BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis, characterized by decreased bone mineral density due to an imbalance between osteoblast and osteoclast activity, poses significant challenges in bone healing, particularly in postmenopausal women. Current treatments, such as bisphosphonates, are effective but associated with adverse effects like medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw, necessitating safer alternatives. METHODS: This study investigated the use of L-serine-incorporated gelatin sponges for bone regeneration in calvarial defects in an ovariectomized rat model of osteoporosis. Thirty rats were divided into three groups: a control group, a group treated with a gelatin sponge containing an amino acid mixture, and a group treated with a gelatin sponge containing L-serine. Bone regeneration was assessed using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and histological analyses. RESULTS: The L-serine group showed a significant increase in bone volume (BV) and bone area compared to the control and amino acid groups. The bone volume to total volume (BV/TV) ratio was also significantly higher in the L-serine group.Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that L-serine treatment suppressed the expression of cathepsin K, a marker of osteoclast activity, while increasing serine racemase activity. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that L-serine-incorporated gelatin sponges not only enhance bone formation but also inhibit osteoclast-mediated bone resorption, providing a promising and safer alternative to current therapies for osteoporosis-related bone defects. Further research is needed to explore its clinical applications in human patients.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis, characterized by decreased bone mineral density due to an imbalance between osteoblast and osteoclast activity, poses significant challenges in bone healing, particularly in postmenopausal women. Current treatments, such as bisphosphonates, are effective but associated with adverse effects like medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw, necessitating safer alternatives. METHODS: This study investigated the use of L-serine-incorporated gelatin sponges for bone regeneration in calvarial defects in an ovariectomized rat model of osteoporosis. Thirty rats were divided into three groups: a control group, a group treated with a gelatin sponge containing an amino acid mixture, and a group treated with a gelatin sponge containing L-serine. Bone regeneration was assessed using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and histological analyses. RESULTS: The L-serine group showed a significant increase in bone volume (BV) and bone area compared to the control and amino acid groups. The bone volume to total volume (BV/TV) ratio was also significantly higher in the L-serine group.Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that L-serine treatment suppressed the expression of cathepsin K, a marker of osteoclast activity, while increasing serine racemase activity. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that L-serine-incorporated gelatin sponges not only enhance bone formation but also inhibit osteoclast-mediated bone resorption, providing a promising and safer alternative to current therapies for osteoporosis-related bone defects. Further research is needed to explore its clinical applications in human patients.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis, characterized by decreased bone mineral density due to an imbalance between osteoblast and osteoclast activity, poses significant challenges in bone healing, particularly in postmenopausal women. Current treatments, such as bisphosphonates, are effective but associated with adverse effects like medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw, necessitating safer alternatives. METHODS: This study investigated the use of L-serine-incorporated gelatin sponges for bone regeneration in calvarial defects in an ovariectomized rat model of osteoporosis. Thirty rats were divided into three groups: a control group, a group treated with a gelatin sponge containing an amino acid mixture, and a group treated with a gelatin sponge containing L-serine. Bone regeneration was assessed using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and histological analyses. RESULTS: The L-serine group showed a significant increase in bone volume (BV) and bone area compared to the control and amino acid groups. The bone volume to total volume (BV/TV) ratio was also significantly higher in the L-serine group.Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that L-serine treatment suppressed the expression of cathepsin K, a marker of osteoclast activity, while increasing serine racemase activity. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that L-serine-incorporated gelatin sponges not only enhance bone formation but also inhibit osteoclast-mediated bone resorption, providing a promising and safer alternative to current therapies for osteoporosis-related bone defects. Further research is needed to explore its clinical applications in human patients.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis, characterized by decreased bone mineral density due to an imbalance between osteoblast and osteoclast activity, poses significant challenges in bone healing, particularly in postmenopausal women. Current treatments, such as bisphosphonates, are effective but associated with adverse effects like medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw, necessitating safer alternatives. METHODS: This study investigated the use of L-serine-incorporated gelatin sponges for bone regeneration in calvarial defects in an ovariectomized rat model of osteoporosis. Thirty rats were divided into three groups: a control group, a group treated with a gelatin sponge containing an amino acid mixture, and a group treated with a gelatin sponge containing L-serine. Bone regeneration was assessed using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and histological analyses. RESULTS: The L-serine group showed a significant increase in bone volume (BV) and bone area compared to the control and amino acid groups. The bone volume to total volume (BV/TV) ratio was also significantly higher in the L-serine group.Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that L-serine treatment suppressed the expression of cathepsin K, a marker of osteoclast activity, while increasing serine racemase activity. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that L-serine-incorporated gelatin sponges not only enhance bone formation but also inhibit osteoclast-mediated bone resorption, providing a promising and safer alternative to current therapies for osteoporosis-related bone defects. Further research is needed to explore its clinical applications in human patients.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis, characterized by decreased bone mineral density due to an imbalance between osteoblast and osteoclast activity, poses significant challenges in bone healing, particularly in postmenopausal women. Current treatments, such as bisphosphonates, are effective but associated with adverse effects like medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw, necessitating safer alternatives. METHODS: This study investigated the use of L-serine-incorporated gelatin sponges for bone regeneration in calvarial defects in an ovariectomized rat model of osteoporosis. Thirty rats were divided into three groups: a control group, a group treated with a gelatin sponge containing an amino acid mixture, and a group treated with a gelatin sponge containing L-serine. Bone regeneration was assessed using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and histological analyses. RESULTS: The L-serine group showed a significant increase in bone volume (BV) and bone area compared to the control and amino acid groups. The bone volume to total volume (BV/TV) ratio was also significantly higher in the L-serine group.Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that L-serine treatment suppressed the expression of cathepsin K, a marker of osteoclast activity, while increasing serine racemase activity. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that L-serine-incorporated gelatin sponges not only enhance bone formation but also inhibit osteoclast-mediated bone resorption, providing a promising and safer alternative to current therapies for osteoporosis-related bone defects. Further research is needed to explore its clinical applications in human patients.

