• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.118-128
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• 2016

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to examine the status of children and adolescents with regard to enrollment in private medical insurance (PMI) and to investigate its influence on their utilization of medical services. Methods: The present study assessed 2973 subjects younger than 19 years of age who participated in five consecutive Korea Health Panel surveys from 2009 to 2012. Results: At the initial assessment, less than 20% of the study population had not enrolled in any PMI program, but this proportion decreased over time. Additionally, the number of subjects with more than two policies increased, the proportions of holders of indemnity-type only ('I'-only) and of fixed amount+indemnity-type ('F+I') increased, whereas the proportion of holders with fixed amount-type only ('F'-only) decreased. Compared with subjects without private insurance, PMI policyholders were more likely to use outpatient and emergency services, and the number of policies was proportionately related to inpatient service utilization. Regarding outpatient care, subjects with 'F'-only PMI used these services more often than did uninsured subjects (odds ratio [OR], 1.69), whereas subjects with 'I'-only PMI or 'F+I' PMI utilized a broad range of inpatient, outpatient, and emergency services relative to uninsured subjects (ORs for 'I'-only: 1.39, 1.63, and 1.38, respectively; ORs for 'F+I': 1.67, 2.09, and 1.37, respectively). Conclusions: The findings suggest public policy approaches to standardizing PMI contracts, reform in calculation of premiums in PMI, re-examination regarding indemnity insurance products, and mutual control mechanisms to mediate between national health insurance services and private insurers are required.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.30
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• pp.15.1-15.11
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• 2015

Objectives There has been a growing concern about the possible carcinogenic effects of the electromagnetic radiofrequency fields emitted from mobile phones. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between mobile phone use and the development of gliomas in Korea. Methods Our study methods were based on the International Interphone study that aimed to evaluate possible adverse effects of mobile phone use. This study included 285 histologically-confirmed Korean patients 15 to 69 years of age, with gliomas diagnosed between 2002 and 2007 in 9 hospitals. The 285 individually matched controls were healthy individuals that had their medical check-up in the same hospitals. Unconditional logistic regression was used to calculate the adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for use of mobile phones. Results For the entire group, no significant relationship was investigated between gliomas and regular use of mobile phones, types of mobile phones, lifetime years of use, monthly service fee, and the other exposure indices. Analyses restricted to self-respondents showed similar results. For ipsilateral users, whose the body side for usual mobile phone use match the location of glioma, the aORs (95% CIs) for lifetime years of use and cumulative hours of use were 1.25 (0.55 to 2.88) and 1.77 (0.32 to 1.84), respectively. However, the contralateral users showed slightly lower risk than ipsilateral users. Conclusions Our results do not support the hypothesis that the use of mobile phones increases the risk of glioma; however, we found a non-significant increase in risk among ipsilateral users. These findings suggest further evaluation for glioma risk among longterm mobile phone users.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.23
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• pp.10501-10504
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• 2015

Background: Colon cancer is the second most common cancer in developed countries. Activated platelets play a key role in inflammation and atherothrombosis, with mean platelet volume (MPV) is an early marker of platelet activation. The aim of the study was to clarify the relevance of MPV in patients with colon cancer. Materials and Methods: We measured MPV levels in 128 patients with colon cancer before and after surgery, and 128 controls matched for age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and smoking status. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for colon cancer were calculated using multivariate logistic regression analyses across MPV quartiles. Results: Patients with colon cancer had higher MPV compared with controls. Surgical tumor resection resulted in a significant decrease in MPV levels (11.4 fL vs 10.7 fL; p<0.001). A positive correlation between MPV and tumor-nodule-metastases (TNM) stage was found. Furthermore, after adjusting for other risk factors, the ORs (95%CIs) for colon cancer according to MPV quartiles were 1.000, 2.238 (1.014-4.943), 3.410 (1.528-7.613), and 5.379 (2.372-12.198), respectively. Conclusions: The findings show that patients with colon cancer have higher MPV levels compared with controls, and these are reduced after surgery. In addition, MPV was found to be independently associated with the presence of colon cancer. Further studies are warranted to assess the utility of MPV as a novel diagnostic screening tool for colon cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.16
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• pp.6923-6928
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• 2014

