Prevalence of Malnutrition in Hospitalized Patients: a Multicenter Cross-sectional Study.

Background: Malnutrition is associated with many adverse clinical outcomes. The present study aimed to identify the prevalence of malnutrition in hospitalized patients in Korea, evaluate the association between malnutrition and clinical outcomes, and ascertain the risk factors of malnutrition.

Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study was performed with 300 patients recruited from among the patients admitted in 25 hospitals on January 6, 2014.

Outcomes of Rate-Control Treatment in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Heart Failure - A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Background: Rate control is now a front-line therapy in the management of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the survival benefits of different rate-control medications remain controversial, so we assessed the efficacy of rate-control medications in AF patients with concomitant heart failure (HF).

Methods and results: From January 2002 to December 2008, a total of 7,034 AF patients with a single type of rate-control drug or without rate-control treatment were enrolled from the Korea National Health Insurance Service database.

Cost benefits of rapid recanalization using intraarterial thrombectomy.

Objectives: Thrombolytic therapy is associated with favorable clinical outcomes after successful and rapid recanalization in patients with acute ischemic stroke. This study aimed to evaluate the cost benefits and clinical outcomes at 1 year after intraarterial thrombectomy (IAT) by the rapidity of the successful recanalization.

Materials & Methods: Clinical outcomes of and medical costs incurred by 230 patients with acute ischemic stroke who underwent IAT were compared by the rapidity from symptom onset to successful recanalization (2b/3 thrombolysis in cerebral infarction grade): ≤6-hr ( = 143), >6-hr ( = 31), and no-recanalization ( = 56).

A stepwise approach to conduit puncture for electrophysiological procedures in patients with Fontan circulation.

Aims: In patients with Fontan circulation, the conduit may be punctured for electrophysiological procedures. We evaluated the feasibility and safety of a stepwise approach to conduit puncture in adults who have undergone Fontan operation.

Methods And Results: We included 13 consecutive patients with lateral tunnel or extracardiac conduit Fontan circulation [median age (interquartile range), 24.

CHADS-VASc Score for Identifying Truly Low-Risk Atrial Fibrillation for Stroke: A Korean Nationwide Cohort Study.

Background And Purpose: As the threshold of stroke risk for initiating oral anticoagulants is lowered after the introduction of the nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants, the focus of stroke prevention in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation has shifted away from predicting high-risk patients toward initially identifying patients with a truly low risk of ischemic stroke, who do not need antithrombotic therapy. We tested the predictive ability of the congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥75, diabetes mellitus, prior stroke or transient ischemic attack (doubled; CHADS), congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥75 (doubled), diabetes mellitus, prior stroke or transient ischemic attack (doubled), vascular disease, age 65 to 74, female (CHADS-VASc), and Anticoagulation and Risk Factors in Atrial Fibrillation (ATRIA) risk stratification schemes in oral anticoagulants naive patients with atrial fibrillation in a Korean nationwide sample cohort.

Methods: From January 2002 to December 2008, a total of 5855 oral anticoagulant naive patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation aged ≥20 years were enrolled from Korea National Health Insurance Service-Sample Cohort database and were followed-up until December 2013.

Arterial Stiffness Is Associated With Cytomegalovirus-Specific Senescent CD8 T Cells.

Background: Arterial stiffness is a well-known predictor of future cardiovascular events. Search for the underlying mechanism of arterial stiffening is still under way. We investigated the relationship between arterial stiffness and cytomegalovirus infection in terms of T-cell senescence.

Hashimoto encephalopathy in pediatric patients: Homogeneity in clinical presentation and heterogeneity in antibody titers.

Objective: Hashimoto encephalopathy is an autoimmune encephalopathy characterized by elevated antithyroid antibodies and a favorable response to corticosteroid. This study delineated the clinical characteristics of pediatric Hashimoto encephalopathy and the significance of low antithyroid antibody titers in diagnosis and treatment.

Subjects And Methods: Clinical manifestations, antibody titers, and treatment responses were retrospectively reviewed in six consecutive children diagnosed with Hashimoto encephalopathy between August 2008 and July 2016.

Pulmonary Vein Isolation Alone Versus Additional Linear Ablation in Patients With Persistent Atrial Fibrillation Converted to Paroxysmal Type With Antiarrhythmic Drug Therapy: A Multicenter, Prospective, Randomized Study.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) type can vary depending on condition and timing, and some patients who initially present with persistent AF may be changed to paroxysmal AF after antiarrhythmic drug medication and cardioversion. We investigated whether circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (CPVI) alone is an effective rhythm control strategy in patients with persistent AF to paroxysmal AF.

Methods And Results: We enrolled 113 patients with persistent AF to paroxysmal AF (male 75%, 60.

Indoxyl sulfate (IS)-mediated immune dysfunction provokes endothelial damage in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

Progressive renal failure causes uremia-related immune dysfunction, which features a chronic inflammatory milieu. Given the central role of end-stage renal disease (ESRD)-related immune dysfunction in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), much attention has been focused on how uremic toxins affect cellular immunity and the mechanisms underlying pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in ESRD patients. Here, we investigated the characteristics of monocytes and CD4 T cells in ESRD patients and the immune responses induced by indoxyl sulfate (IS), a key uremic toxin, in order to explore the pathogenic effects of these cells on vascular endothelial cells.

Long-term outcomes and recurrence patterns of standard versus extended pancreatectomy for pancreatic head cancer: a multicenter prospective randomized controlled study.

Background: Our previous randomized controlled trial revealed no difference in 2-year overall survival (OS) between extended and standard resection for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The present study evaluated the 5-year OS and recurrence patterns according to the extent of pancreatectomy.

