of trust in this association. METHOD: The data were collected from 210 nurses selected via random sampling. The research instrument in the model included Knowledge-Sharing Behavior, Trust, and Clinical Decision-Making in Nursing Scale. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the collected data. FINDINGS: The study findings showed that explicit knowledge sharing directly affects decision-making abilities, whereas tacit knowledge sharing is only associated with decision-making abilities when trust plays a mediating role. DISCUSSION: A higher level of organizational trust can improve clinical decision-making abilities via tacit knowledge sharing. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that unlike explicit knowledge, which is shared more easily, tacit knowledge sharing does not directly lead to clinical decision-making abilities. A higher level of organizational trust leads to a stronger beneficial effect of tacit knowledge sharing on clinical decision-making abilities. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY: These findings concerning the mediatory role of trust on the association between knowledge sharing and clinical decision-making abilities provide new knowledge that will allow nurses, managers, and researchers to support the clinical decision-making abilities of nurses.

Transcutaneous pneumatic injection of glucose solution: a morphometric evaluation of in vivo micropig skin and tissue-mimicking phantom.

BACKGROUND: Needle-free, transcutaneous pneumatic injection systems can be used to deliver therapeutic solutions to targeted layers of skin in a minimally invasive manner. METHODS: To evaluate jet infiltration patterns and tissue reactions, 5% isotonic and 20% hypertonic glucose solutions were pneumatically injected into in vivo micropig skin. Gelatin TM phantom was additionally prepared to analyze penetration and dispersion patterns for different experimental settings. RESULTS: As immediate tissue reactions in the in vivo micropig skin, distinct pneumatic injection injury zones (PIIZs) in the dermis, extending from the papillary dermis deep into the dermo-subcutaneous junction, were generated with the 5% and 20% glucose solutions and with pneumatic pressures of 4.64 and 5.7 bars, respectively. PIIZs markedly decreased in appearance at 1 day after treatment, accompanied by inflammatory cell infiltration, and disappeared at 7 days post-treatment with increased collagen and elastin production. In TM phantom study, the PIIZs created by 20% glucose mainly comprised a single, homogenous, round to oval zone, whereas those created by 5% glucose were irregular and multi-lobular. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that transcutaneous pneumatic injection therapy may exert mechanical stimulatory effects, immediate tissue shrinkage via hypertonic solutions, and late tissue regeneration effects during wound healing.

Efficacy and safety of non-invasive body tightening with high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU).

BACKGROUND: Noninvasive skin-tightening devices have become increasingly popular in response to increasing demand for improvements in skin laxity and tightening with minimal risk and recovery time. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the efficacy and safety of HIFU for skin tightening in the face and body. METHODS: A total of 32 Korean subjects enrolled in this prospective clinical trial. The subjects were treated with HIFU to both cheeks, lower abdomen, and thigh. Skin elasticity was measured before and after treatment using a Cutometer (CT575, Courage and Khazaka® , Cologne, Germany). Three blinded, experienced dermatologists evaluated paired pre- and post-treatment (week 4 and 12) photographs according to the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS). Participants also completed self-assessments using GAIS. Subjects rated their pain on a numeric rating scale (NRS) immediately, 7 days, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks after treatment. RESULTS: Skin elasticity measured via a Cutometer was significantly improved 12 weeks after treatment at all treated sites (P<.05). Both IGAIS and SGAIS showed significant improvements 12 weeks after treatment. Immediately after treatment the mean NRS score was 3.00±1.586, but no pain was reported at 4 and 12 weeks post-treatment. No serious adverse effects were observed during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: HIFU safely and effectively improves skin elasticity and clinical contouring of the face and body.

Prevalence of type 5 familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in Korea and novel mutations in STXBP2.

Familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (F-HLH or FHL) is a potentially fatal immune dysregulation syndrome with a heterogeneous genetic background. Most recently, STXBP2 has been identified as the causative gene of type 5 FHL (FHL5) with a worldwide distribution. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of FHL5 in Korea. About 50 Korean pediatric patients with HLH who lacked pathogenic mutations in PRF1, UNC13D, or in STX11 from the previous series of 72 patients with HLH were analyzed for STXBP2 mutations by conventional sequencing analyses. As a result, we found one patient with two novel mutations of STXBP2: c.184A>G and c.577A>C. c.184A>G (p.Asn62Asp) was located within a highly conserved region of the STXBP2 protein and predicted to be deleterious. c.577A>C in exon 7 resulted in incomplete splicing mutation with exon 7 skipping concurrent with exon 7-retained transcript with p.Lys193Gln substitution. The frequency of FHL5 was ~1% (1/72) in Korean pediatric patients with HLH. This is the first study on FHL5 in Korea, and the data from a nationwide patient cohort provide another piece of genetic profiles of FHL.

