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. The association between cardiac dysfunction and fibrosis of the abdominal and lower extremity muscles was determined by analyzing the echocardiography and elastography. Non-parametric Spearman rank correlation coefficients were used to examine the pairwise relationships between cardiac function and muscle elasticity. Results: All patients were male and non-ambulant. Their mean age was 18.45±4.28 years. The strain ratios of the abdominal muscle and quadriceps muscles were significantly higher than those of the medial gastrocnemius. The strain ratio of the rectus abdominis muscle has a significant negative correlation with left ventricular ejection fraction. Cardiac function and valvular insufficiency were not significantly correlated with muscle strain ratio. According to the result of our study, the only skeletal muscle which showed significant correlation with cardiac dysfunction was degree abdominal muscle fibrosis. Conclusion The degree of fibrosis of respiratory muscles was also significantly associated with cardiac dysfunction; therefore, it can be used as a predictor of cardiac dysfunction in patients with DMD in clinical practice.

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. The association between cardiac dysfunction and fibrosis of the abdominal and lower extremity muscles was determined by analyzing the echocardiography and elastography. Non-parametric Spearman rank correlation coefficients were used to examine the pairwise relationships between cardiac function and muscle elasticity. Results: All patients were male and non-ambulant. Their mean age was 18.45±4.28 years. The strain ratios of the abdominal muscle and quadriceps muscles were significantly higher than those of the medial gastrocnemius. The strain ratio of the rectus abdominis muscle has a significant negative correlation with left ventricular ejection fraction. Cardiac function and valvular insufficiency were not significantly correlated with muscle strain ratio. According to the result of our study, the only skeletal muscle which showed significant correlation with cardiac dysfunction was degree abdominal muscle fibrosis. Conclusion The degree of fibrosis of respiratory muscles was also significantly associated with cardiac dysfunction; therefore, it can be used as a predictor of cardiac dysfunction in patients with DMD in clinical practice.

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. The association between cardiac dysfunction and fibrosis of the abdominal and lower extremity muscles was determined by analyzing the echocardiography and elastography. Non-parametric Spearman rank correlation coefficients were used to examine the pairwise relationships between cardiac function and muscle elasticity. Results: All patients were male and non-ambulant. Their mean age was 18.45±4.28 years. The strain ratios of the abdominal muscle and quadriceps muscles were significantly higher than those of the medial gastrocnemius. The strain ratio of the rectus abdominis muscle has a significant negative correlation with left ventricular ejection fraction. Cardiac function and valvular insufficiency were not significantly correlated with muscle strain ratio. According to the result of our study, the only skeletal muscle which showed significant correlation with cardiac dysfunction was degree abdominal muscle fibrosis. Conclusion The degree of fibrosis of respiratory muscles was also significantly associated with cardiac dysfunction; therefore, it can be used as a predictor of cardiac dysfunction in patients with DMD in clinical practice.

Background: /Aim: There has been a long-standing debate about the association of directacting antiviral (DAA) therapy and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence. This study aimed to investigate the association between DAA therapy and HCC recurrence after curative therapy. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 1,021 patients with HCV-related (hepatitis C virus) HCC who underwent radiofrequency ablation (RFA), liver resection, or both as the first treatment modality from January 2007 to December 2016 and without a history of HCV therapy before HCC treatment from a nationwide database. The effect of HCV treatment on HCC recurrence and all-cause mortality was also investigated. Results: Among the 1,021 patients, 77 (7.5%) were treated with DAA, 14 (1.4%) were treated with interferon-based therapy, and 930 (91.1%) did not receive HCV therapy. DAA therapy was an independent prognostic factor for lower HCC recurrence rate (hazard ratio [HR], 0.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.006-0.289; P=0.001 for landmarks at 6 months after HCC treatment and HR, 0.05; 95% CI, 0.007-0.354; P=0.003 for landmarks at 1 year). Furthermore, DAA therapy was associated with lower all-cause mortality (HR, 0.049; 95% CI, 0.007-0.349; P=0.003 for landmarks at 6 months and HR, 0.063; 95% CI, 0.009-0.451; P=0.006 for landmarks at 1 year). Conclusions DAA therapy after curative HCC treatment can decrease HCC recurrence and all-cause mortality compared to interferon-based therapy or no antiviral therapy. Therefore, clinicians should consider administering DAA therapy after curative HCC treatment in patients with HCV-related HCC.

