Background: Post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy) and anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) are common pro‑ phylactic strategies for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HSCT). Interleukin (IL)-6 is a surrogate marker for cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and acute GVHD.Method The clinical outcomes and complications of haplo-HSCT with PTCy plus ATG versus PTCy monotherapy were compared according to serum IL-6 levels at Chungnam National University Hospital (Daejeon, South Korea) from Jan‑ uary 2019 to February 2023. Results: Forty patients who underwent haplo-HSCT were analyzed. A significant difference in IL-6 levels was observed between the PTCy plus ATG and PTCy alone groups (7.47 ± 10.55 vs. 117.65 ± 127.67; p = 0.003). More patients in the PTCy plus ATG group had a CRS grade of 0 than in the PTCy alone group (p < 0.001). Serum IL-6 levels were associated with grades II–IV acute GVHD (r = 0.547, p < 0.001). The cumulative incidence (CI) of grades II–IV acute GVHD was significantly higher in the PTCy alone group (67.9% vs. 4.8%; p < 0.001). No significant difference in the CI for chronic GVHD was detected between the PTCy plus ATG and PTCy alone groups (72.1% vs. 82.0%; p = 0.730). The CI of 1-year non-relapse mortality was significantly higher in the PTCy alone group than in the PTCy plus ATG group (42.2% vs. 15.9%; p = 0.022). The 1-year overall survival (OS) was significantly better in the PTCy plus ATG group (75.9% vs. 35.3%; p = 0.011). The 1-year GVHD-free, relapse-free survival rate was 29.4% in the PTCy alone group and 54.0% in the PTCy plus ATG group (p = 0.038). Conclusion Serum IL-6 levels were higher in the PTCy alone group than in the PTCy plus ATG group. The addition of ATG before stem cell infusion affected IL-6 levels and reduced the incidences of CRS and grade II–IV acute GVHD in haplo-HSCT patients. This study suggests that PTCy plus ATG as GVHD prophylaxis in haplo-HSCT is beneficial in terms of clinical outcomes and complications of HSCT.

Background: Post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy) and anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) are common pro‑ phylactic strategies for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HSCT). Interleukin (IL)-6 is a surrogate marker for cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and acute GVHD.Method The clinical outcomes and complications of haplo-HSCT with PTCy plus ATG versus PTCy monotherapy were compared according to serum IL-6 levels at Chungnam National University Hospital (Daejeon, South Korea) from Jan‑ uary 2019 to February 2023. Results: Forty patients who underwent haplo-HSCT were analyzed. A significant difference in IL-6 levels was observed between the PTCy plus ATG and PTCy alone groups (7.47 ± 10.55 vs. 117.65 ± 127.67; p = 0.003). More patients in the PTCy plus ATG group had a CRS grade of 0 than in the PTCy alone group (p < 0.001). Serum IL-6 levels were associated with grades II–IV acute GVHD (r = 0.547, p < 0.001). The cumulative incidence (CI) of grades II–IV acute GVHD was significantly higher in the PTCy alone group (67.9% vs. 4.8%; p < 0.001). No significant difference in the CI for chronic GVHD was detected between the PTCy plus ATG and PTCy alone groups (72.1% vs. 82.0%; p = 0.730). The CI of 1-year non-relapse mortality was significantly higher in the PTCy alone group than in the PTCy plus ATG group (42.2% vs. 15.9%; p = 0.022). The 1-year overall survival (OS) was significantly better in the PTCy plus ATG group (75.9% vs. 35.3%; p = 0.011). The 1-year GVHD-free, relapse-free survival rate was 29.4% in the PTCy alone group and 54.0% in the PTCy plus ATG group (p = 0.038). Conclusion Serum IL-6 levels were higher in the PTCy alone group than in the PTCy plus ATG group. The addition of ATG before stem cell infusion affected IL-6 levels and reduced the incidences of CRS and grade II–IV acute GVHD in haplo-HSCT patients. This study suggests that PTCy plus ATG as GVHD prophylaxis in haplo-HSCT is beneficial in terms of clinical outcomes and complications of HSCT.

