The impact of Streptococcus pneumoniae coinfection on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prognosis remains uncertain. We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who underwent a pneumococcal urinary antigen (PUA) test to assess its clinical utility. Results showed that PUA-positive patients required more oxygen support, high-flow nasal cannula, and dexamethasone compared to PUA-negative patients.Furthermore, the significantly higher incidence of a National Early Warning Score ≥5 in the PUA-positive group (P<0.001) suggests that a positive PUA test is associated with a severe disease course. However, no significant difference in mortality was observed between the two groups, and antibiotics were used in almost all patients (96.2%). While the PUA test may help guide antibiotic use in COVID-19 patients, its interpretation should be approached with caution.

The impact of Streptococcus pneumoniae coinfection on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prognosis remains uncertain. We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who underwent a pneumococcal urinary antigen (PUA) test to assess its clinical utility. Results showed that PUA-positive patients required more oxygen support, high-flow nasal cannula, and dexamethasone compared to PUA-negative patients.Furthermore, the significantly higher incidence of a National Early Warning Score ≥5 in the PUA-positive group (P<0.001) suggests that a positive PUA test is associated with a severe disease course. However, no significant difference in mortality was observed between the two groups, and antibiotics were used in almost all patients (96.2%). While the PUA test may help guide antibiotic use in COVID-19 patients, its interpretation should be approached with caution.

The impact of Streptococcus pneumoniae coinfection on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prognosis remains uncertain. We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who underwent a pneumococcal urinary antigen (PUA) test to assess its clinical utility. Results showed that PUA-positive patients required more oxygen support, high-flow nasal cannula, and dexamethasone compared to PUA-negative patients.Furthermore, the significantly higher incidence of a National Early Warning Score ≥5 in the PUA-positive group (P<0.001) suggests that a positive PUA test is associated with a severe disease course. However, no significant difference in mortality was observed between the two groups, and antibiotics were used in almost all patients (96.2%). While the PUA test may help guide antibiotic use in COVID-19 patients, its interpretation should be approached with caution.

Background: Solid-organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) receiving immunosuppressive therapy are expected to have worse clinical outcomes from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, published studies have shown mixed results, depending on adjustment for important confounders such as age, variants, and vaccination status. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively collected the data on 7,327 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 from two tertiary hospitals with government-designated COVID-19 regional centers. We compared clinical outcomes between SOTRs and non-SOTRs by a propensity score-matched analysis (1:2) based on age, gender, and the date of COVID-19 diagnosis. We also performed a multivariate logistic regression analysis to adjust other important confounders such as vaccination status and the Charlson comorbidity index. Results: After matching, SOTRs (n=83) had a significantly higher risk of high-flow nasal cannula use, mechanical ventilation, acute kidney injury, and a composite of COVID-19 severity outcomes than non-SOTRs (n=160) (all P <0.05). The National Early Warning Score was significantly higher in SOTRs than in non-SOTRs from day 1 to 7 of hospitalization ( P for interaction=0.008 by generalized estimating equation). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, SOTRs (odds ratio [OR], 2.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12–4.11) and male gender (OR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.26– 5.45) were associated with worse outcomes, and receiving two to three doses of COVID-19 vaccine (OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.24–0.79) was associated with better outcomes. Conclusion Hospitalized SOTRs with COVID-19 had a worse prognosis than non-SOTRs. COVID-19 vaccination should be implemented appropriately to prevent severe COVID-19 progression in this population.

