Splenic epidermoid cyst in a dog.

Splenic epithelial cysts are rare in humans and have not been reported in animals, to our knowledge. During a routine medical examination of a 12-y-old castrated male Maltese dog, a splenic mass was found and subsequently removed via splenectomy. Histologically, a well-defined multilocular cyst in the spleen was lined mostly by simple cuboidal, multifocally by stratified cuboidal, or occasionally by stratified squamous epithelium.

Associations between exploratory dietary patterns and incident type 2 diabetes: a federated meta-analysis of individual participant data from 25 cohort studies.

Purpose: In several studies, exploratory dietary patterns (DP), derived by principal component analysis, were inversely or positively associated with incident type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, findings remained study-specific, inconsistent and rarely replicated. This study aimed to investigate the associations between DPs and T2D in multiple cohorts across the world.

Gene-environment interaction in type 2 diabetes in Korean cohorts: Interaction of a type 2 diabetes polygenic risk score with triglyceride and cholesterol on fasting glucose levels.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is caused by genetic and environmental factors as well as gene-environment interactions. However, these interactions have not been systematically investigated. We analyzed these interactions for T2D and fasting glucose levels in three Korean cohorts, HEXA, KARE, and CAVAS, using the baseline data with a multiple regression model.

Associations of Total Legume, Pulse, and Soy Consumption with Incident Type 2 Diabetes: Federated Meta-Analysis of 27 Studies from Diverse World Regions.

Background: The consumption of legumes is promoted as part of a healthy diet in many countries but associations of total and types of legume consumption with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are not well established. Analyses across diverse populations are lacking despite the availability of unpublished legume consumption data in prospective cohort studies.

Objective: To examine the prospective associations of total and types of legume intake with the risk of incident T2D.

Identification of metabolic markers predictive of prediabetes in a Korean population.

Prediabetes (PD) is a high-risk state of developing type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Metabolomics-based biomarker studies can provide advanced opportunities for prediction of PD over the conventional methods. Here, we aimed to identify metabolic markers and verify their abilities to predict PD, as compared to the performance of the traditional clinical risk factor (CRF) and previously reported metabolites in other population-based studies.

Analysis of the Interaction between Polygenic Risk Score and Calorie Intake in Obesity in the Korean Population.

Introduction: Obesity results from an imbalance in the intake and expenditure of calories that leads to lifestyle-related diseases. Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have revealed many obesity-related genetic factors, the interactions of these factors and calorie intake remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate interactions between calorie intake and the polygenic risk score (PRS) of BMI.

Prediction of deep vein thrombosis by ultrasonography and D-dimer in Asian patients with ischemic stroke.

Background: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is an important complication of ischemic stroke, although the incidence of DVT is regarded as being lower in Asian than in non-Asian patients. Here, we investigated the incidence and factors associated with DVT in Asian patients with ischemic stroke.

Methods: Acute ischemic stroke patients received lower extremity ultrasonography (LEUS) to diagnose the presence of DVT.

Are Genetic Variants Associated with the Location of Cerebral Arterial Lesions in Stroke Patients?

Background: Genetic variants may play a role in determining the location of cerebral atherosclerosis. We aimed to investigate the association between RNF213, MMP2, and genetic polymorphisms linked to vascular tortuosity with the location of cerebral arterial atherosclerosis.

Methods: A prospective case-control study was conducted on patients with ischemic stroke and age- and sex-matched stroke-free controls.

The effect of mutations derived from mouse-adapted H3N2 seasonal influenza A virus to pathogenicity and host adaptation.

Elucidating the genetic basis of influenza A viruses (IAVs) is important to understand which mutations will determine the virulence and the host range of mammals. Here, seasonal H3N2 influenza was adapted in mice by serial passage and four mutants, each carrying amino acid substitutions related to mouse adaptation in either the PB2, HA, NP, or NA protein, were generated. To confirm the contribution of each gene to enhanced pathogenicity and mouse adaptation, mice were inoculated with the respective variants, and virulence, replication, histopathology, and infectivity were examined.

Metabolomics profiles associated with HbA1c levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is an indicator of the average blood glucose concentration. Failing to control HbA1c levels can accelerate the development of complications in patients with diabetes. Although metabolite profiles associated with HbA1c level in diabetes patients have been characterized using different platforms, more studies using high-throughput technology will be helpful to identify additional metabolites related to diabetes.

Cigarette Smoking Preferentially Affects Intracranial Vessels in Young Males: A Propensity-Score Matching Analysis.

Purpose: Cigarette smoking (CS) is one of the major risk factors of cerebral atherosclerotic disease, however, its level of contribution to extracranial and intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ECAS and ICAS) was not fully revealed yet. The purpose of our study was to assess the association of CS to cerebral atherosclerosis along with other risk factors.

