Multicenter Adherence Study of Asthma Medication for Children in Korea

PURPOSE: Adherence is a major component of successful medical treatment. However, non-adherence remains a barrier to effective delivery of healthcare worldwide. METHODS: Twenty healthcare facilities (secondary or tertiary hospitals) belonging to the Korean Academy of Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Diseases (KAPARD) participated. Questionnaires were given to patients currently receiving treatment in the form of inhalant useor oral intake or transdermal patch for mild to moderate asthma. RESULTS: A total of 1,838 patients responded to the questionnaire. Mean age was 5.98 ± 3.79 years (range: 0-18 years). With help from their caregivers, the percentage of patients that answered “taking as prescribed” was 38.04% for inhalant users, 50.09% for oral medication users and 67.42% for transdermal users. Transdermal patch users had significantly greater adherence compared to the other 2 groups (P < 0.001). The 34.15% of inhalant users, 70.33% of oral medication users and 93.00% of transdermal patch users felt that their medication delivery system was “Easy” or “Very easy” to use (P < 0.001). “Method of administration” was deemed to be the most difficult part of the treatment regimen to follow, and 76.7% of patients preferred once-daily administration (i.e., “Frequency of administration”). CONCLUSIONS: Asthma medication adherence in young children was found to be better in the transdermal patch group. This may be due to requiring fewer doses and easy to follow instructions. From an adherence point of view, the transdermal patch seems more useful for long-term asthma control in children compared to oral or inhaled medicine.

The Revised Edition of Korean Calendar for Allergenic Pollens

The old calendar of pollens did not reflect current pollen distribution and concentrations that can be influenced by changes of weather and environment of each region in South Korea. A new pollen calendar of allergenic pollens was made based on the data on pollen concentrations obtained in eight regions nationwide between 1997 and 2009. The distribution of pollen was assessed every day at 8 areas (Seoul, Guri, Busan, Daegu, Jeonju, Kwangju, Kangneung, and Jeju) for 12 years between July 1, 1997 and June 30, 2009. Pollens were collected by using Burkard 7-day sampler (Burkard Manufacturing Co Ltd, UK). Pollens which were stained with Calberla's fuchsin staining solution were identified and counted. Pine became the highest pollen in May, and the pollen concentrations of oak and birch also became high. Ragweed appeared in the middle of August and showed the highest pollen concentration in the middles of September. Japanese hop showed a high concentration between the middle of August and the end of September, and mugwort appeared in the middles of August and its concentration increased up until early September. In Kangneung, birch appeared earlier, pine showed a higher pollen concentration than in the other areas. In Daegu, Oriental thuja and alder produced a large concentration of pollens. Pine produced a large concentration of pollens between the middle of April and the end of May. Weeds showed higher concentrations in September and mugwort appeared earlier than ragweed. In Busan the time of flowering is relatively early, and alder and Oriental thuja appeared earliest among all areas. In Kwangju, Oriental thuja and hazelnut appeared in early February. Japanese cedar showed the highest pollen concentration in March in Jeju. In conclusion, update information on pollen calendar in South Korea should be provided for allergic patients through the website to manage and prevent the pollinosis.

Changes in Sensitization Rate to Weed Allergens in Children with Increased Weeds Pollen Counts in Seoul Metropolitan Area

The prevalence of allergic diseases in children has increased for several decades. We evaluated the correlation between pollen count of weeds and their sensitization rate in Seoul, 1997-2009. Airborne particles carrying allergens were collected daily from 3 stations around Seoul. Skin prick tests to pollen were performed on children with allergic diseases. Ragweed pollen gradually increased between 1999 and 2005, decreased after 2005 and plateaued until 2009 (peak counts, 67 in 2003, 145 in 2005 and 83 grains/m3/day in 2007). Japanese hop pollen increased between 2002 and 2009 (peak counts, 212 in 2006 and 492 grains/m3/day in 2009). Sensitization rates to weed pollen, especially ragweed and Japanese hop in children with allergic diseases, increased annually (ragweed, 2.2% in 2000 and 2.8% in 2002; Japanese hop, 1.4% in 2000 and 1.9% in 2002). The age for sensitization to pollen gradually became younger since 2000 (4 to 6 yr of age, 3.5% in 1997 and 6.2% in 2009; 7 to 9 yr of age, 4.2% in 1997 and 6.4% in 2009). In conclusion, sensitization rates for weed pollens increase in Korean children given increasing pollen counts of ragweed and Japanese hop.

Changes in Sensitization Rate to Weed Allergens in Children with Increased Weeds Pollen Counts in Seoul Metropolitan Area

The prevalence of allergic diseases in children has increased for several decades. We evaluated the correlation between pollen count of weeds and their sensitization rate in Seoul, 1997-2009. Airborne particles carrying allergens were collected daily from 3 stations around Seoul. Skin prick tests to pollen were performed on children with allergic diseases. Ragweed pollen gradually increased between 1999 and 2005, decreased after 2005 and plateaued until 2009 (peak counts, 67 in 2003, 145 in 2005 and 83 grains/m3/day in 2007). Japanese hop pollen increased between 2002 and 2009 (peak counts, 212 in 2006 and 492 grains/m3/day in 2009). Sensitization rates to weed pollen, especially ragweed and Japanese hop in children with allergic diseases, increased annually (ragweed, 2.2% in 2000 and 2.8% in 2002; Japanese hop, 1.4% in 2000 and 1.9% in 2002). The age for sensitization to pollen gradually became younger since 2000 (4 to 6 yr of age, 3.5% in 1997 and 6.2% in 2009; 7 to 9 yr of age, 4.2% in 1997 and 6.4% in 2009). In conclusion, sensitization rates for weed pollens increase in Korean children given increasing pollen counts of ragweed and Japanese hop.

Evaluation of the Relationship between Pollen Count and the Outbreak of Allergic Diseases / 소아알레르기및호흡기학회지

PURPOSE: The distribution of pollens in the air is mainly related to the weather conditions, especially temperature and humidity. This study focused on the evaluation of the relationship between pollen count and the outbreak of allergic diseases (symptom index) from allergic patients in Korea in order to determine Korean own allergy risk grade for the pollen forecasting system. METHODS: Airborne particles carrying allergens were collected daily in nationwide 8 stations (Seoul, Guri, Daejeon, Daegu, Kwangju Busan, Kangneung, and Jeju) by using 7 day- Burkard sampler in South Korea for 8 months (March 1, 2008-October 31, 2008). They were counted and recorded along with weather factors. Symptom index was calculated and recorded by phone calling to allergic patients 3 times a week. RESULTS: Airborne pollens have 2 peak seasons (May and September) in Korea. In the skin prick test, ragweed was the highest sensitization rate (5.9%), followed by mugwort (5.8 %), alder (4.9%), birch (4.8%) and oak grasses among the pollen extracts in Korean school-aged children. There are significant relationship between symptom index of allergic patients and allergic pollen concentrations. Korean own risk grade of pollen allergy was made by using the data from this study. CONCLUSION: Risk grade of pollens for allergy pollen forecast among each allergic plant was established. Further studies are needed to confirm it our result.

Evaluation of the Relationship between Pollen Count and the Outbreak of Allergic Diseases / 소아알레르기및호흡기학회지

PURPOSE: The distribution of pollens in the air is mainly related to the weather conditions, especially temperature and humidity. This study focused on the evaluation of the relationship between pollen count and the outbreak of allergic diseases (symptom index) from allergic patients in Korea in order to determine Korean own allergy risk grade for the pollen forecasting system. METHODS: Airborne particles carrying allergens were collected daily in nationwide 8 stations (Seoul, Guri, Daejeon, Daegu, Kwangju Busan, Kangneung, and Jeju) by using 7 day- Burkard sampler in South Korea for 8 months (March 1, 2008-October 31, 2008). They were counted and recorded along with weather factors. Symptom index was calculated and recorded by phone calling to allergic patients 3 times a week. RESULTS: Airborne pollens have 2 peak seasons (May and September) in Korea. In the skin prick test, ragweed was the highest sensitization rate (5.9%), followed by mugwort (5.8 %), alder (4.9%), birch (4.8%) and oak grasses among the pollen extracts in Korean school-aged children. There are significant relationship between symptom index of allergic patients and allergic pollen concentrations. Korean own risk grade of pollen allergy was made by using the data from this study. CONCLUSION: Risk grade of pollens for allergy pollen forecast among each allergic plant was established. Further studies are needed to confirm it our result.

