Background: The accurate laboratory-based detection of respiratory viruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is essential for effective patient management and infection control in the post–coronavirus disease 2019 era. In this study, the performance of the PowerChek Respiratory Virus Panels 1–4 assay (Kogene Biotech) in detecting non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory viruses and SARS-CoV-2 was compared with those of two established commercial assays. Methods: Residual clinical respiratory specimens collected between December 2023 and February 2024 were retested using the PowerChek assay. Of the 129 specimens retested, 80 had tested positive for 14 non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory virus targets in the Allplex Respiratory Panels 1–3 assay (Seegene) and 49 had been tested using the Alinity m SARS-CoV-2 assay (Abbott; 20 positive and 29 negative for SARS-CoV-2). Agreement, Cohen’s kappa, and discordant results were assessed. Results: For the 14 non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory virus targets, the virus-specific overall percent agreement (OPA) ranged from 95.0% to 100%, the positive percent agreement (PPA) ranged from 66.7% to 100%, and the negative percent agreement (NPA) ranged from 96.0% to 100%, with kappa values of 0.64–1.00. Lower agreements were observed for human coronavirus OC43 and influenza A virus. For SARS-CoV-2 detection, the OPA was 98.0% (PPA, 95.0%; NPA, 100%; kappa, 0.96). Conclusion The detection performance of the PowerChek assay was comparable to those of the established assays for most respiratory virus targets, with lower agreement observed for some targets. These features support its practical utility for the routine multiplex molecular detection of respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2.

Actinidia arguta, also called as kiwiberry or hardy kiwifruit, is one of the major varieties of kiwi plants. It is small in size and has no hairs on the surface, which making it easy to be consumed. In addition, it can be cultivated in Asia, due to its cold resistance. We have been interested in the beneficial effects of the fruits of A. arguta and investigated the constituents and biological activities. A new triterpenoid, argutinic acid, along with three triterpenoids and three megastigmines were isolated from the fruits of A. arguta. The structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis including NMR, MS, UV and IR. Among the isolated compounds, two triterpenes, argutinic acid (1) and usrolic acid (4) showed α-glucosidase inhibitory activities.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the deaths due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reinfection and related risk factors. Methods: National cohort data were collected for a six-month period when omicron BA.1/BA.2 variant was dominant in South Korea. Results: The long-term care facility residents (adjusted odds ratio, 3.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.98–3.25) had significantly higher risk of reinfection than the general population. The risk of reinfection was significantly lower for persons with 2 or more vaccine doses compared to the unvaccinated. The risk of death was significantly higher in the reinfection group than in the primary infection group for persons in the 60–74 years age group (adjusted relative risk [aRR], 1.62; 95% CI, 1.19–2.20), and immunocompromised group (aRR, 4.56; 95% CI, 2.34–8.90). Conclusion In these data, vaccination history was significantly related to reduced COVID-19 reinfection and severe progression, and scheduled vaccinations were important even with a history of infection.

We conducted a cohort study to assess vaccine effectiveness (VE) of coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine combinations on severe acute respirator y syndrome coronavirus 2 critical infection and death among elderly population in Korea. From Januar y to August 2022, VE against death for 4 doses mRNA recipients was 96.1%, whereas 1-dose viral vector + 3-dose mRNA recipients had VE of 90.8%.

Objectives: The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency promotes vaccination by regularly providing information on its benefits for reducing the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to analyze the number of averted severe COVID-19 cases and COVID-19-related deaths by age group and quantify the impact of Republic of Korea’s nationwide vaccination campaign. Methods: We analyzed an integrated database from the beginning of the vaccination campaign on February 26, 2021 to October 15, 2022. We estimated the cumulative number of severe cases and COVID-19-related deaths over time by comparing observed and estimated cases among unvaccinated and vaccinated groups using statistical modeling. We compared daily age-adjusted rates of severe cases and deaths in the unvaccinated group to those in the vaccinated group and calculated the susceptible population and proportion of vaccinated people by age. Results: There were 23,793 severe cases and 25,441 deaths related to COVID-19. We estimated that 119,579 (95% confidence interval [CI], 118,901–120,257) severe COVID-19 cases and 137,636 (95% CI, 136,909–138,363) COVID-19-related deaths would have occurred if vaccination had not been performed. Therefore, 95,786 (95% CI, 94,659–96,913) severe cases and 112,195 (95% CI, 110,870–113,520) deaths were prevented as a result of the vaccination campaign. Conclusion We found that, if the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign had not been implemented, the number of severe cases and deaths would have been at least 4 times higher. These findings suggest that Republic of Korea’s nationwide vaccination campaign reduced the number of severe cases and COVID-19 deaths.