BACKGROUND: Health screening is a preventive and cost-effective public health strategy for early detection of diseases. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has decreased health screening participation. The aim of this study was to examine regional differences in health screening participation between before and during COVID-19 pandemic and vulnerabilities of health screening participation in the regional context. METHODS: Administrative data from 229 districts consisting of 16 provinces in South Korea and health screening participation rate of each district collected in 2019 and 2020 were included in the study. Data were then analyzed via descriptive statistics and geographically weighted regression (GWR). RESULTS: This study revealed that health screening participation rates decreased in all districts during COVID-19. Regional vulnerabilities contributing to a further reduction in health screening participation rate included COVID-19 concerns, the population of those aged 65+ years and the disabled, lower education level, lower access to healthcare, and the prevalence of chronic disease. GWR analysis showed that different vulnerable factors had different degrees of influence on differences in health screening participation rate. CONCLUSIONS These findings could enhance our understanding of decreased health screening participation due to COVID-19 and suggest that regional vulnerabilities should be considered stringent public health strategies after COVID-19.
Humans ; COVID-19/epidemiology* ; Pandemics ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology* ; Educational Status ; Disabled Persons

Objective: Multiple criteria have been proposed to assess the severity of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and predict intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an inflammatory marker actively researched as a prognostic indicator in various infectious diseases. This study assessed the value of the NLR in predicting ICU admissions among CAP hospitalizations through the emergency department (ED). Methods: A retrospective observational study of hospitalized patients with CAP via ED was performed from March 2017 to December 2018 using electronic medical records from a single center. By analyzing the clinical data at the initial presentation to the emergency room, the predictability of NLR on the admissions to the ICU was compared with other preexisting clinical scores, such as PSI (Pneumonia Severity Index), CURB-65 (Confusion, Uremia, Respiratory rate, Blood pressure, Age ≥ 65 years), and APACHE II (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II) scores. Results: Of 599 CAP hospitalizations, 80 (13.4%) required ICU admissions. In multivariate logistic analysis, mean arterial pressure and NLR have significance in predicting ICU admission. The area of under curve (AUC) of preexisting clinical scores to predict ICU admission had a PSI of 0.70, CURB-65 of 0.58, and APACHE II score of 0.66. The AUC of the NLR model was 0.75, the highest among the preexisting scoring systems. Setting the NLR model as a reference value, the PSI and APACHE II scores showed no statistically significant difference in contrast to CURB-65, which showed less powerful predictability. Conclusion NLR is a simple, inexpensive, and rapidly available measurement in the ED, which can be used as a useful tool for predicting ICU admissions among patients with CAP over other preexisting clinical scores.

