Search

The article discusses the fifth and new kinorhynch species of Zelinkaderes from Korea. It is stated that new species is characterized by the presence of cuspidate spines in lateroventral positions on segments 2 and 9, ventrolateral positions on segment 5 and lateral accessory positions on segment 8. It is stated that new species of Zelinkaderes in East Asia extends the distributional range of the genus that reval that it could be present anywhere in the world.

Background Panax ginseng is a famous traditional medicine in Korea for its beneficial effect on obesity, cardiac and liver associated diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the metabolite in Panax ginseng (P. ginseng, Aralicaceae) berries depending on the ripen stages and evaluate its potential inhibition on adipocyte differentiation in 3 T3-L1 cells. Methods Different ripening stage samples of P. ginseng berry were analyzed through global metabolite profiling by NMR spectroscopy. Lipid accumulation in the cells was analyzed by Oil Red O staining. Results The PLS-DA clearly distinguished P. ginseng berry extract (PGBE) according to the partial ripe (PR), ripe(R) and fully ripe (FR) stage. Lipid accumulation of PGBE was examined by measuring triglyceride content and Oil-Red O staining. These results suggested that the FR stage of PGBE decrease in lipid accumulation during adipocyte differentiation and the amount of threonine, asparagine, fumarate, tyraine, tyrosine, and phenylalanine increased with longer ripening of ginseng berries. Conclusion Metabolite profiling of P. ginseng was identified by 1H NMR spectra. P. ginseng extract efficiently inhibits adipogenesis in 3 T3-L1 adipocytes concluded that the P. ginseng has the antiobesity properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Crigler-Najjar syndrome type II (CN-2) is characterized by moderate non-hemolytic unconjugated hyper-bilirubinemia as a result of severe deficiency of bilirubin uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT1A1). The study investigated the mutation spectrum of UGT1A1 gene in Korean children with CN-2. Methods: Five Korean CN-2 patients from five unrelated families and 50 healthy controls were enrolled. All five exons and flanking introns of the UGT1A1 gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the PCR products were directly sequenced. Results: All children initially presented with neonatal jaundice and had persistent indirect hyperbilirubinemia. Homozygous p.Y486D was identified in all five patients. Three patients had an associated homozygous p.G71R and two a heterozygous p.G71R. The allele frequency of p.Y486D and p.G71R in healthy controls was 0 and 0.16, respectively. No significant difference in mean serum bilirubin levels was found between homozygous carriers of p.G71R and heterozygous carriers. Conclusion: The combination of homozygous p.Y486D and homozygous or heterozygous p.G71R is identified. The p.Y486D and p.G71R can be screened for the mutation analysis of UGT1A1 in Korean CN-2 patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to classify Korean young adults into 3 groups on the basis of upper incisor exposure rates (UIERs) and to compare the skeletal, dental, and soft tissue variables. Methods: Samples were obtained from 127 students at the College of Dentistry, Wonkwang University in South Korea. Facial photographs of frontal posed smiles and lateral cephalograms of the subjects were taken. The subjects were divided into 3 groups on the basis of UIERs and 20 measurements were compared among the 3 groups. The correlations between the variables were determined. Results: Male and female subjects showed significant differences in the group distribution. Male subjects showed higher frequencies of low smiles, and female subjects showed higher frequencies of high smiles. The vertical height of the anterior alveolar process of the maxilla directly correlated with the UIER. However, the UIER showed no significant correlation with the vertical height of the anterior basal bone or the inclination of the upper incisor axis. In female subjects, the upper central incisor clinical crown length showed an inverse correlation with the UIER. However, this variable showed no significant correlation with the UIER in male subjects. Conclusions: The UIER was directly correlated with the levator muscle activity of the upper lip and inversely correlated with the upper lip thickness, yet there was no correlation between the UIER and upper lip length at rest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was to identify symptoms and provided services of home-based cancer patients in J province. Methods: 1,350 data poins for 167 home-based cancer patients were analyzed retrospectively. 