Journal of Korean medical science
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Obese individuals are less able to oxidize fat than non-obese individuals. Caloric reduction or fasting can detect ketonuria. We investigated the differences of metabolic parameters in the presence of ketonuria after a minimum 8 hr fast in a cross-sectional analysis of 16,523 Koreans (6,512 women and 10,011 men). ⋯ In addition, all metabolic parameters (including body weight, waist circumference, blood glucose, high-density lipoprotein, triglyceride, blood pressure, and insulin) were favorable in the ketonuria group than in the non-ketonuria group, even after adjustment for age, tobacco use, and alcohol consumption. The odds ratios of having obesity (odds ratio [OR]=1.427 in women, OR=1.582 in men, P<0.05), central obesity (OR=1.675 in women, OR=1.889 in men, P<0.05), and metabolic syndrome (OR=3.505 in women, OR=1.356 in men, P<0.05) were increased in the non-ketonuria group compared to the ketonuria group. The presence of ketonuria after at least an 8 hr fast may be indicative of metabolic superiority.
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Foundry workers are potentially exposed to a number of carcinogens. This study was conducted to describe the cancer incidence associated with employment in small-sized Korean iron foundries and to compare those findings to the Korean population. Cancer morbidity in 208 Korean foundries was analyzed using the Standardized Incidence Ratio (SIR) and Standardized Rate Ratio (SRR). ⋯ In this study, statistically significant excess lung cancer was observed in production workers comparing to Korean general population and office workers. Also, cancer morbidity of overall cancer, lung cancer and stomach cancer was significantly increased with duration of employment at ten and more years comparing to Korean general population. These findings suggest in causal association between exposure to carcinogens during foundry work and cancer morbidity.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Nov 2010
Practice GuidelineClinical practice guideline for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumor in Korea.
Despite the rarity in incidence and prevalence, gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) has emerged as a distinct pathogenetic entity. And the clinical management of GIST has been evolving very rapidly due to the recent recognition of its oncogenic signal transduction pathway and the introduction of new molecular-targeted therapy. Successful management of GIST requires a multidisciplinary approach firmly based on accurate histopathologic diagnosis. ⋯ In 2007, the Korean GIST study group (KGSG) published the first guideline for optimal diagnosis and treatment of GIST in Korea. As the second version of the guideline, we herein have updated recent clinical recommendations and reflected changes in diagnosis, surgical and medical treatments for more optimal clinical practice for GIST in Korea. We hope the guideline can be of help in enhancing the quality of diagnosis by members of the Korean associate of physicians involving in GIST patients's care and subsequently in achieving optimal efficacy of treatment.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Nov 2010
The value of procalcitonin and the SAPS II and APACHE III scores in the differentiation of infectious and non-infectious fever in the ICU: a prospective, cohort study.
Early and accurate differentiation between infectious and non-infectious fever is vitally important in the intensive care unit (ICU). In the present study, patients admitted to the medical ICU were screened daily from August 2008 to February 2009. Within 24 hr after the development of fever (>38.3℃), serum was collected for the measurement of the procalcitonin (PCT) and high mobility group B 1 levels. ⋯ Patients with fever due to infectious causes showed higher values of serum PCT (7.8±10.2 vs 0.5±0.2 ng/mL, P=0.026), SAPS II (12.0±3.8 vs 7.6±2.7, P=0.006), and APACHE III (48±20 vs 28.7±13.3, P=0.039) than those with non-infectious fever. In receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the area under the curve was 0.726 (95% CI; 0.587-0.865) for PCT, 0.759 (95% CI; 0.597-0.922) for SAPS II, and 0.715 (95% CI; 0.550-0.880) for APACHE III. Serum PCT, SAPS II, and APACHE III are useful in the differentiation between infectious and non-infectious fever in the ICU.