This retrospective study compared cement penetration, the radiolucent line (RLL) incidence, and clinical outcomes in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using high-viscosity cement (HVC) versus low-viscosity cement (LVC) with a minimum follow-up of two years. We hypothesized that LVC would result in superior cement penetration and a reduced RLL incidence compared with HVC without differences in clinical outcomes.A total of 100 patients (50 HVC, 50 LVC) who underwent TKA with the same implant design were included. Cement penetration was assessed in four tibial and two femoral zones. Clinical outcomes including the VAS, WOMAC, KSS, KOOS and FJS were evaluated preoperatively and at the final follow-up visit. Postoperative complications were recorded. LVC demonstrated significantly greater cement penetration in the posterior tibial zone (3.03 mm vs. vs 2.82 mm; p=0.005) and posterior femoral zone (1.76 mm vs.1.39 mm; p<0.000) than HVC, and no differences were observed in other zones. The RLL incidence and rates of complications including aseptic loosening and prosthetic joint infection were comparable between groups. Both groups showed significant postoperative improvements in the WOMAC, KSS, and KOOS, with no intergroup differences preoperatively and postoperatively. LVC demonstrated superior cement penetration in select zones, which may enhance implant fixation. However, there were no differences in the RLL incidence or clinical outcomes between the HVC and LVC groups.Both cements provided satisfactory fixation and clinical results, suggesting that either may be appropriate based on surgical preferences and fixation goals.

This retrospective study compared cement penetration, the radiolucent line (RLL) incidence, and clinical outcomes in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using high-viscosity cement (HVC) versus low-viscosity cement (LVC) with a minimum follow-up of two years. We hypothesized that LVC would result in superior cement penetration and a reduced RLL incidence compared with HVC without differences in clinical outcomes.A total of 100 patients (50 HVC, 50 LVC) who underwent TKA with the same implant design were included. Cement penetration was assessed in four tibial and two femoral zones. Clinical outcomes including the VAS, WOMAC, KSS, KOOS and FJS were evaluated preoperatively and at the final follow-up visit. Postoperative complications were recorded. LVC demonstrated significantly greater cement penetration in the posterior tibial zone (3.03 mm vs. vs 2.82 mm; p=0.005) and posterior femoral zone (1.76 mm vs.1.39 mm; p<0.000) than HVC, and no differences were observed in other zones. The RLL incidence and rates of complications including aseptic loosening and prosthetic joint infection were comparable between groups. Both groups showed significant postoperative improvements in the WOMAC, KSS, and KOOS, with no intergroup differences preoperatively and postoperatively. LVC demonstrated superior cement penetration in select zones, which may enhance implant fixation. However, there were no differences in the RLL incidence or clinical outcomes between the HVC and LVC groups.Both cements provided satisfactory fixation and clinical results, suggesting that either may be appropriate based on surgical preferences and fixation goals.

This retrospective study compared cement penetration, the radiolucent line (RLL) incidence, and clinical outcomes in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using high-viscosity cement (HVC) versus low-viscosity cement (LVC) with a minimum follow-up of two years. We hypothesized that LVC would result in superior cement penetration and a reduced RLL incidence compared with HVC without differences in clinical outcomes.A total of 100 patients (50 HVC, 50 LVC) who underwent TKA with the same implant design were included. Cement penetration was assessed in four tibial and two femoral zones. Clinical outcomes including the VAS, WOMAC, KSS, KOOS and FJS were evaluated preoperatively and at the final follow-up visit. Postoperative complications were recorded. LVC demonstrated significantly greater cement penetration in the posterior tibial zone (3.03 mm vs. vs 2.82 mm; p=0.005) and posterior femoral zone (1.76 mm vs.1.39 mm; p<0.000) than HVC, and no differences were observed in other zones. The RLL incidence and rates of complications including aseptic loosening and prosthetic joint infection were comparable between groups. Both groups showed significant postoperative improvements in the WOMAC, KSS, and KOOS, with no intergroup differences preoperatively and postoperatively. LVC demonstrated superior cement penetration in select zones, which may enhance implant fixation. However, there were no differences in the RLL incidence or clinical outcomes between the HVC and LVC groups.Both cements provided satisfactory fixation and clinical results, suggesting that either may be appropriate based on surgical preferences and fixation goals.

In recent years, next-generation sequencing (NGS)–based genetic testing has become crucial in cancer care. While its primary objective is to identify actionable genetic alterations to guide treatment decisions, its scope has broadened to encompass aiding in pathological diagnosis and exploring resistance mechanisms. With the ongoing expansion in NGS application and reliance, a compelling necessity arises for expert consensus on its application in solid cancers. To address this demand, the forthcoming recommendations not only provide pragmatic guidance for the clinical use of NGS but also systematically classify actionable genes based on specific cancer types. Additionally, these recommendations will incorporate expert perspectives on crucial biomarkers, ensuring informed decisions regarding circulating tumor DNA panel testing.

