• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.9
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• pp.966-971
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• 2006

Purpose : 'Programming' describes the process that stimulus at a critical period of development has lifelong effects. The fact that low birth weight links to the risk of elevated blood pressures in adult life is well known. This study aims to examine whether this link is evident in the newborn by investigating the relationship of the intrauterine growth indices and neonatal blood pressure(BP). Methods : We studied 127 neonates who were born at Ewha Womans' Hospital and their mothers enrolled our cohort study during pregnancy. Data on the mothers and details of the birth records were tracked and collected from medical charts. Neonatal BP was measured within 24 hours after birth. Results : Neonatal SBP was positively correlated to intrauterine growth indices; birth weight(BW)(r=0.4), head circumference(HC)(r=0.4), and birth height(r=0.3). However, an inverse relationship existed, between HC/BW ratio and neonatal SBP(r=-0.4). After adjusting for the baby's sex, maternal BP, and gestational age, neonatal SBP still associated with intrauterine growth indices. SBP was 7 mmHg higher in the highest BW group(${\geq}90percentiles$) compared to the lowest group(<10 percentiles). On the other hand, SBP was 17 mmHg lower in the highest HC/BW group(${\geq}90percentiles$) compared in the lowest group(<10 percentiles). Conclusion : This study could not find the evidence that intrauterine growth retardation affect on elevated neonatal BP. It suggests that the initiating events of BP programming may occur during postnatal growth period. To identify the critical starting period that intrauterine growth retardation leads to elevated BP, a study tracking BP changes from birth to childhood is required.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2012

Objectives : The present study takes part of the agricultural district cohort study of a certain county located in Gyeonggido and aims to investigate the difference of the heart rate variability(HRV) according to the social support level. Methods : We used data from 1727 participants of a health promotion program who are older than 40 years old. A physical examination, as well as a one-to-one interview to obtain sociodemographic characteristics, was performed with each participant. In addition, the participants completed the Medical Outcomes Study-Social Support Survey(MOS-SSS) for their the social support level to be assessed, and their HRV were measured to evaluate their autonomic function. The entire group was divided in two groups according to its MOS-SSS points to facilitate the research. Those who were evaluated as the high 25%(432 persons) were denominated as high social support (HSS) group and those who were evaluated as the low 25%(425 persons) were denominated as poor social support(PSS) group. Results : The two groups showed significant differences on the sociodemographic factor such as mean age and gender composition(p<0.05). Comparing the indices related to the HRV, the HSS group had the following values higher than the PSS group : SDNN(F=4.938, p=0.027), TP(F=8.088, p=0.005), VLF(F=6.220, p=0.013) LF (F=3.873, p=0.049). Conclusion : According to the research, the PSS group showed dysfunction on their autonomic nervous system comparing to the HSS group. The social support helps an individual overcome difficulties, helps the adaptation during the changes of circumstances and in stressful situations it serves like a buffer. Based on that, it's possible to define that a low social support level gave an impact on the autonomic function. Also, using the fact that the HRV can evaluate the autonomic function in an objective view, it was possible to visualize that it has a potential to be used as an assistant factor to evaluate the social support.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.38-45
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• 2017

Objectives: Sleep disturbance is a very rapidly growing disease with aging. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of sleep disturbances and its predictive factors in a three-year cohort study of people aged 60 years and over in Korea. Methods: In 2012 and 2014, we obtained data from a survey of the Korean Social Life, Health, and Aging Project. We asked participants if they had been diagnosed with stroke, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, arthritis, pulmonary tuberculosis, asthma, cataract, glaucoma, hepatitis B, urinary incontinence, prostate hypertrophy, cancer, osteoporosis, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, or metabolic syndrome. Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination for dementia screening in 2012, and depression was assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale in 2012 and 2014. In 2015, a structured clinical interview for Axis I psychiatric disorders was administered to 235 people, and sleep disturbance was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The perceived stress scale and the State-trait Anger Expression Inventory were also administered. Logistic regression analysis was used to predict sleep disturbance by gender, age, education, depression score, number of coexisting diseases in 2012 and 2014, current anger score, and perceived stress score. Results: Twenty-seven percent of the participants had sleep disturbances. Logistic regression analysis showed that the number of medical diseases three years ago, the depression score one year ago, and the current perceived stress significantly predicted sleep disturbances. Conclusion: Comorbid medical disease three years previous and depressive symptoms evaluated one year previous were predictive of current sleep disturbances. Further studies are needed to determine whether treatment of medical disease and depressive symptoms can improve sleep disturbances.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.23 no.1 s.29
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• pp.87-97
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• 1990

