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Objective@#This study examined the association between social support and postpartum depression (PPD) according to the time after childbirth within 12 months in South Korea. @*Methods@#Data were collected from 1,481 women in Chungnam Province, South Korea from September 21 to 30, 2022. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine the association between social support and PPD. Subgroup analysis of the associations of support from family, friends, and significant others with PPD according to the time after childbirth was undertaken using crude and adjusted models. @*Results@#Of the participants, 39.91% had PPD. The prevalence of PPD was 36.05% at <3 months, 37.50% at 3≤ to <6 months, and 44.41% at 6≤ to <12 months. A 1-point increase in the social support score was associated with an increase in the adjusted odds ratio of PPD of 0.91 (95% confidence interval=0.90–0.93). Social support from family was significantly associated with PPD regardless of the time after childbirth. Support from significant others was significantly associated with PPD after 6≤ to <12 months. @*Conclusion@#Family support should be provided consistently to women after birth; social connections with significant others can prevent PPD.
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Migrant workers face challenging working conditions, resulting in physical and mental vulnerability. The objective is to identify their health vulnerabilities and ensure their right to health. Health records of 163 migrant workers (113 males and 50 females) (Group A) and 163 Korean citizens (Group B) visiting our institution were analyzed from August 2021 to July 2022. Both groups underwent urine analysis, chest radiography, and various blood tests. Statistical analysis using independent t-tests and χ2 tests was performed. Group A had a significantly higher rate of hepatitis B virus surface antigen-positive patients, lower vaccination rates for hepatitis B, and poorer nutritional status compared to Group B. Group B generally exhibited higher levels of albumin, glucose, total cholesterol, and thyroidstimulating hormone. There were significant quantitative differences in multiple blood cell and hemoglobin measurements between the two groups. These findings emphasize the need for policy support and public awareness to protect the health rights of migrant workers.
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Background@#Recently, active surveillance (AS) has been introduced as an alternative to early surgery (ES) for the management of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC), because of its indolent features and low mortality. However, its cost effects have not been determined and the findings of current studies differ, according to each country’s medical system. @*Methods@#A Markov model was constructed to compare the cost-effectiveness of AS and ES, based on a reference case of a 40-year-old patient diagnosed with PTMC. Costs and transition probabilities were derived from previous clinical studies in Korean populations, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and net monetary benefit (NMB) were calculated. The willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold was set at USD 100,000 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to address the uncertainties in the model’s variables. @*Results@#From the base scenario, the cumulative costs and effectiveness were both higher in ES than AS. The ICER for ES, compared with AS, was USD 6,619.86/QALY, lower than the set WTP. The NMB difference between AS and ES increased across the stages (USD 5,980 at the first stage and USD 159,667 at the last stage). The ICER increased along with decreasing age and increasing cost of surgery. The higher the ES utility score and the lower that of AS, the more cost-effective ES, with WTP set at USD 30,000. @*Conclusion@#In the current Korean medical system, ES is more cost-effective than AS. ES is more cost-effective as it is diagnosed at young age and followed-up for a long time.
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Background@#To determine whether baseline thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin (TSI) bioassay or its early response upon treatment with an anti-thyroid drug (ATD) can predict prognosis of Graves’ disease (GD) in real-world practice. @*Methods@#This retrospective study enrolled GD patients who had previous ATD treatment with TSI bioassay checked at baseline and at follow-up from April 2010 to November 2019 in one referral hospital. The study population were divided into two groups: patients who experienced relapse or continued ATD (relapse/persistence), and patients who experienced no relapse after ATD discontinuation (remission). The slope and area under the curve at 1st year (AUC1yr) of thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibodies including TSI bioassay and thyrotropin-binding inhibitory immunoglobulin (TBII) were calculated as differences between baseline and second values divided by time duration (year). @*Results@#Among enrolled 156 study subjects, 74 (47.4%) had relapse/persistence. Baseline TSI bioassay values did not show significant differences between the two groups. However, the relapse/persistence group showed less decremental TSI bioassay in response to ATD than the remission group (–84.7 [TSI slope, –198.2 to 8.2] vs. –120.1 [TSI slope, –204.4 to –45.9], P=0.026), whereas the TBII slope was not significantly different between the two groups. The relapse/persistence group showed higher AUC1yr of TSI bioassay and TBII in the 1st year during ATD treatment than the remission group (AUC1yr for TSI bioassay, P=0.0125; AUC1yr for TBII, P=0.001). @*Conclusion@#Early changes in TSI bioassay can better predict prognosis of GD than TBII. Measurement of TSI bioassay at beginning and follow-up could help predict GD prognosis.
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Background@#This study investigates the long-term efficacy and safety of evogliptin add-on therapy in patients with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) previously received dapagliflozin and metformin (DAPA/MET) combination. @*Methods@#In this multicenter randomized placebo-controlled phase 3 trial, patients with glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels 7.0% to 10.5% (n=283) previously used DAPA 10 mg plus MET (≥1,000 mg) were randomly assigned to the evogliptin 5 mg once daily or placebo group (1:1). The primary endpoint was the difference in the HbA1c level from baseline at week 24, and exploratory endpoints included the efficacy and safety of evogliptin over 52 weeks (trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04170998). @*Results@#Evogliptin add-on to DAPA/MET therapy was superior in HbA1c reduction compared to placebo at weeks 24 and 52 (least square [LS] mean difference, –0.65% and –0.55%; 95% confidence interval [CI], –0.79 to –0.51 and –0.71 to –0.39; P<0.0001). The proportion of patients achieving HbA1c <7% was higher in the triple combination group at week 52 (32.14% vs. 8.51% in placebo; odds ratio, 5.62; P<0.0001). Evogliptin significantly reduced the fasting glucose levels and mean daily glucose levels with improvement in homeostatic model assessment of β-cell function (LS mean difference, 9.04; 95% CI, 1.86 to 16.21; P=0.0138). Adverse events were similar between the groups, and no serious adverse drug reactions were reported in the evogliptin group. @*Conclusion@#Long-term triple combination with evogliptin added to DAPA/MET showed superior HbA1c reduction and glycemic control compared to placebo at 52 weeks and was well tolerated.
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Background/Aims@#Capsule endoscopy (CE) has shown that low-dose aspirin occasionally causes small bowel (SB) bleeding. We herein evaluated the protective effects of mucoprotective agents (MPAs) on SB bleeding in aspirin users using the nationwide database of claims data from the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). @*Methods@#As CE is an insured procedure, we constructed an aspirin-SB cohort using NHIS claims data, with a maximum follow- up period of 24 months. Patients with anemia, melena, or hematochezia that occurred within 4 weeks before and after performing CE were suspected to have SB bleeding. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to determine the risk factors for SB bleeding. Subgroup analyses were conducted among patients who used acid suppressants, such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and histamine-2 receptor antagonists. @*Results@#A total of 15,542 aspirin users were included. Anticoagulant use (hazard ratio [HR], 3.22), high Charlson comorbidity index score (≥ 2) (HR, 3.54), and PPI use (HR, 2.85) were significantly associated with SB bleeding, whereas eupatilin use (HR, 0.35) was a preventive factor. SB bleeding occurred more frequently in concurrent users of acid suppressants than in nonusers (1.3% vs. 0.5%). Subgroup analysis revealed that eupatilin significantly reduced the risk of SB bleeding in aspirin users with concurrent use of acid suppressants (HR, 0.23 vs. 2.55). @*Conclusions@#Eupatilin was associated with a reduced risk of SB bleeding in both aspirin users and those with concomitant use of acid suppressants. Eupatilin use should be considered for aspirin users, especially for those concomitantly taking acid suppressants.
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Background & objectives: Recently, there has been a surge to develop new devices and techniques for the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions such as the combination of LungPoint navigation and endobronchial ultrasound with a guide sheath (EBUS-GS). The present study aimed to explore the diagnostic value of LungPoint navigation in combination with EBUS-GS and rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) particularly for peripheral pulmonary nodules. Methods: Patients (n=108) with pulmonary nodules (10 mm ? nodal diameter ?30 mm) presenting to Henan Provincial People’s Hospital were detected using chest computed tomographic (CT) scanning and bronchoscopy. All patients were evaluated using LungPoint navigation, EBUS-GS and ROSE techniques to evaluate the positive rate of combined diagnosis using the three methods. Results: A total of 108 patients participated in this study and successfully underwent all the three procedures. Of these, 82 patients were accurately diagnosed, making the overall diagnostic rate of 75.9 per cent for combined LungPoint navigation, EBUS-GS, and ROSE analyses. Further subgroup analysis of the diagnostic rate of the three combined techniques were conducted based on the size of the nodules which showed a diagnostic rate of 65.3 per cent for 10 mm ? nodule diameter ?20 mm and 85.7 per cent for 20 mm ? nodal diameter ?30 mm. Of the 108 patients, 85 had solid nodules and 23 had ground-glass nodules; the positive rate of diagnosis of solid nodules was the highest. The patients ultimately were diagnosed with lung cancer with a positive rate of 83.5 per cent. The sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predicted values for ROSE were 90.3, 78.3, 84.8 and 83.6 per cent, respectively. Interpretation & conclusions: The combined use of the three techniques can effectively shorten the duration of the total diagnosis period and improve the safety of diagnosis without affecting the detection rate.
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This study aims to evaluate the methodological and reporting quality of diagnosis and treatment guidelines for hyperuricemia as well as the expert consensuses and promote the understanding and application of the diagnosis and treatment guidelines for hyperuricemia. With "hyperuricemia" "guidelines" "consensus" "recommendations" as the key words in titles, the authors searched for the published clinical guidelines on hyperuricemia in Chinese against CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, Medlive and the official website of the industry association. The retrieval time limit was until May 31, 2021. The appraisal of guidelines for research and evaluation Ⅱ(AGREEⅡ) and the reporting items for practice guidelines in health care(RIGHT) were employed to evaluate the methodological quality and reporting quality of 14 guidelines/consensuses included. The average scores of the guidelines/consensuses were 80.85%(48.61%-98.61%) for the domain of scope and purpose, 34.52%(0-69.44%) for the domain of stakeholder involvement, 35.53%(6.25%-92.19%) for the domain of rigor of development, 55.85%(23.61%-86.11%) for the domain of clarity of presentation, 26.19%(0-76.04%) for the domain of applicability, and 21.42%(0-50.00%) for the domain of editorial independence. Nine guidelines/consensuses were of medium overall quality with grade B recommendation, and five guidelines/consensuses were of poor quality with grade C recommendation. The RIGHT classified the fourteen guidelines/consensuses into one of high reporting quality, three of medium reporting quality, and ten of low reporting quality. The results of this study indicate that the standardization and rigor of the methodological quality and the reporting quality of the clinical guidelines/consensuses for hyperuricemia in China remain to be strengthened.
Subject(s)
Humans , China , Consensus , Hyperuricemia/drug therapy , Publications , Reference StandardsABSTRACT
Background@#Nipple adenoma (NA) is a rare benign tumor arising in the lactiferous ducts of the nipple. It typically presents as a palpable nodule, erosion, or discharge with erythema of the nipple. NA is different from other mammary proliferative diseases of the nipple; however, its clinicopathologic characteristics have been scarcely elucidated. @*Objective@#In this study, we aimed to assess the clinical and histopathological characteristics of NA and compare them with mammary Paget’s diseases and breast carcinomas of the nipple. @*Methods@#We retrospectively reviewed fifteen patients with NA. Furthermore, we reviewed fifteen patients with nipple Paget’s diseases and five patients with breast carcinomas (ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive ductal carcinoma). Skin lesions’ clinical characteristics and general histopathological findings were investigated. @*Results@#NA showed significantly early onset (p=0.014), delayed time for onset to diagnosis (p=0.026), and smaller lesion than other nipple malignant diseases (p＜0.001). NA was predominantly localized on the right side and exhibited as more palpable mass and less nipple discharge as initial symptoms. Estimated prevalence of Korean cases (0.026%) was twice higher than Western countries (0.012%). p16 immunostaining in NA and other malignant diseases did not differ. @*Conclusion@#NA is a benign neoplasm arising on the nipple. NA showed earlier onset with smaller size at initial presentation than other malignant diseases which presented more crusts. Unnecessary surgical procedures for NA should be avoided with preceding clinical differential diagnosis.
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Intradiploic encephalocele is a rare condition of herniation of the brain parenchyma through the diploic space. A 52-year-old man presented with a parietal intradiploic encephalocele manifesting as an intermittent headache for 7 months. CT revealed an osteolytic lesion involving the right parietal bone. MRI demonstrated brain herniation within the diploic space. Surgery may be unnecessary in the absence of concurrent symptoms or neurological deficits. After 2 years of follow-up, symptoms were improved without neurological deficits and CT findings. We report the X-ray, CT, and MRI findings of an extremely rare case of parietal intradiploic encephalocele in adulthood.
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Background/Aims@#The protective effects of vitamin D and calcium on colorectal neoplasms are known. Bone mineral density (BMD) may be a reliable biomarker that reflects the long-term anticancer effect of vitamin D and calcium. This study aimed to evaluate the association between BMD and colorectal adenomas including high-risk adenoma. @*Methods@#A multicenter, cross-sectional, case-control study was conducted among participants with average risk of colorectal cancer who underwent BMD and screening colonoscopy between 2015 and 2019. The main outcome was the detection of colorectal neoplasms. The variable under consideration was low BMD (osteopenia/osteoporosis). The logistic regression model included baseline demographics, components of metabolic syndrome, fatty liver disease status, and aspirin and multivitamin use. @*Results@#A total of 2,109 subjects were enrolled. The mean age was 52.1±10.8 years and 42.6% were male. The adenoma detection rate was 43%. Colorectal adenoma and high-risk adenoma were both more prevalent in subjects with low BMD than those with normal BMD (48.2% vs 38.8% and 12.1% vs 9.1%). In the univariate analysis, old age, male sex, smoking, metabolic components, fatty liver, and osteoporosis were significantly associated with the risk of adenoma and high-risk adenoma. In the multivariate analysis, osteoporosis was independently associated with risk of colorectal adenoma (odds ratio [OR], 1.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11 to 2.46; p=0.014) and high-risk adenoma (OR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.14 to 3.29; p=0.014). @*Conclusions@#Osteoporosis is an independent risk factor of colorectal adenoma and high-risk adenoma
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Background@#Microvascular ultrasonography (MVUS) is a third-generation Doppler technique that was developed to increase sensitivity compared to conventional Doppler. The purpose of this study was to compare MVUS with conventional color Doppler (CD) and power Doppler (PD) imaging to distinguish Graves’ disease (GD) from destructive thyroiditis (DT). @*Methods@#This prospective study included 101 subjects (46 GDs, 47 DTs, and eight normal controls) from October 2020 to November 2021. All ultrasonography examinations were performed using microvascular flow technology (MV-Flow). The CD, PD, and MVUS images were semi-quantitatively graded according to blood flow patterns. On the MVUS images, vascularity indices (VIs), which were the ratio (%) of color pixels in the total grayscale pixels in a defined region of interest, were obtained automatically. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to verify the diagnostic performance of MVUS. The interclass correlation coefficient and Cohen’s kappa analysis were used to analyze the reliability of MVUS (ClinicalTrials.gov:NCT04879173). @*Results@#The area under the curve (AUC) for CD, PD, MVUS, and MVUS-VI was 0.822, 0.844, 0.808, and 0.852 respectively. The optimal cutoff value of the MVUS-VI was 24.95% for distinguishing GD and DT with 87% sensitivity and 80.9% specificity. We found a significant positive correlation of MVUS-VI with thyrotropin receptor antibody (r=0.554) and with thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin bioassay (r=0.841). MVUS showed high intra- and inter-observer reliability from various statistical method. @*Conclusion@#In a real time and quantitative manner, MVUS-VI could be helpful to differentiate GD from thyroiditis in thyrotoxic patients, with less inter-observer variability.
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Background@#Omalizumab is a very important drug for the treatment of chronic urticaria. Although omalizumab’s therapeutic efficacy has been demonstrated, data on real-world experiences in Korea, especially regarding chronic inducible urticaria (CIndU), are limited. This study attempted to compare the efficacy of omalizumab in Korean chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) and CIndU patients. @*Methods@#Fifty-two CSU and 29 CIndU patients were included and Urticaria Activity Score 7 (UAS7) at baseline, week 4, and week 12 was assessed retrospectively. @*Results@#Omalizumab 150 mg significantly decreased UAS7 in both patients with CSU and CIndU with only one dose (P < 0.001). The significant decrease in the UAS7 scores of both groups of patients continued from weeks 4 to 12. Although there was no significant difference in treatment efficacy between the two groups, the symptoms of patients with CSU tended to improve faster; furthermore, the number of antihistamines administered daily reduced more significantly in this patient group (P = 0.047). Additionally, the decrease in the UAS7 score between baseline and week 12 and the response rate were higher in patients with CSU. @*Conclusion@#Omalizumab may be slightly more effective against CSU than against CIndU. Regarding the CIndU subtypes, dermatographic urticaria was associated with the greatest reduction in the UAS7 score, and patients with this condition showed the highest response rate, indicating the best effect of omalizumab. The duration of chronic urticaria was greater in non-responders than in responders (P = 0.025). Conversely, baseline immunoglobulin E levels were significantly higher in responders (P = 0.039).
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Objective To perform prokaryotic expression and preliminary characterization of the recombinant poly-epitope vaccine EgG1Y162-2 (4) against cystic echinococcosis. Methods The recombinant poly-epitope vaccine EgG1Y162-2 (4) against Echinococcus granulosus based on the linker GSGGSG was subjected to structural three-dimensional (3D) modeling using immunoinformatics to analyze the structural changes and evaluate the antigenicity of the vaccine. The pET30a-EgG1Y162-2 (4) recombinant plasmid was generated using double digestion with EcoR I and Sal I, and then transformed into competent cells. Following protein induction with isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactoside (IPTG), the prokaryotic expression proteins were characterized using Western blotting, and the antigenicity of the recombinant protein was analyzed using sera from cystic echinococcosis patients and health volunteers. Results The four EgG1Y162-2 proteins coupled by the 3D structure of the recombinant vaccine EgG1Y162-2 (4) presented independent and effective expression and good antigenicity. The highest protein expression was detected in the supernatant following induction of the recombinant plasmid pET30a-EgG1Y162-2 (4) by 0.2 mmol/L IPTG at 37 °C for 4 h, and a pure protein component was seen following elution with 60 mmol/L imidazole. Western blotting analysis of the recombinant multiepitope protein HIS-EgG1Y162-2 (4) showed a band at approximately 39 kDa, and this band was recognized by sera from cystic echinococcosis patients. Conclusion A recombinant poly-epitope vaccine EgG1Y162-2 (4) against cystic echinococcosis has been successfully constructed, which provides a preliminary basis for researches on recombinant multi-epitope vaccine against cystic echinococcosis.
