Publications by authors named "Kwang S Lee"

Purpose: This study aims to develop and implement an economic evaluation using a micro-costing approach to provide a precise and transparent analysis of the direct costs of cystoscopic procedures in Korean hospitals. The study seeks to identify key cost components and evaluate whether current reimbursement rates accurately reflect these direct costs.

Materials And Methods: Significant variations in cost items were identified across different studies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the artificial intelligence (AI)-based software INF-M01 in diagnosing suspected bladder tumors using cystoscopy images. Additionally, we aimed to assess the ability of INF-M01 to distinguish and mark suspected bladder cancer using whole cystoscopy images. : A randomized retrospective clinical trial was conducted using a total of 5670 cystoscopic images provided by three institutions, comprising 1890 images each (486 bladder cancer images and 1404 normal images).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Although estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) are continuously developed for pediatric population, impact of height measurement is often neglected due to variable dynamic growth changes in children. This study aimed to compare differential impacts of eGFR values calculated by six equations that do not use height information.

Materials And Methods: 3503 Korean pediatric patients with creatinine/cystatin C assay-based laboratory results from 2008 to 2021 were analyzed for clinical course using a total of 8113 laboratory test results.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Researchers have isolated a bacteria, Raoultella ornithinolytica CT3, from silkworm excrement that can effectively break down the antibiotic chloramphenicol (CAP) in just 48 hours.
  • The study identified 22 metabolites produced during CAP degradation and established that the process follows first-order kinetics, mainly involving acetylation and other auxiliary pathways.
  • Genomic analysis revealed specific genes related to CAP breakdown, and while the intermediate metabolites were slightly toxic, the final products were found to be environmentally safe, contributing to understanding CAP's microbial degradation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - This study examined the impact of different estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) equations on clinical outcomes in a Korean patient population, specifically looking at all-cause mortality, renal replacement therapy, and albuminuria.
  • - Analyzing data from over 23,000 participants, the researchers found that the 2021 race-free CKD-EPI equation yielded better predictive results for clinical outcomes compared to older equations, especially when used alongside creatinine and cystatin C.
  • - By switching from the 2012 CKD-EPI equation to the 2021 version, a significant number of patients were reclassified to lower risk categories for mortality and renal therapies, highlighting the improved accuracy of the updated equations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Indoor air disinfection and ventilation are really important in hospitals, especially since COVID-19, but there wasn’t a fast way to remove viruses until now.
  • In this study, researchers tested different ways to clean the air in a small hospital room using UV light, special airflow, and a disinfectant spray.
  • They found that using UV light is the best way to kill viruses quickly, and suggested two methods: using just UV light for three minutes or using UV light with ventilation for three minutes and then venting for one more minute.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: The pathognomonic FUS::DDIT3 fusion protein drives myxoid liposarcoma (MLS) tumorigenesis via aberrant transcriptional activation of oncogenic signaling. As FUS::DDIT3 has so far not been pharmacologically tractable to selectively target MLS cells, this study investigated the functional role of the cell cycle regulator WEE1 as novel FUS::DDIT3-dependent therapeutic vulnerability in MLS.

Experimental Design: Immunohistochemical evaluation of the cell cycle regulator WEE1 was performed in a large cohort of MLS specimens.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Many people struggle with the choice in a series of processes, from prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis to treatment. We investigated the degree of regret after the prostate biopsy (PBx) and relevant factors in patients recommended for biopsy for suspected PCa.

Methods: From 06/2020 to 05/2022, 198 people who performed PBx at three institutions were enrolled and analyzed through a questionnaire before and after biopsy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Lipid droplets (LDs) are now understood to play crucial roles in various cellular processes beyond just lipid storage, impacting metabolism, membrane trafficking, and diseases like obesity and cancer.
  • The review focuses on label-free imaging techniques, such as holotomography and vibrational spectroscopic microscopy, for studying LDs without the need for molecular labels.
  • It also discusses the integration of artificial intelligence in LD research and explores the potential clinical applications for diagnosing and treating diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: It is uncertain how long combination therapy should be continued in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). We investigated the withdrawal effects of α1-adrenergic receptor blocker (AB) or 5α-reductase inhibitor (5ARI) following successful combination therapy.

Methods: This prospective, randomized, open-label, parallel trial enrolled 222 patients with BPH/LUTS who showed at least a seven-point improvement in International Prostate Symptom Score-total (IPSS-T) and a ≥ 20% reduction in prostate volume (PV) following the initiation of combination therapy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to identify metabolite ratios that could predict the occurrence or remission of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D).
  • Researchers analyzed data from 1,813 participants without T2D and 451 newly diagnosed cases to test these metabolites' predictive power using statistical models.
  • Findings revealed that a high alanine/glycine ratio significantly predicts T2D incidence, while hydroxy sphingomyelin C22:2 is linked to remission; combining these ratios with obesity levels further assesses diabetes risk.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: To determine the diagnostic potential of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in vitreous samples, analyze genotype-phenotype characteristics, and compare NGS of matched vitreous and brain samples in patients with associated central nervous system lymphoma (CNSL).

