The Changes of Macular Microvasculature and Related Systemic Parameters in Diabetic Patients without Diabetic Retinopathy

PURPOSE: To investigate the systemic parameters related to changes in the retinal microvasculature using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in diabetic patients without diabetic retinopathy. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of diabetic patients without diabetic retinopathy. All patients showed normal fundus on dilated fundus examinations. OCTA (DRI OCT Triton, Topcon Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) was performed on a 3 × 3 mm area centered at the fovea. The foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area and vascular density (VD) of the superficial and deep capillary plexus (SCP/DCP) were measured. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between microvascular indexes on OCTA and systemic parameters including sex, age, duration of diabetes mellitus (DM), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), total cholesterol, presence of hypertension (HTN) and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP). RESULTS: A total of 35 eyes of 35 patients were included in this study. The mean age was 55.7 ± 11.6 years, the mean duration of DM was 52.4 ± 88.7 months and the mean HbA1c was 8.8 ± 2.3%. The FAZ area of the DCP increased significantly as the HbA1c level increased (p 0.05). No systemic parameters exhibited significant relationships with VD in either the SCP or the DCP (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The FAZ area of the DCP detected via OCTA increased as the level of HbA1c increased, although the patients did not show diabetic retinopathy on dilated fundus examinations. Therefore, clinicians should consider this when screening diabetic patients for diabetic retinopathy.

A Case of Ulcerative Colitis Following Acute Hepatitis Induced by Epstein-Barr Virus Infection / 대한소화기학회지

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection varies in its clinical manifestations and severity. EBV can be a causative agent of hepatitis and may have a role in the pathogenesis of chronic autoimmune diseases including inflammatory bowel disease. A 24-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital, presenting with fever and elevated liver enzymes. She was diagnosed with acute hepatitis and EBV infection according to serologic tests and liver biopsy. Within two months, she was re-admitted to our hospital, presenting with hematochezia and lower abdominal pain. She was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. In situ hybridization for EBV was positive in initial liver biopsy and colon biopsy. Here we report an unusual case of acute EBV hepatitis followed at a short interval by ulcerative colitis.

Noninvasive predictors of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in Korean patients with histologically proven nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aims of this study were (1) to identify the useful clinical parameters of noninvasive approach for distinguishing nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and (2) to determine whether the levels of the identified parameters are correlated with the severity of liver injury in patients with NASH. METHODS: One hundred and eight consecutive patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD (age, 39.8+/-13.5 years, mean+/-SD; males, 67.6%) were prospectively enrolled from 10 participating centers across Korea. RESULTS: According to the original criteria for NAFLD subtypes, 67 patients (62.0%) had NASH (defined as steatosis with hepatocellular ballooning and/or Mallory-Denk bodies or fibrosis > or =2). Among those with NAFLD subtype 3 or 4, none had an NAFLD histologic activity score (NAS) below 3 points, 40.3% had a score of 3 or 4 points, and 59.7% had a score >4 points. Fragmented cytokeratin-18 (CK-18) levels were positively correlated with NAS (r=0.401), as well as NAS components such as lobular inflammation (r=0.387) and ballooning (r=0.231). Fragmented CK-18 was also correlated with aspartate aminotransferase (r=0.609), alanine aminotransferase (r=0.588), serum ferritin (r=0.432), and the fibrosis stage (r=0.314). A fragmented CK-18 cutoff level of 235.5 U/L yielded sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of 69.0%, 64.9%, 75.5% (95% CI 62.4-85.1), and 57.1% (95% CI 42.2-70.9), respectively, for the diagnosis of NASH. CONCLUSIONS: Serum fragmented CK-18 levels can be used to distinguish between NASH and NAFL. Further evaluation is required to determine whether the combined measurement of serum CK-18 and ferritin levels improves the diagnostic performance of this distinction.

Immature Heterotopic Ossification in the Iliacus Muscle in Spinal Cord Injury: A Case Report

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a frequent complication associated with spinal cord injury and can lead to significant problems during rehabilitation. Surgical resection of HO could be applied to patients who do not respond to conservative treatment. To reduce the risk of recurrence after the operation, radiation therapy and NSAID or bisphosphonate administration may be utilized. We report the case of a 48-year-old male with a T3-sparing spinal cord injury who underwent successful treatment of immature HO in the iliacus muscle with a combination of surgical resection, radiation therapy, and NSAID administration.

