Selective Binding of Tannic Acid-Conjugated Lipid Nanovesicles to Proline-Rich Proteins Enhances Transdermal Lipophilic-Antioxidant Delivery.

Tannic acid (TA) possesses a notable ability to adhere to proline-rich proteins that make up skin cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the skin tissue. Drug carriers with this specific adhesion ability exhibit improved drug delivery efficiency on the skin. Taking advantage of this, this study presents skin-adhesive TA-conjugated lipid nanovesicles (TANVs) for enhanced transdermal antioxidant delivery. We found that TANVs exhibited selective intermolecular interactions with keratinocyte proline-rich proteins (KPRPs) and collagen that makes up skin cells by hydrogen bonding and van der Waals interactions, further enabling the strong bonding to macroscopic skin itself and ECM. We used vitamin E (α-tocopherol), which is known to effectively reduce oxidative stress but has limited skin penetration, as a drug to verify improved in vitro delivery and therapeutic efficacy. The evaluation revealed that the antioxidant-loaded TANVs exerted excellent scavenging effects against reactive oxygen species induced by ultraviolet light or peroxides in the skin, thereby enabling the development of an active drug delivery system for dermal therapy.

Awareness of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in current smokers: a nationwide survey.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Cigarette smoking is the most common risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, few studies of the attitudes toward COPD of smokers, the group at risk of developing this condition, have been conducted. The purpose of this study was to explore the awareness of and attitudes toward COPD of current smokers. METHODS: The sample consisted of 502 individuals aged 45 and older from throughout Korea who smoked at least 10 packs of cigarettes per year. Telephone interviews using a structured questionnaire were conducted with respondents. RESULTS: First, we evaluated the health status of subjects, finding that 45.4% considered themselves to be in good health. We also asked about COPD-related symptoms, and 60.6% of subjects reported such symptoms. However, only 1.2% of subjects had been diagnosed with or treated for COPD, only 0.4% spontaneously mentioned COPD as a respiratory disease, and only 26.5% recognized COPD as a respiratory disease after seeing a list of such diseases. Television ranked as the top source of information about COPD. The willingness of 45.0% of subjects to stop smoking increased after being informed about COPD. CONCLUSIONS: Despite having COPD-related symptoms, most smokers did not know that COPD is a respiratory disease. The attitudes of smokers toward COPD and smoking cessation varied according to socioeconomic status. In summary, a continuous effort to increase the awareness of COPD among smokers is needed. Additionally, strategies tailored according to different socioeconomic groups will also be necessary.

Corrosive esophagitis caused by ingestion of picosulfate.

Corrosive esophagitis is characterized by caustic injury due to the ingestion of chemical agents, mainly alkaline substances such as detergents. Esophageal bleeding, perforation, or stricture can be worsened by high-degree corrosive esophagitis. Picosulfate is a commonly used laxative frequently administered for bowel preparation before colonoscopy or colon surgery. Picosulfate powder should be completely dissolved in water before ingestion because the powder itself may cause chemical burning of the esophagus and stomach. Here, we report a case of corrosive esophagitis due to the ingestion of picosulfate powder that was not completely dissolved in water.

Awareness of COPD in a high risk Korean population.

PURPOSE: Increased awareness and understanding of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important aspect of disease management. The aim of this study was to explore COPD awareness among smokers participating in a smoking cessation program. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 289 subjects in three smoking cessation clinics, using a structured questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 68.2% of subjects had COPD-related symptoms, and 19.7% were in poor health. Only 1.0% of the subjects knew that COPD was a respiratory disease. A total of 2.4% of subjects had been diagnosed with COPD and received treatment. Television was the most common source of information about COPD, with 57.1% of the subjects receiving information in this way. After being informed about COPD, smoking-cessation willingness increased in 84.1% of the study group. It increased in 86.3% of the subjects without awareness of COPD and in 81.2% of subjects with COPD-related symptoms. CONCLUSION: We found that awareness of COPD is very poor among current smokers in Korea. Many smokers perceived their health status as good, despite the presence of COPD-related symptoms. As the level of smoking-cessation willingness was different between those with and without awareness of COPD or COPD-related symptoms, a personalized education program with various educational tools may be needed to enhance awareness of the disease and to motivate smokers to quit.

Signet-ring cell carcinoma arising from a fundic gland polyp in the stomach.

Fundic gland polyps (FGPs) are currently the most common type of gastric polyps and are usually benign. However, although rare, gastric adenocarcinoma of FGP has been recently proposed as a new variant of gastric adenocarcinoma. Here we report the first case of a 49-year-old woman with focal signet ring cell carcinoma that arose from an FGP of the stomach. The tumor was completely excised by endoscopic snare polypectomy. FGPs should therefore be evaluated for malignant changes although they occur rarely, if the FGP has an erosive or irregular surface.