Neurogenic tumors are common in posterior mediastinal tumors and neurilemmoma represents approximately 40% of neurogenic tumors arising in the mediastinum. It is usually asymptomatic, and is generally diagnosed incidentally. In some cases, they presented with symptoms of nerve or airway compression. However, a solitary neurilemmoma, particularly not associated with von Recklinghausen disease, with spontaneous hemothorax is quite rare. We report a case of spontaneous massive hemothorax associated with a solitary neurilemmoma.
Hemothorax ; Mediastinum ; Neurilemmoma ; Neurofibromatosis 1

A case of 51-year-old woman with a malignant solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN) that exhibited no growth over a period of 4 years is reported. Surgical wedge resection revealed an adenocarcinoma upon intra-operative frozen ex-amination. The operation was completed with a right upper lobectomy and complete lymphadenectomy. The authors recommend an early surgical procedure for any SPNs due to risk factors for developing lung cancer.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lymph Node Excision ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Solitary Pulmonary Nodule*

A 32-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital complaining of cough, sputum, and chest discomfort for the past ten days. The radiologic findings were transradiant left lung with reduced number and size of vessels, mediastinal shifting to the right at expiration, matched entilation-perfusion defect on ventilation-perfusion scan, and diffuse hypoplasia of the left pulmonary artery and its branches on pulmonary angiography. We describe a case of unilateral hyperlucent lung by main bronchus obstruction in a patient who presents with a clinical picture suggestive of Swyer-James syndrome.
Adult ; Angiography ; Bronchi* ; Cough ; Female ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung, Hyperlucent* ; Pulmonary Artery ; Sputum ; Thorax

PURPOSE: International Prognostic Index Model (IPIM) in aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was published and accepted generally as a better predictive model for prognosis. This study was undertaken to identify prognostic factors of aggressive non- Hodgkin's lymphoma and usefulness of IPIM in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Previously untreated, pathologically proven 226 aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients who were treated with CHOP or COP-BLAM V between 1986 and 1995 in Seoul National University Hospital were evaluated for clinical features predictive of overall survival. RESULTS: Complete response (CR) was reached in 76% of all patients. With a median follow-up of 62 months, 5-year disease free survival of complete reponders was 67% and 5-year overall survival of all patients was 54%. In a univriate analysis, age, ECOG performance status, Ann Arbor stage, histologic subtype, bone marrow involvement, bulkiness, serum LDH level and number of extranodal involvement were significant prognostic factors for CR and survival (p<0.05). Of these, by multivariate analysis, age(RR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2~0.9) alone was a independent prognostic factor for CR. For disease free survival, no independent prognostic factor was found. For overall survival, Ann Arbor stage (RR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1~2.8), age (RR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1~2.6), Histologic subtype (RR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1~2.8), serum LDH level (RR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1~2.6) and bone marrow involvement (RR 1.8, 95% CI 1.0~3.1) were independent prognostic factors. According to risk group of IPIM, 5-year overall survival rate was 72% in low risk group, 46% in low intermediate risk group, 32% in high intermediate risk group, respectively, and median survival of high risk group was 12 months (RR 1, 2.3, 4.3, 6.4 respectively). CONCLUSION: IPIM is a useful model for identifying poor prognostic groups in aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Bone Marrow ; Disease-Free Survival ; Factor Analysis, Statistical* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hodgkin Disease* ; Humans ; Korea ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prognosis ; Seoul ; Survival Rate