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Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is the most prevalent form of glomerulonephritis worldwide. Prediction of disease progression in IgAN can help to provide individualized treatment based on accurate risk stratification. Methods: We performed proton nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomics analyses of serum and urine samples from healthy controls, non-progressor (NP), and progressor (P) groups to identify metabolic profiles of IgAN disease progression. Metabolites that were significantly different between the NP and P groups were selected for pathway analysis. Subsequently, we analyzed multivariate area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to evaluate the predictive power of metabolites associated with IgAN progression. Results: We observed several distinct metabolic fingerprints of the P group involving the following metabolic pathways: glycolipid metabolism; valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis; aminoacyl-transfer RNA biosynthesis; glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism; and glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism. In multivariate ROC analyses, the combinations of serum glycerol, threonine, and proteinuria (area under the curve [AUC], 0.923; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.667–1.000) and of urinary leucine, valine, and proteinuria (AUC, 0.912; 95% CI, 0.667–1.000) showed the highest discriminatory ability to predict IgAN disease progression. Conclusion: This study identified serum and urine metabolites profiles that can aid in the identification of progressive IgAN and proposed perturbed metabolic pathways associated with the identified metabolites.
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Objectives@#Nicotine stimulates release of neurotransmitters that regulate the sleep-wake cycle and thereby leads to insomnia. Smoking is associated with upper airway distress; however, its role in severe sleep-related breathing disorders remains controversial. In this study, we investigated the effects of smoking on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). @*Methods@#We investigated 1,163 patients diagnosed with OSA who underwent polysomnography between March 2020 and July 2022. We recorded details including smoking status (current, former, and non-smoker), demographics, questionnaire-related data, and polysomnography findings and performed univariate analysis to compare these variables between smokers and non-smokers. We also analyzed the correlation between smoking status and OSA severity. The risk of smoking on the severity of OSA was determined using logistic regression analysis. @*Results@#Current and former smokers included 461 male (49.1%) and 10 female (4.4%) (p=0.001). Smokers had a high apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and oxygen desaturation index (ODI) (p15, odds ratio 1.33, p=0.04), and AHI was independent of smoking. @*Conclusions@#Controversy regarding the severity of OSA with smoking has currently not been definitively determined. However, our results provide new evidence to support the association between smoking and the ODI, which few studies have investigated to date.
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Purpose@#This study aimed to understand the current status of global health curricula and characteristics in nursing schools, focusing on the changes since 2015. @*Methods@#Data were collected from the websites of 202 nursing schools nationwide in Korea. Global health curricula were analyzed using a structured framework developed by the authors. @*Results@#Among 202 nursing schools, 173 (85.6%) schools offer global health-related courses. Of these, 72 (35.6%) schools offer a ‘Multiculturalism’ course, and 42 (20.8%) schools offer a ‘Global Nursing’ course. Fifty-nine schools (29.2%) offer both courses. Compared to the study findings in 2015, the number of global health-related courses and the percentage of global health-related courses designated as a requirement dramatically increased. An additional analysis of five syllabi of global-health related courses found several differences in the courses’ aims, contents and evaluation methods. @*Conclusions@#Due to social and political changes, nursing schools are more likely to offer global health curricula. However, there is still a lack of consensus on the core contents and approaches of such curricula, necessitating systematic discussions about the core contents and effective learning methods to increase nursing student competency in global health nursing.
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Purpose@#This study aimed to review the intervention programs designed for married immigrant women living in Korea. @*Methods@#A total of 39 articles published from 2010 to 2020 were selected and analyzed using domestic and international web-based academic databases according to a systematic literature review procedure. The selected studies were evaluated for quality according to RoB (Risk of Bias) and RoBANS (Risk of Bias for Non-randomized studies). Additionally, intervention programs and outcome variables were based on the Nursing Intervention Classification (NIC) and Nursing Outcome Classification (NOC) system. @*Results@#According to the NIC categories, 69.2% of the interventions were in the behavioral domain, and 23.1% were in the family domain. The outcome variables primarily measured in NOC categories were psychological well-being (45.8%), health knowledge (11.0%), and health belief (10.2%). The quality of the selected studies was low overall in random sequence generation, allocation concealment, blinding of participants and personnel, and blinding of outcome data in randomized controlled trials (RCT) studies and confounding variables, blinding of outcome data, and incomplete outcome bias in non-RCT studies. @*Conclusion@#Based on the results of this study, future studies will have to consider the characteristics of the subjects, life cycle, daily life, or language limitations. In addition, it is necessary to develop high-quality programs through continuous research on currently and frequently used interventions and outcome variables and on other various mediations and to verify the outcome variables.
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Purpose@#The purpose of this study was to survey the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) related knowledge, risk perception, preventive behaviors, depression, and anxiety levels among nursing students, and to identify factors that influence preventive behaviors. @*Methods@#An online survey was conducted among nursing students from October 7, 2020 to October 12, 2020. The data were analyzed using independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and multiple regression. @*Results@#A total of 222 nursing students participated in this study. The correct answer rate for COVID-19 knowledge was 90.0%, risk perception was 5.51 ± 1.26, and the rate for preventive behaviors was 92.5%. The depression score was 6.28 ± 4.63; 59.9% of nursing students had depression, and the anxiety score was 5.56 ± 3.98; 59.9% of nursing students had anxiety. COVID-19 preventive behaviors had a positive correlation with COVID-19 knowledge (r = .30, p < .001), COVID-19 risk perception (r = .18, p = .009), and anxiety (r = .21, p = .001).Factors influencing COVID-19 preventive behaviors by multiple regression were identified as COVID-19 knowledge, anxiety, physical health status before and after COVID-19, grade, practical experience after COVID-19, and COVID-19 risk perception (F = 12.46, p < .001, R 2 = 25.8%). @*Conclusion@#The results of this research on factors influencing COVID-19 prevention behaviors can be used in the future to develop appropriate health policies for individual and community infectious disease prevention behaviors.
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Purpose@#This study aimed to review the intervention programs designed for married immigrant women living in Korea. @*Methods@#A total of 39 articles published from 2010 to 2020 were selected and analyzed using domestic and international web-based academic databases according to a systematic literature review procedure. The selected studies were evaluated for quality according to RoB (Risk of Bias) and RoBANS (Risk of Bias for Non-randomized studies). Additionally, intervention programs and outcome variables were based on the Nursing Intervention Classification (NIC) and Nursing Outcome Classification (NOC) system. @*Results@#According to the NIC categories, 69.2% of the interventions were in the behavioral domain, and 23.1% were in the family domain. The outcome variables primarily measured in NOC categories were psychological well-being (45.8%), health knowledge (11.0%), and health belief (10.2%). The quality of the selected studies was low overall in random sequence generation, allocation concealment, blinding of participants and personnel, and blinding of outcome data in randomized controlled trials (RCT) studies and confounding variables, blinding of outcome data, and incomplete outcome bias in non-RCT studies. @*Conclusion@#Based on the results of this study, future studies will have to consider the characteristics of the subjects, life cycle, daily life, or language limitations. In addition, it is necessary to develop high-quality programs through continuous research on currently and frequently used interventions and outcome variables and on other various mediations and to verify the outcome variables.
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Purpose@#The purpose of this study was to survey the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) related knowledge, risk perception, preventive behaviors, depression, and anxiety levels among nursing students, and to identify factors that influence preventive behaviors. @*Methods@#An online survey was conducted among nursing students from October 7, 2020 to October 12, 2020. The data were analyzed using independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and multiple regression. @*Results@#A total of 222 nursing students participated in this study. The correct answer rate for COVID-19 knowledge was 90.0%, risk perception was 5.51 ± 1.26, and the rate for preventive behaviors was 92.5%. The depression score was 6.28 ± 4.63; 59.9% of nursing students had depression, and the anxiety score was 5.56 ± 3.98; 59.9% of nursing students had anxiety. COVID-19 preventive behaviors had a positive correlation with COVID-19 knowledge (r = .30, p < .001), COVID-19 risk perception (r = .18, p = .009), and anxiety (r = .21, p = .001).Factors influencing COVID-19 preventive behaviors by multiple regression were identified as COVID-19 knowledge, anxiety, physical health status before and after COVID-19, grade, practical experience after COVID-19, and COVID-19 risk perception (F = 12.46, p < .001, R 2 = 25.8%). @*Conclusion@#The results of this research on factors influencing COVID-19 prevention behaviors can be used in the future to develop appropriate health policies for individual and community infectious disease prevention behaviors.
