Purpose: The feasibility of sequencing circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in plasma as a biomarker to predict early relapse or poor prognosis in patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) receiving systemic immunochemotherapy is not clear. Materials and Methods: We sequenced DNA from cell-free plasma that was serially obtained from newly diagnosed FL patients undergoing systemic immunochemotherapy. The mutation profiles of ctDNA at the time of diagnosis and at response evaluation and relapse and/or progression were compared with clinical course and treatment outcomes. Results: Forty samples from patients receiving rituximab-containing immunochemotherapy were analyzed. Baseline sequencing detected mutations in all cases, with the major detected mutations being KMT2C (50%), CREBBP (45%), and KMT2D (45%). The concentration of ctDNA and tumor mutation burden showed a significant association with survival outcome. In particular, the presence of mutations in CREBBP and TP53 showed poor prognosis compared with patients without them. Longitudinal analysis of ctDNA using serially collected plasma samples showed an association between persistence or reappearance of ctDNA mutations and disease relapse or progression. Conclusion Analysis of ctDNA mutations in plasma at diagnosis might help predict outcome of disease, while analysis during follow-up may help to monitor disease status of patients with advanced FL. However, the feasibility of ctDNA measurement must be improved in order for it to become an appropriate and clinically relevant test in FL patients.

Viral load and the duration of viral shedding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are important determinants of the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019.In this study, we examined the effects of viral doses on the lung and spleen of K18-hACE2 transgenic mice by temporal histological and transcriptional analyses. Approximately, 1×105 plaque-forming units (PFU) of SARS-CoV-2 induced strong host responses in the lungs from 2 days post inoculation (dpi) which did not recover until the mice died, whereas responses to the virus were obvious at 5 days, recovering to the basal state by 14 dpi at 1×102 PFU. Further, flow cytometry showed that number of CD8+ T cells continuously increased in 1×102 PFU-virusinfected lungs from 2 dpi, but not in 1×105 PFU-virus-infected lungs. In spleens, responses to the virus were prominent from 2 dpi, and number of B cells was significantly decreased at 1×105PFU; however, 1×102 PFU of virus induced very weak responses from 2 dpi which recovered by 10 dpi. Although the defense responses returned to normal and the mice survived, lung histology showed evidence of fibrosis, suggesting sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our findings indicate that specific effectors of the immune response in the lung and spleen were either increased or depleted in response to doses of SARS-CoV-2. This study demonstrated that the response of local and systemic immune effectors to a viral infection varies with viral dose, which either exacerbates the severity of the infection or accelerates its elimination.

Background: Visceral pleural invasion (VPI) is a poor prognostic factor that contributes to the upstaging of early lung cancers. However, the preoperative assessment of VPI presents challenges. This study was conducted to examine intraoperative pleural carcinoembryonic antigen (pCEA) level and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) as predictive markers of VPI in patients with clinical T1N0M0 lung adenocarcinoma. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of the medical records of 613 patients who underwent intraoperative pCEA sampling and lung resection for non-small cell lung cancer. Of these, 390 individuals with clinical stage I adenocarcinoma and tumors ≤30 mm were included. Based on computed tomography findings, these patients were divided into pleural contact (n=186) and non-pleural contact (n=204) groups. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to analyze the association between pCEA and SUVmax in relation to VPI. Additionally, logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate risk factors for VPI in each group. Results: ROC curve analysis revealed that pCEA level greater than 2.565 ng/mL (area under the curve [AUC]=0.751) and SUVmax above 4.25 (AUC=0.801) were highly predictive of VPI in patients exhibiting pleural contact. Based on multivariable analysis, pCEA (odds ratio [OR], 3.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14–7.87; p=0.026) and SUVmax (OR, 5.25; 95% CI, 1.90–14.50; p=0.001) were significant risk factors for VPI in the pleural contact group. Conclusion In patients with clinical stage I lung adenocarcinoma exhibiting pleural contact, pCEA and SUVmax are potential predictive indicators of VPI. These markers may be helpful in planning for lung cancer surgery.

