Incidence of depression increases in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). We evaluated the association between depression and mortality among older patients with ESKD, which has not been studied previously. Methods: This nationwide prospective cohort study included 487 patients with ESKD aged >65 years, who were categorized into minimal, mild-to-moderate, and severe depression groups based on their Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) scores. Predisposing factors for high BDI-II scores and the association between the scores and survival were analyzed. Results: The severe depression group showed a higher modified Charlson comorbidity index value and lower serum albumin, phosphate, and uric acid levels than the other depression groups. The Kaplan-Meier curve revealed a significantly lower survival in the severe depression group than in the minimal and mild-to-moderate depression groups (p = 0.011). Multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed that severe depression was an independent risk factor for mortality in the study cohort (hazard ratio, 1.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.01–1.91; p = 0.041). Additionally, BDI-II scores were associated with modified Charlson comorbidity index (p = 0.009) and serum albumin level (p = 0.004) in multivariate linear regression. Among the three depressive symptoms, higher somatic symptom scores were associated with increased mortality. Conclusion: Severe depression among older patients with ESKD increases mortality compared with minimal or mild-to-moderate depression, and patients with concomitant somatic symptoms require careful management of their comorbidities and nutritional status.

Incidence of depression increases in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). We evaluated the association between depression and mortality among older patients with ESKD, which has not been studied previously. Methods: This nationwide prospective cohort study included 487 patients with ESKD aged >65 years, who were categorized into minimal, mild-to-moderate, and severe depression groups based on their Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) scores. Predisposing factors for high BDI-II scores and the association between the scores and survival were analyzed. Results: The severe depression group showed a higher modified Charlson comorbidity index value and lower serum albumin, phosphate, and uric acid levels than the other depression groups. The Kaplan-Meier curve revealed a significantly lower survival in the severe depression group than in the minimal and mild-to-moderate depression groups (p = 0.011). Multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed that severe depression was an independent risk factor for mortality in the study cohort (hazard ratio, 1.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.01–1.91; p = 0.041). Additionally, BDI-II scores were associated with modified Charlson comorbidity index (p = 0.009) and serum albumin level (p = 0.004) in multivariate linear regression. Among the three depressive symptoms, higher somatic symptom scores were associated with increased mortality. Conclusion: Severe depression among older patients with ESKD increases mortality compared with minimal or mild-to-moderate depression, and patients with concomitant somatic symptoms require careful management of their comorbidities and nutritional status.

Incidence of depression increases in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). We evaluated the association between depression and mortality among older patients with ESKD, which has not been studied previously. Methods: This nationwide prospective cohort study included 487 patients with ESKD aged >65 years, who were categorized into minimal, mild-to-moderate, and severe depression groups based on their Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) scores. Predisposing factors for high BDI-II scores and the association between the scores and survival were analyzed. Results: The severe depression group showed a higher modified Charlson comorbidity index value and lower serum albumin, phosphate, and uric acid levels than the other depression groups. The Kaplan-Meier curve revealed a significantly lower survival in the severe depression group than in the minimal and mild-to-moderate depression groups (p = 0.011). Multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed that severe depression was an independent risk factor for mortality in the study cohort (hazard ratio, 1.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.01–1.91; p = 0.041). Additionally, BDI-II scores were associated with modified Charlson comorbidity index (p = 0.009) and serum albumin level (p = 0.004) in multivariate linear regression. Among the three depressive symptoms, higher somatic symptom scores were associated with increased mortality. Conclusion: Severe depression among older patients with ESKD increases mortality compared with minimal or mild-to-moderate depression, and patients with concomitant somatic symptoms require careful management of their comorbidities and nutritional status.

Incidence of depression increases in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). We evaluated the association between depression and mortality among older patients with ESKD, which has not been studied previously. Methods: This nationwide prospective cohort study included 487 patients with ESKD aged >65 years, who were categorized into minimal, mild-to-moderate, and severe depression groups based on their Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) scores. Predisposing factors for high BDI-II scores and the association between the scores and survival were analyzed. Results: The severe depression group showed a higher modified Charlson comorbidity index value and lower serum albumin, phosphate, and uric acid levels than the other depression groups. The Kaplan-Meier curve revealed a significantly lower survival in the severe depression group than in the minimal and mild-to-moderate depression groups (p = 0.011). Multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed that severe depression was an independent risk factor for mortality in the study cohort (hazard ratio, 1.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.01–1.91; p = 0.041). Additionally, BDI-II scores were associated with modified Charlson comorbidity index (p = 0.009) and serum albumin level (p = 0.004) in multivariate linear regression. Among the three depressive symptoms, higher somatic symptom scores were associated with increased mortality. Conclusion: Severe depression among older patients with ESKD increases mortality compared with minimal or mild-to-moderate depression, and patients with concomitant somatic symptoms require careful management of their comorbidities and nutritional status.

Meningiomas are common intracranial tumors; however, reports on extracranial cutaneous meningiomas are exceedingly rare. A 77-year-old woman visited our hospital with an asymptomatic child fist-sized mass on the scalp.Biopsy results indicated nuclear atypia and mitoses of sarcomatous cells. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed a subgaleal mass with strong enhancement. Suspecting sarcoma, wide excision was performed jointly by the departments of plastic surgery and neurosurgery, during which no evidence of cranial invasion was noted. In the surgical specimen, numerous mitoses of sarcomatous cells and poorly formed nests of epithelioid cells were observed. This led to the diagnosis of anaplastic meningioma without intracranial origin. Subsequently, the patient received adjuvant radiotherapy and is currently under close follow-up. Anaplastic meningioma is rare, but early diagnosis is important as it enables timely and appropriate treatment, thus, improving survival rates. Dermatologists should remain vigilant as meningiomas can manifest as cutaneous scalp nodules, and their accurate diagnosis can profoundly impact prognosis.

