Cancer immunotherapy is widely used to treat various cancers to augment the weakened host immune response against tumors. Dendritic cells (DCs) are specialized antigen-presenting cells that play dual roles in inducing innate and adaptive immunity. Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that exhibits anti-tumor activity against certain types of cancers. However, little is known about the anti-tumor effects of T. gondii or tumor/parasite antigen-pulsed DCs (DC vaccines, DCV) in breast cancer. In this study, C57BL/6 mice were administered E0771 mouse breast cancer cells (Cancer-injected) subcutaneously, T. gondii Me49 cysts orally (TG-injected), or DCs pulsed with breast cancer cell lysate antigen and T. gondii lysate antigens (DCV-injected) intraperitoneally. Tumor size and immunological characteristics were subsequently evaluated. We also evaluated matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 levels in E0771 mouse breast cancer cells co-cultured with T. gondii or DCs by RT-PCR. The tumor volumes of mice injected with breast cancer cells and antigen-pulsed DCs (Cancer/DCV-injected mice) were similar to those of Cancer-injected mice; however, they were significantly reduced in T. gondii-infected tumor-bearing (TG/Cancer-injected) mice. Moreover, tumor volumes were significantly reduced by adding antigen-pulsed DCs (TG/Cancer/DCV-injected mice) compared to TG/Cancer-injected mice. The levels of IFN-γ, serum IgG2a levels, and CD8+ T cell populations were significantly higher in DCV- and TG-injected mice than in control mice, while no significant differences between Cancer- and Cancer/DCV-injected mice were observed. The levels of IFN-γ, the IgG2a levels, and the percentage of CD8+ T cells were significantly increased in TG/Cancer- and TG/Cancer/DCV-injected mice than in Cancer-injected mice. IFN-γ levels and serum IgG2a levels were further increased in TG/Cancer/DCV-injected mice than in TG/Cancer-injected mice. The MMP-2 and MMP-9 mRNA expressions were significantly decreased in mouse breast cancer cells co-cultured with live T. gondii, T. gondii lysate antigen, or antigen-pulsed DCs (DCV) but not in inactivated DCs. These results indicate that T. gondii induces anti-tumor effects in breast cancer-bearing mice through the induction of strong Th1 immune responses, but not in antigen-pulsed DCs alone. The addition of antigen-pulsed DCs further augments the anti-tumor effects of T. gondii.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of declining surgical residency program enrollment on patient care and outcomes in colorectal cancer surgeries. Methods: This retrospective observational study included 676 patients (410 males; median age: 69 years) who underwent colorectal cancer surgery at Pusan National University Hospital between January 2018 and June 2024. Patients were divided into Group A (before December 31, 2023; with residents) and Group B (after January 1, 2024; without residents). All surgeries were performed by a single attending surgeon. Results: Preoperative variables were comparable between groups. Group A had more emergency and open surgeries, and a higher proportion of advanced-stage cancers. Overall complication rates were similar, but Group B had a longer hospital stay (9.72 days vs. 11.95 days). Specific complications such as anastomotic leakage and surgical site infections differed significantly. The overall number of surgical procedures declined markedly in 2024 compared to 2018 (77.1% vs. 49.9%). Conclusion The absence of residents did not increase overall complication rates but was associated with longer hospital stays and shifts in clinical practice. Greater reliance on attending surgeons contributed to more defensive decision-making and conservative patient management. Addressing these issues requires systemic reforms, including multidisciplinary collaboration and legal protections to improve surgical care.

Kimura’s disease is a rare, chronic inflammatory disorder that typically presents as painless head and neck masses in young Asian males, often accompanied by peripheral eosinophilia and elevated IgE levels. We report a case of recurrent Kimura’s disease involving the right parotid gland in a 35-year-old man, previously treated surgically. Due to tumor size (6 cm) and high risk of surgical complications, the patient underwent radiotherapy (30 Gy/15 fractions). Post-treatment imaging showed significant tumor reduction with no adverse effects or recurrence during 12 months of follow-up. While surgery remains the mainstay of treatment, recent studies suggest that radiotherapy or immunosuppressive therapy may be effective, especially in cases at high risk of recurrence. A recent meta-analysis identified tumor size ≥3 cm, prolonged disease duration (5 years), high eosinophil percentage (20%), and elevated IgE (10,000 IU/ml) as significant recurrence predictors. This case supports that radiotherapy may sere as a valuable treatment option when surgery in contraindicated or in high-risk recurrent cases.

