Background: Patients with diabetes are known to be at high risk for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), but the accurate annual risk data for new-onset ESKD is still limited. In South Korea, the prevalence and incidence of ESKD are increasing more rapidly compared to the global average. This study aimed to determine the incidence rate (IR) of ESKD by diabetes status from 2012 to 2022. Methods: Using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service, we calculated the IR and hazard ratio (HR) for newonset ESKD in the general population. Individuals were categorized based on diabetes status into nondiabetes, impaired fasting glucose (IFG), diabetes duration <5 and ≥5 years. Results: Among the participants, 67.6% were nondiabetic, 22.3% had IFG, and 10% had diabetes. In Korea, the IRs of ESKD were 139 per million population (pmp) for nondiabetes, 188 pmp for IFG, 632 pmp for diabetes <5 years, and 3,403 pmp for diabetes ≥5 years. An advanced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) category was the strongest risk factor for ESKD development. However, even in patients with normal renal function, those with long-standing diabetes had a 14-fold higher risk of ESKD compared to nondiabetic individuals. The risk of ESKD associated with diabetes increased exponentially with declining renal function. Notably, IFG showed an increasing tendency for ESKD in younger patients (<65 years) with early-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD; eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m²). Conclusion Longer diabetes duration amplifies ESKD risk, particularly as renal function declines. Even in patients with normal renal function, long-standing diabetes significantly increases ESKD risk, while IFG is associated with elevated risk only in younger individuals with early-stage CKD.

Background: Patients with diabetes are known to be at high risk for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), but the accurate annual risk data for new-onset ESKD is still limited. In South Korea, the prevalence and incidence of ESKD are increasing more rapidly compared to the global average. This study aimed to determine the incidence rate (IR) of ESKD by diabetes status from 2012 to 2022. Methods: Using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service, we calculated the IR and hazard ratio (HR) for newonset ESKD in the general population. Individuals were categorized based on diabetes status into nondiabetes, impaired fasting glucose (IFG), diabetes duration <5 and ≥5 years. Results: Among the participants, 67.6% were nondiabetic, 22.3% had IFG, and 10% had diabetes. In Korea, the IRs of ESKD were 139 per million population (pmp) for nondiabetes, 188 pmp for IFG, 632 pmp for diabetes <5 years, and 3,403 pmp for diabetes ≥5 years. An advanced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) category was the strongest risk factor for ESKD development. However, even in patients with normal renal function, those with long-standing diabetes had a 14-fold higher risk of ESKD compared to nondiabetic individuals. The risk of ESKD associated with diabetes increased exponentially with declining renal function. Notably, IFG showed an increasing tendency for ESKD in younger patients (<65 years) with early-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD; eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m²). Conclusion Longer diabetes duration amplifies ESKD risk, particularly as renal function declines. Even in patients with normal renal function, long-standing diabetes significantly increases ESKD risk, while IFG is associated with elevated risk only in younger individuals with early-stage CKD.

Background: Patients with diabetes are known to be at high risk for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), but the accurate annual risk data for new-onset ESKD is still limited. In South Korea, the prevalence and incidence of ESKD are increasing more rapidly compared to the global average. This study aimed to determine the incidence rate (IR) of ESKD by diabetes status from 2012 to 2022. Methods: Using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service, we calculated the IR and hazard ratio (HR) for newonset ESKD in the general population. Individuals were categorized based on diabetes status into nondiabetes, impaired fasting glucose (IFG), diabetes duration <5 and ≥5 years. Results: Among the participants, 67.6% were nondiabetic, 22.3% had IFG, and 10% had diabetes. In Korea, the IRs of ESKD were 139 per million population (pmp) for nondiabetes, 188 pmp for IFG, 632 pmp for diabetes <5 years, and 3,403 pmp for diabetes ≥5 years. An advanced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) category was the strongest risk factor for ESKD development. However, even in patients with normal renal function, those with long-standing diabetes had a 14-fold higher risk of ESKD compared to nondiabetic individuals. The risk of ESKD associated with diabetes increased exponentially with declining renal function. Notably, IFG showed an increasing tendency for ESKD in younger patients (<65 years) with early-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD; eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m²). Conclusion Longer diabetes duration amplifies ESKD risk, particularly as renal function declines. Even in patients with normal renal function, long-standing diabetes significantly increases ESKD risk, while IFG is associated with elevated risk only in younger individuals with early-stage CKD.

