Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and safety of renal artery embolization (RAE) via transradial access (TRA) in patients with renal angiomyolipoma (AML) or renal hemorrhage. Materials and Methods: Data were collected for this prospective single-center study from 50 patients (51 ± 12 years; male:female, 11:39) who underwent RAE for renal AML (n = 46) or renal hemorrhage (n = 4) between November 2020 and January 2024. Patients with a Barbeau D waveform or a radial artery diameter of <1.5 mm were excluded. Technical success in patients with renal AML and renal hemorrhage was defined as achieving selective catheterization of the culprit artery with embolization, leading to flow stasis and the absence of bleeding evidence, respectively. Clinical success was indicated by a reduction in AML size on follow-up CT scans and the absence of bleeding signs without necessitating additional RAE. The EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-level (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire was utilized to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Results: In one patient with AML, embolization could not be performed following selective catheterization and angiography due to the lack of visible tumor vascularity, resulting in a technical success rate of 98% (49/50). The clinical success rate was 96% (48/50 patients). No instances of TRA failure, conversion to transfemoral access (TFA), or hemostasis failure were noted.During the follow-up period, no major adverse events associated with the RAE occurred. Two patients exhibited asymptomatic radial artery occlusion, and one patient displayed asymptomatic partial thrombosis of the renal artery at the first follow-up visit. The EQ-5D-5L scores were 0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.86–0.95) within 24 hours post-procedure and 0.89 (95% CI: 0.85–0.92) at the first follow-up (P = 0.332). Conclusion TRA is a feasible and safe approach for performing RAE in patients with renal AML or hemorrhage. RAE performed using TRA demonstrated high HRQoL outcomes and may serve as a viable alternative to TFA for performing RAE.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and safety of renal artery embolization (RAE) via transradial access (TRA) in patients with renal angiomyolipoma (AML) or renal hemorrhage. Materials and Methods: Data were collected for this prospective single-center study from 50 patients (51 ± 12 years; male:female, 11:39) who underwent RAE for renal AML (n = 46) or renal hemorrhage (n = 4) between November 2020 and January 2024. Patients with a Barbeau D waveform or a radial artery diameter of <1.5 mm were excluded. Technical success in patients with renal AML and renal hemorrhage was defined as achieving selective catheterization of the culprit artery with embolization, leading to flow stasis and the absence of bleeding evidence, respectively. Clinical success was indicated by a reduction in AML size on follow-up CT scans and the absence of bleeding signs without necessitating additional RAE. The EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-level (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire was utilized to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Results: In one patient with AML, embolization could not be performed following selective catheterization and angiography due to the lack of visible tumor vascularity, resulting in a technical success rate of 98% (49/50). The clinical success rate was 96% (48/50 patients). No instances of TRA failure, conversion to transfemoral access (TFA), or hemostasis failure were noted.During the follow-up period, no major adverse events associated with the RAE occurred. Two patients exhibited asymptomatic radial artery occlusion, and one patient displayed asymptomatic partial thrombosis of the renal artery at the first follow-up visit. The EQ-5D-5L scores were 0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.86–0.95) within 24 hours post-procedure and 0.89 (95% CI: 0.85–0.92) at the first follow-up (P = 0.332). Conclusion TRA is a feasible and safe approach for performing RAE in patients with renal AML or hemorrhage. RAE performed using TRA demonstrated high HRQoL outcomes and may serve as a viable alternative to TFA for performing RAE.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and safety of renal artery embolization (RAE) via transradial access (TRA) in patients with renal angiomyolipoma (AML) or renal hemorrhage. Materials and Methods: Data were collected for this prospective single-center study from 50 patients (51 ± 12 years; male:female, 11:39) who underwent RAE for renal AML (n = 46) or renal hemorrhage (n = 4) between November 2020 and January 2024. Patients with a Barbeau D waveform or a radial artery diameter of <1.5 mm were excluded. Technical success in patients with renal AML and renal hemorrhage was defined as achieving selective catheterization of the culprit artery with embolization, leading to flow stasis and the absence of bleeding evidence, respectively. Clinical success was indicated by a reduction in AML size on follow-up CT scans and the absence of bleeding signs without necessitating additional RAE. The EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-level (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire was utilized