Background/Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) 3.0 for predicting mortality and liver-related complications compared with the Child-Pugh classification, albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade, the MELD, and the MELD sodium (MELDNa) score. Methods: We evaluated a multicenter retrospective cohort of incorporated patients with cirrhosis between 2013 and 2019. We conducted comparisons of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of the MELD3.0 and other models for predicting 3-month mortality. Additionally, we assessed the risk of cirrhosis-related complications according to the MELD3.0 score. Results: A total of 3,314 patients were included. The mean age was 55.9±11.3 years, and 70.2% of the patients were male. Within the initial 3 months, 220 patients (6.6%) died, and the MELD3.0had the best predictive performance among the tested models, with an AUROC of 0.851, outperforming the Child-Pugh classification, ALBI grade, MELD, and MELDNa. A high MELD3.0score was associated with an increased risk of mortality. Compared with that of the group with a MELD3.0 score <10 points, the adjusted hazard ratio of the group with a score of 10–20 pointswas 2.176, and that for the group with a score of ≥20 points was 4.892. Each 1-point increase inthe MELD3.0 score increased the risk of cirrhosis-related complications by 1.033-fold. The risk of hepatorenal syndrome showed the highest increase, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.149, followed by hepatic encephalopathy and ascites. Conclusions The MELD3.0 demonstrated robust prognostic performance in predicting mortality in patients with cirrhosis. Moreover, the MELD3.0 score was linked to cirrhosis-related complications, particularly those involving kidney function, such as hepatorenal syndrome and ascites.

Background/Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) 3.0 for predicting mortality and liver-related complications compared with the Child-Pugh classification, albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade, the MELD, and the MELD sodium (MELDNa) score. Methods: We evaluated a multicenter retrospective cohort of incorporated patients with cirrhosis between 2013 and 2019. We conducted comparisons of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of the MELD3.0 and other models for predicting 3-month mortality. Additionally, we assessed the risk of cirrhosis-related complications according to the MELD3.0 score. Results: A total of 3,314 patients were included. The mean age was 55.9±11.3 years, and 70.2% of the patients were male. Within the initial 3 months, 220 patients (6.6%) died, and the MELD3.0had the best predictive performance among the tested models, with an AUROC of 0.851, outperforming the Child-Pugh classification, ALBI grade, MELD, and MELDNa. A high MELD3.0score was associated with an increased risk of mortality. Compared with that of the group with a MELD3.0 score <10 points, the adjusted hazard ratio of the group with a score of 10–20 pointswas 2.176, and that for the group with a score of ≥20 points was 4.892. Each 1-point increase inthe MELD3.0 score increased the risk of cirrhosis-related complications by 1.033-fold. The risk of hepatorenal syndrome showed the highest increase, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.149, followed by hepatic encephalopathy and ascites. Conclusions The MELD3.0 demonstrated robust prognostic performance in predicting mortality in patients with cirrhosis. Moreover, the MELD3.0 score was linked to cirrhosis-related complications, particularly those involving kidney function, such as hepatorenal syndrome and ascites.

Background/Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) 3.0 for predicting mortality and liver-related complications compared with the Child-Pugh classification, albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade, the MELD, and the MELD sodium (MELDNa) score. Methods: We evaluated a multicenter retrospective cohort of incorporated patients with cirrhosis between 2013 and 2019. We conducted comparisons of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of the MELD3.0 and other models for predicting 3-month mortality. Additionally, we assessed the risk of cirrhosis-related complications according to the MELD3.0 score. Results: A total of 3,314 patients were included. The mean age was 55.9±11.3 years, and 70.2% of the patients were male. Within the initial 3 months, 220 patients (6.6%) died, and the MELD3.0had the best predictive performance among the tested models, with an AUROC of 0.851, outperforming the Child-Pugh classification, ALBI grade, MELD, and MELDNa. A high MELD3.0score was associated with an increased risk of mortality. Compared with that of the group with a MELD3.0 score <10 points, the adjusted hazard ratio of the group with a score of 10–20 pointswas 2.176, and that for the group with a score of ≥20 points was 4.892. Each 1-point increase inthe MELD3.0 score increased the risk of cirrhosis-related complications by 1.033-fold. The risk of hepatorenal syndrome showed the highest increase, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.149, followed by hepatic encephalopathy and ascites. Conclusions The MELD3.0 demonstrated robust prognostic performance in predicting mortality in patients with cirrhosis. Moreover, the MELD3.0 score was linked to cirrhosis-related complications, particularly those involving kidney function, such as hepatorenal syndrome and ascites.

