Purpose: Post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLDs) after hematopoietic stem transplantation (HCT) or solid organ transplantation (SOT) result in poorer outcomes, including death. There are limited large cohort data on the incidence and natural course of PTLD in Asians. Materials and Methods: We investigated PTLD using Korean national health insurance claims data of 47,518 patients who underwent HCT or SOT in 2008-2020. Patient demographics, time and type of PTLD diagnosis, type of PTLD treatment, and death data were collected. We used Fine and Gray subdistribution hazard models to calculate the cumulative incidence and risk factors for PTLD. Results: During median follow-up of 5.32 years, PTLD occurred in 294 of 36,945 SOT patients (0.79%) and 235 of 10,573 HCT patients (2.22%). Cumulative incidence of PTLD were 0.49% at 1 year, 1.02% at 5 years, and 1.50% at 10 years post-transplantation. Age < 20 years (subdistribution hazard ratio [SHR] of 1.67 in age 10-19, SHR 1.51 in age 0-9), HCT (SHR 3.02), heart transplantation (SHR 2.27), and liver transplantation (SHR 1.47) were significant risk factors for PTLD. The presence of PTLD was associated with an increased risk of death (hazard ratio of 2.84). Overall, 5-year survival of PTLD patients was 68.9% (95% confidence interval, 64.9 to 73.2). Conclusion We observed a steady increase in PTLD over 10 years after HCT or SOT in this large cohort study. Pediatric age group, HCT, liver transplantation, and heart transplantation were suggested to be risk factors for PTLD, and PTLD was associated with a higher risk of death.

Background: Coronary artery disease patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) often exhibit reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). However, the impact of LV dysfunction status in conjunction with platelet reactivity on clinical outcomes has not been previously investigated. Methods: From the multicenter PTRG-DES (Platelet function and genoType-Related long-term prognosis in DES-treated patients) consortium, the patients were classified as preserved-EF (PEF: LVEF ≥ 50%) and reduced-EF (REF: LVEF< 5 0%) group by echocardiography. Platelet reactivity was measured using VerifyNow P2Y 12 assay and high platelet reactivity (HPR) was defined as PRU ≥ 252. The major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) were a composite of death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis and stroke at 5 years after PCI. Major bleeding was defined as Bleeding Academic Research Consortium bleeding types 3–5. Results: A total of 13,160 patients from PTRG-DES, 9,319 (79.6%) patients with the results of both PRU and LVEF were analyzed. The incidence of MACCE and major bleeding was higher in REF group as compared with PEF group (MACCEs: hazard ratio [HR] 2.17, P < 0.001, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.85–2.55; major bleeding: HR 1.78, P < 0.001, 95% CI 1.39–2.78).The highest rate of MACCEs was found in patients with REF and HPR, and the difference between the groups was statistically significant (HR 3.14 in REF(+)/HPR(+) vs. PEF(+)/HPR(-) group,P <0.01, 95% CI 2.51–3.91). The frequency of major bleeding was not associated with the HPR in either group. Conclusion LV dysfunction was associated with an increased incidence of MACCEs and major bleeding in patients who underwent PCI. The HPR status further exhibited significant increase of MACCEs in patients with LV dysfunction in a large, real-world registry.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04734028

Background: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has contributed to the change in the epidemiology of many infectious diseases. This study aimed to establish the pre-pandemic epidemiology of pediatric invasive bacterial infection (IBI). Methods: A retrospective multicenter-based surveillance for pediatric IBIs has been maintained from 1996 to 2020 in Korea. IBIs caused by eight bacteria (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella species) in immunocompetent children > 3 months of age were collected at 29 centers. The annual trend in the proportion of IBIs by each pathogen was analyzed. Results: A total of 2,195 episodes were identified during the 25-year period between 1996 and 2020. S. pneumoniae (42.4%), S. aureus (22.1%), and Salmonella species (21.0%) were common in children 3 to 59 months of age. In children ≥ 5 years of age, S. aureus (58.1%), followed by Salmonella species (14.8%) and S. pneumoniae (12.2%) were common. Excluding the year 2020, there was a trend toward a decrease in the relative proportions of S. pneumoniae (rs = −0.430, P = 0.036), H. influenzae (rs = −0.922, P < 0.001), while trend toward an increase in the relative proportion of S. aureus (rs = 0.850, P < 0.001), S. agalactiae (rs = 0.615, P = 0.001), and S. pyogenes (rs = 0.554, P = 0.005). Conclusion In the proportion of IBIs over a 24-year period between 1996 and 2019, we observed a decreasing trend for S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae and an increasing trend for S. aureus, S. agalactiae, and S. pyogenes in children > 3 months of age. These findings can be used as the baseline data to navigate the trend in the epidemiology of pediatric IBI in the post COVID-19 era.

