Erratum / 대한혈액학회지

We found a sentence that was erroneously described in the page 81 of the article titled "National blood management system and the direction of government policy in Korea" published in June (Korean J Hematol 2010;45:81-3). The sentence should have been corrected as follows. Until 1999, blood was collected from paid donors because the selling of blood was prohibited by law. --> Blood collection from paid donors had gradually decreased until 1981 when it finally disappeared, and the selling of blood was declared illegal by law in 1999.

National blood management system and the direction of government policy in Korea / 대한혈액학회지

No abstract available.

Two cases of Fabry disease identified in brothers / 소아과

Fabry disease is a rare, X-linked inborn error of glycosphingolipid catabolism caused by a mutation in the gene encoding the alpha-galactosidase A (GLA) enzyme. We report two cases of Fabry disease in a 12-year-old boy who had acroparesthesia and in his elder brother with milder symptoms who were diagnosed by GLA activity assays and the presence of the GLA gene mutation.

NaCl plus chitosan as a dietary salt to prevent the development of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats

The effect of NaCl plus 3% chitosan on the systolic blood pressure of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were evaluated and compared with NaCl plus KCl (NaCl, 49.36% + KCl 49.36%) and chitosan or NaCl treatment alone. In SHR, administration of NaCl plus chitosan (44 mM Na/day) for two months significantly decreased the systolic blood pressure greater than of NaCl plus KCl and NaCl alone. NaCl plus chitosan resulted, though not statistically significant, in decreased urinary Na+ excretion and decreased blood urea nitrogen levels. Urinary creatinine of NaCl plus chitosan was slightly decreased compared to 3 treated groups. Serum electrolytes levels, however, remained unchanged. The combination of NaCl and chitosan may be superior to the conventional use of NaCl plus KCl or NaCl alone in the prevention of hypertension. Even though these supplementary diets have demonstrated potential anti-hypertensive effects in the experimental animal model, further research is needed before any recommendations can be made.

A study of the frequency and characteristics of minor clinical manifestations in children with atopic dermatitis / 소아과

PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate the frequency and characteristics of minor clinical manifestations of atopic dermatitis (AD) in Korean children to aid the diagnosis and treatment of AD. METHODS: From April 2007 to December 2007, we enrolled 106 children (aged 1 month [infants] to 15 years) diagnosed with AD at the Pediatric Allergy Respiratory Center in Soonchunhyang University Hospital. Clinical manifestations were examined and laboratory findings (total and specific immunoglobulin E [IgE] levels and peripheral blood eosinophil count) were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: Minor symptoms, in order of frequency, included xerosis (78.3%), aggravation due to environmental or emotional stress (43.4%), lichenification (35.8%), orbital darkening (34.0%), periauricular eczema (33.0%), and cutaneous infection (31.1%). Older children (> or =2 years) showed more orbital darkening (P=0.01), horizontal crease (P=0.01), and lichenification (P=0.001) than infants. Patients with severe AD (scoring atopic dermatitis [SCORAD] score, > or =40) showed higher frequencies of xerosis (P=0.04), cutaneous infection (P=0.03), ichthyosis (P=0.18), keratosis pilaris (P=0.02), pityriasis alba (P=0.07), recurrent conjunctivitis (P=0.02), orbital darkening (P=0.001), aggravation due to environmental or emotional stress (P=0.05), facial eczema (P=0.001), lichenification (P=0.001), and hand/foot eczema (P=0.04) than those with mild-to-moderate AD. Children with atopic eczema showed more facial eczema (P=0.01) and lichenification (P=0.04) than those with non-atopic eczema. CONCLUSION: The clinical manifestations of AD were similar to those established by Hanifin and Rajka. However, we need to develop our own diagnostic criteria for AD, because the frequencies shown by our subjects differed from those observed in other countries.