Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors are an important treatment option for ulcerative colitis, providing rapid onset of action, oral administration, and efficacy even after biologic failure. The 3 approved agents—tofacitinib, filgotinib, and upadacitinib—differ in JAK isoform selectivity, leading to clinically meaningful differences in efficacy and safety. Evidence from network meta-analyses, clinical trials, and real-world studies consistently shows that upadacitinib provides the highest efficacy for induction and maintenance of remission, whereas filgotinib demonstrates the most favorable safety profile. The strong efficacy of upadacitinib and tofacitinib is particularly relevant in patients with severe disease, including acute severe ulcerative colitis, and upadacitinib maintains high efficacy regardless of prior advanced therapy exposure. JAK inhibitors also benefit extraintestinal manifestations. Although risks such as herpes zoster, serious infection, thromboembolism, and major cardiovascular events differ among agents, long-term data suggest generally acceptable safety when used appropriately. Intraclass JAK-to-JAK cycling is feasible, with about half of patients achieving steroid-free clinical remission in retrospective cohorts. Based on mechanistic, clinical, and real-world evidence, filgotinib may be a first-line option for patients with lower disease activity or when safety is a priority, whereas upadacitinib or tofacitinib may be preferred in higher disease activity. Strategically selecting agents may improve durability and outcomes.

Purpose: Psychiatric conditions are common in children and adolescents with diabetes and can hinder disease management. In this study, we examined whether mental health status at diagnosis predicts glycemic control at 1 year. Methods: We included 57 patients aged 6–18 years diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes between 2019 and 2023 at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. Mental health was assessed within 3 months of diagnosis using the Eating Disorder Inventory-2, Children’s Depression Inventory, and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) for ages 6–18. Poor glycemic control was defined as glycated hemoglobin >6.5% at 1 year. Associations between screening results and glycemic control were analyzed using Fisher exact test and multivariate logistic regression. Results: Of the 57 patients, 32 (56.1%) had type 1 diabetes, and the mean age at diagnosis was 12.9±3.1 years; 31 (54.4%) were male. Poor glycemic control at 1 year was observed in 16 patients (28.1%). Although individual subscale positivity was not significantly associated with glycemic control, borderline somatic complaints on the CBCL were significantly associated with poor control (p=0.022). In multivariate analysis, having 2 or more positive CBCL subscales showed a trend toward association with poor glycemic control (adjusted odds ratio=21.47, p=0.054). Conclusion Early psychological screening, especially for somatic symptoms or multiple psychological problems, may help identify those at risk for poor glycemic control in pediatric diabetes. These findings underscore the importance of early detection and intervention in optimizing diabetes management.

Background: and Purpose Although gastrointestinal (GI) surgery can affect drug efficacy, its impact on oral anticoagulants (OACs) remains unclear. This study investigated the impact of GI surgery on the comparative effectiveness and safety of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) versus warfarin in atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods: Using a nationwide South Korean claims database, AF patients prescribed OACs between 2015 and 2021 were analyzed. The primary outcome was ischemic stroke, and secondary outcomes were major bleeding, all-cause death, and composite outcome (ischemic stroke, major bleeding, all-cause death). Outcomes were compared by OAC type (DOAC vs. warfarin) and GI surgery status using inverse probability of treatment weighting and a Fine–Gray subdistribution hazard model with time-varying covariates. Results: Among 388,214 AF patients (mean age, 71.9 yr; 42.7% male), 6,907 (1.8%) underwent GI surgery. The effect of GI surgery differed between warfarin and DOACs for ischemic stroke (Pint= 0.018), with increased risk for warfarin (adjusted HR [aHR]: 2.32; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.17–4.62), but not for DOACs (aHR: 0.97 [95% CI 0.77–1.22]) after surgery. Effects of surgery on major bleeding, all-cause death, and composite outcome did not differ. In post–GI surgery setting, DOACs demonstrated lower ischemic stroke risk (aHR: 0.35 [95% CI 0.17–0.72]) and comparable risks for other outcomes. Exploratory analyses by surgery location suggested a more favorable profile of DOACs after upper GI surgery. Conclusions In AF patients, GI surgery significantly increased ischemic stroke risk among warfarin users, but not among DOAC users. DOACs showed generally favorable profiles after GI surgery and may remain a reasonable anticoagulant, with potentially more favorable profile after upper GI surgery.

