Purpose: To evaluate the compatibility and usability of test results obtained from the IDRA and Keratograph 5M in clinical settings by comparing their performance in patients with dry eye disease. Methods: From December 27 to 30, 2022, a study was conducted on 30 patients diagnosed with dry eye utilizing both the Keratograph 5M and IDRA devices. The parameters compared and analyzed included lipid layer thickness, tear meniscus height, tear film break-up time, and meibography. A paired t-test was used for statistical comparison. The lipid layer thickness in the Keratograph 5M was graded on a scale from 0 to 4 based on thickness. Results: No significant differences were found between the two devices in tear film break-up time, tear meniscus height, and meibography (p = 0.148, 0.072, 0.124, respectively). However, the tear lipid layer thickness measured by IDRA showed a proportional relationship with the grade assigned by the Keratograph 5M (Kendall R = 0.217, p = 0.037; Spearman R = 0.260, p = 0.045). Conclusions The IDRA device offers the advantage of performing multiple dry eye tests; simultaneously, thereby saving time compared to the Keratograph 5M. Both devices can be used compatibly with IDRA particularly advantageous for providing a numerical value for tear lipid layer thickness which enhances the convenience of dry eye diagnosis and treatment.

Background and Objectives: The risk profiles, procedural characteristics, and clinical outcomes for women undergoing bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are not well defined compared to those in men. Methods: COronary BIfurcation Stenting III (COBIS III) is a multicenter, real-world registry of 2,648 patients with bifurcation lesions treated with second-generation drug-eluting stents.We compared the angiographic and procedural characteristics and clinical outcomes based on sex. The primary outcome was 5-year target lesion failure (TLF), a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization. Results: Women (n=635, 24%) were older, had hypertension and diabetes more often, and had smaller main vessel and side branch reference diameters than men. The pre- and post-PCI angiographic percentage diameter stenoses of the main vessel and side branch were comparable between women and men. There were no differences in procedural characteristics between the sexes. Women and men had a similar risk of TLF (6.3% vs. 7.1%, p=0.63) as well as its individual components and sex was not an independent predictor of TLF. This finding was consistent in the left main and 2 stenting subgroups. Conclusions In patients undergoing bifurcation PCI, sex was not an independent predictor of adverse outcome.

Background and Objectives: Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis.Nicotine, a crucial constituent of tobacco, contributes to atherosclerosis development and progression. However, evidence of the association between nicotine and neointima formation is limited. We aimed to evaluate whether nicotine enhances neointimal hyperplasia in the native epicardial coronary arteries of pigs after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES). Methods: After coronary angiography (CAG) and quantitative coronary angiography (QCA), we implanted 20 DES into 20 pigs allocated to 2 groups: no-nicotine (n=10) and nicotine (n=10) groups. Post-PCI CAG and QCA were performed immediately. Follow-up CAG, QCA, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and histopathological analyses were performed 2 months post-PCI. Results: Despite intergroup similarities in the baseline QCA findings, OCT analysis showed that the nicotine group had a smaller mean stent and lumen areas, a larger mean neointimal area, greater percent area stenosis, and higher peri-strut fibrin and inflammation scores than the no-nicotine group. In immunofluorescence analysis, the nicotine group displayed higher expression of CD68 and α-smooth muscle actin but lower CD31 expression than the no-nicotine group. Conclusions Nicotine inhibited re-endothelialization and promoted inflammation and NIH after PCI with DES in a porcine model.

Microglial activation during aging is associated with neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment. Galectin-3 plays a crucial role in microglial activation and phagocytosis. However, the role of galectin-3 in the aged brain is not completely understood. In the present study, we investigated aging-related mechanisms and microglial galectin-3 expression in the mouse hippocampus using female 6-, 12-, and 24-month-old C57BL/6 mice. Western blot analysis revealed neurodegeneration, blood-brain barrier leakage, and increased levels of neuroinflammation-related proteins in 24-month-old mice compared to 6- and 12-month-old mice. Immunohistochemistry revealed an increase in activated microglia in the hippocampus of 24-month-old mice compared to 6- and 12-month-old mice. Furthermore, we found more galectin-3 and triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-2-positive microglia in 24-month-old mice compared to 6- and 12-month-old mice. Using primary mouse microglial cells, galectin -3 was also increased by lipopolysaccharide treatment. These findings suggest that galectin-3 may play an important role in microglial activation and neuroinflammation during brain aging.

Peyronie’s disease is an acquired condition characterized by penile deformities caused by fibrosis of the penile tunica albuginea, leading to symptoms such as penile pain, erectile dysfunction, and other associated issues. Despite extensive research, the pathophysiology of this condition remains poorly understood, and standardized diagnostic and treatment protocols are lacking. While clinical guidelines from several professional societies exist, they do not consistently account for factors such as patient ethnicity, geography, and socioeconomic status. Thus, the Korean Society for Sexual Medicine and Andrology (KSSMA) aimed to develop recommendations tailored to clinical practice in Korea. These recommendations summarize the latest evidence, including clinical practice guidelines from various international professional societies, and represent the consensus opinion of an expert group within the KSSMA. They encompass all aspects of Peyronie’s disease, including the definition, diagnosis, non-surgical interventions, and surgical treatment options.

