Growth plate closure and therapeutic interventions.

Height gains result from longitudinal bone growth, which is largely dependent on chondrocyte differentiation and proliferation within the growth plates of long bones. The growth plate, that is, the epiphyseal plate, is divided into resting, proliferative, and hypertrophic zones according to chondrocyte characteristics. The differentiation potential of progenitor cells in the resting zone, continuous capacity for chondrocyte differentiation and proliferation within the proliferative zone, timely replacement by osteocytes, and calcification in the hypertrophic zone are the 3 main factors controlling longitudinal bone growth.

Height outcomes in Korean children with idiopathic short stature receiving growth hormone treatment.

Objectives: Growth hormone (GH) therapy's capacity to increase height velocity and height at the end of the study in children with idiopathic short stature (ISS) is controversial. We aimed to investigate the height standard deviation score (SDS) and height velocity of patients with ISS in Korea who received GH treatment.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed and performed linear mixed model and survival analyses on data from 12 tertiary hospitals in Korea, including subjects diagnosed with ISS from January 2009 to September 2019, treated with GH therapy for more than 6 months, and who were at a pre-pubertal state at the time of diagnosis.

Clinical practice guidelines for optimizing bone health in Korean children and adolescents.

The Committee on Pediatric Bone Health of the Korean Society of Pediatric Endocrinology has newly developed evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for optimizing bone health in Korean children and adolescents. These guidelines present recommendations based on the Grading of Recommendations, which includes the quality of evidence. In the absence of sufficient evidence, conclusions were based on expert opinion.

Growth and Bone Mineral Density Changes in Ovariectomized Rats Treated with Estrogen Receptor Alpha or Beta Agonists.

Background: Estrogen controls the pubertal growth spurt, growth plate closure, and accretion of bone mineral density (BMD) of long bones after biding estrogen receptor (ER). There are two subtypes of ER, ERα and ERβ. If each ER subtype has different effects, we may control those actions by manipulating the estrogen binding intensity to each ER subtype and increase the final adult height without markedly reducing BMD or impairing reproductive functions.

Near final height in Korean children referred for evaluation of short stature: clinical utility and analytical validity of height prediction methods.

Purpose: Predicted adult height (PAH) is often crucial to decision-making about treatment with human growth hormone (GH) or gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist in children with short stature. This study compares final adult height (FAH) with different methods used to determine PAH and assesses the clinical utility and analytical validity of height prediction for children not treated with GH.

Methods: Clinical findings were retrospectively analyzed, and the heights of 44 children (22 males and 22 females) who visited our clinic between August 2006 and June 2017 and reached near final adult height (NFAH) were evaluated.

Percentile Distributions of Birth Weight according to Gestational Ages in Korea (2010-2012).

The Pediatric Growth Chart (2007) is used as a standard reference to evaluate weight and height percentiles of Korean children and adolescents. Although several previous studies provided a useful reference range of newborn birth weight (BW) by gestational age (GA), the BW reference analyzed by sex and plurality is not currently available. Therefore, we aimed to establish a national reference range of neonatal BW percentiles considering GA, sex, and plurality of newborns in Korea.

Comparison of growth and pubertal progression in wild type female rats with different bedding types.

Purpose: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals interfere with the endocrine system and therefore affect growth and pubertal progression. The study aim was to compare the growth and pubertal progression in wild-type female rats with different bedding types.

Methods: Twenty 5-week-old female wild-type Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned to two groups with different bedding types: one group received wood shaving bedding, while a second group received corncob bedding.

Pubertal growth and epiphyseal fusion.

The complex networks of nutritional, cellular, paracrine, and endocrine factors are closely related with pubertal growth and epiphyseal fusion. Important influencing factors include chondrocyte differentiation capacity, multiple molecular pathways active in the growth plate, and growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor-I axis activation and epiphyseal fusion through estrogen and its receptors. However, the exact mechanisms of these phenomena are still unclear.

New Korean reference for birth weight by gestational age and sex: data from the Korean Statistical Information Service (2008-2012).

Purpose: To construct new Korean reference curves for birth weight by sex and gestational age using contemporary Korean birth weight data and to compare them with the Lubchenco and the 2010 United States (US) intrauterine growth curves.

Methods: Data of 2,336,727 newborns by the Korean Statistical Information Service (2008-2012) were used. Smoothed percentile curves were created by the Lambda Mu Sigma method using subsample of singleton.

Intrathyroidal thymic tissue mimicking a malignant thyroid nodule in a 4-year-old child.

