Publications by authors named "Myung-Seok Lee"

High-performance and durable anion exchange membranes (AEMs) are critical for realizing economical green hydrogen production through alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) or AEM water electrosysis (AEMWE). However, existing AEMs require sophisticated fabrication protocols and exhibit unsatisfactory electrochemical performance and long-term durability. Here we report an AEM fabricated via a one-pot, in situ interfacial Menshutkin reaction, which assembles a highly cross-linked polymer containing high-density quaternary ammoniums and nanovoids inside a reinforcing porous support.

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Interfacial polymerization (IP) provides a versatile platform for fabricating defect-free functional nanofilms for various applications, including molecular separation, energy, electronics, and biomedical materials. Unfortunately, coupled with complex natural instability phenomena, the IP mechanism and key parameters underlying the structural evolution of nanofilms, especially in the presence of surfactants as an interface regulator, remain puzzling. Here, we interfacially assembled polymer nanofilm membranes at the free water-oil interface in the presence of differently charged surfactants and comprehensively characterized their structure and properties.

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Background/aims: Although anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) assay is widely used to screen for HCV infection, it has a high false-positive (FP) rate in low-risk populations. We investigated the accuracy of anti-HCV signal-to-cutoff (S/CO) ratio to distinguish true-positive (TP) from FP HCV infection.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 77,571 patients with anti-HCV results.

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Article Synopsis
  • COVID-19 has been linked to gastrointestinal issues, including acute pancreatitis, which is the focus of this study examining ICU patients from January 2020 to April 2022.
  • Out of 4133 ICU patients screened, 389 had COVID-19, and 86 were diagnosed with acute pancreatitis, revealing that COVID-19 patients are more likely to experience this complication.
  • Despite the association between COVID-19 and acute pancreatitis, factors such as hospital stay length, need for mechanical ventilation, and in-hospital mortality showed no significant differences between patients with and without COVID-19.
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Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is one of the main complications of liver cirrhosis (LC) and is classified into minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) and overt hepatic encephalopathy (overt HE). S100B is expressed mainly in astrocytes and other glial cells, and S100B has been reported to be associated with various neurological disorders. The present study aimed to investigate the diagnostic ability of serum S100B to discriminate the grade of HE and the parameters correlated with serum S100B levels.

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The platelet-to-white blood cell ratio (PWR) has been reported to predict the severity of patients with various diseases. However, no previous studies have assessed the use of the PWR as a prognostic marker for pyogenic liver abscesses (PLA). This observational retrospective study was performed between January 2008 and December 2017, including 833 patients with PLA from multiple centers.

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Cholangiopathies encompass various biliary diseases affecting the biliary epithelium, resulting in cholestasis, inflammation, fibrosis, and ultimately liver cirrhosis. Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) are the most important progressive cholangiopathies in adults. Much research has broadened the scope of disease biology to genetic risk, epigenetic changes, dysregulated mucosal immunity, altered biliary epithelial cell function, and dysbiosis, all of which interact and arise in the context of ill-defined environmental triggers.

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The emergence of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) is a growing problem worldwide. However, little is known about the incidence, clinical features and outcomes of pyogenic liver abscesses (PLAs) caused by MDROs. A retrospective study of 833 patients with PLA admitted from 2008 to 2017 was performed.

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Chronic liver disease encompasses diseases that have various causes, such as alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Gut microbiota dysregulation plays a key role in the pathogenesis of ALD and NAFLD through the gut-liver axis. The gut microbiota consists of various microorganisms that play a role in maintaining the homeostasis of the host and release a wide number of metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), peptides, and hormones, continually shaping the host's immunity and metabolism.

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Evidence suggests that novel biomarkers predict acute kidney injury (AKI) development and outcome earlier than serum creatinine. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and prognosis of AKI in decompensated cirrhotic patients, and also assess the usefulness of plasma cystatin C, urine neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) in early prediction of AKI and mortality. Single-center, prospective observational study enrolling decompensated cirrhotic patients without AKI at the time of admission.

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It is well known that adrenal insufficiency is common in septic shock or hemodynamically unstable patients. But, there is as yet no sufficient clinically significant data about the exact prevalence or differences in the cause of cirrhosis with adrenal insufficiency. To investigate adrenal insufficiency prevalence in hemodynamically stable patients with cirrhosis and determine differences based on cirrhosis severity or etiology.

