Background: To investigate the clinical treatment status, such as treatment regimen, bleeding events, and drug dose, in patients with hemophilia B in South Korea. Methods: In this retrospective chart review, data of patients with hemophilia B from eight university hospitals were collected. Demographic and clinical data, treatment data, such as regimen and number of injections, dose of factor IX concentrate, and bleeding data were reviewed. Descriptive analyses were performed with annual data for 2019, 2020, and 2021, as well as the three years consecutively. Results: The medical records of 150 patients with hemophilia B between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2021, were collected. Among these, 72 (48.0%) were severe, 47 (31.3%) were moderate, and 28 (18.7%) were mild. The results showed approximately two times more patients receiving prophylaxis as those receiving on-demand therapy, with 66.1% of patients receiving prophylaxis in 2019, 64.9% in 2020, and 72.1% in 2021. Annualized bleeding rates were 2.2% (± 3.1) in 2019, 1.8% (± 3.0) in 2020, and 1.8% (± 2.9) in 2021 among patients receiving prophylaxis.For the doses of factor IX concentrate, patients receiving prophylaxis received an average of 41.6 (± 11.9) IU/Kg/Injection in 2019, 45.7 (± 12.9) IU/Kg/Injection in 2020, and 60.1 (± 24.0) IU/Kg/Injection in 2021. Conclusions Clinically, prophylaxis is more prevalent than reported. Based on insights gained from current clinical evidence, it is expected that the unmet medical needs of patients can be identified, and physicians can evaluate the status of patients and actively manage hemophilia B using more effective treatment strategies.

Background: To investigate the clinical treatment status, such as treatment regimen, bleeding events, and drug dose, in patients with hemophilia B in South Korea. Methods: In this retrospective chart review, data of patients with hemophilia B from eight university hospitals were collected. Demographic and clinical data, treatment data, such as regimen and number of injections, dose of factor IX concentrate, and bleeding data were reviewed. Descriptive analyses were performed with annual data for 2019, 2020, and 2021, as well as the three years consecutively. Results: The medical records of 150 patients with hemophilia B between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2021, were collected. Among these, 72 (48.0%) were severe, 47 (31.3%) were moderate, and 28 (18.7%) were mild. The results showed approximately two times more patients receiving prophylaxis as those receiving on-demand therapy, with 66.1% of patients receiving prophylaxis in 2019, 64.9% in 2020, and 72.1% in 2021. Annualized bleeding rates were 2.2% (± 3.1) in 2019, 1.8% (± 3.0) in 2020, and 1.8% (± 2.9) in 2021 among patients receiving prophylaxis.For the doses of factor IX concentrate, patients receiving prophylaxis received an average of 41.6 (± 11.9) IU/Kg/Injection in 2019, 45.7 (± 12.9) IU/Kg/Injection in 2020, and 60.1 (± 24.0) IU/Kg/Injection in 2021. Conclusions Clinically, prophylaxis is more prevalent than reported. Based on insights gained from current clinical evidence, it is expected that the unmet medical needs of patients can be identified, and physicians can evaluate the status of patients and actively manage hemophilia B using more effective treatment strategies.

Background: To investigate the clinical treatment status, such as treatment regimen, bleeding events, and drug dose, in patients with hemophilia B in South Korea. Methods: In this retrospective chart review, data of patients with hemophilia B from eight university hospitals were collected. Demographic and clinical data, treatment data, such as regimen and number of injections, dose of factor IX concentrate, and bleeding data were reviewed. Descriptive analyses were performed with annual data for 2019, 2020, and 2021, as well as the three years consecutively. Results: The medical records of 150 patients with hemophilia B between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2021, were collected. Among these, 72 (48.0%) were severe, 47 (31.3%) were moderate, and 28 (18.7%) were mild. The results showed approximately two times more patients receiving prophylaxis as those receiving on-demand therapy, with 66.1% of patients receiving prophylaxis in 2019, 64.9% in 2020, and 72.1% in 2021. Annualized bleeding rates were 2.2% (± 3.1) in 2019, 1.8% (± 3.0) in 2020, and 1.8% (± 2.9) in 2021 among patients receiving prophylaxis.For the doses of factor IX concentrate, patients receiving prophylaxis received an average of 41.6 (± 11.9) IU/Kg/Injection in 2019, 45.7 (± 12.9) IU/Kg/Injection in 2020, and 60.1 (± 24.0) IU/Kg/Injection in 2021. Conclusions Clinically, prophylaxis is more prevalent than reported. Based on insights gained from current clinical evidence, it is expected that the unmet medical needs of patients can be identified, and physicians can evaluate the status of patients and actively manage hemophilia B using more effective treatment strategies.

