Background: Since the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, nonpharmacological interventions (NPIs) such as extensive and comprehensive hand hygiene, mask-wearing, and social distancing have been implemented globally. This study aimed to investigate changes in respiratory viruses other than severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) that occurred following the implementation of these NPIs. Methods: From January 2018 to December 2021, influenza-like illness patient specimens and specimens from the Korea Influenza and Respiratory Viruses Surveillance System were analyzed at the Incheon Metropolitan City Institute of Public Health and Environment.Oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal swab samples from respiratory infection patients were transferred in a virus transport medium at 4°C. After RNA or DNA extraction, respiratory virus-specific genes for human influenza virus (IFV), adenovirus (ADV), parainfluenza virus (PIV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human rhinovirus (hRV), human coronavirus, human bocavirus, and human metapneumovirus were detected by individual real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results: A total 3,334 samples were collected. After NPI was implemented, the detection of respiratory viruses other than SARS-CoV-2 decreased overall. The yearly detection rate of respiratory viruses was decreased from 69.5% (399/574) in 2018 and 73.3% (505/689) in 2019 to 19.8% (206/1,043) in 2020 and 34.9% (365/1,028) in 2021. The epidemic was more prominent in respiratory viruses such as IFV and RSV, which were considered dominant viruses, especially those with viral envelopes. Among viruses that were not considered dominant, hRV showed no clear change before and after NPI, while PIV showed a rapid increase compared to the existing dominant viruses between October–December 2021, after the increase in the number of gatherings started at the end of September and the “Relaxing COVID19 and mitigation policy,” which was implemented on November 1. Conclusion NPI seems to have influenced the isolation and transmission of respiratory viruses in South Korea. In the future, additional studies focusing on the isolation and transmission patterns of respiratory viruses following NPI are needed.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Irsogladine maleate, an enhancer of gastric mucosal protective factors, has demonstrated its efficacy for various gastric mucosal injuries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of irsogladine for prevention of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or aspirin-induced peptic ulcer and gastritis. METHODS: In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, exploratory clinical trial, 100 patients over 50 years of age who needed continuous NSAIDs or aspirin for more than 8 weeks were randomly assigned to either test group (irsogladine maleate 2 mg, twice daily, 39 patients for full analysis) or placebo group (37 patients for full analysis). Primary outcomes were incidence of peptic ulcer and ratio of modified Lanza score (MLS) 2 to 4. Secondary outcome was the number of acute erosions confirmed by endoscopy at 8 weeks. Adverse effects were also compared. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in gastric protective effects between test and placebo groups. However, two cases of peptic ulcer in the placebo group but none in the test group were observed. These two cases of peptic ulcer were Helicobacter pylori-negative. In addition, H. pylori-negative group showed significant changes in MLS score (p = 0.0247) and edema score (p = 0.0154) after the treatment compared to those before treatment in the test group. There was no significant difference in adverse events between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS The efficacy of irsogladine maleate was found in H. pylori-negative group, suggesting its potential as a protective agent against NSAIDs or aspirin-induced peptic ulcer and gastritis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to analyze the trend of the prevalences of atrophic gastritis (AG) and intestinal metaplasia (IM) from 2011 to 2016~2017 in Korea. And, the risk factors of AG and IM were compared between 2011 and 2016~2017. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 4,023 subjects in 2011 and 2,506 subjects in 2016~2017 were enrolled. AG and IM were diagnosed on the basis of endoscopic findings. Multivariate analysis was performed for risk factors of AG and IM. Seventeen factors were analyzed. RESULTS: The seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori decreased from 2011 (59.8%; 2,407/4,023) to 2016~2017 (51.6%; 1,293/2,506; P < 0.001). The prevalence of AG decreased from 2011 to 2016~2017 (P=0.018), but that of IM increased (P < 0.001). The risk factors of AG in 2011 were male sex, old age, H. pylori immuoglobulin G (IgG) positivity, family history of gastric cancer (GC), and high-salt diet. For IM in 2011, the risk factors were male sex, old age, H. pylori IgG positivity, and family history of GC. Risk factors of AG in 2016~2017 were old age, H. pylori IgG positivity, and country of residence. For IM in 2016~2017, the risk factors were male sex, old age, family history of GC, high fasting glucose level (≥126 mg/dL), H. pylori IgG positivity, and low income level. CONCLUSIONS: The difference in prevalence trends of AG and IM between 2016~2017 and 2011 could be the result of the different risk factors of AG and IM, such as decreased prevalence of H. pylori infection.
Diet ; Fasting ; Gastritis, Atrophic ; Glucose ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Korea ; Male ; Metaplasia ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders, and FD imposes social and economic burden worldwide. The aim of this study is to identify the prevalence and risk factors of FD in health check-up population in tertiary centers in Korea. METHODS: A nationwide multicenter prospective study was performed at 9 tertiary healthcare centers in Korea between September 2016 and June 2017. A total of 2525 subjects were investigated based on endoscopic findings and questionnaires with the Rome III criteria, and Helicobacter pylori serology (IgG). RESULTS: A total of 1714 subjects without organic disease were enrolled. The mean (± SD) age was 51.5 (± 12.7) years, and 917 patients (53.5%) were female. The proportion of H. pylori seropositivity was 51.0% (874/1714). The prevalence of FD was 10.3% (176/1714), and the subtypes of postprandial distress syndrome alone, epigastric pain syndrome alone, and postprandial distress syndrome-epigastric pain syndrome overlap were 4.8%, 3.0%, and 2.5%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that female gender (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.14–2.21) and education below college level (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.01–2.07) were related to FD. Multivariate analysis based on age 60 showed female gender as a significant (OR, 2.90; 95% CI, 1.06–7.94) factor in the group ≥60 years. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of FD was 10.3% in the health check-up population in Korea. Female sex and education below college level were risk factors for FD. Female sex is a risk factor for FD in old age, underscoring the need for close attention in this age group.
Dyspepsia ; Education ; Female ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Korea ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prevalence ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Tertiary Healthcare

