Adverse impact of metabolic dysfunction on fibrosis regression following direct-acting antiviral therapy: A multicenter study for chronic hepatitis C.

Background/aims: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) effectively eradicate hepatitis C virus (HCV). This study investigated whether metabolic dysfunction influences the likelihood of fibrosis regression after DAA treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC).

Methods: This multicenter, retrospective study included 8,819 patients diagnosed with CHC who were treated with DAAs and achieved a sustained virological response (SVR) between January 2014 and December 2022.

Use of the Da Vinci SP surgical system in robot-assisted nipple-sparing mastectomy: a single-center, retrospective study.

We investigated the safety and performance of the Da Vinci SP single-port robot (SP robot) in nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) with immediate reconstruction. Medical records of 60 women aged ≥ 19 years who had undergone SP robot-assisted unilateral or bilateral NSM with immediate reconstruction between October 2020 and August 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Stage I (31, 47.

Prognosis of patients with breast cancer who underwent breast-conserving surgery using a 3D-printed surgical guide after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

In breast-conserving surgery (BCS), clear resection margins are crucial to prevent recurrence. Accurate imaging is vital for precise BCS, with MRI being the most accurate. However, MRI has limitations in identifying the exact extent of breast cancer in patients who have undergone neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT).

Menopausal Symptom Burden in Premenopausal Breast Cancer Patients: Interaction of Chemotherapy and Ovarian Function Suppression on Tamoxifen Treatment.

Aim: To compare menopausal symptoms between tamoxifen alone and tamoxifen with ovarian function suppression (OFS) over 12 months, identifying related factors.

Methods: This prospective, observational study included 209 premenopausal patients with breast cancer on tamoxifen, recruited from Asan Medical Center, Republic of Korea. We collected demographic and clinical information from the participants' medical records and assessed menopausal symptoms using the Korean Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) at 3-, 6-, and 12-months postdiagnosis.

Prognostic Performance of the Next-Generation Sequencing-Based Multigene Assay in Early Breast Cancer Patients Treated According to the 21-Gene Assay Results.

Purpose: Multigene assays guide treatment decisions in early-stage hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. OncoFREE, a next-generation sequencing assay using 179 genes, was developed for this purpose. This study aimed to evaluate the concordance between the Oncotype DX (ODX) Recurrence Score (RS) and the OncoFREE Decision Index (DI) and to compare their performance.

Evaluating fatigue resistance in occlusal veneers: a comparative study of processing techniques and material thickness of lithium disilicate (IPS e.max Press vs. IPS e.max CAD).

Background: Lithium disilicate occlusal veneers are popular for minimally invasive posterior teeth restoration. The aim of this study was to compare the fatigue resistance and crack pattern of lithium disilicate occlusal veneers fabricated using pressing and milling techniques with varying thicknesses.

Methods: Sixty lithium disilicate discs, representing occlusal veneers, were divided into four groups (n = 15) based on processing technique (IPS e.

Wound healing potential of mouth gel containing isopimarane diterpene from rhizomes for treatment of oral stomatitis.

Background: Oral ulcers have an impact on 25% of the global population including patients who are suffering from chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments. L. has been traditionally used for treatment of mouth sores and tongue blisters.

Impact of combined exercise on blood DNA methylation and physical health in older women with obesity.

This study examined the effects of a 14-week combined exercise program on blood DNA methylation (DNAm) and its potential biological pathways in normal-weight, overweight, and obese older women. A total of 41 participants were assessed at baseline, 7 weeks, and 14 weeks into the training. Their whole-blood DNAm profiles were measured using the Infinitum MethylationEPIC BeadChip, alongside physical and biochemical health evaluations.

How Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome Is Affected by Alignment, Range of Motion, Strength, and Gait Biomechanics: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Context: Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) is a common chronic injury of the lower-extremity in the physically active population. However, the risk factors for MTSS remain unclear.

Objective: This study identified the risk factors for MTSS and established the continuum model of lower-extremity alignments, range of motion, muscular strength, and gait kinematics affecting each other and MTSS development.

Differentiating HER2-low and HER2-zero tumors with 21-gene multigene assay in 2,295 h + HER2- breast cancer: a retrospective analysis.

Background: HER2-positivity is an essential marker for therapeutic decisions, while HER2 expression is heterogenous. In recent years, there has been increasing recognition of a subgroup of breast cancer patients who have low levels of HER2 expression, also known as HER2-low because trastuzumab deruxtecan offers clinical benefit for patients with HER2-low metastatic breast cancer. Despite the growing interest in HER2-low breast cancer, there is limited research on how multigene assays can help differentiate between HER2-low and HER2-negative breast cancer.

