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Purpose: Numerous studies have indicated that Sex-determining region Y-box 2 (SOX2) is involved in many squamous cell carcinomas. However, the role of SOX2 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated whether activation of SOX2 is significantly associated with prognosis in HNSCC. Methods: Gene expression signature reflecting SOX2 activation was identified in HNSCC cohort, and patients were stratified into two groups according to this signature: SOX2-high group or SOX2-low group. Validation of the signature was sought in two independent patient groups. The association between the signature and prognosis of patients was assessed. Results: The SOX2-low group was associated with poor prognosis for HNSCC in three independent patient cohorts. In a multivariate analysis, the impact of the SOX2 signature on overall survival (OS) was independent of other clinical variables [hazard ratio (HR), 1.45; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.09 - 1.92; P=0.01]. In patients who received radiotherapy (RT), SOX2-low group had significantly poor OS than those in SOX2-high group. Conclusions: SOX2-low signature is associated with poor prognosis in patients with HNSCC and could be used to predict patients who would benefit from RT. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Young-Gyu Eun, Young Chan Lee, Jun Eul Hwang. SOX2-related gene signature predicting the prognosis in head and neck squamous cell cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4373. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4373

Background:Additional high-quality evidence for predictors of peritonsillar abscess recurrence could lead to better-informed treatment decisions regarding tonsillectomy.Methods:In this study, 172 patients, who had been diagnosed and treated for peritonsillar abscess, were evaluated at follow up. A retrospective review of medical records and a telephone survey were performed. The clinical characteristics analysed included underlying disease, laboratory findings and computed tomography findings. Cox proportional hazard models were used to identify risk factors for peritonsillar abscess recurrence.Results:The recurrence rate of peritonsillar abscess was 13.9 per cent. Univariate analysis indicated that extraperitonsillar spread of the abscess (beyond the peritonsillar area) on computed tomography and a history of recurrent tonsillitis were associated with recurrence. Multivariate analysis also indicated that extraperitonsillar spread (p = 0.007; hazard ratio = 3.399) and recurrent tonsillitis history (p Conclusion:Our results suggest that tonsillectomy may be indicated as a treatment for peritonsillar abscess in patients with a history of recurrent tonsillitis or extraperitonsillar spread on computed tomography.

The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of sialoceles and the risk factors associated with their formation after parotidectomy.We performed a retrospective analysis of the data from consecutive patients who underwent partial superficial parotidectomy of parotid tumors. Demographic data, preoperative imaging results, operative variables, including tumor type, incision type, tumor size, and method of parenchymal disruption were assessed.Twenty-three of 357 patients (6.4%) undergoing partial superficial parotidectomy developed sialoceles during the postoperative period. Sialoceles occurred more often in patients who had tumors in the anterior portion of the parotid gland. Multivariate analysis showed that an anterior tumor location was a significant risk factor for sialocele formation.The incidence of sialocele development was 6.4% in patients undergoing partial superficial parotidectomy. An anterior tumor location may increase the risk of sialocele formation. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E941-E944, 2016.

To analyze patterns of central lymph node (LN) metastasis to specific compartments in the neck and predictive factors of contralateral paratracheal LN metastasis in patients who underwent prophylactic bilateral central LN dissection for papillary thyroid cancer (PTC).Prospective study.Multitertiary centers.One hundred forty consecutive patients underwent total thyroidectomy and prophylactic bilateral central LN dissection for unilateral PTC without evidence of central LN metastatic disease based on preoperative ultrasound imaging. The central LN compartment was divided into prelaryngeal, ipsilateral/contralateral paratracheal, and pretracheal regions. The patterns of central LN metastasis and clinicopathologic variables for predicting contralateral metastasis were analyzed.Fifty-one (36.4%) of 140 patients had nodal involvement in the central compartment. Twelve (23.5%) patients had ipsilateral paratracheal LN metastasis, 17 (33.3%) had ipsilateral paratracheal and pretracheal LN metastasis, 14 (27.5%) had bilateral paratracheal LN metastasis, 9 (17.6%) had pretracheal-only LN metastasis, and 8 (15.7%) had prelaryngeal LN metastasis. Ipsilateral paratracheal LN metastasis was found to independently predict contralateral paratracheal LN metastasis in patients without central LN metastatic disease.Contralateral paratracheal LN metastasis is associated with ipsilateral paratracheal LN metastasis. This information may help to determine the optimal extent of prophylactic central LN dissection in patients with PTC.

Objectives:The influence of age in severity and response to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) in patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is unclear. Thus, we conducted a prospective cohort study to assess the difference in severity and response to PPI according to age in patients with LPR.Methods:Two hundred twenty-nine patients with LPR who were referred to the otolaryngology clinic from November 2010 to February 2012 were enrolled in the study. All of the enrolled patients were prescribed 15mg of Lansoprazole (PPI) twice daily for three months. Data, including the Reflux Symptom Index (RSI), Reflux Finding Score (RFS), and LPR-Health related quality of life (LPR-HRQOL), were collected from patients at the baseline visit and at 1 and 3 months post-baseline.Results:The older patients group (60-79 years) showed a higher score in RSI (P < 0.001) and LPR-HRQOL (p

It is well established that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are essential signaling molecules for muscle differentiation. Carbonyl reductase 1 (CBR1) reduces highly reactive lipid aldehydes and catalyzes a variety of endogenous and xenobiotic carbonyl compounds. However, the role of CBR1 in muscle differentiation remains unclear. In this study, we found that CBR1 plays a crucial role in differentiation of muscle-derived C2C12 cells. Our results clearly show that CBR1 is upregulated at the transcript level during differentiation. Consistently, CBR1 was increased during skeletal muscle regeneration in tibialis anterior muscle after injury induced by cardiotoxin. The transcriptional upregulation of CBR1 was found to be controlled by nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and Nrf2 knockdown with specific siRNA inhibited muscle differentiation. Furthermore, intracellular ROS levels and lipid peroxidation were increased in cells transfected with CBR1 siRNA, or in cells treated with the selective CBR1 inhibitor, Hydroxy-PP-Me. Subsequently, the increased ROS levels diminished muscle cell differentiation. All together, we conclude that CBR1 plays a critical role in controlling redox balance and detoxifying lipid peroxidation during muscle differentiation and regeneration.

There is little data that determine the clinical characteristics of prelaryngeal lymph nodes (PLN) metastasis in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). The aims of this prospective study were to evaluate the incidence and the clinical characteristics of metastasis to the PLN for PTC patients who underwent total thyroidectomy and prophylactic central neck dissection. Sixty-seven patients who underwent total thyroidectomy and prophylactic bilateral central lymph node neck dissection for PTC were enrolled. Central neck compartment was further divided into prelaryngeal, ipsilateral/contralateral paratracheal, and pretracheal regions. Clinicopathologic factors including age, sex, tumor size and location, extrathyroidal extension, and central and lateral nodal metastasis were evaluated. Of the 67 patients who underwent PLN dissection, 13 (19.4 %) had evidence of PLN metastasis. Tumor size was significantly larger in patients with PLN involvement (2.28 versus 1.12 cm; p = 0.020). Additionally, primary tumors larger than 1 cm, extrathyroidal extension, and isthmus involvement were more prevalent in PLN-positive patients. Patients with positive PLNs were also more frequently found to have lateral lymph node metastasis (23.1 vs. 1.9 %; p = 0.021), pretracheal lymph node metastasis (76.9 vs. 27.8 %; p = 0.003), and bilateral central lymph node metastasis (38.5 vs. 11.1 %; p = 0.031) than PTC patients without PLN involvement. The incidence of PLN metastasis in PTC patients who underwent prophylactic central lymph node neck dissection was 19.4 %. PLN metastasis was associated with tumor size, extrathyroidal extension, isthmus involvement, and other compartment lymph node metastasis.

There are little information on prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and clinical features in the young military population. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of snoring and high risk of OSAS in young male soldiers in Korea and to identify the risk factors of OSAS. A total of 665 participants (aged 20-23 yr) who visited the Armed Forces Ildong Hospital for regular physical examination were enrolled. All participants completed the Berlin Questionnaire and underwent a physical examination. The participants with high risk for OSAS completed portable sleep monitoring. The prevalence of snoring and high risk of OSAS in young male soldiers in Korea was 13.5% and 8.1%, respectively. The prevalence of high arched palate, tongue indentation, long uvula, large tonsil and retrognathia was significantly higher in the high risk OSAS group. High arched palate, long uvula or low lying soft palate, tonsil size III or IV, Epworth Sleepiness Scale score > 10 and obesity (BMI > 27 kg/m(2)) were found to independently predict OSAS. For early identification and treatment of young soldiers with OSAS in a military environment, a precise screening by questionnaire and physical examination is needed.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are important components of innate immune response. The aim of this study was to investigate whether TLR gene cluster (TLR10-TLR1-TLR6) polymorphisms are associated with the etiology of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and its clinicopathologic characteristics. We recruited 94 PTC patients and 325 control subjects. Genotypes for each SNP were determined by direct sequencing. SNPStats and SPSS 18.0 were used to evaluate odds ratios (ORs), 95 % confidence intervals (CIs), and P values. Multiple logistic regression analyzes of genetic data were performed. The missense SNP rs11466653 was associated with small tumor size (