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BACKGROUND: In the construction industry, maintaining health and safety of workers often challenging. Among the workers at construction sites, painters are at particular risk of respiratory diseases and neurotoxicity. However, in Korea there is weak enforcement of workers' health and safety practices in the construction industry in Korea. Poisonings frequently occur at (semi)closed construction sites. In this study, we report a case of acute organic solvent poisoning during construction site painting. CASE PRESENTATION: A 71-year-old man was found unconscious at a construction site and immediately transferred to the emergency room. The consciousness level was 'stupor state' and the body temperature was hypothermic, at 32 degrees (Celsius). There were no acute brain or cardiac lesions that would have accounted for the faintness. In addition, blood and urine tests did not indicate a cause of loss of consciousness. He had been painting epoxy to waterproof the basement floor before fainting. According to exposure simulation, the patient was overexposed to various organic solvents, such as approximately 316–624 ppm toluene during the work before fainting. Considering the ventilation status of the workplace and the status of no protection, it is considered that exposure through the respiratory tract was considerable. CONCLUSIONS: The patient in this case lost consciousness during the epoxy coating in a semi-enclosed space. It can be judged as a result of acute poisoning caused by organic solvent exposure and considered to be highly related to work environment.
Subject(s)
Aged , Humans , Body Temperature , Brain , Consciousness , Construction Industry , Emergency Service, Hospital , Korea , Occupational Diseases , Paint , Paintings , Poisoning , Respiratory System , Solvents , Syncope , Toluene , Unconsciousness , VentilationABSTRACT
The “fourth industrial revolution” (FIR) is an age of advanced technology based on information and communication. FIR has a more powerful impact on the economy than in the past. However, the prospects for the labor environment are uncertain. The purpose of this study is to anticipate and prepare for occupational health and safety (OHS) issues.In FIR, nonstandard employment will be common. As a result, it is difficult to receive OHS services and compensation. Excessive trust in new technologies can lead to large-scale or new forms of accidents. Global business networks will cause destruction of workers' biorhythms, some cancers, overwork, and task complexity. The social disconnection because of an independent work will be a risk for worker's mental health. The union bonds will weaken, and it will be difficult to apply standardized OHS regulations to multinational enterprises.To cope with the new OHS issues, we need to establish new concepts of "decent work” and standardize regulations, which apply to enterprises in each country, develop public health as an OHS service, monitor emerging OHS events and networks among independent workers, and nurture experts who are responsible for new OHS issues.
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Commerce , Compensation and Redress , Employment , Mental Health , Occupational Health , Periodicity , Public Health , Social Control, Formal , Workers' CompensationABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS@#The aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are well known anti-hormonal therapy in endocrine-responsive breast cancer patients. It can lead to dyslipidemia and be the risk factor of cardiovascular disease due to low estrogen level. However, some recent studies comparing AIs with placebo have shown controversial results. The aim of this study was to investigate lipid profiles, measurement of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and the presence of plaque among endocrine-responsive breast cancer treated with AIs compared to ones that were not treated with AIs.@*METHODS@#A total of 85 postmenopausal women, who underwent breast cancer surgery during the age of 50 to 64 without history of statin use were included. There were 42 patients who were treated with AIs over 1 year (group 1) and 43 patients without AIs use (group 2). Serum total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose, carotid IMT, and presence of plaque were assessed.@*RESULTS@#The baseline characteristics were similar between two groups and there was no significant difference in carotid IMT irrespective of AIs administration. However, ultrasonographic evaluation of carotid artery revealed that the presence of plaque in AI users was significantly higher than in non-AI users (66.7% vs. 41.9%, p = 0.02; odds ratio, 4.21 in adjusted model; p = 0.01). History of diabetes was also the significant risk factor for the plaque formation.@*CONCLUSIONS@#There was no significant difference in lipid profile itself between two groups, but more importantly the presence of the plaque was much higher indicating possible detrimental effect of AI on cardiovascular system.
