Background: Pruritus is the most common symptom of skin diseases. Although the prevalence of pruritus in patients with psoriasis has been reported to be between 60% and 90%, its importance has historically been underestimated. Recently, the number of reported cases in which psoriasis and atopic dermatitis coexist has increased, shedding light on their associations. Objective: To investigate the factors related to pruritus and compare the clinical, laboratory, and histopathologic findings of patients according to pruritus intensity and psoriasis severity. Methods: This study involved a retrospective chart review of 139 patients diagnosed with plaque psoriasis based on biopsies and laboratory tests. We conducted a comparative analysis of pruritus scores, the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI), clinical characteristics, laboratory tests, and histopathologic findings. Results: PASI and pruritus scores were positively correlated, with itching being more pronounced in women than in men. Patients with severe pruritus showed longer disease duration and higher PASI scores than those with milder pruritus. Patients with more severe psoriasis (PASI≥20) showed elevated total serum immunoglobulin E levels, a higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and increased neutrophils in lesional tissue. There was no significant difference in eosinophil count or eosinophilic infiltration between patients with severe and mild pruritus. Conclusion Pruritus is associated with psoriasis severity. In this study, we demonstrated an association between pruritus in patients with plaque psoriasis and laboratory markers and histopathologic factors.

The impact of age on the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and all-cause mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients is not clearly understood. Using data from the Korean Renal Data System (2001–2022), we analyzed 66,129 HD patients, stratified into young (<65 years, n = 24,589), younger-old (65–74 years, n = 17,732), and older-old (≥75 years, n = 23,808) groups. Patients were categorized into BMI quartiles, and survival outcomes were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier curves and event time ratios for the relative change in the survival time. During the follow-up period, 14,360 of the patients (21.7%) died, with a median follow-up of 3.4 years. Kaplan-Meier curves revealed poorer outcomes in lower BMI quartiles across all age groups. The lowest BMI quartile was significantly associated with a shorter survival time compared to the highest BMI quartile, with a 15% reduction in the young group (p = 0.001) and a 12% reduction in the older-old group (p = 0.002). Predicted survival time increases with rising BMI in the young group, but the rate of increase slows in the younger-old group and plateaus in the older-old group after a BMI of 25 kg/m2. Lower BMI correlates with higher mortality, particularly in younger HD patients.

Objective: Adenomyosis impacts pregnancy outcomes, although there is a lack of consensus regarding the actual effects. It is likely, however, that the severity of adenomyosis or ultrasound findings or timing of diagnosis can have different effects on adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs). Methods: In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of the timing of adenomyosis diagnosis on pregnancy outcomes. Singleton pregnant women who delivered between 2017 and 2022 were analyzed based on the timing of adenomyosis diagnosis, using a national database. The final cohort was classified into three groups: 1) group 1, without adenomyosis; 2) group 2, those diagnosed with adenomyosis before pregnancy; and 3) group 3, those diagnosed with adenomyosis during pregnancy. Results: A total of 1,226,475 cases were ultimately included in this study. Women with a diagnosis of adenomyosis had a significantly higher risk of APOs including hypertensive disorder during pregnancy (HDP), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), postpartum hemorrhage, placental abruption, preterm birth, and delivery of a small-for-gestational-age infant even after adjusting for covariates. In particular, concerning HDP, the risk was highest in group 3 (group 2: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.15 vs. group 3: aOR, 1.36). However, the highest GDM risk was in group 2 (GDM; group 2: aOR, 1.24 vs. group 3: aOR, 1.04). Conclusion The increased risk of APO differed depending on the timing of adenomyosis diagnosis. Therefore, efforts for more careful monitoring and prevention of APOs may be necessary when such women become pregnant.

