Analysis of Pregnancy Outcomes among Interracial Couples in Korea

Yang, Sun Young,Jung, Un Suk,Hong, Hye-Ri,Hwang, Soon Young,Oh, Min-Jeong,Kim, Hai-Joong,Cho, Geum Joon KOREAN ACADEMY OF MEDICAL SCIENCE 2017 JOURNAL OF KOREAN MEDICAL SCIENCE Vol.32 No.10

<P>Although the prevalence of interracial marriages in Korea is increasing, little is known regarding the pregnancy outcomes of interracial couples. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in pregnancy outcomes between Korean and interracial Korean-foreign couples. Data for infants born in 2011 and 2012 were obtained from the national birth registry of the Korean Statistical Office. The couples were subdivided into Korean father-Korean mother, Korean father-foreign mother, and foreign father-Korean mother groups. Pregnancy outcomes included neonates with low birth weight (< 2,500 g) and those with high birth weight (> 4,000 g). In 2010 and 2011, 888,447 Korean father-Korean mother, 36,024 Korean father-foreign mother, and 4,955 foreign father-Korean mother neonates were delivered in Korea. After adjustment for parental age, educational level, parity, gestational age at delivery, and neonatal sex, the birth weights were found to be different between groups, with the highest number of foreign father-Korean mother and lowest number of Korean father-foreign mother pregnancies. Based on multivariate logistic regression analysis, the risk of low and large birth weights was higher in the Korean father-foreign mother and foreign father-Korean mother groups, respectively, compared with that in the Korean father-Korean mother group. There are significant differences in pregnancy outcomes including birth weights between Korean and interracial Korean-foreign couples.</P>

The First Successful Lung Transplantation in a Korean Child with Cystic Fibrosis

Noh, Soo Ran,Lee, Eun,Yoon, Jisun,Jung, Sungsu,Yang, Song-I,Yu, Jinho,Hong, Soo-Jong KOREAN ACADEMY OF MEDICAL SCIENCE 2017 JOURNAL OF KOREAN MEDICAL SCIENCE Vol.32 No.12

<P>Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive inherited multisystem disorder caused by mutations of the gene encoding the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. Respiratory failure remains the most frequent cause of morbidity and mortality. Lung transplantation is the only option to treat end-stage lung disease. Very few cases of CF occur in Koreans. We report the case of a 12-year-old girl with respiratory failure due to CF who underwent lung transplantation. She had been diagnosed with CF 8 years previously after being treated for recurrent <I>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</I> pneumonia and malnutrition based on sweat chloride concentrations and the CFTR protein gene mutation test. Progression to end-stage lung disease and respiratory failure led to registration with the Korean Network for Organ Sharing. She underwent successful double lung transplantation in 2014. Although she has diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease, she has a better quality of life and a prolonged life expectancy.</P>

Relationship Between Metabolic Syndrome and Familial History of Hypertension/Stroke, Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Disease

Paek, Kyung Won,Chun, Ki Hong,Lee, Kwan Woo KOREAN ACADEMY OF MEDICAL SCIENCE 2006 JOURNAL OF KOREAN MEDICAL SCIENCE Vol.21 No.1-6

<P>This research analyzes the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in Korea and examines how the presence of a familial history of diseases related to MS, such as hypertension/stroke, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, affect the development of MS in Koreans. The prevalence of MS and its components, as defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel guidelines, were evaluated in nationally representative samples of non-institutionalized civilian Koreans. This analysis is based on the 2001 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which used a stratified multistage probability sampling design. The final study included 5,742 adults who had completed the necessary health examinations and met the diagnosis of MS. The prevalence of MS was 25.5% in men and 28.7% in women. Odds ratio for MS among men with a familial history of hypertension/stroke was higher than that among men who did not have this history. The OR for MS among women with a familial history of hypertension/stroke or diabetes was higher than that among women who had no familial history of these diseases. These results show that familial history of hypertension/stroke and diabetes was significantly related to the presence of MS in both young men and women.</P>

Effect of Weight Reduction on Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Obese Patients

Park, Hye Soon,Sim, Su Jung,Park, Jung Yul Korean Academy of Medical Science 2004 Journal of Korean medical science Vol.19 No.2

Sleep Quality Independently Affects Health-related Quality of Life and Cognitive Function in Korean Female Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: a Case-control Study

Kim, Seo Hwa,Kim, Haneul,Kim, Seungju,Paek, SeungIn,Koh, Jung Hee,Lee, Jennifer,Cho, Yong-Won,Park, Sung-Hwan KOREAN ACADEMY OF MEDICAL SCIENCE 2018 JOURNAL OF KOREAN MEDICAL SCIENCE Vol.33 No.35

