Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is characterized by immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens without clinical symptoms or evidence of active tuberculosis. Effective LTBI management is crucial for tuberculosis elimination, requiring accurate diagnosis and treatment. In South Korea, LTBI guidelines have been updated periodically, the latest being in 2024. This review discusses the recent changes in the Korean guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of LTBI in adults.

Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is characterized by immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens without clinical symptoms or evidence of active tuberculosis. Effective LTBI management is crucial for tuberculosis elimination, requiring accurate diagnosis and treatment. In South Korea, LTBI guidelines have been updated periodically, the latest being in 2024. This review discusses the recent changes in the Korean guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of LTBI in adults.

Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is characterized by immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens without clinical symptoms or evidence of active tuberculosis. Effective LTBI management is crucial for tuberculosis elimination, requiring accurate diagnosis and treatment. In South Korea, LTBI guidelines have been updated periodically, the latest being in 2024. This review discusses the recent changes in the Korean guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of LTBI in adults.

Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is characterized by immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens without clinical symptoms or evidence of active tuberculosis. Effective LTBI management is crucial for tuberculosis elimination, requiring accurate diagnosis and treatment. In South Korea, LTBI guidelines have been updated periodically, the latest being in 2024. This review discusses the recent changes in the Korean guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of LTBI in adults.

Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is characterized by immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens without clinical symptoms or evidence of active tuberculosis. Effective LTBI management is crucial for tuberculosis elimination, requiring accurate diagnosis and treatment. In South Korea, LTBI guidelines have been updated periodically, the latest being in 2024. This review discusses the recent changes in the Korean guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of LTBI in adults.

Objectives: This preliminary, randomized, double-blind, multi-center study evaluated the efficacy of alternate-day tegoprazan (50 mg) versus daily lansoprazole (15 mg) as for maintenance therapy in patients with non-erosive reflux disease (NERD). Methods: Forty five participants were enrolled and treated for 8 weeks. The primary endpoint was the proportion of symptom-free days. The secondary endpoints were changes in Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease-Health Related Quality of Life (GERD-HRQL) scores. Results: It showed no significant difference between groups in the proportion of symptom-free days between both groups (tegoprazan: 60.4%±6.3%; lansoprazole: 74.0%±6.5%). The GSRS and GERD-HRQL score improvements were also comparable between both groups. Both treatments were well tolerated, with no serious adverse events reported. Conclusions These findings suggest that alternate-day tegoprazan offers comparable efficacy and safety to daily lansoprazole therapy and may serve as a more flexible and patient-friendly maintenance option for NERD.

Purpose: The partner and localizer of breast cancer 2 (PALB2) mutation is a predisposition to breast cancer development. However, limited clinical data are available for the Korean population. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the characteristics and oncological outcomes of patients with PALB2-mutated and non-mutated PALB2 in Korea. Methods: A total of 1,463 breast cancer (BRCA) 1/2 mutation-negative breast cancer underwent comprehensive multigene sequencing between 2016 and 2019 at Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea. Clinicopathological data and oncological results of PALB2 mutated patients were prospectively collected and compared with those of the non-mutated group. Results: PALB2 mutations were identified in 1.2% (17/1,463) of the patients. The median age at diagnosis was 46 (30–73) years, and the median tumor size was 1.8 (0.05–3.5) cm. All patients with PALB2 mutations had histologic grades II–III, and a triple-negative subtype was found in 23.5% (4/17); however, there were no significant differences in clinicopathological data between the groups. During the median follow-up time of 38.5 months, locoregional recurrence occurred in 4.2% (44/1,043), distant recurrence was reported in 3.0% (31/1,043), and contralateral breast cancer was diagnosed in 0.8% (9/1,043) of patients, with no significant difference observed between the groups. All-cause mortality was observed in 1.8% (19/1,028) of the non-mutated group and none in the PALB2 mutation group. However, survival analyses demonstrated no significant differences in all-cause mortality (p = 0.524) and recurrence-free survival (p = 0.319). Conclusion Clinicopathological features and oncological outcomes of PALB2 mutated breast cancer were not significantly different from those of non-mutated breast cancer in the Korean population.

