Fever lasting 48 hours as a predictive factor of ESBL-producing bacteria in non-critically ill patients with urinary tract infection.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most prevalent urological condition worldwide. Choosing appropriate antibiotics for patients who have fever before receiving a culture result is challenging. This retrospective study enrolled patients 394 patients hospitalized at Gangneung Asan Hospital for UTI from May 2017 to April 2021.

Treatment outcomes for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss in dialysis patients.

Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) is challenging for both nephrologists and otolaryngologists treating patients undergoing dialysis. This single-center, retrospective, observational study investigated the treatment outcomes of patients with ISSNHL undergoing dialysis, enrolling 700 patients (47 undergoing and 653 not undergoing dialysis) diagnosed with ISSNHL between January 2005 and December 2021 at Asan Medical Center, Republic of Korea. To balance pre-existing clinical characteristics, 1:5 propensity score matching (PSM) was performed with the patients who were not undergoing dialysis.

HER2 overexpression predicts pathological T2 stage and improved survival in de novo muscle-invasive bladder cancer after immediate radical cystectomy: a retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: Human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) overexpression is a prognostic factor and a therapeutic target for breast cancer; however, anti-HER2 therapies are ineffective in patients with bladder cancer. The authors investigated the effect of HER2 overexpression (HER2 + ) on the prognosis of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).

Materials And Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients who underwent initial transurethral resection of bladder tumors between 2005 and 2013 and were registered in the Korea National Health Insurance Database, which provides data on overall survival (OS).

Measurement of vibrating modes for a shell resonator by using dual-interferometers.

A shell resonator shaped as a half-toroidal has several vibration modes including wine-glass mode. Coriolis force induces the precession of certain vibrating modes, such as wine-glass vibration under a rotation. Therefore, shell resonators can be used to measure the rotations or rotation rates.

Prediction of renal function improvement in azotemic patients using glomerular filtration rate from 99mTc-DTPA renal scan: An observational study.

This study aimed to evaluate the ratio of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) from 99mTc-diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid dynamic renal scan (GFRSCAN) to estimated GFR (eGFR) as a predictor of renal function improvement in patients with azotemia.A retrospective review of medical records was conducted to identify consecutive patients with newly discovered or aggravated azotemia who underwent 99mTc-diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid renal scan. Significant renal function improvement was defined as ≥100% and ≥10 mL/min improvement of eGFR at 12 weeks compared to eGFR on the day of renal scan (eGFR0).

Overweight and obesity as risk factors for biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy.

Background: Previous studies have shown a relationship between the occurrence and recurrence of prostate cancer; however, this relationship remains controversial. We investigated the relationship between obesity and biochemical recurrence in patients with prostate cancer.

Methods: Clinicopathological factors were analyzed after dividing the patient population according to the Asian population-specific body mass index (BMI) criteria for "normal" (< 23 kg/m), "overweight" (23-27.

Erythropoietin therapy improves endothelial function in patients with non-dialysis chronic kidney disease and anemia (EARNEST-CKD): A clinical study.

Background: This study investigated whether administering erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) improves endothelial function in patients with non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) and anemia.

Methods: This single-center, prospective, single-arm comparison study enrolled patients with non-dialysis CKD (stages 4-5) and hemoglobin levels <10 g/dL. ESA administration followed the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes guideline.

Prospective pharmacological methodology for establishing and evaluating anti-cancer drug resistant cell lines.

Background: Cell lines are often used to assess the resistance of anticancer drugs when in vivo analysis is not possible. However, the process for establishing anti-cancer drug resistance in cell cultures in vitro and the subsequent method of then evaluating resistance are not clearly established. Traditionally, the IC is the most commonly used indicator of resistance evaluation but it cannot represent the effectiveness of anti-cancer drugs in a clinical setting and lacks reliability because it is heavily affected by the cell doubling time.

Genome editing of hPSCs: Recent progress in hPSC-based disease modeling for understanding disease mechanisms.

