Background/Aims: This study compared the effectiveness and safety of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (GLE/PIB) and sofosbuvir/ledipasvir (SOF/LDV) in real-life clinical practice. Methods: The data from genotype 1 or 2 chronic hepatitis C patients treated with GLE/PIB or sofosbuvir + ribavirin or SOF/LDV in South Korea were collected retrospectively. The analysis included the treatment completion rate, sustained virologic response at 12 weeks (SVR12) test rate, treatment effectiveness, and adverse events. Results: Seven hundred and eighty-two patients with genotype 1 or 2 chronic hepatitis C who were treated with GLE/PIB (n=575) or SOF/LDV (n=207) were included in this retrospective study. The baseline demographic and clinical characteristics revealed significant statistical differences in age, genotype, ascites, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma between the GLE/PIB and SOF/LDV groups. Twenty-two patients did not complete the treatment protocol. The treatment completion rate was high for both regimens without statistical significance (97.7% vs. 95.7%, p=0.08). The overall SVR12 of intention-to-treat analysis was 81.2% vs. 80.7% without statistical significance (p=0.87). The overall SVR12 of per protocol analysis was 98.7% vs. 100% without statistical significance (p=0.14). Six patients treated with GLE/PIB experienced treatment failure. They were all male, genotype 2, and showed a negative hepatitis C virus RNA level at the end of treatment. Two patients treated with GLE/PIB stopped medication because of fever and abdominal discomfort. Conclusions Both regimens had similar treatment completion rates, effectiveness, and safety profiles. Therefore, the SOF/LDV regimen can also be considered a viable DAA for the treatment of patients with genotype 1 or 2 chronic hepatitis C.

Biliary hamartomas are tumor-like malformations of the liver. Biliary hamartomas are a type of fibrocystic disorder originating from ductal plate malformation and are typically considered benign, but with the risk of malignant transformation. In this case report, we present a rare occurrence of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) that developed from biliary hamartomas, along with a literature review. A 76-year-old man with a diagnosis of biliary hamartomas had a history of recurrent cholangitis for 12 years, necessitating cholecystectomy, ERCP, and repeated antibiotic treatments. During his last episode, imaging studies revealed a hypervascular infiltrative mass in the right posterior liver segment. A liver biopsy confirmed adenocarcinoma and subsequent surgical pathology revealed ICC originating from biliary hamartomas. Chronic inflammation in the bile duct associated with biliary hamartomas may serve as a potential trigger for malignant transformation, as observed in this case. Therefore, close surveillance is essential for patients with biliary hamartomas presenting with infectious complications.

Background: Korea recently established 70 emergency medical service areas. However, there are many concerns that medical resources for stroke could not be evenly distributed through the country. We aimed to compare the treatment quality and outcomes of acute stroke among the emergency medical service areas. Methods: This study analyzed the data of 28,800 patients admitted in 248 hospitals which participated in the 8th acute stroke quality assessment by Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. Individual hospitals were regrouped into emergency service areas according to the address of the location. Assessment indicators and fatality were compared by the service areas. We defined the appropriate hospital by the performance of intravenous thrombolysis. Results: In seven service areas, there were no hospitals which received more than 10 stroke patients for 6 months. In nine service areas, there were no patients who underwent intravenous thrombolysis (IVT). Among 167 designated emergency medical centers, 50 hospitals (29.9%) responded that IVT was impossible 24 hours a day. There are 97 (39.1%) hospitals that meet the definitions of appropriate hospital. In 23 service areas (32.9%) had no appropriate or feasible hospitals. The fatality of service areas with stroke centers were 6.9% within 30 days and 15.6% within 1 year from stroke onset than those without stroke centers (7.7%, 16.9%, respectively). Conclusions There was a wide regional gap in the medical resource and the quality of treatments for acute stroke among emergency medical service areas in Korea. The poststroke fatality rate of the service areas which have stroke centers or appropriate hospitals were significantly low.

