Lemierre syndrome is a rare disease involving multiple organs affected by septic emboli following oropharyngeal infection. After the introduction of penicillin in the 1940s, it became a "forgotten" disease. However, due to the development of diagnostic image modalities including neck computed tomography (CT) scan, the number of published reports of Lemierre syndrome and diagnosis has been increasing since the 1990s. In this report, we describe a case of Lemierre syndrome, following oropharyngeal infection in a 16-year-old patient, who manifested with persistent fever and neck stiffness. Neck ultrasonography confirmed thrombus formation in the right internal jugular vein without definite evidence of septic emboli to other organs. After the three-week-long antibiotics therapy was completed, the thrombus in the right internal jugular vein finally disappeared.
Adolescent ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Diagnosis ; Fever* ; Humans ; Jugular Veins ; Lemierre Syndrome* ; Neck* ; Penicillins ; Rare Diseases ; Thrombophlebitis ; Thrombosis ; Ultrasonography

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is suitable treatment method of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for patients with decreased underlying liver function or unresectable disease. But this procedure can induce some embolic events. We report a case of a gallbladder infarction caused by the embolic event in TACE procedure. A 61-year-old man had been going to undergo 6th TACE for marginal recurrence of HCC. After the procedure, gallbladder infarction occurred and was detected by abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan for response evaluation of the treatment at out-patient-clinic. Then, he was treated with oral antibiotics and conservative therapy at out-patient clinic. In 6th week after the event, abdominal CT scan showed improved state of gallbladder.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Embolism ; Gallbladder* ; Humans ; Infarction* ; Liver ; Middle Aged ; Outpatients ; Recurrence ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Intervention treatment such as balloon retrograde or anterograde transvenous obliteration has been used for management of refractory hepatic encephalopathy as well as gastric variceal bleeding. Recently, plug-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration without a help of balloon was newly developed to treat these patients. Here, we report three cases suffering refractory hepatic encephalopathy who were treated with this new technique.
Balloon Occlusion ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices ; Hepatic Encephalopathy* ; Humans ; Portasystemic Shunt, Surgical ; Splenorenal Shunt, Surgical*

Objectives: The need for interoperability at the national level was highlighted in Korea, leading to a consensus on the importance of establishing national standards that align with international technological standards and reflect contemporary needs. This article aims to share insights into the background of the recent national health data standardization policy, the activities of the Health Data Standardization Taskforce, and the future direction of health data standardization in Korea. Methods: To ensure health data interoperability, the Health Data Standardization Taskforce was jointly organized by the public and private sectors in December 2022. The taskforce operated three working groups. It reviewed international trends in interoperability standardization, assessed the current status of health data standardization, discussed its vision, mission, and strategies, engaged in short-term standardization activities, and established a governance system for standardization. Results: On September 15, 2023, the notice of “Health Data Terminology and Transmission Standards” in Korea was thoroughly revised to improve the exchange of health information between information systems and ensure interoperability. This notice includes the Korea Core Data for Interoperability (KR CDI) and the Korea Core Data Transmission Standard (HL7 FHIR KR Core), which are outcomes of the taskforce’s efforts. Additionally, to reinforce the standardized governance system, the Health-Data Standardization Promotion Committee was established. Conclusions Active interest and support from medical informatics experts are needed for the development and widespread adoption of health data standards in Korea.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that typically results in strong inflammation and bone destruction in the joints. It is generally known that the pathogenesis of RA is linked to cardiovascular and periodontal diseases. Though rheumatoid arthritis and periodontitis share many pathologic features such as a perpetual inflammation and bone destruction, the precise mechanism underlying a link between these two diseases has not been fully elucidated. Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice were orally infected with Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) or Pg preincubated with an anti-FimA antibody (FimA Ab) specific for fimbriae that are flexible appendages on the cell surface. Pg-infected CIA mice showed oral microbiota disruption and increased alveolar bone loss and had synovitis and joint bone destruction. However, preincubation with FimA Ab led to a significant reduction in the severity of both oral disease and arthritis. Moreover, FimA Ab attenuated bacterial attachment and aggregation on human gingival and rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts. In addition, we discovered bacteria may utilize dendritic cells, macrophages and neutrophils to migrate into the joints of CIA mice. These results suggest that disrupting Pg fimbriae function by FimA Ab ameliorates RA.

Evaluating cell metabolism is crucial during pluripotent stem cell (PSC) differentiation and somatic cell reprogramming as it affects cell fate. As cultured stem cells are heterogeneous, a comparative analysis of relative metabolism using existing metabolic analysis methods is difficult, resulting in inaccuracies. In this study, we measured human PSC basal metabolic levels using a Seahorse analyzer. We used fibroblasts, human induced PSCs, and human embryonic stem cells to monitor changes in basal metabolic levels according to cell number and determine the number of cells suitable for analysis. We evaluated normalization methods using glucose and selected the most suitable for the metabolic analysis of heterogeneous PSCs during the reprogramming stage. The response of fibroblasts to glucose increased with starvation time, with oxygen consumption rate and extracellular acidification rate responding most effectively to glucose 4 hours after starvation and declining after 5 hours of starvation. Fibroblasts and PSCs achieved appropriate responses to glucose without damaging their metabolism 2∼4 and 2∼3 hours after starvation, respectively. We developed a novel method for comparing basal metabolic rates of fibroblasts and PSCs, focusing on quantitative analysis of glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation using glucose without enzyme inhibitors. This protocol enables efficient comparison of energy metabolism among cell types, including undifferentiated PSCs, differentiated cells, and cells undergoing cellular reprogramming, and addresses critical issues, such as differences in basal metabolic levels and sensitivity to normalization, providing valuable insights into cellular energetics.