to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Results: In one patient with AML, embolization could not be performed following selective catheterization and angiography due to the lack of visible tumor vascularity, resulting in a technical success rate of 98% (49/50). The clinical success rate was 96% (48/50 patients). No instances of TRA failure, conversion to transfemoral access (TFA), or hemostasis failure were noted.During the follow-up period, no major adverse events associated with the RAE occurred. Two patients exhibited asymptomatic radial artery occlusion, and one patient displayed asymptomatic partial thrombosis of the renal artery at the first follow-up visit. The EQ-5D-5L scores were 0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.86–0.95) within 24 hours post-procedure and 0.89 (95% CI: 0.85–0.92) at the first follow-up (P = 0.332). Conclusion TRA is a feasible and safe approach for performing RAE in patients with renal AML or hemorrhage. RAE performed using TRA demonstrated high HRQoL outcomes and may serve as a viable alternative to TFA for performing RAE.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and safety of renal artery embolization (RAE) via transradial access (TRA) in patients with renal angiomyolipoma (AML) or renal hemorrhage. Materials and Methods: Data were collected for this prospective single-center study from 50 patients (51 ± 12 years; male:female, 11:39) who underwent RAE for renal AML (n = 46) or renal hemorrhage (n = 4) between November 2020 and January 2024. Patients with a Barbeau D waveform or a radial artery diameter of <1.5 mm were excluded. Technical success in patients with renal AML and renal hemorrhage was defined as achieving selective catheterization of the culprit artery with embolization, leading to flow stasis and the absence of bleeding evidence, respectively. Clinical success was indicated by a reduction in AML size on follow-up CT scans and the absence of bleeding signs without necessitating additional RAE. The EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-level (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire was utilized to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Results: In one patient with AML, embolization could not be performed following selective catheterization and angiography due to the lack of visible tumor vascularity, resulting in a technical success rate of 98% (49/50). The clinical success rate was 96% (48/50 patients). No instances of TRA failure, conversion to transfemoral access (TFA), or hemostasis failure were noted.During the follow-up period, no major adverse events associated with the RAE occurred. Two patients exhibited asymptomatic radial artery occlusion, and one patient displayed asymptomatic partial thrombosis of the renal artery at the first follow-up visit. The EQ-5D-5L scores were 0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.86–0.95) within 24 hours post-procedure and 0.89 (95% CI: 0.85–0.92) at the first follow-up (P = 0.332). Conclusion TRA is a feasible and safe approach for performing RAE in patients with renal AML or hemorrhage. RAE performed using TRA demonstrated high HRQoL outcomes and may serve as a viable alternative to TFA for performing RAE.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and safety of renal artery embolization (RAE) via transradial access (TRA) in patients with renal angiomyolipoma (AML) or renal hemorrhage. Materials and Methods: Data were collected for this prospective single-center study from 50 patients (51 ± 12 years; male:female, 11:39) who underwent RAE for renal AML (n = 46) or renal hemorrhage (n = 4) between November 2020 and January 2024. Patients with a Barbeau D waveform or a radial artery diameter of <1.5 mm were excluded. Technical success in patients with renal AML and renal hemorrhage was defined as achieving selective catheterization of the culprit artery with embolization, leading to flow stasis and the absence of bleeding evidence, respectively. Clinical success was indicated by a reduction in AML size on follow-up CT scans and the absence of bleeding signs without necessitating additional RAE. The EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-level (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire was utilized to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Results: In one patient with AML, embolization could not be performed following selective catheterization and angiography due to the lack of visible tumor vascularity, resulting in a technical success rate of 98% (49/50). The clinical success rate was 96% (48/50 patients). No instances of TRA failure, conversion to transfemoral access (TFA), or hemostasis failure were noted.During the follow-up period, no major adverse events associated with the RAE occurred. Two patients exhibited asymptomatic radial artery occlusion, and one patient displayed asymptomatic partial thrombosis of the renal artery at the first follow-up visit. The EQ-5D-5L scores were 0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.86–0.95) within 24 hours post-procedure and 0.89 (95% CI: 0.85–0.92) at the first follow-up (P = 0.332). Conclusion TRA is a feasible and safe approach for performing RAE in patients with renal AML or hemorrhage. RAE performed using TRA demonstrated high HRQoL outcomes and may serve as a viable alternative to TFA for performing RAE.