Background/Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) 3.0 for predicting mortality and liver-related complications compared with the Child-Pugh classification, albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade, the MELD, and the MELD sodium (MELDNa) score. Methods: We evaluated a multicenter retrospective cohort of incorporated patients with cirrhosis between 2013 and 2019. We conducted comparisons of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of the MELD3.0 and other models for predicting 3-month mortality. Additionally, we assessed the risk of cirrhosis-related complications according to the MELD3.0 score. Results: A total of 3,314 patients were included. The mean age was 55.9±11.3 years, and 70.2% of the patients were male. Within the initial 3 months, 220 patients (6.6%) died, and the MELD3.0had the best predictive performance among the tested models, with an AUROC of 0.851, outperforming the Child-Pugh classification, ALBI grade, MELD, and MELDNa. A high MELD3.0score was associated with an increased risk of mortality. Compared with that of the group with a MELD3.0 score <10 points, the adjusted hazard ratio of the group with a score of 10–20 pointswas 2.176, and that for the group with a score of ≥20 points was 4.892. Each 1-point increase inthe MELD3.0 score increased the risk of cirrhosis-related complications by 1.033-fold. The risk of hepatorenal syndrome showed the highest increase, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.149, followed by hepatic encephalopathy and ascites. Conclusions The MELD3.0 demonstrated robust prognostic performance in predicting mortality in patients with cirrhosis. Moreover, the MELD3.0 score was linked to cirrhosis-related complications, particularly those involving kidney function, such as hepatorenal syndrome and ascites.

Background/Aims: Bile duct invasion (BDI) is rarely observed in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), leading to hyperbilirubinemia. However, the efficacy of pretreatment biliary drainage for HCC patients with BDI and obstructive jaundice is currently unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of biliary drainage on the prognosis of these patients. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled a total of 200 HCC patients with BDI from multicenter cohorts. Patients without obstructive jaundice (n=99) and those who did not undergo HCC treatment (n=37) were excluded from further analysis. Finally, 64 patients with obstructive jaundice (43 subjected to drainage and 21 not subjected to drainage) were included. Propensity score matching was then conducted. Results: The biliary drainage group showed longer overall survival (median 10.13 months vs 4.43 months, p=0.004) and progression-free survival durations (median 7.00 months vs 1.97 months, p<0.001) than the non-drainage group. Multivariate analysis showed that biliary drainage was a significantly favorable prognostic factor for overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.42; p=0.006) and progression-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.30; p<0.001). Furthermore, in the evaluation of first response after HCC treatment, biliary drainage was beneficial (p=0.005). Remarkably, the durations of overall survival (p=0.032) and progression-free survival (p=0.004) were similar after propensity score matching. Conclusions Biliary drainage is an independent favorable prognostic factor for HCC patients with BDI and obstructive jaundice. Therefore, biliary drainage should be contemplated in the treatment of advanced HCC with BDI to improve survival outcomes.

Background/Aims: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF) therapy in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected Korean patients in a real clinical setting. Methods: A total of 273 patients who received LDV/SOF therapy between May 2016 and February 2021 were consecutively enrolled and analyzed. A per-protocol analysis was performed to evaluate the virologic response. Results: Seventy-five percent were infected with genotype 1, and 25% were infected with genotype 2. A hundred eightyone (66.3%) patients had chronic hepatitis, 74 (27.1%) had compensated cirrhosis, eight (2.9%) had decompensated cirrhosis, and 10 (3.7%) had undergone liver transplantation. Undetectable HCV RNA at week 4 was achieved in 90.2% (231/256) of patients, 99.2% (250/252) achieved the end of treatment response, and 98.1% (202/206) achieved sustained virologic response at 12 weeks post-treatment (SVR12). According to liver function, the SVR12 rates were 99.3% (135/136) in chronic hepatitis, 96.4% (53/55) in compensated cirrhosis, and 100% (6/6) in decompensated cirrhosis. The SVR12 rates according to the genotype were 98.2% (167/170) for genotype 1 and 97.2% (35/36) for genotype 2. An 8-week LDV/SOF treatment in treatment-naïve chronic hepatitis patients with HCV RNA < 6,000,000 IU/mL at baseline resulted in 100% (23/23) SVR12 rates. Overall, LDV/SOF was tolerated well, with a 0.7% (2/273) discontinuation rate due to adverse events that were unrelated to LDV/SOF. Conclusions LDV/SOF is effective and safe for treating HCV-infected Korean patients with high SVR12 rates.

