Objective: To investigate prevalence of BLV and its association with hematological alterations in targeted dairy farms experiencing productivity issues in Korea. Methods: This study investigated five dairy farms reporting decreased milk yield, recurrent mastitis, poor conception rates, and delayed postpartum recovery. Eighty lactating cows underwent physical examination, body condition scoring, hematological and biochemical analyses, and polymerase chain reaction testing for BLV. Results: Overall BLV detection rate among these herds was 70% (56/80), with intra-herd positivity ranging from 57.1 to 90.0%. Lymphocytosis was observed in 31% of the cows.Multivariable generalized estimating equations analysis confirmed that higher lymphocyte counts were the strongest independent predictor of BLV status (adjusted odds ratio, 2.70;p = 0.005), demonstrating a robust association between hematological alterations and BLV positivity. Conclusions and Relevance: BLV infection is highly prevalent in the investigated Korean dairy farms with productivity problems. While these results may not represent the nationwide average due to selection bias, they emphasize the need for nationwide BLV surveillance and implementation of control measures in Korea.

Background: TP53 mutations are associated with poor prognosis in myelodysplastic neoplasm (MDS) and AML. The updated 5th WHO classification and International Consensus Classification (ICC) categorize TP53-mutated MDS and AML as unique entities. We conducted a multicenter study in Korea to investigate the characteristics of TP53-mutated MDS and AML, focusing on diagnostic aspects based on updated classifications. Methods: This study included patients aged ≥ 18 yrs who were diagnosed as having MDS(N = 1,244) or AML (N = 2,115) at six institutions. The results of bone marrow examination, cytogenetic studies, and targeted next-generation sequencing, including TP53, were collected and analyzed. Results: TP53 mutations were detected in 9.3% and 9.2% of patients with MDS and AML, respectively. Missense mutation was the most common, with hotspot codons R248/ R273/G245/Y220/R175/C238 accounting for 25.4% of TP53 mutations. Ten percent of patients had multiple TP53 mutations, and 78.4% had a complex karyotype. The median variant allele frequency (VAF) of TP53 mutations was 41.5%, with a notable difference according to the presence of a complex karyotype. According to the 5th WHO classification and ICC, the multi-hit TP53 mutation criteria were met in 58.6% and 75% of MDS patients, respectively, and the primary determinants were a TP53 VAF > 50% for the 5th WHO classification and the presence of a complex karyotype for the ICC. Conclusions Collectively, we elucidated the molecular genetic characteristics of patients with TP53-mutated MDS and AML, highlighting key factors in applying TP53 mutation-related criteria in updated classifications, which will aid in establishing diagnostic strategies.

Purpose: To investigate the clinical outcomes of new hydrophobic trifocal intraocular lens with hydroxyethyl methacrylate in the Korean population Methods: This prospective, multicenter, and observational study evaluated the clinical outcomes of 80 eyes of 40 patients with age-related cataract underwent cataract surgery using CNWT (Clareon PanOptix). Assessment included monocular and binocular uncorrected distance visual acuity, corrected distance visual acuity, uncorrected intermediate visual acuity (at 60cm), near visual acuity (at 40 and 33 cm), uncorrected defocus curves, questionnaires evaluating photic phenomena, spectacle independence, and spectacle free satisfaction. Results: At postoperative 3 months, mean uncorrected binocular visual acuities were 0.04, 0.04, 0.03 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) at far, intermediate, and near distances, respectively. All patients achieved uncorrected binocular visual acuity of 0.2 logMAR or better. Monocular and binocular defocus curve indicated a mean visual acuity of 0.2 logMAR or better at the defocus range of +1.0 to – 3.0 diopters (100 to 33 cm) and +1.0 to – 3.5 diopters (100 to 28 cm). High spectacle independence was observed at all distances, with 37.5% patients reporting photic phenomena. Conclusions The Clareon PanOptix intraocular lens has shown positive clinical outcomes, providing a viable option for cataract surgery. These lenses effectively address patients’ visual needs, especially in intermediate and near distance tasks, reducing dependence on glasses.

Fabry nephropathy is characterized by a deficiency of lysosomal alpha-galactosidase A, which results in proteinuria and kidney disease. The ineffectiveness of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for severe kidney failure highlights the need for early detection and meaningful markers. However, because the diagnosis and treatment of Fabry disease can vary according to the expertise of physicians, we evaluated the opinions of Korean specialists. Methods: A questionnaire regarding the management of Fabry nephropathy was emailed to healthcare providers with the experience or ability to treat individuals with Fabry nephropathy. Results: Of the 70 experts who responded to the survey, 43 were nephrologists, and 64.3% of the respondents reported having treated patients with Fabry disease. Pediatricians are treating primarily patients with classic types of the disease, while nephrologists and cardiologists are treating more patients with variant types. Only 40.7% of non-nephrologists agreed that a kidney biopsy was required at the time of diagnosis, compared with 81.4% of nephrologists. Thirty-eight of 70 respondents (54.3%) reported measuring globotriaosylsphingosine (lyso-Gb3) as a biomarker. The most common period to measure lyso-Gb3 was at the time of diagnosis, followed by after ERT, before ERT, and at screening. For the stage at which ERT should begin, microalbuminuria and proteinuria were chosen by 51.8% and 28.6% of respondents, respectively. Conclusion: Nephrologists are more likely to treat variant Fabry disease rather than classic cases, and they agree that ERT should be initiated early in Fabry nephropathy, using lyso-Gb3 as a biomarker.