Frequency of Killer Cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptors (KIRs) in Korean Patients with Chronic HCV Infection

Natural killer (NK) cells play an important role in innate immunity, especially in the response to viral infections, such as hepatitis C virus (HCV). Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are the primary receptors of NK cells that mediate innate immunity. KIRs are also involved in acquired immunity, because some KIRs are expressed on the surface of certain subsets of T cells. In this study, the frequency of KIR genes, HLA-C allotypes, and combinations of KIR genes with their HLA-C ligands were evaluated in two different groups of the Korean population: controls and patients with chronic HCV infection. The study population consisted of 147 Korean patients with chronic HCV infection. The frequency of KIR2DS2 in patients with chronic HCV infection was 9.5% which was significantly lower than 19.5% of the control (P < 0.01). However, there were no significant differences in the frequency of other KIR genes, HLA-C allotypes or different combinations of KIR genes with their HLA-C ligands. This study can contribute to the further prospective study with a larger scale, suggesting the assumption that KIR2DS2 might aid in HCV clearance by enhancing both the innate and acquired immune responses of people in Korea.

DNA Methylation Patterns of Ulcer-Healing Genes Associated with the Normal Gastric Mucosa of Gastric Cancers

Recent evidence suggests that gastric mucosal injury induces adaptive changes in DNA methylation. In this study, the methylation status of the key tissue-specific genes in normal gastric mucosa of healthy individuals and cancer patients was evaluated. The methylation-variable sites of 14 genes, including ulcer-healing genes (TFF1, TFF2, CDH1, and PPARG), were chosen from the CpG-island margins or non-island CpGs near the transcription start sites. The healthy individuals as well as the normal gastric mucosa of 23 ulcer, 21 non-invasive cancer, and 53 cancer patients were examined by semiquantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. The ulcer-healing genes were concurrently methylated with other genes depending on the presence or absence of CpG-islands in the normal mucosa of healthy individuals. Both the TFF2 and PPARG genes were frequently undermethylated in ulcer patients. The over- or intermediate-methylated TFF2 and undermethylated PPARG genes was more common in stage-1 cancer patients (71%) than in healthy individuals (10%; odds ratio [OR], 21.9) and non-invasive cancer patients (21%; OR, 8.9). The TFF2-PPARG methylation pattern of cancer patients was stronger in the older-age group (> or =55 yr; OR, 43.6). These results suggest that the combined methylation pattern of ulcer-healing genes serves as a sensitive marker for predicting cancer-prone gastric mucosa.

A Large Hematoma Due to Benign Ulcer Perforation of the Gastric Fundus Resembling Submucosal Tumor / 대한소화기내시경학회지

The gastric fundus is a rare site for benign ulcer and perforation to occur. A 47 year-old male presented to the emergency department with epigastric pain. An endoscopic examination revealed a submucosal tumor-like lesion with friable, superficial ulceration in the high body of the stomach. We performed surgical resection to rule out malignancy because of the lesion's large size and we found chronic gastric ulcer perforation, which was pathologically diagnosed. We presumed that the formation of the large hematoma, which mimicked a submucosal tumor, was a result of repeated bleeding, perforation and healing. We report here on a case of a large hematoma due to a benign gastric ulcer perforation in the fundus, and this all mimicked a submucosal tumor.

The Stress of Traditional Biggest Holidays among Korean Married Women / 가정의학회지

BACKGROUND: The Korean traditional national holidays commonly produce several physical symptoms related to stress. This study was performed to evaluate the degree of the stress from the married women during their Korean traditional biggest holidays. METHODS: The subjects were 99 married women who had visited the Health Promotion Center at a university hospital. For evaluating the stress of the Korean traditional biggest holidays, subjects were allowed to write in subjective stress score based on the Social Readjustment Rating Scale. The factors associated with the stress were investigated. RESULTS: The mean (+/- SD) score of the married women's stress of the Korean traditional biggest holidays was 38.7 (+/- 21.9). The score was widely distributed from the 0 to 100. The cases with hobbies to cope with stress showed significantly (P < 0.05) lower stress score than those without hobby. The stress score was inversely correlated with family APGAR score (r = -0.346, P < 0.01). In stepwise multiple regression model, the stress score was related to family APGAR score and hobby to cope with stress (overall R2 = 0.171, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The stress score of the Korean traditional biggest holidays was widely distributed from 0 to 100 in Korean married women. These results suggest that traditional biggest holidays act as a stressor for individual with a range of variable extent.