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BACKGROUND: Research on carcinogens causing occupational cancer has been updated. Further, social interest in occupational cancer has increased. In addition, the standard for recognizing cancer as a work-related disease has also been revised. The present study aims to describe the distribution of occupational cancer claims or its approval rate and their association with work-related variables. METHODS: We analyzed 1299 claim cases for occupational cancer from 2010 to 2016 provided by the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service (KCOMWEL). The status of approval rate was shown by year, sex, industry, occupation, age of diagnosis, duration from employment to diagnosis, and cancer site. RESULTS: The approval rate was 39.0% from 2010 to 2016 and tended to increase annually since 2011. Both the number of claims and the approval rate were higher in men. Mining and quarrying showed the highest approval rate (78.4%). The approval rates by age of diagnosis and duration from employment to diagnosis increased as the time periods increased. Respiratory organ had the highest number of claims and the highest approval rate by cancer site. CONCLUSIONS: The approval rate of occupational cancer has shown an increasing trend since 2011. The increase of occupational carcinogens and cancer sites and the improvement of social awareness about occupational cancer could have resulted in this trend. The present study provides unique, and the latest and most accurate findings on occupational cancer data of recent 7 years that could be helpful to researchers or policy makers on occupational cancer.
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Humans , Male , Administrative Personnel , Carcinogens , Compensation and Redress , Diagnosis , Employment , Korea , Mining , OccupationsABSTRACT
We previously reported peritoneal innate-like integrin α4 (CD49d)highCD4+ T cells that provided help for B-1a cells. Here we analyzed the expression of various integrin chains on the peritoneal and pleural integrin α4highCD4+ T cells and investigated the functional heterogeneity of the subpopulations based on the integrin expression. Pleural cavity contained a lower ratio of integrin α4highCD4+ T cells to integrin α4lowCD4+ T cells than peritoneal cavity, but the pleural integrin α4highCD4+ T cells have the same characteristics of the peritoneal integrin α4highCD4+ T cells. Most of integrin α4highCD4+ T cells were integrin β1highβ7−, but a minor population of integrin α4highCD4+ T cells was integrin β1+β7+. Interestingly, the integrin α4highβ1highβ7− CD4+ T cells expressed high levels of integrin α4β1 and α6β1, whereas integrin α4highβ1+β7+ CD4+ T cells expressed high levels of integrin α4β1 and α4β7, suggesting an alternative expression of integrin α6β1 or α4β7 in combination with α4β1 in respective major and minor populations of integrin α4highCD4+ T cells. The minor population, integrin α4highβ1+β7+ CD4+ T cells, were different from the integrin α4highβ1highβ7− CD4+ T cells in that they secreted a smaller amount of Th1 cytokines upon stimulation and expressed lower levels of Th1-related chemokine receptors CCR5 and CXCR3 than the integrin α4highβ1 highβ7− CD4+ T cells. In summary, the innate-like integrin α4highCD4+ T cells could be divided into 2 populations, integrin α4β1+α6β1+α4β7− and α4β1+α6β1−α4β7+ cells. The functional significance of serosal integrin α4β7+ CD4+ T cells needed to be investigated especially in view of mucosal immunity.
Subject(s)
CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes , Cytokines , Immunity, Mucosal , Integrin alpha4 , Peritoneal Cavity , Pleural Cavity , Population Characteristics , Receptors, CCR5 , Receptors, Chemokine , Receptors, CXCR3 , T-Lymphocytes , Th1 CellsABSTRACT
Objective: To identify the clinical characteristics of patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) according to age at onset. Methods: We retrospectively recruited 227 non-thymomatous MG patients with adult onset who had been followed up for more than one year. The patients were classified based on the age of symptom onset as “early-onset MG” (EOMG,18–50 years; N=135), “late-onset MG” (LOMG, 50–64 years; N=53), and “very late-onset MG” (VLOMG, 65 years; N=39). Clinical features and serological findings were compared between these groups. Results: LOMG patients showed more frequent ocular MG (55%) and less frequent thymic hyperplasia (9%) compared to EOMG patients (31% and 38%; p=0.006 and p<0.001, respectively), and no female preponderance compared to VLOMG patients (female, 49% vs.77%; p=0.014). However, there were no significant differences between VLOMG and EOMG patients, except for more frequent thymic hyperplasia (p<0.001) in EOMG patients. When analyzing female patients only, less frequent secondary generalization (10%) were additionally found in LOMG patients, compared to EOMG (47%, p= 0.008) and VLOMG (59%, p=0.004) patients. Anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody (HR, 5.48; 95% CI, 1.73–17.37; p=0.004) was independently associated with secondary generalization in female EOMG patients. Conclusion: Our study suggests that LOMG patients, especially female, were characterized by frequent ocular MG and less frequent secondary generalization, distinguished from EOMG and VLOMG patients. Further large epidemiologic studies in Korea are needed to determine the characteristics of MG patients according to the age at onset and gender.