Objective: The study compared differences in various neurocognitive characteristics across treatment modalities among schizophrenia patients recruited in one city between July 2020 and June 2023 who were on regular medication. Methods: Of the 151 participants, 113 were included in the analysis. Participants were divided into community-based and hospital-based groups, and their demographics and clinical characteristics, including insight, quality of life, positive and negative symptoms, and personal and social functioning, were examined. In addition, several aspects of cognition were assessed using neurocognitive assessments such as the Trail Making Test (TMT), Stroop test, and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). After adjusting for age differences between groups, the final analysis included data from 42 participants in the community-based group and 33 participants in the hospital-based group. Results: Hospital-based group participants completed Stroop-W more rapidly, excelled in Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test recall and recognition, and incurred fewer TMT Part B (TMT-B) and Stroop-C errors. Additionally, they outperformed in WCST total, non-persistent errors, and categories completed. Contrastingly, community-based group participants showed superior outcomes in WCST persistent responses and errors, suggesting specific neurocognitive strengths. Conclusion We found differences in neurocognitive characteristics between the two groups. These differences were consistent across a range of cognitive domains, including attention, visual discrimination, memory, and executive functioning. Further large-scale study is needed to generalize cognitive characteristics across treatment modalities.

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the short-term outcomes and safety profiles of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT)+abiraterone/prednisone with those of ADT+docetaxel in patients with de novo metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). Materials and Methods: A web-based database system was established to collect prospective cohort data for patients with mHSPC in Korea. From May 2019 to November 2022, 928 patients with mHSPC from 15 institutions were enrolled. Among these patients, data from 122 patients who received ADT+abiraterone/prednisone or ADT+docetaxel as the primary systemic treatment for mHSPC were collected. The patients were divided into two groups: ADT+abiraterone/prednisone group (n=102) and ADT+docetaxel group (n=20). We compared the demographic characteristics, medical histories, baseline cancer status, initial laboratory tests, metastatic burden, oncological outcomes for mHSPC, progression after mHSPC treatment, adverse effects, follow-up, and survival data between the two groups. Results: No significant differences in the demographic characteristics, medical histories, metastatic burden, and baseline cancer status were observed between the two groups. The ADT+abiraterone/prednisone group had a lower prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression rate (7.8% vs. 30.0%; p=0.011) and lower systemic treatment discontinuation rate (22.5% vs. 45.0%; p=0.037). No significant differences in adverse effects, oncological outcomes, and total follow-up period were observed between the two groups. Conclusions ADT+abiraterone/prednisone had lower PSA progression and systemic treatment discontinuation rates than ADT+docetaxel. In conclusion, further studies involving larger, double-blinded randomized trials with extended follow-up periods are necessary.

Objective: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is chronic inflammatory arthritis causing structural damage and radiographic progression to the spine due to repeated and continuous inflammation over a long period. This study establishes the application of machine learning models to predict radiographic progression in AS patients using time-series data from electronic medical records (EMRs). Methods: EMR data, including baseline characteristics, laboratory findings, drug administration, and modified Stoke AS Spine Score (mSASSS), were collected from 1,123 AS patients between January 2001 and December 2018 at a single center at the time of first (T1 ), second (T2 ), and third (T3 ) visits. The radiographic progression of the (n+1)th visit (Pn+1 =(mSASSSn+1 –mSASSSn )/(Tn+1 – Tn )≥1 unit per year) was predicted using follow-up visit datasets from T1 to Tn . We used three machine learning methods (logistic regression with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operation, random forest, and extreme gradient boosting algorithms) with three-fold cross-validation. Results: The random forest model using the T1 EMR dataset best predicted the radiographic progression P2 among the machine learning models tested with a mean accuracy and area under the curves of 73.73% and 0.79, respectively. Among the T1 variables, the most important variables for predicting radiographic progression were in the order of total mSASSS, age, and alkaline phosphatase. Conclusion Prognosis predictive models using time-series data showed reasonable performance with clinical features of the first visit dataset when predicting radiographic progression.

