Assessment of Treatment Modalities in Patients With Keloids: A Vancouver Scale Comparison.

Background: Various treatment modalities are used to treat keloids. However, a comprehensive assessment comparing the effectiveness of these modalities in terms of patient-reported outcomes is warranted.

Objective: To assess and compare the effectiveness of various treatment modalities for keloids.

TDO2 inhibition counters Benzo[a]pyrene-induced immune evasion and suppresses tumorigenesis in lung adenocarcinoma.

Introduction: Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon known as an exogenous AhR ligand. This study investigates the role of BaP in inducing immune checkpoint expression in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and the underlying mechanisms involving the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and tryptophan (Trp) metabolism.

Methods: We assessed the expression of immune checkpoint molecules, including PD-L1 and ICOSL, in lung epithelial cell lines (BEAS-2B and H1975) exposed to BaP.

Promising Approach for Optimizing Fluorescence Imaging in a Tumor Mouse Model: Precision in Cancer Research.

Background/aim: Cancer remains a major global health concern due to its high mortality rates. Advanced diagnostic imaging, such as in vivo near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging, enhances early detection by reducing autofluorescence and enabling deeper tissue penetration, addressing some limitations of conventional methods. Understanding the underlying causes of autofluorescence, even in mouse model fluorescence imaging, is crucial for accurate interpretation.

Development of Hsp90 inhibitor to regulate cytokine storms in excessive delayed- and acute inflammation.

Background: The surplus cytokines remaining after use in the early stages of the inflammatory response stimulate immune cells even after the response is over, causing a secondary inflammatory response and ultimately damaging the host, which is called a cytokine storm. Inhibiting heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), which has recently been shown to play an important role in regulating inflammation in various cell types, may help control excessive inflammatory responses and cytokine storms.

Methods: We discovered an anti-inflammatory compound by measuring the inhibitory effect of CD86 expression on spleen DCs (sDCs) using the chemical compounds library of Hsp90 inhibitors.

Characteristics of Comorbid Physical Disease in Patients With Severe Mental Illness in South Korea: A Nationwide Population-Based Study (2014-2019).

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the associations of chronic physical disease between patients with severe mental illness (SMI) and the general population of South Korea.

Methods: This study was conducted with National Health Insurance Corporation data from 2014 to 2019. A total of 848,058 people were diagnosed with SMI in this period, and the same number of controls were established by matching by sex and age.

Visualization of Metastatic Lung Cancer with TiNIR.

The development of efficient biomarkers and probes for monitoring and treating cancer, specifically metastatic cancer, is a critical research area that can have a significant impact on both patient outcomes and drug discovery. In this context, TiNIR has been developed to detect tumor-initiating cells (TICs), with heme oxygenase 2 (HO2) as a promising therapeutic biomarker for tumor-initiating cells. In this study, TiNIR has demonstrated its effectiveness as an metastatic lung cancer tracker, highlighting its potential as a valuable tool in cancer research and therapy.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy in acral melanoma: A Korean single-center experience with 107 patients (2006-2018).

Background: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) of primary cutaneous melanoma as an important staging method has not been popularly undertaken in Korea and only a few studies with small patient numbers have been published.

Aim: We examined the clinical feasibility and overall outcomes of SLNB in acral melanoma (AM) of Korean in Kyungpook National University Hospital (KNUH) over the past 13 years.

Methods: SLNB in AM patients during 2006-2018 were analyzed retrospectively for sentinel lymph node (SLN) harvesting rate, positivity rate, positivity-relevant overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS), and its side effects.

Usefulness of Inflammatory Markers for the Prediction of Postherpetic Neuralgia in Patients with Acute Herpes Zoster.

Background: Increasing evidence suggests a pivotal role for neuronal inflammation in response to replicating varicella zoster virus in the development of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).

Objective: In this study, we investigated the value of serum levels of various inflammatory markers in acute herpes zoster (HZ) as predictors for the development of PHN.

Methods: A total of 116 patients with acute HZ were enrolled in this study.

House Dust Mite Sensitization Is Inversely Associated with Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 Levels in Patients with Severe Atopic Dermatitis.

Background: The relationship between atopic dermatitis (AD) and low vitamin D levels has been studied. Emerging evidence has implicated vitamin D as a critical regulator of immunity, playing a role in both the innate and cell-mediated immune systems. However, the effect of vitamin D on house dust mite (HDM) sensitization in patients with AD has not been established.

Polyurethane meniscal scaffolds lead to better clinical outcomes but worse articular cartilage status and greater absolute meniscal extrusion.

Purpose: Implantation of polyurethane (PU) meniscal scaffolds has become a popular procedure to provide a scaffold for vessel ingrowth and meniscal tissue regeneration in patients with partial meniscal defects. However, it is unclear whether PU meniscal scaffolds lead to better clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) outcomes post-operatively. This meta-analysis compared the clinical and MRI outcomes in patients with partial meniscal defects treated with PU meniscal scaffolds.

Tibial nerve neuropathy following medial opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy-case report of a rare technical complication.

A 63-year-old woman developed tibial nerve injury caused by an overlong K wire and 4.5-mm cortical lag screw through the first distal hole below the osteotomy during medial opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy (HTO), leading to a lack of sensation on the sole of the foot with no disturbances in motor functions. The temporary lag screw in the first distal hole below the osteotomy is often inserted by an excessive length in order to compress the potentially fractured opposite cortex.

Comparison between two angular stable locking plates for medial opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy: Decisive wedge locking plate versus TomoFix™.

Background: An adequate stable fixation implant should be used for medial opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOWHTO) to promote rapid bone healing without complications. This study compared the radiographic and clinical outcomes as well as plate-specific complications between two angular stable locking plates in patients following MOWHTO.

Method: This prospective study involved 97 patients (50 with DWL, group I; 47 with TomoFix™, group II) undergoing MOWHTO for primary medial compartment osteoarthritis between 2010 and 2013.

Efficacy of a Complex of 5-Aminolevulinic Acid and Glycyl-Histidyl-Lysine Peptide on Hair Growth.

Background: Pattern hair loss is a very common problem. Although effective therapeutics for the treatment of pattern hair loss have been used, novel therapeutic modalities are still required to enhance hair growth.

Objective: We investigated the efficacy and safety of a complex (ALAVAX) of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) and glycyl-histidyl-lysine (GHK) peptide for the treatment of pattern hair loss.

Skin Infection due to Trichophyton tonsurans Still Occurs in People in Korea but not as Outbreaks.

Since 1995, Trichophyton tonsurans has been one of the causative agents of dermatophytosis in Korea. Herein we evaluate 77 patients infected with T. tonsurans who visited an outpatient clinic between 2004 and 2014.

Button Osteoma: A Review of Ten Cases.

Background: Button osteoma presents as small circumscribed ivory-like lumps on the skull vault. Although not rare, its diagnosis can be challenging for dermatologists.

Objective: To clarify the clinical characteristics of button osteoma by reviewing 10 cases.

Changes in Cerebral Cortex and Limbic Brain Functions after Short-Term Paroxetine Treatment in Panic Disorder: An [F]FDG-PET Pilot Study.

Objective: Panic disorder (PD) is a common and often chronic psychiatric illness, and serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the drugs of choice for the treatment of PD. Previous studies suggested the cerebral cortex and limbic brain structures played a major role in the development of PD, but the therapeutic effect of SSRIs on specific brain structures remains unclear in PD. We examined the changes in PD patients' glucose metabolism using the [(18)F] Fluorodeoxy-glucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) before and after 12 weeks of paroxetine treatment.