Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is routinely used in the evaluation of thyroid nodules. However, it has several pitfalls, as has been noted in nondiagnostic and indeterminate cases. This study aims to investigate the value of BRAF^V600E mutation co-testing in FNA cytology.

A total of 310 patients underwent BRAF^V600E mutation co-testing in FNA cytology on thyroid nodules between June 2013 and June 2014. Of the 310 patients, 69 patients who had undergone a surgery for thyroid nodules were included in this study. The presence of the BRAF^V600E mutation was determined by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction amplification of exon 15 of the BRAF gene.

Of 69 cases, 33 (47.8%) were BRAF^V600E mutation positive. The BRAF^V600E mutation was not significantly associated with high-risk features such as tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and pathological stage. The respective diagnostic performance of FNA (P = 0.02), BRAF^V600E mutation (P = 0.03), and ultrasonographic (P = 0.00) findings was statistically significant. The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of FNA was 64.9%, 83.3%, and 94.8%. The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of BRAF^V600E mutation was 56.1%, 91.7%, and 96.9% and the US features was 91.2%, 91.7%, and 98.1% respectively. However, sensitivity of FNA with BRAF^V600E mutation (77.2%) was lower than FNA with US (92.9%) and combination all together (92.9%).

In this study, we found that US features were the most useful in preoperative differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules. BRAF^V600E mutation co-testing in FNA cytology was also useful for diagnosis of thyroid tumors.

Systemic antibiotic therapy with semisynthetic penicillinase-resistant penicillin or vancomycin and clindamycin are recommended for the treatment of staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS). This study assessed the rate of antibiotic resistance of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from the anterior nares or skin of children diagnosed with SSSS.

A retrospective review of the medical records of 25 patients with SSSS between July 2010 and October 2014 was conducted. The clinical characteristics of patients were collected and the antibiotic susceptibility of S. aureus were analyzed using automated systems.

The median age of the patients was 22 months (range: 2-95). Ninety-two percent of patients were less than 5 years of age. Nasal swab samples of all patients and skin swab samples of 17 patients were cultured to isolate S. aureus. Twenty-one (84%) of 25 patients were colonized with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). The results of swab samples of the other four patients were no growth or isolation of bacteria other than S. aureus. Among 20 strains isolated from the anterior nares, 1 strain (5%) was methicillin-susceptible S. aureus. All 15 strains isolated from the skin were MRSA. All 21 strains isolated from anterior nares or skin were found to be resistant to clindamycin upon evaluation using automated systems.

The rates of methicillin and clindamycin resistance in S. aureus colonized in children with SSSS were very high. Further studies evaluating proper antibiotic regimens and the effectiveness of systemic antibiotic therapy are needed.

The standard metrics used to monitor the progression of acute kidney injury (AKI) include markers such as serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Moreover, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) expression has been reported to modulate oxidative stress.

We aimed to evaluate the usefulness of serum NGAL levels for monitoring renal function after radical nephrectomy (RN). We prospectively collected data from 30 patients who underwent RN. We analyzed serum NGAL and creatinine at 6 time points: preoperative day 1, right after surgery, 6 hours after surgery, postoperative day (POD) 1, POD 3, and POD 5. We compared these measurements according to the eGFR values (classified as chronic kidney disease stage III; CKD III or not) using data obtained 3 months after surgery.

The mean age was 65.5 years (range, 45–77 years), and the male-to-female ratio was 2:1. At the last follow-up examination, there were 12 patients (40%) with CKD III. Using receiver operating characteristic analysis, we found that serum creatinine on POD 5 (area under the curve [AUC], 0.887; P = 0.000) and NGAL at 6 hours after LRN (AUC, 0.743, P = 0.026) were significant predictors of CKD III. The development of CKD III after LRN was associated with the serum creatinine level on POD 5 and the NGAL at 6 hours after surgery.

Compared to serum creatinine, serum NGAL enabled earlier prediction of postoperative CKD III. Therefore, serum NGAL measured 6 hours after surgery could be a useful marker for managing patients after RN.

