Journal of Korean medical science
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Oct 2009
Comparative StudyThe role of keratinocyte-derived chemokine in hemorrhage-induced acute lung injury in mice.
Dominant inflammatory cytokines might be different depending on the underlying causes of acute lung injury (ALI). The role of kertinocyte-derived chemokine (KC), a potent chemoattractant for neutrophils, has not been clearly established in hemorrhage-induced ALI. In this study, lung injury and cytokine expression were evaluated in LPS- or hemorrhage-induced ALI models of BALB/c mice. ⋯ By immunohistochemical staining, lung neutrophils stained positive for KC. Increased KC was also observed in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and plasma. KC plays an important role in hemorrhage-induced ALI.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Oct 2009
Case ReportsA case of gastritis associated with gastric capillariasis.
This report is about the case of gastritis associated with capillariasis. The patient was a 52-yr-old Korean woman who occasionally ate raw fish and chicken. She complained of mild abdominal pain and nausea, but not diarrhea. ⋯ She was microscopically diagnosed as chronic gastritis with numerous eosinophil infiltrations. The sectioned worms and eggs in mucosa were morphologically regarded as belonging to the genus Capillaria. This is the first case of gastric capillariasis reported in the Republic of Korea.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Aug 2009
Clinical features and prognosis of HLA-B27 positive and negative anterior uveitis in a Korean population.
Clinical features and prognosis of HLA-B27 positive anterior uveitis (AU) were assessed compared with HLA-B27 negative AU in a Korean population, based on the medical records of AU patients seen at a university hospital. Twenty-seven HLA-B27 negative, idiopathic AU patients (group I) and 55 HLA-B27 positive AU patients (group II) were studied. HLA-B27 positive group was further divided into 29 with associated systemic disease (seronegative spondyloarthropathy) (group IIA) and 26 without associated systemic disease (group IIB). ⋯ However, no significant differences were observed for final ocular and visual outcomes between these two groups. Associated systemic disease made no significant difference in the clinical features and prognosis in the HLA-B27 positive AU patients. In conclusion, despite more severe inflammation and a higher recurrence rate, HLA-B27 positive AU shows similar good final ocular and visual outcomes compared to HLA-B27 negative, idiopathic AU in a Korean population.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Aug 2009
A prospective study on the incidence and predictive factors of relative adrenal insufficiency in Korean critically-ill patients.
This study was undertaken to evaluate the incidence and risk factors associated with relative adrenal insufficiency (RAI) in Korean critically-ill patients. All patients who were admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) of Samsung Medical Center between January 1, 2006 and April 30, 2007 were prospectively evaluated using a short corticotropin stimulation test on the day of admission. RAI was defined as an increase in the serum cortisol level of <9 microg/dL from the baseline after administration of 250 microg of corticotropin. ⋯ The presence of septic shock (P=0.001), the Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II (P=0.003), the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (P=0.001), the mean heart rate (P=0.040), lactate levels (P=0.001), arterial pH (P=0.047), treatment with vasopressors at ICU admission (P=0.004), and the 28-day mortality (P=0.041) were significantly different between patients with and without RAI. The multivariate analysis showed that the SOFA score was an independent predictor of RAI in critically-ill patients (odd ratio=1.235, P=0.032). Our data suggest that RAI is frequently found in Korean critically-ill patients and that a high SOFA score is an independent predictor of RAI in these patients.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Aug 2009
Randomized Controlled TrialComparison between open procedure and tubular retractor assisted procedure for cervical radiculopathy: results of a randomized controlled study.
Posterior cervical foraminotomy is an effective surgical technique for the treatment of radicular pain caused by foraminal stenosis or posterolateral herniated discs. The present study was performed to compare the clinical parameters and surgical outcomes of open foraminotomy/discectomy (OF/OFD) and tubular retractor assisted foraminotomy/discectomy (TAF/TAFD) in the treatment of cervical radiculopathy. ⋯ Surgical outcomes were not different between the two groups. In conclusion, TAF/TAFD should increase patient's compliance and is as clinically effective as much as the OF/OFD.