Application of the European Kidney Function Consortium Equation to Estimate Glomerular Filtration Rate: A Comparison Study of the CKiD and CKD-EPI Equations Using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES 2008-2021).

: The European Kidney Function Consortium (EKFC) equation has been newly proposed for estimating glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) across the spectrum of age. We compared the EKFC equation with the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equations in a large-scale Korean population. : Using the representative Korean health examination data, the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES 2008-2021), the records of 91,928 subjects (including 9917 children) were analyzed.

Performance Evaluation of AFIAS ST2 and Ichroma ST2 Assays in Comparison with Presage ST2 Assay.

Background: Elevated soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) levels may predict mortality in heart failure (HF) patients. The AFIAS ST2 assay (AFIAS ST2, Boditech Med Inc., Chuncheon, Korea) and ichroma ST2 assay (ichroma ST2, Boditech Med Inc.

Association of Serum Adiponectin Biomarker with Metabolic Syndrome Components in Koreans with Extremely High HDL Cholesterol Levels in General Health Checkup.

Adiponectin and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) are negative predictors for cardio-metabolic disorders. This study explored adiponectin's role in predicting multiple metabolic syndrome components (multi-MetSC) in subjects with extremely high HDL-C levels overall and by sex. We enrolled adults with extremely high HDL-C levels (≥90 mg/dL) in general health checkups and compared adiponectin levels in subjects with and without multi-MetSC.

Left ventricular rehabilitation in an infant with transposition of the great arteries, intact ventricular septum, pulmonary stenosis and small left ventricle.

We report the case of successful biventricular repair after left ventricular rehabilitation in an infant with transposition of the great arteries with an intact ventricular septum, pulmonary stenosis, a large atrial septal defect and a borderline small left ventricle (mitral annulus z-score: -3.6). This baby presented to us at 2 months of age after having a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt at another hospital.

Biomarker Rule-in or Rule-out in Patients With Acute Diseases for Validation of Acute Kidney Injury in the Emergency Department (BRAVA): A Multicenter Study Evaluating Urinary TIMP-2/IGFBP7.

Background: Urine tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2/insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 (TIMP-2/IGFBP7) (NephroCheck, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Raritan, NJ, USA) is a US Food and Drug Administration-approved biomarker for risk assessment of acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill adult patients in intensive care units; however, its clinical impact in the emergency department (ED) remains unproven. We evaluated the utility of NephroCheck for predicting AKI development and short-term mortality in the ED.

Methods: This was a prospective, observational, five-center international study.

The potential impact of systemic anti-inflammatory therapies in psoriasis on major adverse cardiovascular events: a Korean nationwide cohort study.

This nationwide population-based cohort study aimed to investigate the impact of systemic anti-inflammatory treatment on the major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) risk in patients with psoriasis from January 2006 to December 2018, using a database provided by the Korean National Health Insurance Service. Patients were grouped based on the following treatment modalities: biologics, phototherapy, methotrexate, cyclosporine, and mixed conventional systemic agents. Patients who had not received any systemic treatment were assigned to the control cohort.

Comprehensive Analysis of Cardiac Xeno-Graft Unveils Rejection Mechanisms.

Porcine heart xenotransplantation is a potential treatment for patients with end-stage heart failure. To understand molecular mechanisms of graft rejection after heart transplantation, we transplanted a 31-day-old (GTKO) porcine heart to a five-year-old cynomolgus monkey. Histological and transcriptome analyses were conducted on xenografted cardiac tissue at rejection (nine days after transplantation).

Bifidobacterium bifidum strains synergize with immune checkpoint inhibitors to reduce tumour burden in mice.

The gut microbiome can influence the development of tumours and the efficacy of cancer therapeutics; however, the multi-omics characteristics of antitumour bacterial strains have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we integrated metagenomics, genomics and transcriptomics of bacteria, and analyses of mouse intestinal transcriptome and serum metabolome data to reveal an additional mechanism by which bacteria determine the efficacy of cancer therapeutics. In gut microbiome analyses of 96 samples from patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, Bifidobacterium bifidum was abundant in patients responsive to therapy.

Intra-operative trans-esophageal echocardiography in heart valve disease.

Peri-operative echocardiography is widely used because it provides information that significantly influences clinical/surgical management and improves outcome in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The role of intra-operative trans-esophageal echocardiography (TEE) in valvular heart disease cannot be emphasized enough. Increasing use of newer surgical techniques-valve repairs and minimal invasive cardiac surgery also warrants intra-operative TEE.

