Epidemiological Characteristics and Outcome of Myocarditis and Pericarditis Temporally Associated With BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccine in Adolescents: Korean National Surveillance.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the epidemiological characteristics and outcomes of myocarditis/pericarditis after BNT162b2 vaccination in Korean adolescents.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort analysis of adolescents aged 12-19 years old diagnosed with myocarditis/pericarditis within 42 days of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination. All reported cases were investigated by city or government epidemiologists and the diagnostic certainty and causality was determined by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's Adverse Event Following Immunization Expert Advisory Committee according to the modified version of Brighton Collaboration Myocarditis/Pericarditis Working group's case definitions.

Myocarditis and Pericarditis are Temporally Associated with BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccine in Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

The incidence of myocarditis and pericarditis has been documented in adolescents after COVID-19 vaccinations. This study aims to assess the risk of myopericarditis in adolescents following COVID-19 vaccination, using a meta-analysis of the published cases. We performed a comprehensive literature search of the following databases on July 5, 2023: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library.

Survival and Risk Factors for Mortality in Infants With Congenital Heart Disease in South Korea.

Background/aim: The survival of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) has dramatically improved over recent decades. However, a disparity exists depending on the country and medical system. This study aimed to analyze the survival of infants with CHD until the age of 18 years using large-scale population data in South Korea and investigate the effect of neonatal conditions at birth.

Machine learning analysis for the association between breast feeding and metabolic syndrome in women.

This cross-sectional study aimed to develop and validate population-based machine learning models for examining the association between breastfeeding and metabolic syndrome in women. The artificial neural network, the decision tree, logistic regression, the Naïve Bayes, the random forest and the support vector machine were developed and validated to predict metabolic syndrome in women. Data came from 30,204 women, who aged 20 years or more and participated in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 2010-2019.

Incidence and risk of stroke in Korean patients with congenital heart disease.

Objectives: The incidence and risk of ischemic stroke (IS) and hemorrhagic stroke (HS) in Korean patients with CHD have not been reported, therefore, we aimed to investigate this.

Materials And Methods: Participants were selected from the Korean National Health Insurance Service benefit records from 2006-2017. Cases were extracted using diagnosis codes related to CHD.

Entelon150 ( Seed Extract) Attenuates Degenerative Changes in Intravascular Valve Prostheses in Rabbits.

Background And Objectives: The therapeutic strategy for inflammation and degenerative calcification is of utmost importance for bioprosthetic heart valve (BHV) implanted patients. The purpose of this study was to compare the anti-inflammatory and anti-calcification effects of Entelon150 (grape seed extract), losartan, and rosuvastatin, in a rabbit model of intravascular BHV leaflet implantation in bovine pericardium.

Methods: A total of 28 rabbits were implanted with BHV leaflet in the external jugular veins.

Association between early preterm birth and maternal exposure to fine particular matter (PM10): A nation-wide population-based cohort study using machine learning.

Although preterm birth (PTB), a birth before 34 weeks of gestation accounts for only less than 3% of total births, it is a critical cause of various perinatal morbidity and mortality. Several studies have been conducted on the association between maternal exposure to PM and PTB, but the results were inconsistent. Moreover, no study has analyzed the risk of PM on PTB among women with cardiovascular diseases, even though those were thought to be highly susceptible to PM considering the cardiovascular effect of PM.

Neonatal Risk Factors for Growth Retardation in Infants With Congenital Heart Disease.

Background: While the association of congenital heart disease (CHD) and growth retardation (GR) is known, data remain limited. This study investigated the incidence of GR and its neonatal risk factors in patients with CHD using nationwide population-based claims data.

Method: The study population was extracted from Korean National Health Insurance Service claims data from January 2002 to December 2020.

Association between Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Different Age Groups of Adolescents: An Analysis of Data from the Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey.

We investigated the association between obesity and cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVDRFs) in adolescents. We performed a cross-sectional study using the data from 8149 adolescents, aged 10-18 years, included in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011-2020). Using the body mass index, we defined "overweight" (≥85th to <95th percentile) and "obese" (≥95th percentile).

Building of Pediatric COVID-19 Module Clinic: A Novel Operation Model in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic.

In mid-2022, as the wave of pediatric coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases escalated in South Korea, a public-private partnership was made to establish a Pediatric COVID-19 Module Clinic (PMC). We describe the utilization of the first prototype children's modular clinic in Korea University Anam Hospital functioning as the COVID-19 PMC. Between August 1 and September 30, 2022, a total of 766 children visited COVID-19 PMC.