Methods: Between 2006 and 2009, 169 consecutive patients were prospectively enrolled and randomized to standard (n = 83) or extended resection (n = 86) groups to compare 5-year OS rate, long-term recurrence patterns and factors associated with long-term survival.

Donor safety in living donor liver transplantation: The Korean organ transplantation registry study.

Major concerns about donor safety cause controversy and limit the use of living donor liver transplantation to overcome organ shortages. The Korean Organ Transplantation Registry established a nationwide organ transplantation registration system in 2014. We reviewed the prospectively collected data of all 832 living liver donors who underwent procedures between April 2014 and December 2015.

Long-Term Prognosis of Patients with an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator in Korea.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to elucidate the long-term prognosis of patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) in Korea.

Materials And Methods: We enrolled 405 patients (age, 57.7±16.

Ganglionated plexi stimulation induces pulmonary vein triggers and promotes atrial arrhythmogenecity: In silico modeling study.

Background: The role of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) on atrial fibrillation (AF) is difficult to demonstrate in the intact human left atrium (LA) due to technical limitations of the current electrophysiological mapping technique. We examined the effects of the ANS on the initiation and maintenance of AF by employing a realistic in silico human left atrium (LA) model integrated with a model of ganglionated plexi (GPs).

Methods: We incorporated the morphology of the GP and parasympathetic nerves in a three-dimensional (3D) realistic LA model.

Accidental ingestion of E-cigarette liquid nicotine in a 15-month-old child: an infant mortality case of nicotine intoxication.

Electronic cigarettes are novel tobacco products that are frequently used these days. The cartridge contains liquid nicotine and accidental poisoning, even with a small oral dose, endangers children. We present here a mortality case of a 15-month-old child who ingested liquid nicotine mistaking it for cold medicine.

3-Dimensional liver volume assessment in patients with hepatitis B virus-related liver cirrhosis during long-term oral nucleos(t)ide analogues therapy.

Aim: To assess the effect of long-term oral nucleos(t)ide analogues (NUCs) therapy on liver volume change in patients with suppress hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related liver cirrhosis.

Methods: We reviewed the data of naïve patients with HBV-related liver cirrhosis, who had taken oral NUCs therapy, between 2003 and 2007 at Chonbuk University Hospital. We analyzed two consecutive sets of abdominal computerized tomography scans-one at the time of treatment initiation and another at the second-year follow-up.

The "right" way is not always popular: comparison of surgeons' perceptions during laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis among experts from Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

Background: Generally, surgeons' perceptions of surgical safety are based on experience and institutional policy. Our recent pilot survey demonstrated that the acceptable duration of surgery and criteria for open conversion during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) vary among workplaces.

Methods: A web-based survey was distributed to 554 expert LC surgeons in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.

Clinical Significance of Hematuria in Atrial Fibrillation With Oral Anticoagulation Therapy.

Background: Hematuria is a common and important complication in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients on oral anticoagulation therapy (OAT). This study evaluated the clinical significance of hematuria and its relationship with genitourinary disease in AF patients receiving OAT.

Methods and results: Among 20,456 consecutive AF patients who visited a tertiary hospital from January 2005 to April 2015, 5,833 had hematuria.

Using Array-Based Comparative Genomic Hybridization to Diagnose Pallister-Killian Syndrome.

Pallister-Killian syndrome (PKS) is a rare multisystem disorder characterized by isochromosome 12p and tissue-limited mosaic tetrasomy 12p. In this study, we diagnosed three pediatric patients who were suspicious of having PKS using array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) and FISH analyses performed on peripheral lymphocytes. Patients 1 and 2 presented with craniofacial dysmorphic features, hypotonia, and a developmental delay.

Comparison of antibiotic regimens in preterm premature rupture of membranes: neonatal morbidity and 2-year follow-up of neurologic outcome.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to compare neonatal morbidity and neurologic outcome at 2 years between groups treated with antibiotics regimens consisting clarithromycin and erythromycin in preterm premature rupture of the membranes (pPROM) patients delivered before 32 weeks of gestation.

Methods: This was a retrospective study comparing neonatal morbidity as primary outcome measures and the neurological outcome at 2 years as secondary outcome.

Results: A total of 166 women were included: 80 treated with erythromycin and 86 treated with clarithromycin.

Proposed Nomogram Predicting the Individual Risk of Malignancy in the Patients With Branch Duct Type Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms of the Pancreas.

Objectives: This study evaluated individual risks of malignancy and proposed a nomogram for predicting malignancy of branch duct type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (BD-IPMNs) using the large database for IPMN.

Background: Although consensus guidelines list several malignancy predicting factors in patients with BD-IPMN, those variables have different predictability and individual quantitative prediction of malignancy risk is limited.

Methods: Clinicopathological factors predictive of malignancy were retrospectively analyzed in 2525 patients with biopsy proven BD-IPMN at 22 tertiary hospitals in Korea and Japan.

Immunogenicity of MenACWY-CRM in Korean Military Recruits: Influence of Tetanus-Diphtheria Toxoid Vaccination on the Vaccine Response to MenACWY-CRM.

The quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenACWY-CRM) has been introduced for military recruits in Korea since 2012. This study was performed to evaluate the immunogenicity of MenACWY-CRM in Korean military recruits. In addition, the influence of tetanus-diphtheria toxoids (Td) vaccination on the vaccine response to MenACWY-CRM was analyzed.

Lack of Superiority for Soluble ST2 over High Sensitive C-Reactive Protein in Predicting High Risk Coronary Artery Calcium Score in a Community Cohort.

Purpose: Soluble ST2 (sST2) is an emerging prognostic biomarker in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). A recent study showed that sST2 predicted incident hypertension. High sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) has been a widely-used biomarker for risk-stratifying in CVD.