We followed up all the infants born to the married women under 50 years of age residing in Gunwee county, Kyungpook Province, between 1 April 1985 and 31 March 1987, and those born to the married women under 50 years residing in Hapchun County, Kyungnam Province, between 1 March 1987 and 28 February 1988, to their first birthday. Likewise, we followed up the infants born to the women who visited the MCH Center of South District Health Center in Taegu City for delivery between 1 April 1985 and 31 March 1987 to the 27th day after birth and obtained the infant mortality rate and the neonatal mortality rate, respectively. There were 17 infant deaths among 1,359 live births in Gunwee and Hapchun Counties and the infant mortality rate was 12.5 per 1,000 live births. Out of 17 infant deaths, 82.4 percent were neontal death and 17.6 percent were postnonatal deaths. Out of the 6,001 live births born to the women visited the MCH Center, 4,834 infants (80.6%) were followed up to the 27th day after birth. Of these 4,834 infants, 36 infants died before the 28th day after birth and thus the neonatal mortality rate was 7.4 per 1,000 live births. Comparison of the maternal characteristics and the birth weight between infants who were followed up and those who were lost to follow-up showed no significant differences. Assuming that the neonatal and postneounatal mortality ratio had been 6:4, the infant mortality rate for the infants born at the MCH Center would have been 12.3 per 1,000 live births. Taking such findings into consideration as the infant mortality rate observed in Gunwee and Hapchun Counties, the neonatal mortality rate at the MCH Center, the causes of infant deaths, and the low birth weight incidence rate, a conservative estimate of infant mortality rate of Korea would be between 12 and 15 per 1,000 live births in $1985{\sim}1988$.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.647-656
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• 2017

Purpose: This study investigated the relationship between vitamin D level and dyslipidemia in Korean adults aged 19 years and older. The data for analysis were obtained from the sixth Korea National Health Nutrition Examination Survey 2013 and 2014. Result: This study showed that 74.4% of the specified adult population had vitamin D deficiency. Moreover, the prevalence of dyslipidemia was found to be 39.6% in the same population. Dyslipidemia differed significantly according to gender (p<0.001), age (p<0.001), smoking status (p<0.001), subjective health status (p<0.001), BMI (p<0.001), blood pressure (p<0.001), FBS (p<0.001), physical activity (p<0.001), and vitamin D level (p<0.001). When vitamin D deficiency was less than 20.0 ng/mL, there was a significant risk of dyslipidemia with an odds ratio of 1.29 (95% Cl, 1.11-1.51). The relationship between vitamin D level and a diagnosis index of dyslipidemia with controlled status of physical activity was statistically significant; in Korean adults, the odds ratio for total cholesterol was 1.41 (95% CI, 1.04-1.81) and for triglyceride was 1.36 (95% CI, 1.11-1.66). Conclusion: Our results showed the relationship between vitamin D level and dyslipidemia was significant in Korean adults, and total cholesterol and triglycerides, which are indicators of dyslipidemia, was significant. Future studies, such as a more systematic cohort study investigating the relationship between vitamin D level and dyslipidemia may be helpful in confirming the causal relationship between vitamin D and dyslipidemia.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.88-97
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• 2003

Background : Although smoking is a major cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), only 10-20% of cigarette smokers develop symptomatic COPD, which suggests the presence of genetic susceptibility. This genetic susceptibility to COPD might depend on variations in the activities of the enzyme that detoxify hazardous chemical products, such as microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEPHX) and glutathione-S transferase M1 subunit (GSTM1) genes. Methods : The genotypes of 58 patients with COPD, and 79 age matched control subjects, were determined by a polymerase chain reaction, followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) for the mEPHX, and multiplex PCR for the GSTM1. Results : GSTM1 was deleted in 53.3% of the subjects. There was no difference in GSTM1 deletion rates between the COPD patients (32/58, 55.2%) and the control subjects (41/79, 51.9%). The combination patterns of two polymorphisms of mEPHX showed slow enzyme activity in 29(21.2%), normal in 73(53.3%) and fast in 32(23.4%). The COPD group (7/57, 12.3%) showed a significantly lower incidence of slow enzyme activity compared to the control subjects (22/77, 28.6%, p<0.05). However, when the COPD and control groups were compared with smokers only, there were no significant differences in the genotypes of GSTM1 and mEPHX. Conclusion : The genotypes of GSTM1 and mEPHX were not significant risk factors of COPD in this cohort of study.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.62 no.4
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• pp.270-275
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• 2007

The QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay and tuberculin skin test (TST) have been useful test for diagnosing latent tuberculosis infections (LTBI). However, there are few reports on the efficacy of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay and TST in evaluating the response after the treatment of LTBI. This study examined the changes in the TST and QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay before and after a treatment for latent tuberculosis in health care workers (HCWs) at a local tertiary hospital. Methods: A cohort of volunteers working as nurses and doctors who underwent a TST and QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay was established. The volunteers positive for the QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay had been treated with 3 months of isoniazid (INH) and rifampin (RFP). After completing treatment, the TST and QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay were repeated. Results: Of the 48 participants (14 doctors, 34 nurses, M: F=11:37, mean $age=29.9{\pm}5.5$ years, mean employment $period=74.9{\pm}64.3$ months), 19 (39.6%) tested positive to the TST (mean induration=$19.1{\pm}9.7mm$) and 8 (16.7%) were QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay. Among them, one had active pulmonary tuberculosis. Seven volunteers were consistently positive to both the TST and QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay after being medicated with INH and RFP for 3 months. Conclusion: TST and QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay are unsuitable for evaluating the treatment response of LTBI because they were consistently positive both before and after the anti-tuberculosis medication.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.131-138
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• 2013