Blood culture is a one of the most important procedure for diagnosis and treatment of infectious disease, but distribution of pathogenic species and the antimicrobial susceptibility can be vary from pathogen, individual trait, regional or environmental features. In this study, we investigated the changes in frequency of occurrence and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of blood isolates from 2005 to 2014.

Data of blood isolates from Kosin Gospel Hospital during 2005 to 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. Blood isolates were cultured for 5 days using BACTEC Plus Aerobic/F and BACTEC lytic/10 Anaerobic/F. Identification and antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed using VITEK 1 system, VITEK 2 XL, PHOENIX 100 and conventional method.

9,847 isolates were identified during 10 years. Among the isolates aerobic or falcutative anaerobic bacteria were isolated in 99.5% specimens, anaerobic were 0.1%, and fugi were 0.4%. Most commonly isolated bacteria were coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) followed by Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Candida parapsilosis were most frequently isolated among fungi. The proportion of S. aureus, A. baumannii and E. faecium were increased, while Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus pneumoniae decreased over decennium. Imipenem resistant K. pneumoniae were identified. Vancomycin resistant E. faecium and imipenem resistant A. baumannii were increased (7.1% in 2005 to 12.3% in 2014, 0% in 2005 to 55.6% in 2014, respectively).

Over the last 10 year, CoNS were the most frequently isolated pathogen. Imipenem resistant K. pneumoniae was emerged. Vancomycin resistant E. faecium and imipenem resistant A. baumannii increased during this period.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends hepatitis-B virusVIruS vaccination for unvaccinated adults with diabetes. However, the Korean Diabetes Association (KDA) did not recommend hepatitis-B vaccination for unvaccinated adults with diabetes. This study was performed to assess the differences in hepatitis-B virus antigen and antibody status between Korean patients with diabetes and those without by using national survey data.

We analyzed hepatitis-B virus antigen and antibody status in 9,771 South Korean people from the general population based on the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Diabetes patients were defined as those with a measured fasting plasma glucose over 126 mg/dL or those who had been previously diagnosed with diabetes by other health care centers.

Subjects with diabetes accounted for 812 (8.3%) among the 9771 study subjects. The prevalence ofhepatitis-B (HBsAg) seropositive subjects was not significantly different (3.9% vs. 4.6%, P = 0.09) between subjects with diabetes and those without. The prevalence of hepatitis-B antibody (HBsAb) positive subjects and unimmunized subjects was not significantly different (55.2% vs. 58.2%, P = 0.09, 40.9% vs. 37.2%, P = 0.09) between the two groups. The prevalence of unimmunized subjects decreased by age (< 20 years 33.3 % vs. 33.0%, 20~29 years 49.1% vs. 41.2%, 30~39 years 41.9% vs. 37.7%, 40~49 years 35.1% vs. 33.5%, 50~59 years 39.0% vs. 38.0%, 60~69 years 41.2% vs. 39.8%, > 70 years 48.5% vs. 42.8%) but was not significantly different between the 2 groups.

From this study, we conclude that there are not sufficient grounds to recommend routine hepatitis-B virus vaccination for unvaccinated Korean subjects with diabetes at this point in time in Korea. Further prospective studies will be needed.

To investigate the effects of Computerized Neuropsychologic Test (CNT) on cognitive function and daily life performance in subacute post-stroke patients with cognitive impairment.

Korean Mini-Mentals State Examination (K-MMSE), Korean version of Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI) were investigated in 125 subacute post-stroke patients with cognitive impairment. We analyzed K-MMSE and K-MBI which were conducted 63 patients who had received CNT and 62 patient who had not received CNT from baseline to 8 weeks follow-up. In the experimental group, initial K-MMSE and K-MBI were conducted 13.3 ± 6.8 weeks after the onset of stroke and their age was 63.4 ± 13.3. In the control group, initial K-MMSE and K-MBI were conducted 13.2 ± 7.7 weeks after the onset of stroke and their age was 65.1 ± 11.6.