Background: A definite diagnosis should be made in the bovine practice field, however, it was difficult to perform laboratory analysis immediately. Currently, three types of portable blood gas analyzers are available in Korea. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the correlations among these three analyzers. Methods: Seventy-two plasma samples from Holstein-Friesian cows were used for blood gas analysis, and three instruments (EDAN i15 Vet, VETSCAN i-STAT, and EPOC) were operated simultaneously. Moreover, plasma calcium levels were compared between these portable analyzers and blood chemistry device, which is usually used in a laboratory environment.Pearson analysis was performed to confirm the correlation of each parameter produced with the three instruments and blood chemistry analyzer. Results: As results, high correlation was observed in parameters of pH, pO2 , potassium ion, ionized calcium, and glucose (p < 0.001, r > 0.7). In addition, pCO 2 showed a moderate correlation among the three analyzers (p < 0.001, r > 0.5), and there was no correlation among all instruments for sodium ions. There was also a high correlation between ionized calcium from the three portable devices and total calcium from the biochemistry analyzer (p < 0.001, r > 0.9). Conclusions In conclusion, there was a high correlation between results from the three different blood gas analyzers used in the bovine clinical field in Korea. Thus, a consistent diagnosis can be made even with different equipment if the operator is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of each piece of equipment and operates it properly.

Purpose: A descriptive correlational survey was conducted to examine nurses’ attitudes and stress related to perinatal bereavement care (PBC) and their relationships, with the ultimate goal of improving nurses’ capabilities related to PBC. Methods: In total, 136 Korean nurses who had experienced perinatal death at least once participated. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The Korean version of Nurses’ Attitudes towards Perinatal Bereavement Support was assessed in terms of three subdomains (attitudes to PBC, importance of policies related to PBC, and importance of training related to PBC), and nurses’ stress was measured. Results: The participants gave high scores for the attitude-related items of “giving sufficient time to bereaved parents to mourn for their dead baby” (4.54 points) and “nurses should treat bereaved parents with respect and dignity” (4.51 points), and they perceived a high level of importance for the policy-related items of “every staff member in the hospital should understand the policies relevant for PBC” and “when nurses feel emotional exhaustion, they should seek support” (4.58 points). Nurses’ attitude toward PBC was associated with the perceived importance of policies (r=.40, p<.001), the perceived importance of PBC-related training (r=.61, p<.001), and stress related to PBC (r=.29, p<.001). Nurses’ perceived importance of PBC-related training was associated with stress related to PBC (r=.38, p<.001). Conclusion Establishing hospital policies related to PBC and providing PBC training for nurses could positively affect nurses’ attitudes toward PBC. A stress management program for nurses could reduce the stress caused by PBC.

OBJECTIVE: Reliable biomarkers of delayed neuropsychological sequelae (DNS) after acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning are lacking. This study investigated the associations between potential serum markers and the development of DNS after acute CO poisoning. METHODS: Retrospective chart reviews were conducted for patients diagnosed with acute CO poisoning during a 28-month period. The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of having developed DNS. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify predictors of DNS after CO poisoning. RESULTS: Of a total of 102 patients, 10 (9.8%) developed DNS. The levels of serum osmolarity, S100B protein, and serum lactate, as well as serum anion gap, were statistically significant in univariate analysis. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that anion gap (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11 to 1.88), serum lactate level (AOR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.26 to 2.75), and serum S100B protein level ([AOR, 7.02×10⁵; 95% CI, 4.56×10² to 9.00×10¹⁰] in model 1, [AOR, 3.69×10⁵; 95% CI, 2.49×10² to 2.71×10¹¹] in model 2) were independently associated with DNS development. CONCLUSION: Based on our preliminary results, serum lactate level, serum anion gap, and serum S100B protein level in the emergency department could be informative predictors of DNS development in patients with acute CO poisoning. These markers might have the potential to improve early recognition of DNS in patients with acute CO poisoning.
Acid-Base Equilibrium ; Biomarkers* ; Carbon Monoxide Poisoning* ; Carbon Monoxide* ; Carbon* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Interleukin-6* ; Lactic Acid* ; Logistic Models ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neurotoxicity Syndromes ; Odds Ratio ; Osmolar Concentration* ; Poisoning ; Retrospective Studies

