Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor as a predictor of complete response for preoperative chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer.

Biomarkers that predict tumor response before surgical treatment are necessary to help select patients for preoperative chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer. However, no definite predictive biomarker has been established. This study explored programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), p-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (p-STAT3), and death-domain associated protein as predictive biomarkers with regard to preoperative chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer.

Usefulness of the Thrombotic Microangiopathy Score as a Promising Prognostic Marker of Septic Shock for Patients in the Emergency Department.

The thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) score based on the development and morphological characteristics of schistocytes is a rapid, simple biomarker that is easily obtained from the complete blood cell count by an automated blood cell analyzer. We aimed to determine whether the TMA score is associated with 30-day mortality of patients with early-stage septic shock. This observational cohort study was retrospectively conducted based on a prospective emergency department (ED) registry (June 2015-December 2016).

Changes in health-related quality of life and quality of care among terminally ill cancer patients and survival prediction: Multicenter prospective cohort study.

Objective: This study examined changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and quality of care (QoC) as perceived by terminally ill cancer patients and a stratified set of HRQoL or QoC factors that are most likely to influence survival at the end of life (EoL).

Method: We administered questionnaires to 619 consecutive patients immediately after they were diagnosed with terminal cancer by physicians at 11 university hospitals and at the National Cancer Center in Korea. Subjects were followed up over 161.

Characteristics of hypertension subtypes and treatment outcome among elderly Korean hypertensives.

There are limited data about characteristics of hypertension subtypes in Asian hypertensive patients and their impacts on treatment of hypertension. This prospective, multi-center, observational study evaluated 2439 hypertensive patients. (≥60 years) Inadequately controlled and drug-naïve patients were categorized into three hypertension subtypes (isolated systolic hypertension [ISH], combined systolic/diastolic hypertension [SDH], and isolated diastolic hypertension [IDH]), and proportions of each hypertension subtype were evaluated.

The relationship of liver function tests to mixed exposure to lead and organic solvents.

Objective: This study aims to compare liver function indices (aspartate aminotransferase [AST], alanine aminotransferase [ALT], and gamma glutamyl transferase [GGT]) among males who work with lead, organic solvents, or both lead and organic solvents, under the permissible exposure limit (PEL).

Methods: A total of 593 (out of 2,218) male workers who agreed to share their personal health information for medical research were selected for this study. Those excluded were hepatitis B carriers, individuals exposed to occupational risk factors other than lead and organic solvents, and individuals without liver function results.

Differential relationship between metabolic syndrome score and severity of coronary atherosclerosis as assessed by angiography in a non-diabetic and diabetic Korean population.

Whether the metabolic syndrome (MetS) has prognostic value for coronary artery disease (CAD) beyond its individual components is controversial. We compared the relationship between the number of MetS components and CAD severity as assessed by angiography in non-diabetic and diabetic subjects. We consecutively enrolled 527 patients who underwent their first coronary angiography.

Comparative Study between Febrile Convulsions and Benign Convulsions Associated with Viral Gastroenteritis.

Background And Purpose: This study was performed to compare the clinical features between febrile convulsions and benign convulsions associated with viral gastroenteritis.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 706 children admitted to the Sunlin Hospital for either febrile convulsions or benign convulsions with viral gastroenteritis, between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2009. We classified them into group A for febrile convulsions (N = 631), group B for non-rotavirus gastroenteritis (N = 43) and group C for rotavirus gastroenteritis (N = 32).

Cefotetan versus conventional triple antibiotic prophylaxis in elective colorectal cancer surgery.

This study examined infectious outcomes in elective colorectal cancer surgery between cefotetan alone or conventional triple antibiotics. From January to December 2007, 461 consecutive primary colorectal cancer patients underwent elective surgery. Group A contained 225 patients who received conventional triple antibiotics (cephalosporin, aminoglycoside and metronidazole) for prophylaxis, and group B contained 236 patients who received cefotetan alone for prophylaxis.

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and blood pressure load in obese children.

Background And Objectives: This study was aimed at evaluating the significance of blood pressure (BP) load in ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in obese children and adolescents.

Subjects And Methods: ABPM was conducted for 60 selected patients who had visited Sunlin Hospital between January 2008 and August 2008. Patients were classified into 3 groups; an obese group whose body mass index (BMI) was > the 95th percentile, an overweight group whose BMI was > the 85th percentile but less than the 95th percentile, and a normal group whose BMI was below the 85th percentile.

Repair of coarctation in right circumflex retroesophageal arch.

A right-sided circumflex retroesophageal aortic arch combined with a ventricular septal defect and severe coarctation is an extremely rare condition. Moreover, surgical correction is significant when performing an anatomical reconstruction of the left aortic arch by end-to-side and native tissue-to-tissue anastomosis instead of using a bypass graft. The authors describe an unusual case of a 1 month-old neonate with a ventricular septal defect and coarctation of a right-sided circumflex retroesophageal aortic arch who underwent successful surgical correction.

[Jejunal intussusception with gastrointestinal bleeding caused by metastatic lung cancer].

Intestinal intussusception caused by metastatic tumor is uncommon. Symptomatic small bowel metastases from lung cancer have been rarely reported. Here we report a case of intussusception with gastrointestinal bleeding induced by jejunal metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer with a review of the literature.