Impact of moderate-to-late preterm birth on neurodevelopmental outcomes in young children: Results from retrospective longitudinal follow-up with nationally representative data.

This study investigated the relationship between moderate-to-late preterm (MLPT) birth and the risk of neurodevelopmental impairments (NIs) in young children compared with the risks associated with very preterm (VPT) and full-term (FT) birth based on nationally representative large-scale population data. Retrospective follow-up was conducted over 71 months for 738,733 children who were born and participated in the Korean National Health Screening Program for Infants and Children (NHSPIC) between 2011 and 2013. Using a data linkage between the NHSPIC and Korean healthcare claim information, data on birth year, sex, delivery type, birth weight, growth abnormality, gestational age, breastfeeding history, maternal age, NIs, multiple gestation, preterm labor, premature rupture of membranes (PROM), gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, smoking during pregnancy, and socioeconomic status were collected and included in the final analysis. Cox proportional hazards models were applied to identify the impact of gestational age on NI risk, with all variables adjusted as appropriate. Overall, 0.9% and 3.8% rates of VPT and MLPT births were identified, respectively. NI incidence was highest among VPT children (34.7%), followed by MLPT (23.9%) and FT (18.2%) children. Both VPT (hazard ratio [HR], 1.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03 to 2.05) and MLPT (HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.41) births were associated with increased NI risk. Low birth weight, PROM, and smoking during pregnancy were also associated with increased NI risk, while longer breastfeeding and higher socioeconomic status were associated with decreased risk. Special attention must be given to NIs for both VPT and MLPT children.

Korea Seroprevalence Study of Monitoring of SARS-COV-2 Antibody Retention and Transmission (K-SEROSMART): findings from national representative sample.

OBJECTIVES: We estimated the population prevalence of antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), including unreported infections, through a Korea Seroprevalence Study of Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Retention and Transmission (K-SEROSMART) in 258 communities throughout Korea. METHODS: In August 2022, a survey was conducted among 10,000 household members aged 5 years and older, in households selected through two stage probability random sampling. During face-to-face household interviews, participants self-reported their health status, COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccination history, and general characteristics. Subsequently, participants visited a community health center or medical clinic for blood sampling. Blood samples were analyzed for the presence of antibodies to spike proteins (anti-S) and antibodies to nucleocapsid proteins (anti-N) SARS-CoV-2 proteins using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. To estimate the population prevalence, the PROC SURVEYMEANS statistical procedure was employed, with weighting to reflect demographic data from July 2022. RESULTS: In total, 9,945 individuals from 5,041 households were surveyed across 258 communities, representing all basic local governments in Korea. The overall population-adjusted prevalence rates of anti-S and anti-N were 97.6% and 57.1%, respectively. Since the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has reported a cumulative incidence of confirmed cases of 37.8% through July 31, 2022, the proportion of unreported infections among all COVID-19 infection was suggested to be 33.9%. CONCLUSIONS: The K-SEROSMART represents the first nationwide, community-based seroepidemiologic survey of COVID-19, confirming that most individuals possess antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and that a significant number of unreported cases existed. Furthermore, this study lays the foundation for a surveillance system to continuously monitor transmission at the community level and the response to COVID-19.

Smoking cessation strategies for women: An analysis of smoking cessation determinants among Korean female smokers participating in a smoking cessation outreach program.