Background Silastic splints have been used as effective tools for septal support, avoiding adhesion, and mucosal healing after septal surgery. Furthermore, although many surgeons insert septal splints, no well-designed trials exist to support their use. A randomized double-blinded controlled trial was performed. Methods We recruited 40 subjects who had undergone septoplasty only without sinus surgery or turbinoplasty. A silastic septal splint was inserted in one side of the nasal cavity at the end of each septoplasty, with the other side serving as a control. The splint side and control side were randomly selected. Nasal discomfort score (10-point scale) and mucosal status (grades 1–4) were surveyed in a blinded setting on postoperative days 7 and 14. Results Forty of 83 subjects fulfilled the enrollment criteria. On the 7th postoperative day there was no significant difference in nasal discomfort between the splint and control sides (6.2 ± 1.28 and 5.7 ± 1.27, respectively; p = 0.116), but the mucosal status was better on the splint side than on the control side (1.5 ± 0.51 and 2.5 ± 0.85; p < 0.001). At 14 days postoperatively, the symptom score (2.7 ± 1.06 versus 3.8 ± 1.25; p < 0.001) and mucosal status (1.5 ± 0.55 versus 1.9 ± 0.68; p = 0.013) were significantly better on the splint side compared with the control side. Conclusion Insertion of a silastic septal splint after septal surgery should be accepted as a routine procedure.

Objectives/Hypothesis: To compare surgical outcomes after intraoral removal of proximal submandibular stones versus traditional submandibular gland (SMG) resection. Study Design: A prospective randomized study. Methods: Forty-four consecutive patients were diagnosed with proximal submandibular stones in the hilum of the submandibular gland by ultrasonography or computed tomography. All of the patients were randomized to undergo removal of the stones either by an intraoral approach (IORS group, 22 patients) or through SMG resection (SMGR group, 22 patients). We then compared the surgical outcomes between these two groups. Results: Stones in the IORS group were significantly smaller than those in the SMGR group. There was no significant difference in the distance of the stones from the hilum between groups. The mean operation time in the IORS group was significantly shorter than that of the SMGR group. The mean hospital stay of the IORS group was also significantly shorter than that of the SMGR group, and IORS patients felt significantly less pain than did SMGR patients. No patient experienced any complication after surgery with the exception of a single patient who experienced transient and mild neck swelling. Conclusions: Intraoral removal of proximal submandibular stones has several advantages over SMG resection. Based on our results, we suggest that our intraoral removal method be selected as the primary procedure for the removal of proximal submandibular stones rather than SMG resection. Laryngoscope, 2010

This study shows the possibility that multilevel surgery for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is helpful to improve the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and adipokines, which are related to complications of OSA.The effects of multilevel surgery on adipokines and pro-inflammatory cytokines in patients with OSA were assessed.Fifty-one patients with OSA underwent uvulopalatopharyngoplasty and radiofrequency tongue base reduction. Body mass index (BMI), Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) and subjective symptoms using visual analog scales were assessed at baseline and 4 weeks after treatment. Adiponectin, leptin, interleukin (IL)-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were measured with a LINCOplex Human Immunoassay at baseline and 4 weeks after surgical treatment.Significant improvements in subjective symptoms and ESS were found at 4 weeks after multilevel surgery. No significant change in BMI was observed. Adiponectin level was significantly increased after surgical treatment. Postoperative leptin, IL-6, and TNF-α levels were significantly decreased. The percent changes of adiponectin, leptin, IL-6, and TNF-α after multilevel surgery were not significantly different among patients with mild, moderate, and severe OSA.