Background: Patients with diabetes are known to be at high risk for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), but the accurate annual risk data for new-onset ESKD is still limited. In South Korea, the prevalence and incidence of ESKD are increasing more rapidly compared to the global average. This study aimed to determine the incidence rate (IR) of ESKD by diabetes status from 2012 to 2022. Methods: Using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service, we calculated the IR and hazard ratio (HR) for newonset ESKD in the general population. Individuals were categorized based on diabetes status into nondiabetes, impaired fasting glucose (IFG), diabetes duration <5 and ≥5 years. Results: Among the participants, 67.6% were nondiabetic, 22.3% had IFG, and 10% had diabetes. In Korea, the IRs of ESKD were 139 per million population (pmp) for nondiabetes, 188 pmp for IFG, 632 pmp for diabetes <5 years, and 3,403 pmp for diabetes ≥5 years. An advanced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) category was the strongest risk factor for ESKD development. However, even in patients with normal renal function, those with long-standing diabetes had a 14-fold higher risk of ESKD compared to nondiabetic individuals. The risk of ESKD associated with diabetes increased exponentially with declining renal function. Notably, IFG showed an increasing tendency for ESKD in younger patients (<65 years) with early-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD; eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m²). Conclusion Longer diabetes duration amplifies ESKD risk, particularly as renal function declines. Even in patients with normal renal function, long-standing diabetes significantly increases ESKD risk, while IFG is associated with elevated risk only in younger individuals with early-stage CKD.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is a key negative regulator of immune responses and has been implicated in tumor tolerance, autoimmune disease and asthma. IDO was detected in the joint synovial tissue in the inflammatory microenvironment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but IDO expression in joint synovial tissue is not sufficient to overcome the inflamed synovial environment. This study aimed to unravel the mechanisms involving the failure to activate tolerogenic IDO in the inflamed joint. We demonstrate that both poly (I:C) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induce expression of IDO in synovial fibroblasts. However, inflammatory cytokines such as IL-17, TNF-alpha, IL-12, IL-23 and IL-16 did not induce IDO expression. Poly (I:C) appeared to induce higher IDO expression than did LPS. Surprisingly, toll-like receptor (TLR)4-mediated IDO expression was upregulated after depletion of myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88 (MyD88) in synovial fibroblasts using small interfering RNA (siRNA). IDO, TLR3 and TLR4 were highly expressed in synovial tissue of RA patients compared with that of osteoarthritis patients. In addition, RA patients with severe disease activity had higher levels of expression of IDO, TLR3 and TLR4 in the synovium than patients with mild disease activity. These data suggest that upregulation of IDO expression in synovial fibroblasts involves TLR3 and TLR4 activation by microbial constituents. We showed that the mechanisms responsible for IDO regulation primarily involve MyD88 signaling in synovial fibroblasts, as demonstrated by siRNA-mediated knockdown of MyD88.
Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport/genetics/metabolism ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/*metabolism ; Blotting, Western ; Cells, Cultured ; Fibroblasts/drug effects/*metabolism ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase/genetics/*metabolism ; Interleukin-12/pharmacology ; Interleukin-16/pharmacology ; Interleukin-17/pharmacology ; Interleukin-23/pharmacology ; Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology ; Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88/genetics/*metabolism ; Poly I-C/pharmacology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Small Interfering/genetics/physiology ; Synovial Membrane/*cytology ; Toll-Like Receptor 4/genetics/metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/pharmacology

PURPOSE: In patients with diabetic end stage renal disease (ESRD), glycated albumin (GA) reflects recent glycemic control more accurately than glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). We evaluated the relationship between GA and average blood glucose (AG) level and developed an estimating equation for translating GA values into easier-to-understand AG levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 185 ESRD patients, including 154 diabetic and 31 non-diabetic participants, were enrolled (108 hemodialysis, 77 peritoneal dialysis). Patients were asked to perform four-point daily self-monitoring of capillary blood glucose (SMBG) at least three consecutive days each week for four weeks. Serum levels of GA, HbA1c and other biochemical parameters were checked at baseline, as well as at 4 and 8 weeks. RESULTS: Approximately 74.3+/-7.0 SMBG readings were obtained from each participant and mean AG was 169.1+/-48.2 mg/dL. The correlation coefficient between serum GA and AG levels (r=0.70, p<0.001) was higher than that of HbA1c and AG (r=0.54, p<0.001). Linear regression analysis yielded the following equation: estimated AG (eAG) (mg/dL)=4.71xGA%+73.35, and with this formula, serum GA levels could be easily translated to eAG levels. Multivariate analysis revealed significant contributions of postprandial hyperglycemia (beta=0.25, p=0.03) and serum albumin (beta=0.17, p=0.04) in determining serum GA level, independent to other clinical parameters. CONCLUSION: Compared to HbA1c, serum GA levels were better correlated with AG levels. Using the estimating equation, an average blood glucose level of 155-160 mg/dL could be matched to a GA value of 18-19% in patients with ESRD.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Blood Glucose/*metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/*blood/metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Serum Albumin/*metabolism ; Young Adult

