Purpose: Radiotherapy is used to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence after surgery, but it is a potential cause of secondary cancer. We validated the risk of secondary cancer in primary breast cancer who received radiotherapy compared with those who did not from a matched cohort using a large-scale observational study of the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics (OHDSI) data network. Materials and Methods: A retrospective comparative cohort study using propensity score-matched cohorts was performed using two Observational Medical Outcome Partnership common data model databases, from tertiary general hospitals in South Korea. Among female patients who underwent surgery after the diagnosis of breast cancer, the risk of secondary primary malignant occurrence after 1:1 matching was analyzed. Results: Among 27,078 patients with breast cancer, there was no significant difference in the risk of secondary cancer following radiotherapy in 4,426 patients after 1:1 propensity-score matching. Further, there were no significant differences in the sensitivity analysis according to age, latency period, and number of radiation treatments. Conclusion There was no difference in the risk of secondary cancer in the patients diagnosed with breast cancer depending on whether or not radiotherapy was performed after surgery. In the future, it is necessary to analyze including data generated during cancer treatment.

Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma (ACC) is a rare neoplasm accounting less than 1% of malignant pancreatic tumors. A 47-year-old male patient visited the emergency room with epigastric pain. Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 4.7-cm heterogeneously enhanced solid and cystic mass with internal necrosis located in the head of the pancreas. Radiological diagnosis was borderline malignancy such as neuroendocrine tumor or solid pseudopapillary neoplasm. Two months later, the necrotic mass in the pancreas head had grown up to 11 cm, compressing the duodenum, superior mesenteric vein, and proximal transverse colon. Pylorus preserving pancreatoduodenectomy with segmental resection of transverse colon was performed. Histopathological examination revealed that the tumor was pancreatic ACC. The patient recovered without any complication and was doing well without recurrence for 12 months after surgery.

Genome editing has recently emerged as a powerful tool for generating mutant mice. Small deletions of nucleotides in the target genes are frequently found in CRISPR/Cas9 mediated mutant mice. However, there are very few reports analyzing the phenotypes in small deleted mutant mice generated by CRISPR/Cas9. In this study, we generated a mutant by microinjecting sgRNAs targeting the IL2 receptor γ gene and Cas9 protein, into the cytoplasm of IVF-derived NOD.CB17/Prkdcscid/JKrb (NOD/SCID) mice embryos, and further investigated whether a 2 bp deletion of the IL2 receptor γ gene affects severe deficiency of immune cells as seen in NOD/LtSz-scid IL2 receptor γ−/− (NSG) mice. Our results show that the thymus weight of mutant mice is significantly less than that of NOD/SCID mice, whereas the spleen weight was marginally less. T and B cells in the mutant mice were severely deficient, and NK cells were almost absent. In addition, tumor growth was exceedingly increased in the mutant mice transplanted with HepG2, Raji and A549 cells, but not in nude and NOD/SCID mice. These results suggest that the NOD/SCID mice with deletion of 2 bp in the IL2 receptor γ gene shows same phenotype as NSG mice. Taken together, our data indicates that small deletions by genome editing is sufficient to generate null mutant mice.

