Impact of high body mass index on hepatocellular carcinoma risk in chronic liver disease: A population-based prospective cohort study.

Background And Aims: We investigated associations between body mass index (BMI) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with hepatitis B (HBV) C (HCV) virus infection, alcoholic liver disease (ALD), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and liver cirrhosis (LC).

Methods: We followed 350,608 Korean patients with liver disease who underwent routine health examinations from 2003-2006 until December 2018 via national hospital discharge records. Multivariable adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) per 5-kg/m2 BMI increase (BMI ≥25 kg/m2) for HCC risk were calculated using Cox models.

Risk Factors for Progressive Disease After Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background: This study analyzed the clinical features of patients with recurrent or metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), who developed progressive disease (PD) after immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 256 patients with R/M HNSCC treated with ICIs at 11 medical centers. Associations between the treatment outcomes-best response, overall survival, and progression-free survival-and various clinical factors were analyzed.

Development and Evaluation of a Mindfulness-Based Mobile Intervention for Perinatal Mental Health: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Perinatal mental health problems, such as anxiety, stress, and depression, warrant particularly close monitoring and intervention, but they are often unaddressed in both obstetric and psychiatric clinics, with limited accessibility and treatment resources. Mobile health interventions may provide an effective and more accessible solution for addressing perinatal mental health. Development and evaluation of a mobile mental health intervention specifically for pregnant women are warranted.

Neurosteroids and neurological disorders.

Neurosteroids play an important role as endogenous neuromodulators that are locally produced in the central nervous system and rapidly change the excitability of neurons and the activation of microglial cells and astrocytes. Here we review the mechanisms of synthesis, metabolism, and actions of neurosteroids in the central nervous system. Neurosteroids are able to play a variety of roles in the central nervous system under physiological conditions by binding to membrane ion channels and receptors such as gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptors, Nmethyl- D-aspartate receptors, L- and T-type calcium channels, and sigma-1 receptors.

Role of dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane in enhancing functional outcomes after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane (dHACM) has shown potential in enhancing neurovascular recovery and functional outcomes in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP).

Aim: To evaluate the effects of dHACM on continence recovery, sexual function, and oncological outcomes in patients undergoing RARP.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following PRISMA guidelines, analyzing data from PubMed, Cochrane, and EMBASE.

COVID-19 Vaccination Recommendations for 2024-2025 in Korea.

The Korean Society of Infectious Diseases has been regularly publishing guidelines for adult immunization since 2007. Following the release of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination recommendations in 2023, significant changes have occurred due to the emergence of new variant strains and the waning immunity from previous vaccinations. This article provides a comprehensive update as of November 2024, incorporating the latest evidence and guidelines.

Role of P × receptor during focused ultrasound induced blood brain barrier modulation.

Although low-intensity focused ultrasound (LiFUS) with microbubbles is used to temporally open the blood-brain barrier (BBB), the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. This study aimed to analyze BBB-related alterations in the brain microenvironment after LiFUS, with a focus on the involvement of the purinergic P ×  receptor. Sprague-Dawley rats were sonicated with LiFUS at 0.

Anthropometric Changes in Female Participants Enrolled in a Combined Aerobic and Resistance Training Program for Longer than 1 Year: A Cohort Study.

Background: To analyze the anthropometric changes in women who had participated in a combined resistance and aerobic training program for more than a year and to determine the effect of the exercise on weight loss.

Methods: A total of 9,128 women aged between 20 and 60 years who registered in the Curves program, which employs a combination of resistance and aerobic training exercises, and who participated for more than 1 year were included in our analysis. The women were divided into groups according to exercise frequency: <1, 1, 2, and ≥3 days/week.

Dorsoradial ligament reconstruction versus imbrication for restoring trapeziometacarpal joint stability: a comparative biomechanical study.

The unique saddle articulation of the trapeziometacarpal joint allows for a wide range of motion necessary for routine function of the thumb. Inherently unstable characteristics of the joint can lead painful instability. In this study, we modified a surgical dorsal ligament reconstruction technique for restoring trapeziometacarpal joint stability.

Paraoxonase-1 Is a Pivotal Regulator Responsible for Suppressing Allergic Airway Inflammation Through Adipose Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles.

