1.Clinical significance and outcomes of adult living donor liver transplantation for acute liver failure: a retrospective cohort study based on 15-year single-center experience
Geun-hyeok YANG ; Young-In YOON ; Shin HWANG ; Ki-Hun KIM ; Chul-Soo AHN ; Deok-Bog MOON ; Tae-Yong HA ; Gi-Won SONG ; Dong-Hwan JUNG ; Gil-Chun PARK ; Sung-Gyu LEE
Annals of Surgical Treatment and Research 2024;107(3):167-177
Purpose:
This study aimed to describe adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for acute liver failure and evaluate its clinical significance by comparing its surgical and survival outcomes with those of deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT).
Methods:
We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 267 consecutive patients (161 LDLT recipients and 106 DDLT recipients) aged 18 years or older who underwent liver transplantation between January 2006 and December 2020.
Results:
The mean periods from hepatic encephalopathy to liver transplantation were 5.85 days and 8.35 days for LDLT and DDLT, respectively (P = 0.091). Among these patients, 121 (45.3%) had grade III or IV hepatic encephalopathy (living, 34.8% vs. deceased, 61.3%; P < 0.001), and 38 (14.2%) had brain edema (living, 16.1% vs. deceased, 11.3%; P = 0.269) before liver transplantation. There were no significant differences in in-hospital mortality (living, 11.8% vs. deceased, 15.1%; P = 0.435), 10-year overall survival (living, 90.8% vs. deceased, 84.0%; P = 0.096), and graft survival (living, 83.5% vs. deceased, 71.3%;P = 0.051). However, postoperatively, the mean intensive care unit stay was shorter in the LDLT group (5.0 days vs. 9.5 days, P < 0.001). In-hospital mortality was associated with vasopressor use (odds ratio [OR], 3.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.45–7.96; P = 0.005) and brain edema (OR, 2.75; 95% CI, 1.16–6.52; P = 0.022) of recipient at the time of transplantation. However, LDLT (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 0.59–2.66; P = 0.553) was not independently associated with in-hospital mortality.
Conclusion
LDLT is feasible for acute liver failure when organs from deceased donors are not available.
2.Clinical Outcomes of Small Cell Carcinoma of the Genitourinary Tract and the Prognostic Significance of the Tumor Immune Microenvironment
Jaewon HYUNG ; Hyung-Don KIM ; Gi Hwan KIM ; Yong Mee CHO ; Yeon-Mi RYU ; Sang-Yeob KIM ; Inkeun PARK ; Shinkyo YOON ; Jae Lyun LEE
Cancer Research and Treatment 2024;56(2):624-633
Purpose:
Small cell carcinoma of the genitourinary tract (GU SCC) is a rare disease with a poor prognosis. There are only limited treatment options due to insufficient understanding of the disease. In this study, we analyzed the clinical outcomes of patients with GU SCC and their association with the tumor immune phenotype.
Materials and Methods:
Patients diagnosed with GU SCC were included. Survival outcomes according to the primary location (prostate and non-prostate) and stages (limited disease [LD] and extensive disease [ED]) were analyzed. We performed multiplex immunohistochemistry (IHC) in non-prostate SCC patients and analyzed the immune cell population.
Results:
A total of 77 patients were included in this study. Their median age was 71 years, 67 patients (87.0%) were male, and 48 patients (62.3%) had non-prostate SCC. All patients with ED (n=31, 40.3%) received etoposide plus platinum (EP) as initial treatment and median overall survival (OS) was 9.7 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.1 to 18.6). Patients with LD (n=46, 59.7%) received EP followed by radiotherapy or surgery, and 24-months OS rate was 63.6% (95% CI, 49.9 to 81.0). The multiplex IHC analysis of 21 patients with non-prostate SCC showed that patients with a higher density of programmed death-ligand 1–expressing CD68+CD206+ M2-like macrophages had significantly worse OS outcomes with an adjusted hazards ratio of 4.17 (95% CI, 1.25 to 14.29; adjusted p=0.02).
Conclusion
Patients with GU SCC had a poor prognosis, even those with localized disease. The tumor immune phenotypes were significantly associated with survival. This finding provides new insights for treating GU SCC.
3.Mobile Application for Digital Health Coaching in the Self-Management of Older Adults with Multiple Chronic Conditions: A Development and Usability Study
Ga Eun PARK ; Yeon-Hwan PARK ; Kwang Gi KIM ; Jeong Yun PARK ; Minhwa HWANG ; Seonghyeon LEE
Healthcare Informatics Research 2024;30(4):344-354
Objectives:
This study was conducted to develop a mobile application for digital health coaching to support self-management in older adults with multiple chronic conditions. Additionally, the usability of this application was evaluated.