Purpose: This study aimed to develop and implement an antimicrobial stewardship education program for physician assistant nurses and to evaluate its effects on their knowledge and clinical performance. Methods: A quasi-experimental, single-group pre-post design was conducted with 50 physician assistant nurses at a university hospital in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The antimicrobial stewardship education program, developed using the ADDIE model, consisted of 12 sessions including lectures and case-based learning (CBL)-based discussions.Knowledge was measured before and immediately after the intervention, while performance was assessed pre-intervention and four weeks post-program. Data were analyzed using paired t-tests, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Results: Knowledge scores significantly improved from 44.65±7.45 to 58.50±10.11 (p<.001), and all subdomains showed significant increases (p<.001). Performance scores increased from 3.68±0.77 to 4.28±0.68 (p<.001). Knowledge gain did not differ significantly between the medical and surgical departments (p=.710). Likewise, after adjusting for pre-test scores, no significant difference in performance improvement was observed between the two departments (ANCOVA, p=.170). These results indicate that the program was effective across both departments regardless of their characteristics. Conclusion The antimicrobial stewardship education program improved both knowledge and performance among physician assistant nurses. This program may contribute to the standardization of antimicrobial stewardship education and to appropriate antimicrobial use and the reduction of antimicrobial resistance.

Background/Aims: To determine the effectiveness of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) plus reduced-intensity therapy in adult patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph-positive ALL), this retrospective study compared treatment outcomes and induction mortality according to backbone regimen intensity. Methods: The data of 132 patients diagnosed with Ph-positive ALL were retrospectively collected from five centers. Patients received imatinib plus intensive chemotherapy (modified VPD, KALLA1407, or hyper-CVAD) or reduced-intensity chemotherapy (EWALL) for curative purposes. This study analyzed 117 patients, of which 35,22,46, and 14 received modified VPD, KALLA1407, hyper-CVAD, and EWALL, respectively. All patients used imatinib as a TKI. Results: The median age of the patients who received reduced-intensity chemotherapy was 64.4 years, while that of the patients with intensive regimens was 47.5 years. There was no induction death in the reduced-intensity group, while nine patients died in the intensive therapy group. Major molecular response achievement tended to be higher in the intensive chemotherapy group than in the reduced-intensity group. More patients in the intensive chemotherapy group received allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT). There was no statistically significant difference in long-term survival between the two groups in terms of relapse-free survival and overall survival rates. Conclusions When imatinib plus reduced-intensity therapy was used as a frontline treatment, there was no inferiority in obtaining complete remission compared to imatinib plus intensive chemotherapy or significant difference in long-term survival. Since imatinib plus reduced-intensity therapy has limitations in obtaining a deep molecular response, proceeding to allo-SCT should be considered.

Background/Aims: Multiple myeloma (MM) predominantly affects elderly individuals, but studies on older patients with MM are limited. The clinical characteristics and survival outcomes of patients with MM aged 80 years or over were retrospectively analyzed. Methods: This retrospective multicenter study was conducted to investigate the clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and survival outcomes of patients aged 80 years or over who were newly diagnosed with MM at five academic hospitals in Daegu, Korea, between 2010 and 2019. Results: A total of 127 patients with a median age of 83 years (range, 80–93 yr) were enrolled: 52 (40.9%) with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) > 2, 84 (66.1%) with International Staging System (ISS) stage III disease, and 93 (73.2%) with a Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) > 4. Chemotherapy was administered to 86 patients (67.7%). The median overall survival was 9.3 months. Overall survival was significantly associated with ECOG PS > 2 (HR 2.26, 95% CI 1.43–3.59), ISS stage III (HR 1.99, 95% CI 1.18–3.34), and chemotherapy (HR 0.34, 95% CI 0.21–0.55). There was no statistically significant difference in event-free survival according to the type of anti-myeloma chemotherapy administered. The early mortality (EM) rate was 28.3%. Conclusions Even in patients with MM aged 80 years or over, chemotherapy can result in better survival outcomes than supportive care. Patients aged ≥ 80 years should not be excluded from chemotherapy based on age alone. However, reducing EM in elderly patients with newly diagnosed MM remains challenging.