High intensity focused ultrasound as a potential new modality for the treatment of pigmentary skin disorder.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The clinical skin tightening benefits of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) have been established, but its mechanism of action in pigmented skin disorders remains unknown. We macroscopically and histopathologically investigated dermatological changes after HIFU at different exposure doses in a UVB-induced guinea pig model of hyperpigmentation. METHODS: We applied HIFU irradiation at 0.1 and 0.2 J/cm(2) to UVB-induced spotty hyperpigmentation in guinea pig skin. The therapeutic effects of HIFU were judged based on gross appearance using photography, dermoscopy, and chromametry during a period of 3 weeks after HIFU irradiation. Histological assessments were performed using Fontana-Masson staining 1 day before and 3 weeks after HIFU irradiation. RESULTS: Macroscopically, UVB-induced hyperpigmentation was significantly reduced 2 weeks after HIFU with 0.2 J/cm(2) , and 3 weeks after HIFU with 0.1 J/cm(2) . Histopathologically, the heavy deposition of melanin in the epidermis induced by UVB exposure was reduced 3 weeks after HIFU irradiation. CONCLUSION: We confirmed that HIFU has a positive effect on UVB-induced hyperpigmentation as well as mechanical destructive activity. We suggest that HIFU may be useful as an alternative modality for human patients suffering from skin pigmentary conditions.

Efficacy and safety of injection with poly-L-lactic acid compared with hyaluronic acid for correction of nasolabial fold: a randomized, evaluator-blinded, comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers and poly-L-lactic acid (PLA) fillers are frequently used to correct facial wrinkles. AIM: To compare the efficacy and safety of a novel injectable poly-L-lactic acid (PLA) filler and a well-studied biphasic HA filler for the treatment of moderate to severe nasolabial folds. METHODS: In this multicentre, randomized, evaluator-blinded, comparative study, subjects were randomized for injections with PLA or HA into both nasolabial folds. Efficacy was determined by calculating the change in Wrinkle Severity Rating Scale (WSRS) relative to baseline. Local safety was assessed by reported adverse events. RESULTS: At week 24, mean improvement in WSRS from baseline was 2.09 ± 0.68 for the PLA side and 1.54 ± 0.65 for the HA side. Both injections were well tolerated, and the adverse reactions were mild and transient in most cases. CONCLUSIONS: PLA provides noninferior efficacy compared with HA 6 months after being used to treat moderate to severe nasolabial folds.

Improved methods for selective cryolipolysis results in subcutaneous fat layer reduction in a porcine model.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Cryolipolysis is a noninvasive method for the selective reduction of localized fat tissues. It has demonstrated efficacy in both clinical and preclinical trials; however, despite its popularity, its mechanisms of action and evaluation methods are not yet fully defined. The purpose of this study was to improved methods for cryolipolysis using a porcine model. METHODS: The abdomens of female PWG micro-pigs were treated with a cooling device (CRYOLIPO II(™)), and we examined the treatment effects using photography, three-dimensional photography, ultrasound, gross, and microscopic pathology, and serum lipid level analyses in order to determine the mechanism of action, efficacy, and safety of CRYOLIPO II(™). RESULTS: CRYOLIPO II(™) successfully reduced abdominal fat in our porcine model. Gross and microscopic histological results confirmed the noninvasive cold-induced selective subcutaneous fat destruction, and showed increases in pre-adipocyte differentiation and in the activation of lipid catabolism. In particular, we found that CRYOLIPO II(™) may increase PPARδ (delta) levels in adipose tissue at 30-60 days post-treatment. CONCLUSION: Fat reduction by cryolipolysis was successfully achieved in our porcine model. Thus, our findings indicate that CRYOLIPO II(™) may be a promising fat reduction device for body contouring and fat reduction in humans, and that cryolipolysis exerts its effects, at least partly, by targeting the PPARδ signaling pathway. These results show that both investigative and diagnostic potentials capacity.

Association of LTßR gene polymorphisms with prostate volume in benign prostatic hyperplasia in the Korean population.

