NF-κB and CREB Are Involved in IL-8 Production of Human Neutrophils Induced by Trichomonas vaginalis-Derived Secretory Products

Trichomonas vaginalis is a flagellated lumen-dwelling extracellular protozoan parasite that causes human trichomoniasis via sexual intercourse. Human neutrophils play a crucial role in acute tissue inflammatory responses in T. vaginalis infection. In this study, we investigated the signaling mechanism of neutrophil responses when stimulated with T. vaginalis-derived secretory products (TvSP), which were collected from 1×107 live trichomonads. Incubation of human neutrophils isolated from peripheral blood with TvSP induced up-regulation of IL-8 protein secretion. In addition, stimulation with TvSP induced phosphorylation of NF-κB and CREB in neutrophils. Moreover, TvSP-induced IL-8 production was also significantly inhibited by pretreatment of neutrophils with iκB inhibitor or CREB inhibitor. These results suggest that transcription factors NF-κB and CREB are involved in IL-8 production in human neutrophils induced by stimulation with T. vaginalis infection

Patterns in quality of life according to employment among the older adults: the Korean longitudinal study of aging (2008–2014)

Abstract Background Korea is becoming an aged society. Accordingly, it is very meaningful to investigate the impact of job retention on quality of life (QOL) for older adults. We aimed to understand the pattern of changes over time in QOL of older adults aged 65 years or older based on employment status using the national data, the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA). Methods Data from the KLoSA during 2008–2014 were used. QOL was measured with the question, “How is your overall quality of life when compared to that of your peers in the same age group?” A total of 526 older adults were selected from 2008, including 267 who retained their jobs without change (job retention group) and 259 who lost their jobs by 2014 (job loss group). In order to analyze the factors affecting the QOL between 2008 and 2014, linear mixed models were used. Results The average age of participants was 70 years. In men, the QOL was significantly higher in the job retention group than the job loss group (β = 7.751, p < .001). According to time, the QOL in 2012 (β = − 3.805, p = .003) and 2014 (β = − 4.254, p < .001) was significantly lower than that in 2008. In addition, the groups of retention or loss of job showed a significant difference in the change in QOL over time; the QOL was significantly lower in 2010 (β = − 3.570, p = .027) and 2014 (β = − 5.604, p = .003). Conclusions This study found that employment is an important factor affecting the QOL. In order to improve the QOL of the older adults, tailored programs are needed to understand the characteristics of the elderly and to create suitable jobs for them

Development and Validation of an Undiagnosed Diabetes Screening Tool: Based on the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010–2016)

Approximately half of the population worldwide suffers from under/undiagnosed diabetes. In South Korea, 27.7% of people aged over 30 years have type 2 diabetes and are unaware of their condition because they have not been diagnosed. Optimal tools for identifying risk factors of undiagnosed diabetes, which is associated with multiple complications, are currently lacking. Secondary data analysis was conducted using the 2010–2016 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. This study aimed to identify the risk factors in individuals not diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, using glycated hemoglobin as the diagnostic standard. Furthermore, we aimed to develop an accurate screening tool for diabetes using HbA1c values by analyzing the data of 12,843 adults (aged ≥20 years) not diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Age, gender, family history of diabetes, hypertension diagnosis, waist-to-height ratio, smoking, and health check-ups were identified as significant risk factors for undiagnosed type 2 diabetes. A screening tool with total and cutoff scores of 13 and 7 points was developed, and it had a sensitivity of 82.7% and specificity of 58.2%. The developed screening tool appears to be a simple and cost-effective method for detecting undiagnosed type 2 diabetes

Comparison of learning needs priorities between healthcare providers and patients with heart failure.

It is necessary to understand the learning needs of heart failure (HF) patients to provide adequate patient education. It is necessary to identify what HF patients want to know and how this differs from the educational needs of healthcare providers. The aim of this descriptive and exploratory study was to evaluate and compare the learning needs priorities between HF patients and their healthcare providers. One hundred patients with HF and 20 healthcare providers were recruited from cardiovascular outpatient clinics at 2 large tertiary medical centers in South Korea. Learning needs were measured using a self-administered questionnaire with the Heart Failure Patients' Learning Needs Inventory. Data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0 program. Overall rank orders for 48 items were similar in both groups (Spearman rank order correlation 0.605, p < .001). The educational topics of medications and worsening signs and symptoms ranked highest in both groups. However, healthcare providers were more concerned with diet management than were the patients (mean score 4.18 vs. 3.62; p = .001). The study showed both similarities and differences between the assessments of the patients and healthcare providers of detailed educational learning needs. It is important to develop patient-centered educational materials considering HF patients' actual learning needs, and also to provide comprehensive and practical patient education based on a supportive understanding of healthcare provider needs

Heart Failure-Smart Life: a randomized controlled trial of a mobile app for self-management in patients with heart failure

Abstract Background It is an important strategy for healthcare providers to support heart failure patients with comprehensive aspects of self-management. A practical alternative to a comprehensive and user-friendly self-management program for heart failure patients is needed. This study aimed to develop a mobile self-management app program for patients with heart failure and to identify the impact of the program. Methods We developed a mobile app, called Heart Failure-Smart Life. The app was to provide educational materials using a daily health check-up diary, Q & A, and 1:1 chat, considering individual users’ convenience. An experimental study was employed using a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effects of the program in patients with heart failure from July 2018 to June 2019. The experimental group (n = 36) participated in using the mobile app that provided feedback on their self-management and allowed monitoring of their daily health status by cardiac nurses for 3 months, and the control group (n = 38) continued to undergo their usual care. The differences in the physical, psychosocial, and behavioral factors between the two groups over time were analyzed using the analysis of covariance. Results After 3 months of intervention, significant differences between experimental and control groups were shown in the New York Heart Association functional class (p = 0.003) and cardiac diastolic function (p = 0.024). The improvements over time in the experimental group tended to be higher than those in the control group in considered variables. However, no changes in psychosocial and behavioral variables were observed between the groups over time. Conclusions This study provides evidence that the mobile app program may provide benefits to its users, specifically improvements of symptom and cardiac diastolic function in patients with heart failure. Healthcare providers can effectively and practically guide and support patients with heart failure using comprehensive and convenient self-management tools such as smartphone apps