Purpose: Precise control of proliferation and differentiation of Leydig cells is important for gonadal androgenesis and spermatogenesis. Though cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors are crucial for cell proliferation and differentiation, their role in the development of early adult Leydig cells (ALCs) remained unanswered. To understand mechanism for ALC development, functional expression of p57KIP2 (cdkn1c) was investigated in the stem Leydig cells (SLCs) and progenitor Leydig cells (PLCs) in mice. Materials and Methods: The roles of p57KIP2 in the proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and steroidogenesis in SLCs and PLCs were investigated by antibodies and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling in the early neonatal testes and p57kip2 siRNA in the isolated SLCs and PLCs. Steroidogenic differentiation of PLCs was examined by progesterone and testosterone production in cell culture. Results: From postnatal day (PND) 1 to 14, p57KIP2(+) spindle-shaped cells in the testis interstitium were α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA)(-), a peritubular myoid cells marker, suggesting that they are SLCs and PLCs. Besides, p57KIP2 was also expressed in HSD3β(+) fetal Leydig cells. From PND1 to 14, BrdU(+)/αSMA(-), Ki67(+)/p57KIP2(+), and BrdU(+)/p57KIP2(+) spindle-shaped cells were gradually decreased. From PND1 to 14, p57KIP in the αSMA(-)/p57KIP2(+) cells was peaked at PND7 and decreased thereafter. In THY1(+) isolated SLCs, p57kip2 siRNA significantly increased ki67 and pcna mRNA and pdgfrα mRNA, a differentiation marker and decreased nestin mRNA, a SLC marker. No significant difference in apoptosis related genes mRNA was found after p57kip2 siRNA treatment. In HSD3β(+) PLCs, p57kip2 siRNA increased proapoptotic genes mRNA, annexin V(+) early-apoptotic cells. Importantly, p57kip2 siRNA significantly decreased hsd3β6 and cyp17a1 mRNA and progesterone production. Conclusions p57KIP2 may suppress proliferation and support stemness of SLCs. In PLCs, p57KIP2 may suppress apoptosis and potentiate the steroidogenic differentiation.

Purpose: In pancreatic cancer, therapeutic investigations targeting liver metastases could improve survival. However, the use of local treatment for oligometastasis in pancreatic cancer remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the oncological role of local therapy in patients who underwent curative pancreatectomy and subsequently developed liver metastases. Materials and Methods: Data concerning patients who underwent curative pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer at Severance Hospital in Seoul, South Korea between 2006 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. We included patients with one or two liver metastases, as confirmed on imaging. We excluded those with metastases in other organs. The patients were divided into two groups: the NT group, receiving conventional therapy without local treatment; and the LT group, receiving local treatments for liver metastases alongside standard therapy. Results: Of the 43 included patients (NT group, n=33; LT group, n=10), no significant differences were observed in overall survival (OS) [hazard ratio (HR) 0.846; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.397–1.804; p=0.665] or post-recurrence survival (HR 0.932; 95% CI 0.437–1.985, p=0.855) between the two groups. In multivariate analysis, early recurrence within 6 months (p<0.001) and the use of 5-fluorouracil (FU)-based adjuvant chemotherapy (CTx) (p=0.011), as well as 5-FU-based CTx after liver metastasis (p=0.008) when compared with gemcitabine-based regimens, were significant predictors of poor OS. Conclusion The oncologic role of local treatment for hepatic metastasis remains controversial in patients with hepatic metastasis after radical pancreatectomy. In the era of potent chemotherapeutic regimens, further research is needed to clarify the efficacy of such regimens.

Microglial activation during aging is associated with neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment. Galectin-3 plays a crucial role in microglial activation and phagocytosis. However, the role of galectin-3 in the aged brain is not completely understood. In the present study, we investigated aging-related mechanisms and microglial galectin-3 expression in the mouse hippocampus using female 6-, 12-, and 24-month-old C57BL/6 mice. Western blot analysis revealed neurodegeneration, blood-brain barrier leakage, and increased levels of neuroinflammation-related proteins in 24-month-old mice compared to 6- and 12-month-old mice. Immunohistochemistry revealed an increase in activated microglia in the hippocampus of 24-month-old mice compared to 6- and 12-month-old mice. Furthermore, we found more galectin-3 and triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-2-positive microglia in 24-month-old mice compared to 6- and 12-month-old mice. Using primary mouse microglial cells, galectin -3 was also increased by lipopolysaccharide treatment. These findings suggest that galectin-3 may play an important role in microglial activation and neuroinflammation during brain aging.

Peyronie’s disease is an acquired condition characterized by penile deformities caused by fibrosis of the penile tunica albuginea, leading to symptoms such as penile pain, erectile dysfunction, and other associated issues. Despite extensive research, the pathophysiology of this condition remains poorly understood, and standardized diagnostic and treatment protocols are lacking. While clinical guidelines from several professional societies exist, they do not consistently account for factors such as patient ethnicity, geography, and socioeconomic status. Thus, the Korean Society for Sexual Medicine and Andrology (KSSMA) aimed to develop recommendations tailored to clinical practice in Korea. These recommendations summarize the latest evidence, including clinical practice guidelines from various international professional societies, and represent the consensus opinion of an expert group within the KSSMA. They encompass all aspects of Peyronie’s disease, including the definition, diagnosis, non-surgical interventions, and surgical treatment options.