Rare endocrine diseases are complex conditions that require lifelong specialized care due to their chronic nature and associated long-term complications. In Korea, a lack of nationwide data on clinical practice and outcomes has limited progress in patient care. Therefore, the Multicenter Networks for Ideal Outcomes of Pediatric Rare Endocrine and Metabolic Disease (OUTSPREAD) study was initiated. This study involves 30 centers across Korea. The study aims to improve the long-term prognosis of Korean patients with rare endocrine diseases by collecting comprehensive clinical data, biospecimens, and patient-reported outcomes to identify complications and unmet needs in patient care. Patients with childhood-onset pituitary, adrenal, or gonadal disorders, such as craniopharyngioma, congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), and Turner syndrome were prioritized. The planned enrollment is 1,300 patients during the first study phase (2022–2024). Clinical, biochemical, and imaging data from diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up during 1980–2023 were retrospectively reviewed. For patients who agreed to participate in the prospective cohort, clinical data and biospecimens will be prospectively collected to discover ideal biomarkers that predict the effectiveness of disease control measures and prognosis. Patient-reported outcomes, including quality of life and depression scales, will be evaluated to assess psychosocial outcomes. Additionally, a substudy on CAH patients will develop a steroid hormone profiling method using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to improve diagnosis and monitoring of treatment outcomes. This study will address unmet clinical needs by discovering ideal biomarkers, introducing evidence-based treatment guidelines, and ultimately improving long-term outcomes in the areas of rare endocrine and metabolic diseases.

Rare endocrine diseases are complex conditions that require lifelong specialized care due to their chronic nature and associated long-term complications. In Korea, a lack of nationwide data on clinical practice and outcomes has limited progress in patient care. Therefore, the Multicenter Networks for Ideal Outcomes of Pediatric Rare Endocrine and Metabolic Disease (OUTSPREAD) study was initiated. This study involves 30 centers across Korea. The study aims to improve the long-term prognosis of Korean patients with rare endocrine diseases by collecting comprehensive clinical data, biospecimens, and patient-reported outcomes to identify complications and unmet needs in patient care. Patients with childhood-onset pituitary, adrenal, or gonadal disorders, such as craniopharyngioma, congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), and Turner syndrome were prioritized. The planned enrollment is 1,300 patients during the first study phase (2022–2024). Clinical, biochemical, and imaging data from diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up during 1980–2023 were retrospectively reviewed. For patients who agreed to participate in the prospective cohort, clinical data and biospecimens will be prospectively collected to discover ideal biomarkers that predict the effectiveness of disease control measures and prognosis. Patient-reported outcomes, including quality of life and depression scales, will be evaluated to assess psychosocial outcomes. Additionally, a substudy on CAH patients will develop a steroid hormone profiling method using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to improve diagnosis and monitoring of treatment outcomes. This study will address unmet clinical needs by discovering ideal biomarkers, introducing evidence-based treatment guidelines, and ultimately improving long-term outcomes in the areas of rare endocrine and metabolic diseases.

Rare endocrine diseases are complex conditions that require lifelong specialized care due to their chronic nature and associated long-term complications. In Korea, a lack of nationwide data on clinical practice and outcomes has limited progress in patient care. Therefore, the Multicenter Networks for Ideal Outcomes of Pediatric Rare Endocrine and Metabolic Disease (OUTSPREAD) study was initiated. This study involves 30 centers across Korea. The study aims to improve the long-term prognosis of Korean patients with rare endocrine diseases by collecting comprehensive clinical data, biospecimens, and patient-reported outcomes to identify complications and unmet needs in patient care. Patients with childhood-onset pituitary, adrenal, or gonadal disorders, such as craniopharyngioma, congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), and Turner syndrome were prioritized. The planned enrollment is 1,300 patients during the first study phase (2022–2024). Clinical, biochemical, and imaging data from diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up during 1980–2023 were retrospectively reviewed. For patients who agreed to participate in the prospective cohort, clinical data and biospecimens will be prospectively collected to discover ideal biomarkers that predict the effectiveness of disease control measures and prognosis. Patient-reported outcomes, including quality of life and depression scales, will be evaluated to assess psychosocial outcomes. Additionally, a substudy on CAH patients will develop a steroid hormone profiling method using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to improve diagnosis and monitoring of treatment outcomes. This study will address unmet clinical needs by discovering ideal biomarkers, introducing evidence-based treatment guidelines, and ultimately improving long-term outcomes in the areas of rare endocrine and metabolic diseases.

This paper describes a community effort to improve earlier versions of the full-text corpus of Genomics & Informatics by semi-automatically detecting and correcting PDF-to-text conversion errors and optical character recognition errors during the first hackathon of Genomics & Informatics Annotation Hackathon (GIAH) event. Extracting text from multi-column biomedical documents such as Genomics & Informatics is known to be notoriously difficult. The hackathon was piloted as part of a coding competition of the ELTEC College of Engineering at Ewha Womans University in order to enable researchers and students to create or annotate their own versions of the Genomics & Informatics corpus, to gain and create knowledge about corpus linguistics, and simultaneously to acquire tangible and transferable skills. The proposed projects during the hackathon harness an internal database containing different versions of the corpus and annotations.