Acanthamoeba is an opportunistic pathogen that causes Acanthamoeba keratitis, granulomatous amoebic encephalitis, and other cutaneous diseases. The life cycle of Acanthamoeba consists of 2 stages of trophozoites and cysts. Under adverse environmental conditions, Acanthamoeba encysts, while the conditions become favorable for growth, it reverts to the trophozoite form. Acanthamoeba excystation is crucial for its proliferation and can lead to recurrent infections after incomplete treatment. To identify the factors involved in excystation, A. castellanii was subjected to either encystation- or excystation-inducing conditions, and gene expression profiles were compared using mRNA sequencing. A. castellanii samples were collected at 8 h intervals for analysis under both conditions. Differentially expressed gene analysis revealed that 1,214 and 1,163 genes were upregulated and downregulated, respectively, by more than 2-fold during early excystation. Five genes markedly upregulated in early excystation (ACA1_031140, ACA1_032330, ACA1_374400, ACA1_275740, and ACA1_112650) were selected, and their expression levels were confirmed via real-time PCR. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting these 5 genes was transfected into Acanthamoeba and gene knockdown was validated through real-time PCR. The silencing of ACA1_031140, ACA1_032330, ACA1_374400, and ACA1_112650 inhibited excystation and suggested that these genes might be essential for excystation. Our findings provide valuable insights for suppressing Acanthamoeba proliferation and recurrence.

Background/Aims: With the wide application of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for hepatitis C virus infection, the number of patients achieving a sustained virologic response (SVR) will continue to increase. However, no consensus has been achieved on exempting SVR-achieving patients from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance. Methods: Between 2013 and 2021, 873 Korean patients who achieved SVR following DAA treatment were analyzed. We evaluated the predictive performance of seven noninvasive scores (PAGE-B, modified PAGE-B, Toronto HCC risk index, fibrosis-4, aspartate aminotransferase-toplatelet ratio index, albumin-bilirubin, and age male albumin-bilirubin platelet [aMAP]) at baseline and after SVR. Results: The mean age of the 873 patients (39.3% males) was 59.1 years, and 224 patients (25.7%) had cirrhosis. During 3,542 person-years of follow-up, 44 patients developed HCC, with an annual incidence of 1.24/100 person-years. Male sex (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 2.21), cirrhosis (AHR, 7.93), and older age (AHR, 1.05) were associated with a significantly higher HCC risk in multivariate analysis. The performance of all scores at the time of SVR were numerically better than those at baseline as determined by the integrated area under the curve. Timedependent area under the curves for predicting the 3-, 5-, and 7-year risk of HCC after SVR were higher in mPAGE-B (0.778, 0.746, and 0.812, respectively) and aMAP (0.776, 0.747, and 0.790, respectively) systems than others. No patients predicted as low-risk by the aMAP or mPAGE-B systems developed HCC. Conclusions aMAP and mPAGE-B scores demonstrated the highest predictive performance for de novo HCC in DAA-treated, SVR-achieving patients. Hence, these two systems may be used to identify low-risk patients that can be exempted from HCC surveillance.

