Comparison of Dietary Behaviors and Blood Clinical Indices in Underweight, Normal Weight, Normal Weight Obese and Obese Female College Students / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: Normal weight obesity (NWO) is defined as excessive body fat in the context of a normal body mass index (BMI). This condition carries a greater risk of developing noncommunicable chronic disease and has been associated with early inflammation. This study was conducted to compare the anthropometric measurements, eating behaviors, and blood clinical indices among four groups: underweight, normal, normal weight obesity and obesity. METHODS: The subjects included 215 female college students. A questionnaire was administered regarding general characteristics, dietary behaviors, food consumption frequency. Anthropometric measurements and blood clinical indices were also investigated. RESULTS: The average BMI, body fat percentage, waist circumference, fat-free mass, and muscle mass were highest in the obesity group (p < 0.05). Most subjects had tried to lose weight and perceived that their health was worse than before they became college students. The ratio of students in the NWO group who thought their health was very poor was significantly higher than in the other three groups (p < 0.05). The obesity and NWO groups seemed to eat more and their eating speed was significantly faster than the other groups (pv0.001). The consumption frequency of caffeinated beverages was significantly higher in the NWO group than in the other three groups (p < 0.01). WBC was significantly higher in the obesity group (p < 0.05). Serum levels of TG and total cholesterol were also significantly higher in the obesity group (p < 0.05). Serum GPT was significantly higher in the obesity group (p < 0.05) while BUN level was highest in the NWO group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The obesity group showed the most health problems while the NWO group seemed relatively healthy. However, NWO can lead to problems such as metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease in later life if poor dietary habits are maintained. Therefore, education in appropriate eating habits is needed for these subjects.

Comparison of Dietary Behaviors and Blood Clinical Indices in Underweight, Normal Weight, Normal Weight Obese and Obese Female College Students / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: Normal weight obesity (NWO) is defined as excessive body fat in the context of a normal body mass index (BMI). This condition carries a greater risk of developing noncommunicable chronic disease and has been associated with early inflammation. This study was conducted to compare the anthropometric measurements, eating behaviors, and blood clinical indices among four groups: underweight, normal, normal weight obesity and obesity. METHODS: The subjects included 215 female college students. A questionnaire was administered regarding general characteristics, dietary behaviors, food consumption frequency. Anthropometric measurements and blood clinical indices were also investigated. RESULTS: The average BMI, body fat percentage, waist circumference, fat-free mass, and muscle mass were highest in the obesity group (p < 0.05). Most subjects had tried to lose weight and perceived that their health was worse than before they became college students. The ratio of students in the NWO group who thought their health was very poor was significantly higher than in the other three groups (p < 0.05). The obesity and NWO groups seemed to eat more and their eating speed was significantly faster than the other groups (pv0.001). The consumption frequency of caffeinated beverages was significantly higher in the NWO group than in the other three groups (p < 0.01). WBC was significantly higher in the obesity group (p < 0.05). Serum levels of TG and total cholesterol were also significantly higher in the obesity group (p < 0.05). Serum GPT was significantly higher in the obesity group (p < 0.05) while BUN level was highest in the NWO group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The obesity group showed the most health problems while the NWO group seemed relatively healthy. However, NWO can lead to problems such as metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease in later life if poor dietary habits are maintained. Therefore, education in appropriate eating habits is needed for these subjects.

Increased Cellular NAD⁺ Level through NQO1 Enzymatic Action Has Protective Effects on Bleomycin-Induced Lung Fibrosis in Mice / 결핵및호흡기질환

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a common interstitial lung disease; it is a chronic, progressive, and fatal lung disease of unknown etiology. Over the last two decades, knowledge about the underlying mechanisms of pulmonary fibrosis has improved markedly and facilitated the identification of potential targets for novel therapies. However, despite the large number of antifibrotic drugs being described in experimental pre-clinical studies, the translation of these findings into clinical practices has not been accomplished yet. NADH:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) is a homodimeric enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of NADH to NAD+ by various quinones and thereby elevates the intracellular NAD⁺ levels. In this study, we examined the effect of increase in cellular NAD⁺ levels on bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in mice. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were treated with intratracheal instillation of bleomycin. The mice were orally administered with β-lapachone from 3 days before exposure to bleomycin to 1-3 weeks after exposure to bleomycin. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected for analyzing the infiltration of immune cells. In vitro, A549 cells were treated with transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) and β-lapachone to analyze the extracellular matrix (ECM) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). RESULTS: β-Lapachone strongly attenuated bleomycin-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis, characterized by histological staining, infiltrated immune cells in BALF, inflammatory cytokines, fibrotic score, and TGF-β1, α-smooth muscle actin accumulation. In addition, β-lapachone showed a protective role in TGF-β1–induced ECM expression and EMT in A549 cells. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that β-lapachone can protect against bleomycin-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis in mice and TGF-β1–induced EMT in vitro, by elevating the NAD+/NADH ratio through NQO1 activation.

A Nonpregnant Woman with Group B Streptococcal Meningitis and Multifocal Embolic Infarctions

No abstract available.

The Relationships among Quality of Life and Stress, Health-related Habits and Food Intake in Korean Healthy Adults Based on 2013 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the socioeconomic factors that affect quality of life (QL) in healthy adults and to study the relationship between QL and health-related habits and food intake. METHODS: Subjects consisted of 1,154 healthy adults without any known disease, aged 19 to 65 years from the 2013 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. We used SPSS statistical program version 20.0 for data analysis. RESULTS: The average age and QL score of the study population were 36.7 years and 0.99 points, respectively. Males had a significantly higher QL score than the females (p < 0.001), and employed subjects and those employed in permanent positions had significantly higher scores as compared respectively with unemployed subjects and those employed in temporary positions (p < 0.001, p < 0.05). The group that responded "almost every day" to the "frequency of binge drinking" and "frequency of disruption of daily life due to drinking" had significantly lower QL scores as compared to other groups (p < 0.05). Further, the scores were significantly higher for individuals who practiced "intense physical activities" and "walking" (p < 0.001). The groups that responded that they were "very stressed" showed significantly lower QL scores in comparison to the other groups (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in QL scores according to anthropometric or biochemical indices. When subjects were divided into two groups based on average QL scores, the frequency of intake of "barbecued beef" was significantly higher while the frequency of intake of "fried eggs or rolled omelet," and "soy milk" was significantly lower in the high QL group. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, it is evident that in healthy adults without any known underlying illnesses, psychological factors such as economic activity, occupational environment, and stress are considered to have a greater impact on their QL than are nutrient intake, blood biochemical indices, and anthropometric status.

Phenotype Difference between Familial and Sporadic Ankylosing Spondylitis in Korean Patients

Clustered occurrences of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in family have been noticed. We evaluated patients with AS confirmed by the modified New York criteria for familial history of AS (one or more first to third degree relatives). The clinical characteristics and the recurrence risks (number of AS patients/number of familial members) of the familial AS compared to sporadic AS were investigated. Out of a total of 204 AS patients, 38 patients (18.6%) reported that they had a familial history of AS. The recurrence risks in the familial AS patients for first, second and third degree family members were 14.5%, 5.2%, and 4.4% respectively. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (22.6+/-22.2 vs 35.4+/-34.4, P=0.029) and C-reactive protein (CRP) (1.24+/-1.7 vs 2.43+/-3.3, P=0.003) at diagnosis, body mass index (21.9+/-2.7 vs 23.7+/-3.3, P=0.002) and frequency of oligoarthritis (13.2% vs 33.7%, P=0.021) were significantly lower in the familial form. The presence of HLA-B27 (97.4% vs 83.1%, P=0.044) was significantly higher in familial AS. In conclusion, Korean familial AS patients show a lower frequency of oligoarthritis, lower BMI, lower ESR and CRP at diagnosis and higher presence of HLA-B27.

Cisplatin-induced Kidney Dysfunction and Perspectives on Improving Treatment Strategies

Cisplatin is one of the most widely used and highly effective drug for the treatment of various solid tumors; however, it has dose-dependent side effects on the kidney, cochlear, and nerves. Nephrotoxicity is the most well-known and clinically important toxicity. Numerous studies have demonstrated that several mechanisms, including oxidative stress, DNA damage, and inflammatory responses, are closely associated with cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. Even though the establishment of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity can be alleviated by diuretics and pre-hydration of patients, the prevalence of cisplatin nephrotoxicity is still high, occurring in approximately one-third of patients who have undergone cisplatin therapy. Therefore it is imperative to develop treatments that will ameliorate cisplatin-nephrotoxicity. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of cisplatin-induced renal toxicity and the new strategies for protecting the kidneys from the toxic effects without lowering the tumoricidal activity.