Purpose: s: The association between alcohol consumption, health, and mortality is intricate, with marital status being a determinant of drinking behavior. This study investigated the combined effect of alcohol consumption patterns and marital status on mortality in middle-aged and older Korean individuals. Methods: This prospective longitudinal study used data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging, conducted from 2006 to 2020. The study population comprised individuals who were consuming alcohol around the time of the basic survey and participated in the 1st wave 2006 study. We divided 3,823 drinkers older than 45 into four groups: “normal drinker and married (NM),” “normal drinker and unmarried (NUM),” “excessive drinker and married (EM),” and “excessive drinker and unmarried (EUM).” A Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed for survival analysis. Results: The median survival time of the EUM group was 11.9 years. After adjusting for the covariates, the mortality risk among the NUM, EM, and EUM were approximately 1.67 times, 1.33 times, and 3.10 times higher than that among the NM, respectively. Conclusion Middle- and old-aged unmarried people with excessive drinking patterns constitute a highrisk group for mortality. Community healthcare providers should focus on characteristics that differ by age, considering family-related factors, and assessing alcohol consumption patterns to reduce mortality.Among middle- and old-aged people, support for unmarried and excessive drinkers should be strengthened, and consultation on visiting community-based clinics should be promoted to improve firmly established alcohol consumption patterns.

Purpose: The partner and localizer of breast cancer 2 (PALB2) mutation is a predisposition to breast cancer development. However, limited clinical data are available for the Korean population. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the characteristics and oncological outcomes of patients with PALB2-mutated and non-mutated PALB2 in Korea. Methods: A total of 1,463 breast cancer (BRCA) 1/2 mutation-negative breast cancer underwent comprehensive multigene sequencing between 2016 and 2019 at Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea. Clinicopathological data and oncological results of PALB2 mutated patients were prospectively collected and compared with those of the non-mutated group. Results: PALB2 mutations were identified in 1.2% (17/1,463) of the patients. The median age at diagnosis was 46 (30–73) years, and the median tumor size was 1.8 (0.05–3.5) cm. All patients with PALB2 mutations had histologic grades II–III, and a triple-negative subtype was found in 23.5% (4/17); however, there were no significant differences in clinicopathological data between the groups. During the median follow-up time of 38.5 months, locoregional recurrence occurred in 4.2% (44/1,043), distant recurrence was reported in 3.0% (31/1,043), and contralateral breast cancer was diagnosed in 0.8% (9/1,043) of patients, with no significant difference observed between the groups. All-cause mortality was observed in 1.8% (19/1,028) of the non-mutated group and none in the PALB2 mutation group. However, survival analyses demonstrated no significant differences in all-cause mortality (p = 0.524) and recurrence-free survival (p = 0.319). Conclusion Clinicopathological features and oncological outcomes of PALB2 mutated breast cancer were not significantly different from those of non-mutated breast cancer in the Korean population.

Purpose: s: The association between alcohol consumption, health, and mortality is intricate, with marital status being a determinant of drinking behavior. This study investigated the combined effect of alcohol consumption patterns and marital status on mortality in middle-aged and older Korean individuals. Methods: This prospective longitudinal study used data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging, conducted from 2006 to 2020. The study population comprised individuals who were consuming alcohol around the time of the basic survey and participated in the 1st wave 2006 study. We divided 3,823 drinkers older than 45 into four groups: “normal drinker and married (NM),” “normal drinker and unmarried (NUM),” “excessive drinker and married (EM),” and “excessive drinker and unmarried (EUM).” A Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed for survival analysis. Results: The median survival time of the EUM group was 11.9 years. After adjusting for the covariates, the mortality risk among the NUM, EM, and EUM were approximately 1.67 times, 1.33 times, and 3.10 times higher than that among the NM, respectively. Conclusion Middle- and old-aged unmarried people with excessive drinking patterns constitute a highrisk group for mortality. Community healthcare providers should focus on characteristics that differ by age, considering family-related factors, and assessing alcohol consumption patterns to reduce mortality.Among middle- and old-aged people, support for unmarried and excessive drinkers should be strengthened, and consultation on visiting community-based clinics should be promoted to improve firmly established alcohol consumption patterns.

