Purpose: Recent development in perioperative treatment of resectable non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have changed the landscape of early lung cancer management. The ADAURA trial has demonstrated the efficacy of adjuvant osimertinib treatment in resectable NSCLC patients; however, studies are required to show which subgroup of patients are at a high risk of relapse and require adjuvant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment. This study evaluated risk factors for postoperative relapse among patients who underwent complete resection. Materials and Methods: Data were obtained from the Korean Association for Lung Cancer Registry (KALC-R), a database created using a retrospective sampling survey by the Korean Central Cancer Registry (KCCR) and the Lung Cancer Registration Committee. Results: A total of 3,176 patients who underwent curative resection was evaluated. The mean observation time was approximately 35.4 months. Among stage I to IIIA NSCLC patients, the EGFR-mutant subgroup included 867 patients, and 75.2%, 11.2%, and 11.8% were classified as stage I, stage II, and stage III, respectively. Within the EGFR-mutant subgroup, 44 (5.1%) and 121 (14.0%) patients showed early and late recurrence, respectively. Multivariate analysis on association with postoperative relapse among the EGFR-mutant subgroup showed that age, pathologic N and TNM stages, pleural invasion status, and surgery type were independent significant factors. Conclusion Among the population that underwent complete resection for early NSCLC with EGFR mutation, patients with advanced stage, pleural invasion, or limited resection are more likely to show postoperative relapse.

Purpose: Recent development in perioperative treatment of resectable non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have changed the landscape of early lung cancer management. The ADAURA trial has demonstrated the efficacy of adjuvant osimertinib treatment in resectable NSCLC patients; however, studies are required to show which subgroup of patients are at a high risk of relapse and require adjuvant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment. This study evaluated risk factors for postoperative relapse among patients who underwent complete resection. Materials and Methods: Data were obtained from the Korean Association for Lung Cancer Registry (KALC-R), a database created using a retrospective sampling survey by the Korean Central Cancer Registry (KCCR) and the Lung Cancer Registration Committee. Results: A total of 3,176 patients who underwent curative resection was evaluated. The mean observation time was approximately 35.4 months. Among stage I to IIIA NSCLC patients, the EGFR-mutant subgroup included 867 patients, and 75.2%, 11.2%, and 11.8% were classified as stage I, stage II, and stage III, respectively. Within the EGFR-mutant subgroup, 44 (5.1%) and 121 (14.0%) patients showed early and late recurrence, respectively. Multivariate analysis on association with postoperative relapse among the EGFR-mutant subgroup showed that age, pathologic N and TNM stages, pleural invasion status, and surgery type were independent significant factors. Conclusion Among the population that underwent complete resection for early NSCLC with EGFR mutation, patients with advanced stage, pleural invasion, or limited resection are more likely to show postoperative relapse.

Purpose: Recent development in perioperative treatment of resectable non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have changed the landscape of early lung cancer management. The ADAURA trial has demonstrated the efficacy of adjuvant osimertinib treatment in resectable NSCLC patients; however, studies are required to show which subgroup of patients are at a high risk of relapse and require adjuvant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment. This study evaluated risk factors for postoperative relapse among patients who underwent complete resection. Materials and Methods: Data were obtained from the Korean Association for Lung Cancer Registry (KALC-R), a database created using a retrospective sampling survey by the Korean Central Cancer Registry (KCCR) and the Lung Cancer Registration Committee. Results: A total of 3,176 patients who underwent curative resection was evaluated. The mean observation time was approximately 35.4 months. Among stage I to IIIA NSCLC patients, the EGFR-mutant subgroup included 867 patients, and 75.2%, 11.2%, and 11.8% were classified as stage I, stage II, and stage III, respectively. Within the EGFR-mutant subgroup, 44 (5.1%) and 121 (14.0%) patients showed early and late recurrence, respectively. Multivariate analysis on association with postoperative relapse among the EGFR-mutant subgroup showed that age, pathologic N and TNM stages, pleural invasion status, and surgery type were independent significant factors. Conclusion Among the population that underwent complete resection for early NSCLC with EGFR mutation, patients with advanced stage, pleural invasion, or limited resection are more likely to show postoperative relapse.