Background: Unexpected conversion to thoracotomy during planned video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) can lead to poor outcomes and comparatively high morbidity. This study was conducted to assess preoperative risk factors associated with unexpected thoracotomy conversion and to develop a risk scoring model for preoperative use, aimed at identifying patients with an elevated risk of conversion. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of 1,506 patients who underwent surgical resection for non-small cell lung cancer. To evaluate the risk factors, univariate analysis and logistic regression were performed. A risk scoring model was established to predict unexpected thoracotomy conversion during VATS of the lung, based on preoperative factors. To validate the model, an additional cohort of 878 patients was analyzed. Results: Among the potentially significant clinical variables, male sex, previous ipsilateral lung surgery, preoperative detection of calcified lymph nodes, and clinical T stage were identified as independent risk factors for unplanned conversion to thoracotomy. A 6-point risk scoring model was developed to predict conversion based on the assessed risk, with patients categorized into 4 groups. The results indicated an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.747, with a sensitivity of 80.5%, specificity of 56.4%, positive predictive value of 1.8%, and negative predictive value of 91.0%. When applied to the validation cohort, the model exhibited good predictive accuracy. Conclusion We successfully developed and validated a risk scoring model for preoperative use that can predict the likelihood of unplanned conversion to thoracotomy during VATS of the lung.

This report presents the latest statistics on the stroke population in South Korea, sourced from the Clinical Research Collaborations for Stroke in Korea-National Institute for Health (CRCS-K-NIH), a comprehensive, nationwide, multicenter stroke registry. The Korean cohort, unlike western populations, shows a male-to-female ratio of 1.5, attributed to lower risk factors in Korean women. The average ages for men and women are 67 and 73 years, respectively.Hypertension is the most common risk factor (67%), consistent with global trends, but there is a higher prevalence of diabetes (35%) and smoking (21%). The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (19%) is lower than in western populations, suggesting effective prevention strategies in the general population. A high incidence of large artery atherosclerosis (38%) is observed, likely due to prevalent intracranial arterial disease in East Asians and advanced imaging techniques.There has been a decrease in intravenous thrombolysis rates, from 12% in 2017–2019 to 10% in 2021, with no improvements in door-to-needle and door-to-puncture times, worsened by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. While the use of aspirin plus clopidogrel for noncardioembolic stroke and direct oral anticoagulants for atrial fibrillation is well-established, the application of direct oral anticoagulants for non-atrial fibrillation cardioembolic strokes in the acute phase requires further research. The incidence of early neurological deterioration (13%) and the cumulative incidence of recurrent stroke at 3 months (3%) align with global figures. Favorable outcomes at 3 months (63%) are comparable internationally, yet the lack of improvement in dependency at 3 months highlights the need for advancements in acute stroke care.

Objective: We aimed to identify the expectations and preferences for medication and medical decision-making in patients with major psychiatric disorders. Methods: A survey was conducted among patients with major psychiatric disorders who visited psychiatric outpatient clinics at 15 hospitals between 2016 and 2018 in Korea. The survey consisted of 12 questions about demographic variables and opinions on their expectations for medication, important medical decision-makers, and preferred drug type. The most preferred value in each category in the total population was identified, and differences in the preference ratio of each item among the disease groups were compared. Results: A total of 707 participants were surveyed. In the total population, patients reported high efficacy (44.01%±21.44%) as the main wish for medication, themselves (37.39%±22.57%) and a doctor (35.27%±22.88%) as the main decision makers, and tablet/capsule (36.16%±30.69%) as the preferred type of drug. In the depressive disorders group, the preference ratio of high efficacy was significantly lower, and the preference ratio of a small amount was significantly higher than that of the psychotic disorder and bipolar disorder groups. The preference ratio of a doctor as an important decision maker in the bipolar disorder group was higher compared to the other groups. Conclusion This study revealed the preference for medications and showed differences among patients with psychiatric disorders. Providing personalized medicine that considers a patient’s preference for the drug may contribute to the improvement of drug compliance and outcomes.

Anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysms may rarely lead to oculomotor nerve palsy. We present here interesting cases in which isolated unilateral adduction paresis mimicking internuclear ophthalmoplegia (INO) was one of the symptoms of suspicious impending ruptured aneurysm of the ACoA. Careful neurologic examination is crucial for early discrimination with INO and oculomotor palsy.