Background/Aims: The Genoss DES™ is a novel, biodegradable, polymer-coated, sirolimus-eluting stent with a cobalt- chromium stent platform and thin strut. Although the safety and effectiveness of this stent have been previously investigated, real-world clinical outcomes data are lacking. Therefore, the aim of this prospective, multicenter trial was to evaluate the clinical safety and effectiveness of the Genoss DES™ in all-comer patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Methods: The Genoss DES registry is a prospective, single-arm, observational trial for evaluation of clinical outcomes after Genoss DES™ implantation in all-comer patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention from 17 sites in South Korea. The primary endpoint was a device-oriented composite outcome of cardiac death, target vessel-related myocardial infarction (MI), and clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 12 months. Results: A total of 1,999 patients (66.4 ± 11.1 years of age; 72.8% male) were analyzed. At baseline, 62.8% and 36.7% of patients had hypertension and diabetes, respectively. The implanted stent number, diameter, and length per patient were 1.5 ± 0.8, 3.1 ± 0.5 mm, and 37.0 ± 25.0 mm, respectively. The primary endpoint occurred in 1.8% patients, with a cardiac death rate of 1.1%, target vessel-related MI rate of 0.2%, and clinically driven TLR rate of 0.8%. Conclusions In this real-world registry, the Genoss DES™ demonstrated excellent safety and effectiveness at 12 months among all-comer patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. These findings suggest that the Genoss DES™ may be a viable treatment option for patients with coronary artery disease.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of udenafil 75 mg once daily in patients with erectile dysfunction following bilateral nerve-sparing robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (BNS-RALP). Materials and Methods: A multi-center, prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blind study was conducted. Among patients with localized prostate cancer with international index of erectile function-erectile function domain (IIEF-EF) score of 18 or higher before BNS-RALP, those who developed postoperative erectile dysfunction (IIEF-EF score 14 or less at 4 weeks after BNS-RALP) were enrolled. Enrolled patients were randomly assigned to the udenafil 75 mg daily group or the placebo group in a 2:1 ratio. Each subject was followed up at 8 weeks (V2), 20 weeks (V3), and 32 weeks (V4) to evaluate the efficacy and safety of udenafil. Results: In all, 101 patients were screened, of whom 99 were enrolled. Of the 99 patients, 67 were assigned to the experimental group and 32 to the control group. Ten (14.93%) patients in the experimental group and 10 (31.25%) in the control group dropped out of the study. After 32 weeks of treatment, IIEF-EF score of 22 or higher was seen in 36.51% (23/63) of patients in the experimental group and 13.04% (3/23) patients in the control group (p=0.021). The proportion of patients with IIEF-EF improvement of 25% or more compared to the baseline was 82.54% (52/63) in the experimental group and 62.96% (17/27) in the control group (p=0.058). Conclusions Udenafil 75 mg once daily after BNS-RALP improved the erectile function without any severe adverse effects.

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the outcomes of primary radiotherapy (RT) versus surgery in early-stage human papilloma virus–positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (hpv+OPC), and investigate the preoperative clinical factors that can predict the requirement for postoperative adjuvant treatment. Materials and Methods: This multicenter study included 166 patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer 8th edition-Stages I-II hpv+OPC. Sixty (36.1%) and 106 (63.9%) patients underwent primary (concurrent chemo)radiotherapy [(CC)RT] and surgery, respectively. Seventy-eight patients (73.6%) in the surgery group received postoperative (CC)RT. Results: With a median follow-up of 45.6 months for survivors, the 2-year overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and locoregional control (LC) for RT/surgery were 97.8%/96.4%, 91.1%/92.0%, and 92.9%/93.3%, respectively. In multivariate analyses, patients with synchronous radiologic extranodal extension and conglomeration (ENEcong) of metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) showed significantly poorer OS (p=0.047), PFS (p=0.001), and LC (p=0.003). In patients undergoing primary surgery, two or more clinically positive LN metastases (odds ratio [OR], 5.15; p=0.004) and LN metastases with ENEcong (OR, 3.75; p=0.009) were predictors of postoperative chemoradiotherapy. No patient in the primary RT group demonstrated late severe toxicity whereas three (2.8%), one (0.9%), and one (0.9%) patient in the surgery group showed grade 3 dysphagia, grade 3 xerostomia, and fatal oral cavity bleeding. Conclusion We found no differences in OS, PFS, and LC between upfront RT and surgery in stage I-II hpv+OPC which warrants comparison through a prospective trial in the treatment de-escalation era. However, most early-stage hpv+OPC patients undergoing surgery received adjuvant (CC)RT. Pretreatment LN findings were prognostic and predictive for adjuvant treatment.

