• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.122-129
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• 2009

Purpose: To evaluate treatment outcomes of malignant melanoma and to analyze the factors that contributes to outcomes. Materials and Methods: We reviewed the 51 cases of malignant melanoma from March, 1997 to March, 2004 and were followed up more than 5 years. Average age was 49.4. We compared 5-year survival rate for each age, gender, site of occurrence, depth of tumor, metastasis of regional lymph node and immuno-chemo therapy. Results: 5-year survival rate was 88.5% for the age group below 65, 88.0% for the age group 65 and above, 62.5% for male and 100% for female. 5-year survival rate for the site of occurrence showed 100% in upper extremities, and 80.0% in lower extremities and 100% in other sites. 5-year survival rate was 100% for the stage below Clark stage III and 79.3% for the stage above IV. In surgical resection, 5-year survival rate was 66.7% for lymph node metastasis group and 94.9% for non-lymph node metastasis group. Conclusion: The prognostic factors of malignant melanoma were gender, tumor site, depth of tumor (Clark's stage) and metastasis of regional lymph node. But, there was no relation between the age and the survival rate in our study.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.195-201
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• 2008

Purpose : We hypothesized that the mannose binding lectin gene (MBL2), a key molecule of innate immunity may contribute to the development of Kawasaki disease (KD) in early childhood. This study was performed to investigate the polymorphisms of MBL2 and the risk of developing KD in Korean children. Methods : The study subjects were 112 children with KD who were admitted to the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital between October 2003 and March 2005. The control subjects consisted of 224 anonymous, healthy Korean blood donors. Extracted genomic DNA was amplified for codon 54 of MBL2 exon 1 and alleles (a and b) were assigned via sequencing analysis. The frequency of the alleles of the MBL2 exon 1 was compared between the case and control groups. Results : The median age of patients was 27 months (range, 3 months-7 years), 45.5% were <24 months of age and 54.5% were ${\geq}2$ years. The genotype distribution reached Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in both cases and control subjects. In the cases with KD, the genotypic frequencies of codon 54 polymorphisms were 67.9% for aa, 29.5% for ab, and 2.6% for bb. There were no significant differences in the overall distribution of the polymorphisms between the cases and the control subjects. In addition, the genotype distribution was not different according to age. Conclusions : Our findings indicate that the codon 54 polymorphism of the MBL2 gene is not likely to contribute to the risk of developing KD in Korean children. Further studies on the development of coronary artery lesions with regard to MBL2 genotypes are warranted.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.103-114
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• 2001

Tourette's disorder is a disease which manifests one or more motor tics and vocal tics for more than a year. Chronic motor tic or vocal tic disorders are characterized by only one kind of tics for more than a year. We intended to investigate the clinical characteristics of the patients with chronic motor tic disorders or Tourette's disorders who had admitted from May 1, 1998 to May 1, 1999 to Seoul National University Hospital Child and Adolescent Psychiatry ward. In addition, we compared the clinical characteristics of the patients in order to elucidate the relationship between the two disorders. The patients with learning disabilities were selected as controls. There was no statistically significant difference between the onsets of the patients with chronic motor tic disorders(n=13, $7.3{\pm}2.5$ years), and Tourette's disorder(n=39, $7.2{\pm}2.2$ years), but with learning disability($4.2{\pm}1.9$ years). Also, the patients with chronic motor tic disorder and Tourette's disorder showed similar age at admission($11.7{\pm}2.7$ versus $11.5{\pm}2.6$ years), duration of admission($5.7{\pm}5.4$ versus $11.0{\pm}8.7$ weeks), mothers' ages at child birth($27.3{\pm}2.9$ versus $28.3{\pm}6.7$ years old),and fathers' age at child birth($32.2{\pm}3.2$ versus $33.3{\pm}5.2$ years old). We observed that those who had learning disabilities were alike in those aspects, except for age at visit to clinic($9.8{\pm}3.2$ years old). Family history of psychiatric illnesses(24.1% versus 46.2%), recognized precipitating factors(11.1% versus 35.7%) and response to pharmacological treatments(77.8% versus 76.9%) of the patients with chronic motor tic disorders and Tourette's disorders were observed and no differences were found. Comorbid patterns of diseases were noted. Intrafamilial conflicts were more common in the patients with learning disabilities than those with chronic tic disorders or Tourette's disorders. Precipitating factors were observed more frequent in chronic tic disorder and Tourette's disorder than learning disability. Neurocognitive profiles were investigated, and verbal IQs of the patients with chronic motor tic disorder, Tourette's disorder and learning disability were $92.3{\pm}10.7$, $94.7{\pm}14.9$, $94.3{\pm}13.8$, performance IQs $93.0{\pm}20.5$, $97.5{\pm}13.0$, $95.0{\pm}16.9$ and full-scale IQs $91.9{\pm}20.1$, $95.8{\pm}14.5$, $93.9{\pm}15.1$, respectively, which were found to be not significantly different. No difference was found in structural neurological abnormalities and EEG profiles. The patients with learning disabilities showed more common Bender-Gestalt test abnormalities. In conclusion, we have not found any affirmative clues for the division of chronic motor tic disorder and Tourette's disorder in clinical perspective.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.48-55
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• 2002