Correlation between Hearing Impairment and the Triglyceride Glucose Index in Middle-Aged Female Based on a Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

: This study aimed to investigate the association between insulin resistance, as measured by the triglyceride-glucose index (TyG index), and hearing impairment in middle-aged women in Korea. : This cross-sectional survey utilized data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) IV (2007-2009), specifically from the period after July 21, 2009, when hearing test results became available, and from the KNHANES V (2010-2012). This study was conducted on 5416 women aged 40 to 69 who had completed both the health examination survey and audiometric tests, excluding those with missing data on menopausal status and the use of hormone replacement therapy.

Impact of F-FES PET/CT on Clinical Decisions in the Management of Recurrent or Metastatic Breast Cancer.

The clinical impact of 16α-F-fluoro-17β-estradiol (F-FES) PET/CT on patient management has not been well investigated. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical impact of F-FES PET/CT on the management of patients with recurrent or metastatic breast cancer. Study subjects were identified retrospectively from a database of a prospective trial for postmarketing surveillance of F-FES between 2021 and 2023.

Evaluation of Agronomic Traits, Total Phenolic Content, and Antioxidant Properties of Sesame Seeds of Different Colors and Origin.

Rising health concerns regarding chronic diseases call for exploring natural sources of antioxidants and factors that influence their activity. This study evaluated the diversity of 112 sesame germplasms from Africa and Asia based on ten agronomic traits (seven quantitative and three qualitative), two antioxidant activities (ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activities), and the content of one metabolite (TPC). TPC, DPPH, and ABTS were in the ranges of 4.

Inhibition of P2RX7 contributes to cytotoxicity by suppression of glycolysis and AKT activation in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of primary liver cancer. HCC occurs people with chronic liver diseases. The purinergic receptor P2X 7 (P2RX7) is involved in tumor proliferation and growth.

Longitudinal dynamics of circulating tumor DNA for treatment monitoring in patients with breast cancer recurrence.

The prevalence and dynamics of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in patients with breast cancer recurrence or de novo metastatic cancer were examined in a retrospective analysis of a prospective observational cohort. Twenty-three recurrent/metastatic breast cancer cases (8 locoregional, 15 distant metastasis) were enrolled, and sequential plasma samples were obtained. Anchor mutations were selected from the target sequencing of each patient's primary and/or metastatic tumor.

Association between E-Cigarette Smoking and Insulin Resistance Using the Triglyceride-Glucose Index in Korean Adults: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Background: Insulin resistance contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Smoking leads to an increase in triglyceride levels, which, in turn, increases insulin resistance. Although the number of e-cigarette users has increased in recent years, few studies have investigated the association between ecigarette use and insulin resistance.

Remotely Modulating the Optical Properties of Organic Charge-Transfer Crystallites via Molecular Packing.

Organic charge-transfer complex (CTC) formation has emerged as an effective molecular engineering strategy for achieving the desired optical properties via intermolecular interactions. By synthesizing organic CTCs with carbazole-based electron donors and a 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane acceptor and adopting a molecular linker located remotely from the charge-transfer interface within the donors, we were able to modulate near-infrared absorptive and short-wavelength infrared emissive properties. Structural characterizations performed by using single-crystal X-ray diffraction confirmed that the unique molecular arrangements induced by the steric hindrance from the remotely located linker significantly influence the electronic interactions between the donor and acceptor molecules, resulting in different photophysical properties.

Association of residual ductal carcinoma in situ with breast cancer treatment outcomes after neoadjuvant chemotherapy according to hormone receptor status.

Purpose: This research aimed to clarify the impact of residual ductal carcinoma in situ(DCIS) in surgical specimens obtained after neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC) for breast cancer on the associated prognosis outcomes.

Methods: This retrospective study was performed on a cohort of 1,009 patients who achieved pCR following NAC for breast cancer and underwent subsequent breast surgery at a single institution between January 2008 and December 2019. Overall survival, local recurrence-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival, and disease-free survival of the residual and non-residual DCIS groups were the outcomes compared, with further subgroup analysis performed according to hormone receptor status.

Survival pattern in male breast cancer: distinct from female breast cancer.

Introduction: Male breast cancer (MBC) is a rare condition, and recent research has underscored notable distinctions between MBC and breast cancer in women. This study aimed to assess and contrast the long-term survival outcomes and disease patterns of MBC patients with those of their female counterparts.

Methods: We analyzed data from 113,845 patients diagnosed with breast cancer who had undergone curative surgery from the Korean Breast Cancer Registry (KBCR) between January 1990 and August 2014 in Seoul, Korea.