Background: High-resolution chest computed tomography (CT) is a crucial assessment tool for diagnosing Birt-Hogg-Dubé (BHD) syndrome. This study aimed to analyze differences of lung cysts between BHD and other cystic lung diseases. Methods: From January 2020 to December 2022, patients with multiple lung cysts who underwent chest CT at Gangnam Severance Hospital were included. Results: Over a 3-year period (from January 2020 to December 2022), out of 52,823 patients who underwent a chest CT scan, 301 (0.6%) patients with multiple lung cysts were enrolled in this study. Of enrolled patients, 24 (8.0%) were diagnosed with BHD. In patients with BHD, 95.8% exhibited bilateral cysts, and 83.3% showed basal predominance. The cysts’ maximal diameter averaged 32.1 mm (interquartile range, 26.5 to 43.5). Additionally, 95.8% of patients with BHD had diverse cyst sizes and morphologies. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that bilateral cysts (odds ratio [OR], 12.393; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.613 to 274.682; p=0.038), basal predominance (OR, 8.511; 95% CI, 2.252 to 39.392; p=0.002), maximum diameter (OR, 1.053; 95% CI, 1.009 to 1.108; p=0.032), and diversity of morphology (OR, 19.513; 95% CI, 2.833 to 398.119; p=0.010) were significant factors associated with BHD diagnosis. A multivariate prediction model for BHD diagnosis demonstrated a sensitivity of 95.83%, a specificity of 81.22%, and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.951 (95% CI, 0.914 to 0.987). Conclusion Distinguishing features of lung cysts from other cystic lung diseases include bilateral cysts, basal dominance, large size, and irregular shape.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive lung disease that culminates in respiratory failure and death due to irreversible scarring of the distal lung. While initially considered a chronic inflammatory disorder, the aberrant function of the alveolar epithelium is now acknowledged as playing a central role in the pathophysiology of IPF. This study aimed to investigate the regenerative capacity of alveolar type 2 (AT2) cells using IPF-derived alveolar organoids and to examine the effects of disease progression on this capacity. Methods: Lung tissues from three pneumothorax patients and six IPF patients (early and advanced stages) were obtained through video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and lung transplantation. HTII-280+ cells were isolated from CD31-CD45-epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM)+ cells in the distal lungs of IPF and pneumothorax patients using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and resuspended in 48-well plates to establish IPF-derived alveolar organoids. Immunostaining was used to verify the presence of AT2 cells. Results: FACS sorting yielded approximately 1% of AT2 cells in early IPF tissue, and the number decreased as the disease progressed, in contrast to 2.7% in pneumothorax. Additionally, the cultured organoids in the IPF groups were smaller and less numerous compared to those from pneumothorax patients. The colony forming efficiency decreased as the disease advanced. Immunostaining results showed that the IPF organoids expressed less surfactant protein C (SFTPC) compared to the pneumothorax group and contained keratin 5+ (KRT5+) cells. Conclusion This study confirmed that the regenerative capacity of AT2 cells in IPF decreases as the disease progresses, with IPF-derived AT2 cells inherently exhibiting functional abnormalities and altered differentiation plasticity.

Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancers in both Korea and worldwide. Since 2004, the Korean Practice Guidelines for Gastric Cancer have been regularly updated, with the 4th edition published in 2022. The 4th edition was the result of a collaborative work by an interdisciplinary team, including experts in gastric surgery, gastroenterology, endoscopy, medical oncology, abdominal radiology, pathology, nuclear medicine, radiation oncology, and guideline development methodology. The current guideline is the 5th version, an updated version of the 4th edition. In this guideline, 6 key questions (KQs) were updated or proposed after a collaborative review by the working group, and 7 statements were developed, or revised, or discussed based on a systematic review using the MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, and KoreaMed database. Over the past 2 years, there have been significant changes in systemic treatment, leading to major updates and revisions focused on this area.Additionally, minor modifications have been made in other sections, incorporating recent research findings. The level of evidence and grading of recommendations were categorized according to the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation system. Key factors for recommendation included the level of evidence, benefit, harm, and clinical applicability. The working group reviewed and discussed the recommendations to reach a consensus. The structure of this guideline remains similar to the 2022 version.Earlier sections cover general considerations, such as screening, diagnosis, and staging of endoscopy, pathology, radiology, and nuclear medicine. In the latter sections, statements are provided for each KQ based on clinical evidence, with flowcharts supporting these statements through meta-analysis and references. This multidisciplinary, evidence-based gastric cancer guideline aims to support clinicians in providing optimal care for gastric cancer patients.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare maternal outcomes and the home environment between non‑vulnerable families with children under 2 receiving universal home visiting services and vulnerable families receiving sustained home visiting services. METHODS: This study was conducted in Seoul, Korea, where the country’s first nurse‑led early childhood home visiting program was introduced. A total of 551 mother‑child dyads participated in cross‑sectional surveys conducted at various child ages (6±2 weeks, 6±1 months, 12±1 months, and 24±1 months). Universal home visiting services were provided within six weeks postpartum to non‑vulnerable families, while vulnerable families received sustained services consisting of 25 visits over 24 months. Maternal knowledge of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and childcare, maternal distress, and the Korean Infant‑Toddler Home Observation for Measurement of Environment (K‑IT‑HOME) were assessed. RESULTS: Overall, the universal home visitation group demonstrated higher levels of maternal knowledge regarding SIDS and childcare compared to the sustained home visitation group (all p-values <0.05), while the sustained home visitation group reported higher levels of maternal distress (p<0.001). The total K‑IT‑HOME score was 1.47 points higher in the universal home visitation group than in the sustained home visitation group (p<0.001). No significant differences were observed in the acceptance, organization, or involvement subscales of the K‑IT‑HOME (all p-values >0.05). CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that disparities in maternal outcomes and home environments persisted in early childhood between the sustained and universal home visitation groups.