Background: Genetically immunodeficient mice lacking Il2rg and Rag2 genes have been widely utilized in the field of biomedical research. However, immunodeficient rats, which offer the advantage of larger size, have not been as extensively used to date. Recently, Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) rats were generated using CRISPR/ Cas9 system, targeting Il2rg and Rag2 in National BioResource Project in Japan. We imported and investigated more detailed phenotypes of wild-type (WT) Il2rg knockout (KO), Rag2 KO and Il2rg/Rag2 KO rats for 20 weeks. Results: During experiments, Il2rg KO, Rag2 KO and Il2rg/Rag2 KO rats showed decreased white blood cells and sys‑ temic lymphopenia, with reduced CD4+, CD8+ T cells and CD161+ NK cells. Additionally, all KO strains exhibited reduced relative spleen weights, hypoplasia of the germinal center in the white pulp, and atrophy with the disap‑ pearance of the boundary between the cortex and medulla in the thymus, compared to WT rats. Furthermore, we established human acute lymphoblastic leukemia xenograft rat model by intravenously injecting 5.0 × ­106 cells/kg of NALM6 cells into Il2rg/Rag2 KO rats. Conclusions These findings indicate that Il2rg KO, Rag2 KO, and Il2rg/Rag2 KO rats exhibited SCID phenotypes, sug‑ gesting their potential application as immunodeficient animal models for tumor xenograft studies.

Background: Lac color, a natural red dye derived from the larvae of laccifer lacca kerr, is one of the most commonly used substances in food. To date, no studies have reported on the antigenicity of lac color and the other biomarkers that can determine anaphylactic reactions. To address this, we evaluated the antigenicity of lac color through active systemic anaphylaxis (ASA) in addition to identifying potential biomarkers performing exploratory studies. For ASA test, Guinea pigs (n = 5) were sensitized with 0(negative control), 4 mg/kg of lac color, 4 mg/kg of lac color + FCA, and 5 mg/kg of ovalbumin + FCA (positive control) 3 times a week for three weeks. Fourteen days after the last sensi‑ tization, animals were challenged intravenously weekly for two weeks. Hematological and histopathological analyses were performed and compared to control groups. Results: In the ASA test, all lac color groups showed mild symptoms such as nose rubbing, urination, and evacuation, which are insufficient indicators of anaphylaxis. Exploratory studies identified several biomarkers: decreased platelet count, and increased basophil count; distention in the lung, and redness on the inner wall of trachea; mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltration (MICI) in the ear, and heart hemorrhage. When these biomarkers were applied to the ASA test of lac color, in comparison to the negative control group, the positive control group (ovalbumin + FCA) showed a significant over 60-fold reduction in platelet count and nearly threefold higher basophil count compared to other groups. Furthermore, only positive control group exhibited full lung distention and severe redness on the inner wall of the trachea. Mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltration (MICI) in the ear was about three times higher, and heart hemorrhage was only present in the positive control group compared to others. None of the lac color groups were different from the negative control group (p > 0.05), whereas the positive control group was significantly different (p < 0.05). Conclusions Our study concludes that lac color, at the tested concentrations, does not induce antigenicity in the guinea pig model, providing valuable safety data. Furthermore, the biomarkers identified in this study offer a supportive approach to evaluating the immunogenicity of substances in future research.