13 symptoms and 39 service items were measured by tools for home-based cancer patients suggested by the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs. Results: The mean number of provided services was 7.4± 9.1. The most common symptoms were fatigue, anorexia, and pain. Patients whose duration after diagnosis was over 6 years, who had metastasis, or who underwent terminal care had more symptoms. Patient education, emotional and spiritual support, and basic assessment and services were provided most often. Frequency of provided services in patients whose duration after diagnosis was over 6 years or who had metastasis was higher. Services such as symptom and pain control, or death of the patient/the bereaved were provided with more support with patients who underwent terminal care. Conclusion: There were some differences in provided services according to medical characteristics. Patients experienced diverse symptoms, but services regarding these symptoms seemed to be insufficient. For more effective services, cooperation between organizations for home-based cancer patients is needed to form a better management model based on the merit of each facility or patient characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines Koreans' protests against U.S. beef imports by deconstructing online dynamics of news diffusion using data comprised of widely read blog entries created by Daum blog reporters between May and June 2008. The results indicate that Korean bloggers' political positions on U.S. beef imports were polarized, which ultimately influenced their network positions and the way news was diffused to them. Using a qualitative examination of bloggers' profiles, we found that bloggers who formed an independent group in order to run a collective blog, and journalists who worked in smaller media organizations contributed to enhancing citizen engagement with the issues at stake. Furthermore, we observed that there was a structural change in the online network between May and June. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study designed to assess the relationship between tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α promoter polymorphisms and disease susceptibility to human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27-positive ankylosing spondylitis (AS). One hundred and nineteen HLA-B27 AS patients, 95 HLA-B27 healthy controls, and 135 random healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the TNF-α promoter at positions -1031T/C, -863C/A, -857C/T, -646G/A, -308G/A, and -238G/A were analyzed. Differences between groups were evaluated using the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. Haplotypes from each SNP were constructed, and differences in haplotypic frequencies between groups were evaluated. There were significant differences in the allelic and genotypic frequencies of 1031T/C, -863C/A, and -857C/T TNF-α promoters polymorphisms between HLA-B27 AS patients and random controls, but not between patients with AS and HLA-B27 healthy individuals. TNF-α polymorphisms did not influence the extra-spinal clinical features in patients with AS. The haplotypic sequence -1031T/-863C/-857C/-308G increased the risk of susceptibility to AS compared to random controls ( P < 0.001, OR = 2.756, 95% CI = 1.894-4.010), whereas the sequence -1031C/-863A/-857C/-308G appeared to be associated with decreased susceptibility to AS compared to random controls ( P = 0.006, OR = 0.396, 95% CI = 0.231-0.679). This study indicates that TNF-α promoter polymorphism between controls and AS patients with HLA-B27 genetic background is not associated with susceptibility to AS. However, TNF-α polymorphism, irrespective of HLA-B27, increases risk of susceptibility to AS in general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been little research on extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) conducted in Asia. The aim of this multicenter study was to investigate the clinicopathological features, biological behavior, and treatment of EMPD in 194 Korean patients over a five-year period. As expected, this disease exhibited a male dominance (3.9:1) pattern. To distinguish the true association of malignancy with EMPD from coincidental occurrence of malignancy, we modified Chanda's guidelines. This analysis determined that there was an accompanying malignancy in 26 patients (14.4%), which included stomach (six cases), rectum (three cases), and colon (three cases) malignancies. With regard to treatment, 112 patients (58%) underwent conventional excisions, and 22 (11.4%) had Mohs surgery. Follow-up data for periods of 3-180 months were available for 147 patients; these data indicated that 42 patients (28.6%) experienced local recurrences. Patients who underwent Mohs micrographic surgery experienced a lower rate of recurrence (12.5%) than patients who underwent conventional excision (33.3%). In summary, this Korean population-based study demonstrated that the clinical features of EMPD, such as gender predominance, are consistent with reports from other Asian population-based studies. However, this study additionally demonstrated that the rate of association with malignancy in the Korean population (14.4%) was higher than that observed in other Asian studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examine the political socialization of teenagers by focusing on the 2008 Candlelight Protests in Korea, with particular emphasis on the implication of technological variables of modern society-in this case, new media. In the 2008 protests, we find that the protests were triggered by online communities (known as cafés in Korea) for, in part, the purposes of