In the reproductive age, many women have several uterine myomas and present with abnormal uterine bleeding, dysmenorrhea, and occasionally infertility. There are three surgical approaches to perform myomectomy, including robotic-assisted, laparoscopic, and abdominal myomectomy. Compared to laparoscopic procedures, robotic myomectomy allows free approach of myoma bases using fine instruments and endoscopes. Fine uterine wall sutures can be performed layer-by-layer with robots. However, robotic surgery is difficult to perform because there is no sense of touch during the operation. We report two clinical myomectomy cases with replaced lack of haptic feedback during robot surgery. The patients received robotic myomectomy with/without right ovarian cystectomy and adhesiolysis. Sixty-five leiomyomas were removed in case 1. Forty-six leiomyomas were removed in case 2. Lack of haptic feedback is replaced by more developed visual sense during robot myomectomy of multiple tiny intramural myomas, and robotic surgery can be performed much more effectively even in complicated cases.
Cystectomy ; Dysmenorrhea ; Endoscopes ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility ; Leiomyoma ; Myoma ; Robotic Surgical Procedures ; Sutures ; Uterine Hemorrhage ; Uterine Myomectomy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed 1) to compare the rates of surgical site infection (SSI) between two groups with and without preoperative hair shaving, 2) to compare the bacterial colonization just before the skin incision between them, and 3) to evaluate people’s preference for the hair shaving. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The retrospective study enrolled cases in which middle ear and mastoid surgery was performed with as well as without hair removal. Main measurement outcomes were the SSI rate within 3 months following the surgery, bacterial culture results obtained from the incision area just before the skin incision, and questionnaire to evaluate the preference for hair shaving from patients with chronic suppurative otitis media but without experience with the ear surgery. RESULTS: This study did not show any difference in the rates of SSI and bacterial colonization between two groups with and without preoperative hair shaving. Most patients without experience with the ear surgery chose the nonshaved ear surgery, even though the questionnaire presented a comment as follow; “Your hair will always grow back as the growth speed of about 1.25 cm per month.” CONCLUSIONS: There is no evidence showing that preoperative shaving of the surgical site is helpful for the SSI than no hair removal. Nonshaved middle ear and mastoid surgery via postauricular approach appears to be preferable. Contrary to doctors’ popular belief, the hair shaving can cause psychological discomfort, especially for women. Now is the time to keep the balance between the professional’s perspective and the patients’ preferences.
Colon ; Ear ; Ear, Middle ; Female ; Hair Removal ; Hair ; Humans ; Mastoid ; Otitis Media, Suppurative ; Otologic Surgical Procedures ; Preoperative Care ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin ; Surgical Wound Infection

The induction of interleukin (IL)-32 in bone marrow (BM) inflammation is crucial in graft versus host disease (GvHD) that is a common side effect of allogeneic BM transplantation. Clinical trials on α-1 antitrypsin (AAT) in patients with GvHD are based on the preliminary human and mouse studies on AAT reducing the severity of GvHD. Proteinase 3 (PR3) is an IL-32-binding protein that was isolated from human urine. IL-32 primarily induces inflammatory cytokines in myeloid cells, probably due to PR3 expression on the membrane of the myeloid lineage cells. The inhibitory activity of AAT on serine proteinases may explain the anti-inflammatory effect of AAT on GvHD. However, the anti-inflammatory activity of AAT on BM cells remains unclear. Mouse BM cells were treated with IL-32γ and different inflammatory stimuli to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of AAT. Recombinant AAT-Fc fusion protein inhibited IL-32γ-induced IL-6 expression in BM cells, but failed to suppress that induced by other stimuli. In addition, the binding of IL-32γ to PR3 was abrogated by AAT-Fc. The data suggest that the specific anti-inflammatory effect of AAT in mouse BM cells is due to the blocking of IL-32 binding to membrane PR3.
Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells* ; Bone Marrow* ; Cytokines* ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukins ; Membranes ; Mice* ; Myeloblastin ; Myeloid Cells ; Serine Proteases

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to confirm the conformance rate of the actual usage of the clinical pathway (CP) using Electronic Health Record (EHR) log data in a tertiary general university hospital to improve the CP by reflecting real-world care processes. METHODS: We analyzed the application and matching rates of clinicians' orders with predefined CP order sets based on data from 164 inpatients who received appendectomies out of all patients who were hospitalized from August 2013 to June 2014. We collected EHR log data on patient information, medication orders, operation performed, diagnosis, transfer, and CP order sets. The data were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The average value of the actual application rate of the prescribed CP order ranged from 0.75 to 0.89. The application rate decreased when the order date was factored in along with the order code and type. Among CP pre-operation, intra-operation, post-operation, routine, and discharge orders, orders pertaining to operations had higher application rates than other types of orders. Routine orders and discharge orders had lower application rates. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis of the application and matching rates of CP orders suggests that it is possible to improve these rates by updating the existing CP order sets for routine discharge orders to reflect data-driven evidence. This study shows that it is possible to improve the application and matching rates of the CP using EHR log data. However, further research should be performed to analyze the effects of these rates on care outcomes.
Appendectomy ; Critical Pathways* ; Diagnosis ; Electronic Health Records* ; Humans ; Inpatients

