Low humoral and cellular immune responses early after breakthrough infection may contribute to severe COVID-19.

Background: Little is known about the immune determinants for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in individuals vaccinated against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. We therefore attempted to identify differences in humoral and cellular immune responses between patients with non-severe and severe breakthrough COVID-19.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled hospitalized patients with breakthrough COVID-19 (severe and non-severe groups) and uninfected individuals who were vaccinated at a similar time (control group).

Risk factors for early mortality in patients with carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii bacteraemia.

Objectives: Although many deaths due to carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) bacteraemia occur within a few days after the onset of bacteraemia, risk factors for early mortality (EM) have not been deeply investigated. We aimed to determine the risk factors for EM and the difference between risk factors associated with EM and late mortality (LM) in CRAB bacteraemia.

Methods: Clinical information on all patients with CRAB bacteraemia in 10 hospitals during a 1-year period was collected.

Socioeconomic burden of pneumonia due to multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Korea.

We aimed to estimate the socioeconomic burden of pneumonia due to multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MRAB) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MRPA). We prospectively searched for MRAB and MRPA pneumonia cases and matched them with susceptible-organism pneumonia and non-infected patients from 10 hospitals. The matching criteria were: same principal diagnosis, same surgery or intervention during hospitalisation, age, sex, and admission date within 60 days.

Different levels of humoral and cellular immunity to varicella-zoster virus in seropositive healthcare workers.

Background: There have been occasional reports on varicella infection among healthcare workers (HCWs) despite varicella-zoster virus (VZV) seropositivity. We compared the levels of humoral and cellular immunity to VZV in seropositive HCWs who had acquired immunity by natural infection or vaccination.

Methods: Seropositive healthy HCWs with an apparent history of varicella or VZV vaccination once or twice were recruited.

Different clinical characteristics and impact of carbapenem-resistance on outcomes between Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteraemia: a prospective observational study.

This study aimed to evaluate the differences in clinical characteristics and impact of carbapenem resistance (CR) on outcomes between Acinetobacter baumannii (Ab) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) bacteraemia. We prospectively identified all patients with Ab and Pa bacteraemia in 10 hospitals over 1 year. Treatment failure was defined as all-cause 30-day mortality, persistent bacteraemia, or recurrent bacteraemia within 30 days.

The association between greenness exposure and COVID-19 incidence in South Korea: An ecological study.

Background: The rapid spread of COVID-19 has caused an emergency situation worldwide. Investigating the association between environmental characteristics and COVID-19 incidence can be of the occurrence and transmission. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between greenness exposure and COVID-19 cases at the district levels in South Korea.

Booster BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccination Increases Neutralizing Antibody Titers Against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant in Both Young and Elderly Adults.

Concerns about the effectiveness of current vaccines against the rapidly spreading severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 omicron (B.1.1.

Treatment for Immune Thrombocytopenia in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Infection after COVID-19 Vaccination: A Case Report.

Thrombocytopenia is one of the rare signs of both the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and COVID-19 vaccination. An 85-year-old man was diagnosed with immune thrombocytopenia and COVID-19, 7 days after COVID-19 vaccination. The patient was successfully treated with a short course of intravenous immunoglobulin and oral corticosteroids.

Clinical Characteristics of 40 Patients Infected With the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant in Korea.

Since severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 variant B.1.1.

Prevalence of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in HIV/Tuberculosis Co-Infected Patients.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a common opportunistic infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. Patients with multidrug-resistant (MDR)-TB have poor outcomes. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of MDR-TB in HIV/TB co-infected patients in the Korea.

Different therapeutic associations of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors with coronavirus disease 2019 compared with usual pneumonia.

Background/aims: Although it is near concluded that renin-angiotensin system inhibitors do not have a harmful effect on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there is no report about whether angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) offer any protective role. This study aimed to compare the association of ARBs and ACEIs with COVID-19-related mortality.

Methods: All patients with COVID-19 in Korea between January 19 and April 16, 2020 were enrolled.

High Prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection among Inmates in Korean Correctional Facilities.

Background: Epidemiological data are crucial in designing policies for the control of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections. There is a lack of data on the epidemiology of HIV in Korean correctional facilities such as jails and prisons.

Methods: Clinical characteristics of the study population were collected through a medical record review.

Impact of a computerised clinical decision support system on vancomycin loading and the risk of nephrotoxicity.

Background: A vancomycin loading dose is recommended for the treatment of serious methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. However, clinicians often do not adhere to these recommendations, mainly due to nephrotoxicity risk, unfamiliarity with the guideline, or complexity of calculating an individual dose. Therefore, we introduced a computerised clinical decision support system (CDSS) for vancomycin loading (hereafter Vancomycin CDSS) to promote the use of vancomycin loading dose.

Beneficial Effect of Statins in COVID-19-Related Outcomes-Brief Report: A National Population-Based Cohort Study.

Objective: Although statins are widely prescribed lipid-lowering drugs, there are concerns about the safety of their use in the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), since statins increase the expression of ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2). This study aimed to disclose the association between statins and 60-day COVID-19 mortality. Approach and Results: All patients hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were enrolled in this study from January 19 to April 16, 2020, in Korea.

Suboptimal medication adherence in young women living with HIV infection: a Korean nationwide claims study.

The epidemiological characteristics of women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection have gained little attention as the numbers are small compared with men living with HIV in the Republic of Korea. However, these data are important to achieve effective HIV infection control and to consider the influence of socioeconomic status on HIV transmission. This study utilized the claims database of the Korean National Health Insurance system to analyze women with a newly diagnosed HIV infection during the period 2009-2016.

The Importance of Proper History Taking: Asking a Fever Pattern in Patients with Vivax Malaria.

Characteristic fever patterns of malarial infection are clues for diagnosis. However, checking fever patterns in febrile patients has been usually missed, and unnecessary tests have been performed. We reviewed electrical medical record to check whether history-taking included questions on fever pattern in febrile patients.

Waning Antibody Responses in Asymptomatic and Symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

We investigated the kinetics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 neutralizing antibodies in 7 asymptomatic persons and 11 patients with pneumonia. The geometric mean titer of neutralizing antibodies declined from 219.4 at 2 months to 143.

Short course of voriconazole therapy as a risk factor for relapse of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.

To investigate associations of the duration of voriconazole treatment and radiological response with relapse of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in immunocompromised patients, we explored the risk factors for IPA relapse after successful initial treatment. All patients with proven or probable IPA who had finished voriconazole treatment between 2005 and 2019 in a tertiary-care hospital were reviewed. IPA relapse was defined as re-diagnosis of proven or probable IPA at the same site within 1 year after treatment termination.

Predictive scoring models for persistent gram-negative bacteremia that reduce the need for follow-up blood cultures: a retrospective observational cohort study.

Background: Although the risk factors for positive follow-up blood cultures (FUBCs) in gram-negative bacteremia (GNB) have not been investigated extensively, FUBC has been routinely carried out in many acute care hospitals. We attempted to identify the risk factors and develop a predictive scoring model for positive FUBC in GNB cases.

Methods: All adults with GNB in a tertiary care hospital were retrospectively identified during a 2-year period, and GNB cases were assigned to eradicable and non-eradicable groups based on whether removal of the source of infection was possible.

Recovery of Tenofovir-induced Nephrotoxicity following Switch from Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate to Tenofovir Alafenamide in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Positive Patients.

Background: Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)-induced nephrotoxicity is related to high plasma tenofovir concentrations. Tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) is a tenofovir prodrug with 90% lower plasma tenofovir concentrations. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in tenofovir-induced nephrotoxicity in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-positive patients who switched from TDF to TAF.