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PURPOSE: Chromogranin A (CgA) has been considered to be valuable not only in the diagnosis but also in monitoring the disease response to treatment. However, only a few studies have been published on this issue. We purposed to evaluate whether biochemical response using plasma CgA level is reliable in concordance with the clinical response of grade 1-3 nonfunctiong gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 2011 and September 2013, a total of 27 cases in 18 patients were analysed, clinically and radiologically while serial CgA tests were also conducted during treatment. Tumor responses were defined by both Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria ver. 1.1 and biochemical criteria based on the CgA level. RESULTS: Among the 27 cases analysed, no difference in the basal CgA level was observed with regard to gender, primary tumor site, tumor grade (World Health Organization classification), liver metastasis, number of metastatic site, and line of chemotherapy. The overall response rate (RR) by RECIST criteria ver. 1.1 was six out of the 27 cases (22.2%) and eight out of the 27 cases (29.6%) for biochemical RR. The overall concordance rates of the response based on RECIST and biochemical criteria were 74%. In grades 1 and 2 GEP-NETs (n=17), the concordance rate of the disease control was 94.1%. There was a significant difference for progression-free survival (PFS) between responders and non-responder in accordance to biochemical criteria (35.73 months vs. 5.93 months, p=0.05). CONCLUSION: This study revealed that changes of the plasma CgA levels were associated with tumour response. Additionally, biochemical response based on serial CgA may be a predictive marker for PFS in GEP-NETs.
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Humans , Chromogranin A , Diagnosis , Disease-Free Survival , Drug Therapy , Liver , Neoplasm Metastasis , Neuroendocrine Tumors , PlasmaABSTRACT
An esophagomediastinal fistula is rare complication of nontuberculous mycobacterium infection. Here, we report the case of a patient with advanced acquired immunodeficiency syndrome who presented with a fever, cough, and dyspnea, and was eventually diagnosed with nontuberculous mycobacterium infection. Computed tomography revealed multiple lymphadenopathy with an esophagomediastinal fistula. The patient was treated with anti-mycobacterial medications and endoscopic fistula closure.
Subject(s)
Humans , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome , Cough , Dyspnea , Esophageal Fistula , Fever , Fistula , HIV , Lymphatic Diseases , Mycobacterium Infections, NontuberculousABSTRACT
Vaccines are the most effective and cost-efficient method for preventing diseases caused by infectious pathogens. Despite the great success of vaccines, development of safe and strong vaccines is still required for emerging new pathogens, re-emerging old pathogens, and in order to improve the inadequate protection conferred by existing vaccines. One of the most important strategies for the development of effective new vaccines is the selection and usage of a suitable adjuvant. Immunologic adjuvants are essential for enhancing vaccine potency by improvement of the humoral and/or cell-mediated immune response to vaccine antigens. Thus, formulation of vaccines with appropriate adjuvants is an attractive approach towards eliciting protective and long-lasting immunity in humans. However, only a limited number of adjuvants is licensed for human vaccines due to concerns about safety and toxicity. We summarize current knowledge about the potential benefits of adjuvants, the characteristics of adjuvants and the mechanisms of adjuvants in human vaccines. Adjuvants have diverse modes of action and should be selected for use on the basis of the type of immune response that is desired for a particular vaccine. Better understanding of current adjuvants will help exploring new adjuvant formulations and facilitate rational design of vaccines against infectious diseases.
