Background: Tacrolimus is a key immunosuppressant after liver transplantation.Although guideline-recommended trough levels are 4–10 ng/mL, concerns about nephrotoxicity, metabolic complications, and malignancies have led to interest in minimizing tacrolimus use. However, the effects of lower tacrolimus levels on graft rejection and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence remain unclear. Methods: We conducted a single-center, retrospective study of adult patients (≥19 years) who underwent living donor liver transplantation between January 2000 and December 2021. Patients were divided into low tacrolimus (FK) (<6 ng/mL) and high FK (≥6 ng/mL) groups based on tacrolimus levels measured 1–2 years post-transplantation. We analyzed overall survival, biopsy-proven rejection-free survival, and HCC recurrence-free survival in relevant subgroups. Cox proportional hazards regression identified predictors of mortality, rejection, and HCC recurrence. Results: Among 1,117 recipients, 941 were in the low FK group and 176 in the high FK group. Landmark analysis showed significantly better 10-year overall survival in the low FK group (82.8% vs. 68.8%, p=0.016), while rejection-free survival did not differ significantly beyond 2 years (p=0.098), despite early separation favoring the low FK group (p<0.001). Higher tacrolimus levels independently predicted increased mortality (hazard ratio [HR]=1.98, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.35–2.89; p<0.001) and rejection (HR=2.20, 95% CI 1.48–3.27; p<0.001). Among 614 HCC patients, landmark analysis revealed no significant difference in recurrence-free survival (77.7% vs. 81.2%, p=0.288) or overall survival (77.3% vs. 65.8%, p=0.215), and FK levels were not independently associated with either outcome. Conclusion Maintaining tacrolimus levels below 6 ng/mL was associated with better survival and rejection outcomes without increasing HCC recurrence, suggesting dose minimization may be feasible in selected patients.

In liver transplantation, the primary concern is to ensure an adequate future liver remnant (FLR) volume for the donor, while selecting a graft of sufficient size for the recipient. The living donor–resection and partial liver segment 2−3 transplantation with delayed total hepatectomy (LD−RAPID) procedure offers a potential solution to expand the donor pool for living donor liver transplantation (LDLT).We report the first case involving a cirrhotic patient with autoimmune hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma, who underwent left lobe LDLT using the LD−RAPID procedure. The living liver donor (LLD) underwent a laparoscopic left hepatectomy, including middle hepatic vein. The resection on the recipient side was an extended left hepatectomy, including the middle hepatic vein orifice and caudate lobe. At postoperative day 7, a computed tomography scan showed hypertrophy of the left graft from 320 g to 465 mL (i.e., a 45.3% increase in graft volume body weight ratio from 0.60% to 0.77%). After a 7-day interval, the diseased right lobe was removed in the second stage surgery. The LD−RAPID procedure using left lobe graft allows for the use of a small liver graft or small FLR volume in LLD in LDLT, which expands the donor pool to minimize the risk to LLD by enabling the donation of a smaller liver portion.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) poses a significant global health challenge, particularly with patients often experiencing liver metastases. Surgical resection remains the standard treatment; however, many patients face ineligibility due to disease status, contributing to poor prognoses. Liver transplantation (LT) is a viable alternative for select patients with advanced disease. This case report details the clinical outcomes of two CRC patients with multiple liver metastases who successfully underwent living donor LT (LDLT). Both individuals had intricate medical histories and pre-existing liver issues. Patient 1, a 58-year-old male, received extensive pre-transplant interventions, including multiple radiofrequency ablations and pulmonary resections. Patient 2, a 50-year-old male, had cirrhosis alongside colorectal cancer with liver metastases and completed chemotherapy. The cases illustrate LDLT's viability and potential advantages for complex CRC cases with liver metastases. The patients’ intricate medical backgrounds necessitate thorough pre-transplant evaluations and vigilant post-transplant supervision. Moreover, these cases highlight the critical nature of ongoing follow-up for evaluating long-term survival and recognizing possible complications.

We present the case of a 74-year-old female who had a right hepatectomy performed laparoscopically to donate her liver to her a 40-year-old son who had alcoholic liver cirrhosis. She voluntarily cooperated, and thorough medical and psychological evaluations were carried out. The receiver underwent surgery in 296 minutes, while the donor took 158 minutes. With normal liver function, the donor and recipient were released from the hospital on days 10 and 14, respectively, after a smooth recovery. Three months following the living donor liver transplant, both the receiver and the living liver donor have not experienced any problems and are doing well.