Background: Although there is strong evidence that behavioral counseling improves quit rates, limited data are available on individualized smoking cessation counseling provided to female smokers because they often are hesitant to identify as smokers. This study aimed to elucidate factors related to smoking cessation among Korean women who participated in the smoking cessation outreach program. Methods: This retrospective descriptive study used data retrieved from the Korea Health Promotion Institute. The data included individual participant characteristics, supportive services received, and self-reported smoking cessation outcomes from June 1, 2015, to December 31, 2017. Results: Data from 709 women were analyzed. We found cessation rates of 43.3% (confidence interval [CI]=0.40, 0.47) at four weeks, 28.6% (CI=0.25, 0.32) at 12 weeks, and 21.6% (CI=0.19, 0.25) at six months. Significant determinants of quitting at six months were regular exercise (odds ratio [OR]=3.02; 95% CI=1.28, 3.29; P=0.009) and the number of counseling sessions during the first four weeks of the program (OR=1.26; 95% CI=1.04, 1.82; P=0.041). Conclusion: Providing intensive counseling during initial phase of smoking cessation program and regular exercise would be effective strategies for smoking cessation programs for women smokers to promote their health.

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies during the third wave of COVID-19 in the Seoul metropolitan area of Korea.

OBJECTIVES: After the third wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), by mid-February 2021, approximately 0.16% of the Korean population was confirmed positive, which appeared to be among the lowest rates worldwide at that time. However, asymptomatic transmission is challenging for COVID-19 surveillance. Therefore, a community-based serosurvey of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection was conducted to understand the effectiveness of Korea's strong containment strategy. METHODS: We collected 5,002 residual sera samples from January 30 to March 3, 2021, from 265 medical facilities in Seoul, 346 in Gyeonggi Province, and 57 in Incheon. Sixty samples from tertiary institutions were excluded. We defined the sub-regions according to the addresses of the medical facilities where the specimens were collected. Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 was used for screening, and positivity was confirmed using the SARS-CoV-2 sVNT Kit. Prevalence was estimated using sampling weights and the Wilson score interval for a binomial proportion with a 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: Among the 4,942 specimens, 32 and 25 tested positive for COVID-19 in the screening and confirmatory tests, respectively. The overall crude prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was 0.51%. The population-adjusted overall prevalence was 0.55% in women and 0.38% in men. The region-specific estimation was 0.67% and 0.30% in Gyeonggi Province and Seoul, respectively. No positive cases were detected in Incheon. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of undetected cases in Korea remained low as of early 2021. Therefore, an infection control strategy with exhaustive tracing and widespread pre-emptive testing appears to be effective in containing community spread of COVID-19.

Korean college students' attitudes toward a tobacco-free campus: a cross-sectional descriptive study.

PURPOSE: A tobacco-free campus (TFC) is the most advanced tobacco-control policy for college campuses, but it has rarely been explored in Korea. This study aimed to explore Korean college students' attitudes toward TFC and related factors. METHODS: This cross-sectional descriptive study enrolled college students who were taking an elective course on smoking cessation and a healthy lifestyle at a university located in Incheon, Korea. Data were collected from March 1 to December 31, 2019 using a structured questionnaire, and study participants were recruited using convenience sampling. RESULTS: Data on 309 college students were analyzed. Of those participants, 6.1% supported the TFC policy. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that female gender (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=5.80, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.47-22.95), taking the course to quit smoking oneself (aOR=11.03, 95% CI=1.04-117.05), anxiety in the past month (aOR=4.27, 95% CI=1.06-17.31), and being a current smoker (aOR=0.06, 95% CI=0.01-0.70) were statistically significant independent predictors of TFC support. CONCLUSION: Women, students taking the course to quit smoking themselves, nonsmokers, and students who felt anxious in the past month were more likely to support TFC. Further research with more representative samples is required to examine the characteristics of people who favor TFC.

Factors Associated with the 30-Day and 1-Year Smoking Abstinence of Women in Korea: The Effect of Nicotine Dependency, Self-Efficacy, and Mental Illness.