Purpose: Thin glomerular basement membrane nephropathy (TGBMN) is recognized as the leading cause of microscopic hematuria in both children and adults. However thinning of glomerular basement membrane (TCBM) has been found in healthy adult and also is known to be associated with various renal diseases such as Alport syndronh, IgA nephropathy and mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis. The association of TGBM with minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) has been very rare so that the present study was undertaken to determine the relationship between TGBM and MCNS. Methods: The study population consisted of 49 children with biopsy- proven MCNS who have been admitted to the pediatric department of Kyungpook University Hospital during the past 5 years from 1997 to 2001. Group I consisted of 8 children associated with TGBM and Group II 41 children without TCBM. Various parameters such as age of illness, duration from discovery of illness to the time of biopsy, family history of hematuria and other laboratory tests were compared between these two groups and the following results were obtained. Results: Age distribution showed slightly older age in Group I ($7.1{\pm}3.5$ years) compared to Group II ($4.8{\pm}2.9$ years). However this was not statistically different (P=0.056). Family history of hematuria was noted in 2 cases in Group II. Though statistically not significant, hematuria was seen in 2 out of 8 cases ($25\%$) in MCNS children with TGBM, compared to 7 out of 41 cases ($17\%$) with MCNS children without TGBM. Other parameters such as BUN, creatinine, 24 hours urine protein excretion, serum protein, albumin, cholesterol, and T4/T8 ratio, showed no difference. Also renal biopsy finding showed no significant difference and the thickness of glomerular basement membrane in Croup I was $188{\pm}30nm$. Conclusion: TGBM was found in 8 out of 49 children with MCNS ($16.3\%$). And this high frequency of occurrence indicates that these association is not an incidental findings. Typical clinical findings of TCBMN was not noted in all of the 8 children with MCNS associated with TGBM, suggesting that thinning of glomerular basement membrane (TCBN) is secondary to rather than the cause of MCNS. (J Korean Soc Pediatr Nephrol 2002;6: 48-55)

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.424-430
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• 2006

Purpose : Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis(JRA) is one of the most common rheumatic diseases of childhood and is an important cause of short- and long-term disability. The purpose of this study was to determine the disease course and outcome in childhood patients with JRA. Methods : Fifty nine patients with JRA who were diagnosed and treated in the Department of Pediatrics, Asan Medical Center from August 1990 to November 2004 were enrolled in this study. Sex, age, type, affected joints, extra-articular manifestations, laboratory and radiologic findings, treatments, and outcomes of JRA patients were reviewed retrospectively. Results : Among JRA patients, 32.2 percent had pauciarticular type, 30.5 percent had polyarticular type and 37.3 percent had systemic type. The ratio of boys to girls was 1.7 : 1 and the mean age at onset was $9.3{\pm}3.7$(1.3-15.9) years. The most commonly affected joints were knee, ankle and wrist. The extra-articular manifestations observed were fever, rash, myalgia and lymph node enlargement, etc. The main laboratory findings observed were leukocytosis, anemia, thrombocytosis, elevated ESR, and elevated CRP. Rheumatoid factor and antinuclear antibody(ANA) were positive in 5.3 percent and 18.0 percent. Nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAID) were used most frequently and methotrexate with or without steroids was added in 27.1 percent of patients unresponsive to NSAID. 88.1 percent of patients were cured without functional disability and only one patient was in functional status IV. One patient, who had pulmonary involvement, died. Conclusion : Our results showed an even distribution in type of onset, male predominance, older age of onset, low incidence of iridocyclitis, and low positivity of ANA in JRA patients; this differs from occidental data. This study may suggest regional differences and variability in disease groups of JRA among different racies, but further multi-center trials and large scale epidemiological studies are needed to confirm our conclusion.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.256-262
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• 2001