Background/Aims: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of direct acting antivirals (DAAs) available in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Korea. Methods: In a retrospective, multicenter cohort study, 362 patients were enrolled from 2015 to 2019. The effectiveness and safety of DAAs including glecaprevir/pibrentasvir, sofosubvir/ribavirin, ledipasvir/sofosbuvir, and daclatasvir/asunaprevir were analyzed for patients according to CKD stage. We evaluated sustained virologic response at week 12 after treatment (SVR12) as primary endpoint. The effectiveness and safety were also evaluated according to CKD stage. Results: Among 362 patients, 307 patients completed DAAs treatment and follow-up period after end of treatment. The subjects comprised 87 patients (62 with CKD stage 3 and 25 with CKD stage (4–5), of whom 22 were undergoing hemodialysis). HCV patients with CKD stage 1 and 2 (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) showed SVR12 of 97.2% and 95.4% respectively. SVR12 of CKD stage 3 and 4–5 (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) patients was 91.9% and 91.6% respectively. Patients undergoing hemodialysis achieved SVR12 (90.9%). Treatment failure of DAAs in stage 1, 2, 3, and 4–5 was 2.8%, 2.7%, 1.6%, and 4%. DAAs showed good safety profile and did not affect deterioration of renal function. Conclusions DAAs shows comparable SVR12 and safety in CKD patients (stage 3, 4, and 5) with HCV compared with patients with stage 1 and 2. The effectiveness and safety of DAAs may be related to the treatment duration. Therefore, it is important to select adequate regimens of DAAs and to increase treatment adherence.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and adults (MIS-C/A) was rarely reported as a complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and potential adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination. Recently, the case definition of MIS-C/A was developed by the Brighton Collaboration Network. However, only a limited number of adult patients with MIS-A following immunization have been reported, and there is still little evidence for adequate treatment. A 57-year-old man presented with fever, headache, vomiting, and hypotension 24 days after receiving the second COVID-19 vaccination with the PfizerBioNTech vaccine. According to the Brighton Collaboration Case Definition, the patient met a definitive case of MIS-A after vaccination (level 1 of diagnostic certainty). After administration of medium-dose prednisolone (20 mg/d) with colchicine (1.2 mg/d), all symptoms and signs improved rapidly. The dose of prednisolone was gradually tapered from the third week, and the patient confirmed a full recovery without medication after 8 weeks.This is the first report showing that low-dose steroids in combination with colchicine may be an effective treatment option for MIS-A after vaccination.

Coronavirus disease 2019 vaccinations for healthcare workers (HCWs) have begun in South Korea. To investigate adverse events (AEs) of the first dose of each vaccine, any symptom was collected daily for seven days after vaccination in a tertiary hospital. We found that 1,301 of 1,403 ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 recipients and 38 of 80 BNT162b2 recipients reported AEs respectively (90.9% vs. 52.5%): injection-site pain (77.7% vs. 51.2%), myalgia (60.5% vs.11.2%), fatigue (50.7% vs. 7.5%), headache (47.4% vs. 7.5%), and fever (36.1% vs. 5%; P < 0.001 for all). Young HCWs reported more AEs with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 than with BNT162b2.No incidences of anaphylaxis were observed. Only one serious AE required hospitalization for serious vomiting, and completely recovered. In conclusion, reported AEs were more common in recipients with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 than in those with BNT162b2. However, most of the reported AEs were mild to moderate in severity. Sufficient explanation and preparation for expected AEs required to promote widespread vaccination.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the structural characteristics of the thread length of orthodontic mini-screws and the effects of insertion and removal torques according to the formation of the cutting flute. Two types of mini-screws were made, with a thread length of 6.0 mm and a thread length of 3.3 mm. In order to examine the effect of flute formation, the experiment group was divided into a miniscrew test group with flute formation and an experiment group without flute formation. To evaluate the effect of flute formation, two flutes were formed at 180°on the circumference, and at the tip of the mini screw, up to 4 mm for thread length of 6.0 mm and 2.4 mm for thread length of 3.3 mm. A biomechanical test block formed of 2 mm cortical bone and 10 mm cancellous bone was used to eliminate the influence of the difference in cortical bone thickness and bone density according to the insertion site. 1 mm diameter guide hole was drilled on the test block and the mini-screw was placed vertically. Using a 0.1 N·cm precision digital torque gauge, the maximum torque value was recorded at this time by embedding it to the top of the screw under a static load of 1.2 kg and the value when it was removed in the opposite direction. The insertion torque values for the 6.0 mm and 3.3 mm length mini screws were (29.53±1.84) N·cm and (26.84±2.15) N·cm, and the removal torque values are (14.50±1.37) N·cm and (13.15±2.89) N·cm, respectively.There were no statistically significant differences (P>0.05). The flute of 6.0 mm mini-screws had no statistically significant difference in both insertion and removal torque values and increased to (30.13±1.97) N·cm and (18.65±1.10) N·cm (P>0.05). In experiments with 3.3 mm mini-screws, the insertion and removal torque values decreased to (20.99±3.94) N·cm and (11.32±2.03) N·cm, respectively, showing a statistically significant decrease only in the insertion torque values (P<0.05). The insertion and removal torque values of the mini-screw were not significantly increased even when the screw length was doubled, and the flute formation effect was different with the screw length.