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The predictive factors of functional dyspepsia (FD) remain controversial. Therefore, we sought to investigate symptom responses in FD patients after Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication and used predictive factor analysis to identify significant factors of FD resolution at one-year after commencing eradication therapy. METHODS: This prospective, multi-center clinical trial was performed on 65 FD patients that met Rome III criteria and had H. pylori infection. Symptom responses and factors that predicted poor response were determined by analysis one year after commencing H. pylori eradication therapy. RESULTS: A total of 63 patients completed the one-year follow-up. When an eradication success group (n=60) and an eradication failure group (n=3) were compared with respect to FD response rate at one year, results were as follows; complete response 73.3% and 0.0%, satisfactory response 1.7% and 0.0%, partial response 10.0% and 33.3%, and refractory response 15.0% and 66.7%, respectively (p=0.013). Univariate analysis showed persistent H. pylori infection (p=0.021), female gender (p=0.025), and medication for FD during the study period (p=0.013) were associated with poor FD response at one year. However, age, smoking, alcohol consumption, and underlying disease were not found to affect response. Finally, multivariate analysis showed that female gender (OR, 4.70; 95% CI, 1.17-18.88) was the sole independent risk factor of poor FD response at one year after commencing H. pylori eradication therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Female gender was found to predict poor response in FD patients despite H. pylori eradication. Furthermore, successful H. pylori eradication appears to be associated with FD improvement, but the number of non-eradicated patients was too small to conclude.
Alcohol Drinking ; Dyspepsia* ; Female* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prospective Studies* ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Symptom Assessment

This study compared the efficacy of DA-9601 (Dong-A ST Co., Seoul, Korea) and its new formulation, DA-5204 (Dong-A ST Co.), for treating erosive gastritis. This phase III, randomized, multicenter, double-blind, non-inferiority trial randomly assigned 434 patients with endoscopically proven gastric mucosal erosions into two groups: DA-9601 3 times daily or DA-5,204 twice daily for 2 weeks. The final analysis included 421 patients (DA-5204, 209; DA-9601, 212). The primary endpoint (rate of effective gastric erosion healing) and secondary endpoints (cure rate of endoscopic erosion and gastrointestinal [GI] symptom relief) were assessed using endoscopy after the treatment. Drug-related adverse events (AEs), including GI symptoms, were also compared. At week 2, gastric healing rates with DA-5204 and DA-9601 were 42.1% (88/209) and 42.5% (90/212), respectively. The difference between the groups was −0.4% (95% confidence interval, −9.8% to 9.1%), which was above the non-inferiority margin of −14%. The cure rate of gastric erosion in both groups was 37.3%. The improvement rates of GI symptoms with DA-5204 and DA-9601 were 40.4% and 40.8%, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in both secondary endpoints. AEs were reported in 18 (8.4%) patients in the DA-5204 group and 19 (8.8%) in the DA-9601 group. Rates of AE were not different between the two groups. No serious AE or adverse drug reaction (ADR) occurred. These results demonstrate the non-inferiority of DA-5204 compared to DA-9601. DA-5204 is as effective as DA-9601 in the treatment of erosive gastritis. Registered randomized clinical trial at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02282670)
Artemisia ; Double-Blind Method ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; Endoscopy ; Gastritis* ; Humans ; Seoul