Purpose: Persistent postoperative stiffness is a common complication after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR).We hypothesized that a subacromial steroid injection (SAI) may improve the early outcomes in patients with persistent stiffness without increasing steroid-associated complications. Therefore, we evaluated the effectiveness and safety of SAI in patients with persistent stiffness 3 months after ARCR. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 300 ARCR cases performed between January 2012 and May 2014, in which repair integrity was confirmed at postoperative 3 months. Patients were divided into SAI and control groups. The SAI group received a single SAI (triamcinolone 40 mg and ropivacaine 52.5 mg) to address postoperative stiffness, with no additional SAI thereafter. The control group did not receive any injections until the final follow-up. Functional and radiological outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results: The mean follow-up period was 18.1±4.7 months (range, 12.1–37.2 months), with no difference between groups (p=0.731). At the time of injection, the range of motion was significantly lower in the SAI (all p＜0.001). However, functional outcomes were comparable between the two groups at 3 months after injection and the final follow-up (all p＞ 0.05). The healing failure rate at the final follow-up also did not differ between the SAI and control groups (14.9% vs. 13.2%, p=0.671). Conclusion This short-term follow-up study suggests that the administration of a single SAI to treat persistent stiffness at 3 months after ARCR may improve functional recovery without increasing the risk of healing failure.

Excessive wear of the teeth, which causes functional, aesthetic problems, or sensitivity symptoms, is referred to as pathological wear. If this leads to the collapse of occlusion, extensive restoration is necessary to restore function and aesthetics.When restoring pathologically worn dentition, it is essential to identify the cause of the wear before determining treatment plan to get a favorable prognosis. In this case, a patient exhibited severe tooth wear with decreased vertical dimension and clinical, radiographic examination, and medical history indicated the pathological wear caused by a combination of factors. Consequently, full-mouth rehabilitation was indicated and the vertical occlusal height was determined considering the appropriate restorative space. Based on the causes of the wear, the restoration method, materials, and occlusal pattern were selected and successfully restored to normal occlusal state through full-mouth rehabilitation with zirconia full-veneered crowns.

Purpose: . The purpose of this study is to analyze the biomechanical differences in rotation angle-torque according to the type of implant and to compare the effects of contamination and sandblasting on the removal torque value (RTV) of abutment screws. Materials and methods: . For this study, an automated device for tightening and loosening implant screws was developed, and each 15 implant-abutment complexes of external and internal connection type were prepared, divided into three groups according to the surface treatment of the screw:control group (no treatment), experimental group-1 (artificial saliva contamination and chlorhexidine (CHX) rinsing), and experimental group-2 (artificial saliva contamination, CHX rinsing, and subsequent 50 µm Al 2 O 3 sandblasting). FirstRTV was measured for each group, followed by different post-treatment procedures for the screws, and then Second-RTV was measured. During the procedure, the removal torque value and rotation angle vs. time were recorded at a 20 data/s.A standardized protocol was followed for all the tightening and loosening procedures: screw was tightened with 30 Ncm torque and maintained for 5 s, and then rotated in the reverse direction until the torque value reached 0 Ncm. After 10min of rest period, the screws were loosened to initial point. Results: . Statistical analysis of measured data revealed that the internal connection type showed significantly higher First-RTV compared to the external connection type, however, no significant differences in Second-RTV were found. Both experimental groups 1and 2 showed a decrease in RTVs for both implant types, while the control group showed a decrease in RTV only for the internal type. The internal connection type required a significantly larger rotation angle during the tightening and loosening process. Conclusion . Within the limitations of this study, both artificial saliva contamination and CHX cleansing, as well as sandblasting, decreased RTV in both internal and external connection types. Internal connections were more susceptible to the effects of contaminants.

The occlusal collapse resulting from loss of posterior tooth support and attrition necessitates treatment aimed at restoring normal function and aesthetics.Particularly in cases where there is insufficient space for restoration, full mouth rehabilitation accompanied by increased vertical dimension is necessary. This case report presents a complete mouth rehabilitation of a patient with inadequate anterior restoration space due to loss of posterior tooth support, utilizing guided implant surgery, facial scan, virtual articulator, and jaw motion tracker.

Background/Aims: To determine the effectiveness of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) plus reduced-intensity therapy in adult patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph-positive ALL), this retrospective study compared treatment outcomes and induction mortality according to backbone regimen intensity. Methods: The data of 132 patients diagnosed with Ph-positive ALL were retrospectively collected from five centers. Patients received imatinib plus intensive chemotherapy (modified VPD, KALLA1407, or hyper-CVAD) or reduced-intensity chemotherapy (EWALL) for curative purposes. This study analyzed 117 patients, of which 35,22,46, and 14 received modified VPD, KALLA1407, hyper-CVAD, and EWALL, respectively. All patients used imatinib as a TKI. Results: The median age of the patients who received reduced-intensity chemotherapy was 64.4 years, while that of the patients with intensive regimens was 47.5 years. There was no induction death in the reduced-intensity group, while nine patients died in the intensive therapy group. Major molecular response achievement tended to be higher in the intensive chemotherapy group than in the reduced-intensity group. More patients in the intensive chemotherapy group received allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT). There was no statistically significant difference in long-term survival between the two groups in terms of relapse-free survival and overall survival rates. Conclusions When imatinib plus reduced-intensity therapy was used as a frontline treatment, there was no inferiority in obtaining complete remission compared to imatinib plus intensive chemotherapy or significant difference in long-term survival. Since imatinib plus reduced-intensity therapy has limitations in obtaining a deep molecular response, proceeding to allo-SCT should be considered.

Purpose: Persistent postoperative stiffness is a common complication after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR).We hypothesized that a subacromial steroid injection (SAI) may improve the early outcomes in patients with persistent stiffness without increasing steroid-associated complications. Therefore, we evaluated the effectiveness and safety of SAI in patients with persistent stiffness 3 months after ARCR. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 300 ARCR cases performed between January 2012 and May 2014, in which repair integrity was confirmed at postoperative 3 months. Patients were divided into SAI and control groups. The SAI group received a single SAI (triamcinolone 40 mg and ropivacaine 52.5 mg) to address postoperative stiffness, with no additional SAI thereafter. The control group did not receive any injections until the final follow-up. Functional and radiological outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results: The mean follow-up period was 18.1±4.7 months (range, 12.1–37.2 months), with no difference between groups (p=0.731). At the time of injection, the range of motion was significantly lower in the SAI (all p＜0.001). However, functional outcomes were comparable between the two groups at 3 months after injection and the final follow-up (all p＞ 0.05). The healing failure rate at the final follow-up also did not differ between the SAI and control groups (14.9% vs. 13.2%, p=0.671). Conclusion This short-term follow-up study suggests that the administration of a single SAI to treat persistent stiffness at 3 months after ARCR may improve functional recovery without increasing the risk of healing failure.

Background: s/Aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer and second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in South Korea. This study evaluated the characteristics of Korean patients newly diagnosed with HCC in 2016-2018. Methods: Data from the Korean Primary Liver Cancer Registry (KPLCR), a representative database of patients newly diagnosed with HCC in South Korea, were analyzed. This study investigated 4,462 patients with HCC registered in the KPLCR in 2016-2018. Results: The median patient age was 63 years (interquartile range, 55-72). 79.7% of patients were male. Hepatitis B infection was the most common underlying liver disease (54.5%). The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system classified patients as follows: stage 0 (14.9%), A (28.8%), B (7.5%), C (39.0%), and D (9.8%). The median overall survival was 3.72 years (95% confidence interval, 3.47-4.14), with 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates of 71.3%, 54.1%, and 44.3%, respectively. In 2016-2018, there was a significant shift toward BCLC stage 0-A and Child-Turcotte-Pugh liver function class A (P<0.05), although survival rates did not differ by diagnosis year. In the treatment group (n=4,389), the most common initial treatments were transarterial therapy (31.7%), surgical resection (24.9%), best supportive care (18.9%), and local ablation therapy (10.5%). Conclusions Between 2016 and 2018, HCC tended to be diagnosed at earlier stages, with better liver function in later years. However, since approximately half of the patients remained diagnosed at an advanced stage, more rigorous and optimized HCC screening strategies should be implemented.