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Ho Soon Choi

Publications and source records attributed to Ho Soon Choi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

A population-based study on bowel habits in a Korean community: prevalence of functional constipation and self-reported constipation.

Most studies of bowel habits have been conducted in Western countries. This study was conducted to estimate the epidemiology of constipation and the discrepancy between self-reported constipation and bowel habits in Koreans. Telephone interviews regarding bowel habits were conducted with a total of 1029 individuals in Korea, 15 years of age or older. Subjects were given a questionnaire which asked about bowel symptoms, sociodemographic associations, laxative use, and physician visits. Of all subjects 95.6% had a defecation frequency of between three per week and three per day. The prevalence was 16.5% for self-reported constipation, 9.2% for functional constipation (FC), and 3.9% for constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C). Of subjects' self-reporting constipation, proportions of FC and IBS-C were 21.8% and 23.5%, respectively. Of subjects excluding self-reported constipation, the proportion of FC was 6.8%. Prevalences of self-reported constipation and IBS-C were higher in females than in males (P < 0.001). Of subjects' self-reporting constipation, 8.2% used laxatives. We conclude that constipation is a common problem in the general Korean population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome in Korea: population-based survey using the Rome II criteria.

BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder in the West. But information on the prevalence of IBS in Asia is still lacking, especially in Korea. Therefore, the aims of the present study were to estimate the prevalence of IBS in the general population of Korea and also to investigate characteristics of IBS and health-care-seeking behavior of IBS patients. METHODS: Telephone interview survey was conducted by Gallup, Korea using a validated questionnaire based on the Rome II criteria. The response rate of the telephone interview survey was 25.2% (n = 1066, 535 male and 531 female responders). A random sample of gender and age (between 18 and 60 years), based on a per capita ratio was obtained. RESULTS: Among 1066 subjects, the prevalence of IBS was 6.6% (70 subjects; 7.1%, male; 6.0%, female). The difference in IBS prevalence by gender was not significant. The prevalence was higher among those in their 20s (P = 0.036). Among 70 subjects with IBS, 10/20 IBS subjects sought health care due to abdominal pain. Among the risk factors of IBS, marital status had a significant difference; the following risk factors are arranged in descending order: age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.38, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.85-2.25), alcohol intake (OR: 1.38, 95%CI: 0.81-2.35), gender (OR: 1.19, 95%CI: 0.73-1.94), demographics (OR: 1.09, 95%CI: 0.53-2.25), income (OR: 0.88, 95%CI: 0.54-1.45), education level (OR: 0.81, 95%CI: 0.46-1.40), smoking (OR: 0.64, 95%CI: 0.37-1.12), and marital status (OR: 0.59, 95%CI: 0.35-0.99). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of IBS in the Korean population is 6.6%, and the male:female ratio is similar. Also, IBS is more frequent in younger subjects. Irritable bowel syndrome subjects visited a physician mostly due to abdominal pain.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

[A case of the pancreatic duct change after a long-term pancreatic stenting in pancreas divisum and the fine structural analysis of occluded pancreatic polyethylene stent].

The pancreatic duct stenting is now recognized as the treatment option for a number of pancreatic disorders. Although the stent-induced ductal changes may result, there is little information regarding the frequency of these stent-induced changes in chronic pancreatitis. Pancreatic stents may occlude with time, but there is only little information available on the nature of the clogging process. Although a short-term efficacy of endoscopic pancreatic duct stenting has been proved, the long-term efficacy continues to be controversial. The aim of this study was to report a case of chronic pancreatitis with pancreatolith after the incidental long-term pancreatic stenting for 3 years due to a pancreas divisum with acute pancreatitis. Also, this study described the analysis of the ultrastructural changes in the surface of an occluded pancreatic stent. A scanning and transmission electron microscopy showed an amorphous protein matrix in whole stent that arranged as a network in some areas but arranged as the layers in other areas. A variable number of bacteria of mixed species, calcium carbonate or calcium oxalate crystal, round leukocyte were scattered in the protein matrix. The yeast and plant material were seen in some part of the stent as well.

Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde↗
PubMed2006

[Crohn's disease associated with IgA nephropathy].

Crohn's disease is a condition of chronic inflammation potentially involving any location of the alimentary tract from mouth to anus. Numerous extraintestinal manifestations can also be present. Urologic complications of inflammatory bowel disease are seen in up to 25% of patients, but renal parenchymal disease has been rarely reported. IgA nephropathy is recognized worldwide as a most common form of primary glomerulonephritis. Clinical manifestations vary, ranging from microscopic hematuria to nephrotic syndrome. Recently, IgA nephropathy associated with systemic diseases has been reported. We describe a case of a 22 year-old man with Crohn's disease associated with IgA nephropathy. At the age of 8 years, microscopic hematuria appeared. After fourteen years, he presented with melena, mild fever, recurrent oral ulcer, microscopic hematuria and proteinuria. Colonoscopic examination revealed characteristic features of Crohn's disease such as multiple ulcers. Microscopic findings showed superficial ulceration with small noncaseating granulomas. Renal biopsy revealed IgA nephropathy. The patient was treated with oral prednisolone, olsalazine, and metronidazole followed by maintenance therapy with sulfasalazine and azathioprine resulting in clinical improvement of Crohn's disease and IgA nephropathy.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

[A case of optic neuritis associated with Crohn's disease].

In Crohn's disease, neurologic complications such as cerebrovascular accident, headache, peripheral neuropathy have been reported sporadically. The pathogenesis of these neurologic complications is still unknown and controversial. We experienced a 22-year-old man, with Crohn's disease accompanied by optic neuritis. Loss of visual acuity was developed during the worsening course of enterocutaneous fistula. After high dose steroid treatment, his visual acuity and neurologic symptoms improved immediately.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

[Obstructive jaundice due to biliary cast syndrome followed by orthotopic liver transplantation].

Biliary complication occurs in 6-34% of all liver transplant patients. Although bile leaks and strictures are relatively common, other biliary complications such as T-tube leak, choledocholithiasis, and biliary cast syndrome can also be observed. The biliary cast syndrome describes the presence of casts causing obstruction with its resultant sequelae of biliary infection, hepatocyte damage secondary to bile stasis and ductal damage, all contributing to cholangiopathy. Because the exact timing of cast formation after orthotopic liver transplantation is not consistent, it is difficult to define the true incidence of biliary cast syndrome without long-term follow-up data. Proposed etiological mechanisms include acute cellular rejection, prolongation of cold ischemic time, infection, biliary drainage tubes, and biliary obstruction. The diagnosis of biliary cast syndrome is usually confirmed by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. There have been few published articles about biliary casts in Korea. Herein, we report a case of biliary cast syndrome followed by orthotopic liver transplantation.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Bronchial hyperresponsiveness in irritable bowel syndrome.

Extraintestinal symptoms are often found in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Recent studies suggest that IBS is associated with bronchial hyperresponsiveness. But it is still arguable that the bronchial hyperresponsiveness is associated with IBS patients. The purpose of this study is to investigate the possible relationship between IBS and bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Forty-two patients with IBS and 42 control subjects were included in this study. All patients underwent pulmonary function, methacholine challenge, and skin prick tests. There was no statistical difference between the two groups with respect to percentage of all pulmonary function test parameters, including FEV(1)%, FCV%, FVC/FEV(1), and FEF(25 - 75)%. Only two persons in the alternating-type IBS patient group and one person in the control group tested positive in the methacholine provocation test. But all PC(20) values were above 16 mg/ml. These results do not demonstrate a relationship between bronchial hyperresponsiveness and IBS. However, a relationship might exist in a subpopulation of IBS patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Effect of nutrient intake and Helicobacter pylori infection on gastric cancer in Korea: a case-control study.

