Altered diversity and composition of gut microbiota in Korean children with food allergy.

Background: This study aimed to comprehensively characterize the gut microbiome and identify individual and grouped gut microbes associated with food allergy (FA) using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

Methods: Fecal samples were collected from children with IgE-mediated FA and from sex- and age-matched controls. The V3-V4 variable regions of the 16S rRNA gene of the gut microbiome were profiled using next-generation sequencing (Illumina, USA).

Predicting factors for unresolved premature ventricular complexes in healthy children.

Background: Premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) are generally benign in healthy children, but in some cases, a persistent high PVC burden may be observed, potentially related to ventricular tachycardia or left ventricular dysfunction. This study explores the natural history of PVCs in children with structurally normal hearts and identifies factors associated with unresolved PVCs.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed demographic and clinical data from children < 18 years of age with confirmed PVCs, including 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) and 24-h Holter monitoring data.

Insight of Metal Ions in Enzymatic Synthesis of Levan: The Metal-Binding Loop.

Levan is a fructose polymer with unique physicochemical properties and physiological activities, making it useful in various industries. It is biologically synthesized from sucrose by the enzyme levansucrase, which does not require metal ions for its fructosylation activity. However, during the molecular characterization of a levansucrase (PcLscA), it was observed that several divalent metal ions stimulate fructosylation activity by over 2.

Comparison of Effects on 6-Thioguanine Nucleotides According to Mesalazine Formulation in Pediatric Patients with Ulcerative Colitis.

Purpose: Mesalazine and thiopurines are important therapeutic agents for pediatric patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Mesalazine, which may be administered in different forms depending on delivery mechanisms, can affect thiopurine metabolism, leading to increased 6-thioguanine nucleotides (6-TGN) levels. Therefore, when using these two drugs simultaneously, their interactions must be considered.

Functional expression of recombinant insulins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Background: Since 1982, recombinant insulin has been used as a substitute for pancreatic insulin from animals. However, increasing demand in medical and food industries warrants the development of more efficient production methods. In this study, we aimed to develop a novel and efficient method for insulin production using a yeast secretion system.

Risk factors affecting relapse after discontinuation of biologics in children with Crohn's disease who maintained deep remission.

Objectives: Biologics are important therapeutic agents for pediatric Crohn's disease. Discontinuation of biologics is known to increase the relapse rate up to 71.4% in these patients; however, their long-term use increases the risk of opportunistic infections and causes economic burden and psychological fatigue.

Predictive validity of resource-adjusted Korean Triage and Acuity Scale in pediatric gastrointestinal tract foreign body patients.

Although paediatric patients with gastrointestinal (GI) foreign bodies require multiple resources, they often present with few or no discernible symptoms and are typically assigned a low acuity level during triage. We compared the predictive accuracy of the revised Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (rKTAS), which elevates acuity by one step in relation to anticipated resource utilization, with that of the conventional KTAS for clinical outcomes. This was a retrospective study of National Emergency Department Information System data.

Reorganization of H3K9me heterochromatin leads to neuronal impairment via the cascading destruction of the KDM3B-centered epigenomic network.

Histone H3K9 methylated heterochromatin silences repetitive non-coding sequences and lineage-specific genes during development, but how tissue-specific genes escape from heterochromatin in differentiated cells is unclear. Here, we examine age-dependent transcriptomic profiling of terminally differentiated mouse retina to identify epigenetic regulators involved in heterochromatin reorganization. The single-cell RNA sequencing analysis reveals a gradual downregulation of in cone photoreceptors during aging.

Systems Metabolic Engineering to Elucidate and Enhance Intestinal Metabolic Activities of Nissle 1917.

Nissle 1917 (EcN) is one of the most widely used probiotics to treat gastrointestinal diseases. Recently, many studies have engineered EcN to release therapeutic proteins to treat specific diseases. However, because EcN exhibits intestinal metabolic activities, it is difficult to predict outcomes after administration.

A Bottom-Up Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Infliximab: Method Development, Comparison With 2 Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Methods, and Evaluation of Anti-Drug Antibody Interference.

Context.—: Therapeutic drug monitoring is recommended to optimize infliximab use and improve outcome in chronic inflammatory disorders.

Objective.

Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract Versus Micronized Purified Flavonoid Fraction for Patients with Chronic Venous Disease: A Randomized Noninferiority Trial.