In recent years, mounting evidence has indicated that the CCND1 G870A gene polymorphism, which impacts the mitotic cell cycle, may influence leukemia or non-Hodgkin lymphoma risk. Unfortunately, the previous results were inconsistent. Therefore, a meta-analysis was performed to obtain a more precise estimation of any association. We conducted a search in PubMed, Embase and CNKI covering all published papers up to March, 2014. A total of 9 publications including 10 case-control studies met the inclusion criteria. Odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were applied to assess association. The pooled ORs showed significant association in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (comparison A vs G: OR= 1.114, 95%CI=1.053-1.179, p=0.000; homozygote comparison AA vs GG: OR=1.245, 95%CI=1.110-1.396, p=0.000; heterozygote comparison AG vs GG: OR=1.095, 95%CI=1.000-1.199, p=0.05; dominant model AA/GA vs GG: OR=1.137, 95%CI=1.043-1.239, p=0.003; and recessive model AA vs GA/GG: OR=1.177, 95%CI=1.066-1.301, p=0.001). However, there was no association between the CCND1 G870A polymorphism and leukemia risk. In conclusion, the CCND1 G870A polymorphism may increase risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but not leukemia. However, more primary large scale and well-designed studies are still required to evaluate the interaction of CCND1 G870A polymorphism with leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma risk.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.60-65
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• 2011

Regional differences between large cities and rural areas are observed in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). This present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary factors on hypertension risk in Korean populations, especially residents of the Chungcheong province which was not in metropolitan area, using KNHANES III. A total of 544 adults aged ${\geq}$ 19 years were placed into either the normotensive or the hypertensive group. Subject characteristics, BMI, blood pressure, and nutrient intakes were compared between the two groups using a chi-square test and t-test. We estimated odds ratios (ORs) using multiple logistic regression, adjusted for energy intake and selected covariates. There were significant differences in age, education level, alcohol consumption, and BMI between the normotensive and hypertensive groups. We found decreased ORs for the medium versus lowest tertile of calcium intake (multivariate OR=0.43, 95% CI: 0.21-0.88), for the highest versus lowest tertile of calcium intake (multivariate OR=0.43, 95% CI: 0.20-0.90) with significant trends in risk (P=0.040), and for the medium versus lowest tertile of potassium intake (multivariate OR=0.43, 95% CI: 0.20-0.89). Subjects with the highest sodium/calcium ratio had a 2.10-fold greater risk of hypertension compared to the subject with the lowest, with significant trends in risk (P=0.002). Adequate calcium and potassium intake should be encouraged and regional differences should be considered in making a healthy plan for hypertension management.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.787-792
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• 2015

Background: Non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) is a heterogeneous group of malignancies, originating in the lymphatic organs, whose incidence is increasing in developed as well as developing countries. Epidemiological evidence suggests that aspirin may reduce the incidence and mortality of several cancers. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the potential relationship between using aspirin and development of NHL with a meta-analysis. Materials and Methods: A total of 7 studies were included. Outcome was calculated and reported as odds ratios (ORs). Heterogeneity was assessed with Cochrane Q and $I^2$ statistics. Dissemination bias was evaluated by funnel plot visualization and trim-and-fill analysis. Results: Our analysis showed OR of developing NHL overall of 1(95% CI: 0.87-1.16, p=0.9), and in females this was 0.81 (95%CI: 0.72-.92, p=0.001) and in males 1.01 (95%CI: 0.82-1.26, p=0.86). The odds ratio (OR) of chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) was 0.85 (95%CI: 0.75-0.97, p=0.02), The ORs of follicular lymphoma (FL) and large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in individuals exposed to aspirin were 1.12 (95%CI: 0.86-1.45, p=0.37) and 1.03 (95%CI: 0.9-1.19, p=0.6) respectively. Conclusions: In conclusion, individuals taking aspirin do not demonstrate any change in risk of Non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.523-528
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• 2013

Background: The possibility that electromagnetic fields (EMF) exposure may increase male breast cancer risk has been discussed for a long time. However, arguments have been presented that studies limited by poor quality could have led to statistically significant results by chance or bias. Moreover, data fo the last 10 years have not been systematically summarized. Methods and Results: To confirm any possible association, a meta-analysis was performed by a systematic search strategy. Totals of 7 case-control and 11 cohort studies was identified and pooled ORs with 95% CIs were used as the principal outcome measures. Data from these studies were extracted with a standard meta-analysis procedure and grouped in relation to study design, cut-off point, exposure assessment method, adjustment and exposure model. A statistical significant increased risk of male breast cancer with EMF exposure was defined (pooled ORs = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.14-1.52, P < 0.001), and subgroup analyses also showed similar results. Conclusions: This meta-analysis suggests that EMF exposure may be associated with the increase risk of male breast cancer despite the arguments raised.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.349-357
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• 2010