To examine the effects of dietary factor and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection with emphasis on vitamin intake on the risk of gastric cancer (GC), we conducted a case-control study in South Korea, a high-risk area for GC. Trained dietitians interviewed 136 cases histologically diagnosed with GC. An equal number of hospital controls was selected by matching sex and age. High dietary intakes of vegetable fat [odds ratio (OR) = 0.35; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.15-0.83], folate (OR = 0.35; 95% CI = 0.13-0.96), and antioxidants, such as vitamin A (OR = 0.34; 95% CI = 0.13-0.83), beta-carotene (OR = 0.33; 95% CI = 0.13-0.82), vitamin C (OR = 0.26; 95% CI = 0.09-0.72), and vitamin E (OR = 0.41; 95% CI = 0.17-1.01), were shown to have a protective effect on GC risk using a multivariate model adjusting for foods significantly related to GC in our previous study (charcoal grilled beef, spinach, garlic, mushroom, and a number of types of kimchi) and supplement use. When stratified according to H. pylori infection, high intakes of vitamin C (OR = 0.10; 95% CI = 0.02-0.63) and vitamin E (OR = 0.16; 95% CI = 0.03-0.83) exhibited highly significant inverse associations with GC among the H. pylori-infected subjects compared with noninfected individuals. GC risk was significantly decreased only when consumption levels for two of these vitamins were high. Our findings suggest that high intake of antioxidant vitamins contribute to the reduction of GC risk and that GC risk in Korea may be decreased by encouraging those with H. pylori infection to increase their intake of antioxidant vitamins.

Antioxidants↗
PubMed2005

Cutaneous metastases of pancreatic carcinoma as a first clinical manifestation.

Cutaneous metastases from pancreatic adenocarcinomas are rare lesions. The most common site of cutaneous metastasis is the umbilicus, and this is also known as the 'Sister Mary Joseph' nodule. A 68-year-old Korean male, who was previously healthy and asymptomatic, was seen in the dermatology department for two subcutaneous nodules that he had on his right forearm and his back. Histological examination of the right foreman nodule revealed metastatic adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining for cytokeratin (CK) 7 and CK 19 were positive, and this strongly suggested the pancreatic duct as being the primary source of the cancer. The abdominal computed tomography findings were compatible with pancreatic cancer. Clinicians should be aware that metastatic cutaneous lesions could be the initial presenting sign for pancreatic cancer. The immunohistochemical staining for CK 7 and 19 may also be helpful in the diagnosis of metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2005

[A clinical study of pyogenic liver abscess at two different local hospitals].

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Despite the improvement of personal and social hygiene, pyogenic liver abscess is still a common disease. We compared the incidence, infection route, underlying disease and major complications between two different local hospitals. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical data of 100 patients with pyogenic liver abscess who were treated at Seoul and Guri Hanyang University Hospital from 1999 to 2003. RESULTS: There were 64 males and 36 females in the study group; they were aged from 19 to 94 years with a mean of 56.5 years. Every year 19 to 23 pyogenic liver abscess patients were admitted to both hospitals. The most common organism isolated was Klebsiella pneumoniae in both local hospitals. In the Seoul hospital, diabetes (40.9%) was most common associated condition. In the Guri hospital, biliary tract disease or a history of hepatobiliary surgery (54.2%) was the most common associated condition. Catheter drainage and/or percutaneous needle aspiration were established as the standard treatment modality. CONCLUSIONS: In both regional hospitals, the incidence of pyogenic liver abscess did not decrease and Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most common organism. Diabetes and biliary tract disease, including, previous hepatobiliary surgery, were the most identifiable underlying disease.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Acute pancreatitis due to hypertriglyceridemia: report of 2 cases.

Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is a rare but well known cause of acute pancreatitis (AP), which can be a life- threatening complication if the degree of HTG is severe enough. It might be primary in origin or secondary to alcohol abuse, diabetes mellitus, pregnancy, or drugs. A serum triglyceride (TG) level of more than 1,000 to 2,000 mg/dL in patients with type I, IV, or V hyperlipidemia (Fredrickson's classification) is the identifiable risk factor. HTG-induced AP typically presents as an episode of AP or recurrent AP. The clinical course of HTG-induced AP is not different from other causes. Routine management of HTG-induced AP should be similar to other causes. A thorough family history of lipid abnormalities should be obtained, and an attempt to identify secondary causes should be made. The mainstay of treatment includes dietary restriction of fatty meal and lipid-lowering medications (mainly fibric acid derivatives). Although there are limited experiences with plasmapheresis, lipid apheresis, heparinization and insulin application, these can support the treatment of HTG- induced AP. We report two cases of HTG-induced AP which were successfully treated by plasmapheresis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2005

[The role of neuropsychological testing and electroencephalogram for early detection of minimal hepatic encephalopathy].

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Minimal hepatic encephalopathy in patients with clinically asymptomatic chronic progressive liver disease may have adverse effects on daily activity. We evaluated the differences in the cognitive function of patients with chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis group according to the Child-Pugh classification. METHODS: We enrolled 61 consecutive chronic liver disease patients. We used the following study instruments: visual continuous performance test, a spatial memory test, the Wisconsin card-sorting test chosen from Neuroscan and STIM system (Study of the Usefulness of Computerized Neuropsychological Test, Neurosoft company, New York, NY, USA), a global-local processing test and an electroencephalogram (EEG). RESULTS: A significant correlation was found between neurologic abnormalities and the degree of liver disease. The result of the neuropsychological test and the EEG showed that cognitive function decreased according to the severity of chronic liver disease, especially in liver cirrhosis. Cirrhotic patients, especially in Child-Pugh C group, exhibited selective deficits in complex attention and fine motor skills as well as visual spatial perception, with preservation of memory. CONCLUSIONS: The STIM and EEG are simple, subjective and reproducible methods and may be used as early detection methods of minimal hepatic encephalopathy.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

[Reverse cholesterol transport in cultured gallbladder epithelial cells].

Bile is the major route of cholesterol excretion from the body. It is concentrated in the gallbladder, and often results in supersaturation of cholesterol. The high levels of cholesterol in gallbladder bile has clinical implications with respect to cholesterol gallstone formation and cholesterolosis of the gallbladder wall. Gallbladder epithelial cells (GBEC) are exposed to high cholesterol concentrations on their apical surfaces. Therefore, GBEC are uniquely positioned to play an important role in modulating biliary cholesterol concentrations. Recently, it has been documented that the key-transporter for polarized cholesterol and phospholipid efflux in GBEC is ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) and Liver X receptor (LXR) and retinoid X receptor (RXR) in the nucleus of GBEC have a role that regulates ABCA1 expression. In addition, GBEC synthesize apolipoprotein A-I and E as cholesterol acceptors. These results indicate that GBEC has a perfect system for reverse cholesterol transport. We introduce the roles and mechanisms of ABCA1, scavenger receptor class B-I, LXR and RXR related to reverse cholesterol transport in GBEC with a review of our study experience and related literature.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter 1↗
PubMed2004

[Telemedicine with digital video transport system].

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The growth of technology based on internet protocol has affected on the informatics and automatic controls of medical fields. The aim of this study was to establish the telemedical educational system by developing the high quality image transfer using the DVTS (digital video transmission system) on the high-speed internet network. METHODS: Using telemedicine, we were able to send surgical images not only to domestic areas but also to international area. Moreover, we could discuss the condition of surgical procedures in the operation room and seminar room. The Korean-Japan cable network (KJCN) was structured in the submarine between Busan and Fukuoka. On the other hand, the Korea advanced research network (KOREN) was used to connect between Busan and Seoul. To link the image between the Hanyang University Hospital in Seoul and Kyushu University Hospital in Japan, we started teleconference system and recorded image-streaming system with DVTS on the circumstance with IPv4 network. RESULTS: Two operative cases were transmitted successfully. We could keep enough bandwidth of 60 Mbps for two-line transmission. The quality of transmitted moving image had no frame loss with the rate 30 per second. The sound was also clear and the time delay was less than 0.3 sec. CONCLUSIONS: Our study has demonstrated the feasibility of domestic and international telemedicine. We have established an international medical network with high-quality video transmission over internet protocol. It is easy to perform, reliable, and also economical. Thus, it will be a promising tool in remote medicine for worldwide telemedical communication in the future.