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Several recent studies have reported that the early use of infliximab (IFX) improves the prognosis of Crohn's disease (CD). However, no data are available from Asian populations, as the forementioned studies have all been conducted in Western countries. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of early use of IFX on the prognosis of Korean patients with CD. METHODS: Patients with a diagnosis of CD established between July 1987 and January 2012 were investigated in 12 university hospitals in Korea. Because insurance coverage for IFX treatment began in August 2005, patients were assigned to either of 2 groups based on diagnosis date. The first group included patients diagnosed from July 1987 to December 2005, and the second from January 2006 to January 2012. We compared the cumulative probabilities of operation and reoperation between the two groups using the Kaplan-Meier method and a log-rank test. RESULTS: Of the 721 patients investigated, 443 (61.4%) comprized the second group. Although the cumulative probabilities of immunosuppressant (P<0.001) and IFX use (P<0.001) after diagnosis were significantly higher in the second group, there were no significant differences in cumulative probabilities of operation (P=0.905) or reoperation (P=0.418) between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The early use of IFX did not reduce CD-related surgery requirements in Korean patients with CD. These study results suggest that the early use of IFX may have little impact on the clinical outcome of CD in Korean patients in the setting of a conventional step-up algorithm.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Crohn Disease* ; Diagnosis ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Infliximab ; Insurance Coverage ; Korea ; Prognosis ; Reoperation

Sodium picosulfate/magnesium citrate (Picolight Powder), which is used as a bowel preparation for the colon and the rectum, can cause a severe electrolyte imbalance like hyponatremia. When hyponatremia gets severe or occurs rapidly, it can lead to death due to associated complications. We have experienced a case of hyponatremia associated with seizure and loss of consciousness in a 76-year-old woman, who took sodium picosulfate/magnesium citrate as a bowel preparation for colonoscopy. She was taking thiazide and synthroid for the treatment of hypertension and hypothyroidism, respectively, and she had other underlying medical conditions such as a history of seizure and dementia. Following the diagnosis of hyponatremia, we used an intravenous injection of 3% NaCl to normalize the sodium level in her serum, and her associated symptoms soon disappeared.
Aged ; Citric Acid* ; Colon ; Colonoscopy ; Dementia ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hyponatremia* ; Hypothyroidism ; Injections, Intravenous ; Rectum ; Seizures* ; Sodium* ; Thyroxine ; Unconsciousness

Blue toe syndrome is the most frequent manifestation of tissue ischemia caused by cholesterol embolization (CE), which can lead to amputation of affected lower extremities, if severe. However, any effective treatment is lacking. We experienced a case of spontaneously presenting blue toe syndrome and concomitant acute renal failure in a patient with multiple atherosclerotic risk factors. CE was confirmed by renal biopsy. Despite medical treatment including prostaglandin therapy and narcotics, the toe lesion progressed to gangrene with worsening ischemic pain. Therefore, we performed lumbar sympathectomy, which provided dramatic pain relief as well as an adequate blood flow to the ischemic lower extremities, resulting in healing of the gangrenous lesion and avoiding toe amputation. This is the first reported case of a patient with intractable ischemic toe syndrome caused by CE that was treated successfully by sympathectomy. Our observations suggest that sympathectomy may be beneficial in some patients with CE-associated blue toe syndrome.
Acute Kidney Injury* ; Amputation ; Biopsy ; Blue Toe Syndrome* ; Cholesterol* ; Embolism, Cholesterol ; Gangrene ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Lower Extremity ; Narcotics ; Risk Factors ; Sympathectomy* ; Toes

INTRODUCTION: Tegaserod has been used for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) but there is no data regarding its effect on Korean patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of tegaserod on symptoms and quality of life (QOL) in Korean female IBS patients with constipation and to evaluate the usefulness of the IBS-QOL in clinical study. METHODS: A prospective, open labeled, multicenter study was performed. Female patients fulfilling Rome II criteria for IBS received 6 mg of tegaserod twice a day for 4 weeks. The efficacy on IBS symptoms and QOL was assessed using 7-point scaled symptom questionnaire and IBS-QOL questionnaire, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 81 female patients (range 18-73 years of age) were enrolled in this study. Tegaserod therapy significantly reduced the overall symptom scores after 4 weeks (p <0.01). The improved symptoms included abdominal discomfort or pain, hard or lumpy stool, straining during a bowel movement, feeling of incomplete bowel movement, and abdominal fullness or bloating. The IBS-QOL of responders to tegaserod treatment was also significantly improved after 4 weeks (p <0.01). Furthermore, improvement of symptom scores significantly correlated with improvement of the IBS-QOL scores (r = -0.60, p <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Tegaserod 6 mg given twice daily improved the QOL as well as the bowel symptoms in Korean female IBS patients with constipation. The IBS-QOL can be used as a reliable end-point in clinical study.
Constipation ; Female ; Humans ; Indoles ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; Prospective Studies ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rome ; Sprains and Strains