Objective：The enlargement of the lateral ventricle is well established finding in adult-onset schizophrenia, but in the patients with early-onset psychotic disorder(EOPD) is still controversal. To identify structural abnormalities of the lateral ventricle in patients with EOPD and difference of the brain developmental course in EOPD group, planimetrical assessment of the lateral ventricle was conducted by means of retrospective quantitative neuroimaging. Methods：The brain MR images of 14 patients with EOPD(mean age $14.0{\pm}2.1$ years) who met the DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and 24 control subjects with simple headache(mean age $10.0{\pm}2.1$ years) were collected. Single best view for the lateral ventricle, one axial slice was selected for analysis. MR images were redigitalized with flatbed scanner and data were analyzed with NIH IMAGE software. Results：In the patients with EOPD, there were significant correlations between aging and lateral ventricular sizes and between aging and ventricular brain ratio(VBR). The statistical significance of normal asymmetry of the lateral ventricle was not observed for the EOPD group. The EOPD group had larger lateral ventricular sizes and VBR than control group, but these results were not statistically significant. Conclusion：These findings suggest that the brain abnormalities in patients with EOPD progress from the earlier course of the disorders and the course of brain development in EOPD group is different from control group.

• Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Sports Medicine
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.115-117
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• 2002

목적: 척추에통증을유발하는주된원인인근육질(Muscle Quality)의저하를향상시키는데있어서비교적안정적인방법(약물혹은수술이아닌요법)을시행하여치료중조직손상과부작용을최소화하면서신속한치료가이루어지는치료방법을찾는데주안점을두었다. 대상및방법: 임상실험기간은6주이었으며대상은평균연령34세(17 $\~$ 42세), 남녀30명,발병된지1년이상지난만성요통환자로서, 치료방법은근육마사지요법과운동요법을선택하였다.1군은근육마사지요법만을시행하였고, 2군은운동요법만을시행하였으며, 3군은근육마사지요법과운동요법을동시에병행하였다. 결과: 유연성측정결과와InBody 3.0에서의체성분결과를토대로분석한결과근육마사지요법만을시행한1군은즉각적인호전현상은보였으나시간경과후6일안으로다시이전의증상이원상복귀되어증상이개선되었다고보기는어려워보였다.한편운동요법만을시행한2군은연령에따른개인차는있었고6주안에만족할만한개선결과를보이지는않았지만증상개선이서서히이루어지고있었다. 그러나근육마사지요법과운동요법을병행한3군은1군과2군의실험결과와2단계이상의통증지수향상이관찰되었다. 결론: 요통의주된원인이되는근육질(Muscle Quality)의향상은근육질에긍정적인영향을주는모든요법중어느한가지를사용하는것보다는보다다각적인치료방법을개발하여적용시킬필요성이있다고사료된다.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 1999

Purpose: MCNS is found in approximately $85\%$ of the idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in children and shows good prognosis with initial steroid therapy. MCNS most commonly appears between the ages of 2 and 10 yr. But the incidence and prognosis in adolescent MCNS are different from those found in young children; the prognosis and the response to therapy is unfavorable with increasing ages. So we compared the prevalence and the clinical manifestations of adolescent MCNS with that of childhood MCNS for management of adolescent MCNS. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study with a review of histopathologic findings and clinical manifestations of the 216 cases with MCNS which were divided into children group and adolescent group by their age of onset; under 12 years(childhood) and between 12-18 years(adolescent). Results: 1) The number of childhood idiopathic nephrotic syndrome was 245 cases, and that of adolescent idiopathic nephrotic syndrome was 55 cases. 188 cases($77\%$) showed MCNS, 30 cases($12\%$) FSGS, 4 cases($1.6\%$) MSPCN in childhood idiopathic nephrotic syndrome; 28 cases($51\%$) showed MCNS, 12 cases($22\%$) FSGS in adolescent idiopathic nephrotic syndrome. 2) The mean onset age was $7.53{\pm}5.5$ years, and the male to female ratio was 3.8:1 in childhood onset and 2.5:1 in adolescent onset with male predominance. 3) Hematuria was associated with $17\%$ of childhood onset and $39.3\%$ of adolescent onset disease(P=0.005). Hypertension appeared in $0.5\%\;and\;7\%$ in each group without significant difference between the groups. 4) 24 hour urine protein, SPI, albumin, BUN, cholesterol level showed no significant difference. 5) The response of childhood onset and adolescent onset MCNS to steroid therapy showed complete remission in $11.7\%\;&\;14.7\%$, infrequent relapsing in $29.2\%\;&\;28.5\%$, frequent relapsing in $23.9\%\;&\;14.7\%$, steroid dependent in $21.8\%\;&\;28.6\%$ each. Steroid resistant showed $13.3\%\;&\;14.7\%$ with no significance. 6) Immunosuppresant therapy was performed $57\%$ in childhood onset and $65\%$ in adolescent onset. 7) Mean number of relapse and duration from onset to first relapse showed no significance between two groups. Conclusion : Our results indicate that the incidence of hematuria, the rate of steroid dependent and frequent relapsing, and the recurrence rate were higher in adolescent MCNS; showed poorer steroid responsiveness and prognosis. Our data also point to the need for a more aggressive therapy to treat and make recommendations for the adolescent population as a whole.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.76-82
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• 2003