Methods: A total of 32 patients suspected of vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) who underwent diagnostic vitrectomy and NGS were included in this retrospective observational case-series. Fresh vitreous specimens from diagnostic vitrectomy of VRL-suspected patients underwent NGS using a custom panel targeting 747 candidate genes for lymphoma.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Revision total hip arthroplasty requires meticulous planning and execution to achieve the desired outcome. Pelvic vessel injury following total hip arthroplasty is rare, but a well-known and serious complication, having a very high morbidity (15%) and mortality (7%). This case demonstrates the rare occurrence of acetabular screw abutment to the external iliac vessels, which if removed during revision hip surgery without releasing the adhesions around it, will lead to avulsion injury of the vessels and a catastrophic event.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Despite advances in technology, such as advent of laser enucleation and minimally invasive surgical therapies, transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) remains the most widely performed surgical technique for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). We evaluated resection volume (RV)-derived parameters and analyzed the effect of RV on post-TURP outcomes.

Methods: This observational study used data from patients who underwent TURP at two institutions between January 2011 and December 2021 Data from patients with previous BPH surgical treatment, incomplete data, and underlying disease affecting voiding function were excluded.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Clonal hematopoiesis (CH) involves somatic mutations in the blood stem cells of healthy individuals, linked to an increased risk of cancers and heart disease, but studies in Korean patients with associated conditions are limited.
  • A study analyzed white blood cells and plasma cell-free DNA from 121 gastric cancer patients, revealing significant CH variants in nearly 30% of cases, influenced by age and male sex.
  • The findings suggest that while CH may have potential implications for patient survival, it can also interfere with cfDNA testing, leading to false positives in diagnosing and monitoring cancers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Individual anatomical structural variations, including intravesical prostatic protrusion (IPP), prostatic urethral angle (PUA), prostatic urethral length, or prostatic apex shape, were correlated with micturition symptoms. We aimed to investigate the effects of these variables on micturition symptoms in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)/lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

Methods: This observational study was based on data from 263 men with the first visit to health promotion center and without BPH/LUTS treatment between March 2020 and September 2022.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Selecting a patient-specific sequencing strategy to maximize survival outcomes is a clinically unmet need for patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). We developed and validated an artificial intelligence-based decision support system (DSS) to guide optimal sequencing strategy selection.

Patients And Methods: Clinicopathological data of 46 covariates were retrospectively collected from 801 patients diagnosed with CRPC at 2 high-volume institutions between February 2004 and March 2021.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Honeybee diseases are a serious threat to beekeeping and pollination. Transgenerational immune priming (TGIP) has been attracting increasing attention as a promising strategy to protect honeybee colonies from infections. This study investigated whether feeding honeybees (Apis mellifera) with a heat-killed pathogen cocktail can provide them with transgenerational immunity to these pathogens.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Bee venom contains active proteins, and waprin is a newly identified protein component in honeybee venom that has not been well studied until now.
  • The identified Amwaprin peptide consists of 80 amino acids with specific structural features, and it shows the ability to inhibit certain microbial enzymes while binding to microbes.
  • Amwaprin has microbicidal properties that damage bacterial and fungal cell walls, is heat-stable, and does not cause hemolysis, indicating its potential as an antimicrobial and anti-elastolytic agent.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: We investigated whether the use of a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor (PDE5i) after robot assited radical prostatectomy has a survival benefit over non-use patients because there are controversial results on the association between PDE5i use and survival outcomes for prostate cancer patients in literature.

Materials And Methods: We designed a retrospective, matched, large-sample cohort study of 5,545 patients who underwent robot assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) during 2013-2021 in a single institute. The exclusion criteria was patients who were aged >70 years at surgery, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification grade 4 or 5, history of other malignancies, patients who started PDE5i 6 months after survery and patients with follow up period less than 24 months after surgery.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: A positive association between benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH)/lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) was reported in several studies, but studies from Asia often showed conflicting results.

Materials And Methods: Medical records were obtained from a health promotion center database between 2021 and 2022. Men without a history of treatment for LUTS were evaluated using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS), transrectal ultrasonography.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Bladder cancer has a high recurrence rate which requires frequent follow-up. Cystoscopy is currently the gold standard for follow-up which is invasive and undesirable procedure for patients. We aimed to investigate the feasibility of noninvasive studies for follow-up of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study investigated the efficacy of the elastography strain ratio (ESR) as a predictor of prostate cancer (PCa) in targeted prostate biopsy. In total, 257 patients who underwent magnetic resonance imaging-targeted biopsy were enrolled. Before biopsy, we placed regions of interest (zone A and B) in the lesion and levator ani.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - Liver cancer metastasis is linked to poor patient outcomes, making it crucial to understand its complex and varied nature to improve treatment effectiveness.
  • - The researchers used matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) to analyze lipid distribution in metastatic lesions versus normal tissue in an experimental model.
  • - They identified specific lipids, including sphingomyelin and phosphatidylcholines, that were significantly more abundant in metastatic lesions, potentially serving as biomarkers for diagnosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: To analyze grayscale values for hypoechoic lesions matched with target lesions evaluated using prebiopsy magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) according to the Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS).

Methods: We collected data on 420 target lesions in patients who underwent MRI/transrectal ultrasound fusion-targeted biopsies between January 2017 and September 2020. Images of hypoechoic lesions that matched the target lesions on MRI were stored in a picture archiving and communication system, and their grayscale values were estimated using the red/green/blue scoring method through an embedded function.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF