Publications by authors named "C-k Ahn"

Mid-infrared photoacoustic microscopy can capture biochemical information without staining. However, the long mid-infrared optical wavelengths make the spatial resolution of photoacoustic microscopy significantly poorer than that of conventional confocal fluorescence microscopy. Here, we demonstrate an explainable deep learning-based unsupervised inter-domain transformation of low-resolution unlabeled mid-infrared photoacoustic microscopy images into confocal-like virtually fluorescence-stained high-resolution images.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Longitudinal, non-invasive, in vivo monitoring of therapeutic gene expression is an unmet need for gene therapy (GT). Positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracers designed to bind to therapeutic proteins may provide a sensitive imaging platform to guide treatment response and dose optimization in GT. Herein, we evaluate a novel PET tracer ([F]AGAL) for targeting α-galactosidase A (GLA), an enzyme deficient in Fabry disease.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • An error grid is a tool that helps compare glucose levels measured by devices to see if they are correct and to identify any risks.
  • Experts created a new error grid called the DTS Error Grid that works for both blood glucose monitors (BGMs) and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), organizing accuracy into five risk zones.
  • The results showed that the DTS Error Grid provides a clearer picture of how accurate these devices are and includes a separate matrix to evaluate how well CGMs track glucose trends over time.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study is a retrospective analysis aimed at understanding the incidence and risk factors of proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) following long-instrumented spinal fusion from L1 to the sacrum in patients with mild to moderate sagittal imbalance. It recruited consecutive patients undergoing instrumented fusion from L1 to the sacrum for degenerative lumbar disease between June 2006 and November 2019 in a single institution. The patients' preoperative clinical data, muscle status at T12-L1 on magnetic resonance images, and sagittal spinopelvic parameters were analyzed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a deep learning model for predicting the axial length (AL) of eyes using optical coherence tomography (OCT) images.

Methods: We retrospectively included patients with AL measurements and OCT images taken within 3 months. We utilized a 5-fold cross-validation with the ResNet-152 architecture, incorporating horizontal OCT images, vertical OCT images, and dual-input images.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Many individuals change their smoking habits after cancer diagnosis. We aimed to evaluate the association of post-diagnosis smoking habit change with incident dementia in cancer survivors.

Methods: We identified 558,127 individuals who were diagnosed with cancer at age ≥ 20 and survived for ≥ 3 years.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Rationale And Objectives: To establish a quantitative CT threshold for radiological disease progression of progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) and evaluate its feasibility in patients with connective tissue disease-related interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD).

Materials And Methods: Between April 2007 and October 2022, patients diagnosed with CTD-ILD retrospectively evaluated. CT quantification was conducted using a commercial software by summing the percentages of ground-glass opacity, consolidation, reticular opacity, and honeycombing.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The Murray law-based quantitative flow ratio (μFR) is an emerging technique that requires only 1 projection of coronary angiography with similar accuracy to quantitative flow ratio (QFR). However, it has not been validated for the evaluation of noninfarct-related artery (non-IRA) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) settings. Therefore, our study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of μFR and the safety of deferring non-IRA lesions with μFR >0.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Cryoablation is a safe and effective treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF), but its outcomes may vary by body mass index (BMI) in patients, especially in Asians.
  • In a study involving 2,648 patients, underweight individuals had a higher recurrence rate of AF after treatment compared to those with a normal BMI, along with a greater risk of complications like transient phrenic nerve palsy.
  • These findings suggest that underweight patients require special attention during and after cryoablation due to increased risks of both AF recurrence and procedural complications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on how antithrombotic drugs are prescribed and their clinical outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who have experienced an acute ischemic stroke (IS), highlighting a gap in optimal treatment data.
  • A retrospective review of 918 patients was conducted, examining their clinical profiles, stroke causes, and changes in medication from hospitalization to outpatient settings, with a notable shift in antithrombotic therapy after discharge.
  • Results showed that while many patients were prescribed oral anticoagulation (OAC), a significant number (11.3%) received no OAC post-stroke, and those on antiplatelet therapy alone had a higher risk of negative clinical outcomes compared to those on OAC alone
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study examines the effectiveness of fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided versus angiography-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for non-infarct-related artery lesions in patients with acute myocardial infarction, focusing on severe stenosis.
  • Among 562 patients, those receiving FFR-guided PCI had significantly lower rates of adverse outcomes (death, myocardial infarction, or repeat revascularization) compared to those who had angiography-guided PCI, particularly in cases with severe stenosis (≥70%).
  • The findings suggest that FFR-guided PCI is superior in reducing complications for both severe (≥70%) and less severe (<70%) non-IRA stenosis, indicating its potential benefit for patients with acute myocardial infarction
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Success of gene therapy relies on the durable expression and activity of transgene in target tissues. In vivo molecular imaging approaches using positron emission tomography (PET) can non-invasively measure magnitude, location, and durability of transgene expression via direct transgene or indirect reporter gene imaging in target tissues, providing the most proximal PK/PD biomarker for gene therapy trials. Herein, we report the radiosynthesis of a novel PET tracer [F]AGAL, targeting alpha galactosidase A (α-GAL), a lysosomal enzyme deficient in Fabry disease, and evaluation of its selectivity, specificity, and pharmacokinetic properties in vitro.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Stopping aspirin within 1 month after implantation of a drug-eluting stent for ticagrelor monotherapy has not been exclusively evaluated for patients with acute coronary syndrome. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ticagrelor monotherapy after <1 month of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is noninferior to 12 months of ticagrelor-based DAPT for adverse cardiovascular and bleeding events in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Methods: In this randomized, open-label, noninferiority trial, 2850 patients with acute coronary syndrome who underwent drug-eluting stent implantation at 24 centers in South Korea were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either ticagrelor monotherapy (90 mg twice daily) after <1 month of DAPT (n=1426) or 12 months of ticagrelor-based DAPT (n=1424) between April 24, 2019, and May 31, 2022.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study examines the effects of early left ventricular unloading versus a conventional approach on 30-day mortality in patients with cardiogenic shock undergoing VA-ECMO.
  • Conducted from March 2021 to September 2022, it involved 116 patients randomly assigned to either early unloading or the conventional approach, with no significant difference in mortality rates observed between the two groups.
  • However, the early unloading group experienced a shorter time to disappearance of pulmonary congestion compared to the conventional group.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Increasingly, people with diabetes (PWD) are using wearable and other devices to support self-management. During air travel, there are 4 stakeholders involved in maximizing the safety of wireless devices for diabetes care used in flight: (1) manufacturers of the devices, (2) airlines, (3) the Transportation Security Administration, and (4) the U.S.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mass spectrometry (MS) based proteomics is widely used for biomarker discovery. However, often, most biomarker candidates from discovery are discarded during the validation processes. Such discrepancies between biomarker discovery and validation are caused by several factors, mainly due to the differences in analytical methodology and experimental conditions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Data regarding prognosis and management after nuisance bleeding (NB) is limited. The purpose was to examine the prognostic significance of NB in patients receiving potent dual antiplatelet treatment (DAPT) after acute myocardial infarction and the impact of de-escalation of DAPT on clinical outcomes thereafter.