Subject(s)
Humans , Adaptive Immunity , Adjuvants, Immunologic , Communicable Diseases , Immunity, Innate , Vaccine Potency , VaccinesABSTRACT
Klinefelter syndrome is the most common type of genetic cause of hypogonadism. This syndrome is characterized by the presence of 1 or more extra X chromosomes. Phenotype manifestations of this syndrome are small testes, fibrosis of the seminiferous tubules, inability to produce sperm, gynecomastia, tall stature, decrease of serum testosterone and increases of luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone. Most patients with Klinefelter syndrome are tall, with slender body compositions, and reports of obesity are rare. We report the case of a 35-yr-old man with hypogonadism and morbid obesity and diabetes mellitus. He had gynecomastia, small testes and penis, very sparse body hair and his body mass index was 44.85. He did not report experiencing broken voice and was able to have erections. We conducted a chromosome study. His genotype was 47,X,+t(X;X)(p22.3;p22.3)del(X)(p11.23q11.2). In this case, the patient was diagnosed as Klinefelter syndrome. He showed rare phenotypes like morbid obesity and average height and the phenotype may be caused by the karyotype and the excess number of X chromosome. Further studies of the relationship between chromosomes and phenotype are warranted.
Subject(s)
Adult , Humans , Male , Diabetes Complications/genetics , Karyotyping , Klinefelter Syndrome/complications , Obesity, Morbid/complications , PhenotypeABSTRACT
Buckwheat is known as a health food but is one of the major food allergens triggering potentially fatal anaphylaxis in Asia, especially in Japan and Korea. This study was conducted to investigate the characteristic of enzymatic resistance of buckwheat protein and allergenic potential. Enzymatic resistance of buckwheat protein was performed with in vitro digestibility test in simulated gastric fluid (SGF), pH 1.2, using pepsin and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) using chymotrypsin. Reactivity of buckwheat proteins to human IgE was performed using six allergic patients sensitized to buckwheat. Buckwheat's IgE levels were measured using the Phadia UniCAP-system. Buckwheat protein, 16 kDa, still remained after 30 min treatment of pepsin on SDS-PAGE. Even though 16 kDa almost disappeared after 60 min treatment, two out of the six buckwheat patients' sera showed reactivity to hydrolysate after 60 min treatment, indicating that allergenicity still remained. In simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) using chymotrypsin, buckwheat protein, 24 kDa, showed resistance to hydrolysis with chymotrypsin on SDS-PAGE, and still had allergenicity based on the result of ELISA. Our results suggest that buckwheat proteins have strong resistance to enzyme degradation. This may be attributed in part to the allergenic potential of buckwheat. Further study should be continued regarding buckwheat allergy.
Subject(s)
Humans , Allergens , Anaphylaxis , Asia , Chymotrypsin , Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Fagopyrum , Food, Organic , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Hydrolysis , Hypersensitivity , Immunoglobulin E , Japan , Korea , Pepsin A , ProteinsABSTRACT
Bone remodeling requires a large amount of energy, and is regulated by various hormones. Leptin, produced by adipocytes, is a well-known regulator of energy balance and is also involved in controlling bone mass through interaction with the central nervous system. Serotonin, downstream of leptin, is also emerging as a candidate for controlling energy balance and bone metabolism. Currently, bone is also considered to be an endocrine regulator of energy metabolism. Osteocalcin, secreted from osteoblasts, is known to be a key regulator of glucose and fat metabolism. In this review, we describe a novel concept that asserts that there exists a biological link between bone and energy metabolism, and we summarize what is currently known about the relationship between bone and energy metabolism.
Subject(s)
Adipocytes , Bone Remodeling , Central Nervous System , Energy Metabolism , Glucose , Leptin , Metabolism , Neurotransmitter Agents , Osteoblasts , Osteocalcin , SerotoninABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of the Korean fracture-risk assessment tool (FRAX) model for routine application in women who had a general check-up for bone mineral density (BMD). METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted at a university hospital and comprised 343 patients, whose BMD and clinical risk factors were assessed for FRAX calculation. The 10-year probabilities of hip and major osteoporotic fractures were compared with the result of the FRAX(R) tool (http://www.shef.ac.uk/FRAX, web version 3.5) applied to Korean models developed at the World Health Organization Collaborating Center with or without femoral neck bone mineral density. RESULTS: The T-score gradually decreased with increasing age. Additionally, the 10-year probability of a major osteoporotic fracture increased with age. However, the probability of hip fracture showed no correlation with age if BMD was not included in the estimation. CONCLUSION: Previous report on patients whose probability of a proximal femoral fracture were calculated using Korean FRAX models produced a higher score than our data because our data involved a general population. A larger general population is needed to confirm the Korean FRAX model. However, our data provide information for physicians to assess the Korean FRAX model in the general female population.