Materials And Methods: All consecutive patients who were angiographically confirmed with severe symptomatic cerebral atherosclerotic disease between January 2002 and December 2012 were included in this study.

Gene-environment interactions related to blood pressure traits in two community-based Korean cohorts.

Hypertension is a complex disorder caused by genetic and environmental risk factors. Recently, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) identified more than 100 genetic variants for blood pressure traits and hypertension. However, the interactions between these genetic variants and environmental factors have not been systematically investigated.

Patterns and Outcomes of the Top of the Basilar Artery Syndrome: The Role of the Posterior Communicating Artery.

Background: Clinical syndromes secondary to infarcts in the distal basilar artery (BA) area have been described as "top of the basilar" (TOB) syndrome. However, in the era of advanced imaging technology, it has been realized that the clinical and imaging features are quite diverse in patients with distal BA occlusion. The aim of the present study was to investigate the patterns and clinical outcomes of TOB assessed with modern images and categorize TOBs accordingly.

Prevalence of Participating in Physical Activity From 2 Korean Surveillance Systems: KNHANES and KCHS.

Background: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and trends of participation in physical activity (PA) in Korean adults.

Methods: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES; 2009-2013) and the Korea Community Health Survey (KCHS; 2009-2013) were used to estimate the prevalence of PA. Age standardization was performed using population projections for Korea in 2005 as a standard population.

Low- versus Standard-Dose Intravenous Alteplase in the Context of Bridging Therapy for Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Korean ENCHANTED Study.

Background And Purpose: Following the positive results from recent trials on endovascular therapy (EVT), bridging therapy (intravenous alteplase plus EVT) is increasingly being used for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. However, the optimal dose of intravenous alteplase remains unknown in centers where bridging therapy is actively performed. The optimal dose for eventual recanalization and positive clinical outcomes in patients receiving bridging therapy also remains unknown.

Prognostic Significance of Troponin Elevation for Long-Term Mortality after Ischemic Stroke.

Background And Purpose: Troponin, a marker of myocardial injury, frequently increases and is related with poor outcome in ischemic stroke patients. However, the long-term outcome of this elevation remains uncertain. We, therefore, investigated the prognostic significance of troponin elevation for long-term mortality, and explored factors affecting troponin elevation after ischemic stroke.

Validity of self-reported cancer history in the health examinees (HEXA) study: A comparison of self-report and cancer registry records.

Purpose: To assess the validity of the cohort study participants' self-reported cancer history via data linkage to a cancer registry database.

Methods: We included 143,965 participants from the Health Examinees (HEXA) study recruited between 2004 and 2013 who gave informed consent for record linkage to the Korean Central Cancer Registry (KCCR). The sensitivity and the positive predictive value of self-reported histories of cancer were calculated and 95% confidence intervals were estimated.

Carbohydrate Composition Associated with the 2-Year Incidence of Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Adults.

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between macronutrient composition and metabolic syndrome (MetS) incidence in Korean adults. Data were obtained from a cohort of 10,030 members aged 40 to 69 years who were enrolled from the 2 cities (Ansung and Ansan) between 2001 and 2002 to participate in the Korean Genome Epidemiology Study. Of these members, 5,565 participants, who were free of MetS and reported no diagnosis of cardiovascular disease at baseline, were included in this study.

On the association analysis of CNV data: a fast and robust family-based association method.

Background: Copy number variation (CNV) is known to play an important role in the genetics of complex diseases and several methods have been proposed to detect association of CNV with phenotypes of interest. Statistical methods for CNV association analysis can be categorized into two different strategies. First, the copy number is estimated by maximum likelihood and association of the expected copy number with the phenotype is tested.

Interaction of iron status with single nucleotide polymorphisms on incidence of type 2 diabetes.

The objective of this study is to find single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with a risk of Type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Korean adults and to investigate the longitudinal association between these SNPs and T2D and the interaction effects of iron intake and average hemoglobin level. Data from the KoGES_Ansan and Ansung Study were used. Gene-iron interaction analysis was conducted using a two-step approach.

Cardiac Vulnerability to Cerebrogenic Stress as a Possible Cause of Troponin Elevation in Stroke.

Background: Troponin elevation with electrocardiography changes is not uncommon in patients with acute ischemic stroke; however, it is still unclear whether the mechanism of these changes is due to cardiac problems or neurally mediated myocytic damage. Thus, we investigated cardiac and neurological predictors of troponin elevation in those patients.

Methods And Results: We retrospectively analyzed medical data of the prospectively registered ischemic stroke patients on stroke registry who were admitted and underwent a serum cardiac troponin I and 12-lead electrocardiography within 24 hours of symptom onset.