An excitation wavelength-optimized, stable SERS biosensing nanoplatform for analyzing adenoviral and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination efficacy status using tear samples of vaccinated individuals.

We introduce a label-free surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) biosensing platform equipped with metallic nanostructures that can identify the efficacy of Oxford-AstraZeneca (AZD1222) vaccine in vaccinated individuals using non-invasive tear samples. We confirmed the hypothesis that the tears of people who receive the AZD1222 vaccine may be similar to those of adenovirus epidemic keratoconjunctivitis patients since the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is derived from a replication-deficient ChAdOx1 vector of chimpanzee adenovirus. Additionally, we confirmed the potential of the three markers for estimating the vaccination status via analyzing the signals emanating from antibodies or immunoglobulin G by-product using our label-free, SERS biosensing technique with a high reproducibility (<3% relative standard deviation), femtomole-scale limit of detection (1 × 10 M), and high SERS response of >10.

Congenital Renal Arteriovenous Malformation: Diagnostic Clues and Methods.

Renal arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a rare disease and is difficult to be diagnosed by conventional methods because of its rarity. In this study, we investigated the diagnostic clues, and made an algorithm for the better diagnosis of renal AVM. We reviewed 13 patients who were diagnosed with AVM by using renal angiography from 1986 to 2020 at our institutes.

Urothelial Cell Carcinoma of the Renal Pelvis Misdiagnosed as Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction: A Case Report.

Urothelial tumors are typically a disease affecting elderly individuals and are rare in young patients. Moreover, upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma is extremely rare in the young age group. In this study, we present a case of urothelial cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis and ureter in a young man without risk factors of urothelial carcinoma, which was misdiagnosed as ureteropelvic junction obstruction and treated with a laparoscopic pyeloplasty.

Rapid Recurrence of Giant Multilocular Prostatic Cystadenoma after Laparoscopic Excision for Primary Case: A Case Report.

Giant multilocular prostatic cystadenoma is a rare benign tumor of the prostate gland that presents as a large retroperitoneal pelvic mass. The mass is usually located between the urinary bladder and rectum, and results in obstructive voiding symptoms and a change in bowel habits. Complete surgical excision is the treatment of choice.

Tubulocystic Renal Cell Carcinoma Is Not an Indolent Tumor: A Case Report of Recurrences in the Retroperitoneum and Contralateral Kidney.

Tubulocystic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a rare subtype of RCC that was recently included in the 2016 World Health Organization classification of tumors of the kidney. Most of these tumors exhibit indolent behavior with low metastatic potential. However, here we report a case of recurrent tubulocystic RCC with aggressive features in the retroperitoneum and contralateral kidney treated with targeted agents and radiofrequency ablation.

A Case of Incidental Schwannoma Mimicking Necrotic Metastatic Lymph Node from Bladder Cancer.

Retroperitoneal schwannoma is a very rare case of schwannoma which commonly occurs in the other part of the body. However, it is difficult to distinguish schwannoma from other tumors before pathological examination because they do not show specific characteristics on imaging study such as ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance image (MRI). A 60-year-old male showed a retroperitoneal cystic tumor which is found incidentally during evaluation of coexisted bladder tumor.

Massive retroperitoneal hematoma as an acute complication of retrograde intrarenal surgery: A case report.

Background: Retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) has been proven to be a safe and effective treatment modality in large-scale quantitative studies. However, although its safety profile has been established, it also has a potential risk of life-threatening complications. We here describe our experience with a patient who developed a huge periureteral hematoma after RIRS with holmium laser lithotripsy.

Practice Pattern of Redo Varicocelectomy for Recurrent Varicocele according to Type of Initial Treatment: Retrospective Analysis of a United States-Based Insurance Claims Database.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate the type of redo varicocelectomy according to the initial surgery type using a large population of USA insurance data.

Materials And Methods: This is a retrospective observational cohort study. Administrative claims data were extracted from the IBM® MarketScan Research Database.

Urinary Stone Disease in Pregnancy: Current Management Practices in a Large National Cohort.

Objective: To define current national practice patterns of imaging modalities and urologic procedures in pregnant women with urinary stone disease.

Methods: Using the IBM MarketScan national insurance claims database, we identified pregnant women with urinary stone disease and their corresponding gestational age between 2011 and 2016 using administrative claims data. We then assessed each encounter for urinary stone disease or stone-related urologic procedure during their pregnancy.

Change of Trends in the Treatment Modality for Pediatric Nephrolithiasis: Retrospective Analysis of a US-Based Insurance Claims Database.

The objective of this study was to show the prevalence and investigate treatment trends of pediatric nephrolithiasis based on a large population of U.S. insurance individual's data.

Changing Trends in the Treatment of Nephrolithiasis in the Real World.