Despite the success of tobacco control efforts in reducing smoking rates during the past 50 years, data on the factors contributing to quitting success are still lacking. Smoking-related mortality among women has also not declined. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize sociodemographic features, smoking-related behaviors, mental illness, and smoking cessation in woman smokers in Korea who were registered in the Quitline program. Furthermore, factors associated with 30-day and 1-year successful smoking cessation after enrollment in the Quitline program were investigated. A total of 3360 adult woman Quitline users from 2007 to 2018 were included in the final analysis, with information on their age, education level, marital status, body mass index, frequency of alcohol consumption per month, nicotine dependency, self-efficacy for smoking cessation, presence of a smoking cessation supporter, and mental health history collected upon registration with the Quitline program in Korea. Their cessation outcome was investigated with a 1-year follow-up until the end of 2019. A multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with smoking cessation at the 30-day and 1-year follow-ups. The results of the multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that lower nicotine dependency, higher self-efficacy, and the presence of a smoking cessation supporter improved the odds of smoking cessation at the 30-day and 1-year follow-ups. In contrast, users with a mental health condition were less likely to achieve smoking cessation. Incorporating methods to increase self-efficacy in women who decide to quit smoking will contribute to facilitating more attempts to quit and achieving greater success in smoking cessation among woman smokers.

Folate, alcohol, ADH1B and ALDH2 and colorectal cancer risk.

OBJECTIVE: There is limited evidence on the interaction by alcohol dehydrogenase 2 (ADH1B) (rs1229984) and aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) (rs671) regarding the associations of alcohol and a methyl diet (low folate and high alcohol intake) with cancer risk, partly because of rare polymorphisms in Western populations. DESIGN: In a case-control study, we estimated the ORs and 95 % CIs to evaluate the associations of ADH1B and ALDH2 genotypes with colorectal cancer (CRC) and the joint association between methyl diets and ADH1B and ALDH2 polymorphisms with CRC risk using logistic regression models. SETTING: A hospital-based case-control study. PARTICIPANTS: In total, 1001 CRC cases and 899 cancer-free controls admitted to two university hospitals. RESULTS: We found that alcohol intake increased the risk of CRC; OR (95 % CI) was 2·02 (1·41, 2·87) for ≥60 g/d drinkers compared with non-drinkers (Ptrend < 0·001). The associations for two polymorphisms with CRC were not statistically significant. However, we found a potential interaction of ALDH2 with methyl diets and CRC. We observed a 9·08-fold (95 % CI 1·93, 42·60) higher risk of CRC for low-methyl diets compared with high-methyl diets among individuals with an A allele of ALDH2, but the association was not apparent among those with ALDH2 GG (Pinteraction = 0·02). CONCLUSIONS: Our data support the evidence that gene-methyl diet interactions may be involved in CRC risk in East Asian populations, showing that a low-methyl diet increased the risk of CRC among individuals with an A allele of ALDH2.

Red meat intake, CYP2E1 and PPARγ polymorphisms, and colorectal cancer risk.

The association between red meat intake and colorectal cancer (CRC) may be modulated by genetic polymorphisms of cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1), a key enzyme in the metabolism of nitrosamines, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), a transcription factor involved in adipogenesis and lipid and glucose metabolism. We conducted a case-control study of 971 patients with CRC and 658 controls who were admitted to two university hospitals between 1995 and 2004 in Seoul, Korea. Participants were asked about red meat intake by using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Polymorphisms of CYP2E1 (rs3813867) and PPARγ (rs1801282 or rs3856806) were identified using the TaqMan assay. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using multivariable logistic regression models. We found that the association between red meat and CRC varied by CYP2E1 polymorphisms; ORs (95% CIs) for at least five or more vs. less than one time/week of red meat intake were 2.77 (1.23-6.25) among individuals with C alleles of CYP2E1 and 0.89 (0.51-1.54) among individuals with the GG allele (Pinteraction=0.05). Compared with those individuals with the CC allele, increasing risk of CRC with increasing red meat intake was more pronounced among individuals with T alleles of PPARγC161T (rs3856806), but the association was not significant. Our data provide evidence that East Asians with the variant type of CYP2E1 may have high susceptibility to development of CRC risk.

