Journal of Korean medical science
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Oct 2023
Long-Term Efficacy and Safety of Eculizumab in Patients With Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria and High Disease Burden: Real-World Data From Korea.
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare hematologic disorder characterized by uncontrolled terminal complement activation. Eculizumab, a monoclonal antibody C5 inhibitor was introduced in Korea in 2009 and has been the standard treatment option for PNH. ⋯ These data provided evidence for the long-term efficacy and safety of eculizumab in Korean PNH patients with high disease burdens.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Oct 2023
Effectiveness and Safety of COVID-19 Vaccination During Preconceptional and Preclinical Pregnancy Period: A National Population Study.
We aimed to assess the risk of maternal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and early abortive outcomes after the association between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination during the preconceptional period and preclinical pregnancy, which are likely to be inadvertent vaccination. ⋯ Our findings have provided compelling evidence regarding the effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 vaccination prior to and during early pregnancy. Further research is required to extend the safety and efficacy profiles of COVID-19 vaccines to pregnant women and their babies.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Oct 2023
Far-Infrared Irradiation Decreases Proliferation in Basal and PDGF-Stimulated VSMCs Through AMPK-Mediated Inhibition of mTOR/p70S6K Signaling Axis.
Far-infrared (FIR) irradiation has been reported to improve diverse cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure, hypertension, and atherosclerosis. The dysregulated proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is well established to contribute to developing occlusive vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and in-stent restenosis. However, the effects of FIR irradiation on VSMC proliferation and the underlying mechanism are unclear. This study investigated the molecular mechanism through which FIR irradiation inhibited VSMC proliferation. ⋯ These results show that FIR irradiation decreases the basal and PDGF-stimulated VSMC proliferation, at least in part, by the AMPK-mediated inhibition of mTOR/p70S6K signaling axis irrespective of its hyperthermal effect. These observations suggest that FIR therapy can be used to treat arterial narrowing diseases, including atherosclerosis and in-stent restenosis.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Oct 2023
Review Meta AnalysisCauses for Retraction in the Biomedical Literature: A Systematic Review of Studies of Retraction Notices.
Many studies have evaluated the prevalence of different reasons for retraction in samples of retraction notices. We aimed to perform a systematic review of such empirical studies of retraction causes. ⋯ Misconduct seems to be the most frequently recorded reason for retraction across empirical analyses of retraction notices, but other reasons are not negligible. Greater specificity of causes and standardization is needed in retraction notices.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Oct 2023
Multicenter StudyEmpiric Anti-Pseudomonal β-Lactam Monotherapy Versus Fluoroquinolone Combination Therapy in Patients With Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia: A Multicenter Cohort Study With Propensity Score Matching.
There is insufficient data on the benefits of empiric antibiotic combinations for hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP). We aimed to investigate whether empiric anti-pseudomonal combination therapy with fluoroquinolones decreases mortality in patients with HAP. ⋯ Empiric anti-pseudomonal fluoroquinolone combination therapy showed no survival benefit compared to β-lactam monotherapy in patients with HAP. Caution is needed regarding the routine combination of fluoroquinolones in the empiric treatment of HAP patients with a high risk of MDR.