Background: While Korea maintains a low prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the number of newly diagnosed cases has been steadily rising, reaching approximately 1,000 annually in recent years. The 2022 annual report from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency revealed that women living with HIV (WLWH) constitute 6.4% of the total confirmed people living with the HIV population, totaling 1,219 individuals. Despite this, only a few studies have focused on WLWH in Korea. This study aims to analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of WLWH in Korea. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively collected data by reviewing the medical records of all WLWH who visited 10 urban referral hospitals across Korea between January 2005 and May 2023. Results: A total of 443 WLWH were enrolled in this study. The predominant risk exposure was heterosexual contact, with 235 (53%) participants either married or cohabiting with a male partner at their initial clinic visit. Among the participants, 334 (77.7%) were Korean, 27 (6.1%) were Southeast Asian, and 19 (4.3%) were African. Antiretroviral therapy was initiated by 404 WLWH (91.2%). We observed 118 pregnancies in WLWH following their HIV diagnosis, resulting in 78 live births (66.1%), 18 induced abortions (15.2%), 10 pre-viable fetal losses (8.5%), and four stillbirths (3.4%). Over a cumulative follow-up duration of 3,202.1 years, the incidence rates of breast and cervical cancers were both 2.18 per 1,000 person-years. Additionally, the incidence rates of pelvic inflammatory disease, cervical intraepithelial neoplasm (above grade II), and osteoporosis were 4.67, 11.21, and 13.39 per 1,000 patient-years, respectively. Conclusion This is the first multicenter study to investigate the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of WLWH in Korea. The incidence and prevalence of diseases in women, including breast cancer, cervical cancer, and chronic comorbidities, are high in WLWH in Korea; therefore, further research and efforts are needed to manage these diseases.

Background: Renal replacement therapy (RRT) is an important treatment option for sepsisassociated acute kidney injury (AKI); however, the optimal timing for its initiation remains controversial. Herein, we investigated the clinical outcomes of early continuous kidney replacement therapy (CKRT), defined as CKRT initiation within 6 hours of sepsis-associated AKI onset, which was earlier than the initiation time defined in previous studies. Methods: We used clinical data sourced from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database. This study included patients aged ≥ 18 years who met the sepsis diagnostic criteria and received CKRT because of stage 2 or 3 AKI. Early and late CKRTs were defined as CKRT initiation within 6 hours and after 6 hours of the development of sepsisassociated AKI, respectively. Results: Of the 33,236 patients diagnosed with sepsis, 553 underwent CKRT for sepsisassociated AKI. After excluding cases of early mortality and patients with a dialysis history, 45 and 334 patients were included in the early and late CKRT groups, respectively. After propensity score matching, the 28-day mortality rate was significantly lower in the early CKRT group than in the late CKRT group (26.7% vs. 43.9%, P = 0.035). The early CKRT group also had a significantly greater number of days free of mechanical ventilation (median, 19; interquartile range [IQR], 3–25) and vasopressor administration (median, 21; IQR, 5–26) than the late CKRT group did (median, 10.5; IQR, 0–23; P = 0.037 and median, 13.5;IQR, 0–25; P = 0.028, respectively). The Kaplan–Meier curve also showed that early CKRT initiation was associated with an improved 28-day mortality rate (log-rank test, P = 0.040).In contrast, there was no significant difference in the 28-day mortality between patients who started CKRT within 12 hours and those who did not (log-rank test, P = 0.237). Conclusion Early CKRT initiation improved the survival of patients with sepsis-associated AKI. Initiation of CKRT should be considered as early as possible after sepsis-associated AKI onset, preferably within 6 hours.

Background: Renal replacement therapy (RRT) is an important treatment option for sepsisassociated acute kidney injury (AKI); however, the optimal timing for its initiation remains controversial. Herein, we investigated the clinical outcomes of early continuous kidney replacement therapy (CKRT), defined as CKRT initiation within 6 hours of sepsis-associated AKI onset, which was earlier than the initiation time defined in previous studies. Methods: We used clinical data sourced from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database. This study included patients aged ≥ 18 years who met the sepsis diagnostic criteria and received CKRT because of stage 2 or 3 AKI. Early and late CKRTs were defined as CKRT initiation within 6 hours and after 6 hours of the development of sepsisassociated AKI, respectively. Results: Of the 33,236 patients diagnosed with sepsis, 553 underwent CKRT for sepsisassociated AKI. After excluding cases of early mortality and patients with a dialysis history, 45 and 334 patients were included in the early and late CKRT groups, respectively. After propensity score matching, the 28-day mortality rate was significantly lower in the early CKRT group than in the late CKRT group (26.7% vs. 43.9%, P = 0.035). The early CKRT group also had a significantly greater number of days free of mechanical ventilation (median, 19; interquartile range [IQR], 3–25) and vasopressor administration (median, 21; IQR, 5–26) than the late CKRT group did (median, 10.5; IQR, 0–23; P = 0.037 and median, 13.5;IQR, 0–25; P = 0.028, respectively). The Kaplan–Meier curve also showed that early CKRT initiation was associated with an improved 28-day mortality rate (log-rank test, P = 0.040).In contrast, there was no significant difference in the 28-day mortality between patients who started CKRT within 12 hours and those who did not (log-rank test, P = 0.237). Conclusion Early CKRT initiation improved the survival of patients with sepsis-associated AKI. Initiation of CKRT should be considered as early as possible after sepsis-associated AKI onset, preferably within 6 hours.

Background: While Korea maintains a low prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the number of newly diagnosed cases has been steadily rising, reaching approximately 1,000 annually in recent years. The 2022 annual report from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency revealed that women living with HIV (WLWH) constitute 6.4% of the total confirmed people living with the HIV population, totaling 1,219 individuals. Despite this, only a few studies have focused on WLWH in Korea. This study aims to analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of WLWH in Korea. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively collected data by reviewing the medical records of all WLWH who visited 10 urban referral hospitals across Korea between January 2005 and May 2023. Results: A total of 443 WLWH were enrolled in this study. The predominant risk exposure was heterosexual contact, with 235 (53%) participants either married or cohabiting with a male partner at their initial clinic visit. Among the participants, 334 (77.7%) were Korean, 27 (6.1%) were Southeast Asian, and 19 (4.3%) were African. Antiretroviral therapy was initiated by 404 WLWH (91.2%). We observed 118 pregnancies in WLWH following their HIV diagnosis, resulting in 78 live births (66.1%), 18 induced abortions (15.2%), 10 pre-viable fetal losses (8.5%), and four stillbirths (3.4%). Over a cumulative follow-up duration of 3,202.1 years, the incidence rates of breast and cervical cancers were both 2.18 per 1,000 person-years. Additionally, the incidence rates of pelvic inflammatory disease, cervical intraepithelial neoplasm (above grade II), and osteoporosis were 4.67, 11.21, and 13.39 per 1,000 patient-years, respectively. Conclusion This is the first multicenter study to investigate the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of WLWH in Korea. The incidence and prevalence of diseases in women, including breast cancer, cervical cancer, and chronic comorbidities, are high in WLWH in Korea; therefore, further research and efforts are needed to manage these diseases.

Background: Renal replacement therapy (RRT) is an important treatment option for sepsisassociated acute kidney injury (AKI); however, the optimal timing for its initiation remains controversial. Herein, we investigated the clinical outcomes of early continuous kidney replacement therapy (CKRT), defined as CKRT initiation within 6 hours of sepsis-associated AKI onset, which was earlier than the initiation time defined in previous studies. Methods: We used clinical data sourced from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database. This study included patients aged ≥ 18 years who met the sepsis diagnostic criteria and received CKRT because of stage 2 or 3 AKI. Early and late CKRTs were defined as CKRT initiation within 6 hours and after 6 hours of the development of sepsisassociated AKI, respectively. Results: Of the 33,236 patients diagnosed with sepsis, 553 underwent CKRT for sepsisassociated AKI. After excluding cases of early mortality and patients with a dialysis history, 45 and 334 patients were included in the early and late CKRT groups, respectively. After propensity score matching, the 28-day mortality rate was significantly lower in the early CKRT group than in the late CKRT group (26.7% vs. 43.9%, P = 0.035). The early CKRT group also had a significantly greater number of days free of mechanical ventilation (median, 19; interquartile range [IQR], 3–25) and vasopressor administration (median, 21; IQR, 5–26) than the late CKRT group did (median, 10.5; IQR, 0–23; P = 0.037 and median, 13.5;IQR, 0–25; P = 0.028, respectively). The Kaplan–Meier curve also showed that early CKRT initiation was associated with an improved 28-day mortality rate (log-rank test, P = 0.040).In contrast, there was no significant difference in the 28-day mortality between patients who started CKRT within 12 hours and those who did not (log-rank test, P = 0.237). Conclusion Early CKRT initiation improved the survival of patients with sepsis-associated AKI. Initiation of CKRT should be considered as early as possible after sepsis-associated AKI onset, preferably within 6 hours.

Background: While Korea maintains a low prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the number of newly diagnosed cases has been steadily rising, reaching approximately 1,000 annually in recent years. The 2022 annual report from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency revealed that women living with HIV (WLWH) constitute 6.4% of the total confirmed people living with the HIV population, totaling 1,219 individuals. Despite this, only a few studies have focused on WLWH in Korea. This study aims to analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of WLWH in Korea. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively collected data by reviewing the medical records of all WLWH who visited 10 urban referral hospitals across Korea between January 2005 and May 2023. Results: A total of 443 WLWH were enrolled in this study. The predominant risk exposure was heterosexual contact, with 235 (53%) participants either married or cohabiting with a male partner at their initial clinic visit. Among the participants, 334 (77.7%) were Korean, 27 (6.1%) were Southeast Asian, and 19 (4.3%) were African. Antiretroviral therapy was initiated by 404 WLWH (91.2%). We observed 118 pregnancies in WLWH following their HIV diagnosis, resulting in 78 live births (66.1%), 18 induced abortions (15.2%), 10 pre-viable fetal losses (8.5%), and four stillbirths (3.4%). Over a cumulative follow-up duration of 3,202.1 years, the incidence rates of breast and cervical cancers were both 2.18 per 1,000 person-years. Additionally, the incidence rates of pelvic inflammatory disease, cervical intraepithelial neoplasm (above grade II), and osteoporosis were 4.67, 11.21, and 13.39 per 1,000 patient-years, respectively. Conclusion This is the first multicenter study to investigate the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of WLWH in Korea. The incidence and prevalence of diseases in women, including breast cancer, cervical cancer, and chronic comorbidities, are high in WLWH in Korea; therefore, further research and efforts are needed to manage these diseases.

Background: Renal replacement therapy (RRT) is an important treatment option for sepsisassociated acute kidney injury (AKI); however, the optimal timing for its initiation remains controversial. Herein, we investigated the clinical outcomes of early continuous kidney replacement therapy (CKRT), defined as CKRT initiation within 6 hours of sepsis-associated AKI onset, which was earlier than the initiation time defined in previous studies. Methods: We used clinical data sourced from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database. This study included patients aged ≥ 18 years who met the sepsis diagnostic criteria and received CKRT because of stage 2 or 3 AKI. Early and late CKRTs were defined as CKRT initiation within 6 hours and after 6 hours of the development of sepsisassociated AKI, respectively. Results: Of the 33,236 patients diagnosed with sepsis, 553 underwent CKRT for sepsisassociated AKI. After excluding cases of early mortality and patients with a dialysis history, 45 and 334 patients were included in the early and late CKRT groups, respectively. After propensity score matching, the 28-day mortality rate was significantly lower in the early CKRT group than in the late CKRT group (26.7% vs. 43.9%, P = 0.035). The early CKRT group also had a significantly greater number of days free of mechanical ventilation (median, 19; interquartile range [IQR], 3–25) and vasopressor administration (median, 21; IQR, 5–26) than the late CKRT group did (median, 10.5; IQR, 0–23; P = 0.037 and median, 13.5;IQR, 0–25; P = 0.028, respectively). The Kaplan–Meier curve also showed that early CKRT initiation was associated with an improved 28-day mortality rate (log-rank test, P = 0.040).In contrast, there was no significant difference in the 28-day mortality between patients who started CKRT within 12 hours and those who did not (log-rank test, P = 0.237). Conclusion Early CKRT initiation improved the survival of patients with sepsis-associated AKI. Initiation of CKRT should be considered as early as possible after sepsis-associated AKI onset, preferably within 6 hours.