Epidemiology and Clinical Outcomes in Children with Aplastic Anemia in Korea: Retrospective Study / 대한소아혈액종양학회지

PURPOSE: The annual incidence of aplastic anemia (AA) in Asian countries is higher than in Western countries. The pathogenesis in AA has been investigated in hematopoiesis and immunology. Recently, the survival rate and the quality of life of the patients with AA have been steadily improved by the development of a variety of treatments such as the immunosuppressive therapy (IST), and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The Korean Society of Pediatric Hematology-oncology retrospectively investigated the incidence, treatment strategies, survival rate, and time to become independent from transfusion in patients with AA, who were diagnosed from January 1st, 1991 to December 31st, 2000 in Korea. METHODS: All the questionnaires were sent to a group of training hospitals, and we collected about 600 questionnaire forms from 27 hospitals. However, 493 reports were available for data analysis. RESULTS: The male and female ratio in AA is 1.1 (259 males vs. 234 female). The median age at diagnosis is 9 years old (range; 0.8~16 years old). The annual incidence of children with AA in Korea is 4.5 per million on the basis of Korean pediatric population. In etiology, there are 20 cases (4.1%) in congenital and others in acquired AA. In acquired AA, the cause of illness was not identifiable for most of the patients, but 1 patient had hepatitis-associated AA, and 3 patients developed the illness after medication. According to the initial laboratory data at diagnosis, the peripheral blood findings showed that hemoglobin is 7.1+/-2.4 g/dL, white blood cell 3, 200/microL (200~16, 550), absolute neutrophil counts 670/microL (0~12, 487), platelets 19, 000/microL (1, 000~500, 000), and corrected reticulocytes 0.18% (0.0~4.7). The bone marrow examination revealed that cellularity was below 25% in 348 patients, and over 25% in 105 patients. In the available data, 269 patients (54.6%) were diagnosed of severe aplastic anemia (SAA) and 224 patients of non-SAA (NSAA). HSCT were done for 96 patients (19.5%) and others received another treatments such as the IST. The anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) or anti-lymphocyte globulin (ALG) treatment was done for 263 cases, corticosteroids for 259, cyclosporine A (CSA) for 215, and anabolic steroids for 138. The combination IST including ATG or ALG plus corticosteroid plus CSA were applied to 154 children with AA, and transfusion only in 37, as conservative care. In case of those patients with HSCT, the time from diagnosis to transplantation was 12 months (1~144 months) and the sources of stem cells were bone marrow in 82 cases, growth factor mobilized peripheral blood in five, and cord blood in six. There were 57 patients transfused below 40 units of blood products before HSC transplantation. Graft rejection was identified from 16 patients, and booster transplantations were done for 12 patients among them. In complications of HSCT, the graft versus host disease was developed in 20 patients and viral diseases in 12 cases including the CMV, herpetic infection, and hepatitis. Also, one patient suffered from veno-occlusive disease. The overall survival rate in children with AA is 64.3%. The survival rate in HSCT is better than that IST (76.9% vs. 62.6%, P< 0.05). In IST, overall survival rate in very SAA showed lower than SAA and NSAA, and in SAA lower than NSAA in case of absolute neutrophil count below 200/microL (P< 0.05). There was no significant difference in terms of the sex, age at beginning of treatment. In HSCT, transfusion was not related to the survival rate. However, overall survival rate is better in short interval between diagnosis and HSCT than in long interval (P< 0.05). There was no significant difference in the probability of transfusion independence according to treatment strategies, even though it was 71.0% in HSCT and 12.8% in immunosuppressive therapy at the end point of survey (P=0.47). The response pattern was as follows. There were 155 cases of complete response, 110 of partial response and 120 of no response in spite of various treatments. The relapse after treatment was found in 11 patients after IST, of which 6 patients experienced more than 2nd relapse. The median time between the end of treatment and relapse was 16 months (6~84 months). Only three cases developed into other diseases (1 case into acute myeloid leukemia and 2 cases into myelodysplastic syndrome). The median time from diagnosis to the end of treatment was 62 months (0.5~174 months). In fatal cases, the median time between diagnosis and death was 29 months (0~144 months) despite several therapeutic strategies. CONCLUSION: In Korea, the annual incidence of children with AA is 4.5 per million. This result is similar to the ones reported in other Asian countries, but higher than those in Western countries. Although a lot of children with AA received various therapies including IST or HSCT, new treatment strategies have to be developed to improve the survival rate and the quality of life of children with AA

Epidemiology and Clinical Outcomes in Children with Malignant Lymphoma in Korea: Retrospective Study / 대한소아혈액종양학회지

PURPOSE: Malignant lymphoma is the primary malignant tumor derived from lymphoid organs. It is composed of Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Recently, survival rate is on the rise due to improved combination chemotherapy, radiotherapy and high dose chemotherapy followed by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. In South Korea, no epidemiologic studies concerning malignant lymphoma in the pediatric age group has been performed. Therefore, the Korean Society of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology retrospectively analyzed the incidence, pathologic subtypes, treatment strategies, and survival rates of pediatric malignant lymphomas in South Korea. METHOD: Questionnaires were made and sent to a group of training hospitals, with a return of 580 questionnaires from 24 hospitals. Among them, 517 reports were suitable for analysis. RESULTS: Among the 517 cases, Hodgkin's disease accounted for 58 cases and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma for 459 cases. Male to female ratio for malignant lymphoma was 2.7. Mean age at diagnosis was 8.3 years. Among the pathologic subtypes, mixed cellularity was the most frequent subtype for Hodgkin's disease. Most (70.7%) cases of non-Hodgkins lymphoma belonged to high grade NHL. Burkitt lymphoma accounted for 102 cases, and lymphoblastic lymphoma was found in 58 cases. Peripheral lymphadenopathy was the most common presenting sign upon diagnosis. B symptoms were significantly more frequent in Hodgkin's disease patients than in non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients. The Complete response rate was 62.1% for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and 82.8% for Hodgkin's disease. Overall 5 year survival rate was 60.0% in non-hodgkin's lymphoma, and 84.8% in Hodgkin's disease. CONCLUSION: The annual incidence of malignant lymphoma in Korea is 4.7 per million. In cases of chemotherapy-sensitive, refractory or relapsed malinant lymphoma, high dose chemotherapy followed by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is vital for improved survival. For more systematic analysis of epidemiology on malignant lymphomas, better surveillance mechanisms on the occurrence of malignant lymphomas are crucial, and establishment of standardized treatment protocol for malignant lymphoma is required.

Epidemiology and Clinical Outcomes of Childhood Wilms Tumor in Korea / 대한소아혈액종양학회지

PURPOSE: Wilms tumor is the most common malignant renal tumor in children. We investigated the epidemiology, clinical features and treatment outcome of the children with Wilms tumor in Korea during the recent 10 years. METHODS: Two hundred forty six patients were enrolled between January 1991 and December 2000 from 26 major hospitals in Korea. The data regarding the clinical features including sex, age, pathologic type, prognostic factor and treatment outcome of patients were analyzed retrospectively by review of patient's medical records. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed, The differences between groups were analyzed by log-rank test. RESULTS: There were 130 males and 116 females. The incidence between the age of 1~4 years was the highest with 66.2%. The annual incidence rate per 1, 000, 000 population varied from 1.9 to 2.1. The 10 years overall survival rate according to sex, clinical stage, pathologic type and relapse were as follows: 88.6% in male, 90.9% in female, 100% in stage I, 94.7% in stage II, 92.1% in stage III, 63.4% in stage IV, 85.7% in stage V, 95.3% in favorable histology, 64.1% in unfavorable histology, 94.8% in non-relapse, and 40.9% in relapse. The relapse rate was 12%. The 10 years overall survival rate of 246 patients were 89.1%. CONCLUSION: Our results could provide the most recent and important clinical information on Wilms tumor of children in Korea.

