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: 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.

Growth hormone (GH) deficiency is caused by congenital or acquired causes and occurs in childhood or adulthood. GH replacement therapy brings benefits to body composition, exercise capacity, skeletal health, cardiovascular outcomes, and quality of life. Before initiating GH replacement, GH deficiency should be confirmed through proper stimulation tests, and in cases with proven genetic causes or structural lesions, repeated GH stimulation testing is not necessary. The dosing regimen of GH replacement therapy should be individualized, with the goal of minimizing side effects and maximizing clinical improvements. The Korean Endocrine Society and the Korean Society of Pediatric Endocrinology have developed a position statement on the diagnosis and treatment of GH deficiency. This position statement is based on a systematic review of evidence and expert opinions.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is an immune-mediated, chronic inflammatory disease affecting multiple aspects of patients' lives. Its epidemiology varies regionally; however, nationwide epidemiologic data on psoriasis depicting profile of Korean patients has not been available to date. OBJECTIVE: To understand nationwide epidemiologic characteristics and clinical features of adult patients with psoriasis visited university hospitals in Korea. METHODS: This multicenter, non-interventional, cross-sectional study recruited 1,278 adult patients with psoriasis across 25 centers in Korea in 2013. Various clinical data including PASI, BSA, DLQI, SF-36 and PASE were collected. RESULTS: A total of 1,260 patients completed the study (male:female=1.47:1). The mean age was 47.0 years with a distribution mostly in the 50s (24.9%). Early onset (<40 years) of psoriasis accounted for 53.9% of patients. The mean disease duration was 109.2 months; mean body mass index was 23.9 kg/m²; and 12.7% of patients had a family history of psoriasis. Plaque and guttate types of psoriasis accounted for 85.8% and 8.4%, respectively. Patients with PASI ≥10 accounted for 24.9%; patients with body surface area ≥10 were 45.9%. Patients with DLQI ≥6 accounted for 78.8%. Between PASI <10 and PASI ≥10 groups, significant difference was noted in age at diagnosis, disease duration, blood pressure, waist circumference of female, and treatment experiences with phototherapy, systemic agents, and biologics. CONCLUSION: This was the first nationwide epidemiologic study of patients with psoriasis in Korea and provides an overview of the epidemiologic characteristics and clinical profiles of this patient population.
Adult ; Biological Products ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Body Surface Area ; Cross-Sectional Studies* ; Diagnosis ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Korea* ; Phototherapy ; Psoriasis* ; Waist Circumference

BACKGROUND: In approach to an adrenal incidentaloma, early exclusion of pheochromocytoma is clinically important, due to the risk of catecholamine crisis. The aims of this study are to investigate the characteristics of incidentally detected pheochromocytomas, compared with that of the other adrenal incidentalomas, and to compare these characteristics with those of symptomatic pheochromocytomas. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we reviewed the medical records of 198 patients with adrenal incidentaloma from 2001 to 2010. We analyzed the clinical, laboratory and radiological data of pheochromocytomas, in comparison with those of the other adrenal incidentalomas. We also compared the characteristics of these incidentally detected pheochromocytomas with the medical records of 28 pathologically proven pheochromocytomas, diagnosed based on typical symptoms. RESULTS: Among the 198 patients with adrenal incidentaloma, nineteen patients were diagnosed with pheochromocytoma. Pheochromocytomas showed larger size and higher Hounsfield unit at precontrast computed tomography (CT) than did non-pheochromocytomas. All pheochromocytomas were larger than 2.0 cm, and the Hounsfield units were 19 or higher in precontrast CT. When both criteria of size > 2.0 cm and Hounsfield unit > 19 were met, the sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma were 100% and 79.3%, respectively. Compared with patients with pheochromocytoma, diagnosed based on typical symptoms, patients with incidentally detected pheochromocytoma were older, presented less often with hypertension, and showed lower levels of 24-hour urine metanephrine. CONCLUSION: Adrenal incidentaloma with < 2.0 cm in size or < or = 19 Hounsfield units in precontrast CT imaging was less likely to be a pheochromocytoma. Patients with incidentally discovered pheochromocytoma showed lower catecholamine metabolites, compared with those patients with symptomatic pheochromocytoma.
Adrenal Gland Neoplasms ; Adrenocortical Adenoma ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Medical Records ; Pheochromocytoma ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Natural isoflavones and flavones are important dietary factors for prostate cancer prevention. We investigated the molecular mechanism of these compounds (genistein, biochanin-A and apigenin) in PC-3 (hormone-independent/p53 mutant type) and LNCaP (hormone-dependent/p53 wild type) prostate cancer cells. A cell growth rate and apoptotic activities were analyzed in different concentrations and exposure time to evaluate the antitumor activities of genistein, biochanin-A and apigenin. The real time PCR and Western blot analysis were performed to investigate whether the molecular mechanism of these compounds are involving the p21 and PLK-1 pathway. Apoptosis of prostate cancer cells was associated with p21 up-regulation and PLK-1 suppression. Exposure of genistein, biochanin-A and apigenin on LNCaP and PC-3 prostate cancer cells resulted in same pattern of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The inhibition effect for cell proliferation was slightly greater in LNCaP than PC-3 cells. In conclusion, flavonoids treatment induces up-regulation of p21 expression, and p21 inhibits transcription of PLK-1, which promotes apoptosis of cancer cells.
Antineoplastic Agents/*pharmacology ; Apigenin/pharmacology ; *Apoptosis ; Cell Cycle/drug effects ; Cell Cycle Proteins/biosynthesis/*genetics/metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21/biosynthesis/*metabolism ; Flavonoids/*pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects ; Genistein/pharmacology ; Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms/genetics/metabolism/*pathology ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology ; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases/biosynthesis/*genetics/metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins/biosynthesis/*genetics/metabolism ; Transcription, Genetic/drug effects