Background: Patients with hematologic malignancies exhibit persistent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 positivity over long periods after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) diagnosis. However, the frequency of, risk factors for, and prognosis of prolonged COVID-19 in immunocompromised patients remain unclear. Therefore, we investigated the long-term outcomes of COVID-19 in lymphoma patients and identified the associated factors and impact of prolonged COVID-19 on mortality. Methods: A multicenter retrospective cohort study of 583 lymphoma patients was conducted in 3 tertiary hospitals in South Korea. Patients receiving lymphoma treatment who were quarantined after obtaining a diagnosis of COVID-19 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or antigen test from August 2021 to September 2022 were examined. Results: Overall, 115 patients (19.7%) were diagnosed with COVID-19. Among 77 patients with clinical data, 24 had prolonged COVID-19. Patients in the prolonged COVID-19 group showed higher rates of receiving rituximab maintenance therapy following bendamustine and rituximab (BR) treatment for follicular lymphoma. This group did not show significant differences in clinical presentation within 30 days of COVID-19 diagnosis; however, it showed higher rates of re-admission due to COVID-19 pneumonia compared with the non-prolonged COVID-19 group. BR treatment followed by rituximab maintenance therapy is one of the risk factors for persistent PCR positivity, delayed or persistent pneumonia, and COVID-19 related admission after quarantine period. Prolonged COVID-19 was an independent risk factor for 1-year mortality. Conclusion Prolonged COVID-19 was more frequent in lymphoma patients who received BR treatment followed by rituximab maintenance therapy and associated with unfavorable longterm outcomes and higher 1-year mortality.

Objectives: On February 16, 2022, 12 cases of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection were reported in a food manufacturing factory in Korea. The aim of this study was to identify additional cases and to determine the source of this HEV outbreak. Methods: This study was an in-depth investigation of 12 HEV immunoglobulin M (IgM)-positive cases and their demographic, clinical, and epidemiological characteristics. On-site specimens were collected from the environment and from humans, and a follow-up investigation was conducted 2 to 3 months after the outbreak. Results: Among 80 production workers in the factory, 12 (15.0%) had acute HEV infection, all of whom were asymptomatic. The follow-up investigation showed that 3 cases were HEV IgM-positive, while 6 were HEV IgG-positive. HEV genes were not detected in the HEV IgM-positive specimens. HEV genes were not detected in the food products or environmental specimens collected on-site. HEV was presumed to be the causative pathogen. However, it could not be confirmed that the source of infection was common consumption inside the factory. Conclusion This was the first domestic case of an HEV infection outbreak in a food manufacturing factory in Korea. Our results provide information for the future control of outbreaks and for the preparation of measures to prevent domestic outbreaks of HEV infection.

Background: As the number of large-scale studies involving multiple organizations producing data has steadily increased, an integrated system for a common interoperable format is needed. In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a number of global efforts are underway to develop vaccines and therapeutics. We are therefore observing an explosion in the proliferation of COVID-19 data, and interoperability is highly requested in multiple institutions participating simultaneously in COVID-19 pandemic research. Results: In this study, a laboratory information management system (LIMS) approach has been adopted to systemically manage various COVID-19 non-clinical trial data, including mortality, clinical signs, body weight, body temperature, organ weights, viral titer (viral replication and viral RNA), and multiorgan histopathology, from multiple institutions based on a web interface. The main aim of the implemented system is to integrate, standardize, and organize data collected from laboratories in multiple institutes for COVID-19 non-clinical efficacy testings. Six animal biosafety level 3 institutions proved the feasibility of our system. Substantial benefits were shown by maximizing collaborative high-quality non-clinical research. Conclusions This LIMS platform can be used for future outbreaks, leading to accelerated medical product development through the systematic management of extensive data from non-clinical animal studies.