Rosiglitazone is a thiazolidinedione-class antidiabetic drug that reduces blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels. We here investigated the interaction of rosiglitazone with Kv3.1 expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells using the wholecell patch-clamp technique. Rosiglitazone rapidly and reversibly inhibited Kv3.1 currents in a concentration-dependent manner (IC 50 = 29.8 µM) and accelerated the decay of Kv3.1 currents without modifying the activation kinetics. The rosiglitazonemediated inhibition of Kv3.1 channels increased steeply in a sigmoidal pattern over the voltage range of –20 to +30 mV, whereas it was voltage-independent in the voltage range above +30 mV, where the channels were fully activated. The deactivation of Kv3.1 current, measured along with tail currents, was also slowed by the drug. In addition, the steady-state inactivation curve of Kv3.1 by rosiglitazone shifts to a negative potential without significant change in the slope value. All the results with the use dependence of the rosiglitazone-mediated blockade suggest that rosiglitazone acts on Kv3.1 channels as an open channel blocker.

Background: Clinical implications of elevated fasting triglycerides (FTGs) and non-fasting triglycerides (NFTGs) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) remain unknown. We aimed to elucidate the correlation and clinical significance of FTG and NFTG levels in AIS patients. Methods: Using a multicenter prospective stroke registry, we identified AIS patients hospitalized within 24 hours of onset with available NFTG results. The primary outcome was a composite of stroke recurrence, myocardial infarction, and all-cause mortality up to one year. Results: This study analyzed 2,176 patients. The prevalence of fasting and non-fasting hypertriglyceridemia was 11.5% and 24.6%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that younger age, diabetes, higher body mass index and initial systolic blood pressure were independently associated with both fasting and non-fasting hypertriglyceridemia (all P < 0.05). Patients with higher quartiles of NFTG were more likely to be male, younger, eversmokers, diabetic, and have family histories of premature coronary heart disease and stroke (all P < 0.05). Similar tendencies were observed for FTG. The composite outcome was not associated with FTG or NFTG quartiles. Conclusion The fasting and non-fasting hypertriglyceridemia were prevalent in AIS patients and showed similar clinical characteristics and outcomes. High FTG and NFTG levels were not associated with occurrence of subsequent clinical events up to one year.

Objective: : Endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms is challenging in case of wide-necked aneurysms because coils are prone to herniate into the parent artery, causing thromboembolic events or vessel occlusion. This study aims to compare long-term angiographic results of wide-necked aneurysms treated by stent-assisted, double-microcatheter, or single-microcatheter groups. Methods: : Between January 2003 and October 2016, 108 aneurysms that were treated with endovascular coil embolization with a neck size wider than 4 mm and a follow-up period of more than 3 years were selected. We performed coil embolization with singlemicrocatheter, double-microcatheter, and stent-assisted techniques. Angiographic results were evaluated using the Raymond-Roy occlusion classification (RROC). All medical and angiographic records were reviewed retrospectively. Results: : Clinical and angiographic analyses were conducted in 108 wide-necked aneurysms. The immediate post-procedural results revealed RROC class I (complete occlusion) in 66 cases (61.1%), class II (residual neck) in 36 cases (33.3%), and class III (residual sac) in six cases (5.6%). The final follow-up results revealed class I in 48 cases (44.4%), class II in 49 cases (45.4%), and class III in 11 cases (10.2%). Of a total of 45 (41.6%) radiologic recurrences, there were 21 cases (19.4%) of major recurrence that required additional treatment, and 24 cases (22.2%) of minor recurrence. The final follow-up angiographic results showed statistically significant differences between the stent-assisted group and the others (p<0.01). Conclusion : Long-term follow-up angiography demonstrated that the stent-assisted technique had a better complete occlusion rate than the other two techniques.

Objective: : Endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms is challenging in case of wide-necked aneurysms because coils are prone to herniate into the parent artery, causing thromboembolic events or vessel occlusion. This study aims to compare long-term angiographic results of wide-necked aneurysms treated by stent-assisted, double-microcatheter, or single-microcatheter groups. Methods: : Between January 2003 and October 2016, 108 aneurysms that were treated with endovascular coil embolization with a neck size wider than 4 mm and a follow-up period of more than 3 years were selected. We performed coil embolization with singlemicrocatheter, double-microcatheter, and stent-assisted techniques. Angiographic results were evaluated using the Raymond-Roy occlusion classification (RROC). All medical and angiographic records were reviewed retrospectively. Results: : Clinical and angiographic analyses were conducted in 108 wide-necked aneurysms. The immediate post-procedural results revealed RROC class I (complete occlusion) in 66 cases (61.1%), class II (residual neck) in 36 cases (33.3%), and class III (residual sac) in six cases (5.6%). The final follow-up results revealed class I in 48 cases (44.4%), class II in 49 cases (45.4%), and class III in 11 cases (10.2%). Of a total of 45 (41.6%) radiologic recurrences, there were 21 cases (19.4%) of major recurrence that required additional treatment, and 24 cases (22.2%) of minor recurrence. The final follow-up angiographic results showed statistically significant differences between the stent-assisted group and the others (p<0.01). Conclusion : Long-term follow-up angiography demonstrated that the stent-assisted technique had a better complete occlusion rate than the other two techniques.