Background/Aims: H2 receptor antagonists (H2RA) have been used to treat gastritis by inhibiting gastric acid. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are more potent acid suppressants than H2RA.However, the efficacy and safety of low-dose PPI for treating gastritis remain unclear. The aim was to investigate the efficacy and safety of low-dose PPI for treating gastritis. Methods: A double-blind, noninferiority, multicenter, phase 3 clinical trial randomly assigned 476 patients with endoscopic erosive gastritis to a group using esomeprazole 10 mg (DW1903) daily and a group using famotidine 20 mg (DW1903R1) daily for 2 weeks. The full-analysis set included 319 patients (DW1903, n=159; DW1903R1, n=160) and the per-protocol set included 298 patients (DW1903, n=147; DW1903R1, n=151). The primary endpoint (erosion improvement rate) and secondary endpoint (erosion and edema cure rates, improvement rates of hemorrhage, erythema, and symptoms) were assessed after the treatment. Adverse events were compared. Results: According to the full-analysis set, the erosion improvement rates in the DW1903 and DW1903R1 groups were 59.8% and 58.8%, respectively. According to the per-protocol analysis, the erosion improvement rates in the DW1903 and DW1903R1 groups were 61.9% and 59.6%, respectively. Secondary endpoints were not significantly different between two groups except that the hemorrhagic improvement rate was higher in DW1903 with statistical tendency. The number of adverse events were not statistically different. Conclusions DW1903 of a low-dose PPI was not inferior to DW1903R1 of H2RA. Thus, lowdose PPI can be a novel option for treating gastritis (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05163756).

Objective: The Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson’s Disease–Cognition (SCOPA-Cog) was developed to assess cognition in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the SCOPACog (K-SCOPA-Cog). Methods: We enrolled 129 PD patients with movement disorders from 31 clinics in South Korea. The original version of the SCOPA-Cog was translated into Korean using the translation-retranslation method. The test–retest method with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient were used to assess reliability. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Korean version (MOCA-K) and the Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) were used to assess concurrent validity. Results: The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.797, and the ICC was 0.887. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation with the K-MMSE and MOCA-K scores (r = 0.546 and r = 0.683, respectively). Conclusion Our results demonstrate that the K-SCOPA-Cog has good reliability and validity.

In recent years, next-generation sequencing (NGS)–based genetic testing has become crucial in cancer care. While its primary objective is to identify actionable genetic alterations to guide treatment decisions, its scope has broadened to encompass aiding in pathological diagnosis and exploring resistance mechanisms. With the ongoing expansion in NGS application and reliance, a compelling necessity arises for expert consensus on its application in solid cancers. To address this demand, the forthcoming recommendations not only provide pragmatic guidance for the clinical use of NGS but also systematically classify actionable genes based on specific cancer types. Additionally, these recommendations will incorporate expert perspectives on crucial biomarkers, ensuring informed decisions regarding circulating tumor DNA panel testing.

Background/Aims: To compare the effects of abatacept and conventional synthetic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) on the progression and development of rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD). Methods: This multi-center retrospective study included RA patients receiving abatacept or csDMARDs who underwent at least two pulmonary function tests and/or chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). We compared the following outcomes between the groups: progression of RA-ILD, development of new ILD in RA patients without ILD at baseline, 28-joint Disease Activity Score with the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR), and safety. Longitudinal changes were compared between the groups by using a generalized estimating equation. Results: The study included 123 patients who were treated with abatacept (n = 59) or csDMARDs (n = 64). Nineteen (32.2%) and 38 (59.4%) patients treated with abatacept and csDMARDs, respectively, presented with RA-ILD at baseline. Newly developed ILD occurred in one patient receiving triple csDMARDs for 32 months. Among patients with RA-ILD at baseline, ILD progressed in 21.1% of cases treated with abatacept and 34.2% of cases treated with csDMARDs during a median 21-month follow-up. Longitudinal changes in forced vital capacity and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide were comparable between the two groups. However, the abatacept group showed a more significant decrease in DAS28-ESR and glucocorticoid doses than csDMARDs group during the follow-up. The safety of both regimens was comparable. Conclusions Abatacept and csDMARDs showed comparable effects on the development and stabilization of RA-ILD. Nevertheless, compared to csDMARDs, abatacept demonstrated a significant improvement in disease activity and led to reduced glucocorticoid use.

Acute pancreatitis can range from a mild, self-limiting disease requiring no more than supportive care, to severe disease with life-threatening complications. With the goal of providing a recommendation framework for clinicians to manage acute pancreatitis, and to contribute to improvements in national health care, the Korean Pancreatobiliary Association (KPBA) established the Korean guidelines for acute pancreatitis management in 2013. However, many challenging issues exist which often lead to differences in clinical practices. In addition, with newly obtained evidence regarding acute pancreatitis, there have been great changes in recent knowledge and information regarding this disorder. Therefore, the KPBA committee underwent an extensive revision of the guidelines. The revised guidelines were developed using the Delphi method, and the main topics of the guidelines include the following: diagnosis, severity assessment, initial treatment, nutritional support, convalescent treatment, and the treatment of local complications and necrotizing pancreatitis. Specific recommendations are presented, along with the evidence levels and recommendation grades.

While the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic is ongoing, monkeypox has been rapidly spreading in non-endemic countries since May 2022. Accurate and rapid laboratory tests are essential for identifying and controlling monkeypox. Korean Society for Laboratory Medicine and the Korea Disease Prevention and Control Agency have proposed guidelines for diagnosing monkeypox in clinical laboratories in Korea. These guidelines cover the type of tests, selection of specimens, collection of specimens, diagnostic methods, interpretation of test results, and biosafety. Molecular tests are recommended as confirmatory tests. Skin lesion specimens are recommended for testing in the symptomatic stage, and the collection of both blood and oropharyngeal swabs is recommended in the presymptomatic or prodromal stage.