An association between fiber intake and allergic diseases in children has been reported; however, many studies have not been conducted to assess this association in adults. We aimed to evaluate the association between dietary fiber intake and allergic diseases (asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis) among 10,479 adults using data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010–2011). As dietary fiber intake increased, the prevalence of asthma (Q4 adjusted odds ratio (OR): 0.656; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.48–0.91, p for trend < 0.0001) and atopic dermatitis (Q3 crude OR: 0.746; 95% CI: 0.57–0.98; Q4 adjusted OR: 0.712; 95% CI: 0.50–1.01, p for trend < 0.0001) decreased. The prevalence of allergic rhinitis (Q2 adjusted OR: 0.840; 95% CI: 0.70–1.00, p for trend < 0.0001) tended to decrease, especially in males. Subgroup analysis revealed that fiber intake reduced allergic rhinitis symptoms, including watery rhinorrhea (Q3 adjusted OR: 0.734; 95% CI: 0.55–0.97; Q4 adjusted OR: 0.722; 95% CI: 0.54–0.97) and dog allergen sensitization (Q3 adjusted OR: 0.319; 95% CI: 0.13–0.82; Q4 adjusted OR: 0.338; 95% CI: 0.13–0.86), exclusively in males. Thus, dietary fiber intake influences allergic diseases in adults, especially males.

IMPORTANCE Allergic laryngitis is underdiagnosed owing to overlapping clinical manifestations that arise from other causes of laryngitis. Sinonasal conditions associated with chronic laryngitis, including allergic laryngitis, have not been reported using population-based epidemiologic data. OBJECTIVE To estimate the association of the prevalence of chronic laryngitis with various sinonasal symptoms and endoscopic findings, and to identify which of the sinonasal factors are particularly associated with allergic cause of chronic laryngitis. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cross-sectional, population-based study of 11 283 participants 18 years and older who had undergone laryngoscopic and nasal endoscopic examination used data from 2010 through 2012 in the fifth edition of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationwide survey of South Korea. Participants were extracted by stratified, multistage, clustered sampling to comprise a nationally representative sample. Data were analyzed in September 2017. EXPOSURES Sociodemographic characteristics, smoking status, alcohol use, questionnaires for voice change and sinonasal symptoms, and nasal endoscopic examinations before and after shrinkage of the nasal mucosa. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Chronic laryngitis diagnosed by laryngoscopic examination, and allergic cause of laryngitis determined by specific serum immunoglobulin E tests. RESULTS Of the 11 283 participants included in the study, the mean (SD) age was 50.1 (16.6) years, and 6365 (56.4%) were women. In total, 343 participants (3.0%) were diagnosed with chronic laryngitis through results of laryngoscopic examination. Chronic laryngitis was associated with a higher rate of rhinitis symptoms (odds ratio [OR], 1.54; 95% CI, 1.21-1.96), anterior/posterior nasal drip (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.38-2.98), nasal congestion (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 0.99-2.25), endoscopic findings of pale mucosa (OR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.33-2.28), mucous or puslike discharge (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.08-2.18), and puslike discharge in the middle meatus (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.19-2.88), especially in female participants and participants older than 50 years. Subgroup analysis revealed that all participants with allergic laryngitis showed sensitization to Dermatophagoides farinae, and the allergic laryngitis group (n = 9) had a higher presence of rhinitis symptoms (n = 5; 56%) than did the nonallergic laryngitis group (n = 1 of 12; 8%) among participants younger than 50 years (risk difference, 47%; 95% CI, 4%-78%). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The association of various sinonasal factors with chronic laryngitis were prominent in female participants, as well as those 50 years and older. Nevertheless, the presence of rhinitis symptoms in patients with chronic laryngitis was associated with allergic cause of laryngitis solely in participants younger than 50 years. In young adults, presence of rhinitis symptoms might aid in considering allergic laryngitis.

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Background and Objectives: Hearing loss (HL) and its repercussions are major problems in today’s society. There are limited data on the relationship between degree of HL and otologic disorders. The aim of this study is to estimate mortality rates, rates of sudden idiopathic HL and related otologic surgical procedures in hearing disability patients in South Korea.Subjects and Methods: Retrospective medical data for 160,205 patients with hearing disability was extracted. Mortality rates, rates of sudden idiopathic HL and related otologic surgical procedures were compared with a normal control group consisting of 865,475 people; approximately 5 times the number of hearing disability patients.Results: According to the Korean National Disability Registry (NDR), 0.458% of the population in South Korea suffered from hearing disability in 2015. Higher rates of mortality and sudden idiopathic HL were reported in hearing disability patients, increasing up to a maximum of 1.594 times and 1,039.695 times, respectively, compared to the normal control group. Mastoidectomy surgery was 2.5 times more frequently performed and pressure equalizing (PE) tube insertion was about 15 times more frequently performed in hearing disability patients.Conclusions: Hearing disability is related to higher risks of mortality, sudden idiopathic HL and otologic surgical procedures, including mastoidectomy and PE tubing.

23Objectives: Agmatine, an endogenous metabolite of arginine, is known to have 24 antioxidant activity, protect mitochondrial function, and confer resistance to cellular 25 apoptosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of agmatine 26 against cisplatin-induced cellular apoptosis in an auditory cell line. 27 Methods: HEI-OC1 cells were co-treated with agmatine at different concentrations and 28 15 µM cisplatin for 48 h. Cell viability was measured and annexin V-FITC/propidium 29 iodide (PI) staining was performed to analyze apoptosis. The levels of intracellular 30 reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured using flow cytometry. The expression 31 of BAX (Bcl2-associated X protein) and the enzymatic activity of caspase-3 were 32 measured to examine the pathway of apoptosis induction. 33 Results: Co-treatment with 8 mM agmatine protected HEI-OC1 cells against cisplatin-34 induced cell apoptosis. Agmatine exerted a significant protective effect against 15 µM 35 cisplatin when applied for 48 h and reduced the proportion of necrotic and late 36 apoptotic cells. Agmatine did not reduce the cisplatin-induced increase in ROS but 37 decreased the expression of BAX and the activity of caspase-3. 38 Conclusions: Agmatine protected against cisplatin-induced cellular apoptosis in an 39 auditory cell line. These effects were mediated by the protection of mitochondrial 40 function and inhibition of apoptosis. 128 ChemiDOC touch imaging system (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA). The relative band 129 densities were computed using ImageJ software (Imagej.nih.gov/ij/index.html).