Dietary Nutritional Supplements Are Associated with the Deterioration of Hepatic Fibrosis in Women and Individuals without Underlying Disease.

Despite the growing societal interest in the health benefits of dietary nutritional supplements, their safety and efficacy remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the correlation between hepatic fibrosis and the consumption of dietary nutritional supplements. This study utilized data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey spanning the period from 2014 to 2022.

Evolving epidemiology of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in South Korea: incidence, prevalence, progression, and healthcare implications from 2010 to 2022.

Background/aims: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), now the most common chronic liver worldwide, has become a significant public health concern. This study aims to analyze the evolving epidemiology of NAFLD in South Korea.

Methods: We utilized claim data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service from 2010 to 2022 to analyze NAFLD's incidence, prevalence, and progression.

Trends in alcohol use and alcoholic liver disease in South Korea: a nationwide cohort study.

Background: There is a lack of national-level research on alcohol consumption and the epidemiology of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) in South Korea. This study aims to address the critical public health issue of ALD by focusing on its trends, incidence, and outcomes, using nationwide claims data.

Methods: Utilizing National Health Insurance Service data from 2011 to 2017, we calculated the population's overall drinking amount and the incidence of ALD based on ICD-10 diagnosis codes.

The Epidemiology of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Korea: 15-Year Analysis.

Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate the epidemiological changes in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and assess the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) over the past 15 years in a region endemic to hepatitis B virus (HBV).

Methods: National Health Insurance Service claims data of hepatitis B patients spanning from 2007 to 2021 was utilized. To compare the characteristics of the hepatitis B group, a control group adjusted for age and gender through propensity score matching analysis was established.

H NMR Serum Metabolomic Change of Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) Is Associated with Alcoholic Liver Disease Progression.

Without early detection and treatment, chronic and excessive alcohol consumption can lead to the development of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). With this in mind, we exploit the recent concept of the liver-gut axis and analyze the serum profile of ALD patients for identification of microbiome-derived metabolites that can be used as diagnostic biomarkers for onset of ALD. H-NMR was used to analyze serum metabolites of 38 ALD patients that were grouped according to their Child-Turcotte-Pugh scores (CTP): class A (CTP-A; 19), class B(CTP-B; 10), and class C (CTP-C; 9).

The efficacy of treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma in elderly patients.

Background/aim: Despite the increasing proportion of elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) over time, treatment efficacy in this population is not well established.

Methods: Data collected from the Korean Primary Liver Cancer Registry, a representative cohort of patients newly diagnosed with HCC in Korea between 2008 and 2017, were analyzed. Overall survival (OS) according to tumor stage and treatment modality was compared between elderly and non-elderly patients with HCC.

Weekend catch-up sleep is associated with the alleviation of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Introduction And Objectives: Recently, interest in the relationship between weekend catch-up sleep (WCUS) and chronic diseases is increasing. We aimed to study the correlation between sleep duration and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), an emerging metabolic disease.

Materials And Methods: Data on sleep duration from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was recorded.

Serum cadmium is associated with hepatic steatosis and fibrosis: Korean national health and nutrition examination survey data IV-VII.

Although cadmium (Cd) is correlated with elevated levels of hepatic amino transferases, its influence on the degree of liver steatosis and fibrosis are unknown yet. We aimed to investigate the associations between the serum level of Cd and degree of liver steatosis/fibrosis.Clinical data were obtained from Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys IV-VII.

Obesity and the risk of primary liver cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background/aims: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to clarify the effect of obesity on the occurrence of and mortality from primary liver cancer.

Methods: This study was conducted using a systematic literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library until November 2018 using the primary keywords "obesity," "overweight," "body mass index (BMI)," "body weight," "liver," "cancer," "hepatocellular carcinoma," "liver cancer," "risk," and "mortality." Studies assessing the relationship between BMI and occurrence of or mortality from primary liver cancer in prospective cohorts and those reporting hazard ratios (HRs) or data that allow HR estimation were included.

Efficacy of Ethyl Acetate Fraction of for Cancer-Related Fatigue in Blood Biochemical and H-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Metabolomic Analyses.

This study investigated the adjuvant effects for anticancer and antifatigue of the combination of extract with sorafenib. The 5 extracts of were obtained through hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol, and water and were evaluated for anticancer growth activity. Among these extracts, ethyl acetate extract of showed the best tumor growth inhibitory activity and the adjuvant effects in combination with sorafenib.

Durability of Sustained Virologic Response and Improvement of Fibrosis Markers after Daclatasvir and Asunaprevir Treatment in Genotype 1b Hepatitis C Virus-Infected Patients: a Real Life and Multicenter Study.

Background: The long-term data with direct acting antiviral agents were rare. This study investigated the durability of a sustained virologic response (SVR) and the improvement of fibrosis after daclatasvir and asunaprevir (DCV/ASV) treatment in genotype 1b (GT1b) hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients.

