Relationship between the Geriatric Nutrition Risk Index and the prognosis of severe coronavirus disease 2019 in Korea.

Background: Malnutrition exacerbates the prognosis of various diseases; however, its specific impact on severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outcomes remains underexplored.

Methods: This multicenter study in Korea assessed the nutritional status of 1,088 adults with severe COVID-19 using the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) based on serum albumin levels and body weight. The patients were divided into the GNRI>98 (no-risk) and GNRI≤98 (risk) groups.

Status of and needs related to community-based practice in public healthcare institutions among Korean medical schools: a cross-sectional study.

Background: This study analyzed the status of community-based practice in public healthcare institutions in Korean medical schools and identified related needs.

Methods: We conducted an online cross-sectional survey in which 32 of 40 medical schools (80.0%) participated between March and April 2023.

Impact of Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Colonization on Clinical Characteristics, Antibiotic Treatment, and Clinical Outcomes of Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia.

Purpose: To determine effects of colonization with multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRB) in general wards on characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP).

Methods: This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study of patients with HAP admitted to 16 tertiary or university hospitals in Korea from July 2019 to December 2019. From the entire cohort, patients who developed pneumonia in general wards with known colonization status before the onset of pneumonia were included in this study.

Survey of the Actual Practices Used for Endoscopic Removal of Colon Polyps in Korea: A Comparison with the Current Guidelines.

Background/aims: We investigated the clinical practice patterns of Korean endoscopists for the endoscopic resection of colorectal polyps.

Methods: From September to November 2021, an online survey was conducted regarding the preferred resection methods for colorectal polyps, and responses were compared with the international guidelines.

Results: Among 246 respondents, those with <4 years, 4-9 years, and ≥10 years of experience in colonoscopy practices accounted for 25.

Longitudinal Trajectory of Dopamine and Serotonin Transporters in Parkinson Disease.

Parkinson disease (PD) is a multisystem disorder marked by progressive dopaminergic neuronal degeneration in the substantia nigra, as well as nondopaminergic systems. Our aim was to investigate longitudinal changes in -(3-[F]fluoropropyl-2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-iodophenyl)nortropane (F-FP-CIT) binding at the putamen, substantia nigra, and raphe nuclei in PD. This retrospective cohort study enrolled 127 patients with PD, who underwent F-FP-CIT PET scans twice or more, and 71 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.

Comparison of Patients Who Were Not Evaluated and Lost to Follow-Up with Multidrug/Rifampin-Resistant Tuberculosis in South Korea.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the prognosis of the not evaluated (NE) group by comparing it with the lost to follow-up (LTFU) group among patients with multidrug/rifampin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB).

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective longitudinal follow-up study using an integrated database constructed by data linkage of the three national databases. This database included 7226 cases of MDR/RR-TB notified between 2011 and 2017 in South Korea.

Long-term use of proton pump inhibitors was associated with rapid progression to end stage kidney disease in a Korean nationwide study.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are among the most widely used drugs worldwide. However, their influence on the progression of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in established chronic kidney disease (CKD) cases is unclear. Using the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment database encoded by the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership-Common Data Model (OMOP-CDM), patients with stage 3 or 4 CKD initiating PPIs or histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs) for over 90 days were enrolled from 2012 through 2021.

Associations of socio-demographic, anthropometric and behavioural factors with phase angle in older adults: a cross-sectional study in Taiwan.

Objective: Phase angle (PhA) is a prognostic factor for predicting and monitoring geriatric syndromes. However, multiple factors associated with increased PhA values as an outcome remain unclear in the older population. This study aimed to examine the association of socio-demographic, anthropometric and behavioural factors with PhA among older Taiwanese adults.

Functional Liver Imaging Score (FLIS) as imaging parameter for predicting post-hepatectomy complications in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Background: Liver dysfunction has been reported as a risk factor for predicting complications after hepatectomy. In patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) who underwent hepatectomy, a Functional Liver Imaging Score (FLIS), derived from gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), has never been investigated as a predictor of clinically significant post-hepatectomy complications.

Purpose: To evaluate whether FLIS can predict post-hepatectomy complications in patients with LC.

Breast cancers with neuroendocrine differentiation: Retrospective case studies series from a single institution based on the 2019 WHO classification.

Background: The World Health Organization's fifth edition of tumor series classification was published in 2019 and adopted the term 'Neuroendocrine neoplasm (NEN)' to encompass all tumor classes with predominant neuroendocrine differentiation (NED). Based on the updated classification of the NEN, we conducted a case series using the Clinical Data Warehouse platform of SMC.

Methods: In this retrospective study, breast NENs and invasive breast carcinomas no special type (IBCNST) with NED, were defined as 'NENS'.

Characteristics of Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis at Diagnosis in Korea: Results From a Multicenter, Registry-Based, Inception Cohort Study.