Intrathyroidal thymic tissue is rare and may be confused with a malignant thyroid nodule because of hyperechoic dots mimicking calcifications. We report the case of a thyroid nodule with malignant ultrasonographic findings in a 4-year-old child, which was confirmed cytologically as ectopic thymic tissue. The sonographic findings of ectopic thymus were similar to those of the thymus; therefore, clinicians should be familiar with ultrasonography findings of normal thymic tissue.

Estrogen receptor α polymorphism in boys with constitutional delay of growth and puberty.

Purpose: There were a lot of reports regarding associations of polymorphisms in the estrogen receptor α (ESR1). with many disorders. But, those with constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP) are not known.

Association of polymorphisms in the vitamin D receptor promoter with idiopathic short stature.

The genetic alterations of vitamin D receptor (VDR) are related with the growth of long bone. There were a lot of reports regarding an association of polymorphisms in the VDR promoter with many disorders, but not with idiopathic short stature (ISS). We investigated the association of them with ISS.

Dexibuprofen for fever in children with upper respiratory tract infection.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of dexibuprofen compared to ibuprofen.

Methods: This double-blind, double-dummy study enrolled patients from January 2008 to May 2009 presenting at one of five tertiary care centers in Seoul, Korea with febrile illness who were then given one of three active treatments: one dose of dexibuprofen 2.5 or 5 mg/kg (DEX 1); dexibuprofen 3.

Two cases of female hydrocele of the canal of nuck.

The processus vaginalis within the inguinal canal forms the canal of Nuck, which is a homolog of the processus vaginalis in women. Incomplete obliteration of the processus vaginalis causes indirect inguinal hernia or hydrocele of the canal of Nuck, a very rare condition in women. Here, we report 2 cases of hydrocele of the canal of Nuck that were diagnosed with ultrasonography in both cases and magnetic resonance imaging in 1 case to confirm the sonographic diagnosis.

Polymorphisms of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase are not a risk factor for Kawasaki disease in the Korean population.

Purpose: Hyperhomocysteinemia is known as a risk factor for atherosclerosis. Preclinical arteriosclerosis is noted and premature atherosclerosis is known to be accelerated in Kawasaki disease (KD) patients. Genetic polymorphisms in the 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene result in elevated plasma homocysteine concentrations and are known to be associated with the development of coronary artery disease.

Decreasing trends of neonatal and infant mortality rates in Korea: compared with Japan, USA, and OECD nations.

Neonatal mortality rate (NMR) and infant mortality rate (IMR) are two of the most important indices reflecting the level of public health of a country. In this review, we investigated changes in NMR and IMR in Korea and compared the results with those of Japan, USA, and OECD nations. During the past 20 yr, NMR and IMR have lowered remarkably from 6.

Novel compound heterozygous mutations in the vitamin D receptor gene in a Korean girl with hereditary vitamin D resistant rickets.

Hereditary vitamin D resistant rickets (HVDRR) is a rare genetic disorder caused by a mutation of vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene. A number of cases had been reported in many countries but not in Korea. We examined a three-year old Korean girl who had the typical clinical features of HVDRR including rickets, hypocalcemia, hypophosphatemia, elevated serum calcitriol level and secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Recent trends in neonatal mortality in very low birth weight Korean infants: in comparison with Japan and the USA.

With regard to the outcome of intensive neonatal care, one of the most important concerns in neonatology is the mortality rate of very low birth weight infants (VLBWI; birth weight < 1,500 g) and extremely low birth weight infants (ELBWI; birth weight < 1,000 g). The present study was conducted to analyze and compare the mortality of VLBWI and ELBWI and neonatal care among Korean, Japanese, and American newborns. In Korea, the survival rates of VLBWI have increased significantly; they were 31.

Multiple births conceived by assisted reproductive technology in Korea.

Purpose: The recent trends of multiple births (MBs) conceived by assisted reproductive technology (ART) in Korea were analyzed as well as the relationship with maternal age, especially advanced maternal age.

Methods: Data were obtained from the Korean Statistical Information Service and annual ART reports from the ART committee of the Korean Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Results: MBs increased from the early 1990s; there was a 275% increase by 2008.

Recent trends in the incidence of multiple births and its consequences on perinatal problems in Korea.

The aim of this study was to survey multiple birth data and to analyze the recent trends of multiple births and its consequences on perinatal problems in Korea from 1991 to 2008. Data were obtained from the Korean Statistical Information Service. The total number of multiple births showed increasing trends.