Objective: The air pollution on pregnancy outcome (APPO) study is a prospective hospital-based cohort study designed to investigate the maternal and fetal effects of a particulate matter with an aerodynamic below 10 μm (PM10) and PM2.5 (below 2.5 μm) exposure. This study aims to analyze a relationship between particulate matter and adverse pregnancy outcomes and to find related biomarkers and develop management guidelines. Methods: About 1,200 pregnant women are recruited for 3 years (from January 2021 to December 2023) from seven university hospitals to investigate the effects of particulate matter on pregnancy complications and adverse pregnancy outcomes. We collect biological samples by 5 mL of maternal venous blood and 15 mL of urine in each trimester of pregnancy, and 5 mL of umbilical cord blood and 2×2×2 cm of placental tissue are collected after delivery. In addition, by applying PM10 and PM2.5 concentration values and time-activity patterns from the time weighted average model, the individual predicted exposure of air pollution for the pregnant women are obtained. Results: The average exposure of PM10 and PM2.5 of the participants in the entire period of pregnancy, was exceeded the World Health Organization air quality guidelines (an annual level, PM10 >15 μg/m3, PM2.5 >5 μg/m3). Moreover, it was revealed that the PM concentration was increasing toward the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Conclusion The APPO study will be able to identify the degree of exposure to air pollution in pregnant women and use it as basic data for estimating individual exposure to particulate matter. And the results of the APPO study will facilitate in the development of health management for pregnant women against air pollution.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of digital health interventions on the psychotic symptoms among people with severe mental illness in the community. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted in accordance with the Cochrane Intervention Research Systematic Review Manual and PRISMA. A literature search was conducted of published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for digital health interventions from January 2022 to April 2022. RevMan software 5.3 was used for quality assessment and meta-analysis. Results: A total 14 studies out of 9,864 studies were included in the review, and 13 were included in meta-analysis. The overall effect size of digital health interventions on psychotic symptoms was - 0.21 (95% CI = - 0.32 to - 0.10). Sub-analysis showed that the reduction of the psychotic symptoms was effective in the schizophrenia spectrum group (SMD = - 0.22; 95% CI = - 0.36 to - 0.09), web (SMD = - 0.41; 95% CI = - 0.82 to 0.01), virtual reality (SMD = - 0.33; 95% CI = - 0.56 to - 0.10), mobile (SMD = - 0.15; 95% CI = - 0.28 to - 0.03), intervention period of less than 3 months (SMD = - 0.23; 95% CI = - 0.35 to - 0.11), and non-treatment group (SMD = - 0.23; 95% CI = - 0.36 to - 0.11). Conclusion These findings suggest that digital health interventions alleviate psychotic symptoms in patients with severe mental illnesses. However, well-designed digital health studies should be conducted in the future.

Background: Needle insertion for spinal anesthesia using the Taylor approach is challenging as the L5-S1 space is difficult to locate from the surface anatomy. In this study, we suggest the use of three-dimensional (3D) pelvis computed tomography (CT) to assist anesthesiologists in locating the needle insertion point. By comparing the success rate of 3D pelvis CT-assisted Taylor approach to that of other approaches in the existing literatures, we suggest this technique as an alternative method for subarachnoid block in the L5-S1 space. Methods: In this retrospective observational study, we reviewed the records of hip arthroplasty using the 3D pelvis CT-assisted Taylor approach. An imaginary guidance line was created from the intersection point of the midline and intercristal line on the posterior view of the 3D pelvis CT to the ideal skin insertion point for Taylor approach. The primary outcome was the success rate. The secondary outcomes included the angle between the intercristal line and the guidance line, and the length of the guidance line and the distance between the ideal needle insertion point and the L5-S1 space. Results: We reviewed the records of the 276 patients who underwent hip arthroplasty using 3D CT-assisted Taylor approach. In this cohort, the 3D CT-assisted Taylor approach in L5-S1 subarachnoid block failed in only 25/276 patients. The success rate of 3D CT-assisted Taylor approach was 90.9%. Conclusions A 3D pelvis CT-assisted Taylor approach of spinal anesthesia can be an alternative method for subarachnoid block in the L5-S1 space with an acceptable success rate.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate trends in the rate of cesarean sections (CSs) in South Korea from 2006 to 2015 and identify the risk factors associated with these changes. Methods: Using the National Health Insurance Corporation dataset, all women who gave birth between 2006 and 2015 were included in the study. We investigated 1) the mode of delivery, 2) the complication rates during pregnancy (i.e., preeclampsia and placenta previa), and 3) pre-pregnancy factors (body mass index, hypertension [HTN], diabetes mellitus [DM], and other pre-existing medical conditions), and their trends during the study period. Results: Over 10 years, the rate of CS increased from 36.3% in 2006 to 40.6% in 2015 (P<0.01). The rate of CS increased in primiparous women, women with multiple pregnancy, and women with preeclampsia. Maternal age and the incidence of placenta previa also increased. In contrast, the rate of vacuum deliveries and vaginal birth after CS decreased during the study period. The rate of women with pre-pregnancy obesity and DM increased, but the rate of women with pre-pregnancy HTN decreased. Conclusion The rate of CS in South Korea increased from 2006 to 2015. This trend may reflect changes in the rate of different risk factors. Identifying the causes of the increasing CS trend observed in this study will allow clinicians to monitor these factors and possibly reduce the rate of CS.