Flow cytometric lymphocyte subset analysis (FCLSA) is essential for assessing immune status across various diseases and clinical settings. We surveyed current clinical laboratory practices related to FCLSA to establish a baseline reference for future standardization in Korea. Nine university hospitals actively performing FCLSA responded to the 22-question survey, which covered seven categories of laboratory practice. These hospitals used commercial reagent antibody kits from either Beckton Dickinson Biosciences (N = 4) or Beckman Coulter Diagnostics (N = 5). Most hospitals performed daily instrument setup and scheduled maintenance every 2–6 months. Two levels of commercial quality control materials were routinely used each day. Sample and reagent antibody volumes varied across hospitals, even when the same reagent kit was used. Acquired cell counts ranged from 5 × 10 3 to 5 × 10 4 cells, with two hospitals adjusting counts based on the cell type analyzed. Most laboratories reported percentages and general opinions; some additionally reported white blood cell and lymphocyte counts, along with lymphocyte percentages. This is the first comprehensive survey on the clinical laboratory practice of FCLSA in Korea.Standardization of FCLSA should be accelerated to ensure reliable and reproducible results.

Background/Aims: We investigated the incidences of overall and site-specific malignancies and chemopreventive effects of statin, metformin, and aspirin in patients with ulcerative colitis. Methods: We collected data using the Health Insurance Review and Assessment claims database from January 2007 to April 2020. Results: The overall malignancy risk among the 35,189 ulcerative colitis patients was similar to that of the general population (standardized incidence ratio, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.88–1.00). In male patients, standardized incidence ratios were high for thyroid cancer and low for stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, and lung cancer. Concurrently, standard incidence ratios were high for liver cancer and central nervous system cancer in female patients. While 122 cases of colorectal cancer occurred in the study patients, the standardized incidence ratio was 0.83 (95% confidence interval, 0.69–0.99). Treatment for ulcerative colitis was not associated with an increased adjusted hazard ratio, while comorbidities increased it for all malignancies. Treatment for ulcerative colitis was associated with an increased adjusted hazard ratio, while comorbidities did not increase it for colorectal cancer. After adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities, and ulcerative colitis treatment, statins showed a dose-dependent chemopreventive effect for all malignancies (P=0.002), while metformin and aspirin did not show any. Conclusions In ulcerative colitis patients, standardized incidence ratios for all malignancies and colorectal cancer did not increase. Adjusted hazard ratios for all malignancies increased with comorbidities and those for colorectal cancer with ulcerative colitis treatment. Statins have a dose-dependent chemopreventive effect for all malignancies.

Background/Aims: We investigated the incidences of overall and site-specific malignancies and chemopreventive effects of statin, metformin, and aspirin in patients with ulcerative colitis. Methods: We collected data using the Health Insurance Review and Assessment claims database from January 2007 to April 2020. Results: The overall malignancy risk among the 35,189 ulcerative colitis patients was similar to that of the general population (standardized incidence ratio, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.88–1.00). In male patients, standardized incidence ratios were high for thyroid cancer and low for stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, and lung cancer. Concurrently, standard incidence ratios were high for liver cancer and central nervous system cancer in female patients. While 122 cases of colorectal cancer occurred in the study patients, the standardized incidence ratio was 0.83 (95% confidence interval, 0.69–0.99). Treatment for ulcerative colitis was not associated with an increased adjusted hazard ratio, while comorbidities increased it for all malignancies. Treatment for ulcerative colitis was associated with an increased adjusted hazard ratio, while comorbidities did not increase it for colorectal cancer. After adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities, and ulcerative colitis treatment, statins showed a dose-dependent chemopreventive effect for all malignancies (P=0.002), while metformin and aspirin did not show any. Conclusions In ulcerative colitis patients, standardized incidence ratios for all malignancies and colorectal cancer did not increase. Adjusted hazard ratios for all malignancies increased with comorbidities and those for colorectal cancer with ulcerative colitis treatment. Statins have a dose-dependent chemopreventive effect for all malignancies.