A case of HELLP syndrome accompanied by retinal detachment / 대한내과학회지

Weinstein et al. first described the HELLP (hemolytic anemia, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets) syndrome in 1982. The incidence of HELLP syndrome is 0.2~0.6% in normal pregnant women and 4~12% in women with preeclampsia. This syndrome is accompanied by serious medical complications, including hepatic and renal failure, coagulopathy, hypertension, and pulmonary edema. Retinal detachment is an unusual, but well documented, complication of hypertensive disorder in pregnancy affecting 0.2~2% of patients with severe preeclampsia and 0.9% of patients with HELLP syndrome. This paper reports on a patient with HELLP syndrome accompanied by retinal detachment who recovered after controlling the blood pressure and receiving systemic steroids.

Total Hip Arthroplasty without a Femoral Shortening Procedure for Treating a Highly Dislocated Hip

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the results of total hip arthroplasty (THA) without a femoral shortening procedure for the treatment of a highly dislocated hip. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 11 hips of 11 patients who underwent THA between April 1996 and February 2001 were clinically and radiologically evaluated. Among these 11 hips, 5 hips were sequelae of developmental dysplasia of the hip and 6 hips were sequelae of pyogenic or tuberculous infection. The mean follow-up period was 98 months (range: 88~121 months). RESULTS: In all cases, the hip center was restored to the anatomic hip center. The mean Harris hip score increased from 56.2 preoperatively to 86.3 at the end of follow-up and the mean difference of the spino-malleolar distance decreased from 5.6 cm preoperatively to 1.4cm postoperatively. Non-union in the greater trochanter osteotomy site was encountered in two patients. Two cases of sciatic nerve palsy and one cases of heterotopic ossification occurred, but one case of sciatic nerve palsy recovered within 6 months. CONCLUSION: After enough soft tissue release, if reduction to the original hip center is difficult, then performing femoral osteotomy or shortening osteotomy should be considered during the THA for a highly dislocated hip.

Eradication Rates of Bismuth-based Quadruple Therapy as a Second-line Treatment for Helicobacter pylori Infection / 대한소화기내시경학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There has been a substantial decline in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) cure rates with standard triple therapy in recent years. Therefore, great emphasis has been placed on second line treatment for its successful eradication. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of bismuth based quadruple therapy as a second line treatment for H. pylori infection. METHODS: From January 2001 to December 2007, the hospital records of 215 patients who failed to the standard triple therapy were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were treated with bismuth based quadruple therapy (PPI, bismuth 120 mg qid, metronidazole 500 mg tid, and tetracycline 500 mg qid). The successful eradication of H. pylori was defined as negative result from histology, CLO test or (13)C-urea breath test. RESULTS: Eradication rates by intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses with quadruple therapy were 64% (137/215) and, 91% (137/151) respectively. The eradication rates were not significantly different according to diseases, duration of treatment, area and proton pump inhibitors. The PP eradication rates for the years from 2001 to 2007 were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: The bismuth based quadruple therapy is still effective as the second line treatment for the eradication of H. pylori.

DNA Methylation and Expression Patterns of Key Tissue-specific Genes in Adult Stem Cells and Stomach Tissues

CpG-island margins and non-island-CpG sites round the transcription start sites of CpG-island-positive and -negative genes are methylated to various degrees in a tissue-specific manner. These methylation-variable CpG sites were analyzed to delineate a relationship between the methylation and transcription of the tissue-specific genes. The level of tissue-specific transcription was estimated by counting the number of the total transcripts in the SAGE (serial analysis of gene expression) database. The methylation status of 12 CpG-island margins and 21 non-island CpG sites near the key tissue-specific genes was examined in pluripotent stromal cells obtained from fat and bone marrow samples as well as in lineage-committed cells from marrow bulk, stomach, colon, breast, and thyroid samples. Of the 33 CpG sites examined, 10 non-island-CpG sites, but none of the CpG-island margins were undermethylated concurrent with tissue-specific expression of their nearby genes. The net methylation of the 33 CpG sites and the net amount of non-island-CpG gene transcripts were high in stomach tissues and low in stromal cells. The present findings suggest that the methylation of the non-island-CpG sites is inversely associated with the expression of the nearby genes, and the concert effect of transitional-CpG methylation is linearly associated with the stomach-specific genes lacking CpG-islands.