Generation of proper models for studying human genetic diseases has been hindered until recently by the scarcity of primary cell samples from genetic disease patients and inefficient genetic modification tools. However, recent advances in clustered, regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 technology and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have provided an opportunity to explore the function of pathogenic variants and obtain gene-corrected cells for autologous cell therapy. In this chapter, we address recent applications of CRISPR/Cas9 to hiPSCs in genetic diseases, including neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, and rare diseases.

Noise cancellation system for shaking optical lattice by controlling optical path.

We present a simple way to control the phase of an optical lattice by detecting the interference signal of two beams. The optical lattice is intentionally shaken by varying the relative phase of the beams. However, the lattice may also be shaken by unwanted variations of the relative optical path length, e.

Antibiotics Used in Regenerative Endodontics Modify Immune Response of Macrophages to Bacterial Infection.

Introduction: Ciprofloxacin, amoxicillin, and metronidazole are antibiotics used in regenerative endodontic therapy (RET). Although their antimicrobial properties are well-documented, there is a lack of information on the effects of these antibiotics on the immune response by host macrophages and periapical healing. Thus, this study had 2 objectives: (1) to determine the immune response of macrophages to bacterial infection in response to the combination of ciprofloxacin or amoxicillin and metronidazole and (2) using conditioned media produced by these macrophages to simulate the periapical microenvironment, to determine the impact on the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) components by periodontal fibroblasts.

Nephrotoxicity of amikacin in noncritically ill patients .

Aims: Several studies have reported that critically ill patients who require amikacin for the treatment of severe infection require therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) to prevent acute kidney injury. Moreover, studies so far have mainly focused on patients with critical illnesses; therefore, the probability of occurrence of nephrotoxicity in noncritically ill patients is less known and tends to be overestimated. Recently, with the emergence of multidrug resistant bacteria, the need for aminoglycosides has resurfaced.

Risk Factors of Acute Rejection in Patients with BK Nephropathy After Reduction of Immunosuppression.

BACKGROUND BK nephropathy (BKN) affects graft function and increases the risk of graft failure. The reduction of immunosuppression is the main treatment for BKN. However, acute rejection may develop following immunosuppression reduction, and data regarding the risk factors of acute rejection during the post-reduction period are insufficient.

Change in alkaline phosphatase activity associated with intensive care unit and hospital length of stay in patients with septic acute kidney injury on continuous renal replacement therapy.

Background: Evidence suggests that alkaline phosphatase attenuates inflammatory response in sepsis by lipopolysaccharide detoxification and adenosine triphosphate dephosphorylation. We sought to determine changes in alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity during septic acute kidney injury (AKI) and clinical parameters associated with AP activity.

Methods: In this retrospective study, we investigated baseline (when initiating CRRT) and follow-up AP activity on day 3, and associated outcomes in patients who underwent continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) due to septic AKI.

Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss in dialysis patients.

Although sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) affects chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients more frequently than non-CKD patients, few reports have described SSNHL in dialysis patients. We aimed to review the characteristics of SSNHL in chronic dialysis patients and evaluate treatment responses to steroid therapy. We retrospectively reviewed the records of dialysis patients diagnosed with idiopathic SSNHL at Asan Medical Center between January 2000 and December 2014.

Association between afebrile status and in-hospital mortality among adult chronic hemodialysis patients with bacteremia.

Aim: We aimed to compare the in-hospital mortality between febrile and afebrile chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients with bacteremia and analyze the blood culture positive rate according to the C-reactive protein (CRP) level.

Methods: We collected data from 2006 to 2014. One hundred ninety bacteremic events were assigned to the "febrile group" (n = 162) and "afebrile group" (n = 28) based on the presence of fever.

Early continuous renal replacement therapy in septic acute kidney injury could be defined by its initiation within 24 hours of vasopressor infusion.

Purpose: The optimal timing for the initiation of early continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is uncertain and requires a practically feasible definition with acceptable evidence.