Background/Aims: This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in Korean patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to investigate the risk factors associated with HCC recurrence. Methods: A total of 100 patients with HCV-related HCC, who were treated with DAAs between May 2015 and December 2016, were recruited from seven university hospitals in Korea. Claim data of 526 patients with HCC obtained from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service in South Korea were used for external validation of the results. Results: Among the 100 patients, 88% achieved a sustained virological response (SVR) 12weeks after the end of DAA therapy (SVR12), and 37% experienced HCC recurrence after DAA therapy. Short last HCC treatment durability (<12 months) before DAA commencement was independently associated with HCC recurrence (hazard ratio [HR], 2.89; p=0.011). In the nationwide validation cohort, 20.3% of the patients experienced HCC recurrence. The last HCC treatment with a noncurative method, a short last HCC treatment durability (<12 months), and a longer total duration of HCC treatment (≥18 months) were independently related with HCC recurrence (HR3.73, p<0.001; HR 3.34, p<0.001; and HR 1.74, p=0.006; respectively). Conclusions DAA therapy showed an acceptable SVR12 rate in patients with HCV-related HCC. Short last HCC treatment durability (<12 months) was associated with HCC recurrence after DAA therapy. This finding suggests that the last HCC treatment durability is an important predictor of HCC recurrence after DAA therapy.

Objectives: This study determines the effects of comorbidity of mood disorder and alcohol use disorder on suicide behavior. Methods: We converted data from the electronic medical records of one university hospital into a common data model and utilized it in our analysis. We selected 9551 patients with diagnosis codes of mood disorders or alcohol use disorders and divided them into three groups: mood disorder (MD) only, alcohol use disorder (AUD) only, and comorbidity of mood disorder and alcohol use disorder (MD+AUD). The mood disorder group was also subgrouped with depressive (DD) or bipolar affective disorder (BD) groups, and the comorbidity group was classified in the same way. Then, we applied logistic regression analysis to assess the risk of suicide attempts between the diagnostic groups. Subgroup analysis according to age also was conducted. Results: The MD+AUD group had 2.7 (odd ratio [OR]=2.70, 95% confidence intervals [CI]=1.91– 3.81, p<0.0001) and the DD+AUD group had 2.78 (OR=2.78, 95% CI=1.95–3.98, p<0.0001) times higher risk of suicide attempts than the MD only and DD only group, respectively. Furthermore, according to the age subgroup, the risk of suicide attempts was the highest (OR=5.17, 95% CI=2.35–11.40, p<0.0001) in the DD+AUD group for those aged 40–59. There were no significant results in BD. Conclusion The results showed that the comorbidity of mood disorder and alcohol use disorder could increase suicide risk. This study suggested that alcohol use behavior needs to be assessed as well as mood symptoms for suicide prevention.

Background/Aims: This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in Korean patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to investigate the risk factors associated with HCC recurrence. Methods: A total of 100 patients with HCV-related HCC, who were treated with DAAs between May 2015 and December 2016, were recruited from seven university hospitals in Korea. Claim data of 526 patients with HCC obtained from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service in South Korea were used for external validation of the results. Results: Among the 100 patients, 88% achieved a sustained virological response (SVR) 12weeks after the end of DAA therapy (SVR12), and 37% experienced HCC recurrence after DAA therapy. Short last HCC treatment durability (<12 months) before DAA commencement was independently associated with HCC recurrence (hazard ratio [HR], 2.89; p=0.011). In the nationwide validation cohort, 20.3% of the patients experienced HCC recurrence. The last HCC treatment with a noncurative method, a short last HCC treatment durability (<12 months), and a longer total duration of HCC treatment (≥18 months) were independently related with HCC recurrence (HR3.73, p<0.001; HR 3.34, p<0.001; and HR 1.74, p=0.006; respectively). Conclusions DAA therapy showed an acceptable SVR12 rate in patients with HCV-related HCC. Short last HCC treatment durability (<12 months) was associated with HCC recurrence after DAA therapy. This finding suggests that the last HCC treatment durability is an important predictor of HCC recurrence after DAA therapy.

