A Case of Rectal Syphilis Incidentally Found at Regular Medical Check-up

Syphilis is a rare disease in the rectum. It is difficult to diagnose because the characteristics of the rectal syphilis rectal lesion are highly varied. The endoscopic findings of rectal syphilis are proctitis, ulcers, and masses. If rectal syphilis is suspected to be the cause for rectal lesions, it is important for physicians to consider the sexual history and sexual orientation of the patient. We report a case of incidental rectal syphilis in a 41-year-old man diagnosed during a regular medical check-up.ope

Calpain-10 and Adiponectin Gene Polymorphisms in Korean Type 2 Diabetes Patients.

BACKGROUND: Genetic variations in calpain-10 and adiponectin gene are known to influence insulin secretion and resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Recently, several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in calpain-10 and adiponectin gene have been reported to be associated with type 2 diabetes and various metabolic derangements. We investigated the associations between specific calpain-10 and adiponectin gene polymorphisms and Korean type 2 diabetes patients. METHODS: Overall, 249 type 2 diabetes patients and 131 non-diabetic control subjects were enrolled in this study. All the subjects were genotyped for SNP-43 and -63 of calpain-10 gene and G276T and T45G frequencies of the adiponectin gene. The clinical characteristics and measure of glucose metabolism were compared within these genotypes. RESULTS: Among calpain-10 polymorphisms, SNP-63 T/T were more frequent in diabetes patients, and single SNP-63 increases the susceptibility to type 2 diabetes. However, SNP-43 in calpain-10 and T45G and intron G276T in adiponectin gene were not significantly associated with diabetes, insulin resistance, nor insulin secretion. CONCLUSION: Variations in calpain-10, SNP-63 seems to increase the susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in Koreans while SNP-43 and adiponectin SNP-45, -276 are not associated with impaired glucose metabolism.ope

Higher glucagon-to-insulin ratio is associated with elevated glycated hemoglobin levels in type 2 diabetes patients

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The importance of α-cell dysfunction in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes has re-emerged recently. However, data on whether relative glucagon excess is present in clinical settings are scarce. We aimed to investigate associations between glucagon-to-insulin ratio and various metabolic parameters. METHODS: A total of 451 patients with type 2 diabetes naïve to insulin treatment were recruited. Using glucagon-to-insulin ratio, we divided subjects into quartiles according to both fasting and postprandial glucagon-to-insulin ratios. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 58 years, with a mean body mass index of 25 kg/m2 . The patients in the highest quartile of glucagon-to-insulin ratio had higher glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels. HbA1c levels were positively correlated with both fasting and postprandial glucagon-to-insulin ratios. Subjects in the highest quartile of postprandial glucagon-to-insulin ratio were more likely to exhibit uncontrolled hyperglycemia, even after adjusting for confounding factors (odds ratio, 2.730; 95% confidence interval, 1.236 to 6.028; p for trend < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Hyperglucagonemia relative to insulin could contribute to uncontrolled hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes patients.ope

Association between triglyceride glucose index and arterial stiffness in Korean adults

BACKGROUND: The triglyceride glucose (TyG) index has been suggested as a simple surrogate marker of insulin resistance. However, there are limited data regarding the association between the TyG index and arterial stiffness in adults. Therefore, we evaluated the relationship between the TyG index and arterial stiffness as measured based on brachial ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) in Korean adults. METHODS: A total of 3587 subjects were enrolled in this study. Anthropometric and cardiovascular risk factors were measured. The TyG index was calculated as ln[fasting triglycerides(mg/dl) x fasting glucose(mg/dl)/2], and the insulin resistance index of homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) was estimated. Arterial stiffness was determined by measuring baPWV. RESULTS: The subjects were stratified into four groups based on the TyG index. There were significant differences in cardiovascular parameters among the groups; the mean baPWV increased significantly with increasing TyG index. According to the logistic regression analysis after adjusting for multiple risk factors, the odds ratio (95% CI) for increased baPWV (> 75th percentile) for the highest and lowest quartiles of the TyG index was 2.92 (1.92-4.44) in men and 1.84 (1.15-2.96) in women, and the odds ratio for increased baPWV for the highest and lowest quartiles of the HOMA-IR was 1.80 (1.17-2.78) in men and 1.46 (1.06-2.47) in women, respectively. CONCLUSION: The TyG index is more independently associated with increased arterial stiffness than HOMA-IR in Korean adults.ope