HDL Subclass Analysis in Predicting Metabolic Syndrome in Koreans With High HDL Cholesterol Levels.

Background: High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is a complex mixture of subclasses with heterogeneous atheroprotective activities. We analyzed HDL-C subclass in relation to cardiovascular risk and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in a population with high HDL-C levels.

Methods: A total of 300 Korean individuals with high HDL-C levels (≥2.

Prognostic Role of High-sensitivity Cardiac Troponin I and Soluble Suppression of Tumorigenicity-2 in Surgical Intensive Care Unit Patients Undergoing Non-cardiac Surgery.

Background: The prognostic utility of cardiac biomarkers, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) and soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2 (sST2), in non-cardiac surgery is not well-defined. We evaluated hs-cTnI and sST2 as predictors of 30-day major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in patients admitted to the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) following major non-cardiac surgery.

Methods: hs-cTnI and sST2 concentrations were measured in 175 SICU patients immediately following surgery and for three days postoperatively.

Prognostic value of presepsin in adult patients with sepsis: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Presepsin is a novel biomarker to diagnose sepsis but its prognostic value has not been comprehensively reviewed. We conducted this meta-analysis to evaluate the mortality prediction value of presepsin in sepsis.

Methods: We searched comprehensive electronic databases from PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library through September 2017 using the key words of ('presepsin' or 'sCD14-ST' or 'soluble CD14 subtype') and ('sepsis' or 'septic shock') and ('prognosis' or 'prognostic value' or 'prognostic biomarker' or 'mortality').

CIB1 protects against MPTP-induced neurotoxicity through inhibiting ASK1.

Calcium and integrin binding protein 1 (CIB1) is a calcium-binding protein that was initially identified as a binding partner of platelet integrin α. Although CIB1 has been shown to interact with multiple proteins, its biological function in the brain remains unclear. Here, we show that CIB1 negatively regulates degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease using 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP).

Three-dimensional echocardiography in adult congenital heart disease.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is now more common in adults than in children due to improvements in fetal echo, neonatal and pediatric care, and surgical techniques leading to dramatically increased survivability into adulthood. Adult patients with CHD, regardless of prior cardiac surgery, experience further cardiac problems or therapeutic challenges; therefore, a non-invasive, easily accessible echocardiographic examination is an essential follow-up tool. Among echocardiographic modalities, three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography provides better delineation of spatial relationships in complex cardiac geometries and more accurate volumetric information without geometric assumptions.

Kawasaki Disease with Fever and Cervical Lymphadenopathy as the Sole Initial Presentation.

Background And Objectives: Some patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) present with fever and cervical lymphadenopathy alone. The purpose of this study was to characterize the clinical features of these unusual KD patients and determine whether this is a severe form of KD associated with increased risks of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) resistance and coronary artery lesions (CALs).

Subjects And Methods: A total of 146 children with KD were reviewed retrospectively, and classified into two groups according to initial clinical features.

Soluble Suppression of Tumorigenicity 2 and Echocardiography in Sepsis.

Soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) has emerged as a biomarker of cardiac stretch or remodeling, and has demonstrated a role in acutely decompensated heart failure. However, its role in sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction is still unknown. We explored whether sST2 serum concentration reflects either systolic or diastolic dysfunction as measured by Doppler echocardiography.

Comparing Results of Five Glomerular Filtration Rate-Estimating Equations in the Korean General Population: MDRD Study, Revised Lund-Malmö, and Three CKD-EPI Equations.

Background: Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is a widely used index of kidney function. Recently, new formulas such as the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equations or the Lund-Malmö equation were introduced for assessing eGFR. We compared them with the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) Study equation in the Korean adult population.

Assessment of Arterial Stiffness in Korean Patients With Psoriasis by Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index.

Many recent studies have suggested that psoriasis, a chronic, inflammatory, immune-mediated skin disease, is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to compare arterial stiffness in psoriasis and control patient groups using the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) and to determine whether psoriasis is an independent risk factor for CVD. A total 103 patients with psoriasis and 103 age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled.

Midterm results of mitral valve repair with lifting annuloplasty strip for acute phase infective endocarditis.

Background: Mitral valve repair is favored over replacement due to superior outcomes. However, extensive infective endocarditis (IE) often has been considered unreconstructable. We retrospectively analyzed the mid-term outcomes of an individualized repair approach using a lifting annuloplasty strip.