Background: Post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy) and anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) are common pro‑ phylactic strategies for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HSCT). Interleukin (IL)-6 is a surrogate marker for cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and acute GVHD.Method The clinical outcomes and complications of haplo-HSCT with PTCy plus ATG versus PTCy monotherapy were compared according to serum IL-6 levels at Chungnam National University Hospital (Daejeon, South Korea) from Jan‑ uary 2019 to February 2023. Results: Forty patients who underwent haplo-HSCT were analyzed. A significant difference in IL-6 levels was observed between the PTCy plus ATG and PTCy alone groups (7.47 ± 10.55 vs. 117.65 ± 127.67; p = 0.003). More patients in the PTCy plus ATG group had a CRS grade of 0 than in the PTCy alone group (p < 0.001). Serum IL-6 levels were associated with grades II–IV acute GVHD (r = 0.547, p < 0.001). The cumulative incidence (CI) of grades II–IV acute GVHD was significantly higher in the PTCy alone group (67.9% vs. 4.8%; p < 0.001). No significant difference in the CI for chronic GVHD was detected between the PTCy plus ATG and PTCy alone groups (72.1% vs. 82.0%; p = 0.730). The CI of 1-year non-relapse mortality was significantly higher in the PTCy alone group than in the PTCy plus ATG group (42.2% vs. 15.9%; p = 0.022). The 1-year overall survival (OS) was significantly better in the PTCy plus ATG group (75.9% vs. 35.3%; p = 0.011). The 1-year GVHD-free, relapse-free survival rate was 29.4% in the PTCy alone group and 54.0% in the PTCy plus ATG group (p = 0.038). Conclusion Serum IL-6 levels were higher in the PTCy alone group than in the PTCy plus ATG group. The addition of ATG before stem cell infusion affected IL-6 levels and reduced the incidences of CRS and grade II–IV acute GVHD in haplo-HSCT patients. This study suggests that PTCy plus ATG as GVHD prophylaxis in haplo-HSCT is beneficial in terms of clinical outcomes and complications of HSCT.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the most effective treatment approach by comparing the impacts of various otolith reduction techniques in patients with apogeotropic lateral semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (LC-BPPV). Methods: We performed a multicenter randomized prospective study from January to December 2015, involving 72 consecutive patients with apogeotropic LC-BPPV. The patients were divided into three treatment groups: therapeutic head-shaking (group A), the Gufoni-Appiani maneuver (group B), and the cupulolith repositioning maneuver (CuRM; group C). Each group underwent evaluation and treatment up to the fourth week. Treatment success was defined as the disappearance of positional vertigo and nystagmus. Results: This study included 72 patients (49 male and 23 female), with a mean (±standard deviation) age of 55.4±13.5 years. The mean duration of vertigo experienced prior to treatment was 3.9±4.4 days. The mean latency and duration of nystagmus were 2.7±3.0 seconds and 47.9±15.8 seconds, respectively. The overall treatment frequency was 2.0±0.9. The number of treatments differed significantly among the three groups (P<0.05). After 4 weeks, the success rates for groups A, B, and C were 90.5%, 92.3%, and 100%, respectively. No significant difference was observed in the success rate across treatment methods and periods (P>0.05). However, CuRM was the only method with a 100% treatment success rate. Conclusion While no clear difference was observed among the three treatments for LC-BPPV, CuRM was found to be superior to the other approaches in the long term.

Background: The use of beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) in dental surgery is limited owing to its rapid absorp‑ tion compared to mixed formulations of hydroxyapatite. However, newly developed pure beta-TCP crystals have dem‑ onstrated slow absorption; hence, they last longer within the defect and act as a scaffold until new bone formation.The oral environment is unique and can prove unfavorable for bone grafts due to the high infection rate in the oral cavity and the fragile condition of the oral mucosa. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using pure beta-TCP bone grafts in various dental treatments. Methods: Panoramic X-ray images of 25 patients who underwent bone grafting during dental surgery were analyzed.A specially treated pure beta-TCP crystal, Neo Bone ® (Neo Bone ® , SN Biologics Co., Ltd, Seoul, Korea), was used in this study. The bone density at the graft site was compared with that of the surrounding bone using the ImageJ software (Wayne Rasband, NIH USA). Results: Six months after surgery, the bone graft density was similar to that of the surrounding bone in 20 patients and increased in 5 patients. No adverse effects, such as infection, dehiscence, or graft failure, were observed. Conclusion The newly developed pure beta-TCP crystal was slowly absorbed and served as support until new bone formation at the defect site, thus demonstrating its potential for use in various oral conditions requiring bone grafting.

Objectives: This study compared the nutritional intakes of early and late preterm infants in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and at home. The dietary problems and the need for community care services for premature infants were further investigated. Methods: This is a cross-sectional and descriptive study on 125 preterm infants and their parents (Early preterm n = 70, Late preterm n = 55). The data were collected by surveying the parents of preterm infants and from hospital medical records. Results: No significant differences were obtained between the early and late preterm infant groups when considering the proportion of feeding types in the NICU and at home. Early preterm infants were fed with a greater amount of additional calories at home and had more hours of tube feeding (P = 0.022). Most preterm infants had feeding problems. However, there was no significant difference between early and late preterm infants in the mental pain of parents, sleeping, feeding, and weaning problems at home. Many parents of preterm babies had no external support, and more than half the parents required community care to take care of their preterm babies. Conclusions Regardless of the gestational age, most preterm infants have several problems with dietary intake. Our study indicates the need to establish community care services for preterm infants.