Background: and Purpose: Blood pressure (BP) control is strongly recommended, but BP control rate has not been well studied in patients with stroke. We evaluated the BP control rate with fimasartan-based antihypertensive therapy initiated in patients with recent cerebral ischemia. Methods: This multicenter, prospective, single-arm trial involved 27 centers in South Korea. Key inclusion criteria were recent cerebral ischemia within 90 days and high BP [systolic blood pressure (SBP) >140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) >90 mm Hg]. BP lowering was initiated with fimasartan. BP management during the follow-up was at the discretion of the responsible investigators. The primary endpoint was the target BP goal achievement rate (<140/90 mm Hg) at 24 weeks. Key secondary endpoints included achieved BP and BP changes at each visit, and clinical events (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03231293). Results: Of 1,035 patients enrolled, 1,026 were included in the safety analysis, and 951 in the efficacy analysis. Their mean age was 64.1 years, 33% were female, the median time interval from onset to enrollment was 10 days, and the baseline SBP and DBP were 162.3±16.0 and 92.2±12.4 mm Hg (mean±SD). During the study period, 55.5% of patients were maintained on fimasartan monotherapy, and 44.5% received antihypertensive therapies other than fimasartan monotherapy at at least one visit. The target BP goal achievement rate at 24-week was 67.3% (48.6% at 4-week and 61.4% at 12-week). The mean BP was 139.0/81.8±18.3/11.7, 133.8/79.2±16.4/11.0, and 132.8/78.5±15.6/10.9 mm Hg at 4-, 12-, and 24-week. The treatment-emergent adverse event rate was 5.4%, including one serious adverse event. Conclusions Fimasartan-based BP lowering achieved the target BP in two-thirds of patients at 24 weeks, and was generally well tolerated.

Background: and Purpose: Blood pressure (BP) control is strongly recommended, but BP control rate has not been well studied in patients with stroke. We evaluated the BP control rate with fimasartan-based antihypertensive therapy initiated in patients with recent cerebral ischemia. Methods: This multicenter, prospective, single-arm trial involved 27 centers in South Korea. Key inclusion criteria were recent cerebral ischemia within 90 days and high BP [systolic blood pressure (SBP) >140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) >90 mm Hg]. BP lowering was initiated with fimasartan. BP management during the follow-up was at the discretion of the responsible investigators. The primary endpoint was the target BP goal achievement rate (<140/90 mm Hg) at 24 weeks. Key secondary endpoints included achieved BP and BP changes at each visit, and clinical events (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03231293). Results: Of 1,035 patients enrolled, 1,026 were included in the safety analysis, and 951 in the efficacy analysis. Their mean age was 64.1 years, 33% were female, the median time interval from onset to enrollment was 10 days, and the baseline SBP and DBP were 162.3±16.0 and 92.2±12.4 mm Hg (mean±SD). During the study period, 55.5% of patients were maintained on fimasartan monotherapy, and 44.5% received antihypertensive therapies other than fimasartan monotherapy at at least one visit. The target BP goal achievement rate at 24-week was 67.3% (48.6% at 4-week and 61.4% at 12-week). The mean BP was 139.0/81.8±18.3/11.7, 133.8/79.2±16.4/11.0, and 132.8/78.5±15.6/10.9 mm Hg at 4-, 12-, and 24-week. The treatment-emergent adverse event rate was 5.4%, including one serious adverse event. Conclusions Fimasartan-based BP lowering achieved the target BP in two-thirds of patients at 24 weeks, and was generally well tolerated.