Fenofibrate is a selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha) activator and is prescribed to treat hyperlipidemia. The mechanism through which PPARalpha agonists reduce food intake, body weight, and adiposity remains unclear. One explanation for the reduction of food intake is that fenofibrate promotes fatty acid oxidation and increases the production of ketone bodies upon a standard experimental dose of the drug (100~300 mg/kg/day). We observed that low-dose treatment of fenofibrate (30 mg/kg/day), which does not cause significant changes in ketone body synthesis, reduced food intake in Long-Evans Tokushima (LETO) rats. LETO rats are the physiologically normal controls for Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats, which are obese and cholecystokinin (CCK)-A receptor deficient. We hypothesized that the reduced food intake by fenofibrate-treated LETO rats may be associated with CCK production. To investigate the anorexic effects of fenofibrate in vivo and to determine whether CCK production may be involved, we examined the amount of food intake and CCK production. Fenofibrate-treated OLETF rats did not significantly change their food intake while LETO rats decreased their food intake. Treatment of fenofibrate increased CCK synthesis in the duodenal epithelial cells of both LETO and OLETF rats. The absence of a change in the food intake of OLETF rats, despite the increase in CCK production, may be explained by the absence of CCK-A receptors. Contrary to the OLETF rats, LETO rats, which have normal CCK receptors, presented a decrease in food intake and an increase in CCK production. These results suggest that reduced food intake by fenofibrate treatment may be associated with CCK production.
Adiposity ; Animals ; Body Weight ; Cholecystokinin ; Diethylpropion ; Eating ; Epithelial Cells ; Fenofibrate ; Hyperlipidemias ; Ketone Bodies ; PPAR alpha ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred OLETF ; Receptor, Cholecystokinin A ; Receptors, Cholecystokinin

The Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rat, a model of spontaneous type 2 diabetes (T2D), develops hyperglycemic obesity with hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance after the age of 25 weeks, similar to patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (DM). In the present study, we determined whether there are differences in the pattern of gene expression related to glucose and lipid metabolism between OLETF rats and their control counterparts, Long-Evans Tokushima (LETO) rats. The experiment was done using 35-week-old OLETF and LETO rats. At week 35 male OLETF rats showed overt T2D and increases in blood glucose, plasma insulin, plasma triglycerides (TG) and plasma total cholesterol (TC). Livers of diabetic OLETF and LETO rats also showed differences in expression of mRNA for glucose and lipid metabolism related genes. Among glucose metabolism related genes, GAPDH mRNA was significantly higher and FBPase and G6Pase mRNA were significantly lower in OLETF rats. For lipid metabolism related genes, HMGCR, SCD1 and HL mRNA were substantially higher in OLETF rats. These results indicate that gluconeogenesis in OLETF rats is lower and glycolysis is higher, which means that glucose metabolism might be compensated for by a lowering of the blood glucose level. However, lipid synthesis is increased in OLETF rats so diabetes may be aggravated. These differences between OLETF and LETO rats suggest mechanisms that could be targeted during the development of therapeutic agents for diabetes.
Animals ; Blood Glucose ; Cholesterol ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Gene Expression ; Gluconeogenesis ; Glucose ; Glycolysis ; Humans ; Hyperinsulinism ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Lipid Metabolism ; Liver ; Male ; Obesity ; Plasma ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred OLETF ; RNA, Messenger ; Triglycerides

Plasma cholesterol is increased in normal aging in both rodents and humans. This is associated with reduced elimination of cholesterol and decreased receptor-mediated clearance of plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. The aims of this study were: (1) to determine age-related changes in plasma lipid profiles, and (2) to determine the effect of fenofibrate, an activator of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (PPAR alpha), on plasma lipid profiles in normal rats on a standard diet. Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (n=15) were fed standard chow and water from 10 to 25 weeks of age. During that period, we measured daily food intake, body weight, fasting and random blood glucose levels, plasma total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and free fatty acid (FFA) levels. At 20 weeks of age, all rats were randomly divided into two groups: a fenofibrate group (in which rats were gavaged with 300 mg/kg/day of fenofibrate) and a control group (gavaged with water). Fenofibrate treatment lasted 5 weeks. There were no significant changes in daily food intake, blood glucose, and plasma TG level with age. Body weight, plasma TC, and FFA levels were significantly increased with age. Fenofibrate significantly decreased plasma concentrations of TC and FFA, which had been increased with age. However, fenofibrate did not influence the plasma concentration of TG, which had not increased with age. These results suggest that fenofibrate might have a novel role in preventing age-related hypercholesterolemia in SD rats on a normal diet.
Aging ; Animals ; Blood Glucose ; Body Weight ; Cholesterol ; Diet ; Eating ; Fasting ; Fenofibrate ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Plasma ; PPAR alpha ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rodentia ; Triglycerides ; Water