Although adipose stem cell (ASC)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) are as effective as ASCs in the suppression of Th2 cell-mediated eosinophilic inflammation, the role of identified pulmonary genes has not been well documented. Thus, we assessed the immunomodulatory effects of paraoxonase-1 (PON1) on allergic airway inflammation in a mouse model of asthma. Five-week-old female C57BL/6 mice were sensitized to ovalbumin (OVA) by intraperitoneal injection and challenged intranasally with OVA.

Feasibility and Safety of ArtiSential for Minimally Invasive Surgery in Early-stage Gynecologic Cancer: Results from the KGOG 4002/GYANT Study.

Objectives: The objective is to evaluate the feasibility and safety of ArtiSential for performing minimally invasive surgeries for gynecological cancers.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study at 10 Tertiary Institutional Hospitals in Korea between November 2021 and April 2022. Eligible patients were 18 years or older and planned to undergo minimally invasive surgery for gynecologic cancer.

Development of a forest healing program for individuals with musculoskeletal disease risk and verification of its preventive effects.

Preventive treatment is crucial in averting the onset of musculoskeletal diseases, particularly among individuals in high-stress occupations. This study aimed to develop a forest healing program and a standardized survey index to gauge its efficacy in mitigating stress and preventing musculoskeletal disorders. Service-oriented workers who engage in repetitive tasks but are not traditional office workers at risk of musculoskeletal issues were recruited.

Comparison of Population Attributable Fractions of Cancer Incidence and Mortality Linked to Excess Body Weight in Korea from 2015 to 2030.

Backgruound: The increasing rate of excess body weight (EBW) in the global population has led to growing health concerns, including cancer-related EBW. We aimed to estimate the population attributable fraction (PAF) of cancer incidence and deaths linked to EBW in Korean individuals from 2015 to 2030 and to compare its value with various body mass index cutoffs.

Methods: Levin's formula was used to calculate the PAF; the prevalence rates were computed using the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, while the relative risks of specific cancers related to EBW were estimated based on the results of Korean cohort studies.

The risk of pregnancy-related adverse outcomes after COVID-19 vaccination: Propensity score-matched analysis with influenza vaccination.

Introduction: Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination rates in pregnant women remain low owing to safety concerns. When evaluating vaccine safety, comparisons with unvaccinated individuals may lead to healthy vaccinee bias. This study aimed to investigate the association between mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination and pregnancy-related adverse outcomes compared with influenza vaccination.

Estimation of Population Attributable Fraction by Hormone and Reproductive Factors on Female Cancer in the Republic of Korea, 2015 to 2030.

Purpose: Population attributable fractions (PAFs) for hormone and reproductive factors have been estimated in several countries. IARC designated as Group 1 and Group 2A carcinogen for hormone factors in breast, ovarian, endometrial and uterine cervix cancer. This study aimed to estimate the PAFs of hormone/reproductive factor attributed to cancer incidence and deaths in Korean women and projected trends from 2015 to 2030.

Therapeutic Effectiveness of SNOT 22-Based Interdose Interval Adjustment of Dupilumab for Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps.

Objectives: This study evaluates the enduring efficacy and patient satisfaction of dupilumab with interdose interval adjustments based on the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP).

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 44 patients who had been treated with dupilumab for over 6 months. This study targeted individuals diagnosed with CRSwNP according to the 2020 edition of the European Position Paper on Rhinosinusitis and Nasal Polyps Criteria.

Association of volatile organic compound exposure and metabolic syndrome.

The cumulative toxicity of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) cause many medical diseases. We analyzed the evidence of association between VOCs and risk of metabolic syndrome in the Korean population using 1771 participants from the 2023 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The creatinine-corrected urinary concentrations of BMA, 2-MHA, PGA, SPMA, 3-HPMA, BPMA and DHBMA were higher in the metabolic syndrome group than in the non-metabolic syndrome group.

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.

Biomarkers in lymphedema assessment: integrating elastography and muti-frequency bioimpedance analysis.

Multi-frequency bioimpedance analysis (MFBIA) is used to measure lymphedema, but it is a biomarker that is sensitive to stiffness. Lymphedema is a condition that can be accompanied by stiffness, but no studies have considered this, so we tried to use non-invasive elastography as a biomarker for stiffness. This retrospective study included 102 patients with lymphedema, divided into two groups according to the elastography strain ratio: stiff group (elastography strain ratio <0.

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.