Decision and Practice of End-of-Life Care in Lung Disease Patients with Physicians Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze end-of-life care practices in lung disease patients with physician orders for life-sustaining treatment (POLSTs).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from medical records regarding the end-of-life care practices of POLST decisions for patients with lung disease hospitalized at a tertiary hospital in Seoul, South Korea. Data were collected from January 1 to June 30, 2021.

Refining cell-based assay to detect MOG-IgG in patients with central nervous system inflammatory diseases.

Background: Given that the spectrum of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein immunoglobulin G (MOG-IgG) associated disease is yet to be fully defined, development of sensitive and highly specific assays to identify MOG-IgG is crucial to precisely define the clinical phenotypes, disease courses and prognosis to describe the full spectrum of MOG-IgG associated diseases. Here, we aim to validate a new in-house live cell-based assay (CBA) for screening MOG-IgG in patients with central nervous system inflammatory diseases.

Methods: We generated a full length MOG transfected HEK293 stable cell line using pIRES2-eGFP vector.

Tobacco company strategies for maintaining cigarette advertisements and displays in retail chain stores: In-depth interviews with Korean convenience store owners.

Introduction: This study gathered data from store owners regarding the advertising and display of, and the contractual arrangements and promotional activities related to, the sale of tobacco products in convenience stores.

Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with three owners of convenience stores in South Korea: to examine the procedures for managing the sale of tobacco products; for allocating the advertising allowance for such products; and for coordinating the promotional activities of tobacco companies.

Results: All tobacco advertisements and displays in convenience stores are installed and managed in accordance with the contract between the tobacco companies and the convenience store headquarters.

Differences in visual fixation duration according to the position of graphic health warning labels: An eye-tracking approach.

Introduction: The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recommends that graphic health warning labels (GHWLs) be positioned at the top of the principal area of cigarette packs, rather than at the bottom, to increase visibility. However, during the legislative process of introducing GHWLs in South Korea, the position of GHWLs has become a contested issue. The pro-tobacco industry group argued that the warnings should be placed at the bottom of cigarette packs because evidence for the effectiveness of the upper position was insufficient.

Convenience store visitors recall cigarette advertisements even if they do not purchase cigarettes.

Background: This study examined the extent to which visitors to convenience stores remember the cigarette advertisements they encounter in these stores and investigated the relationships between how advertisements are recalled and attitudes toward them.

Methods: Exit surveys of 1007 visitors to three convenience stores located in Seoul, Korea, were conducted between 25 November 2015 and 7 December 2015.

Results: Of the respondents, 23.

CTLA4-CD28 chimera gene modification of T cells enhances the therapeutic efficacy of donor lymphocyte infusion for hematological malignancy.

Donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) followed by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has served as an effective prevention/treatment modality against the relapse of some hematologic tumors, such as chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However, the therapeutic efficacies of DLI for other types of leukemia, including acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), have been limited thus far. Therefore, we examined whether increasing the reactivity of donor T cells by gene modification could enhance the therapeutic efficacy of DLI in a murine model of ALL.

Large-Scale in-House Cell-Based Assay for Evaluating the Serostatus in Patients with Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder Based on New Diagnostic Criteria.

Background And Purpose: The detection of aquaporin 4-IgG (AQP4-IgG) is now a critical diagnostic criterion for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). To evaluate the serostatus of NMOSD patients based on the 2015 new diagnostic criteria using a new in-house cell-based assay (CBA).

Methods: We generated a stable cell line using internal ribosome entry site-containing bicistronic vectors, which allow the simultaneous expression of two proteins (AQP4 and green fluorescent protein) separately from the same RNA transcript.

Ndrg1 is a T-cell clonal anergy factor negatively regulated by CD28 costimulation and interleukin-2.

Induction of T-cell clonal anergy involves serial activation of transcription factors, including NFAT and Egr2/3. However, downstream effector mechanisms of these transcription factors are not fully understood yet. Here we identify Ndrg1 as an anergy factor induced by Egr2.

A Patient with Duodenal Mucinous Adenocarcinoma Presenting as a Laterally Spreading Tumor.

Primary duodenal carcinoma is rare. Duodenal mucinous adenocarcinoma (DMA) is even rarer, and its associated manifestations and typical endoscopic or imaging findings are not well characterized. Herein, we report a case of primary DMA in an asymptomatic 58-year-old man who visited our hospital for a regular health screening.

[A case of pleomorphic liposarcoma in a patient with Crohn's disease taking azathioprine].

Azathioprine is frequently used for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Lymphomas, squamous cell carcinomas, and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas have been reported among patients receiving azathioprine therapy. Herein, we report a case of pleomorphic liposarcoma of chest wall which occurred in a 44-year-old man with Crohn's disease taking azathioprine.

[Is it useful to perform additional colonoscopy to detect unmatched lesion between positron emission tomography/computed tomography and colonoscopy?].

Background/aims: Incidentally detected focal 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake was compared with colonoscopy. We investigated the characteristics of colon adenomas which were revealed on PET/CT. Then we identified whether additional colonoscopy was necessary in patients with lesions which were revealed on PET/CT but had no matched lesions on colonoscopy.

Positive conversion of negative signaling of CTLA4 potentiates antitumor efficacy of adoptive T-cell therapy in murine tumor models.

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA4) has been known to be a strong tolerance-inducing inhibitory receptor on T-cell surface. Systemic blocking of CTLA4 function with blocking antibodies has been regarded as an attractive strategy to enhance antitumor immunity. However, this strategy accompanies systemic autoimmune side effects that are sometimes problematic.

Recruitment of Sprouty1 to immune synapse regulates T cell receptor signaling.

TCR stimulation not only initiates positive signals for T cell activation, but also induces negative signals that down-regulate T cells. We previously reported that Sprouty1, a negative regulator of Ras-MAPK pathway of receptor tyrosine kinases, was induced by TCR signal and inhibited TCR signaling in CD4+ T cell clones. In this study, we addressed the mechanism underlying Sprouty1 inhibition of T cells.