Purpose: This study aimed to describe adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for acute liver failure and evaluate its clinical significance by comparing its surgical and survival outcomes with those of deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 267 consecutive patients (161 LDLT recipients and 106 DDLT recipients) aged 18 years or older who underwent liver transplantation between January 2006 and December 2020. Results: The mean periods from hepatic encephalopathy to liver transplantation were 5.85 days and 8.35 days for LDLT and DDLT, respectively (P = 0.091). Among these patients, 121 (45.3%) had grade III or IV hepatic encephalopathy (living, 34.8% vs. deceased, 61.3%; P < 0.001), and 38 (14.2%) had brain edema (living, 16.1% vs. deceased, 11.3%; P = 0.269) before liver transplantation. There were no significant differences in in-hospital mortality (living, 11.8% vs. deceased, 15.1%; P = 0.435), 10-year overall survival (living, 90.8% vs. deceased, 84.0%; P = 0.096), and graft survival (living, 83.5% vs. deceased, 71.3%;P = 0.051). However, postoperatively, the mean intensive care unit stay was shorter in the LDLT group (5.0 days vs. 9.5 days, P < 0.001). In-hospital mortality was associated with vasopressor use (odds ratio [OR], 3.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.45–7.96; P = 0.005) and brain edema (OR, 2.75; 95% CI, 1.16–6.52; P = 0.022) of recipient at the time of transplantation. However, LDLT (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 0.59–2.66; P = 0.553) was not independently associated with in-hospital mortality. Conclusion LDLT is feasible for acute liver failure when organs from deceased donors are not available.

Purpose: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a particularly challenging subtype of breast cancer, with a poorer prognosis compared to other subtypes. Unfortunately, unlike luminal-type cancers, there is no validated biomarker to predict the prognosis of patients with early-stage TNBC. Accurate biomarkers are needed to establish effective therapeutic strategies. Materials and Methods: In this study, we analyzed gene expression profiles of tumor samples from 184 TNBC patients (training cohort, n=76; validation cohort, n=108) using RNA sequencing. Results: By combining weighted gene expression, we identified a 10-gene signature (DGKH, GADD45B, KLF7, LYST, NR6A1, PYCARD, ROBO1, SLC22A20P, SLC24A3, and SLC45A4) that stratified patients by risk score with high sensitivity (92.31%), specificity (92.06%), and accuracy (92.11%) for invasive disease-free survival. The 10-gene signature was validated in a separate institution cohort and supported by meta-analysis for biological relevance to well-known driving pathways in TNBC. Furthermore, the 10-gene signature was the only independent factor for invasive disease-free survival in multivariate analysis when compared to other potential biomarkers of TNBC molecular subtypes and T-cell receptor β diversity. 10-gene signature also further categorized patients classified as molecular subtypes according to risk scores. Conclusion Our novel findings may help address the prognostic challenges in TNBC and the 10-gene signature could serve as a novel biomarker for risk-based patient care.

Objectives: This study investigated the association between exacerbated economic hardship during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and changes in the health behaviors of Korean adolescents. Methods: We analyzed data from the 2021 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey and included 44 908 students (22 823 boys and 22 085 girls) as study subjects. The dependent variables included changes in health behaviors (breakfast habits, physical activity, and alcohol use) that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aggravation of economic hardship by COVID-19 and the subjective economic status of the family were used as exposure variables. Multiple logistic regression analysis was utilized to calculate the prevalence odds ratios (PORs). Results: Severe exacerbation of a family’s economic hardship due to COVID-19 was negatively associated with the health behaviors of adolescents, including increased breakfast skipping (POR, 1.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.55 to 2.21 for boys and POR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.27 to 1.92 for girls) and decreased physical activity (POR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.19 to 1.57 for boys and POR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.19 to 1.60 for girls). These negative changes in health behaviors were further amplified when combined with a low subjective family economic status. Conclusions The experience of worsening household hardship can lead to negative changes in health behavior among adolescents. It is crucial to implement measures that address the economic challenges that arise from stressful events such as COVID-19 and to strive to improve the lifestyles of adolescents under such circumstances.

This study investigated the relationships of situational factors, motivational assessment–related factors, and situationally induced personal characteristics with pro-social intention to disclose patient information among health and medical students. In total, 210 students from Konyang University participated in the survey, including 116 medical students and 94 other health students. To measure the influence of variables on pro-social intention to disclose information related to health information security, a 27-item questionnaire was used. The reliability of the survey was shown by Cronbach’s α values of 0.859 to 0.917. According to students’ perceptions, higher disease severity was significantly related to higher impacts on the patient, family, and themselves (p<0.01), as well as higher situational empathy (p<0.05). Pro-social intention to disclose showed negative correlations with health information security awareness, information education experience, perceived impact on the self, responsibility to disclose, and personal norms (r=-0.136 to -0.647, p<0.05). Responsibility to disclose and situational empathy explained approximately 44% of the variance in pro-social intention to disclose. Additionally, students who received information security training perceived a significantly higher responsibility to disclose, exhibited higher health information security awareness, and had lower pro-social intention to disclose. This study confirmed the need for information security education for health and medical students, and suggested that pro-social characteristics such as empathy and responsibility need to be carefully addressed in information security education.