Background: Solid-organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) receiving immunosuppressive therapy are expected to have worse clinical outcomes from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, published studies have shown mixed results, depending on adjustment for important confounders such as age, variants, and vaccination status. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively collected the data on 7,327 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 from two tertiary hospitals with government-designated COVID-19 regional centers. We compared clinical outcomes between SOTRs and non-SOTRs by a propensity score-matched analysis (1:2) based on age, gender, and the date of COVID-19 diagnosis. We also performed a multivariate logistic regression analysis to adjust other important confounders such as vaccination status and the Charlson comorbidity index. Results: After matching, SOTRs (n=83) had a significantly higher risk of high-flow nasal cannula use, mechanical ventilation, acute kidney injury, and a composite of COVID-19 severity outcomes than non-SOTRs (n=160) (all P <0.05). The National Early Warning Score was significantly higher in SOTRs than in non-SOTRs from day 1 to 7 of hospitalization ( P for interaction=0.008 by generalized estimating equation). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, SOTRs (odds ratio [OR], 2.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12–4.11) and male gender (OR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.26– 5.45) were associated with worse outcomes, and receiving two to three doses of COVID-19 vaccine (OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.24–0.79) was associated with better outcomes. Conclusion Hospitalized SOTRs with COVID-19 had a worse prognosis than non-SOTRs. COVID-19 vaccination should be implemented appropriately to prevent severe COVID-19 progression in this population.

Purpose: The partner and localizer of breast cancer 2 (PALB2) mutation is a predisposition to breast cancer development. However, limited clinical data are available for the Korean population. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the characteristics and oncological outcomes of patients with PALB2-mutated and non-mutated PALB2 in Korea. Methods: A total of 1,463 breast cancer (BRCA) 1/2 mutation-negative breast cancer underwent comprehensive multigene sequencing between 2016 and 2019 at Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea. Clinicopathological data and oncological results of PALB2 mutated patients were prospectively collected and compared with those of the non-mutated group. Results: PALB2 mutations were identified in 1.2% (17/1,463) of the patients. The median age at diagnosis was 46 (30–73) years, and the median tumor size was 1.8 (0.05–3.5) cm. All patients with PALB2 mutations had histologic grades II–III, and a triple-negative subtype was found in 23.5% (4/17); however, there were no significant differences in clinicopathological data between the groups. During the median follow-up time of 38.5 months, locoregional recurrence occurred in 4.2% (44/1,043), distant recurrence was reported in 3.0% (31/1,043), and contralateral breast cancer was diagnosed in 0.8% (9/1,043) of patients, with no significant difference observed between the groups. All-cause mortality was observed in 1.8% (19/1,028) of the non-mutated group and none in the PALB2 mutation group. However, survival analyses demonstrated no significant differences in all-cause mortality (p = 0.524) and recurrence-free survival (p = 0.319). Conclusion Clinicopathological features and oncological outcomes of PALB2 mutated breast cancer were not significantly different from those of non-mutated breast cancer in the Korean population.

Purpose: s: The association between alcohol consumption, health, and mortality is intricate, with marital status being a determinant of drinking behavior. This study investigated the combined effect of alcohol consumption patterns and marital status on mortality in middle-aged and older Korean individuals. Methods: This prospective longitudinal study used data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging, conducted from 2006 to 2020. The study population comprised individuals who were consuming alcohol around the time of the basic survey and participated in the 1st wave 2006 study. We divided 3,823 drinkers older than 45 into four groups: “normal drinker and married (NM),” “normal drinker and unmarried (NUM),” “excessive drinker and married (EM),” and “excessive drinker and unmarried (EUM).” A Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed for survival analysis. Results: The median survival time of the EUM group was 11.9 years. After adjusting for the covariates, the mortality risk among the NUM, EM, and EUM were approximately 1.67 times, 1.33 times, and 3.10 times higher than that among the NM, respectively. Conclusion Middle- and old-aged unmarried people with excessive drinking patterns constitute a highrisk group for mortality. Community healthcare providers should focus on characteristics that differ by age, considering family-related factors, and assessing alcohol consumption patterns to reduce mortality.Among middle- and old-aged people, support for unmarried and excessive drinkers should be strengthened, and consultation on visiting community-based clinics should be promoted to improve firmly established alcohol consumption patterns.