• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.306-309
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• 2005

Purpose : The aim of study is to investigate the clinical manifestations and the etiology of markedly-elevated serum alkaline phosphatase(ALP) levels in children without accompanying liver or bone disease. Methods : The serum ALP and other biochemical laboratory data of 4,989 patients attending the pediatric department of Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital between January 2002 to December 2002 were studied. The subjects' ages ranged from 4 months to 14 years. Among them, serum ALP levels were markedly elevated over 1,000 IU/L in 114 children. Among those 114 children, 97 children without liver or bone disease were reviewed retrospectively. Results : Of the 114 children with serum ALP activity of over 1,000 IU/L, 97(85.8 percent) children had neither liver or bone disease. The average ALP activity level was $1,539{\pm}948IU/L$. The male : female ratio was 1 : 0.7. Forty-four children(45.3 percent) were between 4 months to 1-year-old, 19 children(19.3 percent) were between 1- to 2-year-old. We observed a seasonal clustering of cases in during October with 10 cases(10.2 percent) and in during December with 11 cases(11.3 percent). The most common clinical presentation was respiratory tract infection in 25 cases(26.9 percent), and acute gastroenteritis in 17 cases(17.5 percent). Forty-four cases had follow-up ALP activity level, 1 month later and the activity decreased under 1,000 IU/L in 37 cases(84 percent). Conclusion : Hyperphosphatasemia is a benign and transient phenomenon. If there are no clinical and laboratory abnormalities of liver and bone, we suggest monitoring monitor the high serum ALP level 1 month later. If decreased, it seems that it is not necessary for specific examinations to exclude other diseases of malignant condition.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.3-7
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• 2010

Purpose: The usefulness of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) images in diagnosis, staging, recurrent and treatment response evaluation has already been known. However, tumors which are small size, located in lower lobe of lung or upper lobe of liver are shown misalignment, distortion and different Standard Uptake Value (SUV) by respiration in PET images. Therefore, if radiotherapy based on normal respiration, it may cause low treatment response or more side effects because targets which had to treat, out of treat range or over dose to normal tissue. The purpose of this study is to evaluate attenuation-correction with Average CT (ACT) for more accuracy SUV measurement and minimize artifact by respiration. Materials and Methods: 13 patients, who had tumors which are around the diaphragm, underwent ACT scan after Helical CT (HCT) scan with PET/CT (Discovery DSTE 8; GE Healthcare). We quantified the differences between attenuation corrected image with HCT and attenuation corrected image with ACT in artifact size and maximum SUV ($SUV_{max}$). Artifacts were evaluated by measurement of the curved photogenic area in the lower thorax of the PET images for all patients. $SUV_{max}$ was measured separately at the primary tumors. Analysis program was Advantage Workstation v4.3 (GE Healthcare). Patients were injected with 7.4 MBq (0.2 $mC_i$) per kg of $^{18}F$-FDG and scanned 1 hour after injection. The PET acquisition was 3 minute per bed. Results: Significantly lower artifact were observed in PET/ACT images than in PET/HCT images (below-thoracic artifacts caused by under corrected $1.5{\pm}3.5$ cm vs. $13.4{\pm}4.2$ cm). Significantly higher $SUV_{max}$ were noted in PET/ACT images than in PET/HCT images in the primary tumor. Compared with PET/HCT images, $SUV_{max}$ in PET/ACT images were higher by $5.3{\pm}3.9%$ (mean value) tumor. The highest difference was observed in Lower lobe of lung (7.7 to 8.7; 13%). Conclusion: Due to its significantly reduced artifacts in lower thoracic, attenuation corrected image with ACT images provided more reliable $SUV_{max}$ and may be helpful in monitoring treatment response. Moreover, ACT can separate upper lobe of liver and lower lobe of lung, it may be helpful in interpretation. ACT will be clinically useful, considering increased dose caused by ACT scan and adapt.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.30 no.3 s.58
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• pp.585-598
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• 1997