Preterm birth and maternal heart disease: A machine learning analysis using the Korean national health insurance database.

Background: Maternal heart disease is suspected to affect preterm birth (PTB); however, validated studies on the association between maternal heart disease and PTB are still limited. This study aimed to build a prediction model for PTB using machine learning analysis and nationwide population data, and to investigate the association between various maternal heart diseases and PTB.

Methods: A population-based, retrospective cohort study was conducted using data obtained from the Korea National Health Insurance claims database, that included 174,926 primiparous women aged 25-40 years who delivered in 2017.

Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Korean Congenital Heart Disease Patients: A Nationwide Age- and Sex-Matched Case-Control Study.

Purpose: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a known risk factor for acquired cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. However, available evidence on CHD is limited mostly to Western populations. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of vascular events and all-cause mortality in Korean patients with CHD and to further corroborate CHD as a predictor of vascular events and all-cause mortality.

A Suspected Case of Multisystem Inflammatory Disease in Children Following COVID-19 Vaccination: A Case Report and Systematic Literature Review.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is rare but can be a potentially serious complication following SARS-CoV-2 infection in children. 1 Introduction of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines are effective in lowering the burden due to SARS-CoV-2. However, there have been reports of MIS occurrence following COVID-19 vaccination in adults.

Reduced forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of vital capacity in children with allergic rhinitis without asthmatic symptoms.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma are closely associated in children. Reduced FEF which reflects small airway airflow limitation is frequently observed in asthma. This study aimed to examine the proportion of small airway dysfunction in children with AR and to determine its associated factors.

Association between the Use of Diuretics and Size Reduction in Pediatric Atrial Septal Defect.

Background And Objectives: While diuretics are sometimes used in atrial septal defect (ASD) treatment, their effect on ASD size reduction remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of diuretics in ASD size reduction in pediatric patients.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with secundum ASD (size ≥10 mm), between 2005 and 2019.

Probiotic mixture reduces gut inflammation and microbial dysbiosis in children with atopic dermatitis.

Background: Recent data suggested that dysbiosis of the gut microbiome is associated with childhood allergic diseases. Oral administration of probiotic formulations may improve the severity of atopic dermatitis (AD) by restoring imbalanced gut microbiota and reducing intestinal inflammation in children.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a probiotic mixture on the clinical severity of AD, gut inflammatory markers and alterations in microbiome dysbiosis in children with AD.

Impact of Social Distancing on Kawasaki Disease-associated Hospitalization, South Korea.

We conducted a cohort study to estimate the impact of social distancing on incidence of Kawasaki disease (KD) in Korean children, using the nationally representative data. The KD-related hospitalization rate has declined significantly from -38.8% (April) to 81.

Relationship between Waist Circumference and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Adolescents: Analysis of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Data.

Background And Objectives: High waist circumference (WC) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk (CVR) in adulthood. We investigated this association in adolescents.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of data for 10-18-year-olds included in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) (2005-2014).

Can moderate-intensity aerobic exercise ameliorate atopic dermatitis?

It has been shown that aerobic exercise improves atopic dermatitis (AD), although the mechanism is not clear. Here, we propose a hypothesis that moderate-intensity aerobic exercise improves AD in a mouse model through modulating allergic inflammation. The DNCB-treated mouse model for eczema was divided into 3 groups: (a) not subjected to aerobic exercise, (b) subjected to continuous aerobic exercise and (c) subjected to accumulated aerobic exercise.

Successful thoracic duct embolisation in a child with recurrent massive pericardial effusion diagnosed as a lymphatic anomaly.

A 29-month-old girl had idiopathic massive pericardial effusion for over 6 months. Lymphangiography was performed for chronic and recurrent pericardial effusion and pulmonary lymphangiectasia, suspected based on CT findings. Magnetic resonance lymphangiography revealed chylolymphatic reflux from a tortuously dilated thoracic duct in the mediastinum to the pericardial space, suggesting primary chylopericardium with lymphangiectasia.

Reversibility of Pulmonary Hypertension Following Surgical Atrial Septal Defect Closure in Children with Down Syndrome.

Background: Many Down syndrome (DS) patients have an atrial septal defect (ASD) and associated pulmonary hypertension (PH) from early childhood. ASD closure in DS patients with PH is often controversial due to concerns regarding exacerbation of PH. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical outcome following surgical ASD closure in children with DS.