This study shares details on the operating process and results of the cohort of students and graduates that was designed and implemented at Konyang University College of Medicine in Daejeon and discusses future directions for cohort establishment and improvement. First, Konyang University College of Medicine established the necessity and defined the purpose of cohort design and implementation. A task force was formed to establish guidelines for analysis targets, procedures, reports, and data management, and cohort operation was classified as a quality control activity. Data were collected through surveys of current students and graduates, and data generated during the curriculum were collected, analyzed, and reported every 2 years. The cohort data collection and analysis methods are designed by the Department of Medical Education, and data collection is carried out by the administrative team and each committee. Data management and analysis are handled by the Center for Medical Education Support, and analysis and reporting are conducted by the Department of Medical Education. Various members of the medical school are working to collect and analyze data, report findings, provide feedback, and improve. In the future, we plan to advance database computerization and work toward more effective data analysis. Cohort operation should not be another burden for medical schools; instead, it is hoped that operating cohorts will be a meaningful activity to increase the effectiveness of medical education and help in the operation and policy decisions of medical schools.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of dysmenorrhea and to investigate the effect of weight changes or unhealthy weight control behaviors on dysmenorrhea in young Korean women. Methods: We used large-scale data of women, aged 14 to 44 years, who participated in the Korean Study of Women’s Health-Related Issues. Dysmenorrhea was measured using a visual analog scale and was categorized as none, mild, moderate, and severe according to the severity. Weight changes and unhealthy weight control behaviors (any of the behaviors, fasting/meal skipping, drugs, the use of unapproved dietary supplements, and one-food diets) over the past year were self-reported. We used multinomial logistic regression to investigate the association between weight changes or unhealthy weight control behaviors and dysmenorrhea. Results: Of the 5,829 young women participating in the study, 5,245 (90.0%) participants experienced dysmenorrhea [2,184 (37.5%) had moderate and 1,358 (23.3%) had severe].After adjusting for confounders, the odds ratios for moderate and severe dysmenorrhea in participants with weight changes ≥ 3 kg (vs. < 3 kg) were 1.19 (95% confidence interval:1.05–1.35) and 1.25 (95% confidence interval: 1.08–1.45), respectively. The odds ratios in participants with any unhealthy weight control behaviors were 1.22 (95% confidence interval:1.04–1.42) and 1.41 (95% confidence interval: 1.19–1.67) for those with moderate and severe dysmenorrhea, respectively. Conclusion Weight changes (≥ 3 kg) or unhealthy weight control behaviors are common among young women, which may adversely affect dysmenorrhea. Therefore, attention needs to be paid to excessive weight changes and unhealthy weight control behaviors to improve dysmenorrhea in young women.

Background: Although inequality in traumatic brain injury (TBI) by individual socioeconomic status (SES) exists, interventions to modify individual SES are difficult. However, as interventions for area-based SES can affect the individual SES, monitoring or public health intervention can be planned. We analyzed the effect of area-based SES on hospitalization for TBI and revealed yearly inequality trends to provide a basis for health intervention. Methods: We included patients who were hospitalized due to intracranial injuries (ICIs) between 2008 and 2015 as a measure of severe TBI with data provided by the Korea National Hospital Discharge Survey. Area-based SES was synthesized using the 2010 census data. We assessed inequalities in ICI-related hospitalization rates using the relative index of inequality and the slope index of inequality for the periods 2008–2009, 2010–2011, 2012–2013, and 2014–2015. We analyzed the trends of these indices for the observation period by age and sex. Results: The overall relative indices of inequality for each 2-year period were 1.82 (95% confidence interval, 1.5–2.3), 1.97 (1.6–2.5), 2.01 (1.6–2.5), and 2.01 (1.6–2.5), respectively. The overall slope indices of inequality in each period were 38.74 (23.5–54.0), 36.75 (21.7–51.8), 35.65 (20.7–50.6), and 43.11 (27.6–58.6), respectively. The relative indices of inequality showed a linear trend for men (P = 0.006), which was most evident in the ≥ 65-year age group. Conclusion Inequality in hospitalization for ICIs by area-based SES tended to increase during the observation period. Practical preventive interventions and input in healthcare resources for populations with low area-based SES are likely needed.