Materials And Methods: We investigated the clinical impacts of 3-time interval parameters on the morbidity and mortality of 177 patients with septic shock-induced acute kidney injury: (1) time from vasopressor initiation to CRRT initiation (T), (2) time from intensive care unit (ICU) admission to CRRT initation (T), and (3) time from endotracheal intubation to CRRT initiation (T).

Results: The proportion of the patients with T less than 24 h (median, 14 h, interquartile range [IQR], 5-30 h) was significantly higher in the survival group than in the non-survival group (84.

High-dose steroid therapy in BK viremia adversely affected the long-term graft function after kidney transplantation.

Background: Although high-dose steroid therapy has been attempted for the management of clinically suspected allograft rejection, before testing for BK viral activity or acute cellular rejection accompanied by BK polyomavirus nephropathy, its long-term outcome remains unknown. We investigated the impact of high-dose steroids on BK viral activity and long-term graft outcomes in patients with BK viremia.

Methods: The study population comprised 144 kidney transplant recipients with BK viremia.

Risk factors for new-onset diabetes mellitus after living donor kidney transplantation in Korea - a retrospective single center study.

Background: New-onset diabetes mellitus after transplantation (NODAT) is a serious complication following renal transplantation. The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for the development of NODAT in Korean transplant patients.

Methods: Recipients who underwent living donor kidney transplantation between January 2009 and April 2012 at Asan Medical Center were reviewed.

Usefulness of Tacrolimus without Basiliximab in Well-Matched Living-Donor Renal Transplant Recipients in Korea.

Objectives: Basiliximab is used alongside tacrolimus-based immunosuppression for routine induction therapy, even for well-matched living-donor renal transplant recipients. Because tacrolimus is a different drug from cyclosporine, this study examined the utility of tacrolimus-based immunosuppression without basiliximab for well-matched living-donor renal transplant recipients.

Materials And Methods: This prospective study evaluated 36 patients who underwent 1 to 3 human leukocyte antigens mismatched living-donor renal transplants without basiliximab induction therapy between April 2012 and March 2015 (group 1).

Risk Factors for Graft Failure and Death following Geriatric Renal Transplantation.

Background: Population aging is a major health concern in Asian countries and it has affected the age distribution of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). As a consequence, the need for kidney transplantation in the geriatric population has increased, but the shortage of donors is an obstacle for geriatric renal transplantation. The aim of this study was to evaluate risk factors for graft failure and death in geriatric renal transplantation.

Low dose of mycophenolate mofetil is enough in desensitized kidney transplantation using rituximab.

Background: Rituximab is widely used in kidney transplantation. However, it is not clear whether the conventional doses of maintenance immunosuppressant in rituximab-treated kidney transplantation (KT) are appropriate. In our previous study, decreasing mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) dose due to infection did not increase the incidence of rejection or graft failure.

Vitamin D-induced ectodomain shedding of TNF receptor 1 as a nongenomic action: D3 vs D2 derivatives.

As a nongenomic action, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D3) induces L-type Ca(2+) channel-mediated extracellular Ca(2+) influx in human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs), which activates a disintegrin and metalloprotease 10 (ADAM10) to cleave and shed the ectodomain of tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1). In this study, we examined the potencies of other vitamin D3 and D2 analogs to stimulate the ectodomain shedding of TNFR1 in HASMCs. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 (25D3), a precursor of 1,25D3, and elocalcitol, an analog of 1,25D3, caused ectodomain shedding of TNFR1 within 30 min, whereas 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D2 (1,25D2) and paricalcitol, a derivative of 1,25D2, did not.

Isolation of alkaline-tolerant bacteria from primary infected root canals.

Introduction: Alkaline-tolerant bacteria in primary infected root canals could have enhanced survival capacity against antimicrobials commonly used in root canal treatment. The aims of this study were to isolate and characterize alkaline-tolerant bacteria before endodontic treatment (S1), after chemomechanical root canal preparation (S2), and after calcium hydroxide dressing (S3).

Methods: Bacteriologic samples were obtained from 43 primary infected root canals.