Background/Aims: We investigated the incidences of overall and site-specific malignancies and chemopreventive effects of statin, metformin, and aspirin in patients with ulcerative colitis. Methods: We collected data using the Health Insurance Review and Assessment claims database from January 2007 to April 2020. Results: The overall malignancy risk among the 35,189 ulcerative colitis patients was similar to that of the general population (standardized incidence ratio, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.88–1.00). In male patients, standardized incidence ratios were high for thyroid cancer and low for stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, and lung cancer. Concurrently, standard incidence ratios were high for liver cancer and central nervous system cancer in female patients. While 122 cases of colorectal cancer occurred in the study patients, the standardized incidence ratio was 0.83 (95% confidence interval, 0.69–0.99). Treatment for ulcerative colitis was not associated with an increased adjusted hazard ratio, while comorbidities increased it for all malignancies. Treatment for ulcerative colitis was associated with an increased adjusted hazard ratio, while comorbidities did not increase it for colorectal cancer. After adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities, and ulcerative colitis treatment, statins showed a dose-dependent chemopreventive effect for all malignancies (P=0.002), while metformin and aspirin did not show any. Conclusions In ulcerative colitis patients, standardized incidence ratios for all malignancies and colorectal cancer did not increase. Adjusted hazard ratios for all malignancies increased with comorbidities and those for colorectal cancer with ulcerative colitis treatment. Statins have a dose-dependent chemopreventive effect for all malignancies.

Background: With the introduction of disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), less invasive and widely accessible screening tests are urgently needed. We assessed eight blood-based biomarkers in a well-defined cohort of preclinical AD, including participants with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: Amyloid beta (Aβ) oligomerization tendency, Aβ42, Aβ40, Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio, phosphorylated tau (p-tau)181, p-tau217, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and neurofilament light (Nf-L) were assessed for distinguishing between SCD and MCI, for correlations, and for predicting Aβ positron emission tomography (PET) positivity. Results: Plasma p-tau181, p-tau217, and GFAP levels were significantly higher in participants with MCI than in those with SCD (P < 0.05) and in Aβ PET-positive versus Aβ PET-negative participants (P < 0.0001), whereas plasma Aβ42 and Aβ42/40 ratio levels were significantly lower in Aβ PET-positive than in Aβ PET-negative participants (P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that plasma Aβ42 and p-tau217 levels predicted Aβ PET positivity with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.930 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.848–0.976) in the entire cohort, and p-tau217 alone predicted Aβ PET-positivity with an AUC of 0.887 (95% CI, 0.779–0.954) in the MCI subgroup. Conclusions Plasma p-tau217 levels outperform plasma p-tau181 levels in predicting Aβ PET-positivity in participants with preclinical AD. Plasma GFAP levels, along with different ptau isoforms (p-tau181 and p-tau217), effectively differentiate MCI from SCD. The predictive accuracy of blood-based biomarkers for Aβ PET-positivity strongly supports their clinical implementation, particularly with the introduction of disease-modifying therapies.

Background: The aim of this study is to investigate the specific pathway involved in human leukocyte antigen (HLA) sensitization using single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis and an allo-sensitized mouse model developed with an HLA.A2 transgenic mouse. Methods: For sensitization, wild-type C57BL/6 mouse received two skin grafts from C57BL/6-Tg(HLA-A2.1)1Enge/J mouse (allogeneic mouse, ALLO). For syngeneic control (SYN), skin grafts were transferred from C57BL/6 to C57BL/6. We performed single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis on splenocytes isolated from ALLO and SYN and compared the gene expression between them. Results: We generated 9,190 and 8,890 single-cell transcriptomes from ALLO and SYN, respectively. Five major cell types (B cells, T cells, natural killer cells, macrophages, and neutrophils) and their transcriptome data were annotated according to the representative differentially expressed genes of each cell cluster. The percentage of B cells was higher in ALLO than it was in SYN. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses indicated that the highly expressed genes in the B cells from ALLO were mainly associated with antigen processing and presentation pathways, allograft rejection, and the Th17 cell differentiation pathway. Upregulated genes in the T cells of ALLO were involved in the interleukin (IL)-17 signaling pathway. The ratio of Th17 cluster and Treg cluster was increased in the ALLO. On flow cytometry, the percentage of Th17 (IL-17+/CD4+ T) cells was higher and regulatory T cells (FOXP3+/CD4+ T) was lower in the ALLO compared to those in the SYN. Conclusion Our results indicate that not only the B cell lineage but also the Th17 cells and their cytokine (IL-17) are involved in the sensitization to HLA.

Background: This study sought to research the implementation of pharmaceutical care services and review the pharmaceutical care services used for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention, diagnosis, therapy, and vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: All articles reporting pharmacists’ implementation of pharmaceutical care services during the COVID-19 pandemic were comprehensively searched in PubMed/Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases up toJuly 7, 2021, then included in this study. Twenty-four items of pharmaceutical care services were classified into the following 5categories: patient evaluation and monitoring, clinical decision support, compounding/dispensing/administration, patient consultation and education, and drug-related policy research and development. Results: A total of 674 articles from 100 countrieswere included, with the United States of America being the most frequently studied country. Across the 5 classified categories,compounding/dispensing/administration was most frequently examined (28.9%), followed by patient consultation and education (25.2%). Among the 24 items of pharmaceutical care services, medicine supply management was most frequently reported on (11.4%), followed by patient consultations (11.0%). The primary implemented pharmaceutical care services for COVID-19 prevention, diagnosis, therapy, and vaccination were public health education, COVID-19 testing services, medicine supply management, and vaccination, respectively. Conclusion Pharmacists have implemented diverse pharmaceutical care services for COVID-19 prevention, diagnosis, therapy, and vaccination globally. Further studies should be conducted to determine the correlation between the characteristics of healthcare accessibility in a country and the implemented pharmaceutical care services for COVID-19.

Since 2016, the external quality assessment program of The Korean Association of External Quality Assessment Service for hepatitis serology has employed pooled serum specimens. Ten test items include hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HbsAg), hepatitis B virus surface antibody (anti-HBs), hepatitis B virus core antibody (anti-HBc) total, anti-HBc immunoglobulin M (IgM), hepatitis B virus envelope antigen (HBeAg), hepatitis B virus envelope antibody (anti-HBe), hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV), hepatitis A virus antibody (anti-HAV) total, anti-HAV immunoglobulin G (IgG), and anti-HAV IgM. We aimed to evaluate the long-term stability of pooled serum specimens using fresh frozen plasma stored at different temperatures. In the first trial conducted in 2019, an additional 432 samples were prepared and tested for long-term stability at room temperature for 2 weeks, refrigerated for 1 month, and frozen (-20℃ and -80℃) for 6 months to 1 year. Furthermore, the stability of the samples was evaluated based on the number of repeated refrigeration and freezing cycles. The prepared pooled sera specimens for hepatitis serology were stable for up to 10 days at 2–8℃, 2–3 months at -20℃ and -80℃, and four freeze-thaw cycles, with the quantitative indices of all tests deviating within 10%. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the stable implementation and quality improvement of the hepatitis virus antigen-antibody test reliability survey project.

The most critical aspect of full-arch prosthodontic treatment is evaluating whether the patient’s vertical occlusal dimension is appropriate, and if necessary, restoring it through increasing vertical dimension. If the vertical occlusal dimension is too low, it can lead to reduced chewing efficiency, as well as not only aesthetic concerns but also potential issues like hyperactivity of muscles and posterior displacement of the mandible. This report is about the patient dissatisfied with pronunciation and aesthetics due to an inappropriate vertical occlusal dimension resulting from prior prosthetic interventions, underwent full-arch prosthodontic restoration treatment. Through the utilization of digital diagnostic apparatus, a comprehensive evaluation was undertaken for patient’s vertical occlusal dimension, occlusal plane orientation, and the condition of prosthetic restorations. Through 3D facial scanning, the facial landmarks were discerned, and subsequently, the new occlusal plane was established. This provided the foundation for a digitally guided diagnostic wax-up. An elevation of 5 mm from the incisor was determined. Comprehensive dental rehabilitation was then executed for all remaining teeth, excluding the maxillary four incisors. The treatment protocol followed a systematic approach by initially creating implant-supported restorations on both sides of the dental arch to establish a stable occlusal contact. Subsequently, prosthetic restorations for the natural dentition were generated.Diagnostic and treatment planning were established through the utilization of facial scanning. This subsequently led to a reduction in treatment complexity and an expedited treatment timeline.

Background: This study sought to research the implementation of pharmaceutical care services and review the pharmaceutical care services used for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention, diagnosis, therapy, and vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: All articles reporting pharmacists’ implementation of pharmaceutical care services during the COVID-19 pandemic were comprehensively searched in PubMed/Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases up toJuly 7, 2021, then included in this study. Twenty-four items of pharmaceutical care services were classified into the following 5categories: patient evaluation and monitoring, clinical decision support, compounding/dispensing/administration, patient consultation and education, and drug-related policy research and development. Results: A total of 674 articles from 100 countrieswere included, with the United States of America being the most frequently studied country. Across the 5 classified categories,compounding/dispensing/administration was most frequently examined (28.9%), followed by patient consultation and education (25.2%). Among the 24 items of pharmaceutical care services, medicine supply management was most frequently reported on (11.4%), followed by patient consultations (11.0%). The primary implemented pharmaceutical care services for COVID-19 prevention, diagnosis, therapy, and vaccination were public health education, COVID-19 testing services, medicine supply management, and vaccination, respectively. Conclusion Pharmacists have implemented diverse pharmaceutical care services for COVID-19 prevention, diagnosis, therapy, and vaccination globally. Further studies should be conducted to determine the correlation between the characteristics of healthcare accessibility in a country and the implemented pharmaceutical care services for COVID-19.