Bilateral retinoblastoma: Long-term follow-up results from a single institution / 소아과

PURPOSE: The authors aimed to analyze the long-term effects of treatments, especially external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), in bilateral retinoblastoma patients. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed the medical records of 22 bilateral retinoblastoma patients who were registered between October, 1987 and October, 1998 and followed-up for more than 10 years. They were treated by enucleation, EBRT, and systemic chemotherapy. Age at diagnosis, sex, delay prior to treatment, Reese-Ellsworth (RE) classification, and the local treatment modalities were analyzed in relation to recurrence-free survival (RFS) and complications. RESULTS: Median age at diagnosis was 7.0 months (range 1.7-31.6 months). Leukocoria was the most common presenting feature. Two patients had a familial history. The RE classifications of the 44 eyes were group II in 4, III in 14, IV in 4, and V in 22. At the end of a median follow-up period of 141 months (range 55-218 months), 20 patients were alive. The 10-year ocular survival rate of the 44 eyes was 56.8+/-7.5%. The 10-year RFS and ocular survival rate of the 29 eyes treated by combined EBRT and chemotherapy were 75.9% and 86.2%, respectively. Treatment delay (>3 months) was found to be related to higher risk of recurrence. Complications after EBRT were cataract, retinal detachment, phthisis bulbi, and facial asymmetry. No patient developed a second malignancy during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Early detection and prompt treatment can increase ocular survival rates. In addition, careful attention should be paid to possible long-term sequelae in these patients.

A Case of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Combined with Liver Abscess / 대한소화기학회지

Hepatocellular calcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. It is important to diagnose HCC exactly before management is attempted. But, the clinical presentations and radiologic findings of liver abscess, HCC, and metastatic tumor to the liver may be quite similar, and procedures such as serum tumor marker assay, computerized tomography, and ultrasonography of the liver cannot make a specific diagnosis. We report a case of HCC successfully diagnosed by surgery which was misconceived as liver abscess and not improved by medical treatment.

Delayed Diagnosis of Acute Hematogenous Osteomyelitis of the Acetabulum: Report of Two Cases / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Acute hematogenous osteomyelitis of the acetabulum is not a common disease with similar clinical symptoms and hematological findings to those of pyogenic arthritis of the hip joint. This symptom similarity might lead to a delayed diagnosis of the disease, and even to unnecessary surgery. We report two cases of acute hematogenous osteomyelitis of the acetabulum. One was a 13-year-old boy with non-specific radiological findings of the hip joint, who was initially diagnosed with fever of unknown origin. The other was an 11-year-old boy with hip joint pain and a recent history of minor trauma, which lead to a delayed diagnosis.

Gastric duplication cyst associated with dorsal pancreatic agenesis and a cystic pulmonary lesion / 대한내과학회지

Gastric duplication cysts and dorsal pancreatic agenesis are rare congenital anomalies, and little is known of the association between these two anomalies. A 17-year-old woman was admitted with a cystic lung mass detected as part of a health screening program. Chest computed tomography (CT) showed a cystic lung lesion in the right lower lobe and an incidental cystic abdominal mass. She had no specific symptoms or signs. Abdominal CT and endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) revealed a 9x7x5.5-cm cystic mass and agenesis of the body and tail of the pancreas. The cyst was removed successfully using laparoscopic gastric wedge resection. Microscopically, the muscle coat of the cyst wall was fused with the muscle layer of the stomach. Therefore, the cystic mass was diagnosed as a gastric duplication cyst. We present a patient with a pulmonary cystic lesion associated with two congenital anomalies: a gastric duplication cyst and dorsal pancreatic agenesis.

