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Notes: Objectives The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaires have shown that the prevalence of childhood asthma is increasing worldwide. Although Asian countries used to have lower prevalence rates of allergic disease than Western countries, this prevalence is increasing in several Asian countries. To determine whether the prevalence of childhood asthma is changing in Korean adolescents, we compared findings from nationwide cross-sectional surveys in 1995 and 2000 on populations of middle-school children using the Korean version of the ISAAC questionnaire.Methods We developed Korean versions of the ISAAC written (WQ) and video (AVQ) questionnaires for allergic diseases. In 1995, the enrolled population consisted of 15 481 children, ages 12–15, and encompassing all three grades in middle school, selected from 34 schools across the nation; the response rate was 97.3%. In 2000, 15 894 children were selected from 31 of the same schools, and the response rate was 96.4%. The SAS system version 8.0 was utilized for all statistical analyses.Results The WQ showed that the lifetime and 12-month prevalence of wheeze did not change from 1995 to 2000. While the 12-month prevalence rates of sleep disturbed by wheezing and night cough increased, the rates of severe attack of wheezing and exercise-induced wheeze did not change, over this period of time. The lifetime prevalence of asthma diagnosis, however, increased significantly, from 2.7% in 1995 to 5.3% in 2000, as did the 12-month prevalence of asthma treatment, from 1.0% in 1995 to 1.9% in 2000. The AVQ also showed increases in the lifetime and 12-month prevalence rates of wheeze at rest, exercise-induced wheeze, nocturnal wheeze, nocturnal cough, and severe wheeze over this period of time. These were especially because of significant increases in the Provincial cities of Korea. Interestingly, the 12-month prevalence of wheeze was consistently high in Cheju with low air pollution indices, whereas this rate was low in Ulsan and Ansan with very high air pollution indices. Risk factor analysis showed that body mass index (BMI), passive smoking, and living with a dog or cat, but not air pollution, were associated with higher risk of wheeze.Conclusions In the 5-year period from 1995 to 2000, the prevalence of asthma symptoms has increased in Korean adolescents, much of it because of increases in Provincial Centers. BMI, passive smoking, and living with a dog or cat are important risk factors. Environmental factors other than air pollution may be associated with increases in asthma, especially in Provincial Centers.

Notes: Staphylococcal infection-producing superantigens, such as staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), are presumed to play an important role of inflammatory processes in atopic dermatitis (AD). The aim of this study was to elucidate the apoptotic response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from children with AD. PBMCs from AD children were sampled and cultured with SEB stimulation. Levels of apoptosis and Fas expression were measured using flow cytometry; the soluble Fas ligand (sFasL) was also measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method, and the expression of FasL in PBMCs was observed using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. There was no difference in the initial levels of apoptosis and Fas expression in precultured PBMCs of AD patients and healthy donors. After culturing for 48 h under SEB stimulation, the apoptosis level and Fas expression were significantly upregulated in the PBMCs from AD children compared with that from the normal controls. In patients, the sFasL was significantly increased, and the expression of FasL was observed in messenger RNA of peripheral monocytes. These results suggest that the Fas/FasL system is involved in the apoptosis induced by SEB in AD, with simultaneous increases in sFasL and expression of FasL.

Notes: Introduction:  Buckwheat (BW) is considered to be one of the most important food allergens, and positive skin tests are found in about 5% of Koreans. We investigated the positive and negative predictive values of BW-specific IgE in subjects with a BW allergy in order to reduce the need for buckwheat challenge, which can be more riskier than other causes of food allergies.Methods:  Twenty-eight BW allergic subjects with symptoms after BW Open food challenge and 16 asymptomatic control subjects with positive skin test to BW were recruited. Serum samples from all patients were analyzed for BW-specific IgE antibodies using the Pharmacia CAP System.Results:  According to the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis, the optimal cutoff level of BW-specific IgE, as the definitions of serum BW-specific IgE positive, was 1.26 kUA/l. With this selected cutoff level, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were 93.10, 93.33, 79.75 and 97.96%, respectively.Conclusion:  The use of the optimal cutoff level, 1.26 kUA/l, that simultaneously maximizes sensitivity and specificity, would be helpful for avoiding unnecessary risky challenge in children with a strong clinical history and skin test responses.