A Multicenter, Randomized, Open-Label Study to Compare the Efficacy and Safety of Tacrolimus and Corticosteroids in Combination With or Without Mycophenolate Mofetil in Liver Transplantation Recipients Infected With Hepatitis B Virus.

Background: Mycophenolate mofetil exhibits pharmacologic mechanisms different from calcineurin inhibitors. Therefore, the dose of calcineurin inhibitors can be reduced along with side effects for effective immunosuppression. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus and corticosteroid in combination with or without mycophenolate mofetil in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) recipients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV).

Continuing besifovir dipivoxil maleate versus switching from tenofovir disoproxil fumarate for treatment of chronic hepatitis B: Results of 192-week phase 3 trial.

Background/aims: Besifovir dipivoxil maleate (BSV), an acyclic nucleotide phosphonate, shows potent antiviral activity against hepatitis B virus. Our previous 48-week trial revealed that BSV has comparable antiviral efficacy to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and better safety profiles in terms of improved renal and bone safety. This extension study evaluated the prolonged efficacy and safety of BSV in treatment-naive chronic hepatitis B patients.

Besifovir Dipivoxil Maleate 144-Week Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B: An Open-Label Extensional Study of a Phase 3 Trial.

Introduction: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remains a major worldwide public health concern. Besifovir dipivoxil maleate (BSV) is a new promising treatment for CHB. However, long-term efficacy and safety have not yet been evaluated.

Association of Genomic Domains in and with Prostate Cancer Risk and Aggressiveness.

Pathogenic sequence variants (PSV) in or () are associated with increased risk and severity of prostate cancer. We evaluated whether PSVs in were associated with risk of overall prostate cancer or high grade (Gleason 8+) prostate cancer using an international sample of 65 and 171 male PSV carriers with prostate cancer, and 3,388 and 2,880 male PSV carriers without prostate cancer. PSVs in the 3' region of (c.

Efficacy and Safety of Besifovir Dipivoxil Maleate Compared With Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate in Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection.

Background & Aims: Besifovir dipivoxil maleate (BSV) has activity against hepatitis B virus (HBV). We performed a phase 3 study to compare the antiviral efficacy and safety of BSV vs tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) in patients with chronic HBV infection in Korea.

Methods: We conducted a double-blind, non-inferiority trial of 197 patients with chronic HBV infection at 22 sites in South Korea, from November 2013 through February 2016.

House Dust Mite-Derived Chitin Enhances Th2 Cell Response to Inhaled Allergens, Mainly via a TNF-α-Dependent Pathway.

Purpose: Chitin is a potent adjuvant in the development of immune response to inhaled allergens in the airways. According to other studies, chitin is known as multi-faced adjuvants which can induce Th2 responses. Recently, we found that TNF-α is a key mediator in the development of Th2 cell response to inhaled allergens.

Metformin intervention in obese non-diabetic patients with breast cancer: phase II randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Previous observational studies have suggested that metformin in diabetes patients may reduce breast cancer risk more than the reductions from other anti-diabetes medications. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed to evaluate the efficacy of metformin for controlling physical and metabolic profiles related to prognosis and adverse events in non-diabetic breast cancer patients. Female breast cancer patients (N = 105), at least 6 months post-mastectomy, with obesity (≥25 kg/m(2)) and/or pre-diabetes (fasting blood sugar levels ≥100 mg/dL), were randomly assigned to three groups (placebo, metformin 500 mg, and metformin 1000 mg) stratified by tamoxifen use.

Association of urinary 3-phenoxybenzoic acid levels with self-reported depression symptoms in a rural elderly population in Asan, South Korea.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the association between presence of depression symptoms and the exposure level to insecticides among aged population in rural area, determined via measured levels of urinary 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), after controlling for socioeconomic confounding factors.

Methods: Using a cross-sectional study design, we randomly recruited participants for our study (161 male and 239 female) from rural areas of Asan, Chungnam, Korea. Environmental risk factor exposure was assessed using a questionnaire, and gas chromatography- mass spectrometry was used to analyze urinary 3-PBA levels.

Non-HDL cholesterol is an independent risk factor for aspirin resistance in obese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Objective: We evaluated the prevalence of aspirin resistance and predictive factors for aspirin resistance in Korean type 2 diabetes patients.

Approach And Results: A total of 1045 type 2 diabetes patients from 11 hospitals who were taking aspirin (100 mg/day for ≥2 weeks) and no other antiplatelet agents were studied to evaluate aspirin resistance. Aspirin resistance was measured in aspirin reaction units using VerifyNow(®).