Changes in tuberculosis risk after transplantation in the setting of decreased community tuberculosis incidence: a national population-based study, 2008-2020.

Background: Transplant recipients are immunocompromised and vulnerable to developing tuberculosis. However, active tuberculosis incidence is rapidly declining in South Korea, but the trend of tuberculosis infection among transplant recipients has not been elucidated. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of active tuberculosis after transplantation, including risk factors for tuberculosis and standardized incidence ratios, compared with that in the general population.

Incidence and Features of Lymphoid Proliferation and Lymphomas after Solid Organ or Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in a National Database Cohort.

Purpose: Post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLDs) after hematopoietic stem transplantation (HCT) or solid organ transplantation (SOT) result in poorer outcomes, including death. There are limited large cohort data on the incidence and natural course of PTLD in Asians.

Materials And Methods: We investigated PTLD using Korean national health insurance claims data of 47,518 patients who underwent HCT or SOT in 2008-2020.

Faecal microbiota transplantation reduces amounts of antibiotic resistance genes in patients with multidrug-resistant organisms.

Background: Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) such as vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) are associated with prolonged hospitalisation, increased medical costs, and severe infections. Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has emerged as an important strategy for decolonisation. This study aimed to evaluate the genetic response of MDROs to FMT.

The Prediction and Prognosis of Fungal Infection in Lung Transplant Recipients-A Retrospective Cohort Study in South Korea.

(1) Background: Lung transplant recipients (LTRs) are at substantial risk of invasive fungal disease (IFD), although no consensus has been reached on the use of antifungal agents (AFAs) after lung transplantation (LTx). This study aimed to assess the risk factors and prognosis of fungal infection after LTx in a single tertiary center in South Korea. (2) Methods: The study population included all patients who underwent LTx between January 2012 and July 2019 at a tertiary hospital.

Effectiveness of Convalescent Plasma Therapy in Severe or Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a novel respiratory infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2); there are few specific treatments. Convalescent plasma (CP), donated by people who have recovered from COVID-19, is an investigational therapy for severe or critically ill patients with COVID-19.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective cohort study evaluated the effectiveness of CP therapy in patients with severe or life-threatening cases of COVID-19 at two hospitals in Seoul, Korea, between May and September 2020.

Trends of age-related non-communicable diseases in people living with HIV and comparison with uninfected controls: A nationwide population-based study in South Korea.

Objectives: We aim to compare the trends of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and death among people living with HIV (PLWH) and uninfected controls in South Korea.

Methods: We identified PLWH from a nationwide database of all Korean citizens enrolled from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2016. A control cohort was randomly selected for PLWH by frequency matching for age and sex in a 20:1 ratio.

Patterns of viral clearance in the natural course of asymptomatic COVID-19: Comparison with symptomatic non-severe COVID-19.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to elucidate patterns of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) clearance in the natural course of asymptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Methods: Consecutive patients with non-severe COVID-19 were included retrospectively. Asymptomatic patients with a normal body temperature and no evidence of pneumonia throughout the disease course were assigned to the asymptomatic group.

Intracellular glutathione production, but not protein glycation, underlies the protective effects of captopril against 2-deoxy-D-ribose-induced β-cell damage.

Our previous study reported that both oxidative stress and protein glycation were the principal mechanisms underlying 2‑deoxy‑D‑ribose (dRib)‑induced pancreatic β‑cell damage. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of captopril on dRib‑induced damage in pancreatic β‑cells, as well as to determine the mechanisms underlying these effects. Treatment with dRib increased the levels of cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and intracellular reactive oxygen species in Syrian hamster insulinoma HIT‑T15 cells; however, pretreatment with captopril significantly inhibited the effects of dRib.