entertainment and amusement. The leading actors were middle and high school students; participation at both personal and organizational levels supplemented each other to amplify the impact of the protests. Survey results reveal the Internet as a primary tool that teenagers use to obtain political information, organize, and mobilize. As well, females were more aggressive in their participation, as found from the differences in Internet usage trends between teenage girls and boys. This case illuminates the potential of new media in bringing revolutionary change to the political socialization patterns of teenagers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium graminearum is an important fungal pathogen of cereal crops and produces mycotoxins, such as the trichothecenes nivalenol and deoxynivalenol. This species may be subdivided into a series of genetic lineages or phylogenetic species. We identified strains of F. graminearum from the Republic of Korea to lineage, tested their ability to produce nivalenol and deoxynivalenol, and determined the genetic composition and structure of the populations from which they were recovered. Based on amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), PCR genotyping, and chemical analyses of trichothecenes, all 249 isolates from southern provinces belonged to lineage 6, with 241 having the nivalenol genotype and 8 having the deoxynivalenol genotype. In the eastern Korea province, we recovered 84 lineage 6 isolates with the nivalenol genotype and 23 lineage 7 isolates with the deoxynivalenol genotype. Among 333 lineage 6 isolates, 36% of the AFLP bands were polymorphic, and they were 270 multilocus haplotypes. Genetic identity among populations was high (>0.972), and genotype diversity was low (30 to 58%). To test the adaptation of lineage 6 to rice, conidial mixtures of strains front lineages 3, 6, and 7 were inoculated onto rice plants and then recovered from the rice grains produced. Strains representing lineages 6 and 7 were recovered from inoculated spikelets at similar frequencies that were much higher than those for the strain representing lineage 3. Abundant perithecia were produced on rice straw, and 247 single-ascospore isolates were recovered from 247 perithecia. Perithecia representing lineage 6 (87%) were the most common, followed by those representing lineage 7 (13%), with perithecia representing lineage 3 not detected. These results suggest that F. graminearum lineage 6 may have a host preference for rice and that it may be more fit in a rice agroecosystem than are the other lineages present in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the development of Korea's online alternative public sphere and illuminates the characteristics of this space, ‘activated’ by non-gaek websites. These websites host highly partisan discourses which are produced and disseminated by a focused political agenda that aims at political reform. Such a method of conducting discourse has led to the dissimilitude of the alternative public sphere, resulting in the birth of a multiplicity of spheres that represent divergent political views. This paper argues that although the overall extent of the alternative public sphere is expanded by non-gaek websites, it is becoming at the same time an exclusive and intolerant space. Furthermore, it is argued that to facilitate functional operation of the alternative public sphere, an institutionalization of rules and norms that can solve such problems is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The current study reports fungal diversities in the rhizoplane (RP) and rhizosphere (RS) samples of the geographically isolated Korean bellflower (Campanulatakesimana) obtained from its original habitats of the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula for the first time. The identification of specific taxa in each site may provide a better understanding of the interaction between the soil fungi and Korean bellflower. Fungal communities in the rhizoplane (RP) and rhizosphere (RS) of geographically isolated C. takesimana habitats in different environments such as oceanic (Seodo, the Dokdo Islands), coastline (Sadong, Ulleungdo Island), and inland (Taeha, Ulleungdo Island) regions were analyzed by MiSeq sequencing. In total, 1279 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were obtained and they were further classified into 185 genera belonging to five phyla. The total number of fungal taxa in the RP samples was lower than those in the RS samples in all the sampled locations, providing an indication of the existence of a certain level of the selective pressures from the host plant. The richness of the RP in the Dokdo Islands was higher than that of Ulleungdo Island, but the richness of the RS in the Dokdo Islands was lower than that of Ulleungdo Island. These results suggest evidence for strong effects of a harsh geo-climate on the RP and RS fungal diversities in the Dokdo Islands. Additionally, a total of 82 fungal genera were identified in all three RP samples and 63 genera (77%) were uniquely found in each of the geographical regions and 43 genera (52.4%) showed high dependency on the C. takesimana vegetation. It was found that the genus