Computer Communication Networks↗
PubMed2004

[Incidence of gallbladder stones in renal transplant recipients].

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gallbladder stone is one of the major cause of morbidity in adults. Renal transplantation has been found to increase the risk of gallbladder stone formation. The real incidence of gallbladder stones in renal transplant recipients is not exactly known. We performed this study to identify the risk factors for cholecystolithiasis. METHODS: We compared the prevalence of gallbladder stone in 222 renal transplantation patients with that in 222 age and sex matched controls. Patients who had chronic liver disease, renal disease, and diabetes were excluded from the control group. RESULTS: In our study, the incidence of gallbladder stones is 8.6% (19/222 patients) in renal transplantation patients, which was significantly higher than 3.60% (8/222 control) in the control group (p=0.029). In the most of our renal transplantation patients, cholecystolithiasis was asymptomatic. We did not find a difference in age, sex, duration after transplantation, causes of renal failure, resistance index between patients with and without gallbladder stones in renal transplantation patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the incidence of gallbladder stones is higher in renal transplant recipients than non-transplant population in Korea. Further studies will be needed to focus the factors contributing to the gallbladder stone formation after renal transplantation, especially in regard to immunosuppressive drugs.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

[Oxysterol (3,5-cholestadien-7-one, 5 beta-cholestan-3-one, 5,24-cholestadien-3 beta-OL) induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in gallbladder epithelial cells].

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Biliary epithelial cells are exposed to highly concentrated oxysterols. Therefore, oxysterols may play a role in pathogenesis of biliary tract diseases. We investigated the cytotoxic effect and apoptosis inducing effect of oxysterol on gallbladder epithelial cells. METHODS: We studied the cytotoxic effect of 3,5- cholestadien-7-one, 5 beta-cholestan-3-one and 5,24-cholestadien-3 beta-OL which are identified in human bile and pigment gallstones on dog gallbladder epithelial cells (DGBE) and mouse gallbladder epithelial cells (MGBE). We used model bile to dissolve oxysterols as in vitro experiment and also used MTT, cell count, Diff-Quick stain, and flow cytometry to investigate cytotoxicity and apoptosis. RESULTS: Oxysterols dissolved in model bile have cytotoxic effects in a dose dependent fashion. In oxysterol containing model bile, viable cells are 51% in 500 microM 5 beta-cholestan-3-one (cholesterol:oxysterol 50:50) and 47% in 5 mM 3,5-cholestadien-7-one (90:10) on MGBE, and are 129% and 38% in 500 microM (50:50) 3,5-cholestadien-7-one and 5 beta-cholestan-3-one on DGBE, and are 74% and 71.5% in 5 mM (90:10) 3,5-cholestadien-7-one and 5 beta-cholestan-3-one on DGBE, respectively. 500 microM (50:50) 3,5- cholestadien-7-one, 5 beta-cholestan-3-one, and 5,24-cholestadien-3 beta-OL treated on DGBE increase the apoptotic cell number as 22.0+/-8.8, 30.2+/-12.6, and 45.5+/-13.2%, respectively, compared with control (14.6+/-10.0%). 500 microM (50:50) 3,5-cholestadien-7-one, 5 beta-cholestan-3-one, and 5,24-cholestadien-3 beta-OL also affect the changes in cell cycles compared with the control. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that oxysterol containing model bile is useful as an in vitro experiment as model to analyze the effects of oxysterols on biliary epithelial cells and that adequate concentration of oxysterols can induce the cytotoxic effect and the apoptosis on gallbladder epithelial cells.

Animals↗