Purpose : The aim of this study was to determine whether differences exist in the presentation, clinical course, and outcome of Graves' disease between prepubertal children and adolescents. Methods : A retrospective chart review of 14 prepubertal(PREPUB, $7.2{\pm}0.9yr) and 38 pubertal (PUB, $12.4{\pm}1.5yr$) children with Graves' disease between January 1989 and November 1995 at St. Mary's Hospital and Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital was undertaken. Results : There were no significant differences in $T_3$, $T_4$, TSH between two the groups at diagnosis. The PUB group had significantly higher titers of antimicrosomal antibody(positive dilution factor $11,727.3{\pm}22,888.4$) than did the PREPUB group($2,111.5{\pm}2,285.0$, P<0.001). The PREPUB group had significantly higher titers of TSH-binding inhibitory immunoglobulin(TBII, $62.5{\pm}39.6$) than did the PUB group($44.9{\pm}10.4$, P<0.05) before treatment started. The duration(months) of medical therapy before thyroid function tests were normalized was longer in the PREPUB group than in the PUB group($T_3:6.8{\pm}5.0$ vs. $5.4{\pm}13.2$, $T_4:2.3{\pm}1.9$ vs. $2.1{\pm}2.2$, $TBII:26.7{\pm}24.0$ vs. $20.8{\pm}12.1$), especially that of TSH was significantly longer in the PREPUB group($14.6{\pm}11.0$ vs. $6.8{\pm}7.8$, P< 0.05). Total length of medical therapy was significantly longer in the PREPUB group than the PUB group($52.3{\pm}19.3$ vs. $37.9{\pm}16.3months$, P<0.01). During three years of antithyroid drug therapy, in the PREPUB group, the remission rate was lower and the relapse rate was higher than in the PUB group. Total length of treatment correlated negatively with chronological age(P=0.03). Conclusion : Prepubertal children require longer medical therapy to achieve a remission than do pubertal children. But there is an obvious need for more studies because of the small number of patients and the short duration of the follow-up.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.227-237
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• 2009

Recently, adipose mesenchymal stem cells (AdMSC) that are similar to bone marrow MSC and blood derived MSC are thought to be another source for stem cell therapy. However, the diseases that can be applied for stem cells therapy are age-dependent degenerative diseases. Accordingly, the present study investigated the growth and differentiation potential to neural cells of human AdMSC (hAdMSC) obtained from aged thirty, forty and fifty. The growth of cells and cell viability were measured by passage and neural differentiation of hAdMSC was induced in neural differentiation condition for 10 days. Our results demonstrated that cell number, viability and morphology were not different from hAdMSC by age and passage. Immunofluorescence analysis of neural cell marker (TuJ1, NSE, Sox2, GFAP or MAP2) demonstrated no significant differences in neural cell differentiation by age and passage. As the number of passage was increased, the mRNA level of MAP2 and Sox2 was decreased in hAdMSC from age of 50 compared to hAdMSC from age of 30. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that ability of neural cell differentiation of hAdMSC was maintained with ages, suggesting that autologous stem cells from aged people can be applied for stem cell therapy with age-dependent neural disease with the same stem cell quality and ability as stem cell derived from young age.