With rapid population aging, the socioeconomic burden caused by dementia care is snowballing. Although a few community-based studies of Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been performed in Korea, there has never been a nationwide hospital-based study thereof. We aimed to identify the demographics and clinical characteristics of mild-to-moderate AD patients from the Clinical Research Center for Dementia of Korea (CREDOS) registry. A total of 1,786 patients were consecutively included from September 2005 to June 2010. Each patient underwent comprehensive neurological examination, interview for caregivers, laboratory investigations, neuropsychological tests, and brain MRI. The mean age was 74.0 yr and the female percentage 67.0%. The mean period of education was 7.1 yr and the frequency of early-onset AD (< 65 yr old) was 18.8%. Among the vascular risk factors, hypertension (48.9%) and diabetes mellitus (22.3%) were the most frequent. The mean score of the Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) was 19.2 and the mean sum of box scores of Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR-SB) 5.1. Based on the well-structured, nationwide, and hospital-based registry, this study provides the unique clinical characteristics of AD and emphasizes the importance of vascular factors in AD in Korea.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Alzheimer Disease/complications/*diagnosis ; Brain/radionuclide imaging ; Caregivers ; Dementia/diagnosis ; Demography ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/etiology ; Female ; Hospitals ; Humans ; Hypertension/etiology ; Interviews as Topic ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Questionnaires ; *Registries ; Republic of Korea ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVES: The daily activities and performance of the working population can be threatened by sleep disturbances, including insomnia. This study evaluated the sleep patterns, sleep problems, daytime sleepiness, and lost productivity time (LPT) resulting from sleep quality and sleep duration issues among workers. METHODS: The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and the Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (HPQ) were completed by 653 workers in an urban area. Statistical analyses were performed using independent t-tests. RESULTS: The average sleep duration among the subjects was 6 h 37 min. While 19.6% of the subjects complained of poor sleep quality, 53.4% were affected during the day by insomnia. The estimated annual cost of LPT due to presenteeism (Won13,892,545 vs. Won11,840,140 ; p=0.033) and the total annual cost of LPT (Won14,040,968 vs. Won11,961,302 ; p=0.032) were higher in poor sleepers than in good sleepers. Furthermore, workers with a shorter sleep duration had a higher annual LPT due to presenteeism (747.83 vs. 648.57 h ; p=0.046) and a higher total annual LPT (754.48 vs. 657.99 h ; p=0.049) than workers with a longer sleep duration. CONCLUSION: Sleep deprivation among workers caused 1 h 51 min LPT per week. This suggests that sleep disturbance affects workers' performance in an organization, as well as in terms of individual health.
Efficiency ; Korea ; Occupational Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sleep Deprivation ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders