Purpose: This study investigated the changes in gene expression in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) following ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) treatment to elucidate the underlying mechanisms contributing to its neuroprotective effects. Methods: RGCs isolated from Sprague-Dawley rat pups were treated with recombinant CNTF. Gene expression was analyzed via microarray. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were defined as those with a fold change greater than 2 or less than –2. The DEGs were further explored using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. Results: Our analysis identified 71 upregulated and 58 downregulated genes. A2m exhibited the highest increase, with a fold change of 4.97, whereas Rho displayed the most significant decrease in expression, with a fold change of –6.38. GO and KEGG pathway analyses revealed substantial involvement in sensory organ development and the phototransduction pathway. Conclusions This study provides new insights into the impact of CNTF on gene expression in RGCs, suggesting broader neuroprotective mechanisms that could inform future therapeutic strategies for retinal degenerative diseases. Our findings emphasize the importance of further investigation into the complex gene network responses to CNTF treatment.

Purpose: This study investigated the changes in gene expression in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) following ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) treatment to elucidate the underlying mechanisms contributing to its neuroprotective effects. Methods: RGCs isolated from Sprague-Dawley rat pups were treated with recombinant CNTF. Gene expression was analyzed via microarray. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were defined as those with a fold change greater than 2 or less than –2. The DEGs were further explored using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. Results: Our analysis identified 71 upregulated and 58 downregulated genes. A2m exhibited the highest increase, with a fold change of 4.97, whereas Rho displayed the most significant decrease in expression, with a fold change of –6.38. GO and KEGG pathway analyses revealed substantial involvement in sensory organ development and the phototransduction pathway. Conclusions This study provides new insights into the impact of CNTF on gene expression in RGCs, suggesting broader neuroprotective mechanisms that could inform future therapeutic strategies for retinal degenerative diseases. Our findings emphasize the importance of further investigation into the complex gene network responses to CNTF treatment.

Purpose: This study investigated the changes in gene expression in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) following ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) treatment to elucidate the underlying mechanisms contributing to its neuroprotective effects. Methods: RGCs isolated from Sprague-Dawley rat pups were treated with recombinant CNTF. Gene expression was analyzed via microarray. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were defined as those with a fold change greater than 2 or less than –2. The DEGs were further explored using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. Results: Our analysis identified 71 upregulated and 58 downregulated genes. A2m exhibited the highest increase, with a fold change of 4.97, whereas Rho displayed the most significant decrease in expression, with a fold change of –6.38. GO and KEGG pathway analyses revealed substantial involvement in sensory organ development and the phototransduction pathway. Conclusions This study provides new insights into the impact of CNTF on gene expression in RGCs, suggesting broader neuroprotective mechanisms that could inform future therapeutic strategies for retinal degenerative diseases. Our findings emphasize the importance of further investigation into the complex gene network responses to CNTF treatment.

Purpose: This study investigated the changes in gene expression in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) following ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) treatment to elucidate the underlying mechanisms contributing to its neuroprotective effects. Methods: RGCs isolated from Sprague-Dawley rat pups were treated with recombinant CNTF. Gene expression was analyzed via microarray. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were defined as those with a fold change greater than 2 or less than –2. The DEGs were further explored using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. Results: Our analysis identified 71 upregulated and 58 downregulated genes. A2m exhibited the highest increase, with a fold change of 4.97, whereas Rho displayed the most significant decrease in expression, with a fold change of –6.38. GO and KEGG pathway analyses revealed substantial involvement in sensory organ development and the phototransduction pathway. Conclusions This study provides new insights into the impact of CNTF on gene expression in RGCs, suggesting broader neuroprotective mechanisms that could inform future therapeutic strategies for retinal degenerative diseases. Our findings emphasize the importance of further investigation into the complex gene network responses to CNTF treatment.

Purpose: This study investigated the changes in gene expression in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) following ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) treatment to elucidate the underlying mechanisms contributing to its neuroprotective effects. Methods: RGCs isolated from Sprague-Dawley rat pups were treated with recombinant CNTF. Gene expression was analyzed via microarray. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were defined as those with a fold change greater than 2 or less than –2. The DEGs were further explored using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. Results: Our analysis identified 71 upregulated and 58 downregulated genes. A2m exhibited the highest increase, with a fold change of 4.97, whereas Rho displayed the most significant decrease in expression, with a fold change of –6.38. GO and KEGG pathway analyses revealed substantial involvement in sensory organ development and the phototransduction pathway. Conclusions This study provides new insights into the impact of CNTF on gene expression in RGCs, suggesting broader neuroprotective mechanisms that could inform future therapeutic strategies for retinal degenerative diseases. Our findings emphasize the importance of further investigation into the complex gene network responses to CNTF treatment.

Purpose: Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is commonly used as a monitoring tool in diabetes. Due to the potential influence of insulin resistance (IR), HbA1c level may fluctuate over a person's lifetime. This study explores the long-term tracking of HbA1c level in individuals diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) from infancy to early adulthood. Methods: The HbA1c levels in 275 individuals (121 males, 43.8%) diagnosed with T1DM were tracked for an average of 9.4 years. The distribution of HbA1c levels was evaluated according to age with subgroups divided by gender, use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), and the presence of complications. Results: HbA1c levels were highest at the age of 1 year and then declined until age 4, followed by a significant increase, reaching a maximum at ages 15–16 years. The levels subsequently gradually decreased until early adulthood. This pattern was observed in both sexes, but it was more pronounced in females. Additionally, HbA1c levels were higher in CGM nonusers compared with CGM users; however, regardless of CGM usage, an age-dependent pattern was observed. Furthermore, diabetic complications occurred in 26.8% of individuals, and the age-dependent pattern was observed irrespective of diabetic complications, although HbA1c levels were higher in individuals with diabetic complications. Conclusion HbA1c levels vary throughout the lifespan, with higher levels during adolescence. This trend is observed regardless of sex and CGM usage, potentially due to physiological IR observed during adolescence. Hence, physiological IR should be considered when interpretating HbA1c levels during adolescence.

Purpose: Nonambulatory pediatric patients may have low bone mineral density (BMD) and increased risk of pathologic fractures. Though bisphosphonate therapy is the mainstream medical intervention in these children, clinical data regarding this treatment are limited. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of bisphosphonate therapy in such children. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 21 nonambulatory children (Gross Motor Function Classification System level V) with BMD z-score ≤ -2.0 who were treated with intravenous pamidronate for at least 1 year. These patients received pamidronate every 4 months at a dose of 1.0 to 3.0 mg/kg for each cycle and had regular follow-ups for at least 1 year. The main outcome measures were changes in BMD, risk rate of fracture, biochemical data, and adverse events. Results: The average duration of pamidronate treatment was 2.0±0.9 years, and the mean cumulative dose of pamidronate according to body weight was 7.7±2.5 mg/kg/yr. After treatment, the mean lumbar spine bone mineral content, BMD, and height-for-age-z-score-adjusted BMD z-score (BMDhazZ) significantly improved. The relative risk of fracture after treatment was 0.21 (p=0.0032), suggesting that pamidronate treatment reduced fracture incidence significantly. The increase in the average dose per body weight in each cycle significantly increased the changes in BMDhazZ. Conclusion Pamidronate treatment improved the bone health of nonambulatory children with low bone density without any significant adverse events. Independent of cumulative dosage and duration of treatment, the effectiveness of pamidronate increased significantly with an increase in the average dose per body weight in subsequent cycles.

Purpose: The appropriate evaluation of height and accurate estimation of bone age are crucial for proper assessment of the growth status of a child. We developed a bone age estimation program using a deep learning algorithm and established a model to predict the final adult height of Korean children. Materials and Methods: A total of 1678 radiographs from 866 children, for which the interpretation results were consistent between two pediatric endocrinologists, were used to train and validate the deep learning model. The bone age estimation algorithm was based on the convolutional neural network of the deep learning system. The test set simulation was performed by a deep learning program and two raters using 150 radiographs and final height data for 100 adults. Results: There was a statistically significant correlation between bone age interpreted by the artificial intelligence (AI) program and the reference bone age in the test set simulation (r=0.99, p<0.001). In the test set simulation, the AI program showed a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.59 years and a root mean squared error (RMSE) of 0.55 years, compared with reference bone age, and showed similar accuracy to that of an experienced pediatric endocrinologist (rater 1). Prediction of final adult height by the AI program showed an MAE of 4.62 cm, compared with the actual final adult height. Conclusion We developed a bone age estimation program based on a deep learning algorithm. The AI-derived program demonstrated high accuracy in estimating bone age and predicting the final adult height of Korean children and adolescents.

The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the demographic characteristics of pediatric dental patients who underwent dental treatment under general anesthesia (DTGA) at the Seoul National University Dental Hospital from January 2011 through December 2020 and compare the patterns of repeated DTGA between dental patients with severe disabilities (DSD) and non-DSD (healthy or medically compromised patients without DSD). There were 1,857 DTGAs among 1,719 patients (mean age = 5.1 years; males = 59.3%; ASA 2 or above = 52.9%; DSD = 26.8%). Overall, 6.6% of patients underwent repeated DTGA, and the rate of repeated DTGA over a 10-year period was 7.4%. ASA 2 or above (p < 0.0001) and DSD (p < 0.0001) were more likely to undergo repeated DRGA compared to ASA 1 and non-DSD. At both GA1 and GA2, DSD received significantly more restorative treatment on permanent teeth than non-DSD (p = 0.002, p < 0.0001, respectively). There has been an increasing demand for DTGA in pediatric dentistry over the last 10 years. Regular check-ups and preventive oral health care are necessary for pediatric dental patients with severe disabilities to reduce the possibility of repeated DTGA.