The incidence of aspergillosis infections in the maxillary sinus has increased recently, because of overuse of antibiotics, steroids, anticancer agents, immunosuppressant, antimetabollites, and uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. The clinical features of maxillary sinus aspergillosis include pain, swelling and foul odor nasal excretion. This needs to be differentiated from bacterial maxillary sinusitis, and surgical treatment with antifungal agents are suggested. Recently, we treated two patients with maxillary sinus aspergillosis surgically (Caldwell Luc operation) and with antifungal agents(itraconazole). The results were satisfactory so we report these cases with literature review.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Antifungal Agents ; Antineoplastic Agents ; Aspergillosis ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Humans ; Incidence ; Itraconazole ; Maxillary Sinus ; Maxillary Sinusitis ; Odors ; Steroids

Microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) is a systemic necrotizing vasculitis, primarily associated with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis and alveolar hemorrhage. Approximately 50% of MPA cases are associated with gastrointestinal involvement, but rarely do cases involve the gall bladder. We report an unusual case of MPA complicated by hemocholecystitis. A 62-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with rapidly progressive renal dysfunction and pneumonia unresponsive to antibiotics. A chest CT scan showed bilateral diffuse alveolar consolidation, and perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (p-ANCA) staining was positive. During the course of hospitalization, the patient complained of severe abdominal pain, and an abdominal CT scan revealed acalculous cholecystitis with hemorrhage. Cholecystectomy was performed, and a gall bladder biopsy revealed fibrinoid necrosis of small arteries without granuloma. Cholecystitis should be considered in patients with unexplained upper abdominal pain and MPA.
Abdominal Pain ; Acalculous Cholecystitis ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic ; Arteries ; Biopsy ; Cholecystectomy ; Cholecystitis ; Female ; Glomerulonephritis ; Granuloma ; Hemorrhage ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Microscopic Polyangiitis ; Middle Aged ; Necrosis ; Pneumonia ; Thorax ; Urinary Bladder ; Vasculitis

A 52-year old woman, who had hypothyroidism associated with autoimmune thyroiditis for 5 years, was hospitalized for tingling sensation and muscle weakness of both lower extremities. Her initial laboratory findings showed severe hypokalemia, metabolic acidosis, and high titer of thyroid autoimmune antibodies. She was diagnosed of distal renal tubular acidosis by bicarbonate loading test (FEHCO(3)(-) <3.0 %) and renal calcifications on pre-enhanced CT scan. Since she had other symptoms of xerostomia and xerophthalmia, primary Sjogren's syndrome was diagnosed by Schirmer test, salivary scan, and serologic findings. She was treated with potassium citrate, potassium chloride, and hydroxychlorquine. Four months later, she has remained well with those treatments. There were only a few case reports about distal renal tubular acidosis associated with Sjogren's syndrome and autoimmune thyroiditis. In Korea, there has not been any report of such cases. Therefore, we report a case of distal renal tubular acidosis and Sjogren's syndrome in a patient with autoimmune thyroiditis.
Acidosis ; Acidosis, Renal Tubular ; Antibodies ; Female ; Humans ; Hypokalemia ; Hypothyroidism ; Korea ; Lower Extremity ; Muscle Weakness ; Potassium Chloride ; Potassium Citrate ; Sensation ; Sjogren's Syndrome ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune ; Xerophthalmia ; Xerostomia

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Osteoprotegerin (OPG) and fetuin-A are vascular calcification regulators that may be related to high cardiovascular (CV) mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients. We evaluated the relationship between OPG, fetuin-A, and pulse wave velocity (PWV), a marker of vascular stiffness, and determined whether OPG and fetuin-A were independent predictors of CV events in HD patients. METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational study in 97 HD patients. OPG and fetuin-A were measured at baseline and arterial stiffness was evaluated by PWV. All patients were stratified into tertiles according to serum OPG levels. RESULTS: A significant trend was observed across increasing serum OPG concentration tertiles for age, HD duration, systolic blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and PWV. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that diabetes (beta = 0.430, p = 0.000) and OPG levels (beta = 0.308, p = 0.003) were independently associated with PWV. The frequency of new CV events was significantly higher in the upper OPG tertiles compared with those in the lower OPG tertiles. In Cox proportional hazards analysis, upper tertiles of OPG levels were significantly associated with CV events (hazard ratio = 4.536, p = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS: Serum OPG, but not fetuin-A, levels were closely associated with increased vascular stiffness, and higher OPG levels may be independent predictors of new CV events in HD patients.
Adult ; Aged ; Biological Markers/blood ; Cardiovascular Diseases/blood/diagnosis/*etiology/mortality/physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Linear Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Osteoprotegerin/*blood ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Prospective Studies ; Pulse Wave Analysis ; *Renal Dialysis/adverse effects/mortality ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic/complications/diagnosis/mortality/*therapy ; Risk Factors ; Up-Regulation ; *Vascular Stiffness ; alpha-2-HS-Glycoprotein/analysis