Mortierella was the most dominant taxon in all the samples. The geo-ecological isolation of the Korean bellflower may have caused unique formation of the RP and RS fungal communities in the natural habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the association between menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) and chronic rhinitis.Methods: The data used in this study were derived from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The analysis included 2967 postmenopausal women under 70 years of age, and there were no missing data. Questionnaire responses regarding MHT, current life habits, reproductive history, and rhinitis were reviewed. The levels of total immunoglobulin E (IgE) and specific IgE for Dermatophagoides farinae, cockroaches, and dogs were measured, using approximately 10% of all samples. We compared women who were users of MHT and non-users of MHT. We also compared women with and without chronic rhinitis.Results: Of 2967 women matching the study criteria, 567 were MHT users. The proportion of general rhinitis symptoms was greater among MHT users (24.5%) than among MHT non-users (18.9%, p=0.003). The proportion of cases of rhinorrhea or posterior nasal drip was also greater among MHT users (6.3% vs. 4.3%, p=0.042), while there were no differences between the two groups in the proportion of cases of nasal obstruction. There were no differences in total IgE and specific IgE levels between the two groups. MHT was used by 23.4% of women with chronic rhinitis and 18.0% of women without chronic rhinitis. Age, waist circumference, and body mass index were also greater among women without chronic rhinitis than among those with chronic rhinitis.Conclusions: MHT may cause non-allergic rhinitis in postmenopausal women. Age and obesity may also affect the occurrence of non-allergic rhinitis in postmenopausal women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes an efficient approach for developing sequence tagged sites (STS) for Panax ginseng C.A. MEYER, and their applications for line discrimination. By using the methylation filtering (MF) technique, a genomic library was constructed, in which clone inserts were derived from the hypomethylated regions of ginseng genome. A methylation unfiltered genomic library was also constructed and the clone inserts were compared to those from the MF library in terms of sequence characteristics. Sequence analysis revealed that MF efficiently enriched the protein coding region of P. ginseng, for which the repetitive DNA appeared to be as little as 2.5 fold lower than clones in the unfiltered library, and also indicated that the P. ginseng genome may contain a large fraction of methylated repetitive DNA elements. A total of 99 and 100 highly stringent STS primer sets were designed from the filtered and unfiltered library, respectively. Amplification products were tested for latent polymorphism across six cultivars of P. ginseng and other 2 Panax species using six endonucleases recognizing four-bases. STS primer sets described here will be useful for marker-assisted selection, genome mapping and line discrimination of P. ginseng or its cultivars from other Panax species.

Background: It has been reported that patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) have a high incidence of background Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT); however, the linkage of HT to PTC is controversial. Recent studies have shown that the prevalence of activating point mutations in BRAFV600E is much higher (73-86%) in Korea than in Western countries (29-69%), and associated with a poor prognosis in PTC. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the frequency of the BRAFV600E mutation in PTC with and without HT, and to determine clinical and pathological features that were associated with concomitant HT and PTC., Methods: Fine-needle aspiration slides from 101 patients with surgically confirmed PTC were studied. The DNA was extracted from the atypical cells that were scraped from slides. It was then analyzed for the BRAFV600E mutation by pyrosequencing. In addition, the presence of background HT in surgical specimens and other clinical and pathological features of the patients were characterized., Results: HT was present in 37 (36.6%) of the patients. The BRAFV600E mutation was present in 27 (72.9%) of patients with HT but was present in 61 (95.3%) of patients without HT ( p#0.01). The inverse correlation of concurrent HT with the BRAFV600E mutation was significant for both males and females ( p < 0.01). The presence of background HT was not associated with tumor size, extrathyroidal invasion, lymph node (LN) metastasis, or tumor stage. The patients were younger in the group without background HT (44.1 +/- 13.2 vs. 49.8 +/- 13.9, p 1/40.05). The BRAFV600E mutation was present in 88 (87.1%) of the 101 patients with PTC. The presence of the BRAFV600E mutation was significantly associated with LN metastasis ( p < 0.02; odds ratio, 6.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.51-25.79)., Conclusion: In Korean patients with PTC, the BRAFV600E mutation is associated with a lower frequency of background HT and a high frequency of LN metastasis.