Methods: A total of 288 HCV GT1b patients without baseline non-structural 5A (NS5A) resistance-associated substitution (RAS) treated with DCV/ASV were enrolled.

Fatty liver disease and the risk of erosive oesophagitis in the Korean population: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To investigate an association between fatty liver disease (FLD) and erosive oesophagitis.

Design And Setting: This was a cross-sectional study of subjects selected from examinees who underwent health check-up, including oesophagogastroduodenoscopy in one hospital between 2004 and 2011. Erosive oesophagitis was classified according to the Los Angeles classification and FLD was diagnosed with ultrasonography.

Body mass index and the risk of acute pancreatitis by etiology: A prospective analysis of Korean National Screening Cohort.

Background: It is unclear whether obesity increases the incidence of acute pancreatitis (AP) in the general population. Further, no study has prospectively examined the associations of the risk of AP by etiology with measured body mass index (BMI) values.

Methods: A total of 512 928 Korean participants in routine health examinations during 2002-2003 were followed up until 2013 via linkage to national hospital discharge records to assess AP incidence.

Cardiac function associated with home ventilator care in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Purpose: Cardiomyopathy is becoming the leading cause of death in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy because mechanically assisted lung ventilation and assisted coughing have helped resolve respiratory complications. To clarify cardiopulmonary function, we compared cardiac function between the home ventilator-assisted and non-ventilator-assisted groups.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy from January 2010 to March 2016 at Gangnam Severance Hospital.

Prognostic factors of sorafenib therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with failure of transarterial chemoembolization.

Background: There is no approved therapy for patients with failed transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and prognostic factors in patients with TACE failure who received sorafenib rescue therapy.

Methods: We investigated 54 patients who met the criteria of TACE failure as defined by the international guidelines of Europe and Japan.

Effect of yttrium-90 radioembolization on outcomes in Asian patients with early to advanced stage hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of yttrium-90 radioembolization on the outcome of Asian patients with early to advanced stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Sixty-two patients were screened and 50 patients (80.6%) were eligible.

The IL-1B Genetic Polymorphism Is Associated with Aspirin-Induced PepticUlcers in a Korean Ethnic Group.

Background/aims: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with aspirin-induced peptic ulcers. However, SNPs of specific genes vary among races, and data regarding SNPs in the Korean population are scarce. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationships between SNPs of the COX-1, IL-1β, IL-1RN, and TNF genes and aspirin-induced peptic ulcers, as pilot research in a Korean population.

Prediction of virologic response to tenofovir mono-rescue therapy for multidrug resistant chronic hepatitis B.

Most guidelines suggest combination therapy including nucleoside and nucleotide analogues for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) with multidrug resistance (MD-R). However, long-term combination treatment can evoke high costs and safety problems. Therefore, we investigated the efficacy of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) mono-rescue therapy for viral suppression in patients with CHB exhibiting MD-R.

Subclassification of Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer B and C hepatocellular carcinoma: A cohort study of the multicenter registry database.

Background And Aim: We aimed to subclassify hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer intermediate and advanced stages, which include a highly heterogeneous population.

Methods: From two registries ("random" and "voluntary" cohorts in the Korean Liver Cancer Study Group), patients who were newly diagnosed as HCC with intermediate or advanced stage between 2003 and 2005 were considered eligible. Overall survival (OS) was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier method with comparison by log-rank test.

Comparison of the Effects of Telbivudine and Entecavir Treatment on Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B.

Background/aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) during telbivudine (LdT) versus entecavir (ETV) treatment in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with underlying comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, and cirrhosis.

Methods: From 2010 to 2012, 116 CHB patients treated with LdT and 578 treated with ETV were compared in this real-practice cohort. The mean changes in eGFR (Modification of Diet in Renal Disease [MDRD] formula) from baseline to months 6, 12, and 18 were analyzed using a linear mixed model.

Long-term follow-up and characteristics of cancer negative cases after endoscopic resection and gastrectomy for early gastric cancer.

Background: Endoscopic resection (ER) and gastrectomy are widely used for early gastric cancer (EGC). However, unexpected cases, which show no cancer after treatment, have occurred. The present study was designed to characterize cancer negative cases after ER and gastrectomy, and determine their long term prognosis.

Early α-fetoprotein response predicts survival in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with sorafenib.

Background: It is not clear whether tumor marker responses can predict survival during sorafenib treatment in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated whether the α-fetoprotein (AFP) response is associated with survival in patients with advanced HCC treated with sorafenib.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 126 patients with advanced HCC treated with sorafenib between 2007 and 2012.

Identification of causative mutation in a Korean family with Crouzon syndrome using whole exome sequencing.

Craniosynostosis is a heterogeneous disorder that results in a common malformation which causes premature fusion of one or more cranial sutures. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was recently developed as a powerful genetic strategy for identifying pathogenic mutations of heterogeneous disorders with various causative genes. A 24-year-old woman visited our department for evaluation of persistent hearing impairment and absence of an external auditory canal from birth.