Methods: From the TALOS-AMI trial (Ticagrelor Versus Clopidogrel in Stabilized Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction)' 2583 patients were used to investigate the clinical impact of NB (defined as Bleeding Academic Research Consortium [BARC] 1 bleeding) during 1-month treatment with ticagrelor-based DAPT after acute myocardial infarction.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Long-term comparative outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with everolimus-eluting stents and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) are limited in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease.

Methods: This prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial was conducted in 27 international heart centers and was designed to randomly assign 1776 patients with angiographic multivessel coronary artery disease to receive PCI with everolimus-eluting stents or CABG. After inclusion of 880 patients (438 in the PCI group and 442 in the CABG group) between July 2008 and September 2013, the study was terminated early because of slow enrollment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has led to ongoing infections even with vaccination due to emerging variants.
  • Researchers developed CT-P63, a monoclonal antibody that effectively neutralized various SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Delta and Omicron, in both lab studies and transgenic mice.
  • A Phase I clinical trial demonstrated that CT-P63 was safe and well-tolerated in healthy volunteers, with no severe adverse events and good pharmacokinetics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients can experience disease flares even after starting dialysis, prompting a study of their clinical and treatment variables.
  • Out of 121 SLE patients on dialysis, 26.4% had disease flares, with the most common issues being hematologic problems like thrombocytopenia and fever.
  • Nonrenal SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) scores before beginning dialysis were linked to an increased risk of flares, highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring and treatment adjustments for these patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: A composite metric for the quality of glycemia from continuous glucose monitor (CGM) tracings could be useful for assisting with basic clinical interpretation of CGM data.

Methods: We assembled a data set of 14-day CGM tracings from 225 insulin-treated adults with diabetes. Using a balanced incomplete block design, 330 clinicians who were highly experienced with CGM analysis and interpretation ranked the CGM tracings from best to worst quality of glycemia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background Monitoring the microcirculation in human feet is crucial in assessing peripheral vascular diseases, such as diabetic foot. However, conventional imaging modalities are more focused on diagnosis in major arteries, and there are limited methods to provide microvascular information in early stages of the disease. Purpose To investigate a three-dimensional (3D) noncontrast bimodal photoacoustic (PA)/US imaging system that visualizes the human foot morphologically and also reliably quantifies podiatric vascular parameters noninvasively.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Natural products provide a rich source of potential antimicrobials for treating infectious diseases for which drug resistance has emerged. Foremost among these diseases is tuberculosis. Assessment of the antimycobacterial activity of nargenicin, a natural product that targets the replicative DNA polymerase of , revealed that it is a bactericidal genotoxin that induces a DNA damage response in () and inhibits growth by blocking the replicative DNA polymerase, DnaE1.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: mRNA vaccines hold great potential as therapeutic techniques against viral infections due to their efficacy, safety, and large-scale production. mRNA vaccines offer flexibility in development as any protein can be produced from mRNA without altering the production or application process.

Objective: This review highlights the iterative optimization of mRNA vaccine structural elements that impact the type, specificity, and intensity of immune responses leading to higher translational potency and intracellular stability.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF