Journal of Korean medical science
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Apr 2023
Anti-Alpha-Toxin Antibody Responses and Clinical Outcomes of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia.
Alpha-toxin (AT), a major virulence factor of Staphylococcus aureus, is an important immunotherapeutic target to prevent or treat invasive S. aureus infections. Previous studies have suggested that anti-AT antibodies (Abs) may have a protective role against S. aureus bacteremia (SAB), but their function remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between serum anti-AT Ab levels and clinical outcomes of SAB. ⋯ The study findings suggest that lower anti-AT Ab responses before and during SAB, reflective of immune dysfunction, are associated with more severe clinical presentations of infection.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Apr 2023
Analysis of Antibody Responses After COVID-19 Vaccination in Liver Transplant Recipients: A Single-Center Study.
Liver transplant (LT) recipients were considered a vulnerable population during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The clinical efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine is unknown in immunocompromised patients. The purpose of this study was to provide evidence of antibody responses after COVID-19 vaccination in LT recipients. ⋯ A higher TAC level before vaccination resulted in less effective vaccination in LT patients. Booster vaccinations are required, especially for patients in the early stage after LT who have compromised immune function.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Apr 2023
Differential Expression of NME4 in Trophoblast Stem-Like Cells and Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Normal Pregnancy and Preeclampsia.
Preeclampsia (PE) is known to arise from insufficient trophoblast invasion as uterine spiral arteries lack remodeling. A significant reduction in placental perfusion induces an ischemic placental microenvironment due to reduced oxygen delivery to the placenta and fetus, leading to oxidative stress. Mitochondria are involved in the regulation of cellular metabolism and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). NME/NM23 nuceloside diphosphate kinase 4 (NME4) gene is known to have the ability to supply nucleotide triphosphate and deoxynucleotide triphosphate for replication and transcription of mitochondria. Our study aimed to investigate changes in NME4 expression in PE using trophoblast stem-like cells (TSLCs) from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) as a model of early pregnancy and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) as a model of late preterm pregnancy. ⋯ Our study showed that the expression of the NME4 differed between models of early and late preterm pregnancy of PE, and suggests that this expression pattern may be a potential biomarker for early diagnosis of PE.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Apr 2023
Relevance Index Regional Variation by Each Disease and Its Essential Medical Field: A Retrospective Data Analysis From 2016-2020 in Korea.
To precisely build a healthcare delivery system at regional levels, local patients' healthcare service utilization patterns must be examined. Hence, this study utilized trend analysis of the relevance index of each disease of each essential medical service field at the municipal and provincial levels. ⋯ The relevance index of major diseases of each essential medical service field calculated in this study can provide good indicators for monitoring the level of an independent regional healthcare delivery system.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Apr 2023
Survey-Based Analysis of the Clinical Treatment Status of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Korea.
The quality-of-life of patients with irritable bowel syndrome is low; incorrect diagnosis/treatment causes economic burden and inappropriate consumption of medical resources. This survey-based study aimed to analyze the current status of irritable bowel syndrome treatment to examine differences in doctors' perceptions of the disease, and treatment patterns. ⋯ Notable differences were observed between physicians in primary/secondary and tertiary institiutions regarding the rate of colonoscopy, necessity of random biopsy, the reason for the ineffectiveness of low-fermentable oligo-, di-, and mono-saccharides, and polyols diet, and use of drug therapy in irritable bowel syndrome. In South Korea, irritable bowel syndrome is diagnosed and treated according to the Rome IV diagnostic criteria, revised in 2016.