The lymphotoxin-ß receptor (LTßR) gene is involved in autoimmune disease and inflammatory disorder development, but the relationship between LTßR and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is unclear. In total, 222 with BPH were examined for 3 single nucleotide polymorphisms [rs3759333 (-1387C/T), rs3759334 (-1326A/G), and rs2364480 (Ala172Ala)] located in the promoter and coding regions of LTßR using direct sequencing. The genotype distributions of rs3759334 were associated with prostate volume larger than 40 g. There were significant differences between the small (<40 g) and large (≥40 g) group subjects [codominant 1 model: odds ratio (OR) = 4.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.95-11.09, P = 0.001; dominant model: OR = 4.91, 95%CI = 2.07-11.63, P = 0.0002; log-additive model: OR = 4.81, 95%CI = 2.05-11.24, P = 0.0001]. The allele distributions of rs3759334 were significantly associated with BPH (OR = 4.87, 95%CI = 2.16-10.99, P = 0.0001). The distribution of rs2364480 was significantly different between groups (codominant 1 model: OR = 2.17, 95%CI = 1.11-4.26, P = 0.028; dominant model: OR = 2.16, 95%CI = 1.13-4.12, P = 0.019; log-additive model: OR = 1.86, 95%CI = 1.07-3.24, P = 0.027). The allele distribution of rs2364480 was significantly associated with BPH (OR = 1.88, 95%CI = 1.08-3.30, P = 0.027). We found that LTßR polymorphisms caused severe BPH. Thus, LTßR may contribute to the risk of BPH development.

Quality of functional haematopoietic stem/progenitor cells from cryopreserved human umbilical cord blood.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Transplantation of cryopreserved umbilical cord blood (UCB) can be used to treat a multitude of haematologic and immunological diseases. In this study, we examined the quality of UCB cryopreserved for 2 (group I), 4 (group II) and 6 (group III) years. METHODS: The following parameters and procedures were used to test individual units of cryopreserved UCB: the number of total nucleated cells (TNC), cell viability, CFU-GM assay, T-cell activation in vitro and haematopoietic stem cell engraftment in NOD/SCID mice in vivo. RESULTS: The TNC recovery rates for groups I, II and III were 106·2 ± 6·17%, 96·69 ± 6·39% and 100·38 ± 5·27%, respectively, and the mean percentages of viable cells after thawing were 86·88%, 86·38% and 87·43%. When TNC were plated at 5 × 10(3), the number of CFU-GM was 13·6 (group I), 13·8 (group II), 14·2 (group III) and 14·7 (fresh UCB). We confirmed that the huCD4(+) and huCD8(+) T cells within cryopreserved UCB are functionally responsive by assessment of activated huCD25(+) cells. Moreover, the percentage of huCD45(+) cells in the bone marrow was 4·32 ± 1·29% (group I), 4·48 ± 1·11% (group II), 4·40% ± 1·12% (group III) and 4·50% ± 0·66% (fresh UCB), and that in the peripheral blood was 14·69 ± 3·08% (group I), 15·24 ± 4·05% (group II), 15·74 ± 3·43% (group III) and 17·48 ± 3·74% (fresh UCB) in NOD/SCID mice infused with isolated huCD34(+) cells. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that cryopreserved UCB units efficiently retrieve in functionally competent form and are suitable for transplantation.

The impact of drug-resistant cytomegalovirus in pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant recipients: a prospective monitoring of UL97 and UL54 gene mutations.

BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a major cause of morbidity in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (alloHCT) recipients. Little is known about the epidemiology of antiviral resistance in the pediatric population. We performed the prospective study to assess the impact of drug-resistant CMV infections in pediatric alloHCT recipients. METHODS: Pediatric alloHCT recipients who developed CMV infection were consecutively enrolled from May 2009 to April 2012. CMV polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing analysis for UL97 and UL54 genes were performed at enrollment and during follow-up. RESULTS: In total, 208 sequence data from viruses in 49 recipients were eligible for the final analysis. Resistant CMV infection caused by UL97 and UL54 mutations occurred in 4.1% (2/49) and 2.0% (1/49), respectively. Known UL97 mutations, M460V and C592G, were observed in each of 2 patients. One patient with the M460V UL97 mutation had an additional T700A UL54 mutation. Drug-resistant CMV attributable mortality was 2.0% (1/49). One or more known sequence variants (drug-sensitive) were observed in all 49 patients. Thirty-one (63.3%) and 28 patients (60.9%) already had known UL97 and UL54 sequence variants before antiviral therapy, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study provides comprehensive information on the epidemiology of both UL97 and UL54 variants and mutations in alloHCT recipients.