Relationship between Psychological Factors and Quality of Life in Subtypes of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Quality of life (QoL) is consistently decreased in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), but the relationship between QoL and psychological factors in GERD has not yet been clearly defined. The present study investigated the relationship between the psychological factors of two subtypes of GERD and QoL. METHODS: A cohort of 769 participants underwent upper endoscopic evaluation in the health-promotion center of St. Paul's Hospital. The severity of GERD symptoms, psychological factors, and QoL were analyzed using the Visual Analogue Scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the abbreviated version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument, respectively. RESULTS: Among the total of 769 participants, 153 participants were included in the exclusion criteria. Erosive reflux disease (ERD) and nonerosive reflux disease (NERD) were present in 106 (14%) and 61 (8%) of the participants, respectively, and 449 (58%) acted as controls. In each GERD group, the QoL had no correlatioion with the symptom severity. The scores for anxiety and depression were highest in the NERD group, and QoL scores were lower in both the ERD and NERD groups than in the control group. Anxiety and depression resulted in QoL scores being lower in both the ERD and NERD groups than in the nonanxiety and nondepressed groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that the QoL associated with the ERD and NERD subtypes may be more related to psychological factors than to symptom severity.

A Case of Advanced Gastric Cancer with Perianal Skin Metastasis / 대한소화기학회지

The most common metastatic sites of gastric cancer are liver, lung, bone and adrenal gland. However, skin metastases from gastric cancer are relatively rare. We herein report a case of advanced gastric cancer with perianal skin metastasis in a 70-year-old male. On admission, patient presented with epigastric pain. Endoscopy and abdominal CT scan demonstrated the stage IV gastric cancer. He had one painless nodule on perianal skin area, biopsy of that lesion showed a feature of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma clinically from the stomach. We suspected that the perianal lesion was originated from gastric cancer.

Usefulness of Biomarkers to Screen Heavy Drinking in Korean Females

BACKGROUND: The present study purposed to evaluate the clinical usefulness of biological indicators in identifying Korean female heavy drinkers. METHODS: Fifty five drinking women were selected among those who visited the Department of Family Medicine of Chungnam National University Hospital during the period from January to December 2006. We surveyed the alcohol intake during the recent one month. The correlation of alcohol intake with %CDT (carbohydrate- deficient transferrin), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), gamma glutamyl transferase (gammaGT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was examined. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curve of the biomarkers for heavy drinking (more than 7 drinks per week, one drink= 14 g of alcohol) were also investigated. RESULTS: The mean weekly alcohol intake showed a significant positive correlation with %CDT (r=0.583, P< 0.01), MCV (r=0.290, P<0.05) and AST (r=0.423, P<0.01). The sensitivity of %CDT, MCV, gammaGT, AST and ALT to heavy drinking were 66.7%, 13.3%, 40.0%, 26.7% and 26.7%, respectively, and the specificity 80.0%, 97.4%, 71.1%, 90.0% and 85.0%, respectively, and positive predictive values 55.6%, 66.6%, 35.3%, 50.0% and 40.0%, respectively, and negative predictive values 86.5%, 74.5%, 75.0%, 76.6% and 75.6%, respectively. The areas under the ROC curve (95% confidence interval) of %CDT, MCV, gammaGT, AST and ALT were 0.873 (0.780~0.966), 0.806 (0.668~0.944), 0.549 (0.372~0.725), 0.519 (0.328~0.710) and 0.479 (0.293~0.666), respectively. CONCLUSION: %CDT is considered as the most useful marker for identifying Korean female heavy drinkers.

A Case of Eosionophilic Gastroenteritis Involving EntireGastrointestinal Tract with Eosinophilic Ascites / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is a rare condition of unknown cause characterized by pheripheral eosinophilia and eosinophilic infiltration of the gastrointestinal tract. Eosonophilic gastroenteritis is generally classified according to the layer of the gastrointestinal tract that is involved. Serosal eosinophilic infiltration is the rarest form of presentation and can result in the development of eosinophilic ascites. We experienced a case of eosinophlilic gastroenteritis involving the entire gastrointestinal tract in a 34-year-old female patient with abdominal pain that was confirmed by multiple biopsies of the gastrointestinal tract with eosinophilic ascites. The patient was successfully treated with corticosteroids. We report this case with a brief review of the literature.