Background: Venoactive drugs (VADs) based on Vitis vinifera extract are widely used in Korea. However, studies on the clinical effects and head-to-head comparisons with other groups of VADs are limited. This trial aimed to evaluate whether Vitis vinifera seed extract was noninferior to the micronized purified flavonoid fraction (MPFF) in relieving venous symptoms and improving quality of life in patients with chronic venous disease.

Simultaneous Detection Method of 11 Respiratory Drug Substances Including Theobromine, Oxymetazoline, etc. in Adulterated Dietary Supplements Using Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Ionization-Tandem Mass Spectrometry and Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Analysis.

Recently, the demand for respiratory disease-related products has surged due to the influence of coronavirus disease 2019, prompting warnings about illegal dietary supplements containing unauthorized substances. Additionally, adulterated dietary supplements are continuously detected in open markets, posing significant public health safety problem. In this study, we developed and validated an analytical method for 11 respiratory drug substances using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) and proposed optimal conditions for LC-quadrupole time-of-flight MS (LC-QTOF-MS) to determine the fragmentation patterns of each substance.

Repulsive Sema3E-Plexin-D1 signaling coordinates both axonal extension and steering via activating an autoregulatory factor, Mtss1.

Axon guidance molecules are critical for neuronal pathfinding because they regulate directionality and growth pace during nervous system development. However, the molecular mechanisms coordinating proper axonal extension and turning are poorly understood. Here, metastasis suppressor 1 (Mtss1), a membrane protrusion protein, ensured axonal extension while sensitizing axons to the Semaphorin 3E (Sema3E)-Plexin-D1 repulsive cue.

Long-term outcomes of liver transplantation for biliary atresia and results of policy changes: over 20 years of follow-up experience.

Objective: Biliary atresia (BA) patients develop chronic liver disease after the Kasai operation and are eventually indicated for liver transplantation (LT). The purposes of this study were to analyze long-term outcomes after LT and risk factors that affect complications to reduce graft failure.

Study Design: Overall, 145 pediatric patients who underwent LT between June 1996 and June 2020 after a diagnosis of BA were included.

Fluorescence-Based Lateral Flow Immunoassay for Quantification of Infliximab: Analytical and Clinical Performance Evaluation.

Background: Therapeutic drug monitoring of infliximab (IFX) can improve treatment outcomes; however, the temporal gap between drug concentration monitoring and subsequent availability restricts its practical application. To address this issue, an automated monitoring method, AFIAS IFX, was developed to rapidly and accurately analyze IFX concentration in blood. The analytical and clinical performances of this method were assessed to establish its clinical utility.

Pacemaker-Related Factors and Outcomes of Fontan Patients - Impact of Paced QRS Duration.

Background: Permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation has been identified as a risk factor for morbidity and mortality after Fontan operation. This study investigated the factors associated with outcomes in patients with Fontan physiology who underwent PPM implantation.

Methods and results: We retrospectively reviewed 508 patients who underwent Fontan surgery at Asan Medical Center between September 1992 and August 2022.

A Report on a Nationwide Surveillance System for Pediatric Acute Hepatitis of Unknown Etiology in Korea.

Background: Several cases of pediatric acute hepatitis of unknown etiology related to adenoviral infections have been reported in Europe since January 2022. The aim of this study was to compare the incidence, severity, possible etiology, and prognosis of the disease with those in the past in Korea.

Methods: The surveillance group collected data between May and November 2022 using a surveillance system.

Dual Biological Therapy for Ulcerative Colitis with Intractable Pyoderma Gangrenosum.

Pyoderma gangrenosum is one of the dermatological extra-intestinal manifestations of ulcerative colitis (UC). We report a case of a 26-year-old male patient suffering from relapsed UC with a newly developed pyoderma gangrenosum. His skin and intestinal symptoms were intractable to treatment with steroids, immunosuppressants, or a single biological agent such as infliximab, golimumab, or vedolizumab.

Early echocardiographic pulmonary artery measurements as prognostic indicators in left congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Background: To predict whether the left pulmonary artery (LPA) to the main pulmonary artery (MPA) ratio measured by echocardiography in left congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) was related to death or need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed neonates with left CDH born between 2018 and 2022 in a single tertiary medical institution. Echocardiography was performed immediately after birth.