Childhood Acute Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura in Korea: Multicenter Study of Korean Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology / 대한소아혈액종양학회지

PURPOSE: Childhood acute immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a benign hematologic disease. Therapy does not affect the natural history of the illness. We evaluated the clinical and laboratory findings, treatment and prognosis of childhood acute ITP in Korea through a retrospective multicenter study. METHODS: We analyzed retrospectively the data of 1, 829 children with acute ITP through survey of 33 hospitals among 43 hospitals in Korea from Sep. 1992 to Aug. 2001. RESULTS: Male to female ratio was 1.3: 1 and the median age at the diagnosis of ITP was 2.9 (0.1 17) years. Median duration of follow up was 6 months. One hundred and forty nine cases of the total 1, 829 patients (8.1%) received no treatment. The initial median platelet count of the non-treated group was 42, 500/mm3. Among the 861 cases who were followed up over 6 months, 315 cases (36.6%) progressed into chronic ITP. Associated with this high rate of chronicity of childhood acute ITP patients in Korea, we must consider the fact that acute ITP patients with fast improvement in the first episode tend not to follow up. Considering that fact, the rate of chronicity becomes 17.2% of the 1, 829 acute ITP patients. The treated group used many kinds of treatment methods. Intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) with or without prednisolone (PD) (67.5%) were the most commonly used regimens. In the group treated with IVIG alone, the platelet count began to rise above 50, 000/mm3 at 2.6 days, 100, 000/mm3 at 3.7 days and 150, 000/mm3 at 4.9 days. Four hundred and twenty two cases of the 1, 686 (25.0%) cases followed up after first episode of ITP relapsed. The relapse rate was significantly higher in older patients and in girls than in younger patients and in boys (P< 0.05). The chronicity of ITP statistically increased with age (P< 0.05) and that was the only valuable factor. CONCLUSION: Despite the fact that childhood acute ITP is a pretty common disaese, there is no agreement on the best treatment method for this disease. The establishment of Korean treatment guideline of childhood acute ITP, based on an analysis of multicenters, seems to be needed.

Epidemiology and Clinical Characteristics of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Korea / 대한소아혈액종양학회지

PURPOSE: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) accounts for approximately 75% of all cases of childhood leukemia. We investigated epidemiology, clinical and laboratory features and treatment outcome of the children with ALL in Korea during recent 5 years. METHODS: One thousand forty nine patients were enrolled between January 1994 and December 1998 from 37 major hospitals in Korea. The data regarding the clinical and laboratory features including age, WBC counts at diagnosis, immunophenotype, morphology, cytogenetics and treatment outcome of patients were analyzed retrospectively by review of patient's medical records. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed. The differences between groups analyzed by log-rank test. RESULTS: There were 597 males and 452 females. The distribution between the age 2 and 5 years is most common in 46.1%. The annual incidence rate per 100,000 population varied from 1.6 to 2.2. The 5 year event free survival (EFS) rates according to good prognostic factors were as follows: 67% bet ween 1-9 year of age at diagnosis, 69% in under 10,000/mm3of initial WBC count, 74% in early pre-B cell CALLA ( ) immunophenotype, 65% in L3 morphology, 68% in no CNS invasion. Most of patients were treated by CCG treatment protocol. The 5 year EFS was 63%. Main complications were sepsis (21.8%) and hemorrhage (12.5%). The relapse rate was 15.6%. The common causes of death were sepsis, DIC, pneumonia, relapse. CONCLUSION: Our results could provide the most recent and important information about acute lymphoblastic leukemia of children in Korea.

A Case of Hyperthyroidism

No abstract available.