Background and Object: It has been suggested that the SLC22A12 gene polymorphism may be involved in the mechanism of renal urate handling. The purpose of the current study was to identify the effect of the T6092C polymorphism of the SLC22A12 gene on serum uric acid concentrations in the Korean population., Methods: We examined 196 healthy subjects (141 males and 55 females) in this study. Among the SLC22A12 gene polymorphism, the T6092C polymorphism in intron 4 at rs1529909 of the SLC22A12 gene was evaluated using denaturing high performance liquid chromatography analysis. Diverse clinical parameters of renal urate handling derived from fasting blood and urine samples, such as the serum uric acid concentration and the fractional excretion of uric acid (FEUA), were also assessed for identification of the relationship between genotypic variations. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test, ANOVA test, and the Pearson correlation coefficient analysis to determine which indicators involved serum uric acid. And the significance of these indicators was then confirmed by multivariate regression analysis., Results: The prevalence of the T6092C polymorphism (TT, TC, and CC) was 58.2%, 37.2%, and 4.6%, respectively. Only the concentration of serum uric acid and the FEUA in male subjects differed significantly among each genotype (p=0.038 and p=0.013, respectively). Serum uric acid concentrations in male subjects with the TT genotype were increased compared with those with the TC as well as the TC or CC genotypes (6.2+/-1.2 vs. 5.7+/-1.3, p=0.039 and 6.2+/-1.2 vs. 5.6+/-1.3, p=0.019, respectively), whereas there was no significant difference between CC genotype and TT genotype in serum uric acid (p=0.066). No significant difference between clinical indicators and genotypes existed in females. The T6092C polymorphism of the SLC22A12 gene, serum creatinine, and the FEUA were significantly associated with the concentration of serum uric acid., Conclusion: This study showed that the T6092C polymorphism of the SLC22A12 gene may be involved in renal urate handling and the concentration of serum uric acid, in male subjects.

IL-17 is a novel cytokine that is characterized by an ability to induce several types of cells to secrete proinflammatory cytokines in various inflammatory diseases. This study analyzed the influence of IL-17F gene polymorphisms on disease susceptibility and clinical features. Ninety-nine Behçet's disease (BD) patients and 114 controls were genotyped to analyze three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) including A126G, G155A, and A161G of the IL-17F gene using automated sequencing. We compared the frequencies of IL-17F alleles, genotypes, and haplotypes in patients with BD and controls using the chi-square or Fisher's exact test. Significant differences in the frequencies of allele and genotype in A126G SNP of IL-17 gene were found between BD patients and controls (P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively). None of three IL-17F SNPs were associated with diverse clinical features in BD. The frequency of haplotype AA did not differ between patients with BD and controls (P=0.985). The haplotypes, AG, and GG, have positive and inverse association with BD susceptibility (P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively). These findings suggest that IL-17 gene SNPs may influence the susceptibility of BD.

Conclusion: Surgery alone may be a reliable and feasible treatment of choice in selected patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity, given the proper indications., Objective: To evaluate the results of treatment of oral cavity SCC patients with surgery alone in a single institution., Patients and Methods: Between 1992 and 2004, 76 patients with previously untreated SCC of the oral cavity who had surgery alone without any other adjuvant treatment modalities were included in our study., Results: The 5-year overall rate, disease-specific survival rates, and locoregional control rate of all 76 patients were 69%, 83%, and 73%, respectively. A total of 16 patients (21%) presented with recurrences (8 with regional recurrences, 5 with local, 2 with locoregional, and 1 with distant metastasis). Four (6%) of the patients with primary T1 or T2 stage and one (50%) of those with T4 stage had recurrence at the primary site. The regional recurrence rate of patients with < or = N1 and > or = N2b was 10% (6 of 59) and 67% (2 of 3), respectively. Three of four patients who had recurrence at the primary site and attempted salvage treatment have been cured. However, only one of five patients with nodal recurrence and salvage treatment has recovered.