Background: We aimed to investigate the characteristics of pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC) at diagnosis in Korea.

Methods: This was a multicenter, registry-based, inception cohort study conducted in Korea between 2021 and 2023. Children and adolescents newly diagnosed with UC < 18 years were included.

The pathogenesis of gout.

Gout is the most common inflammatory arthritis in adults, associated with hyperuricemia and the chronic deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals. Hyperuricemia results from increased production of uric acid and decreased excretion by the kidneys and intestines. Urate excretion is regulated by a group of urate transporters, and decreased renal or intestinal excretion is the primary mechanism of hyperuricemia in most people.

Dorsolateral pontine lesions produce distinct ocular motor abnormalities with anatomical correlations.

Background And Purpose: The dorsolateral portion of the caudal pons contains the vestibular nucleus (VN) and inferior cerebellar peduncle (ICP) that play important roles in conveying and processing vestibular and ocular motor signals. This study aimed to characterize ocular motor abnormalities along with their anatomical correlations in dorsolateral pons (DLP) lesions.

Methods: We analyzed clinical features, and results of neuro-otological evaluations and neuroimaging of 18 patients with unilateral DLP lesions (17 with DLP infarction and 1 with cavernous malformation) from among 506 patients with pontine infarction in a stroke registry.

Quality of life outcomes in terminal cancer patients attending regional cancer centers in South Korea: protocol for a prospective cohort study.

Introduction: Patients with cancer experience physical, mental, and social pain that affects themselves and their families. The increasing cancer incidence and advances in treatment have increased the number of cancer survivors in Korea, and there is an influx of patients in Seoul and other metropolitan areas, leading to shortages of continuous care and comprehensive life support facilities. Patients must travel long distances for treatment, which poses logistical and quality-of-life challenges.

Clinical Outcomes and Prognosis of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Presenting with Obstruction.

Background: The prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) with obstruction is unclear. This study aimed to analyze clinical outcomes and prognosis of patients with ESCC and obstruction.

Methods: Patients with advanced ESCC were included and divided into obstructive and non-obstructive groups.

Whole-Body and Segmental Phase Angles and Cognitive Function in the Older Korean Population: Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Background: Recently, the phase angle (PhA) has emerged as an essential indicator of cellular health. Most studies have examined its association with physiological conditions, such as sarcopenia, frailty, and physical function, in older populations. Simultaneously, growing attention is being paid to the clinical relevance of segmental PhAs for future applications.

Efficacy of Oral Sulfate Tablet and 2 L-Polyethylene Glycol With Ascorbic Acid for Bowel Preparation: A Prospective Randomized KASID Multicenter Trial.

Background: Oral sulfate tablets (OSTs) are bowel preparation agents that combine oral sulfate solution and simethicone. This study compared the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of OST compared to 2 L-polyethylene glycol plus ascorbic acid (2 L-PEG/ASC).

Methods: This prospective, randomized, controlled, single-blinded, multicenter, noninferiority trial enrolled 211 healthy adults who underwent colonoscopy between May 2020 and September 2022 at 13 university hospitals.

Combinatorial Effects of Terpene, Chenodeoxycholic Acid, and Ursodeoxycholic Acid on Common Bile Duct Stone Recurrence and Gallbladder Stone Dissolution.

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) plus UDCA (C&U), and terpene are widely administered to prevent common bile duct (CBD) stone recurrence and dissolve gallbladder (GB) stones. We evaluated and compared the combined effects of these agents on CBD stone recurrence and GB stone resolution. This study included patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) at six referral centers, retrospectively.

Association of HOMA-IR Versus TyG Index with Diabetes in Individuals Without Underweight or Obesity.

There are higher numbers of Asian individuals with metabolically obese, normal weight (MONW) who are susceptible to diabetes than other ethnic groups. The homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) has been used for years to evaluate IR; however, the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index has been highlighted as a reliable and cost-effective insulin resistance indicator. Thus, this study explored the association of the HOMA-IR versus the TyG index with diabetes in individuals without underweight or obesity.

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.

Muscle Pathology Associated With Cardiac Function in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Objective: To compare the progression of muscle fibrosis of various site and its relation between cardiac deterioration in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). In this study aimed to examine the associations between echocardiogram-based cardiac function indices and fibrosis of the abdominal and lower extremity muscles in patients with DMD to facilitate early detection of cardiac dysfunction and identify its predictors.

Methods: Twenty-one patients with DMD patients were enrolled in the study.

Randomized Multicenter Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Fexuprazan According to the Timing of Dosing in Patients with Erosive Esophagitis.

Background/aims: Fexuprazan, a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker, was developed for treating acidrelated disorders. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of fexuprazan, unlike those of proton pump inhibitors, are independent of food effect. This study aims to evaluate differences in efficacy and safety of fexuprazan in patients with erosive esophagitis (EE) according to the timing of dosing.