Background/Aims: While distal radial artery (DRA) access is increasingly being used for diagnostic coronary angiography, limited information is available regarding DRA size. We aimed to determine the DRA reference diameters of Korean patients and identify the predictors of DRA diameter < 2.3 mm. Methods: The outer bilateral DRA diameters were assessed using a linear ultrasound probe in 1,162 consecutive patients who underwent transthoracic echocardiography. The DRA diameter was measured by the perpendicular angle in the dorsum of the hand, and the average values were compared by sex. DRA diameter < 2.3 mm was defined as unsuitable for routine diagnostic coronary angiography using a 5 Fr introducer sheath. Results: The mean DRA diameters were 2.31 ± 0.43 mm (right) and 2.35 ± 0.45 mm (left). The DRA was smaller in women than men (right: 2.15 ± 0.38 mm vs. 2.43 ± 0.44 mm, p < 0.001; left: 2.18 ± 0.39 mm vs. 2.47 ± 0.45 mm, p < 0.001). The DRA diameter was approximately 20% smaller than the radial artery diameter. A total of 630 (54.2%) and 574 (49.4%) patients had DRA diameter < 2.3 mm in the right and left hands, respectively. Female sex, low body mass index (BMI), and low body surface area (BSA) were significant predictors of DRA diameter < 2.3 mm. Conclusions We provided reference DRA diameters for Korean patients. Approximately 50% of the studied patients had DRA diameter < 2.3 mm. Female sex, low BMI, and low BSA remained significant predictors of DRA diameter < 2.3 mm.

Purpose: Induced sputum eosinophil count is useful for the evaluation and diagnosis of asthma and eosinophilic bronchitis (EB).The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation of induced sputum eosinophil count with various allergic indicators, including the peripheral blood eosinophil count, in pediatric asthma and EB. Methods: From May 2014 to July 2018, 126 children visited Kyungpook National University Children’s Hospital, and underwent methacholine bronchial challenge test and sputum induction. Peripheral blood eosinophil counts, serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), serum total IgE, immunoCAP for inhalant allergens, and skin prick test were performed in the study subjects. Results: In the asthma group, the eosinophil count of induced sputum correlated with peripheral blood eosinophils (r=0.279, P=0.043).The concordance rates of sputum and peripheral blood eosinophil count in the asthma and EB groups were 64.1% and 25.7%, respectively. The number of eosinophils in the sputum also correlated with serum total IgE, ECP, and specific IgE to Dermatophagoides farinae, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, and Aspergillus in the asthma group. Conclusion The number of eosinophils in the induced sputum correlated with peripheral blood in the asthma group. However, a third of subjects were discordant. Therefore, we need to keep in mind the possibility of discordance when predicting the degree of airway eosinophilic inflammation using the peripheral blood eosinophils. In EB, the number of induced sputum eosinophils did not correlate with the number of peripheral blood eosinophils, which may be attributed to the difference in mechanism. Further studies are warranted.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Recently, Genoss drug-eluting stent (DES)™ stent comprising cobalt-chromium platform with an ultrathin strut thickness, sirolimus, and an abluminal biodegradable polymer was developed. Owing to the lack of substantial evidence for the safety and efficacy of this stent, we report 12-month results of the Genoss DES™ stent.METHODS: We analyzed subjects who were eligible for a 12-month follow-up from the ongoing Genoss DES™ registry, which is a prospective, single-arm, observational, multicenter trial to investigate the clinical outcomes after the successful Genoss DES™ stent implantation among all-comers. The primary endpoint was a device-oriented composite outcome, defined as cardiac death, target vessel-related myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization at 12-month follow-up.RESULTS: Among 622 subjects, the mean age of subjects was 66.5±10.4 years, 70.6% were males, 67.5% had hypertension, and 38.3% had diabetes. The implanted stent number, diameter, and length per patient were 1.5±0.8, 3.1±0.4 mm, and 36.0±23.3 mm, respectively. At 12-month clinical follow-up, the primary endpoint occurred only in 4 (0.6%) subjects.CONCLUSIONS: The novel Genoss DES™ stent exhibited excellent safety and efficacy in real-world practice.
Death ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Multicenter Studies as Topic ; Myocardial Infarction ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Polymers ; Prospective Studies ; Registries ; Sirolimus ; Stents

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Recently, Genoss drug-eluting stent (DES)™ stent comprising cobalt-chromium platform with an ultrathin strut thickness, sirolimus, and an abluminal biodegradable polymer was developed. Owing to the lack of substantial evidence for the safety and efficacy of this stent, we report 12-month results of the Genoss DES™ stent. METHODS: We analyzed subjects who were eligible for a 12-month follow-up from the ongoing Genoss DES™ registry, which is a prospective, single-arm, observational, multicenter trial to investigate the clinical outcomes after the successful Genoss DES™ stent implantation among all-comers. The primary endpoint was a device-oriented composite outcome, defined as cardiac death, target vessel-related myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization at 12-month follow-up. RESULTS: Among 622 subjects, the mean age of subjects was 66.5±10.4 years, 70.6% were males, 67.5% had hypertension, and 38.3% had diabetes. The implanted stent number, diameter, and length per patient were 1.5±0.8, 3.1±0.4 mm, and 36.0±23.3 mm, respectively. At 12-month clinical follow-up, the primary endpoint occurred only in 4 (0.6%) subjects. CONCLUSIONS The novel Genoss DES™ stent exhibited excellent safety and efficacy in real-world practice.