Objectives: This study determines the effects of comorbidity of mood disorder and alcohol use disorder on suicide behavior. Methods: We converted data from the electronic medical records of one university hospital into a common data model and utilized it in our analysis. We selected 9551 patients with diagnosis codes of mood disorders or alcohol use disorders and divided them into three groups: mood disorder (MD) only, alcohol use disorder (AUD) only, and comorbidity of mood disorder and alcohol use disorder (MD+AUD). The mood disorder group was also subgrouped with depressive (DD) or bipolar affective disorder (BD) groups, and the comorbidity group was classified in the same way. Then, we applied logistic regression analysis to assess the risk of suicide attempts between the diagnostic groups. Subgroup analysis according to age also was conducted. Results: The MD+AUD group had 2.7 (odd ratio [OR]=2.70, 95% confidence intervals [CI]=1.91– 3.81, p<0.0001) and the DD+AUD group had 2.78 (OR=2.78, 95% CI=1.95–3.98, p<0.0001) times higher risk of suicide attempts than the MD only and DD only group, respectively. Furthermore, according to the age subgroup, the risk of suicide attempts was the highest (OR=5.17, 95% CI=2.35–11.40, p<0.0001) in the DD+AUD group for those aged 40–59. There were no significant results in BD. Conclusion The results showed that the comorbidity of mood disorder and alcohol use disorder could increase suicide risk. This study suggested that alcohol use behavior needs to be assessed as well as mood symptoms for suicide prevention.

BACKGROUND: Barley is a grain that is consumed in various forms in Asia. Studies on barley allergy are limited to a few case reports about hypersensitivity reactions to beer, but there is no barley allergy study in children. This study aimed to identify the phenotype and immunologic findings in Korean children with barley allergy. METHODS: Forty-two participants with a history of ingesting barley who underwent serum specific immunoglobulin E to barley (barley-sIgE) assay at the Department of Pediatrics in Ajou Medical Center were enrolled through a retrospective analysis of medical records from March 2008 to February 2018. The demographic characteristics, symptoms, and immunologic parameters of the patients were assessed. RESULTS: Twenty subjects presented with clinical barley allergy (B-allergic group), and 22 were atopic controls without allergic reactions after the ingestion of barley (B-tolerant group). The median ages of the B-allergic and B-tolerant groups were 1 and 3 years, respectively. In the B-allergic group, the cutaneous system (90.0%) was most frequently affected, followed by the respiratory system (40.0%). Anaphylaxis was observed in 35.0% of the B-allergic group. The median level of barley-sIgE was 13.90 kU(A)/L (range, 0.14–101.00 kU(A)/L) in the B-allergic group, and this value was significantly higher (P < 0.001) than that of the B-tolerant group (0.30 kU(A)/L; range, 0.01–24.40 kU(A)/L), with an optimal cutoff level of 1.24 kU(A)/L (sensitivity, 85.0%; specificity, 86.4%). A positive correlation was found between the serum levels of barley-sIgE and wheat-sIgE in the B-allergic group with clinical wheat allergy. CONCLUSION Barley is an important allergen for children in Korea. This study showed the clinical characteristics of barley allergy and suggested optimal cut-off levels of barley-sIgE for clinical barley allergy. Clinically, cross-reactivity or co-sensitization is often observed between barley and wheat.

Methods: Using a common data model of electronic medical records at a university medical center in South Korea, the study populations were extracted if the depressive patients were treated either with antidepressants only or along with antipsychotics. The suicidal risks were compared with the Kaplan-Meier plot and log-rank test, and the risk factors were accessed using the Cox proportional hazard model. Results: All demographic characteristics were similar in the monotherapy group taking only antidepressants and the combination therapy group taking antipsychotics with antidepressants, except for the smoking characteristic (p=0.023). The combination therapy group showed a lower suicidal risk [hazard ratio=0.58, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.282–1.190] compared to the monotherapy group, which was not significant (p=0.138). Conclusion The combination therapy had no beneficial effects on reducing the suicidal risk in patients with depressive symptoms. This study is meaningful in that it is the first attempt to explore a psychiatric behavior/symptom using real-world data based on a common data model of general electronic medical records as well as narrative textual data.