Association of Specific Immunoglobulin E to Staphylococcal Enterotoxin with Airway Hyperresponsiveness in Asthma Patients

Background : Specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) sensitization to staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE) has been recently considered to be related to allergic disease, including asthma. Despite studies on specific IgE (sIgE) to SE and its relationship to asthma diagnosis and severity, the association of sIgE to SE with airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) remains unclear. Methods : We enrolled 81 asthma patients admitted to the Severance Hospital in Korea from March 1, 2013, to February 28, 2015 and retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of the enrolled subjects. The serum levels of sIgE to SE (A/B) of all subjects was measured using the ImmunoCAP 250 (Phadia) system with SE-sIgE positive defined as >0.10 kU/mL. Results : The SE-sIgE level was not significantly correlated with asthma severity (forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1], FEV1/forced vital capacity, sputum eosinophils, and serum eosinophils), whereas the SE-sIgE level in patients with positive AHR (mean±standard error of the mean, 0.606±0.273 kU/mL) was significantly higher than that in patients with negative AHR (0.062±0.015 kU/mL, p=0.034). In regression analysis, SE sensitization (sIgE to SE ≥0.010 kU/mL) was a significant risk factor for AHR, after adjustment for age, sex, FEV1, and sputum eosinophils (odds ratio, 7.090; 95% confidence interval, 1.180?42.600; p=0.032). Prevalence of SE sensitization was higher in patients with allergic rhinitis and non-atopic asthma patients, as compared to patients without allergic rhinitis and atopic asthma patients, respectively, but without statistical significance. Conclusion : SE sensitization is significantly associated with AHR.ope

A Study on the Legal Status of Human Materials on the Basis of the Humanity of DNA

현대 생명과학은 난치병치료를 통한 무병장수의 꿈을 현실화시킴과 동시에, 생명을 형성하는 본질도 새롭게 밝혀냈다. 본 연구에서는 과학이 밝혀낸 생명의 본질을 근거로 인체유래물에 관한 이론과 법률관계를 정리하고, 입법정책 방향을 검토한다. 이러한 검토의 목적은 인체유래물의 법적 지위에 대한 확답을 제시하려는 것이기 보다는 DNA의 인격적 측면에 관한 주요논거들을 종합적으로 고찰하여 향후 체계적이고 균형 있는 논의의 단초를 제공하기 위함이다. 분리된 인체유래물(DNA)은 역분화하여 유도만능줄기세포(iPS cell)로 신체에 재주입되거나, 복제생명체로 탄생할 수도있다. 따라서 인체유래물은 생명의 구성요소를 그대로 지니고 있으며, 분리된다고 해서 단순한 물건(物件)이 되는 것은 아니다. 또한 유전정보, 활용범위, 보호필요성등에서 사람의 신체만큼 인격적 중요성을 그대로 지니며, 분리와 미분리의 법적 차 별은 무의미해져 가고 있다. 따라서 인체에 준(準)하는 법적 지위로 파악해야 한다. 또한 인체는 100조 개의 세포로 구성되고, 매일 수억 개의 세포가 사멸하기에 재산적 가치로는 보호할 수 없다. 따라서 인격권에 기초한 위자료가 손해배상의 본질이 되어야 한다. 인체유래물을 활용한 질병유발 DNA 발견 등은 치료방법 특허로 보호하면서, 인도적인 취지의 라이선스 확보방안을 강구하는 것이 타당할 것이다