Introduction: Changes in the surgical treatment of nephrolithiasis, owing to recent technical advances and innovations, have made treatments more effective and less invasive. In this retrospective, observational cohort study, we identified the changing trends in the treatment of nephrolithiasis.

Materials And Methods: We included patients with newly diagnosed nephrolithiasis who received any treatment in the United States, including extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (SWL), retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS), percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), and open surgery, from January 2007 to December 2014.

Small bowel obstruction caused by cryptorchidism in an adult.

Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is a common complication after abdominal surgery, and can occur due to many reasons. However, cryptorchidism can cause SBO in patients with no history of abdominal surgery. We report the case of a 67-year-old man with SBO caused by adhesions between an undescended testis and the terminal ileum.

Conversion to monotherapy with luteinizing-hormone releasing hormone agonist or orchiectomy after reaching PSA nadir following maximal androgen blockade is able to prolong progression-free survival in patients with metastatic prostate cancer: A propensity score matching analysis.

The present study evaluated androgen deprivation methods to determine the approach that most improves the progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with metastatic prostate cancer. Patients had received continuous maximal androgen blockade (MAB) or monotherapy [luteinizing-hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist or orchiectomy] following the reaching of the prostate specific antigen (PSA) nadir. The medical records of 293 patients who received MAB following a diagnosis of metastatic prostate cancer were retrospectively reviewed.

Analysis of factors affecting spontaneous expulsion of ureteral stones that may predict unfavorable outcomes during watchful waiting periods: What is the influence of diabetes mellitus on the ureter?

Purpose: The aim of our study was to evaluate the association of several factors with spontaneous stone expulsion, including ureteral stone characteristics (size, location, hydronephrosis, perinephric stranding), types of medications prescribed (α-blocker, low-dose steroid), and other possible demographic and health-history factors (gender, age, serum creatinine, underlying diabetes mellitus [DM], and hypertension).

Materials And Methods: A total of 366 patients with ureteral stones were enrolled. All patients underwent watchful waiting without any invasive procedures.

Prevalence of high-grade or insignificant prostate cancer in Korean men with prostate-specific antigen levels of 3.0-4.0 ng/mL.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of high-grade or insignificant prostate cancer in Korean men with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels of 3.0-4.0 ng/mL.

Biochemical investigations of human papillomavirus-infected cervical fluids.

Purpose: Cervical cancer is caused by persistent infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV). The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of Raman spectroscopy as a stand-alone analytical tool for clinical diagnosis of HPV infection using human cervical fluids.

Method: A drop-coating deposition surface-enhanced Raman scattering (DCD-SERS) method was identified as the most effective method of biochemical analysis in cervical biofluids.

A nationwide epidemiological study of testicular torsion in Korea.

Testicular torsion is a surgical emergency in the field of urology. Knowledge of the epidemiology and pathophysiology is significant to an urologist. However, the epidemiology of testicular torsion in Korea has not been studied.

A Case of Orbital Metastasis of Uterine Leiomyosarcoma With Intracranial Extension Presenting With Proptosis.

A 57-year-old woman presented with protrusion of the OS 2 months in duration and decreased vision 1 month in duration. The patient was diagnosed with uterine leiomyosarcoma approximately 3 years before presentation. Lung and liver metastases were diagnosed by biopsy 1 year prior to this visit.

Dihydrotestosterone enhances castration-resistant prostate cancer cell proliferation through STAT5 activation via glucocorticoid receptor pathway.

Introduction: We aimed to evaluate STAT5 expression and cell proliferation change after dihydrotestosterone (DHT) treatment in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cells to elucidate the mechanism in relation to different androgen receptor (AR) expression status.

Methods: Using DU145, PC3, and LNCaP cells, cell viability assay and Western blot for phosphorylated STAT5 (p-STAT5) were done after DHT treatment at various concentrations. Endogenous levels of nuclear hormone receptor mRNA and protein were identified using real-time RT-PCR and Western blot.

Sonographic findings of tuberculous vasitis.

The purpose of this series was to describe the sonographic findings of tuberculous vasitis. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 3 cases of tuberculous vasitis. The following grayscale and color Doppler sonographic features were analyzed: location, echogenicity of the lesion, epididymal or testicular involvement, presence of hydrocele, and blood flow within the lesion.

Effects of statins on the prognosis of local and locally advanced renal cell carcinoma following nephrectomy.

The anti-angiogenic properties of statins, widely used for the treatment of hyperlipidemia, have recently been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of use of statins for the management of post-operative recurrence and progression of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Of 306 patients diagnosed with kidney cancer between January, 2006 and June, 2012, 115 patients who showed no distant metastasis and had undergone radical or partial nephrectomy were selected.

Risk factors for postoperative hemorrhage after partial nephrectomy.

Purpose: To evaluate the frequency and clinical characteristics of postoperative hemorrhage as a complication of partial nephrectomy.

Materials And Methods: The demographics, physical statistics, tumor size, R.E.