Impact of subcutaneous tunnels on peripherally inserted catheter placement: a multicenter retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of subcutaneous tunneling on peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) placement in terms of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). METHODS: Our dual-facility central institutional review board approved this retrospective study. We compared 302 of 327 consecutive recipients (mean age [± SD], 68.0 ± 15.9 years; men, 134; women, 168) of tunneled PICCs (October 2017 to May 2018) with 309 of 328 consecutive recipients (mean age, 68.7 ± 14.6 years; men, 142; women, 167) of conventional PICCs (April 2016 to September 2017). Tunnels were made near puncture sites (~ 1 in. away) using hemostats or puncture needles. In each group, procedure times and rates of complications, including CLABSI, entry-site infection, dislocation, thrombophlebitis, and occlusion, were examined. Risk factors for CLABSI were analyzed via logistic and Cox regression models. RESULTS: Subcutaneous tunnels were achieved in all patients, enabling successful peripheral vein cannulations. Group procedure times were similar (p = 0.414). CLABSI proved to be significantly less frequent after tunneling (8/6972 catheter-days) than after conventional (28/7574 catheter-days) PICC placement (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.328; 95% confidence interval, 0.149-0.721). Other risk factors (i.e., age, gender, comorbidity, PICC duration, veins, hospital stay, and intensive care unit stay) showed no significant correlations with CLABSI. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with conventional means, a subcutaneous tunneling approach for PICC placement significantly reduces the rate of CLABSI. KEY POINTS: • Subcutaneous tunnels created to place peripherally inserted central catheters significantly reduced catheter-associated bloodstream infections. • Subcutaneous tunnel creation did not significantly prolong procedural time. • There were no subcutaneous tunnel-related complications.

What Factors Impact Consumer Perception of the Effectiveness of Health Information Sites? An Investigation of the Korean National Health Information Portal.

Lay public's concerns around health and health information are increasing. In response, governments and government agencies are establishing websites to address such concerns and improve health literacy by providing better access to validated health information. Since 2011, the Korean government has constructed the National Health Information Portal (NHIP) website run in collaboration with the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences (KAMS). This study therefore aimed to 1) examine consumer use of NHIP, with respect to the usage patterns, evaluation on health information provided, and perceived effectiveness of the site; and 2) identify factors that may impact perceived effectiveness of the site. An online survey was conducted with 164 NHIP users, recruited through a popup window on the main screen of the portal website from October to November 2015. The significant predicting factors supported by the data include the relevance of health information on the site, the usefulness of information in making health decisions, and the effective visualization of information. These factors can inform future efforts to design more effective health information websites, possibly based on metadata systems, to further advance the lay public's information seeking and health literacy.

Erratum: The Basic Facts of Korean Breast Cancer in 2011: Results of a Nationwide Survey and Breast Cancer Registry Database.

[This corrects the article on p. 99 in vol. 17, PMID: 25013429.].

The basic facts of korean breast cancer in 2011: results of a nationwide survey and breast cancer registry database.

Breast cancer is the second most frequent malignancy in Korean women, with a continuously increasing incidence. The Korean Breast Cancer Society has constructed a nationwide breast cancer database through an online registration program. The aim of the present study was to report the fundamental facts on Korean breast cancer in 2011, and to analyze the changing patterns in clinical characteristics and breast cancer management in Korea over the last 10 years. Data on newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, including the total number of cases, age, stage, and type of surgery, for the year 2011 were collected from 84 hospitals and clinics nationwide using a questionnaire survey. Additional data relating to the changing patterns of breast cancer in Korea were collected from the online breast cancer registry database and analyzed. According to nationwide survey data, a total of 16,967 patients were newly diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011. The crude incidence of female breast cancer, including invasive cancer and in situ cancer, was 67 cases per 100,000 women. Analysis of the survey and registry data gave equivalent results in terms of age distribution, stage, and type of surgery. The median age at diagnosis was 50 years, and the proportion of postmenopausal women (51.3%) was higher than that of premenopausal women (48.7%) with breast cancer. The incidence of stage 0 and stage I breast cancer increased continuously over the last 10 years (56.3% in 2011), and breast conserving surgery (65.7%) was performed more frequently than total mastectomy (33.8%). The total number of breast reconstruction surgeries increased approximately 8-fold. We conclude that the clinical characteristics of breast cancer have changed over the past 10 years in Korea, and surgical management has changed accordingly. Analysis of nationwide registry data will contribute to a better understanding of the characteristics of breast cancer in Korea.

Blood pressure-lowering effect of carotid artery stenting in patients with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis.

BACKGROUND: In patients with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis, long-term effects of carotid artery stenting (CAS) on blood pressure (BP) changes have not been documented well. We evaluated the effects of CAS on BP and found out its predisposing factors in patients with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis. METHODS: Between January 2003 and June 2012, a total of 107 patients were recruited, and all subjects met the following inclusion criteria: (1) patients underwent CAS with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis > 50%; (2) patients had clinical and radiographic data for at least 1 year of follow-up after CAS; and (3) patients had BP measurements at four different time points: pretreatment, post-treatment, 1-month follow-up, and 1-year follow-up. We evaluated the significance of the BP changes between the pretreatment BP and follow-up BPs, and determined its predisposing factors. RESULTS: Compared to the mean systolic/diastolic BP value (141.0/87.4 mmHg) at the pretreatment BP, the follow-up BPs were significantly decreased after CAS (120.5/74.5, 126.2/76.9, and 129.2/79.0 mmHg at the post-treatment, the 1-month follow-up, and the 1-year follow-up, respectively [p < 0.01]). The location of the stenosis (odds ratio = 1.856, 95% confidence interval, 1.388 to 5.589; p = 0.003) and hypertension (odds ratio = 1.627, 95% confidence interval, 1.101 to 3.757; p = 0.014) were independent predisposing factors for BP-lowering effects of CAS on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis, CAS might have a BP-lowering effect at the 1-year follow-up, especially in patients with hypertension or the stenosis at body lesions.

Nonselective blocking of the sympathetic nervous system decreases detrusor overactivity in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The involuntary dual control systems of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in the bladder of awake spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were investigated through simultaneous registrations of intravesical and intraabdominal pressures to observe detrusor overactivity (DO) objectively as a core symptom of an overactive bladder. SHRs (n = 6) showed the features of overactive bladder syndrome during urodynamic study, especially DO during the filling phase. After injection of the nonselective sympathetic blocking agent labetalol, DO disappeared in 3 of 6 SHRs (50%). DO frequency decreased from 0.98 ± 0.22 min(-1) to 0.28 ± 0.19 min(-1) (p < 0.01), and DO pressure decreased from 3.82 ± 0.57 cm H(2)O to 1.90 ± 0.86 cm H(2)O (p < 0.05). This suggests that the DO originating from the overactive parasympathetic nervous system is attenuated by the nonselective blocking of the sympathetic nervous system. The detailed mechanism behind this result is still not known, but parasympathetic overactivity seems to require overactive sympathetic nervous system activity in a kind of balance between these two systems. These findings are consistent with recent clinical findings suggesting that patients with idiopathic overactive bladder may have ANS dysfunction, particularly a sympathetic dysfunction. The search for newer and better drugs than the current anticholinergic drugs as the mainstay for overactive bladder will be fueled by our research on these sympathetic mechanisms. Further studies of this principle are required.

Dietary intake of folate and alcohol, MTHFR C677T polymorphism, and colorectal cancer risk in Korea.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is increasing sharply in Korea, and evidence has suggested the role of dietary methyl supply and related polymorphisms on colorectal carcinogenesis. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the association between folate and alcohol intake, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism, and CRC risk in Koreans. DESIGN: A total of 787 cases and 656 controls were recruited from 2 university hospitals. Multiple logistic regression models were used to estimate ORs and corresponding 95% CIs. RESULTS: MTHFR 677T homozygotes were at a lower risk of CRC (OR: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.46, 0.78 for TT compared with CC/CT). High folate intake was associated with reduced CRC risk (OR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.49, 0.84 for high compared with low intake), and high alcohol consumption was associated with increased risk of CRC (OR: 1.76; 95% CI: 1.26, 2.46 for high compared with low intake). When data were stratified by the amount of dietary methyl (combined intake of folate and alcohol), those with low-methyl diets had higher risk of CRC (OR: 2.32; 95% CI: 1.18, 4.56) than did those with high-methyl diets among CC/CT carriers, whereas the amount of dietary methyl did not affect the CRC risk among carriers with the TT homozygous variant. This association was stronger in patients with colon cancer than in patients with rectal cancer. CONCLUSION: We found that the effect of dietary methyl supply on colorectal carcinogenesis may differ according to MTHFR C677T genotype and the subsite of origin in a Korean population.

Development and changes with age of detrusor overactivity in spontaneous hypertensive rats as observed by simultaneous registrations of intravesical and intraabdominal pressures.

PURPOSE: Overactive bladder is especially common in the elderly, although it is not regarded as a normal part of aging. Thus, we investigated how aging alters the cystometric and detrusor overactivity (DO) parameters and the density of nerve growth factor (NGF) in awake spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHRs) of different ages. METHODS: Three age groups of 12- (n=5), 17- (n=6), and 21- (n=6) week-old SHRs (Oriental Bio Inc.) were used. A catheter was implanted into the bladder to record the intravesical pressure (IVP), and a balloon-fitted catheter was positioned in the abdominal cavity to record the intraabdominal pressure (IAP). Of the IVP elevations above 2 cm H(2)O, DO was defined as a rise in IVP without a simultaneous change in IAP and was counted during the filling phase. We measured the expression of NGF in the bladders by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Both the body and bladder weights significantly increased with age, but the normalized ratio between those was not changed. As for DO, none of the12-week-old rats showed DO, whereas the other groups did. DO increased significantly with age (P=0.0045 by Mantel-Haenszel trend test), although no significant differences were found in DO frequency or pressure between the 17- and 21-week-old age groups. NGF did not show any significant differences among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that SHRs begin to shows DO after a certain age, such as 12 weeks of age, and that the occurrence of DO has a close relationship with aging. However, NGF, which is known to be increased in the bladder wall of patients with overactive bladder, did not show any relationship with aging in this study.

Accuracy of methods for urinary detection in women with stress urinary incontinence.

PURPOSE: We assessed the accuracy of urinary detection by visualization compared with a method using the urethral channel of a transurethral, three-channel urodynamic catheter. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a case series of 52 patients presenting with stress urinary incontinence over 2 years. Patients underwent video-urodynamic studies in both the supine and the erect positions by use of two techniques for measuring leak point pressure (LPP) by one examiner. LPP was determined as the intravesical pressure simultaneous to the starting point of urethral pressure changes through the urethral channel of a urodynamic catheter (LPP-ure) and then by visualization (LPP-vis) during different events. We also measured the time related to the provocations and the time to mark the leakage on the urodynamic machine by the examiner. RESULTS: The LPP-ure values (cough supine: 42.1+/-18.7, cough erect: 42.1+/-21.8, Valsalva supine: 42.2+/-23.3, Valsalva erect: 41.0+/-22.6 cmH(2)O) were significantly lower than the LPP-vis values (89.9+/-29.4, 97.4+/-30.4, 70.6+/-25.2, and 74.4+/-32.6 cmH(2)O, respectively, all p<0.001). Whereas the actual leakages happened during the pressure increases, urodynamic recording by visualization was done after those increases had finished. CONCLUSIONS: The use of visualization as a urinary detection method entails potential errors that cannot be adjusted for on that time scale. Our results emphasize the need to standardize the methodologies used for urinary leakage detection, because this measurement is closely related to the accuracy of measurement of leak point pressure.

