A multicenter anaphylaxis registry in Korea: Clinical characteristics and acute treatment details from infants to older adults

BACKGROUND: Although the prevalence of anaphylaxis is increasing worldwide, the large-scale studies in Asia evaluating anaphylaxis in all age groups are limited. We aimed to collect more precise and standardized data on anaphylaxis in Korea using the first multicenter web-based registry. METHODS: Twenty-two departments from 16 hospitals participated from November 2016 to December 2018. A web-based case report form, designed by allergy specialists, was used to collect anaphylaxis data. RESULTS: Within the 2-year period, 558 anaphylaxis cases were registered. The age of registered patients ranged from 2 months to 84 years, and 60% were aged <18 years. In children and adolescents, foods (84.8%) were the most common cause of anaphylaxis, followed by drugs (7.2%); in adults, drugs (58.3%) were the most common cause, followed by foods (28.3%) and insect venom (8.1%). The onset time wa

In vitro selection of DNA aptamers binding to the recombinant human interleukin-6

IL-6 is known to inhibit growth and induce differentiation of several myeloid leukemia cell lines, With the recombinant human interleukin-6 (IL-6) as a target protein, DNA aptamers specifically binding to IL-6 were isolated from a random oligodeoxyribonucleotide pool. A large pool of 96-mer oligodeoxyribonucleotides, made up of 60 bases of random sequences flanked by the defined regions of primer binding sites at the 5' and 3' ends, was synthesized, This randomly generated oligodeoxyribonucleotide pool was denatured to generate single-stranded DNA and subjected to in vitro selection with affinity chromatography and in vitro amplification with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for enrichment in single-stranded DNA aptamers specifically binding to IL-6. Multiple rounds of successive affinity chromatography and PCR resulted in the continued purification of binding species, The gel retardation experiment showed that aptamers had affinity to IL-6 with dissociation constants of the order of magnitude of 10(-6) M. The sequences of the aptamers were identified, A homology search revealed that they were categorized into at least four groups according to the consensus sequences among them

Synchrotron X-ray microtomography for 3D imaging of polymer blends

Despite sufficient spatial resolution and routine operation, traditional electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) of polymer blend morphologies is limited to two dimensions (2D) and often requires tedious sample preparation. We have used a powerful X-ray imaging technique to visualize the morphology of polymer blends in three dimensions (3D). Images of polystyrene/high-density polyethylene (PS/HDPE) blend samples were constructed with microtomography using coherent synchrotron X-rays. Good contrast for blends with and without the PS phase removed (no other sample preparation was needed) was accomplished, and image quality is compared in the paper. High resolution (1 mu m) images of relatively thick (similar to 1 mm) blend samples were possible by adapting a sample stage equipped with high precision motor controls, by enhancing phase contrast through optimization of sample-scintillator distance, and by taking a large number of projection images (up to 1000) along different angles. Reconstructed slices were used to create 3D volume-rendered images of the blends. Coarsening of the cocontinuous morphology during annealing was monitored using extraction-free microtomography. Measurements of interfacial area per volume at varying annealing times agree with experimental results obtained using mercury porosimetry. It was also shown that SEM quantitative annealing results are limited at long annealing times due to the limitations of two-dimensional images of a three-dimensional morphology.X114442sciescopu

Control of autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice by GAD expression or suppression in beta cells.

Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) is a pancreatic beta cell autoantigen in humans and nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice. beta Cell-specific suppression of GAD expression in two lines of antisense GAD transgenic NOD mice prevented autoimmune diabetes, whereas persistent GAD expression in the beta cells in the other four lines of antisense GAD transgenic NOD mice resulted in diabetes, similar to that seen in transgene-negative NOD mice. Complete suppression of beta cell GAD expression blocked the generation of diabetogenic T cells and protected islet grafts from autoimmune injury. Thus, beta cell-specific GAD expression is required for the development of autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice, and modulation of GAD might, therefore, have therapeutic value in type 1 diabetes

Current status of Oriental medicine in treating Korean allergy patients.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the prevalence, compliance, pattern of use, and economic cost of OM in Korean allergy patients. METHODS: A total of 647 allergy patients were enrolled from 10 general hospitals, and were surveyed by the questionnaire. It consisted of 12 items and regarded the prescription rates, reasons for referring, their opinions for the efficacy of OM, and economic costs. RESULTS: A total of 259 (40.5%) patients had used OM, and 35.5% of these patients experienced two or more kinds of these practices. A patients' income or education level did not affect the prescription rates of OM. Of the patients that used OM, 34.6% of them were satisfied with the effect of OM treatment, and 40.9% of them were inclined to continue with their OM treatments. The most frequent reasons for choosing OM were the patient's belief that OM can predispose 'allergic constitution to normal' (30.2%), worries about the possible adverse reactions of the long-term administration of the proven drugs (20.2%), and the safety of OM (15.6%). However, 18.9% of these patients experienced perceived adverse events to their OM treatment such as skin rashes, gastrointestinal discomfort, and hepatitis. The patients that have used OM spent on average $915 US dollars annually for OM treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Many Korean allergy patients are cliental to OM. Some patients experienced a satisfactory treatment effect from OM, however, others had no treatment effect, even adverse event. Therefore, it is important to educate people to use OM appropriately to make harmony with modern medicine

Eligibility for Lecanemab Treatment in the Republic of Korea: Real-World Data From Memory Clinics

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We aimed to determine the proportion of Korean patients with early Alzheimer's disease (AD) who are eligible to receive lecanemab based on the United States Appropriate Use Recommendations (US AUR), and also identify the barriers to this treatment. METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled 6,132 patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment or mild amnestic dementia at 13 hospitals from June 2023 to May 2024. Among them, 2,058 patients underwent amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) and 1,199 (58.3%) of these patients were amyloid-positive on PET. We excluded 732 patients who did not undergo brain magnetic resonance imaging between June 2023 and May 2024. Finally, 467 patients were included in the present study. RESULTS: When applying the criteria of the US AUR, approximately 50% of patients with early AD were eligible to receive lecanemab treatment. Among the 467 included patients, 36.8% did not meet the inclusion criterion of a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of >/=22. CONCLUSIONS: Eligibility for lecanemab treatment was not restricted to Korean patients with early AD except for those with an MMSE score of >/=22. The MMSE criteria should therefore be reconsidered in areas with a higher proportion of older people, who tend to have lower levels of education