Purpose: This study aimed to study the antibody response of Japanese encephalitis vaccination in children using different kinds of vaccines (inactivated vaccine, live attenuated vaccine or interchanged) and evaluate the effectiveness of the vaccines to provide the basis of efficient immunization schedule of Japanese encephalitis. Methods: Measurement of the neutralization antibody (NTAb) titers following Japanese encephalitis vaccination using different vaccines for 170 children, 2-6 year of age, who visited six university hospitals and are confirmed by immunization records. Results: Among 170 children who were given primary immunization on Japanese encephalitis, 103 children were given inactivated vaccine, 64 children were given live attenuated vaccine and 3 children were given interchangeably. NTAb titers were more than 1:10 in all children of three groups. The geographic mean antibody titer was 322 in inactivated vaccine group and 266 in live attenuated vaccine group. However, there was no significant difference between two groups. In both groups, the NTAb titer showed the peak at 1-4 months after the third immunization and declined. The NTAb titers of three children who were given two kinds of vaccines alternately were 1:135, 1:632, and 1:2511, respectively. Conclusion: According to the results of this study in children younger than 6 years old, there is no significant difference in effectiveness between inactivated and live attenuated vaccines. However, further studies for the changes of antibody titers for a longer period of time on larger population are required.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.205-216
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• 2016

Objectives: We compared the difference of lipid, insulin resistance and metabolic markers based on HCV RNA in Korean adults.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 222 subjects visited the health promotion center of Pusan nationaluniversity hospital from 2004 to 2007. Subjects were anti-HCV antibody positive and were performed RT-PCR for HCV RNA. The HCV RNA (+) group were 85 subjects, HCV RNA (-) control group were 115 subjects, and the HCV RNA (-) but past positive group were 22 subjects. We performed anthropometry, anti-HCV, RT-PCR, plasma concentrations of insulin, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride.Results: BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride, HDL cholesterol, insulin resistance such as HOMA-IR and QUICKI were not significantly different between HCV RNA positive and negative groups. The serum total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol level were significantly lower in the HCV RNA positive group than in the negative group ($186.24{\pm}37.63$ vs $197.22{\pm}37.23$ mg/dl, p=0.041, $111.66{\pm}34.06$ vs $121.38{\pm}35.50$ mg/dl, p=0.042). After adjusting age and sex, high total cholesterol (${\geq}200mg/dl$) (adjusted OR=0.51, 95%CI 0.28-0.94, p=0.03) and high LDL cholesterol (${\geq}130mg/dl$) (adjusted OR=0.46, 95%CI 0.24~0.87, p=0.02) were inversely associated with being HCV RNA positive (p<0.05). Conclusion: The serum total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol level were significantly lower in HCV RNA (+) group than in HCV RNA (-) group, but not in HCV RNA (-) but past positive group. Prospective cohort studies are needed to clarify the relationship between HCV RNA and metabolic markers.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.183-190
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• 2009

Purpose : To evaluate the number and severity of adverse reactions after Japanese Encephalitis (JE) vaccination in children using different vaccines (inactivated vaccine or live attenuated vaccine) and to determine the ability and safety of the vaccines to provide effective immunization for JE. Methods : From August 2006 to February 2007, we conducted a prospective cohort study of the adverse reactions associated with JE immunization in Korea. We investigated common adverse reactions during the 4 days following immunization using telephone collaborations with four public health centers and nine pediatric clinics. Results : The mean age of children receiving the inactivated vaccines and live attenuated vaccines, respectively, were 1.4 y (range: 1 to 8.5) and 1.7 y (range: 1 to 8.3). The number of children that received the inactivated vaccines was 425 (64.6%). A total of 233 (35.4%) received the live attenuated vaccines. Fourteen children (3.3%) had more than one localized adverse event with the inactivated vaccine, and six (2.6%) had more than one event with the live attenuated vaccine (P =0.607). Systemic adverse reactions occurred in 5.2% vs. 8.2%, respectively, of these groups (P =0.131). Fever was more common in the live attenuated vaccine group than in the inactivated vaccine group on the day of vaccination (P =0.026). Conclusions : The rate of adverse events in our study was even lower than that previously reported. No significant difference in outcomes between inactivated vaccine and live attenuated vaccine was found in JE-immunized children. Fever was more common in the live attenuated vaccine group than in the inactivated vaccine group on the day of vaccination.