We have examined the histological changes of skin during hair follicle growth after depilation in C57BL/6N mice. We first studied on histological changes of number of mast cells and thickness of skin during hair follicle growth periods (telogen, 1 day, 3 day, 5 day, 10 day, 14 day, 17 day and 21 day after depilation) by toluidine blue, Giemsa and H&E staining methods. We second studied immunoreactive density of cytokines and Brdu labeled cells in skin during hair follicle growth periods after depilation in C57BL/6N mice by immunohistochemical methods. The histological changes on skin thickness was increased from telogen to 14 day. The number of mast cells was decreased in 3,5 and 10 day and increased in 14, 17 and 20 day after depilation. Immunoreactive density of cytokines [protein kinase C-${\alpha}$ (PKC-${\alpha}$), c-kit, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)] in 1, 3, 5, 10, and 14 day after depilation was mildly stained in bulge and cutaneous trunci m., but immunoreactive density of cytokines in 17 and 21 day was heavily stained in epidermis, bulge, outer root sheath (ORS), inner root sheath (IRS) and cutaneous trunci m.. Immunoreactive density of Brdu labeled cells in skin in 1 and 3 day was heavily stained in bulge, epidermis and connective tissue under the cutaneous trunci m.. In all periods, immunoreactive density of Brdu labeled cells in skin was heavily stained in bulge, subcutaneous tissue, cutaneous trunci m, ORS and IRS. These experiments suggest that histological changes related to hair follicle growth elevated mast cell counts, skin thickness and epidermis thickness and heavily stained immunoreactive density of cytokines and Brdu labeled cutaneous trunci m. and connective tissue under the cutaneous trunci m. after depilation in C57BL/6N mice.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.485-492
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• 2006

Objectives : To measure the distribution of electrocardiographic ST segment depression, and evaluate its relationships with cardiovascular risk factors based on the cross-sectional studies within a rural Korean community Methods : This study analyzed 1,343 persons, over 40 years old, who participated in a baseline survey during 2002-2005; the exclusion criteria included: a past history of myocardial infarction and angina pectoris, and specific conduction abnormalities. A Standard 12 leads ECG was recorded using an FCP-2101 (Fukuda Denshi Co.). The ST segment depression was retrospectively measured by a physician, according to the Minnesota code classification. Results : ST segment depression was found in 3.6 and 6.4% of male and female participants, respectively. After adjusting for age, gender, smoking, physical activity and obesity differences, high blood pressure showed significant relations with ST depression in females (male ORs=2.67, 95% CI=0.85-8.50; female ORs=2.62, 95% CI=1.29-5.32) Conclusions : As an ischemic ECG sign, ST depression was related to hypertension in female participants. This relationship remained significant, even after cases with left ventricular hypertrophy were removed.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.4077-4080
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• 2015

The chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) has been widely used in diagnosis and prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, there is no current consensus on the impact of CXCR4 on CRC patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic and clinicopathological importance of CXCR4 in CRC patients. Databases, such as PubMed, Cochrane library, CBM and EMBASE updated to 2014 were searched to include eligible articles. We analysed correlations between CXCR4 expression and clinicopathological features and overall survival (OS). A total of 1, 055 CRC patients from twelve studies were included in the study. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) which indicated CXCR4 expression was likely to be associated with TNM stage (OR=0.43, CI=0.34-0.55, P<0.00001), lymph node status (OR=2.23, CI=1.23-4.05, P=0.008) and vascular invasion (OR=2.21, CI=1.11-4.39, P=0.02). Poor overall survival of CRC cancer was found to be significantly related to CXCR4 overexpression (hazard ratio (HR) 1.36 CI=1.17-1.59, P<0.0001), whereas combined ORs revealed that CXCR4 expression had no correlation with gender or differentiation. Based on the published studies, CXCR4 overexpression in patients w ith CRC indicates poor survival outcome and clinicopathological factors.