Korean Renal Data System (KORDS) is a nationwide end-stage renal disease (ESRD) registry database operated by the Korean Society of Nephrology (KSN). Diabetes mellitus is currently the leading cause of ESRD in Korea; this article provides an update on the trends and characteristics of diabetic ESRD patients. The KORDS Committee of KSN collects data on dialysis centers and patients through an online registry program. Here, we analyzed the status and trends in characteristics of diabetic chronic kidney disease stage 5D (CKD 5D) patients using data from 2001 to 2021. In 2021, the dialysis adequacy of hemodialysis (HD) was lower in diabetic CKD 5D patients than in nondiabetic CKD 5D patients, while that of peritoneal dialysis (PD) was similar. Diabetic CKD 5D patients had a higher proportion of cardiac and vascular diseases and were more frequently admitted to hospitals than nondiabetic CKD 5D patients, and the leading cause of death was cardiac disease. From 2001 to 2020, diabetic CKD 5D patients had a higher mortality rate than nondiabetic CKD 5D patients, but in 2021 this trend was reversed. Diabetic PD patients had the highest mortality rate over 20 years. The mortality rate of diabetic HD patients was higher than that of nondiabetic HD patients until 2019 but became lower starting in 2020. There was a decreasing trend in mortality rate in diabetic CKD 5D patients, but cardiac and vascular diseases were still prevalent in diabetic CKD 5D patients with frequent admissions to hospitals. More specialized care is needed to improve the clinical outcomes of diabetic CKD 5D patients.

With an increasing aging population, the mean age of patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is globally increasing. However, the current clinical status of elderly patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) is rarely reported in Korea. The current study analyzed the clinical features and trends of older patients undergoing HD from the Korean Renal Data System (KORDS) database. The patients were divided into three groups according to age: <65 years (the young group), n = 50,591 (35.9%); 65–74 years (the younger-old group), n = 37,525 (26.6%); and ≥75 years (the older-old group), n = 52,856 (37.5%). The proportion of older-old group undergoing HD significantly increased in incidence and decreased in prevalence from 2013 to 2022. The median levels of hemoglobin, serum creatinine, albumin, calcium, phosphorus, and intact parathyroid hormone significantly decreased in the older-old group. The proportions of arteriovenous fistula creation and left forearm placement showed decreased trends with age. Although the utilization of low surface area dialyzers increased with age, the dialysis adequacy, including urea reduction ratio and Kt/V was within acceptable range in the older-old group on HD. Over the past 20 years, the mortality rate in the older-old group has increased, with cardiovascular diseases decreasing and infectious diseases increasing. The incidence of elderly patients undergoing HD has increased over time, but the high mortality of the older-old group needs to be solved. Therefore, it is imperative to develop holistic strategies based on age and individual needs for patients with ESKD.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) patients usually wonder if their condition will worsen after vaccination or if they should continue with the treatment they are receiving. Considering that many patients treated with dupilumab had previously experienced severe AD symptoms and flares, the concerns are more understandable. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the safety of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in patients with AD treated with dupilumab. Methods: We enrolled 133 patients (101 dupilumab-treated and 32 systemic oral agentstreated as control group) with AD from six hospitals. Patients were asked about worsening pruritus and AD (5-point Likert scale) after vaccination. AD variables (eczema area and severity index [EASI], investigator’s global assessment [IGA], itch numerical rating scale [NRS], sleep NRS, and patient-oriented eczema measure [POEM]) were compared pre- and postvaccination. Adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccination were observed. Results: The incidence of adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines and worsening AD symptoms in dupilumab-treated patients were not significantly different compared with that in the control group. The itch NRS score increased significantly after vaccination (p<0.001).However, there were no statistically significant differences between the pre-and post-EASI, IGA, and POEM scores. Eight patients (7.9%) had worse EASI scores and required rescue therapy; however, most were easily managed with low-dose steroids or topical agents. None of the patients discontinued dupilumab treatment. Conclusion No serious adverse reactions were observed in patients with AD after COVID-19 vaccination. Exacerbation of pruritus and AD symptoms was observed but was mostly mild and transient.