Association of Body Mass Index with Oral Cancer Risk

or =50 years), there was a significant association between oral cancer risk and high BMI in female subjects younger than 50 years of age (OR=3.92, 95% CI 1.03~14.9, P for trend=0.04), but not in older (> or =50 years) female subjects (OR=1.11, 95% CI 0.55~2.24, P for trend=0.76). There was no significant relationship between BMI and oral cancer risk in any of the male age subgroups.CONCLUSION: Our study provides the first epidemiological evidence supporting an association between obesity and an increased risk of oral cancer.

Developing Dish-based Food Frequency Questionnaire for the Epidemiology Study of Hypertension Among Korean / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of the present study was aimed to identify dish items applicable in developing dish?based food frequency questionnaire (DFFQ) for a hypertension study of Koreans. The 24-hour recall data of 4,401 subjects aged 20~65 years from the 2001 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used for the analysis. Logistic regression model was used to identify the nutrient related with hypertension. Energy, fiber, sodium, calcium, carotene, vitamin B1 and vitamin C were associated with hypertension. Selection the top 30 dish items for these seven nutrients was performed based on their degree of contribution in supplying nutrients in terms of the cumulative percent contribution (cPC), as well as on their degree of explanation for between?person variation, in terms of the cumulative regression coefficient (cMRC). Rice supplied 43% of total energy consumption. Korean cabbage and radish kimchi were two major sources of sodium and it also covered the 27% of between person variation of sodium intake. Soybean paste soup and single item of orange?colored fruits supplied 43% of total vitamin C intake for Koreans and it covered the almost 79% of between person variation among the Korean population. Korean cabbage kimchi was the major source of fiber, calcium, sodium, carotene, and vitamin C for Koreans. In summary, the top 30 selected dish items supplying the 78% to 89% of the 7 nutrients. Those items also covered the 79% to 94% of between person variation of the 7 nutrients consumption. Therefore, the selected 30 dish items in each categories of nutrient could be applicable in developing dish based food frequency questionnaire for hypertension study.

Two Cases of Systemic Amyloidosis Presenting with Abnormalities in Liver Function Tests / 대한소화기학회지

Systemic amyloidosis results from the deposition of insoluble, fibrous amyloid proteins. It occurs mainly in the extracellular spaces of multiple organs and tissues including the kidney, heart, and liver. Although amyloid deposition in the liver is common in patients with systemic amyloidosis, clinically apparent liver disease is relatively rare. Indeed, most patients with systemic amyloidosis manifest only minimal to moderate hepatomegaly and trivial abnormalities in liver function tests. Recently, we experienced two cases of patients who presented with abnormalities in liver function tests and hepatomegaly as manifestations of systemic amyloidosis. We report these cases with a review of the relevant literatures.

The diagnostic efficacy of endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) in gastric flat adenoma / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: EMR is an alternative to surgical removal of superficial neoplastic lesions of the gastrointestinal tracts. The aim of this study is to assess the diagnostic efficacy of EMR in gastric flat adenoma. METHODS: Ninety five lesions of gastric flat adenoma removed by EMR in 89 patients were enrolled in this study at Kyungpook National University Hospital from January 1999 to June 2002. We have analysed diagnostic efficacy of EMR in gastric flat adenoma. RESULTS: Tubular adenoma were 78 cases (82.1%), tubular adenoma with high grade dysplasia were 16 cases (16.8%) and villous adenoma was 1 case (1.1%). Locations were antrum 57 cases (60.0%), body 22 cases (23.1%), angle 14 cases (14.7%), pylorus 1 case (1.1%) and cardia 1 case (1.1%). Among 95 lesions of gastric flat adenoma, 26 cases (27.4%) revealed upgraded histologic diagnosis between endoscopic biopsy and EMR. Twenty two lesions (37.3%) among 59 lesions that were 1cm size or more were upgraded in the histologic staging to carcinoma or high grade dysplasia, compared with 4 lesions (11.1%) among 36 lesions less than 1cm size (p<0.01). Eight lesions (50.0%) among 16 lesions diagnosed in tubular adenoma with high grade dysplasia were upgraded in the histologic staging to carcinoma, compared with 12 lesions (15.4%) among 78 lesions diagnosed in tubular adenoma (p<0.01). Bleeding was the only complication and occurred in 24 lesions (25.3%). CONCLUSION: EMR resulted in upgrading of the histologic staging to carcinoma or high grade dysplasia in 27.4% of gastric flat adenomas.

Assessment of Quality of Life and Associated Factors in Patients with Chronic Viral Liver Disease / 대한간학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to measure health related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with chronic viral hepatitis or cirrhosis and to determine factors associated with more severe impairment. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study in which we documented patients' demographic and clinical characteristics and measured their HRQOL using the Korean version of Short Form-36. A total of 375 patients were enrolled in the study. We compared patients' HRQOL with that of 750 participants in a control group and assessed the association of HRQOL impairment with clinical parameters. RESULTS: In all except two domains (physical functioning, bodily pain) of SF-36, HRQOL scores were significantly lower in the patient group than in the control group (p<0.001). The difference was more prominent in those domains reflective of mental, rather than physical, health. When patient group was classified as noncirrhosis, Child A, B, or C according to modified Child-Pugh classification, severe liver disease was associated with a lower HRQOL score. Interestingly, scores of domains reflective of mental health were decreased from the early stage of disease (noncirrhosis or Child-Pugh A). Those of domains reflective of physical health, however, were decreased only in advanced stages of disease (Child-Pugh B or C). There are weak but significant correlations between SF-36 scores and age, serum albumin, serum bilirubin, and prothrombin time, but no correlation with histologic activity, transaminase level, disease duration, virus type (HBV or HCV) and HBV DNA level. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the control group, patients with chronic viral hepatitis or cirrhosis showed substantial impairment of HRQOL, which is further affected by worsening disease severity. More concern about HRQOL should be warranted in the evaluation of health change due to disease progression or therapeutic trial.

Endoscopic Observation of Gastric Varices / 대한소화기내시경학회지

We observed the gastric varices in l89 variceal patients with liver cirrhosis and in 129 patients with UGI bleeding by endoscopy. Gastric varices was found in 27 cases(14.2%) amoag 189 variceal cases. There was variceal bleeding in 74 cases(57.4%) beieg the toy cause of UGI: bleeding among l29 cases with UGI bleeding and 6(4.7%) had endoscopically proved gastric Variceal bleeding. Cardiac and fundic varices were observed in l8 and 12 cases, respectively end 12 cases of cardiac varices were mainly observed on the lesser curvature side. The incidence of isolated gastric varices being 30 % amoag gastric varices was far less than that of esophagogastric varices. There was no significant relations between the severity of liver cirrhosis and the kinds of varices These results suggest that gastric varices are not infrequent cause of UGI bleeding cases. Therefore all must have attention in gastric intestinal fiberscopic examination in portal hypertensive patients.