Liver transplantation (LT) is the curative therapy for decompensated cirrhosis. However, anesthesiologists can find it challenging to manage patients undergoing LT due to the underlying pathologic conditions of patients with end-stage liver disease and the high invasiveness of the procedure, which is frequently accompanied by massive blood loss. Echocardiography is a non-invasive or semi-invasive imaging tool that provides real-time information about the structural and functional status of the heart and is considered to be able to improve outcomes by enabling accurate and detailed assessments. This article reviews the pathophysiologic changes of the heart accompanied by cirrhosis that mainly affect hemodynamics. We also present a comparative review of the diagnostic criteria for cirrhotic cardiomyopathy published by the World Congress of Gastroenterology in 2005 and the Cirrhotic Cardiomyopathy Consortium in 2019. This article discusses the conditions that could affect hemodynamic stability and postoperative outcomes, such as coronary artery disease, left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, portopulmonary hypertension, hepatopulmonary syndrome, pericardial effusion, cardiac tamponade, patent foramen ovale, and ascites. Finally, we cover a number of intraoperative factors that should be considered, including intraoperative blood loss, rapid reaccumulation of ascites, manipulation of the inferior vena cava, post-reperfusion syndrome, and adverse effects of excessive fluid infusion and transfusion. This article aimed to summarize the cardiovascular manifestations of cirrhosis that can affect hemodynamics and can be evaluated using perioperative echocardiography. We hope that this article will provide information about the hemodynamic characteristics of LT recipients and stimulate more active use of perioperative echocardiography.

Salmonella enterica serotype Choleraesuis causes swine paratyphoid, with clinical findings of enterocolitis and septicemia. However, the clinicopathological features of S. Choleraesuis infections in pigs have not been reported in Korea. We describe the pathological findings of two weaned pigs with S. Choleraesuis infections, presenting with diarrhea, cough, and sudden death. Pathological examination indicated severe necrotic colitis in pig 1 and septicemic lesions in pig 2. Multidrug-resistant S. Choleraesuis was isolated from the pigs’ lungs and intestinal contents. Further research is required for the surveillance of S. Choleraesuis infections in pigs and the virulence estimation in the S. Choleraesuis isolates.

Background/Aims: Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is a profibrotic factor implicated in pressure overload-mediated myocardial fibrosis. In this study, we determined the role of predicted CTGF-targeting microRNAs (miRNAs) in rat models of aortic stenosis and reverse cardiac remodeling. Methods: Minimally invasive ascending aortic banding was performed in 24 7-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats, which were divided into three groups. The banding group consisted of eight rats that were sacrificed immediately after 6 weeks of aortic constriction. The debanding group underwent aortic constriction for 4 weeks and was sacrificed 2 weeks after band removal. The third group underwent sham surgery. We investigated the expression of CTGF, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1), and matrix metalloproteinase-2 using ELISA and examined miRNA-26b, miRNA-133a, and miRNA-19b as predicted CTGF-targeting miRNAs based on miRNA databases in 24-hour TGFβ-stimulated and TGFβ- washed fibroblasts and myocardial tissues from all subjects. Results: CTGF was elevated in 24-hour TGFβ-stimulated fibroblasts and decreased in 24-hour TGFβ-washed fibroblasts. miRNA-26b was significantly increased in TGFβ-washed fibroblasts compared with control and TGFβ-stimulated fibroblasts (p < 0.05). CTGF expression was significantly higher in the banding group than that in the sham and debanding groups. The relative expression levels of miRNA-26b were higher in the debanding group than in the banding group. Conclusions The results of our study using models of aortic banding and debanding suggested that miRNA-26b was significantly increased after aortic debanding. The in vitro model yielded the same results: miRNA-26b was upregulated after removal of TGFβ from fibroblasts.