Purpose: The partner and localizer of breast cancer 2 (PALB2) mutation is a predisposition to breast cancer development. However, limited clinical data are available for the Korean population. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the characteristics and oncological outcomes of patients with PALB2-mutated and non-mutated PALB2 in Korea. Methods: A total of 1,463 breast cancer (BRCA) 1/2 mutation-negative breast cancer underwent comprehensive multigene sequencing between 2016 and 2019 at Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea. Clinicopathological data and oncological results of PALB2 mutated patients were prospectively collected and compared with those of the non-mutated group. Results: PALB2 mutations were identified in 1.2% (17/1,463) of the patients. The median age at diagnosis was 46 (30–73) years, and the median tumor size was 1.8 (0.05–3.5) cm. All patients with PALB2 mutations had histologic grades II–III, and a triple-negative subtype was found in 23.5% (4/17); however, there were no significant differences in clinicopathological data between the groups. During the median follow-up time of 38.5 months, locoregional recurrence occurred in 4.2% (44/1,043), distant recurrence was reported in 3.0% (31/1,043), and contralateral breast cancer was diagnosed in 0.8% (9/1,043) of patients, with no significant difference observed between the groups. All-cause mortality was observed in 1.8% (19/1,028) of the non-mutated group and none in the PALB2 mutation group. However, survival analyses demonstrated no significant differences in all-cause mortality (p = 0.524) and recurrence-free survival (p = 0.319). Conclusion Clinicopathological features and oncological outcomes of PALB2 mutated breast cancer were not significantly different from those of non-mutated breast cancer in the Korean population.

Purpose: The partner and localizer of breast cancer 2 (PALB2) mutation is a predisposition to breast cancer development. However, limited clinical data are available for the Korean population. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the characteristics and oncological outcomes of patients with PALB2-mutated and non-mutated PALB2 in Korea. Methods: A total of 1,463 breast cancer (BRCA) 1/2 mutation-negative breast cancer underwent comprehensive multigene sequencing between 2016 and 2019 at Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea. Clinicopathological data and oncological results of PALB2 mutated patients were prospectively collected and compared with those of the non-mutated group. Results: PALB2 mutations were identified in 1.2% (17/1,463) of the patients. The median age at diagnosis was 46 (30–73) years, and the median tumor size was 1.8 (0.05–3.5) cm. All patients with PALB2 mutations had histologic grades II–III, and a triple-negative subtype was found in 23.5% (4/17); however, there were no significant differences in clinicopathological data between the groups. During the median follow-up time of 38.5 months, locoregional recurrence occurred in 4.2% (44/1,043), distant recurrence was reported in 3.0% (31/1,043), and contralateral breast cancer was diagnosed in 0.8% (9/1,043) of patients, with no significant difference observed between the groups. All-cause mortality was observed in 1.8% (19/1,028) of the non-mutated group and none in the PALB2 mutation group. However, survival analyses demonstrated no significant differences in all-cause mortality (p = 0.524) and recurrence-free survival (p = 0.319). Conclusion Clinicopathological features and oncological outcomes of PALB2 mutated breast cancer were not significantly different from those of non-mutated breast cancer in the Korean population.

Systemic sclerosis is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammatory reactions and fibrosis. Myofibroblasts are considered therapeutic targets for preventing and reversing the pathogenesis of fibrosis in systemic sclerosis. Although the mechanisms that differentiate into myofibroblasts are diverse, transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) is known to be a key mediator of fibrosis in systemic sclerosis. This study investigated the effects of extracellular vesicles derived from human adipose stem cells (ASC-EVs) in an in vivo systemic sclerosis model and in vitro TGF-β1-induced dermal fibroblasts. The therapeutic effects of ASC-EVs on the in vivo systemic sclerosis model were evaluated based on dermal thickness and the number of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)-expressing cells using hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry. Administration of ASC-EVs decreased both the dermal thickness and α-SMA expressing cell number as well as the mRNA levels of fibrotic genes, such as Acta2, Ccn2, Col1a1 and Comp. Additionally, we discovered that ASC-EVs can decrease the expression of α-SMA and CTGF and suppress the TGF-β pathway by inhibiting the activation of SMAD2 in dermal fibroblasts induced by TGF-β1. Finally, TGF-β1-induced dermal fibroblasts underwent selective death through ASC-EVs treatment. These results indicate that ASC-EVs could provide a therapeutic approach for preventing and reversing systemic sclerosis.