Objective The role of allergy in the pathophysiology of otitis media with effusion (OME) remains unclear. We evaluated the role of allergy and the Th1/Th2 balance in OME patients. Method Middle ear fluid was collected from 46 OME patients who had a ventilating tube inserted, and expression of GATA3, T-bet, IL-4, and IFN-γ mRNA was assessed by RT-PCR. Expression of transcription factors and cytokines was compared in patients with and without allergy. Results The levels of GATA3 and T-bet mRNA in effusion fluid correlated positively with the levels of IL-4 and IFN-γ mRNA, respectively. However, the allergy and non-allergy groups showed no significant differences in expression of any of these transcription factors and cytokines. The T-bet:GATA3 ratio was higher in the non-allergy than in the allergy group, but the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion Although we observed a significant positive correlation between GATA3 and IL-4 mRNA levels, we cannot conclude that OME with allergy is related to a Th-2 driven immune response.

To compare the anatomic features and the results of a multilevel surgery in patients with rapid eye movement-related obstructive sleep apnea (REM OSA) and non-REM OSA.Cohort study of 90 consecutive mild or moderate OSA patients.The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was also calculated during REM sleep (AHI(REM)) and during non-REM sleep (AHI(NREM)), and patients were classified as having REM OSA if their AHI(REM)/AHI(NREM) ratio was2, otherwise they were classified as non-REM OSA patients. All patients underwent concurrent uvulopalatopharyngoplasty and a radiofrequency tongue base reduction procedure.A total of 31.1 percent patients were classified as REM OSA and 68.9 percent patients as non-REM OSA. There were no differences in the anatomical features between two groups. However, the AHI, HI, and arousal index were significantly higher in the non-REM OSA group than in the REM OSA group. When a successful outcome was defined as a postoperative AHI20 with at least a 50 percent reduction from the preoperative level, 50 percent of the patients with REM OSA and 35.5 percent of the patients with non-REM OSA met the criteria for a successful outcome.REM OSA patients had milder obstructive sleep apnea, and multilevel surgery might be more effective in REM OSA patients.

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) has pivotal roles in angiogenesis, vascular permeability, vasculogenesis, cellular growth, and cell migration. We investigated whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the VEGFA gene are associated with the development of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). We also assessed the relationships between VEGFA SNPs and the clinicopathologic characteristics such as the size of cancers (< 1 cm and ≥ 1 cm), numbers of cancers (unifocality and multifocality), location of cancers (one lobe and both lobe), extrathyroidal invasion (present and absent), and cervical lymph node metastasis (present and absent). Methods: One promoter SNP (rs699947, -2578A/C) and one 5′-untranslation region (5′UTR) SNP (rs2010963, +405C/G) in VEGFA were genotyped using direct sequencing in 94 PTC patients and 213 healthy controls. SNPStats, SNPAnalyzer, Helixtree, and Haploview version 4.2 were used to analyze genetic data. Multiple logistic regression models (codominant, dominant, recessive, and log-additive) were performed to evaluate odds ratios (ORs), 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and p values. Results: Two SNPs of VEGFA were not associated with the development of PTC. Also, haplotypes were not associated with PTC??. However, we found a relationship between the 5′UTR SNP rs2010963 and PTC with the extrathyroidal invasion (p = 0.0060 in codominant model, p = 0.0258 in dominant model, p = 0.0057 in recessive model, and p = 0.0060 in log-additive model). Allele frequencies of rs2010963 were different between the extrathyroidal invasion (-) and extrathyroidal invasion (+) groups (p = 0.0050). In Bonferroni correction, these correlations were also significant except the recessive model. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the 5′UTR SNP rs2010963 (+405C/G) of VEGFA may be associated with susceptibility to extrathyroidal invasion of PTC in Korean population. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Young Gyu Eun, Young Chan Lee, Jung-Woo Lee. A polymorphism of VEGFA is associated with susceptibility to extrathyroidal invasion of papillary thyroid cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 5280. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-5280