The 8 weeks follow-up total K-MMSE score and total K-MBI score of experimental group were significantly higher than control group (P < 0.05). In K-MMSE subsection, orientation, judgement, recall, language & visual reconstruction were significantly higher in experimental group than control group (P < 0.05). In K-MBI subsection, personal hygiene, bathing self, toilet, dressing, ambulation, chair/bed transfer were significantly higher in experimental group than control group (P < 0.05). The change of total K-MMSE score of experimental group was significantly correlated with change of total K-MBI score (P < 0.05), but control group was not (P > 0.05). In K-MMSE subsection, change of orientation, registration, language and visual reconstruction were correlated with total K-MBI s core after CNT. Especially, the experimental group, total K-MBI score of the left hemisphere damage group was significantly higher than the right hemisphere damage group (P < 0.05).

This study shows that CNT is effective on subacute post-stroke patients with cognitive impairment. Improvement of cognitive function can expect a positive outcome on daily life performance, in particular, it can be expected to improve the prognosis of patients with stroke, the left hemisphere lesions.

Iodine deficiency causes multiple health problems. Previously we reported that 96% of high school students in Tuguegarao, Philippines had adequate iodine levels. However, iodine deficiency-associated problems remain among adults in the Philippines. Therefore, we evaluated iodine nutritional status and goiter prevalence among adults, including pregnant women, in Tuguegarao, Philippines.

A total of 245 adults, including 31 pregnant women, provided samples for urinary iodine analysis, and all pregnant women completed a questionnaire about iodine deficiency.

The median urinary iodine level was 164.0 ± 138.4 g/L; 38.4% of the participants were iodine deficient, according to the International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD) criteria. No severe iodine deficiency was observed. Among the 31 pregnant women, 24 (77.5%) fell into the iodine deficient category defined by a stricter World Health Organization (WHO) guideline, in which iodine deficiency is considered when urinary iodine levels are below 150 g/L. Almost half (42%) of the pregnant women were unaware of the harmful effects of iodine deficiency on the human body and their fetus.

Although iodine nutritional status in the Philippines has improved, iodine deficiency still exists among adults, especially among pregnant women. Therefore, our study strongly suggests that a better strategy should be established to monitor iodine nutritional status among adults continually, and to focus on populations susceptible to iodine deficiency, including pregnant women and women of reproductive age, to achieve the total elimination of iodine deficiency.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) tumors are locally invasive but rarely metastatic. However, aggressive metastatic variants are being increasingly reported in elderly people. Here we investigated the clinical utility of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as a predictive biomarker for aggressive BCC variants.

Thirty-five pathologically confirmed cases of BCC that underwent surgical removal in the Plastic Surgery Department between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2012 were studied. VEGF expression was analyzed in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissue by immunohistochemical staining. Positive staining was defined as more than 10% of the tumor cells showing immunoreactivity. The associations of VEGF expression with various clinicopathologic parameters were analyzed.

The face was the most prevalent site (28/35), with 15 cases from the nose, 6 cases from the eyelid, and 5 cases from the cheek. The patients were aged between 41 and 86 years, with a mean age of 69.26 ± 173.903 years. The mean BCC size was 1.34 ± 3.853 cm, with a range of 0.3 cm to 12.0 cm. The mean tumor invasion depth from the basement epidermal membrane was 0.17 ± 0.035 cm, with a range of 0.03 cm to 1.10 cm. A mean of 5.66 ± 20.938 intraoperative frozen section slides were examined. VEGF was not expressed in 14 of the 35 patients (40.0%), whereas 42.9% of the patients had low expression and 17.1% of the patients had high expression. VEGF expression was significantly associated with age (P = 0.022), size (P = 0.030), site (P = 0.013), tumor invasion depth (P = 0.019), and number of intraoperatively frozen sections (P = 0.003).

These results suggest that VEGF expression as assessed by immunohistochemistry can predict aggressive or poor prognosis in BCC.