Background: Korea recently established 70 emergency medical service areas. However, there are many concerns that medical resources for stroke could not be evenly distributed through the country. We aimed to compare the treatment quality and outcomes of acute stroke among the emergency medical service areas. Methods: This study analyzed the data of 28,800 patients admitted in 248 hospitals which participated in the 8th acute stroke quality assessment by Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. Individual hospitals were regrouped into emergency service areas according to the address of the location. Assessment indicators and fatality were compared by the service areas. We defined the appropriate hospital by the performance of intravenous thrombolysis. Results: In seven service areas, there were no hospitals which received more than 10 stroke patients for 6 months. In nine service areas, there were no patients who underwent intravenous thrombolysis (IVT). Among 167 designated emergency medical centers, 50 hospitals (29.9%) responded that IVT was impossible 24 hours a day. There are 97 (39.1%) hospitals that meet the definitions of appropriate hospital. In 23 service areas (32.9%) had no appropriate or feasible hospitals. The fatality of service areas with stroke centers were 6.9% within 30 days and 15.6% within 1 year from stroke onset than those without stroke centers (7.7%, 16.9%, respectively). Conclusions There was a wide regional gap in the medical resource and the quality of treatments for acute stroke among emergency medical service areas in Korea. The poststroke fatality rate of the service areas which have stroke centers or appropriate hospitals were significantly low.

Purpose: The optimal short-course chemotherapeutic regimen for rectal cancer has not been clearly defined until now. KROG 10-01 and KROG 11-02 prospective trials investigated the efficacy and safety of 1- and 2-week chemoradiotherapy (CRT), respectively. Materials and Methods: Patients eligible for KROG 10-01 and KROG 11-02 involved those with clinical T3-4N0-2M0 rectal cancers. They received preoperative CRT and total mesorectal excision. Patients in KROG 10-01 received radiation of 25 Gy in 5 fractions during 1 week with 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin. Patients in KROG 11-02 received radiation of 33 Gy in 10 fractions for 2 weeks with oral capecitabine. Results: A total of 150 patients consisting of 70 patients from KROG 10-01 and 80 patients from KROG 11-02 were collectively analyzed. With a median follow-up time of 89.2 months, the 5-year overall survival rate was 86.5% in 1-week CRT and 85.3% in 2-week CRT (p=0.841). The 5-year recurrence-free survival rate was 83.5% in 1-week CRT and 77.1% in 2-week CRT (p=0.448). One patient (1.4%) in 1-week CRT and 11 patients (13.8%) in 2-week CRT exhibited pathologic complete regression (ypT0N0M0) after radiotherapy (p=0.006). One-week CRT had significantly higher acute hematologic (12.8% vs. 3.8%, p=0.040) and nonhematologic (38.6% vs. 16.3%, p=0.002) toxicity than 2-week CRT. Conclusion Both 1- and 2-week schedules of CRT showed favorable survival outcomes after 7 years of follow-up. But, 2-week course achieved more increased tumor response and decreased acute toxicity than 1-week course.

Purpose: This study evaluated whether combination therapy is more effective than monotherapy in elderly patients with metastatic or recurrent gastric cancer (MRGC) as first-line chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: Elderly (≥ 70 years) chemo-naïve patients with MRGC were allocated to receive either combination therapy (group A: 5-fluorouracil [5-FU]/oxaliplatin, capecitabine/oxaliplatin, capecitabine/cisplatin, or S-1/cisplatin) or monotherapy (group B: 5-FU, capecitabine, or S-1). In group A, starting doses were 80% of standard doses, and they could be escalated to 100% at the discretion of the investigator. Primary endpoint was to confirm superior overall survival (OS) of combination therapy vs. monotherapy. Results: After 111 of the planned 238 patients were randomized, enrollment was terminated due to poor accrual. In the full-analysis population (group A [n=53] and group B [n=51]), median OS of combination therapy vs. monotherapy was 11.5 vs. 7.5 months (hazard ratio [HR], 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56 to 1.30; p=0.231). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.6 vs. 3.7 months (HR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.83; p=0.005). In subgroup analyses, patients aged 70-74 years tended to have superior OS with combination therapy (15.9 vs. 7.2 months, p=0.056). Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred more frequently in group A vs. group B. However, among severe TRAEs (≥ grade 3), there were no TRAEs with a frequency difference of > 5%. Conclusion Combination therapy was associated with numerically improved OS, although statistically insignificant, and a significant PFS benefit compared with monotherapy. Although combination therapy showed more frequent TRAEs, there was no difference in the frequency of severe TRAEs.