Constipation is a common gastrointestinal disorder and is often accompanied by alteration in the gut microbiota. Recently, several studies have disclosed its association with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality in the general population. Despite the high prevalence of constipation, data on the clinical impact of constipation in patients with chronic kidney disease are limited. We aimed to explore the prevalence of constipation and its association with cardiovascular disease in chronic kidney disease using a nationally representative cohort of hemodialysis patients. Methods: This study used hemodialysis quality assessment and health insurance claims data from patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis in South Korea. Chronic constipation was defined using the total number of laxatives prescribed during the 1-year baseline period. The primary outcome was a composite of acute ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, myocardial infarction, or all-cause death. Secondary outcomes were the individual components of the primary outcome. Results: Among 35,230 patients on hemodialysis, 9,133 (25.9%) were identified as having constipation. During a median follow-up of 5.4 years, patients with constipation had a 15% higher incidence of the composite outcome, 16% higher incidence of ischemic stroke, and 14% higher all-cause mortality, after multivariate adjustment. Conclusion: Chronic constipation requiring laxatives was associated with a higher risk of the composite outcome of cardiovascular events or all-cause death in patients on hemodialysis. Further studies are needed to confirm whether constipation is an independent predictor or a possible causal factor of cardiovascular disease.

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) has become the standard modality of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in critically ill patients. However, consensus is lacking regarding the criteria for discontinuing CRRT. Here we validated the usefulness of the prediction model for successful discontinuation of CRRT in a multicenter retrospective cohort. Methods: One temporal cohort and four external cohorts included 1,517 patients with acute kidney injury who underwent CRRT for >2 days from 2018 to 2020. The model was composed of four variables: urine output, blood urea nitrogen, serum potassium, and mean arterial pressure. Successful discontinuation of CRRT was defined as the absence of an RRT requirement for 7 days thereafter. Results: The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was 0.74 (95% confidence interval, 0.71–0.76). The probabilities of successful discontinuation were approximately 17%, 35%, and 70% in the low-score, intermediate-score, and highscore groups, respectively. The model performance was good in four cohorts (AUROC, 0.73–0.75) but poor in one cohort (AUROC, 0.56). In one cohort with poor performance, attending physicians primarily controlled CRRT prescription and discontinuation, while in the other four cohorts, nephrologists determined all important steps in CRRT operation, including screening for CRRT discontinuation. Conclusion: The overall performance of our prediction model using four simple variables for successful discontinuation of CRRT was good, except for one cohort where nephrologists did not actively engage in CRRT operation. These results suggest the need for active engagement of nephrologists and protocolized management for CRRT discontinuation.

Background/Aims: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a chronic upper gastrointestinal symptom complex that routine diagnostic work-up, such as endoscopy, blood laboratory analysis, or radiological examination, fails to identify a cause for. It is highly prevalent in the Korean population, and its response to the various available therapeutic strategies is only modest because of the heterogeneous nature of its pathogenesis. We constituted a guidelines development committee to review the existing guidelines on the management of FD. Methods: This committee drafted statements and conducted a systematic review and meta- analysis of various studies, guidelines, and randomized control trials. External review was also conducted by selected experts. These clinical practice guidelines for FD were developed based on evidence recently accumulated with the revised version of FD guidelines released in 2011 by the Korean Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility. Results: These guidelines apply to adults with chronic symptoms of FD and include the diagnostic role of endoscopy, Helicobacter pylori screening, and systematic review and meta-analyses of the various treatment options for FD (proton pump inhibitors, Helicobacter pylori eradication, and tricyclic antidepressants), especially according to the FD subtype. Conclusions The purpose of these new guidelines is to aid understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of FD, and the targets of the guidelines are clinicians, healthcare workers at the forefront of patient care, patients, and medical students. The guidelines will continue to be revised and updated periodically.

Background/Aims: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a chronic upper gastrointestinal symptom complex that routine diagnostic work-up, such as endoscopy, blood laboratory analysis, or radiological examination, fails to identify a cause for. It is highly prevalent in the Korean population, and its response to the various available therapeutic strategies is only modest because of the heterogeneous nature of its pathogenesis. We constituted a guidelines development committee to review the existing guidelines on the management of FD. Methods: This committee drafted statements and conducted a systematic review and meta- analysis of various studies, guidelines, and randomized control trials. External review was also conducted by selected experts. These clinical practice guidelines for FD were developed based on evidence recently accumulated with the revised version of FD guidelines released in 2011 by the Korean Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility. Results: These guidelines apply to adults with chronic symptoms of FD and include the diagnostic role of endoscopy, Helicobacter pylori screening, and systematic review and meta-analyses of the various treatment options for FD (proton pump inhibitors, Helicobacter pylori eradication, and tricyclic antidepressants), especially according to the FD subtype. Conclusions The purpose of these new guidelines is to aid understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of FD, and the targets of the guidelines are clinicians, healthcare workers at the forefront of patient care, patients, and medical students. The guidelines will continue to be revised and updated periodically.

