Assessment of Nutritional Adequacy of Gimbap Sold in Convenience Stores Focused on Protein and Mineral Content

This study examined the nutritional information using the nutrition labels of gimbap sold at convenience stores and evaluated nutritional adequacy compared to dietary reference intakes for Korean adolescents. Thirty gimbaps (triangular gimbaps and regular gimbaps according to the main ingredients of vegetables, fish, and meat) were purchased at five convenience stores of different brands with many stores in Korea. The food and nutrition labels of the gimbaps were investigated, and nine minerals were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The average price of gimbap was 1,906.7 won, and average energy was 292.0 kcal, and the protein content was 15.5% of the recommended intake for Korean male adolescents aged 15∼18 years. The mineral content ranged from 6.9% for zinc to 39.0% for selenium. Except for sodium and selenium, the energy, protein, and mineral content did not meet 1/3 of dietary reference intakes for adolescents. For the index of nutritional quality (INQ), calcium and zinc were the lowest in the triangular and regular gimbap, respectively. The INQ of potassium was significantly higher in triangular gimbap with vegetables. The content and INQ of selenium were in regular gimbap with fish, and the zinc INQ was in regular gimbap with meat. Overall, gimbap sold in convenience stores has a high sodium content, and the contents of energy, protein, and minerals, except selenium, are insufficient for a single meal.

Reference Values for Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Subsets in a Healthy Korean Population

Flow cytometric immunophenotyping of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets is a powerful tool for evaluating cellular immunity and monitoring immune-mediated diseases. The numbers and proportions of blood lymphocyte subsets are influenced by factors such as gender, age, ethnicity, and lifestyle. This study aimed to establish reference ranges for peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in a healthy Korean population. Blood samples from 294 healthy adults were collected. Lymphocyte subsets were analyzed using a single-platform method with a flow cytometer; white blood cells and lymphocytes were analyzed using an automated hematology analyzer. The mean value of the white blood cell count was 5,665 cells/microl, and the mean values of the subtype counts (percentages) were as follows: lymphocytes, 1,928 cells/microl (35.08%); CD3+ cells, 1,305 cells/microl (67.53%); CD3+CD4+ cells, 787 cells/microl (40.55%); CD3+CD8+ cells, 479 cells/microl (25.23%); CD3-CD19+ cells, 203 cells/microl (10.43%); and CD3-CD56+ cells, 300 cells/microl (15.63%). Additionally, the CD4+/CD8+ ratio was 1.81. In this study, gender and age significantly influenced blood lymphocyte subsets. Our results demonstrate that, as with other populations, a healthy Korean population has its own, region-specific, lymphocyte subset reference ranges.

Evaluation of cytolytic activity and phenotypic changes of circulating blood immune cells in patients with colorectal cancer by a simple preparation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells / 대한외과학회지

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the cytolytic activity and the phenotype of circulating blood immune cells in cancer patients by using a simple preparation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). METHODS: Peripheral blood was obtained from 94 diagnosed colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and 112 healthy donors. PBMCs were cocultured with K562 cells for 2 hours and lactate dehydrogenase released from the dead K562 cells was measured by using a spectrophotometer. Meanwhile, PBMCs were stained with fluorescence conjugated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and analyzed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: The cytolytic activity of PBMCs were significantly different between CRC patient and healthy groups (8.82% +/- 3.84% vs. 17.51% +/- 8.57%; P < 0.001). However, no significant difference in the cytolytic activity was observed after surgery in the CRC patient group (before surgery, 8.82% +/- 3.84% vs. after surgery, 9.95% +/- 4.94%; P = 0.326). In addition, the percentage of peripheral blood natural killer cells was significantly higher in the preoperative patient group than in the healthy group (19.97% +/- 11.51% vs. 15.60% +/- 5.77%, P = 0.041). In contrast, the percentage of peripheral blood lymphocytes was lower in the preoperative patient group than in the healthy group (28.41% +/- 8.31% vs. 36.4% +/- 8.6%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that circulating blood immune cells of CRC patients are functionally impaired and undergo an immunophenotypic perturbation, and show that a simple preparation of PBMCs can be useful to evaluate cellular immunity in cancer.

Is the Angiodysplasia Significant as the Cause of Upper Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage in Patients with Chronic Renal Failure? / 대한신장학회잡지

PURPOSE: The role of angiodysplasia as a main cause of upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage (UGH) in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) is controversial. We investigated the sources of UGH and the clinical characteristics of UGH in patients with CRF. METHODS: We reviewed the medical and endoscopic records of 574 patients who were admitted to Gil Medical Center from November 1999 to November 2004. UGH was defined as hematemesis, or nasogastric aspirate showing fresh or old blood, or melena associated with acute drop in hematocrit. CRF was defined as a serum creatinine clearance < or =59 mL/min for at least 3 months before and after the bleeding episode or the patients who have undergone dialysis or received renal transplantation. RESULTS: Thirty-two of 574 patients were CRF group. 19 of the CRF patients have received dialysis (18 paitents-hemodialysis; 1 patient-peritoneal dialysis). The mean age of CRF group was 56+/-13.65 years old and 16 patients were male. The causes of UGH in CRF patients, in order of frequency, was duodenal ulcer (37.5%), gastric ulcer (34.4%), unknown (12.5%). No angiodyplasia was found in CRF group. The sources of bleeding did not differ significantly between the two groups. The prevalence of taking ulcerogenic drugs in CRF patients was higher than that in control group (59.4% vs 29.7%, p=0.001). The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in CRF patients with peptic ulcer and gastritis was lower than that in control group (16.7% vs 42.3%, p=0.017). The mean length of hospital stay and the mean numbers of blood transfusions required were higher in the CRF group than control group. However, no differences were seen between the two groups in mortality, recurrent bleeding and surgery for control of bleeding. CONCLUSION: The common cause of UGH in patients with CRF was peptic ulcer disease and no angiodysplasia was found.

Lipomatous Hypertrophy of Interartiral Septum(LHIS)

Lipomatous hypertrophy of interartiral septum (LHIS) is a rare entity that is characterized by the excessive deposition of fat in the interatrial septum. The appearance of LHIS on echocardiogram is a bilobed or dumbbell-shaped in interatrial septum. We report a case of 56-years man with frequent premature ventricular contraction on holter monitoring which may related to his sudden cardiac death diagnosed lipomatous hypertrophy of interatrial septum by echocardiography.