Methods:
The HAHA2022 mobile application was developed through a multidisciplinary team approach, incorporating digital health coaching strategies targeting community-dwelling older adults with multiple chronic conditions. Usability was assessed with the Korean version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale. The usability tests involved eight expert panel members and 10 older adults (mean age, 74 ± 3 years; 90% women) from one senior welfare center.
Results:
HAHA2022 is an Android-based mobile application that is also integrated into wearable devices to track physical activity. It features an age-friendly design and includes five main menus: Home, Action Plan, Education, Health Log, and Community. The average overall usability test scores—covering engagement, functionality, aesthetics, and information—were 4.27 of 5 for the expert panel and 4.53 of 5 for the older adults.
Conclusions
The HAHA2022 application was developed to improve self-management among communitydwelling older adults with multiple chronic conditions. Usability tests indicate that the application is highly acceptable and feasible for use by this population. Consequently, HAHA2022 is anticipated to be widely implemented. Nonetheless, further research is required to confirm its effectiveness through digital health intervention.
4.Lower-Body Fractures and the Risk of Dementia:A Nationwide Population-Based Study
Jung-Kyeom KIM ; Sang-Won PARK ; Suk-Hee LEE ; Payam Hosseinzadeh KASANI ; Gi Hwan BYEON ; Yeshin KIM ; Jae-Won JANG ; Seo-Young LEE
Journal of Clinical Neurology 2024;20(2):208-213
Background:
and Purpose The association between physical activity and dementia has been shown in various observational studies. We aimed to determine the risk of dementia in the elderly with lower-body fractures.
Methods:
We reconstructed a population-based matched cohort from the National Health Insurance Service—Senior Cohort data set that covers 511,953 recipients of medical insurance in South Korea.
Results:
Overall 53,776 subjects with lower-body fractures were identified during 2006–2012, and triplicate control groups were matched randomly by sex, age, and years from the index date for each subject with a fracture. There were 3,573 subjects (6.6%) with and 7,987 subjects (4.9%) without lower-body fractures who developed dementia from 2008 up to 2015. Lowerbody fractures were independently associated with a subsequent dementia diagnosis with a higher adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) (1.55, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.49–1.62) compared with upper-body fractures (aHR=1.19, 95% CI=1.14–1.23).
Conclusions
These results support the protective role of physical activity against dementia and highlight the importance of promoting fracture prevention in the elderly.
5.Oxyntic Gland Neoplasms - From Adenoma to Advanced Gastric Cancer:A Review of 29 Cases
Gi Hwan KIM ; Jun Su LEE ; Jeong Hoon LEE ; Young Soo PARK
Journal of Gastric Cancer 2024;24(4):378-390
Purpose:
Oxyntic gland neoplasm (OGN) is a rare condition that can be classified as oxyntic gland adenoma (OGA) or gastric adenocarcinoma of fundic-gland type (GA-FG). GA-FG primarily presents as early gastric cancer, with only a few reported cases of advanced gastric cancer (AGC). We aimed to investigate the clinicopathological features of OGN and describe an aggressive variant.
Materials and Methods:
We investigated a total of 29 cases, including a patient with double primary cases, diagnosed with OGN or differentiated-type adenocarcinoma with GA-FG morphology, between November 2016 and April 2022. We analyzed 54 pathological specimens and reviewed their clinicopathological, endoscopic, and histological features.The lesions were reclassified as OGA or GA-FG, and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for MUC-5AC and MUC-6 was performed on available resected GA-FG cases.
Results:
The median patient age was 65 years and males accounted for 58.6% of patients.Most cases occurred in the body horizontally (69.0%) and on the greater curvature side cross-sectionally (48.3%). Endoscopically, type 0-IIa (41.4%) and a subepithelial tumor-like appearance (24.1%) were the most common findings. Histologically, there were 8 cases of OGA (27.6%) and 21 cases of GA-FG (72.4%). In GA-FG, MUC-6 was positive in 13 cases (81.3%), whereas MUC-5AC was positive in 8 cases (50.0%). Three cases presented as AGCs.
Conclusions
Although OGNs are generally considered low-grade, they can present as AGCs and may exhibit features of lymphovascular or perineural invasion. Recognizing the clinicopathological features and accurately diagnosing OGN are important for providing adequate treatment.