Epidemiology of foodborne Norovirus outbreak in Incheon, Korea.

On June 14, 2008, an outbreak of gastroenteritis occurred among elementary school students in Incheon. We conducted an investigation to identify the source and described the extent of the outbreak. We performed a retrospective cohort study among students, teachers and food handlers exposed to canteen food in the elementary school. Using self-administered questionnaires we collected information on symptoms, days of canteen food eaten, food items consumed. Stool samples were collected from 131 symptomatic people and 11 food handlers. The catering kitchen was inspected and food samples were taken. Of the 1,560 people who ate canteen food, 117 were symptomatic cases, and the attack rate was 7.5%. Consumption of cucumber-crown daisy salad (RR=2.71), fresh cabbage mix (RR=2.23), dried radish salad (RR=3.04) and young radish kimchi (RR=2.52) were associated with illness. Sixty-four (45%) of the 142 stool specimens were positive for Norovirus. Norovirus was detected in 2 food handlers. Interviews with kitchen staff indicated the likelihood of contamination from an infected food handler to the dried radish salad during food processing. The excretion of Norovirus from asymptomatic food handlers may be an infection source of Norovirus outbreaks.

Development and validation of a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire to assess diets of korean type 2 diabetic patients.

BACKGROUND: Our aim was to assess the validity of a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) by comparison with the 3-day diet record (DR) in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Eighty five type 2 diabetic patients (aged 33 to 70 years) from the Korean National Diabetes Program (KNDP) completed 3-day DR and FFQ. The FFQ was designed to reflect the eating pattern of Korean type 2 diabetic patients, and was based on the 2003 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The FFQ consists of 85 food items and 12 food groups. The validity of FFQ was assessed by comparison with the 3-day DR. RESULTS: The mean age was 49 +/- 10 years. Clinical characteristic including body weight, diabetic duration, and HbA1c were not different from the total cohort subjects (n = 1,478). There were no significant differences in the mean intake of protein, fat and calcium estimated by the FFQ and the 3-day DR. Energy and carbohydrate estimated by the FFQ were higher than those estimated by the 3-day DR. The correlation coefficient was highest for energy (r = 0.740; P < 0.00) and lowest for iron (r = 0.269; P < 0.05). The Kappa values for energy, carbohydrate, protein, fat and calcium were 0.54, 0.37, 0.36, 0.46, and 0.19, respectively. CONCLUSION: The FFQ is a reasonable instrument for assessing the intake of most macronutrients in Korean type 2 diabetes, although careful consideration is required for the food groups and nutrients for which the FFQ had low validity.

R1467H Variants of Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor 11 (ARHGEF11) are Associated with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Koreans.

BACKGROUND: The human Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor 11 (ARHGEF11) functions as an activator of Rho GTPases and is thought to influence insulin signaling. The R1467H variant of ARHGEF11 has been reported to be associated with susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Western populations. METHODS: We investigated the effects of the R1467H variant on susceptibility to T2DM as well as related traits in a Korean population. We genotyped the R1467H (rs945508) of ARHGEF11 in 689 unrelated T2DM patients and 249 non-diabetic individuals and compared the clinical and biochemical characteristics according to different alleles. RESULTS: The H allele was significantly more frequent in T2DM cases than in controls (P = 0.037, 17.1% and 13.1%; respectively). H homozygocity was associated with a higher risk of T2DM compared to those with R/R or R/H genotype (odds ratio, 5.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.06 to 25.83; P = 0.042). The fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, fasting insulin, HOMA2-IR and HOMA2-%ß levels did not differ significantly between different genotypes. CONCLUSION: Our study replicated associations of the ARHGEF11 polymorphism with increased risk of T2DM in a Korean population and thus supports previous data implicating a potential role of ARHGEF11 in the etiology of T2DM. Further studies revealing the underlying mechanism for this association are needed.