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Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an idiopathic autoimmune liver disease characterized by chronic cholestasis and destruction of the intrahepatic bile ducts. Similar to other autoimmune diseases, the pathogenesis of PBC is considered to be a complex etiologic phenomenon involving the interaction of genetic and environmental factors. Although a number of common variants associated with PBC have been reported from genome-wide association studies, a precise genetic mechanism underlying PBC has yet to be identified.

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Objectives: Terlipressin is safely used for acute variceal bleeding. However, side effects, such as hyponatremia, although very rare, can occur. We investigated the development of hyponatremia in cirrhotic patients who had acute variceal bleeding treated with terlipressin and the identification of the risk factors associated with the development of hyponatremia.

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Background/aims: Long-term data on antiviral therapy in Korean patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) are limited. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of entecavir (ETV) and lamivudine (LAM) over 240 weeks.

Methods: Treatment-naive patients with HBeAg-negative CHB were randomized to receive ETV 0.

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Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a constellation of epigastric symptoms originating in the gastroduodenal region without organic and metabolic cause. However, similar confounding symptoms can also appear in patients with gallbladder (GB) dyskinesia. Therefore, symptoms of GB dyskinesia may be mistaken for FD.

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Background: There have been limited studies directly comparing the long-term efficacy between entecavir (ETV) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF). This study was aimed to compare the long-term efficacy between them in treatment-naïve chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

Methods: Out of 345 CHB patients who received first line therapy with ETV (n = 200) or TDF (n = 145) in a cohort, 210 patients were analyzed using propensity score matching, at a ratio of 1:1.

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Background/aims: Because of the limited geographic distribution, there have been insufficient data regarding hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 6 in Korea. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and available treatment outcomes of patients with genotype 6 HCV in Korea.

Methods: From 2004 to 2014, data were collected from Korean patients infected with genotype 6 HCV in eight hospitals.

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Background & Goals: Early identification of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with improved survival for patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). We evaluated the prognostic significance of hemodynamic stage (HS) and clinical stage (CS) in predicting HCC in CLD patients.

Methods: Between January 2006 and May 2014, 801 patients with CLD who underwent hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurement were prospectively enrolled.

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Background: Portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) is a frequently overlooked complication of liver cirrhosis (LC). The clinical implications of PHG as a prognostic factor of LC or a predictive factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not been established. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical significance of PHG in patients with LC.

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Background And Aims: Conventional bowel cleansers for colonoscopy have an unpleasant taste and a large volume of solution must be ingested. Coffee increases bowel motility and has an intense flavor. The addition of coffee to a polyethylene glycol+ascorbic acid solution reduces the volume of the solution to be consumed without reducing efficacy, improves the taste of the solution and enhances patient comfort.

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Aim: To identify the factors that differentiate acute hepatitis B (AHB) from chronic hepatitis B with acute exacerbation (CHB-AE).

Methods: From 2004 to 2013, a total of 82 patients (male n = 52, 63.4%; female n = 30, 36.

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Aim: To determine the cutoff values and to compare the diagnostic role of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and prothrombin induced by vitamin K absence-II (PIVKA-II) in chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

Methods: A total of 1255 patients with CHB, including 157 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 879 with non-cirrhotic CHB and 219 with cirrhosis without HCC, were retrospectively enrolled. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curves of PIVKA-II, AFP and their combination were calculated and compared.

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Background/aims: Elevated levels of serum gastrin (SG) have been associated with tumorigenic effects in a number of gastrointestinal cancers. We decided to investigate the relationship between SG and gastric epithelial lesions.

Materials And Methods: A total of 90 patients with gastric epithelial lesions (hyperplastic polyp, 12; adenoma, 41; early gastric cancer, 29; advanced gastric cancer, 8) were enrolled as the case group and 79 patients without epithelial lesions were enrolled as the control group.

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Background: Transenteral (TE) administration of a bowel cleanser prior to colonoscopy avoids the discomfort associated with drinking a large volume of unpalatable cleanser.

Aim: To explore patient comfort, preference for future colonoscopy, the efficacy and adverse events associated with TE bowel preparation.

Methods: Bowel preparation is traditionally practised using polyethylene glycol (PEG) + ascorbic acid (ASC), which was the treatment used in the control group (peroral group; PO group).

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Objective: This study was designed to prospectively evaluate the antiviral responses and evolution of resistance mutations during adefovir (ADV) plus lamivudine (LMV) therapy in patients with entecavir (ETV)-resistant hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Methods: Twenty chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients who had been receiving ETV for more than 6 months and developed virologic breakthrough due to ETV resistance were consecutively enrolled.

Results: Patients received ADV plus LMV therapy for 12 months.

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