The nutrition transition in South Korea

BACKGROUND: An accelerating shift from infectious to noncommunicable diseases and concurrent shifts in diet, activity, and body composition are universal trends but are especially apparent in middle- and lower-income countries. A unique nutrition transition has occurred in South Korea, a country that modernized earlier than most Asian countries did. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this analysis was to describe the South Korean nutrition transition, focusing on specific features that other countries might follow to retain the healthful elements of their traditional diets. DESIGN: We used secondary data on economics, dietary intake, anthropometry, and causes of death, including a series of comparable nationally representative dietary surveys (the National Nutrition Survey). RESULTS: The structure of South Korea's economy, along with the country's dietary and disease patterns, began an accelerated shift in the 1970s. Major dietary changes included a large increase in the consumption of animal food products and a fall in total cereal intake. Uniquely, the amount and rate of increase in fat intake have remained low in South Korea. South Korea also has a relatively low prevalence of obesity compared with other Asian countries with similar or much lower incomes. CONCLUSIONS: The nutrition transition in South Korea is unique. National efforts to retain elements of the traditional diet are thought to have shaped this transition in South Korea in the midst of rapid economic growth and the introduction of Western culture.     

Comparing sulindac with indomethacin for closure of ductus arteriosus in preterm infants

Objectives: A prospective study comparing the efficiacy and side-effects of oral sulindac with intravenous indomethacin in clinically stable preterm infants (<1750 g) requiring non-invasive closure of haemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus.
Methodology: As maturity and birthweight are the two major determinants of ductal closure, infants were matched as closely as possible for these parameters. An eligible patient was first assigned to the sulindac group and a subsequent patient with similar gestational age (± 1 week) and birthweight (±100 g) to the previously recruited infant would automatically receive indomethacin. A total of eight infants were enrolled in each group.
Results: The ductus arteriosus was successfully closed in all eight infants receiving indomethacin, and in seven of eight infants receiving sulindac. No significant differences were found with regards to the ductal size between the two groups at diagnosis or on each of the consecutive days of treatment ( P >0.25). More renal adverse effects were encountered in the indomethacin group. Significant differences in changes from baseline value for urine output, plasma sodium, urea and creatinine concentrations were noted at 24, 48 and 72 h after commencement of treatment between the two groups ( P <0.05). All the parameters returned to normal or pre-treatment levels 48 h after stopping therapy. Unexpectedly, severe gastrointestinal complications were encountered in the sulindac group.
Conclusions: Sulindac is capable of promoting ductal constriction in clinically stable preterm infants without compromising the renal function. The spectrum of gastrointestinal complications observed in sulindac treated infants were similar to those described for indomethacin. The use of sulindac for ductal closure in the preterm infant should remain experimental.     

Fatal meningoencephalitis due to Bacillus anthracis

Abstract: We report the first case of fatal anthrax meningoencephalitis in Hong Kong over the past 60 years. A 13 year-old boy presented with right lower quadrant pain, diarrhoea and progressive headache. Lumbar puncture yielded gram positive bacilli initially thought to be Bacillus cereus, a contaminant. He was treated with ampicillin and cefotaxime, but died 3 days after hospitalization. The organism isolated from blood and cerebrospinal fluid was later identified as Bacillus anthracis.     

Dietary retinoids and carotenoids in rodent models of mammary tumorigenesis

In this review of the scientific literature the relationship between retinoids, carotenoids, and mammary carcinogenesis is examined. Several retinoids have shown promise as chemopreventive agents against chemically induced mammary carcinogenesis in mice and especially in rats. The most promising retinoids are retinyl acetate (RA) and N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (4-HPR, fenretinide). In rats, dietary administration of these retinoids reduced tumor incidence and multiplicity, and increased the latency of DMBA or MNU-induced mammary cancers. In mice, 4-HPR reduced the number of hyperplastic alveolar nodules and the number of tumors in MTV- and MTV+ mice, respectively. Among retinoids, 4-HPR is at present the most promising analogue, due to its ability to concentrate in the mammary gland. The combination of 4-HPR with tamoxifen not only is more effective in suppressing breast cancer than either agent alone, but also inhibits the appearance of subsequent cancers following the surgical removal of the first tumor. These studies suggest that retinoids, like tamoxifen, may be applicable to the prevention of contralateral breast cancer in women who underwent breast cancer surgery. It is also becoming evident that differentiation therapy and chemoprevention can become attractive alternative approaches to intensive cytotoxic chemotherapy. The role of carotenoids in the prevention of mammary carcinogenesis, however, is ambiguous. Poor absorption and low levels of carotenoids that reach the target tissues complicate interpretation of data in rodent models of mammary carcinogenesis. Very few animal studies are presently available in which purified carotenoids were found effective against mammary carcinogenesis. These results do not justify undertaking clinical evaluation of individual carotenoids against breast cancer at this time.     

Dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging of bacterial abscess and VX2 carcinoma in rabbits: comparison of gadopentetate dimeglumine and a macromolecular contrast agent

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare enhancement patterns of a blood-pool contrast agent, Gadomer-17, with those of gadopentetate dimeglumine in bacterial abscesses and VX2 carcinoma in rabbits. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fourteen rabbits with experimentally induced bacterial abscesses and VX2 carcinoma in both thighs underwent dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging with Gadomer-17 and gadopentetate dimeglumine at a 24-hr interval. The enhancement ratios (postcontrast to precontrast signal intensities) of lesions in the same animal were assessed and correlated with microvessel density. RESULTS: For Gadomer-17, the enhancement ratio of the abscesses (1.66 +/- 0.39) peaked 15 min after the injection, while that of the carcinoma (2.05 +/- 0.16) peaked at 10 min. The enhancement ratios of the carcinoma were consistently higher than those of the abscesses up to 30 min. For gadopentetate dimeglumine, peak enhancement ratio of the abscesses (2.30 +/- 0.75) was seen 5 min after the injection, while that of the carcinoma (2.32 +/- 0.51) was seen at 3 min. The enhancement ratios of the carcinomas were significantly higher at 1 min, but significantly lower at 20-30 min, compared with those of the abscesses, as a result of rapid decrease of enhancement ratios in the carcinomas. The microvessel density was 9.8 +/- 5.2 vessels per field of view for the abscesses and 36.3 +/- 9.5 vessels per field of view for the carcinoma (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Delayed peak enhancement and slow decay were found in both bacterial abscess and VX2 carcinoma with Gadomer-17, whereas early peak enhancement and rapid decay were found especially in VX2 carcinoma with gadopentetate dimeglumine. Enhancement ratios on MR imaging with a blood-pool contrast agent correlated well with the microvessel density in bacterial abscess and VX2 carcinoma.     

A co-operative study: clinical characteristics of 334 Korean patients with moyamoya disease treated at neurosurgical institutes (1976-1994). The Korean Society for Cerebrovascular Disease

A co-operative study was conducted to determine the clinical characteristics of patients with moyamoya disease who were diagnosed and treated at neurosurgical institutes in Korea before 1995. Twenty-six hospitals contributed 505 cases and among them, the clinical characteristics of 334 patients with definite moyamoya disease were evaluated. The number of patients began to increase from the late 1980s, and after that approximately 20 patients were treated each year. There were two age peaks: from six to 15 and from 31 to 40 years of age. Haemorrhagic manifestations occurred in approximately 43% of the patients. The major clinical manifestations were haemorrhage in adults (62.4%) and ischaemia in children (61.2%). Overall 54.5% of the patients experienced decreased consciousness levels, mainly due to intracranial haemorrhage or cerebral infarction. In the patients with ischemic manifestations, the adult patients were more likely to have cerebral infarction than the pediatric patients (80% vs. 39%) and the pediatric patients were more likely to have TIA (61% vs. 25%). Thirty eight percent of the patients underwent bypass surgery and 53% of these procedures were performed bilaterally. Treatment policies, including indications for bypass surgery and commonly used drugs, were somewhat different according to the institution. Overall favorable outcome was 73%, and the most significant factor affecting poor outcome was haemorrhagic manifestation. This article describes the characteristics of 334 patients with moyamoya disease, who were diagnosed and treated at neurosurgical institutes in Korea before 1995.     