Several trials on the predictors of response to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) have shown conflicting results. Furthermore, the influence of age in disease severity and response to PPI therapy is unclear.To assess the difference in disease severity and response to PPI therapy according to age in patients with LPR.Prospective multicenter study at 3 tertiary medical centers of 264 consecutive patients with LPR who were referred to the otolaryngology clinic from November 2010 to February 2012.Participants were prescribed 15 mg of lansoprazole (PPI) twice daily for 3 months.Reflux Symptom Index (RSI), Reflux Finding Score (RFS), and laryngopharyngeal reflux-health-related quality of life (LPR-HRQOL) were collected at baseline and at 1 and 3 months postbaseline.After 3 months, 35 patients were lost to follow-up and excluded; the remaining 229 patients included 135 men and 94 women. The oldest group (60-79 years; n = 111) showed higher baseline RSI (P .001) and LPR-HRQOL (P .001) scores than the 18- to 39-year-old (n = 35) and 40- to 59-year-old (n = 83) groups. However, baseline RFS scores showed no significant difference among age groups (P = .44). Within each age group, the RSI, RFS, and LPR-HRQOL improved significantly with PPI therapy (all P .001); however, no significant difference in improvement of RSI (P = .59), RFS (P = .50), or LPR-HRQOL (P = .09) was seen among the groups. At 3-month follow-up, significantly more responders, defined as those whose RSI score improved by more than 50%, were found in the 18- to 39-year-old and 40- to 59-year-old groups (86% and 75%, respectively) than in the oldest group (57%) (P = .002), but there was no significant difference in proportion of responders among age groups at 1-month follow-up (P = .69).In patients with LPR, age seems to affect the subjective symptoms and resulting impact on quality of life but not the laryngeal findings. Furthermore, older patients are more likely not to respond to PPI therapy than younger patients.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were analyzed in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC; n = 133) and their clinicopathologic features and age-matched controls (n = 321) using direct sequencing. PTC patients were divided into subgroups according to size, number, location, extrathyroidal invasion and lymph node metastasis. The two SNPs of TLR2 gene were not associated with the development of PTC. In clinical analysis, two SNPs were associated with location of cancer (rs3804099, P = 0.032, OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.28-0.96 in log-additive model; rs3804100, P = 0.039, OR, 0.46, 95% CI, 0.22-0.96 in codominant1 model; P = 0.018, OR, 0.42, 95% CI, 0.21-0.87 in dominant model; P = 0.011, OR, 0.46, 95% CI, 0.25-0.85 in log-additive model). The allele frequencies of two SNPs also showed significant associations with location of cancer (rs3804099, P = 0.046, OR, 0.57, 95% CI, 0.33-0.99 and rs3804100, P = 0.019, OR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.30-0.90). However, two SNPs were not associated with the clinicopathologic features of PTC. It is suggested that TLR2 polymorphisms may contribute to the clinicopathologic features of PTC, especially the PTC in both lobes.

Objectives To investigate the association between papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of oncostatin M receptor (OSMR) in the Korean population. Methods Retrospective case-control study was done. Eighty-five patients with PTC and 287 controls were studied. One missense SNP (rs2278329, Asp553Asn) and one promoter SNP (rs2292016, -100 G/T) of the OSMR gene were genotyped by direct sequencing. Genetic data were analyzed using the SNPStats, Helixtree, and SNPAnalyzer Pro. PTC patients were dichotomized and compared with respect to the clinicopathologic characteristics. Results There was no association between genotypes and allele frequencies of OSMR SNPs (rs2278329 and rs2292016) and PTC susceptibility. SNP rs2278329 was significantly associated with tumor size (dominant model; P=0.028; odds ratio [OR], 2.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12 to 6.57). The A allele was higher in sizes large than 1 cm (32.5% vs. 16.7%; P=0.018; OR, 2.41; 95% CI, 1.17 to 4.98). Regarding the number of tumors, we found no significant association with genotype, however, the A allele was higher in patients with multifocaltiy (33.3% vs. 19.1%; P=0.040; OR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.03 to 4.34). Conclusion The results suggest that OSMR polymorphism rs2278329 is associated with clinicopathologic characteristics of the tumor growth and multifocality development.

Follicular dendritic cell sarcoma (FDCS) is unusual, and those with an extranodal origin in the head and neck region are extremely rare. To date, no cases of tumors featuring the characteristics of follicular dendritic cells were reported in Korea. We report a new case of FDCS of the tonsils in a 65-year-old man. A diagnostic tonsillectomy was performed. Based on histopathologic and immunohistochemical findings, the patient was diagnosed with FDCS. Adjuvant radiotherapy was performed due to a high mitotic count. The patient survived with a 2-year disease free period. The differential diagnosis of a tonsillar mass must include FDCS. In cases in which FDCS is suspected on histopathologic examination, an immunohistochemical study is essential for the diagnosis.