Kidney transplantation is the preferred treatment for patients with end-stage kidney disease, because it prolongs survival and improves quality of life. Allograft biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosing allograft rejection. However, it is invasive and reactive, and continuous monitoring is unrealistic. Various biomarkers for diagnosing allograft rejection have been developed over the last two decades based on omics technologies to overcome these limitations. Omics technologies are based on a holistic view of the molecules that constitute an individual. They include genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. The omics approach has dramatically accelerated biomarker discovery and enhanced our understanding of multifactorial biological processes in the field of transplantation. However, clinical application of omics-based biomarkers is limited by several issues. First, no large-scale prospective randomized controlled trial has been conducted to compare omics-based biomarkers with traditional biomarkers for rejection. Second, given the variety and complexity of injuries that a kidney allograft may experience, it is likely that no single omics approach will suffice to predict rejection or outcome. Therefore, integrated methods using multiomics technologies are needed. Herein, we introduce omics technologies and review the latest literature on omics biomarkers predictive of allograft rejection in kidney transplant recipients.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to develop a new instrument for measuring self-management with a hierarchical structure [the Diabetes Self-Management Scale (DSMS)] in patients with type 2 diabetes, and evaluate its psychometric properties. Methods: The DSMS instrument was developed in three phases: (1) conceptualization and item generation; (2) content validity and pilot testing; and (3) field testing of its psychometric properties. A convenience sample of 473 participants was recruited in three university hospitals and one regional health center, South Korea. Results: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses yielded two second-order component models explaining the common variance among six first-order factors. Principal axis factoring with a varimax rotation accounted for 60.88% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis of the hierarchical structure revealed the following fit indices: χ2/df = 1.373, standardized root-mean-square residual = .050, goodness-of-fit index = .935, incremental fit index = .975, comparative fit index = .974, and root-mean-square error of approximation = .039. All Cronbach' α values for internal consistency exceeded the criterion of .70. All of the intraclass correlation coefficients for test–retest reliability exceeded .70 except that for the taking-medication subscale. The components of the DSMS were moderately correlated with the comparator measures of self-efficacy and health literacy administered for convergent validity. Conclusion The DSMS is a new instrument for measuring the complex nature of self-management in patients with type 2 diabetes, comprising 17 items scored on a five-point Likert scale. The DSMS exhibits satisfactory psychometric properties for five reliability and validity metrics, and so is a suitable instrument to apply in both research and clinical practices.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to develop a new instrument for measuring self-management with a hierarchical structure [the Diabetes Self-Management Scale (DSMS)] in patients with type 2 diabetes, and evaluate its psychometric properties. Methods: The DSMS instrument was developed in three phases: (1) conceptualization and item generation; (2) content validity and pilot testing; and (3) field testing of its psychometric properties. A convenience sample of 473 participants was recruited in three university hospitals and one regional health center, South Korea. Results: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses yielded two second-order component models explaining the common variance among six first-order factors. Principal axis factoring with a varimax rotation accounted for 60.88% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis of the hierarchical structure revealed the following fit indices: χ2/df = 1.373, standardized root-mean-square residual = .050, goodness-of-fit index = .935, incremental fit index = .975, comparative fit index = .974, and root-mean-square error of approximation = .039. All Cronbach' α values for internal consistency exceeded the criterion of .70. All of the intraclass correlation coefficients for test–retest reliability exceeded .70 except that for the taking-medication subscale. The components of the DSMS were moderately correlated with the comparator measures of self-efficacy and health literacy administered for convergent validity. Conclusion The DSMS is a new instrument for measuring the complex nature of self-management in patients with type 2 diabetes, comprising 17 items scored on a five-point Likert scale. The DSMS exhibits satisfactory psychometric properties for five reliability and validity metrics, and so is a suitable instrument to apply in both research and clinical practices.

PURPOSE: To discuss the clinical course and diagnosis of corneal dysplasia in a xeroderma pigmentosum patient based on a genetic evaluation. CASE SUMMARY: A 42-year-old female visited our clinic for decreased left visual acuity and corneal opacity. She had undergone several surgeries previously due to the presence of basosquamous carcinoma in the left lower eyelid, neurofibroma, and malignant melanoma of the facial skin. The patient showed repeated corneal surface problems, with a suspicious dendritic lesion; however, antiviral therapy was ineffective, and herpes simplex virus polymerase chain reaction results were negative. Despite regular follow-ups, the patient showed neovascularization around the corneal limbus and an irregular corneal surface. We performed corneal debridement with autologous serum eye drops for treatment. The patient's visual acuity and corneal surface improved after the procedure. The impression cytology result was corneal dysplasia. In whole exome sequencing, two pathogenic variants and one likely pathogenic variant of the POLH gene were detected. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first genetically identified xeroderma pigmentosum case with ophthalmological lesions of the eyelid and cornea in Korea. Debridement of the irregular corneal surface and autologous serum eye drop administration in xeroderma pigmentosum could be helpful for improving visual acuity.
Adult ; Carcinoma, Basosquamous ; Cornea ; Corneal Opacity ; Debridement ; Diagnosis ; Exome ; Eyelids ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Ichthyosis ; Korea ; Limbus Corneae ; Melanoma ; Neurofibroma ; Ophthalmic Solutions ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Simplexvirus ; Skin ; Visual Acuity ; Xeroderma Pigmentosum