Background: Genetically immunodeficient mice lacking Il2rg and Rag2 genes have been widely utilized in the field of biomedical research. However, immunodeficient rats, which offer the advantage of larger size, have not been as extensively used to date. Recently, Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) rats were generated using CRISPR/ Cas9 system, targeting Il2rg and Rag2 in National BioResource Project in Japan. We imported and investigated more detailed phenotypes of wild-type (WT) Il2rg knockout (KO), Rag2 KO and Il2rg/Rag2 KO rats for 20 weeks. Results: During experiments, Il2rg KO, Rag2 KO and Il2rg/Rag2 KO rats showed decreased white blood cells and sys‑ temic lymphopenia, with reduced CD4+, CD8+ T cells and CD161+ NK cells. Additionally, all KO strains exhibited reduced relative spleen weights, hypoplasia of the germinal center in the white pulp, and atrophy with the disap‑ pearance of the boundary between the cortex and medulla in the thymus, compared to WT rats. Furthermore, we established human acute lymphoblastic leukemia xenograft rat model by intravenously injecting 5.0 × ­106 cells/kg of NALM6 cells into Il2rg/Rag2 KO rats. Conclusions These findings indicate that Il2rg KO, Rag2 KO, and Il2rg/Rag2 KO rats exhibited SCID phenotypes, sug‑ gesting their potential application as immunodeficient animal models for tumor xenograft studies.

Background: Lac color, a natural red dye derived from the larvae of laccifer lacca kerr, is one of the most commonly used substances in food. To date, no studies have reported on the antigenicity of lac color and the other biomarkers that can determine anaphylactic reactions. To address this, we evaluated the antigenicity of lac color through active systemic anaphylaxis (ASA) in addition to identifying potential biomarkers performing exploratory studies. For ASA test, Guinea pigs (n = 5) were sensitized with 0(negative control), 4 mg/kg of lac color, 4 mg/kg of lac color + FCA, and 5 mg/kg of ovalbumin + FCA (positive control) 3 times a week for three weeks. Fourteen days after the last sensi‑ tization, animals were challenged intravenously weekly for two weeks. Hematological and histopathological analyses were performed and compared to control groups. Results: In the ASA test, all lac color groups showed mild symptoms such as nose rubbing, urination, and evacuation, which are insufficient indicators of anaphylaxis. Exploratory studies identified several biomarkers: decreased platelet count, and increased basophil count; distention in the lung, and redness on the inner wall of trachea; mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltration (MICI) in the ear, and heart hemorrhage. When these biomarkers were applied to the ASA test of lac color, in comparison to the negative control group, the positive control group (ovalbumin + FCA) showed a significant over 60-fold reduction in platelet count and nearly threefold higher basophil count compared to other groups. Furthermore, only positive control group exhibited full lung distention and severe redness on the inner wall of the trachea. Mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltration (MICI) in the ear was about three times higher, and heart hemorrhage was only present in the positive control group compared to others. None of the lac color groups were different from the negative control group (p > 0.05), whereas the positive control group was significantly different (p < 0.05). Conclusions Our study concludes that lac color, at the tested concentrations, does not induce antigenicity in the guinea pig model, providing valuable safety data. Furthermore, the biomarkers identified in this study offer a supportive approach to evaluating the immunogenicity of substances in future research.

Background: Genetically immunodeficient mice lacking Il2rg and Rag2 genes have been widely utilized in the field of biomedical research. However, immunodeficient rats, which offer the advantage of larger size, have not been as extensively used to date. Recently, Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) rats were generated using CRISPR/ Cas9 system, targeting Il2rg and Rag2 in National BioResource Project in Japan. We imported and investigated more detailed phenotypes of wild-type (WT) Il2rg knockout (KO), Rag2 KO and Il2rg/Rag2 KO rats for 20 weeks. Results: During experiments, Il2rg KO, Rag2 KO and Il2rg/Rag2 KO rats showed decreased white blood cells and sys‑ temic lymphopenia, with reduced CD4+, CD8+ T cells and CD161+ NK cells. Additionally, all KO strains exhibited reduced relative spleen weights, hypoplasia of the germinal center in the white pulp, and atrophy with the disap‑ pearance of the boundary between the cortex and medulla in the thymus, compared to WT rats. Furthermore, we established human acute lymphoblastic leukemia xenograft rat model by intravenously injecting 5.0 × ­106 cells/kg of NALM6 cells into Il2rg/Rag2 KO rats. Conclusions These findings indicate that Il2rg KO, Rag2 KO, and Il2rg/Rag2 KO rats exhibited SCID phenotypes, sug‑ gesting their potential application as immunodeficient animal models for tumor xenograft studies.

