Prognostic Value of Residual Circulating Tumor DNA in Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Background: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a potential biomarker in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, studies on residual ctDNA in patients post-chemotherapy are limited. We assessed the prognostic value of residual ctDNA in metastatic PDAC relative to that of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9).

Efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin add-on to evogliptin plus metformin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin versus placebo as an add-on in patients with type 2 diabetes who did not achieve adequate glycaemic control with evogliptin and metformin combination.

Patients And Methods: In this multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 trial, patients with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels ≥7.0% (≥53 mmol/mol) and ≤10.

Cysteine-rich 61 inhibition attenuates hepatic insulin resistance and improves lipid metabolism in high-fat diet fed mice and HepG2 cells.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is strongly associated with insulin resistance development. Hepatic lipid accumulation and inflammation are considered the main drivers of hepatic insulin resistance in MASLD. Cysteine-rich 61 (Cyr61 also called CCN1), a novel secretory matricellular protein, is implicated in liver inflammation, and its role in MASLD is not clearly understood.

Imeglimin attenuates NLRP3 inflammasome activation by restoring mitochondrial functions in macrophages.

Imeglimin is a novel oral antidiabetic drug for treating type 2 diabetes. However, the effect of imeglimin on NLRP3 inflammasome activation has not been investigated yet. Here, we aimed to investigate whether imeglimin reduces LPS-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation in THP-1 macrophages and examine the associated underlying mechanisms.

Higher HbA1c Is Associated With Greater 2-Year Progression of White Matter Hyperintensities.

White matter hyperintensity (WMH) lesions on brain MRI images are surrogate markers of cerebral small vessel disease. Longitudinal studies examining the association between diabetes and WMH progression have yielded mixed results. Thus, in this study, we investigated the association between HbA1c, a biomarker for the presence and severity of hyperglycemia, and longitudinal WMH change after adjusting for known risk factors for WMH progression.

Adjusting for Confounders in Outcome Studies Using the Korea National Health Insurance Claim Database: A Review of Methods and Applications.

Objectives: Adjusting for potential confounders is crucial for producing valuable evidence in outcome studies. Although numerous studies have been published using the Korea National Health Insurance Claim Database, no study has critically reviewed the methods used to adjust for confounders. This study aimed to review these studies and suggest methods and applications to adjust for confounders.

Nickel-Tin Nanoalloy Supported ZnO Catalysts from Mixed-Metal Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks for Selective Conversion of Glycerol to 1,2-Propanediol.

The successful synthesis of finely tuned Ni Sn nanoalloy phases containing ZnO catalyst with a small particle size (6.7 nm) from a mixed-metal zeolitic imidazolate framework (MM-ZIF) is investigated. The catalyst was evaluated for the efficient production of 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO) from crude glycerol and comprehensively characterized using several analytical techniques.

Amphiregulin Induces iNOS and COX-2 Expression through NF-B and MAPK Signaling in Hepatic Inflammation.

Background: Inflammation is a major cause of hepatic tissue damage and accelerates the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Amphiregulin (AREG), an epidermal growth factor receptor ligand, is associated with human liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. We aimed to investigate the effects of AREG on hepatic inflammation during NAFLD progression, and .

Meiotic Cell Cycle Progression in Mouse Oocytes: Role of Cyclins.

All eukaryotic cells, including oocytes, utilize an engine called cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) to drive the cell cycle. Cdks are activated by a co-factor called cyclin, which regulates their activity. The key Cdk-cyclin complex that regulates the oocyte cell cycle is known as Cdk1-cyclin B1.

Glucose metabolic reprogramming in autoimmune diseases.

Autoimmune diseases are conditions in which the immune system mistakenly targets and damages healthy tissue in the body. In recent decades, the incidence of autoimmune diseases has increased, resulting in a significant disease burden. The current autoimmune therapies focus on targeting inflammation or inducing immunosuppression rather than addressing the underlying cause of the diseases.

Associations of updated cardiovascular health metrics, including sleep health, with incident diabetes and cardiovascular events in older adults with prediabetes: A nationwide population-based cohort study.

Aims: To investigate the association of updated cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics, including sleep health, with the risk of diabetes and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in older adults with prediabetes.

Methods: A total of 7,948 older adults with prediabetes aged ≥ 65 years were included in this study. CVH was assessed using seven baseline metrics according to the modified American Heart Association recommendations.

Case Report: A case of ultra-late recurrence of fusion non-small cell lung cancer response to selpercatinib.

Background: Cancer recurrence remains a significant problem, and most postoperative recurrences of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) develop within 5 years after resection. We present a rare case of ultra-late recurrence of NSCLC accompanying choroidal metastasis with fusion 14 years after the definitive surgery.

Case Description: A 48-year-old female patient who had never-smoked presented with decreased visual acuity.

Nationwide survey of internal medicine hospitalists in Korea: motivation and sustainability of a hospitalist career.

Background/aims: Although a management fee for hospitalist service was established in Korea, the number of hospitalists required for the system to run remains outmatched.

Methods: In January 2020 and February 2022, before and after the establishment of the hospitalist fee system respectively, cross-sectional online surveys were conducted among internal medicine board-certified hospitalists.

Results: There were 59 and 64 respondents in the 2020 and 2022 surveys, respectively.

Impact of Post-Transplant Diabetes Mellitus on Survival and Cardiovascular Events in Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Backgruound: Post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is a risk factor for poor outcomes after kidney transplantation (KT). However, the outcomes of KT have improved recently. Therefore, we investigated whether PTDM is still a risk factor for mortality, major atherosclerotic cardiovascular events (MACEs), and graft failure in KT recipients.

The Positive Association between Muscle Mass and Bone Status Is Conserved in Men with Diabetes: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Study.

Bone and muscle are known to be correlated and interact chemically each other. Diabetes affects the health status of these two types of organ. There has been lack of studies of men on this topic.

A focus group interview with health professionals: establishing efficient transition care plan for older adult patients in Korea.

Background: Although transition care planning can affect the functional status and quality of life after acute hospitalization in older adults, little is known on problems associated with discharge planning in acute care hospitals in Korea. We aimed to investigate barriers and possible solutions on transfer planning of complex older patients in this study.

Methods: We used focus group interviews with the application of framework analysis.

A Real-World Study of Long-Term Safety and Efficacy of Lobeglitazone in Korean Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Background: Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) have been associated with various safety concerns including weight gain, bladder cancer, and congestive heart failure (CHF). This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of lobeglitazone, a novel TZD in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in real practice.

Methods: In this non-interventional, multi-center, retrospective, and observational study conducted at 15 tertiary or secondary referral hospitals in Korea, a total of 2,228 patients with T2DM who received lobeglitazone 0.

Characteristics and Clinical Course of Diabetes of the Exocrine Pancreas: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

Objective: The natural course of diabetes of the exocrine pancreas (DEP) is not well established. We aimed to compare the risk of insulin initiation, diabetic complications, and mortality between DEP and type 2 diabetes.

Research Design And Methods: Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort between 2012 and 2017, we divided patients with diabetes into those with diabetes without prior pancreatic disease (indicated type 2 diabetes, n = 153,894) and diabetes with a prior diagnosis of pancreatic disease (indicated DEP, n = 3,629).

Mirodenafil ameliorates skin fibrosis in bleomycin-induced mouse model of systemic sclerosis.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. Despite the recent advances in the pathogenesis and treatment of SSc, effective therapies for fibrosis caused by SSc have not yet been established. In this study, we investigated the potential role of mirodenafil, a potent phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitor, in the treatment of fibrosis in SSc.