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A community-based, case-control study was carried out to investigate risk factors for scrub typhus in South Korea. Cases (n = 299) were defined as persons who were diagnosed serologically within the past two weeks. Two neighborhood control subjects were selected by matching for sex, age, and occupation. Taking a rest directly on the grass, working in short sleeves, working with bare hands, and squatting to defecate or urinate posed the highest risks, with adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of 1.7 (1.2-2.3), 1.6 (1.1-2.4), 1.7 (1.2-2.4), and 2.0 (1.4-2.9), respectively. Wearing a long-sleeved shirt while working, keeping work clothes off the grass, and always using a mat to rest outdoors showed protective associations, with aORs and 95% CIs of 0.5 (0.3-0.9), 0.6 (0.4-0.9), and 0.7 (0.5-0.9), respectively. These results might be useful in the establishment of a detailed control strategy for scrub typhus.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is frequent in the West, but rare in Korea. In this study, the frequency of chromosome aberration in Korean CLL patients was examined by applying interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Conventional cytogenetic test and FISH were performed on bone marrow aspirates obtained from 16 CLL patients. By applying DNA probes (Vysis, Downers Grove, IL, USA), the deletion in 11q22-23, 13q14, 13q34, and 17p13, and trisomy 12 were examined. With FISH, molecular cytogenetic aberration was detected in 10 of 16 patients [63%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 39-86], whereas with conventional cytogenetic test, chromosomal aberration was detected only in 2 out of 13 cases (15%, 95% CI 0-35). In total, the cases with one or more chromosomal aberrations were 11 out of 16 cases (69%, 95% CI 46-92). The most frequently detected aberration was the 13q14 deletion (69%, 95% CI 44-94), followed by trisomy 12 (19%, 95% CI 0-38) and 11q22 deletion (14%, 95% CI 0-33). No deletion in 17p13 was observed. In conclusion, CLL in Korean is a heterogeneous genetic disorder, showing similar genetic changes in Europe and North America.

Physiological activities of Korean-grown garlic (GKG) and Chinese-grown garlic (GCG) were examined. Nitrite-scavenging activity (NSA), superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity, and electron-donating ability (EDA) of garlic extracted with water or with either 50% or 100% ethanol were measured. NSA was optimized at pH 1.2 and was highest in water and 50% ethanol extracts of both origins. SOD-like activities of water or 50% ethanol extracts from both Korea and China were 48.43-63.89% lower than those of 1% or 0.1% L-ascorbate solutions. SOD-like activities of GKG extracts were higher than those of GCG extracts, and those of water extracts of samples were highest. EDAs of GKG extracts were higher (32.51-43.74%) than those of GCG extracts, while those of both sample extracts were lower than 1% or 0.1% L-ascorbate solutions.

Background: Plasma cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) functions to transfer cholesteryl ester from HDL to triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and regulates plasma HDL cholesterol level. A common mutation, the exon 15 A to G substitution at codon 442 (D442G) results in reduced plasma CETP activity and increased plasma HDL cholesterol level. Meanwhile, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in postmenopausal women increases plasma HDL cholesterol level., Methods: We investigated the frequency of D442G mutation and its effect on plasma HDL cholesterol level in Korean women. We also examined if the mutation has any effect on an increase in plasma HDL cholesterol level during HRT., Results: Two hundred and twenty eight women aged over 40 years were recruited in this study. Of 228 women, 22 (9.6%) were identified as having the D442G mutation; 21 heterozygotes and 1 homozygote. The subjects with the mutation had higher plasma HDL cholesterol levels than those without the mutation (61.6 +/- 17.3 vs. 55.1 +/- 14.0 mg/dL, p < 0.05). After 12 month HRT, HDL cholesterol increased by 6.4% (3.6 +/- 13.2 mg/dL, p < 0.05) and D442G mutation did not have any significant effect on the change of plasma HDL cholesterol level., Conclusion: D442G mutation is common in Korean postmenopausal women and it is associated with increased plasma HDL cholesterol level. HRT for postmenopausal women increased plasma HDL cholesterol level in similar amounts regardless of the presence or absence of D442G mutation.