Background/Aims: Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is the only well-established and widely used agent for dissolving gallstones. Epidemiological and animal studies have suggested potential therapeutic benefits of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) for dissolving cholesterol gallstones. We evaluated whether adding PUFA to UDCA improves gallstone dissolution in patients with cholesterol gallstones. Methods: This randomized, prospective, preliminary clinical trial compared the efficacy and safety of UDCA plus PUFA combination therapy (combination group) with those of UDCA monotherapy (monotherapy group). The inclusion criteria were a gallstone diameter ≤15 mm on ultra-sonography, radiolucent stones on plain X-ray, and no to mild symptoms. Gallstone dissolution rates, response rates, and adverse events were evaluated. Results: Of the 59 screened patients, 45 patients completed treatment (24 and 21 in the monotherapy and combination groups, respectively). The gallstone dissolution rate tended to be higher in the combination group than in the monotherapy group (45.7% vs 9.9%, p=0.070). The radiological response rate was also significantly higher in the combination group (90.5% vs 41.7%, p=0.007). In both groups, dissolution and response rates were higher in patients with gallbladder sludge than in those with distinct stones. Four adverse events (two in each group) were observed, none of which were study drug-related or led to drug discontinuation. The incidence of these adverse events was similar in both groups (combination vs monotherapy: 9.5% vs 8.3%, p=0.890). Conclusions UDCA plus PUFA therapy dissolves cholesterol gallstones more effectively than UDCA monotherapy, without significant complications. Further prospective, large-scale studies of this combination therapy are warranted.

Background: The advent of the omicron variant and the formulation of diverse therapeutic strategies marked a new epoch in the realm of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Studies have compared the clinical outcomes between COVID-19 and seasonal influenza, but such studies were conducted during the early stages of the pandemic when effective treatment strategies had not yet been developed, which limits the generalizability of the findings.Therefore, an updated evaluation of the comparative analysis of clinical outcomes between COVID-19 and seasonal influenza is requisite. Methods: This study used data from the severe acute respiratory infection surveillance system of South Korea. We extracted data for influenza patients who were infected between 2018 and 2019 and COVID-19 patients who were infected in 2021 (pre-omicron period) and 2022 (omicron period). Comparisons of outcomes were conducted among the pre-omicron, omicron, and influenza cohorts utilizing propensity score matching. The adjusted covariates in the propensity score matching included age, sex, smoking, and comorbidities. Results: The study incorporated 1,227 patients in the pre-omicron cohort, 1,948 patients in the omicron cohort, and 920 patients in the influenza cohort. Following propensity score matching, 491 patients were included in each respective group. Clinical presentations exhibited similarities between the pre-omicron and omicron cohorts; however, COVID-19 patients demonstrated a higher prevalence of dyspnea and pulmonary infiltrates compared to their influenza counterparts. Both COVID-19 groups exhibited higher in-hospital mortality and longer hospital length of stay than the influenza group. The omicron group showed no significant improvement in clinical outcomes compared to the pre-omicron group. Conclusion The omicron group did not demonstrate better clinical outcomes than the pre-omicron group, and exhibited significant disease severity compared to the influenza group. Considering the likely persistence of COVID-19 infections, it is imperative to sustain comprehensive studies and ongoing policy support for the virus to enhance the prognosis for individuals affected by COVID-19.

Background: Female infertility is a crucial problem with significant implications for individuals and society. In this study, we explore risk factors for infertility in Korean women. Methods: A total of 986 female patients who visited six major infertility clinics in Korea were recruited from April to December 2014. Fertile age-matched controls were selected from two nationwide survey study participants. Conditional logistic regression after age-matching was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of each risk factor for infertility. Results: Women with a body mass index (BMI) < 18.5 kg/m2 had 1.35 times higher odds of infertility (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.03–1.77), while those with a BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m2 had even higher odds (OR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.61–2.64) compared to women with a normal BMI (18.5 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 25 kg/m 2 ). Ever-smokers exhibited 4.94 times higher odds of infertility compared to never-smokers (95% CI, 3.45–8.85). Concerning alcohol consumption, women who consumed ≥ 7 glasses at a time showed 3.13 times significantly higher odds of infertility than those who consumed ≤ 4 glasses at a time (95% CI, 1.79–5.48). Lastly, women with thyroid disease demonstrated 1.44 times higher odds of infertility compared to women without thyroid disease (95% CI, 1.00–2.08). Conclusion Female infertility in Korea was associated with underweight, obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and thyroid disease.

Background: The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the post-acute sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection (PASC) are not well understood.Our study aimed to investigate various aspects of theses mechanisms, including viral persistence, immunological responses, and laboratory parameters in patients with and without PASC. Methods: We prospectively enrolled adults aged ≥ 18 years diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) between August 2022 and July 2023. Blood samples were collected at three time-points: within one month of diagnosis (acute phase) and at 1 month, and 3 months post-diagnosis. Following a recent well-designed definition of PASC, PASC patients were defined as those with a questionnaire-based PASC score ≥ 12 persisting for at least 4 weeks after the initial COVID-19 diagnosis. Results: Of 57 eligible COVID-19 patients, 29 (51%) had PASC, and 28 (49%) did not. The PASC group had significantly higher nucleocapsid protein (NP) antigenemia 3 months after COVID-19 diagnosis (P = 0.022). Furthermore, several cytokines, including IL-2, IL-17A, VEGF, RANTES, sCD40L, IP-10, I-TAC, and granzyme A, were markedly elevated in the PASC group 1 and/or 3 month(s) after COVID-19 diagnosis. In contrast, the median values of several serological markers, including thyroid markers, autoimmune indicators, and stress-related hormones, were within the normal range. Conclusion Levels of NP antigen and of various cytokines involved in immune responses become significantly elevated over time after COVID-19 diagnosis in PASC patients compared to non-PASC patients. This suggests that PASC is associated with prolonged immune dysregulation resulting from heightened antigenic stimulation.