Value of lying-down nystagmus in the lateralization of horizontal semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

BACKGROUND: Horizontal canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is characterized by horizontal direction-changing nystagmus induced by lateral head turning in supine position. According to Ewald's second law, the direction of head turning that creates a stronger response represents the affected side in geotropic nystagmus and the healthy side in apogeotropic nystagmus. However, it may not always be possible to lateralize the involved ear only by comparing the intensity of the nystagmus. We studied the values of nystagmus induced by position change from sitting to supine in the lateralization of horizontal canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. METHODS: A retrospective study of 54 patients who had been diagnosed as having horizontal canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo at the Dizziness Clinic of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital from May 2003 to February 2004 was performed. The directions of the nystagmus induced by lying down were compared with those determined by Ewald's second law. RESULTS: Of the 54 patients, 32 (20 apogeotropic and 12 geotropic) showed horizontal nystagmus induced by lying down. The nystagmus tended to be ipsilesional in apogeotropic patients (80%) and contralesional in their geotropic counterparts (75%). CONCLUSION: In horizontal canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, lying-down nystagmus mostly beats toward the involved ear in the apogeotropic type and directs to the healthy ear in the geotropic type. The direction of lying-down nystagmus may help lateralizing the involved ear in horizontal canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.     

Effect of a structured asthma education program on hospitalized asthmatic children: A randomized controlled study

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of an intensive asthma education program (group B) with that of a standard asthma education program (group A). METHODS: A prospective randomized single blinded study was conducted in the pediatric department of a public hospital in Hong Kong. Children aged 2-15 years admitted to the pediatric department with an acute attack of asthma were recruited. A standard asthma education program (group A) or an intensive asthma education program (group B) for children were offered. The main outcome measures include the number of visits to the emergency department and the number of hospitalization for asthma during the 3 month follow-up period. RESULTS: A total of 45 children were in group A and 55 in group B. Group B had statistically significant reductions in the number of visits to the emergency department and the number of hospitalizations. Drug compliance was also significantly improved in group B. Parents' satisfaction rate was also higher in group B. CONCLUSION: The intensive asthma education program might be more cost effective than the standard asthma education program in the management of asthmatic children admitted to hospital in Hong Kong.     

Induction of apoptotic cell death in human bladder cancer cells by ethanol extract of Zanthoxylum schinifolium leaf,through ROS-dependent inactivation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVESZanthoxylum schinifolium is traditionally used as a spice for cooking in East Asian countries. This study was undertaken to evaluate the anti-proliferative potential of ethanol extracts of Z. schinifolium leaves (EEZS) against human bladder cancer T24 cells.MATERIALS/METHODSSubsequent to measuring the cytotoxicity of EEZS, the anti-cancer activity was measured by assessing apoptosis induction, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). In addition, we determined the underlying mechanism of EEZS-induced apoptosis through various assays, including Western blot analysis.RESULTSEEZS treatment concentration-dependently inhibited T24 cell survival, which is associated with apoptosis induction. Exposure to EEZS induced the expression of Fas and Fas-ligand, activated caspases, and subsequently resulted to cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. EEZS also enhanced the expression of cytochrome c in the cytoplasm by suppressing MMP, following increase in the ratio of Bax:Bcl-2 expression and truncation of Bid. However, EEZS-mediated growth inhibition and apoptosis were significantly diminished by a pan-caspase inhibitor. Moreover, EEZS inhibited activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway, and the apoptosis-inducing potential of EEZS was promoted in the presence of PI3K/Akt inhibitor. In addition, EEZS enhanced the production of ROS, whereas N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), a ROS scavenger, markedly suppressed growth inhibition and inactivation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway induced by EEZS. Furthermore, NAC significantly attenuated the EEZS-induced apoptosis and reduction of cell viability.CONCLUSIONSTaken together, our results indicate that exposure to EEZS exhibits anti-cancer activity in T24 bladder cancer cells through ROS-dependent induction of apoptosis and inactivation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.