Background: Lac color, a natural red dye derived from the larvae of laccifer lacca kerr, is one of the most commonly used substances in food. To date, no studies have reported on the antigenicity of lac color and the other biomarkers that can determine anaphylactic reactions. To address this, we evaluated the antigenicity of lac color through active systemic anaphylaxis (ASA) in addition to identifying potential biomarkers performing exploratory studies. For ASA test, Guinea pigs (n = 5) were sensitized with 0(negative control), 4 mg/kg of lac color, 4 mg/kg of lac color + FCA, and 5 mg/kg of ovalbumin + FCA (positive control) 3 times a week for three weeks. Fourteen days after the last sensi‑ tization, animals were challenged intravenously weekly for two weeks. Hematological and histopathological analyses were performed and compared to control groups. Results: In the ASA test, all lac color groups showed mild symptoms such as nose rubbing, urination, and evacuation, which are insufficient indicators of anaphylaxis. Exploratory studies identified several biomarkers: decreased platelet count, and increased basophil count; distention in the lung, and redness on the inner wall of trachea; mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltration (MICI) in the ear, and heart hemorrhage. When these biomarkers were applied to the ASA test of lac color, in comparison to the negative control group, the positive control group (ovalbumin + FCA) showed a significant over 60-fold reduction in platelet count and nearly threefold higher basophil count compared to other groups. Furthermore, only positive control group exhibited full lung distention and severe redness on the inner wall of the trachea. Mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltration (MICI) in the ear was about three times higher, and heart hemorrhage was only present in the positive control group compared to others. None of the lac color groups were different from the negative control group (p > 0.05), whereas the positive control group was significantly different (p < 0.05). Conclusions Our study concludes that lac color, at the tested concentrations, does not induce antigenicity in the guinea pig model, providing valuable safety data. Furthermore, the biomarkers identified in this study offer a supportive approach to evaluating the immunogenicity of substances in future research.

Serological tests for Helicobacter pylori needs local validation as the diagnostic accuracy may vary depending on the prevalence of H.pylori. This study examined the diagnostic performance of two ELISA, GastroPanel® (GastroPanel ELISA; Biohit Oyj) and GENE-DIA® (GENEDIA® H. pylori ELISA, Green Cross Co.) in Korean population. One thousand seventy seven patients who visited for esophagogastroduodenoscopy between 2013 and 2023 were prospectively enrolled, and serum samples from the subjects were tested using both GastroPanel® and GENEDIA® . The two tests were compared for their diagnostic accuracy in detecting atrophic gastritis (AG), intestinal metaplasia (IM), gastric adenoma (GA), and gastric cancer (GC), and the positivity rates by age and sexwere observed. There was substantial correlation (Pearson coefficient [r] = 0.512, P < 0.001) and agreement (Cohen’s Kappa coefficient [κ] = 0.723, P < 0.001) between the results obtained using GastroPanel® and GENEDIA® . The test results from the two kits did not match perfectly with a discrepancy observed in approximately 16% of cases, that 67 subjects were positive only on GENE-DIA® while 75 subjects were positive only on GastroPanel® . The area under receiver operating characteristic curve for AG, IM, GA,and GC using GastroPanel® were 0.666, 0.635, 0.540, and 0.575, while the results tested using GENEDIA® were 0.649, 0.604, 0.553, and 0.555, respectively, without significant difference between the two results. GastroPanel® and GENEDIA® showed similar performance in terms of diagnostic accuracy; but the test results did not match perfectly. A large-scale validation study in Koreansis needed.