<P><B>Background</B></P><P>This study aimed to address sleep quality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to determine how it affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and cognitive function.</P><P><B>Methods</B></P><P>One hundred and twenty-three patients with RA and 76 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Sleep quality was assessed using the Korean version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Cognitive function and HRQoL was evaluated by a Korean-Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K) and 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), respectively. Other clinical, demographic, and laboratory data were obtained from retrospective medical chart review.</P><P><B>Results</B></P><P>More patients in the RA group reported poor sleep quality (PSQI > 5) than in the control group (61% [75/123] vs. 39.5% [30/76]; <I>P</I> = 0.003). Total PSQI was also significantly higher in the RA group (median [interquartile range], 7 [5–11] vs. 5 [3–6.75]; <I>P</I> = 0.001). Total PSQI score negatively correlated with MoCA-K score (Spearman's rho (<I>r</I>) = −0.223; <I>P</I> = 0.003) with a physical component summary (PCS) of SF-36 (<I>r</I> = −0.221; <I>P</I> = 0.003) and a mental component summary (MCS) of SF-36 (<I>r</I> = −0.341; <I>P</I> < 0.001), which means that poor sleep quality was associated with poor cognitive function and low HRQoL.</P><P><B>Conclusion</B></P><P>The findings of this study suggest that poor sleep quality is an independent risk factor for low HRQoL and cognitive dysfunction. Efforts to improve the sleep quality of RA patients seem to be an important aspect of integrative treatment for RA.</P>

Report on the Project for Establishment of the Standardized Korean Laboratory Terminology Database, 2015

Jung, Bo Kyeung,Kim, Jeeyong,Cho, Chi Hyun,Kim, Ju Yeon,Nam, Myung-Hyun,Shin, Bong Kyung,Rho, Eun Youn,Kim, Sollip,Sung, Heungsup,Kim, Shinyoung,Ki, Chang-Seok,Park, Min Jung,Lee, Kap-No,Yoon, Soo-You KOREAN ACADEMY OF MEDICAL SCIENCE 2017 JOURNAL OF KOREAN MEDICAL SCIENCE Vol.32 No.4

<P>The National Health Information Standards Committee was established in 2004 in Korea. The practical subcommittee for laboratory test terminology was placed in charge of standardizing laboratory medicine terminology in Korean. We aimed to establish a standardized Korean laboratory terminology database, Korea-Logical Observation Identifier Names and Codes (K-LOINC) based on former products sponsored by this committee. The primary product was revised based on the opinions of specialists. Next, we mapped the electronic data interchange (EDI) codes that were revised in 2014, to the corresponding K-LOINC. We established a database of synonyms, including the laboratory codes of three reference laboratories and four tertiary hospitals in Korea. Furthermore, we supplemented the clinical microbiology section of K-LOINC using an alternative mapping strategy. We investigated other systems that utilize laboratory codes in order to investigate the compatibility of K-LOINC with statistical standards for a number of tests. A total of 48,990 laboratory codes were adopted (21,539 new and 16,330 revised). All of the LOINC synonyms were translated into Korean, and 39,347 Korean synonyms were added. Moreover, 21,773 synonyms were added from reference laboratories and tertiary hospitals. Alternative strategies were established for mapping within the microbiology domain. When we applied these to a smaller hospital, the mapping rate was successfully increased. Finally, we confirmed K-LOINC compatibility with other statistical standards, including a newly proposed EDI code system. This project successfully established an up-to-date standardized Korean laboratory terminology database, as well as an updated EDI mapping to facilitate the introduction of standard terminology into institutions.</P>

Mean Hand Grip Strength and Cut-off Value for Sarcopenia in Korean Adults Using KNHANES VI

Yoo, Jun-Il,Choi, Hana,Ha, Yong-Chan KOREAN ACADEMY OF MEDICAL SCIENCE 2017 JOURNAL OF KOREAN MEDICAL SCIENCE Vol.32 No.5

<P>The purpose of this study was to report age- and gender-specific distribution of the hand grip strength (HGS) using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) VI-3 (2015) survey and determine cut-off values for low muscle strength of HGS of Koreans. Of a total of 7,380 participants, 4,553 were subjected to measurements of HGS, including 1,997 men and 2,556 women with a mean age of 49.3 years (range, 19–80 years). The mean ages of men and women were 49.0 and 49.5 years, respectively. HGS was measured using a digital hand dynamometer. It was defined as maximal measured grip strength of the dominant hand. The cut-off value for low muscle strength was defined as the lower 20th percentile of HGS of the study population. Maximum grip strength of men was significantly higher than that of women (40.2 kg in men vs. 24.2 kg in women, <I>P</I> < 0.001). The mean HGS was increased from the age of 19 to 39 years. It was peaked in the age of 35 to 39 years range for both men and women. It was then decreased after 39 years. The cut-off values of HGS in male and female elderly healthy populations were 28.6 and 16.4 kg, respectively. These data might be used as reference values when evaluating sarcopenia and assessing hand injuries.</P>