Background: Studies have shown that incident albuminuria is associated with insulin resistance (IR); however, an IR marker that best predicts the prevalence of albuminuria has not yet been established. This study explored the association between IR and incident albuminuria using various IR indices, including the homeostasis model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR), metabolic score for IR (METS-IR), and triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, and compared their predictive abilities for the prevalence of albuminuria. Methods: A total of 4,982 Korean adults from the 2019 Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey were analyzed. The odds of albuminuria were determined using the quartiles of the IR indices. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to calculate the area under the ROC curve and predictability. The cutoff values for albuminuria detection were also computed. Results: An increase in the quartiles of all three IR indices was associated with incident albuminuria, even after full adjustment for covariates (HOMA-IR: odds ratio [OR], 1.906; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.311–2.772; P=0.006; METS-IR: OR, 2.236; 95% CI, 1.353–3.694; P=0.002; TyG index: OR, 1.757; 95% CI, 1.213–2.544; P=0.003). The area under the ROC curve for incident albuminuria based on the HOMA-IR, METS-IR, and TyG indices was 0.594 (95% CI, 0.568–0.619), 0.633 (95% CI, 0.607–0.659), and 0.631 (95% CI, 0.606–0.656), respectively. The optimal cutoff values for predicting albuminuria were 2.38, 35.38, and 8.72 for the HOMA-IR, METS-IR, and TyG indices, respectively. Conclusion The METS-IR and TyG indices outperformed HOMA-IR in predicting incident albuminuria.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to disseminate information about the safety of bivalent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mRNA booster vaccines administered to adults in the Republic of Korea. Methods: Two databases were used to assess the safety of COVID-19 booster doses of Pfizer BA.1, Pfizer BA.4/5, Moderna BA.1, and Moderna BA.4/5 vaccines for adults aged 18 years and older.Adverse events (AEs) were analyzed using data reported to the web-based COVID-19 vaccination management system (CVMS) and a self-reported text-message survey. Results: Between October 11, 2022 and March 30, 2023, the CVMS received reports of 2,369 (93.7%) non-serious AEs from vaccinated adults, along with 158 (6.3%) serious AEs, which included 5 cases of anaphylaxis and 33 deaths. From October 11, 2022 to January 27, 2023, 40,022 people aged 18 and older responded to a survey conducted via text message. The booster doses were associated with fewer local and systemic AEs compared to the original vaccines. After receiving the bivalent vaccine, the most commonly reported AEs were pain at the injection site, headache, fatigue, and myalgia. Conclusion Overall, bivalent vaccines exhibited fewer AEs compared to the original vaccines. The majority of AEs were non-serious, and serious AEs were rare among adults aged 18 years and older following vaccination with the Pfizer and Moderna bivalent vaccines.

Background: Studies have shown that incident albuminuria is associated with insulin resistance (IR); however, an IR marker that best predicts the prevalence of albuminuria has not yet been established. This study explored the association between IR and incident albuminuria using various IR indices, including the homeostasis model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR), metabolic score for IR (METS-IR), and triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, and compared their predictive abilities for the prevalence of albuminuria. Methods: A total of 4,982 Korean adults from the 2019 Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey were analyzed. The odds of albuminuria were determined using the quartiles of the IR indices. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to calculate the area under the ROC curve and predictability. The cutoff values for albuminuria detection were also computed. Results: An increase in the quartiles of all three IR indices was associated with incident albuminuria, even after full adjustment for covariates (HOMA-IR: odds ratio [OR], 1.906; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.311–2.772; P=0.006; METS-IR: OR, 2.236; 95% CI, 1.353–3.694; P=0.002; TyG index: OR, 1.757; 95% CI, 1.213–2.544; P=0.003). The area under the ROC curve for incident albuminuria based on the HOMA-IR, METS-IR, and TyG indices was 0.594 (95% CI, 0.568–0.619), 0.633 (95% CI, 0.607–0.659), and 0.631 (95% CI, 0.606–0.656), respectively. The optimal cutoff values for predicting albuminuria were 2.38, 35.38, and 8.72 for the HOMA-IR, METS-IR, and TyG indices, respectively. Conclusion The METS-IR and TyG indices outperformed HOMA-IR in predicting incident albuminuria.

Accurate occupation classification is essential in various fields, including policy development and epidemiological studies. This study aims to develop an occupation classification model based on DistilKoBERT.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to disseminate information about the safety of bivalent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mRNA booster vaccines administered to adults in the Republic of Korea. Methods: Two databases were used to assess the safety of COVID-19 booster doses of Pfizer BA.1, Pfizer BA.4/5, Moderna BA.1, and Moderna BA.4/5 vaccines for adults aged 18 years and older.Adverse events (AEs) were analyzed using data reported to the web-based COVID-19 vaccination management system (CVMS) and a self-reported text-message survey. Results: Between October 11, 2022 and March 30, 2023, the CVMS received reports of 2,369 (93.7%) non-serious AEs from vaccinated adults, along with 158 (6.3%) serious AEs, which included 5 cases of anaphylaxis and 33 deaths. From October 11, 2022 to January 27, 2023, 40,022 people aged 18 and older responded to a survey conducted via text message. The booster doses were associated with fewer local and systemic AEs compared to the original vaccines. After receiving the bivalent vaccine, the most commonly reported AEs were pain at the injection site, headache, fatigue, and myalgia. Conclusion Overall, bivalent vaccines exhibited fewer AEs compared to the original vaccines. The majority of AEs were non-serious, and serious AEs were rare among adults aged 18 years and older following vaccination with the Pfizer and Moderna bivalent vaccines.