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a chronic upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptom complex that routine diagnostic work-up, such as endoscopy, blood laboratory analysis, or radiological examination, fails to identify a cause. It is highly prevalent in the World population, and its response to the various available therapeutic strategies is only modest because of the heterogenous nature of its pathogenesis. Therefore, FD represents a heavy medical burden for healthcare systems. We constituted a guideline development committee to review the existing guidelines on the management of functional dyspepsia. This committee drafted statements and conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of various studies, guidelines, and randomized control trials. External review was also conducted by selected experts. These clinical practice guidelines for FD were developed based on evidence recently accumulated with the revised version of FD guidelines released in 2011 by the Korean Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility. These guidelines apply to adults with chronic symptoms of FD and include the diagnostic role of endoscopy, Helicobacter pylori screening, and systematic review and meta-analyses of the various treatment options for FD (proton pump inhibitors, H. pylori eradication, and tricyclic antidepressants), especially according to the FD subtype. The purpose of these new guidelines is to aid the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of FD, and the targets of the guidelines are clinicians, healthcare workers at the forefront of patient care, patients, and medical students. The guidelines will continue to be revised and updated periodically.

BACKGROUNDS: Insufficient intermaxillary space is caused by non-restoration following tooth extraction in the past, and this involves eruption of the opposing teeth and changes of the arch structure. Such cases are difficult just by a simple prosthetic approach, and diversified treatment plans should be established. Among these, posterior maxillary segmental osteotomy (PMSO) is an efficient treatment option than extraction of opposing teeth as it surgically repositions multiple erupted teeth and alveolar bone. PMSO can preserve the natural teeth; therefore, it is being regarded as a treatment method which can improve insufficient intermaxillary space significantly. CASE PRESENTATION: In this case report, the first patient received PMSO in order to place an implant in the mandibular edentulous space after decreased vertical dimension is restored, and the second patient received PMSO along with orthodontic treatment to obtain the intermaxillary space and balance the interarch molar width. CONCLUSION: PMSO is the treatment of choice when occlusion is compromised in the presence of decreased vertical dimension or arch length discrepancy.
Humans ; Methods ; Molar ; Orthognathic Surgery ; Osteotomy* ; Tooth ; Tooth Extraction ; Vertical Dimension

Natural killer (NK) cells play an important role in innate immunity, especially in the response to viral infections, such as hepatitis C virus (HCV). Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are the primary receptors of NK cells that mediate innate immunity. KIRs are also involved in acquired immunity, because some KIRs are expressed on the surface of certain subsets of T cells. In this study, the frequency of KIR genes, HLA-C allotypes, and combinations of KIR genes with their HLA-C ligands were evaluated in two different groups of the Korean population: controls and patients with chronic HCV infection. The study population consisted of 147 Korean patients with chronic HCV infection. The frequency of KIR2DS2 in patients with chronic HCV infection was 9.5% which was significantly lower than 19.5% of the control (P < 0.01). However, there were no significant differences in the frequency of other KIR genes, HLA-C allotypes or different combinations of KIR genes with their HLA-C ligands. This study can contribute to the further prospective study with a larger scale, suggesting the assumption that KIR2DS2 might aid in HCV clearance by enhancing both the innate and acquired immune responses of people in Korea.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Genes, MHC Class I ; Genotype ; HLA-C Antigens/genetics ; Hepacivirus/immunology ; Hepatitis C, Chronic/*genetics/immunology ; Humans ; Killer Cells, Natural/immunology/virology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Receptors, KIR/*genetics/immunology ; Republic of Korea ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets/immunology

A 55-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with a 6-month history of dyspnea (NYHA II-III). The physical examination revealed a grade 2/6 "tumor plop," i.e., a low-pitched sound heard during early or mid-diastole. The chest X-ray showed mild cardiomegaly with lung congestion in both lower lung fields. Two-dimensional echocardiogram showed a large myocardial mass, prolapsing into the left ventricle during diastole. Chest computed tomography showed a multi-lobulated mass (6.8x4.1 cm) attached to the interatrial septum during systole and prolapsing into the left ventricle during diastole. Coronary angiography demonstrated large tumor vessels arising from and surrounding the posterior lateral branch of the right coronary artery. The mass was excised and the patient recovered uneventfully.
Cardiomegaly ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vessels ; Diastole ; Dyspnea ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Female ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Heart Atria ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Lung ; Middle Aged ; Myxoma ; Physical Examination ; Systole ; Thorax

Carcinoid tumors are slow growing submucosal tumors with metastatic potential that arise from enterochromaffin cell. The annual incidence of carcinoid tumor is 2 to 3 per 100,000. Carcinoid tumor of duodenum is very rare with an incidence of about 8% among gastrointestinal carcinid tumor. As a endoscopic examination and immnohistochemical stain are developed, an rate of detection is increasing. Among the possible factor of metastatic prediction, tumor size >10 mm, central depression or ulcer, invasion below submucosa, lymphatic or venous invasion are associated with higher metastatic potential. Specially, in case of tumor size <10 mm, in duodenum, there is no report of metastasis to liver in Korea. But, recently, we experienced a rare care of duodenal carcinoid measured by less than 10 mm with liver metastsis. Thus, we report here this case with a review of literature.
Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoid Tumor/*diagnosis/pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Duodenal Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/diagnosis/pathology/*secondary ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

We describe a patient with hyponatremia induced by the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor; imidapril HCl. Although the mechanism of severe hyponatremia due to ACE inhibitor is not clear, it is conceivable that ACE inhibitor therapy may complicate the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone and induce hyponatremia. In addition, the possibility should be considered that hyponatremia in our patient is a presumptive interaction between oxcarbazepine and imidapril HCl.
Angiotensins* ; Humans ; Hyponatremia* ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A*