Background: Elevated active glucocorticoids (GCs) are implicated in skin barrier dysfunction, notably in aging and diabetes. The enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) converts inactive GCs to active forms, potentially exacerbating this dysfunction. Objective: We aimed to investigate the impact of a novel 11β-HSD1 inhibitor on skin inflammation using both in vitro and in vivo models. Methods: To elucidate the efficacy of a new 11β-HSD1 inhibitor in mitigating skin inflammation induced by various triggers, including dexamethasone treatment, ultraviolet B irradiation, and high glucose levels, in cultured human keratinocytes and the db/db mice as a type 2 diabetes murine model. In cultured keratinocytes, we assessed the effects of the 11β-HSD1 inhibitor on cortisol levels, 11β-HSD1 expression, and cytokine production under conditions simulating inflammation. In db/db mice, we evaluated the inhibitor’s impact on skin barrier function, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels, corticosterone levels, 11β-HSD1 expression, and cytokine profiles following a 2-week treatment regimen. Results: Our results demonstrated that both the novel 11β-HSD1 inhibitor and a known inhibitor reduced cortisol levels, 11β-HSD1 expression, and inflammatory cytokine production in cultured keratinocytes. In db/db mice, treatment with either inhibitor improved skin barrier function, lowered serum HbA1c levels, and decreased corticosterone, 11β-HSD1, and inflammatory cytokine expression. Conclusion A new 11β-HSD1 inhibitor, “11b-0048,” showed a significant inhibitory effect on the expression of 11β-HSD1 in keratinocytes activated by various conditions and diabetic skin.

Long coronavirus disease (COVID) is a condition in which coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms persist for over 3 months, and currently poses a global public health challenge. Due to varying manifestations and lack of standardized definitions, diagnostic methods, and treatments, comprehensive clinical guidelines are required. This review article, summarizing research and expert consensus up to June 2023, provides recommendations for diagnosis and long-term management of long COVID symptoms. It emphasizes thorough patient evaluation, including medical history, physical examinations, and tests, and advocates vaccination and antiviral treatments to reduce risk. Guidelines for long COVID will be updated as new knowledge emerges.

Long coronavirus disease (COVID) is a condition in which coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms persist for over 3 months, and currently poses a global public health challenge. Due to varying manifestations and lack of standardized definitions, diagnostic methods, and treatments, comprehensive clinical guidelines are required. This review article, summarizing research and expert consensus up to June 2023, provides recommendations for diagnosis and long-term management of long COVID symptoms. It emphasizes thorough patient evaluation, including medical history, physical examinations, and tests, and advocates vaccination and antiviral treatments to reduce risk. Guidelines for long COVID will be updated as new knowledge emerges.

Long coronavirus disease (COVID) is a condition in which coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms persist for over 3 months, and currently poses a global public health challenge. Due to varying manifestations and lack of standardized definitions, diagnostic methods, and treatments, comprehensive clinical guidelines are required. This review article, summarizing research and expert consensus up to June 2023, provides recommendations for diagnosis and long-term management of long COVID symptoms. It emphasizes thorough patient evaluation, including medical history, physical examinations, and tests, and advocates vaccination and antiviral treatments to reduce risk. Guidelines for long COVID will be updated as new knowledge emerges.

Long coronavirus disease (COVID) is a condition in which coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms persist for over 3 months, and currently poses a global public health challenge. Due to varying manifestations and lack of standardized definitions, diagnostic methods, and treatments, comprehensive clinical guidelines are required. This review article, summarizing research and expert consensus up to June 2023, provides recommendations for diagnosis and long-term management of long COVID symptoms. It emphasizes thorough patient evaluation, including medical history, physical examinations, and tests, and advocates vaccination and antiviral treatments to reduce risk. Guidelines for long COVID will be updated as new knowledge emerges.

Hypertension is a major cardiovascular risk factor in hemodialysis patients. This study identified the optimal blood pressure (BP) target for Korean hemodialysis patients using the Korean Renal Dialysis System (KORDS) dataset from the Korean Society of Nephrology and a pooled analysis for previous studies. Methods: Hemodialysis patients were classified according to their systolic (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) at intervals of 20 and 10 mmHg, respectively. As a primary and secondary outcome, all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality were evaluated. Subsequently, pooled analysis with previous literatures was performed. Results: Among 70,607 patients, 13,708 (19.4%) died in 2,426 days (interquartile range, 1,256–4,075 days). Mean SBP and DBP were 143.0 ± 19.6 and 78.5 ± 12.0 mmHg. In multivariable Cox regression, the patients with SBP of <120 and ≥180 mmHg showed 1.10- and 1.12-times increased risk of all-cause mortality compared to SBP of 120–140 mmHg. Meanwhile, DBP showed no significant association. In subgroup analysis, patients aged <70 years and without diabetes had a U-shaped SBP-mortality association. Cardiovascular mortality was increased in SBP of ≥160 mmHg compared to 120–140 mmHg, but it was not in <120 mmHg. Pooled analysis with previous studies mostly showed elevated risk in SBP of <120 mmHg, but the risks in 140–160 and 160–180 mmHg were not consistent. Conclusion: Extremely lowering BP (<120 mmHg) or uncontrolled hypertension (≥160 mmHg) should be avoided to optimize survival in Korean hemodialysis patients. Detailed analysis for patients with SBP of 120–160 mmHg should be studied further under uniform BP measurement, along with consideration of risk of intradialytic hypotension. Tailored recommendations regarding patient risk factors also should be considered.

Purpose: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by inflammation arising in the colonic mucosa. Recently, the incidence of UC has been rapidly increasing due to Westernized lifestyles. If UC persists for a long time (more than 10 years), it is known to elevate the risk of colorectal cancer. In an earlier study, we reported that the mulberry twig (MT) water extract effectively alleviated colitis in mice. In this study, we isolated oxyresveratrol (OXY) from MT as a principal component and compared the anticolitis efficacy of the MT water extract and OXY in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mouse colitis model. Methods: Six-week-old male ICR mice were divided into four groups: control, DSS, DSS+MT, and DSS+OXY. All mice, except those in the control group, were administered 3% DSS in drinking water for 7 days. During the DSS feeding period, the mice in the DSS+MT and DSS+OXY groups were orally administered MT water extract (5 g/kg body weight [BW]) or OXY (300 mg/kg BW) once daily. Results: OXY administration significantly suppressed the disease activity index, DSS-induced colonic pathophysiological changes, and the bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling index of colonic mucosal cells compared to the DSS and DSS+MT groups. The levels of plasma tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and nitric oxide (NO), as well as colonic cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene expression and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, were significantly decreased in the OXY group compared to the DSS group. Conclusion These findings suggest that OXY effectively improves mouse colitis by suppressing the colonic inflammatory response and may serve as a potential adjuvant treatment for colitis.

Purpose: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by inflammation arising in the colonic mucosa. Recently, the incidence of UC has been rapidly increasing due to Westernized lifestyles. If UC persists for a long time (more than 10 years), it is known to elevate the risk of colorectal cancer. In an earlier study, we reported that the mulberry twig (MT) water extract effectively alleviated colitis in mice. In this study, we isolated oxyresveratrol (OXY) from MT as a principal component and compared the anticolitis efficacy of the MT water extract and OXY in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mouse colitis model. Methods: Six-week-old male ICR mice were divided into four groups: control, DSS, DSS+MT, and DSS+OXY. All mice, except those in the control group, were administered 3% DSS in drinking water for 7 days. During the DSS feeding period, the mice in the DSS+MT and DSS+OXY groups were orally administered MT water extract (5 g/kg body weight [BW]) or OXY (300 mg/kg BW) once daily. Results: OXY administration significantly suppressed the disease activity index, DSS-induced colonic pathophysiological changes, and the bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling index of colonic mucosal cells compared to the DSS and DSS+MT groups. The levels of plasma tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and nitric oxide (NO), as well as colonic cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene expression and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, were significantly decreased in the OXY group compared to the DSS group. Conclusion These findings suggest that OXY effectively improves mouse colitis by suppressing the colonic inflammatory response and may serve as a potential adjuvant treatment for colitis.

Nocardiosis is uncommon. Immunocompromising conditions predispose individuals to pulmonary and disseminated nocardiosis of the brain, skin, and subcutaneous tissues. The most common pathogens are Nocardia cyriacigeorgica, Nocardia nova, and Nocardia farcinica. The speciation of Nocardia to determine antimicrobial susceptibility is difficult using traditional biochemical methods. Here, we report the case of a 73-year-old man with chronic obstructive lung disease who developed a rapidly progressing intramuscular abscess around the left hip and thigh. Within 3 days, the lesions progressed to an epidural abscess at the L4 to S1 level. Although he was treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics and extensive incision and drainage, he died of rapidly progressive respiratory failure. Nocardia abscessus (N. abscessus) was identified in pus samples using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). This case shows that the diagnosis of an intramuscular abscess caused by N. abscessus is challenging and that using MALDI-TOF MS may facilitate the diagnosis and ensure appropriate treatment.

Purpose: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by inflammation arising in the colonic mucosa. Recently, the incidence of UC has been rapidly increasing due to Westernized lifestyles. If UC persists for a long time (more than 10 years), it is known to elevate the risk of colorectal cancer. In an earlier study, we reported that the mulberry twig (MT) water extract effectively alleviated colitis in mice. In this study, we isolated oxyresveratrol (OXY) from MT as a principal component and compared the anticolitis efficacy of the MT water extract and OXY in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mouse colitis model. Methods: Six-week-old male ICR mice were divided into four groups: control, DSS, DSS+MT, and DSS+OXY. All mice, except those in the control group, were administered 3% DSS in drinking water for 7 days. During the DSS feeding period, the mice in the DSS+MT and DSS+OXY groups were orally administered MT water extract (5 g/kg body weight [BW]) or OXY (300 mg/kg BW) once daily. Results: OXY administration significantly suppressed the disease activity index, DSS-induced colonic pathophysiological changes, and the bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling index of colonic mucosal cells compared to the DSS and DSS+MT groups. The levels of plasma tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and nitric oxide (NO), as well as colonic cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene expression and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, were significantly decreased in the OXY group compared to the DSS group. Conclusion These findings suggest that OXY effectively improves mouse colitis by suppressing the colonic inflammatory response and may serve as a potential adjuvant treatment for colitis.