The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of atopy, asthma, and obesity in university freshmen and to determine whether leptin is associated with bronchodilator reversibility in obesity. A total of 537 university freshmen completed International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Children (ISAAC) questionnaire and underwent skin prick testing and bronchodilator reversibility test. The prevalences of asthma, wheeze, and atopy were 10 (1.9%), 84 (15.6%), and 198 (36.9%), respectively. The mean (+/- SD) bronchodilator response (5.1 +/- 4.4%) was higher in the overweight/obese men than in the normal male subjects (3.7 +/- 3.2%, p < 0.05). The mean leptin level in the overweight/obese men was 5.55 +/- 3.48 ng/mL, which was significantly higher than that (2.78 +/- 1.65 ng/mL) of the normal male subjects. The prevalence of asthma among university freshmen is seriously under-diagnosed and leptin may play a role in bronchodilator reversibility in overweight/obese young men.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence rate and epidemiologic patterns of Kawasaki disease in Korea for a 3 year period during 2000 to 2002., Methods: An epidemiologic survey on Kawasaki disease was retrospectively performed. The questionnaire was sent to all 112 hospitals having pediatric residency programs, and obtained data were analyzed., Results: The 9150 cases of Kawasaki disease from 92 hospitals which responded (response rate, 82.1%) included 5515 males and 3635 females (male : female ratio, 1.52:1). The incidence rate per 100,000 children <5 years old was 73.7 in 2000, and increased to 90.8 in 2001, and 95.5 in 2002 (average rate, 86.4). The monthly number of patients was slightly higher in May, June and July. Their mean age of onset, the proportion of sibling cases, and a rate of recurrent cases were 30.5 months, 0.17%, and 2.9%, respectively. Coronary arterial abnormalities occurred in 18.6% of cases including dilatations of 17.3% and aneurysms of 3.1%., Conclusion: The average annual incidence, 86.4/100 000 in children <5 years old is the second highest rate in the world.

Recently, malaria re-emerged in the Republic of Korea (ROK), but there have been only a few reports on malaria seroprevalence. For the epidemiological study in children, a total of 1,176 serum samples were obtained from children and adolescent inhabitants from the three different regions, Pajoo, the Guro district in the western part of Seoul (Guro), and Ansan, from June to September 2002, when the transmission rate was high. Anti-circumsporozoite protein (CSP) antibody levels were assessed in samples using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Among the three regions, the highest IgG seroreactivity against the CSP antigen of Plasmodium vivax was found in the children from Pajoo (8.0%), followed by the children from Guro (3.2%), and those in Ansan (0.02%) had the lowest seroreactivity. In Pajoo, the profile of antibody response showed the highest in age 9, but decreased with age towards 12 years old. We found significant correlation between the seroprevalence and annual incidence in the investigated areas, suggesting that the area-related patterns reflected the differences of inoculation rates in children.

Objective: To determine whether level IIb lymph nodes can be saved in elective supraomohyoid neck dissection (SOHND) as a treatment for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity., Design: Prospective analysis of a case series., Setting: University hospital., Patients and Interventions: From 1997 to 2001, 74 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and with no palpable lymph nodes at the neck who underwent an elective SOHND were prospectively studied., Main Outcome Measures: The incidence of pathological metastasis to level IIb lymph nodes and the regional recurrence within this area after elective SOHND was performed were evaluated., Results: Of the 74 patients, 24 (32%) had lymph nodes positive for microscopic metastatic squamous cell carcinoma. Four (5%) of the 74 patients had involvement of level IIb lymph nodes. There was no instance of isolated metastasis to level IIb lymph nodes without involvement of other nodes in the SOHND specimens. There were 6 cases of the ipsilateral neck recurrences, and of these, 2 patients (3% of all patients) developed recurrences in the level II lymph nodes., Conclusions: Level IIb lymph node metastasis was rare in this study, and nodal recurrence in this area after SOHND in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity was infrequent. Therefore, this region may be preserved in elective SOHND in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity.

We performed a retrospective epidemiologic survey on Kawasaki disease (KD) from 1997 to 1999 in Korea. We sent a questionnaire to 111 training hospitals, and summarized the data from 50 hospitals that responded. Data from a total of 3,862 cases were collected, which showed no difference in annual incidence and a seasonal predilection for summer. The male-to-female ratio was 1.51:1, and the mean age was 29.7 months. The prevalence of sibling cases was 0.26%, and the rate of recurrent cases was 2.3%. The proportion of patients with KD among total hospitalized pediatric patients was 1.19% in average, showing a significant difference according to the regions. Coronary arterial (CA) abnormalities were detected by echocardiography in 19.8% of cases (737/3,723) including dilatations in 601 cases (16.1%) and aneurysms in 191 cases (5.1%). Data from total 8,251 cases in the 1990s including the cases in the present study, in Korea showed a mean age of patients 28.9 months, male-to-female ratio 1.6:1, seasonal predilection for summer, prevalence of sibling cases 0.24%, rate of recurrent cases 2.3%, incidence of CA abnormalities 21.0%, and incidence of CA aneurysms 5.2%, with statistically significant decreasing trends in the male-to-female ratio and the rate of CA abnormalities.