Acanthamoeba is an opportunistic pathogen that causes Acanthamoeba keratitis, granulomatous amoebic encephalitis, and other cutaneous diseases. The life cycle of Acanthamoeba consists of 2 stages of trophozoites and cysts. Under adverse environmental conditions, Acanthamoeba encysts, while the conditions become favorable for growth, it reverts to the trophozoite form. Acanthamoeba excystation is crucial for its proliferation and can lead to recurrent infections after incomplete treatment. To identify the factors involved in excystation, A. castellanii was subjected to either encystation- or excystation-inducing conditions, and gene expression profiles were compared using mRNA sequencing. A. castellanii samples were collected at 8 h intervals for analysis under both conditions. Differentially expressed gene analysis revealed that 1,214 and 1,163 genes were upregulated and downregulated, respectively, by more than 2-fold during early excystation. Five genes markedly upregulated in early excystation (ACA1_031140, ACA1_032330, ACA1_374400, ACA1_275740, and ACA1_112650) were selected, and their expression levels were confirmed via real-time PCR. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting these 5 genes was transfected into Acanthamoeba and gene knockdown was validated through real-time PCR. The silencing of ACA1_031140, ACA1_032330, ACA1_374400, and ACA1_112650 inhibited excystation and suggested that these genes might be essential for excystation. Our findings provide valuable insights for suppressing Acanthamoeba proliferation and recurrence.

Acanthamoeba is an opportunistic pathogen that causes Acanthamoeba keratitis, granulomatous amoebic encephalitis, and other cutaneous diseases. The life cycle of Acanthamoeba consists of 2 stages of trophozoites and cysts. Under adverse environmental conditions, Acanthamoeba encysts, while the conditions become favorable for growth, it reverts to the trophozoite form. Acanthamoeba excystation is crucial for its proliferation and can lead to recurrent infections after incomplete treatment. To identify the factors involved in excystation, A. castellanii was subjected to either encystation- or excystation-inducing conditions, and gene expression profiles were compared using mRNA sequencing. A. castellanii samples were collected at 8 h intervals for analysis under both conditions. Differentially expressed gene analysis revealed that 1,214 and 1,163 genes were upregulated and downregulated, respectively, by more than 2-fold during early excystation. Five genes markedly upregulated in early excystation (ACA1_031140, ACA1_032330, ACA1_374400, ACA1_275740, and ACA1_112650) were selected, and their expression levels were confirmed via real-time PCR. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting these 5 genes was transfected into Acanthamoeba and gene knockdown was validated through real-time PCR. The silencing of ACA1_031140, ACA1_032330, ACA1_374400, and ACA1_112650 inhibited excystation and suggested that these genes might be essential for excystation. Our findings provide valuable insights for suppressing Acanthamoeba proliferation and recurrence.

Acanthamoeba is an opportunistic pathogen that causes Acanthamoeba keratitis, granulomatous amoebic encephalitis, and other cutaneous diseases. The life cycle of Acanthamoeba consists of 2 stages of trophozoites and cysts. Under adverse environmental conditions, Acanthamoeba encysts, while the conditions become favorable for growth, it reverts to the trophozoite form. Acanthamoeba excystation is crucial for its proliferation and can lead to recurrent infections after incomplete treatment. To identify the factors involved in excystation, A. castellanii was subjected to either encystation- or excystation-inducing conditions, and gene expression profiles were compared using mRNA sequencing. A. castellanii samples were collected at 8 h intervals for analysis under both conditions. Differentially expressed gene analysis revealed that 1,214 and 1,163 genes were upregulated and downregulated, respectively, by more than 2-fold during early excystation. Five genes markedly upregulated in early excystation (ACA1_031140, ACA1_032330, ACA1_374400, ACA1_275740, and ACA1_112650) were selected, and their expression levels were confirmed via real-time PCR. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting these 5 genes was transfected into Acanthamoeba and gene knockdown was validated through real-time PCR. The silencing of ACA1_031140, ACA1_032330, ACA1_374400, and ACA1_112650 inhibited excystation and suggested that these genes might be essential for excystation. Our findings provide valuable insights for suppressing Acanthamoeba proliferation and recurrence.