6.Artificial intelligence algorithm for neoplastic cell percentage estimation and its application to copy number variation in urinary tract cancer
Jinahn JEONG ; Deokhoon KIM ; Yeon-Mi RYU ; Ja-Min PARK ; Sun Young YOON ; Bokyung AHN ; Gi Hwan KIM ; Se Un JEONG ; Hyun-Jung SUNG ; Yong Il LEE ; Sang-Yeob KIM ; Yong Mee CHO
Journal of Pathology and Translational Medicine 2024;58(5):229-240
Background:
Bladder cancer is characterized by frequent mutations, which provide potential therapeutic targets for most patients. The effectiveness of emerging personalized therapies depends on an accurate molecular diagnosis, for which the accurate estimation of the neoplastic cell percentage (NCP) is a crucial initial step. However, the established method for determining the NCP, manual counting by a pathologist, is time-consuming and not easily executable.
Methods:
To address this, artificial intelligence (AI) models were developed to estimate the NCP using nine convolutional neural networks and the scanned images of 39 cases of urinary tract cancer. The performance of the AI models was compared to that of six pathologists for 119 cases in the validation cohort. The ground truth value was obtained through multiplexed immunofluorescence. The AI model was then applied to 41 cases in the application cohort that underwent next-generation sequencing testing, and its impact on the copy number variation (CNV) was analyzed.
Results:
Each AI model demonstrated high reliability, with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) ranging from 0.82 to 0.88. These values were comparable or better to those of pathologists, whose ICCs ranged from 0.78 to 0.91 in urothelial carcinoma cases, both with and without divergent differentiation/ subtypes. After applying AI-driven NCP, 190 CNV (24.2%) were reclassified with 66 (8.4%) and 78 (9.9%) moved to amplification and loss, respectively, from neutral/minor CNV. The neutral/minor CNV proportion decreased by 6%.
Conclusions
These results suggest that AI models could assist human pathologists in repetitive and cumbersome NCP calculations.
7.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Tinnitus: Outpatient-Based Treatment
Jong-Geun LEE ; Yongmin CHO ; Hyunseok CHOI ; Gi Hwan RYU ; Jaeman PARK ; Dongha KIM ; Sung-Won CHAE ; Jae-Jun SONG
Korean Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery 2024;67(5):270-276
Background and Objectives:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a treatment option for subjective tinnitus. There are many reports on its clinical efficacy, but the protocol has not been well established. The purpose of this study was to set an outpatient-based CBT protocol and evaluate its clinical efficacy for tinnitus.Subjects and Method A total of 85 chronic tinnitus patients was assessed in this prospective study. After evaluating for eligibility, 30 patients completed CBT based on a protocol of 5 weekly sessions in an outpatient setting. Therapeutic efficacy was assessed by Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) questionnaires and visual analogue scale (VAS) for tinnitus. The initial scores were compared with the final scores, which were assessed a month after the fifth CBT session.
Results:
The results showed that CBT reduced THI and VAS scores significantly (p<0.05).
Conclusion
The results of the study suggest that an outpatient-based CBT protocol can be clinically beneficial for patients with tinnitus.
8.Safety and Effectiveness of Passeo-18 Lux Drug-Coated Balloon Catheter in Infrainguinal Endovascular Revascularization in the Korean Population:A Multicenter Post-Market Surveillance Study
Tae Won CHOI ; Je Hwan WON ; Hwan Jun JAE ; Yong Sun JEON ; Sang Woo PARK ; Gi-Young KO ; Nam Yeol YIM ; Jong Yun WON ; Chang Won KIM ; Jinoo KIM
Korean Journal of Radiology 2024;25(6):565-574
Objective:
To evaluate the safety and clinical outcomes of the Passeo-18 Lux drug-coated balloon (DCB) in endovascular revascularization procedures under real-world conditions in a Korean population with atherosclerotic disease of the infrainguinal arteries, including below-the-knee (BTK) arteries.
Materials and Methods:
Eight institutions in the Republic of Korea participated in this prospective, multicenter, single-arm, post-market surveillance study. Two hundred patients with Rutherford class 2–5 peripheral arterial disease and infrainguinal lesions suitable for endovascular treatment were competitively enrolled. Data were collected at baseline, the time of intervention, discharge, and 1-, 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-up visits. The primary safety endpoint was freedom from major adverse events (MAE) within 6 months (except when limiting the time frame for procedure- or device-related mortality to within 30 days), and the primary effectiveness endpoint was freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization (CDTLR) within 12 months after the procedure.
Results:
A total of 197 patients with 332 target lesions were analyzed. Two-thirds of the patients had diabetes mellitus, and 41.6% had chronic limb-threatening ischemia. The median target lesion length was 100 mm (interquartile range: 56–133 mm).Of the target lesions, 35.2% were occlusions, and 14.8% were located in the BTK arteries. Rate of freedom from MAE was 97.9% at 6 months, and the rate of freedom from CD-TLR was 95.0% and 92.2% at 12 and 24 months, respectively. Subgroup analysis of 43 patients and 49 target lesions involving the BTK arteries showed rate of freedom from MAE of 92.8% at 6 months and rates of freedom from CD-TLR of 88.8% and 84.4% at 12 and 24 months, respectively.
Conclusion
The results of the present study, including the BTK subgroup analysis, showed outcomes comparable to those of other DCB studies, confirming the safety and effectiveness of Passeo-18 Lux DCB in the Korean population.
9.Donor sex and donor-recipient sex disparity do not affect hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after living donor liver transplantation
Rak Kyun OH ; Shin HWANG ; Gi-Won SONG ; Chul-Soo AHN ; Deok-Bog MOON ; Tae-Yong HA ; Dong-Hwan JUNG ; Gil-Chun PARK ; Young-In YOON ; Woo-Hyoung KANG
Annals of Surgical Treatment and Research 2023;105(3):133-140
Purpose:
Studies have yielded contradictory results on whether donor sex and donor-recipient sex disparity affect hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). The present study assessed whether donor sex or donor-recipient sex disparity affects HCC recurrence after LDLT at a high-volume center.
Methods:
This study included 772 HCC patients who underwent LDLT between January 2006 and December 2015 at Asan Medical Center. Patients were divided into 4 groups based on the sex of the donor and recipient: male-to-male (n = 490, 63.5%), male-to-female (n = 75, 9.7%), female-to-male (n = 170, 22.0%), and female-to-female (n = 37, 4.8%).
Results:
Disease-free survival (DFS; P = 0.372) and overall survival (OS; P = 0.591) did not differ significantly among the 4 groups. DFS also did not differ significantly between LDLT recipients with male and female donors (P = 0.792) or between male and female recipients (P = 0.084). After patient matching with an α-FP/des-γ-carboxy prothrombin/tumor volume score cutoff of 5logs, donor-recipient sex disparity did not significantly affect DFS (P = 0.598) or OS (P = 0.777). There were also no differences in DFS in matched LDLT recipients with male and female donors (P = 0.312) or between male and female recipients (P = 0.374).
Conclusion
Neither donor sex nor donor-recipient sex disparity significantly affected posttransplant HCC recurrence.
10.Efficacy of Limited Dose Modifications for Palbociclib-Related Grade 3 Neutropenia in Hormone Receptor–Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer
Seul-Gi KIM ; Min Hwan KIM ; Sejung PARK ; Gun Min KIM ; Jee Hung KIM ; Jee Ye KIM ; Hyung Seok PARK ; Seho PARK ; Byeong Woo PARK ; Seung Il KIM ; Jung Hwan JI ; Joon JEONG ; Kabsoo SHIN ; Jieun LEE ; Hyung-Don KIM ; Kyung Hae JUNG ; Joohyuk SOHN
Cancer Research and Treatment 2023;55(4):1198-1209
Purpose:
Frequent neutropenia hinders uninterrupted palbociclib treatment in patients with hormone receptor (HR)–positive breast cancer. We compared the efficacy outcomes in multicenter cohorts of patients with metastatic breast cancer (mBC) receiving palbociclib following conventional dose modification or limited modified schemes for afebrile grade 3 neutropenia.
Materials and Methods:
Patients with HR-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–negative mBC (n=434) receiving palbociclib with letrozole as first-line therapy were analyzed and classified based on neutropenia grade and afebrile grade 3 neutropenia management as follows: group 1 (maintained palbociclib dose, limited scheme), group 2 (dose delay or reduction, conventional scheme), group 3 (no afebrile grade 3 neutropenia event), and group 4 (grade 4 neutropenia event). The primary and secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) between groups 1 and 2 and PFS, overall survival, and safety profiles among all groups.
Results:
During follow-up (median 23.7 months), group 1 (2-year PFS, 67.9%) showed significantly longer PFS than did group 2 (2-year PFS, 55.3%; p=0.036), maintained across all subgroups, and upon adjustment of the factors. Febrile neutropenia occurred in one and two patients of group 1 and group 2, respectively, without mortality.
Conclusion
Limited dose modification for palbociclib-related grade 3 neutropenia may lead to longer PFS, without increasing toxicity, than the conventional dose scheme.

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