PURPOSE: Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients are vulnerable to invasive infection by Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp). This study was performed to evaluate immune responses after Hib and Sp vaccination in Korean pediatric HCT recipients. METHODS: Patients were prospectively enrolled at Samsung Medical Center during 2009-2011. ELISA tests to detect anti-PRP IgG antibody and antibodies to Sp serotypes 4, 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, 19F, and 23F were performed at the Center for Vaccine Evaluation and Study, Ewha Medical Research Institute. RESULTS: Ten patients (two allogeneic, eight autologous recipients) with median age 5.4 years (range 2.7-12.2 years) were enrolled. Before Hib vaccination, 60% of patients' anti-PRP IgG titers were below 0.15 microg/mL. After vaccination, 100% of patients' anti-PRP IgG titers increased above 0.15 microg/mL (cut-off value for detection) and 1.0 microg/mL (cut-off value for seroprotection). For pneumococcus, in 2-5 year-old patients, pre-vaccination geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) of IgG for six serotypes (4, 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, and 23F) were below 0.35 microg/mL and at 5 months post-vaccination GMCs of IgG for all seven serotypes increased to above 0.35 microg/mL. In patients older than 5 years, pre-vaccination GMCs of IgG for four serotypes (4, 9V, 14, and 23F) were below 0.35 microg/mL and at 3 months post-vaccination GMCs of IgG for all seven serotypes increased to above 0.35 microg/mL. CONCLUSION: Most HCT recipients had low or no protective antibodies to Hib and Sp before vaccination, but showed good immune responses to protective levels after vaccination.
Academies and Institutes ; Antibodies ; Antibody Formation* ; Cell Transplantation* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Haemophilus influenzae type b* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Prospective Studies ; Streptococcus pneumoniae* ; Transplants* ; Vaccination*

OBJECTIVE: The Ubiquitous Spaced Retrieval-based Memory Advancement and Rehabilitation Training (USMART) program was developed by transforming the spaced retrieval-based memory training which consisted of 24 face-to-face sessions into a self-administered program with an iPAD app. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of USMART in elderly subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS: Feasibility was evaluated by checking the satisfaction of the participants with a 5-point Likert scale. The efficacy of the program on cognitive functions was evaluated by the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Neuropsychological Assessment Battery before and after USMART. RESULTS: Among the 10 participants, 7 completed both pre- and post-USMART assessments. The overall satisfaction score was 8.0+/-1.0 out of 10. The mean Word List Memory Test (WLMT) scores significantly increased after USMART training after adjusting for age, educational levels, baseline Mini-Mental Status Examination scores, and the number of training sessions (pre-USMART, 16.0+/-4.1; post-USMART, 17.9+/-4.5; p=0.014, RM-ANOVA). The magnitude of the improvements in the WLMT scores significantly correlated with the number of training sessions during 4 weeks (r=0.793; p=0.033). CONCLUSION: USMART was effective in improving memory and was well tolerated by most participants with MCI, suggesting that it may be a convenient and cost-effective alternative for the cognitive rehabilitation of elderly subjects with cognitive impairments. Further studies with large numbers of participants are necessary to examine the relationship between the number of training sessions and the improvements in memory function.
Aged ; Alzheimer Disease ; Cognitive Therapy ; Computer User Training ; Dementia ; Education* ; Humans ; Learning ; Memory* ; Mild Cognitive Impairment ; Rehabilitation*

OBJECTIVES: There is a need for effective processes in healthcare clinics, especially in tertiary hospitals, that consist of a set of complex steps for outpatient care, in order to provide high quality care and reduce the time cost. This study aimed to discover the potential of a process mining technique to determine an outpatient care process that can be utilized for further improvements. METHODS: The outpatient event log was defined, and the log data for a month was extracted from the hospital information system of a tertiary university hospital. That data was used in process mining to discover an outpatient care process model, and then the machine-driven model was compared with a domain expert-driven process model in terms of the accuracy of the matching rate. RESULTS: From a total of 698,158 event logs, the most frequent pattern was found to be "Consultation registration > Consultation > Consultation scheduling > Payment > Outside-hospital prescription printing" (11.05% from a total cases). The matching rate between the expert-driven process model and the machine-driven model was found to be approximately 89.01%, and most of the processes occurred with relative accuracy in accordance with the expert-driven process model. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge regarding the process that occurs most frequently in the pattern is expected to be useful for hospital resource assignments. Through this research, we confirmed that process mining techniques can be applied in the healthcare area, and through detailed and customized analysis in the future, it can be expected to be used to improve actual outpatient care processes.
Ambulatory Care ; Delivery of Health Care ; Hospital Information Systems ; Humans ; Mining ; Outpatients ; Prescriptions ; Tertiary Care Centers