Objective: To investigate the predictive value of intraplaque neovascularization (IPN) for cardiovascular outcomes. Materials and Methods: We evaluated 217 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) (158 men; mean age, 68 ± 10 years) with a maximal carotid plaque thickness ≥ 1.5 mm for the presence of IPN using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography. We compared patients with (n = 116) and without (n = 101) IPN during the follow-up period and investigated the predictors of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including cardiac death, myocardial infarction, coronary artery revascularization, and transient ischemic accident/stroke. Results: During the mean follow-up period of 995 ± 610 days, the MACE rate was 6% (13/217). Patients with IPN had a higher maximal thickness than those without IPN (2.86 ± 1.01 vs. 2.61 ± 0.84 mm, p = 0.046). Common carotid artery-peak systolic velocity, left ventricular mass index (LVMI), and ventricular-vascular coupling index were significantly correlated with MACE. However, on multivariate Cox regression analysis, increased LVMI was independently related to MACE (p < 0.05). The presence of IPN could not predict MACE. Conclusion The presence of IPN was related to a higher plaque thickness but could not predict cardiovascular outcomes better than conventional clinical factors in patients with CAD.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to compare differences in lifestyle diseases, musculoskeletal pain, psychosocial stress, and self-health awareness according to gender in Korean farmers. METHODS: The study population comprised 436 farmers residing in rural areas in Korea. A self-administered questionnaire was used to survey demographic characteristics, health-related behaviors, and musculoskeletal pain. The psychosocial well-being index short form (PWI-SF) was used to survey psychosocial stress, and the 12-item short form health survey (SF-12) was used to survey self-health awareness. In addition, a clinical examination was performed for each participant, and lifestyle diseases were identified through a health checkup. RESULTS: Among lifestyle diseases, females showed a significantly higher proportion than males for metabolic syndrome (OR: 4.57 [95% CI, 1.67–12.51]). For musculoskeletal pain, females again showed significantly higher proportion than males for hand pain (OR: 16.79 [95% CI, 3.09–91.30]), and pain in at least one body part (OR: 2.34 [95% CI, 1.16–4.70]). For psychosocial stress, females showed a significantly higher proportion than males for high-risk stress (OR: 3.10 [95% CI, 1.17–8.24]). Among the items in self-health awareness, females showed significantly higher proportion than males for mental component score (MCS) (OR: 3.10 [95% CI, 1.52–6.31]) and total score (OR: 2.34 [95% CI, 1.11–4.90]). CONCLUSIONS: For all items that showed significant differences, females showed higher proportion than males, which indicates that female farmers tended to have poorer overall health than male farmers. Therefore, specialized programs will have to be developed to improve the health of female farmers.
Farmers ; Female ; Hand ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style ; Male ; Musculoskeletal Diseases ; Musculoskeletal Pain

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to identify the sleep status of daytime workers who do not work in shifts. This study analyzed factors affecting sleep duration and sleep quality. METHODS: This study was conducted on 1171 daytime workers at a manufacturing workshop. We used a self-administered questionnaire to investigate demographic variables, work type, working period, musculoskeletal symptoms and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to assess sleep. Regular health checkup was conducted for the worker’s clinical examination. RESULTS: The mean sleep duration was 6.36 h and the mean score on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was 4.46. Work type and obesity were related to sleep duration. Age, obesity and musculoskeletal pain were significantly related to sleep quality. The prevalence ratio of researcher group for short sleep duration was 1.27 (95% confidence interval: 1.02–1.58). The prevalence ratio of those aged 50 years and over was 0.47 (0.25–0.91) and of those in their 40s was 0.56 (0.35–0.91) for poor sleep quality compared to those in their 20s. The prevalence ratio of the obesity group for poor sleep quality was 1.53 (1.10–2.12). The prevalence ratio of musculoskeletal pain group for poor sleep quality was 1.92 (1.29–2.84). CONCLUSIONS: Age, obesity and musculoskeletal pain were factors affecting the poor quality on sleep of daytime workers. In addition, work type related to short sleep duration.
Education ; Musculoskeletal Pain ; Obesity ; Prevalence

OBJECTIVES: Iodine deficiency causes multiple health problems. Previously we reported that 96% of high school students in Tuguegarao, Philippines had adequate iodine levels. However, iodine deficiency-associated problems remain among adults in the Philippines. Therefore, we evaluated iodine nutritional status and goiter prevalence among adults, including pregnant women, in Tuguegarao, Philippines. METHODS: A total of 245 adults, including 31 pregnant women, provided samples for urinary iodine analysis, and all pregnant women completed a questionnaire about iodine deficiency. RESULTS: The median urinary iodine level was 164.0 ± 138.4 µg/L; 38.4% of the participants were iodine deficient, according to the International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD) criteria. No severe iodine deficiency was observed. Among the 31 pregnant women, 24 (77.5%) fell into the iodine deficient category defined by a stricter World Health Organization (WHO) guideline, in which iodine deficiency is considered when urinary iodine levels are below 150 µg/L. Almost half (42%) of the pregnant women were unaware of the harmful effects of iodine deficiency on the human body and their fetus. CONCLUSIONS: Although iodine nutritional status in the Philippines has improved, iodine deficiency still exists among adults, especially among pregnant women. Therefore, our study strongly suggests that a better strategy should be established to monitor iodine nutritional status among adults continually, and to focus on populations susceptible to iodine deficiency, including pregnant women and women of reproductive age, to achieve the total elimination of iodine deficiency.
Adult* ; Female ; Fetus ; Goiter ; Human Body ; Humans ; Iodine* ; Nutritional Status* ; Philippines* ; Pregnant Women* ; Prevalence ; World Health Organization