Background : Although there are growing concerns about the adverse health effect of air pollution, not much evidence on health effect of current air pollution level had been accumulated yet in Korea. This study was designed to evaluate the chronic health effect of ai. pollution using Korean Medical Insurance Corporation (KMIC) data and air quality data. Medical insurance data in Korea have some drawback in accuracy, but they do have some strength especially in their national coverage, in having unified ID system and individual information which enables various data linkage and chronic health effect study. Method : This study utilized the data of Korean Environmental Surveillance System Study (Surveillance Study), which consist of asthma, acute bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), cardiovascular diseases (congestive heart failure and ischemic heart disease), all cancers, accidents and congenital anomaly, i. e., mainly potential environmental diseases. We reconstructed a nested case-control study wit5h Surveillance Study data and air pollution data in Korea. Among 1,037,210 insured who completed? questionnaire and physical examination in 1992, disease free (for chronic respiratory disease and cancer) persons, between the age of 35-64 with smoking status information were selected to reconstruct cohort of 564,991 persons. The cohort was followed-up to 1995 (1992-5) and the subjects who had the diseases in Surveillance Study were selected. Finally, the patients, with address information and available air pollution data, left to be 'final subjects' Cases were defined to all lung cancer cases (424) and COPD admission cases (89), while control groups are determined to all other patients than two case groups among 'final subjects'. That is, cases are putative chronic environmental diseases, while controls are mainly acute environmental diseases. for exposure, Air quality data in 73 monitoring sites between 1991 - 1993 were analyzed to surrogate air pollution exposure level of located areas (58 areas). Five major air pollutants data, TSP, $O_3,\;SO_2$, CO, NOx was available and the area means were applied to the residents of the local area. 3-year arithmetic mean value, the counts of days violating both long-term and shot-term standards during the period were used as indices of exposure. Multiple logistic regression model was applied. All analyses were performed adjusting for current and past smoking history, age, gender. Results : Plain arithmetic means of pollutants level did not succeed in revealing any relation to the risk of lung cancer or COPD, while the cumulative counts of non-at-tainment days did. All pollutants indices failed to show significant positive findings with COPD excess. Lung cancer risks were significantly and consistently associated with the increase of $O_3$ and CO exceedance counts (to corrected error level -0.017) and less strongly and consistently with $SO_2$ and TSP. $SO_2$ and TSP showed weaker and less consistent relationship. $O_3$ and CO were estimated to increase the risks of lung cancer by 2.04 and 1.46 respectively, the maximal probable risks, derived from comparing more polluted area (95%) with cleaner area (5%). Conclusions : Although not decisive due to potential misclassication of exposure, these results wert drawn by relatively conservative interpretation, and could be used as an evidence of chronic health effect especially for lung cancer. $O_3$ might be a candidate for promoter of lung cancer, while CO should be considered as surrogated measure of motor vehicle emissions. The control selection in this study could have been less appropriate for COPD, and further evaluation with another setting might be necessary.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.785-795
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• 1997

Background : Tumor markers have been used in diagnosis, predicting the extent of disease, monitoring recurrence after therapy and prediction of prognosis. But the utility of markers in lung cancer has been limited by low sensitivity and specificity. TPA-M is recently developed marker using combined monoclonal antibody of Cytokeratin 8, 18, and 19. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of new tumor marker, TPA-M by comparing the estabilished markers SCC, CEA, Cyfra21-1 in lung cancer. Method : An immunoradiometric assay of serum CEA, sec, Cyfra21-1, and TPA-M was performed in 49 pathologically confirmed lung cancer patients who visited Keimyung University Hospital from April 1996 to August 1996, and 29 benign lung diseases. Commercially available kits, Ab bead CEA (Eiken) to CEA, SCC RIA BEAD (DAINABOT) to SCC, CA2H (TFB) to Cyfra2H. and TPA-M (DAIICHI) to TPA-M were used for this study. Results : The mean serum values of lung cancer group and control group were $10.05{\pm}38.39{\mu}/L$, $1.59{\pm}0.94{\mu}/L$ in CEA, $3.04{\pm}5.79{\mu}/L$, $1.58{\pm}2.85{\mu}/L$ in SCC, $8.27{\pm}11.96{\mu}/L$, $1.77{\pm}2.72{\mu}/L$ in Cyfra21-1, and $132.02{\pm}209.35\;U/L$, $45.86{\pm}75.86\;U/L$ in TPA-M respectively. Serum values of Cyfra21-1 and TPA-M in lung cancer group were higher than control group (p<0.05). Using cutoff value recommended by the manufactures, that is $2.5{\mu}/L$ in CEA, $3.0{\mu}/L$ in Cyfra21-1, 70.0 U/L in TPA-M, and $2.0{\mu}/L$ in SCC, sensitivity and specificity of lung cancer were 33.3%, 78.6% in CEA, 50.0%, 89.7% in Cyfra21-1, 52.3%, 89.7% in TPA-M, 23.8%, 89.3% in SCC. Sensitivity and specificity of nonsmall cell lung cancer were 36.1%, 78.1% in CEA, 50.1%, 89.7% in Cyfra21-1, 53.1%, 89.7% in TPA-M, 33.8%, 89.3% in SCC. Sensitivity and specificity of small cell lung cancer were 25.0%, 78.5% in CEA, 50.0%, 89.6% in Cyfra21-1, 50.0%, 89.6% in TPA-M, 0%, 89.2% in SCC. Cutoff value according to ROC(Receiver operating characteristics) curve was $1.25{\mu}/L$ in CEA, $1.5{\mu}/L$ in Cyfra2-1, 35 U/L in TPA-M, $0.6{\mu}/L$ in SCC. With this cutoff value, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and kappa index of Cyfra21-1 and TPA-M were better than CEA and SCC. SCC only was related with statistic significance to TNM stages, dividing to operable stages(TNM stage I to IIIA) and inoperable stages (IIIB and IV) (p<0.05). But no tumor markers showed any correlation with significance with tumor size(p>0.05). Conclusion : Serum TPA-M and Cyfra21-1 shows higher sensitivity and specificity than CEA and SCC in overall lung cancer and nonsmall cell lung cancer those were confirmed pathologically. SCC has higher specificity in nonsmall cell lung cancer. And the level of serum sec are signiticantly related with TNM staging.