Background and Objectives : To evaluate the usefulness of fine needle aspiration (FNA) for thyroid nodule using the new Bethesda classification. Subjects and Method : Patient cytology data were reviewed by retrospective search of thyroid FNA. Cytologic diagnoses were classified as unsatisfactory, benign/negative for malignancy, indeterminate (ID), follicular neoplasm (FN), suspicious for malignancy (SM), and positive for malignancy (PM) according to the proposing of The National Cancer Institute. We analyzed the follow-up FNA diagnoses and the cytologic-histologic correlations. Results : Of 1983 patients, 16.8% was classified as unsatisfactory, 73.6% as benign, 1.1% as ID, 0.4% as FN, 1.4% as SM, and 6.8% as PM. After the cytologic follow-up, the groups designated as unsatisafactory (80.2%) and ID (50%) mainly showed significant change in diagnosis. Two hundred fifty patients had surgical follow-up. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy, positive predictive values and negative predictive values for malignancy of thyroid were 87.6%, 97.2%, 91%, 98.3% and 81.2%, respectively. The cytologic-histologic diagnostic discrepancy rate was 13.6%. Conclusion : FNA for thyroid nodule using the new Bethesda classification was an accurate and sensitive method for the diagnosis of thyroid nodule, and can provide useful information for the management of thyroid nodule.

Dermatomyositis (DM) is an autoimmune disorder with idiopathic myopathy and characteristic skin manifestations that one often accompanied by an internal malignancy. The association between dermatomyositis and malignancy has been reported several times, although tonsillar carcinoma is extremely rare not only in far eastern populations but also in caucasian populations. We report two cases of Korean patients with dermatomyositis associated with tonsillar carcinoma.

Background and Objectives：To evaluate the clinical and polysomnographic features of rapid eye movement (REM)-related obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Subjects and Method：185 consecutive OSA patients were classified as having REM and nonREM OSA. Subjective symptoms, anthropometric and polysomnographic characteristics between REM OSAS and non-REM OSAS patients were compared. Results：Thirty-eight of the 185 patients (20.5%) were classified as REM OSA, and 147 patients (79.5%) were classified as non-REM OSA. Ninety five percent of the REM OSA patients belonged to the mild or moderate OSA group. The dominant occurrence of apnea and hypopnea in REM sleep did notseem to affect subjective symptoms and daytime sleepiness. Anthropometric and polysomnographic features did not help to differentiate REM OSA from non-REM OSA. Conclusion：REM OSA may not be a separate and specific disease entity of OSA. (Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg 2009;52:36-40)

Background and Objectives Immunoglobulin E (IgE) production in adenoid has been debated and the role of adenoid in development of allergy remains largely unknown. To examine the production of local IgE in adenoid involved with IgE-mediated sensitization, we evaluated IgE production and the expression of the transcription factor B cell leukemia/lymphoma-6 (BCL-6) and B lymphocyte inducer of maturation program 1 (Blimp-1) in adenoids. Subjects and Method Ten children with allergic rhinitis (AR) and ten children without any history of AR were enrolled. Immunohistochemical studies of adenoid for IgE, BCL-6 and Blimp-1 were performed. Results IgE was stained mainly in the germinal center and submucosal area and the staining scores of antibody to IgE did not differ signigicantly between children with AR and control. BCL-6 was mainly stained in mucosa and germinal center and Blimp-1 in mucosa. The scores of antibody to BCL-6 and Blimp-1 in children with AR and control did not show significant differences. Conclusion We found that allergic rhinitis was not involved in the production of IgE nor the expression of the transcription factor BCL-6 and Blimp-1 in adenoid.

Background and Objectives Postoperative taste changes after uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is regarded as an unusual and minor complication. This study aims to evaluate the objective changes of taste threshold according to time course and subjective symptoms change. Materials and Method With 45 patients who underwent UPPP and 35 patients who underwent nasal surgery as control group, we have prospectively studied postoperative taste changes using a questionnaire, and an electrogustometer (EGM) with regard to symptoms at 7th, 28th days after the surgery. EGM was measured at 5 areas. Also, we have checked pre-operatively about the serum level of zinc. Results With EGM, the threshold of taste was increased at 7th days after the surgery (p