A Case of Mass-Forming Splenic Tuberculosis: MRI Findings with Emphasis of Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Characteristics

Lim, Jihe,Yu, Jeong-Sik,Hong, Soon Won,Chung, Jae-Joon,Kim, Joo Hee,Kim, Ki Whang The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences 2011 JOURNAL OF KOREAN MEDICAL SCIENCE Vol.26 No.3

<P>Tuberculosis remains one of the most prevalent and fatal infectious diseases in spite of considerable improvements in medical science. The diagnosis and treatment of extrapulmonary tuberculosis involving the abdomen is still complicated owing to vague or non-specific clinical features. Although rare, isolated splenic involvement is one of the important manifestations of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, and imaging suspicion of the disease is essential. We report a case of surgically confirmed mass-forming splenic tuberculosis showing a layered pattern consisting of caseous necrosis with profound restriction of water molecules surrounded by an irregular rind of granulation tissue with less diffusion restriction on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI). In the differential diagnosis of neoplastic or non-neoplastic mass-forming lesions involving the spleen, this unique DWI feature could be helpful in characterizing splenic tuberculosis. The patient has been in clinically disease free status for nearly 20 months after splenectomy.</P>

Association between Plasma Pentraxin 3 Levels and Bone Mineral Density in Elderly Koreans: the Dong-gu Study

Lee, Ran,Ahn, Hye-Ran,Shin, Min-Ho,Kim, Hee-Nam,Lee, Young-Hoon,Choi, Seong-Woo,Kweon, Sun-Seog The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences 2018 JOURNAL OF KOREAN MEDICAL SCIENCE Vol.33 No.23

<P><B>Background</B></P><P>We investigated the association between pentraxin 3 (PTX3), a novel inflammatory marker, and bone mineral density (BMD) in the general Korean population.</P><P><B>Methods</B></P><P>We selected a sub-cohort of 1,440 subjects (757 men and 683 women) from participants in the community-based Dong-gu Study. The mean age was 66.0 ± 8.1 years for men and 63.7 ± 7.9 years for women. The plasma PTX3 levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and BMD was measured in the femoral neck and lumbar spine using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between the plasma PTX3 levels and BMD.</P><P><B>Results</B></P><P>PTX3 was inversely associated with the BMD of the lumbar spine (<I>P</I> = 0.010) and femoral neck (<I>P</I> < 0.001) in men but not in women. For men, the association with the BMD of the femoral neck remained after adjustment for multiple comparison (<I>P</I> = 0.020).</P><P><B>Conclusion</B></P><P>This study suggests that PTX3 levels might be inversely associated with BMD in elderly men.</P>

Income Difference in Attitudes towards Cancer in General Population: Findings from a National Survey

Min, Hye Sook,Park, Jinsil,Kim, Young Ae,Yang, Hyung Kook,Park, Keeho The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences 2018 JOURNAL OF KOREAN MEDICAL SCIENCE Vol.33 No.33

<P><B>Background</B></P><P>To better understand cancer-related health behaviors, it is critical to know how general populations with different socioeconomic and demographic backgrounds perceive cancer. The current paper explored differences in general attitudes and beliefs towards cancer among Koreans.</P><P><B>Methods</B></P><P>A cross-sectional national survey was conducted for 1,000 Korean participants who were not cancer patients and did not have immediate family members with cancer via proportional quota random sampling. General attitudes and beliefs about cancer were measured by face-to-face interview using the awareness and beliefs about cancer (ABC) measure.</P><P><B>Results</B></P><P>Most respondents (84.8%–88.5%) had optimistic attitudes towards cancer. However, 35.6% to 87.7% agreed with negative cancer beliefs across all age groups simultaneously. Socioeconomic disparity of positive cancer beliefs was not evident. Unexpectedly, the highest income group agreed more strongly with the negatively framed statements that cancer treatment is worse than the cancer itself (odds ratio [OR], 2.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31–5.53), that they would not want to know if they have cancer (OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 0.94–2.75), and that a cancer diagnosis is a death sentence (OR, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.34–4.01), than the lowest income group.</P><P><B>Conclusion</B></P><P>The present results imply a complicated context of cancer beliefs in Korea, unlike those shown in the studies of western populations. While the contradictory attitudes toward cancer can be attributable to the dual nature of information processing, social environment might have played a role. The association between socioeconomic status and negative attitudes toward cancer may vary depending on the diversity of the contexts.</P>