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In the field of tissue regeneration and tissue engineering, many years ago, various nano to macroscopic-sized materials have been used to reduce inflammation and restore damaged tissue. Whether it is safe to study the regeneration of all tissues based on the biological mechanisms of an organism composed of cells is still debated, and studies using extracellular vesicles derived from cells have become popular in the past decade. It has been reported that exosomes with a size of 100 nm or less, which plays an important role in cell–cell communication, contain various factors, such as proliferation, anti-inflammatory, and growth factors. In addition, the payload of exosomes varies depending on the parent cell and the recipient cell, and a technology to differentiate the selective payload must treat specific diseases. In this review, we examined the current trends in research using exosomes derived from cells or tissues and analyzed various research reports on factors that can affect tissue regeneration.
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In the field of tissue regeneration and tissue engineering, many years ago, various nano to macroscopic-sized materials have been used to reduce inflammation and restore damaged tissue. Whether it is safe to study the regeneration of all tissues based on the biological mechanisms of an organism composed of cells is still debated, and studies using extracellular vesicles derived from cells have become popular in the past decade. It has been reported that exosomes with a size of 100 nm or less, which plays an important role in cell–cell communication, contain various factors, such as proliferation, anti-inflammatory, and growth factors. In addition, the payload of exosomes varies depending on the parent cell and the recipient cell, and a technology to differentiate the selective payload must treat specific diseases. In this review, we examined the current trends in research using exosomes derived from cells or tissues and analyzed various research reports on factors that can affect tissue regeneration.
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Weiss-Kruszka syndrome (WSKA), caused by heterozygous loss-of-function variants in ZNF462 gene, is a recently described and extremely rare genetic disorder. The main phenotypes include characteristic craniofacial features, ptosis, dysgenesis of the corpus callosum, and neurodevelopmental impairment. We report the first Korean boy with molecularly confirmed WSKA presenting with an atypical manifestation. A 16-year-old boy with a history of bilateral ptosis surgery presented with short stature (−3.49 standard deviation score) and delayed puberty. The patient showed characteristic craniofacial features including an inverted triangular-shaped head, exaggerated Cupid's bow, arched eyebrows, down-slanting palpebral fissures, and poorly expressive face. He had a mild degree of intellectual disability and mild hypotonia. Endocrine studies in the patient demonstrated complete growth hormone deficiency (GHD) associated with empty sella syndrome (ESS), based on a magnetic resonance imaging study for the brain that showed a flattened pituitary gland and cerebrospinal fluid space herniated into the sella turcica. To identify the genetic cause, we performed whole exome sequencing (WES). Through WES, a novel de novo heterozygous nonsense variant, c.4185del; p.(Met1396Ter) in ZNF462 was identified. This is the first case of WSKA accompanied by primary ESS associated with GHD. More clinical and functional studies are needed to elucidate this association.
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Background and Objectives@#Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) combined with washout thyroglobulin (Tg) measurement is the gold standard for the evaluation of metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) in thyroid cancer. However, few studies have assessed the clinical outcomes of discordant results between FNAC and washout Tg based on surgery status and follow-up imaging in real-world practice. @*Materials and Methods@#A total of 707 LNs in 512 patients who underwent FNAC and washout Tg measurements from 2015 to 2017 were analyzed. The final LN outcomes were confirmed through postoperative histology, or through metastatic FNAC findings combined with high washout Tg level, follow-up imaging studies, or repeat FNA, if LNs were not dissected. @*Results@#The cut-off values of washout Tg for indicating LN metastasis in preoperative and postoperative LNs were 9.6 ng/mL and 2.1 ng/mL. The diagnostic accuracy was improved by applying washout Tg according to surgery status and the results of discordant rate was reduced, Discordant between results of FNAC with washout Tg and final outcome were 9.2% (27/295) of preoperative LNs and 8.7% (36/412) of postoperative LNs. Due to inconclusive results, unnecessary neck dissection can occur in 13.9% (36/259 dissected cases). @*Conclusion@#To improve diagnostic accuracy, cut-off values of washout Tg should be applied depending on surgery status. New biomarkers in washout fluid is necessary to resolve discordant findings.
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Background@#Decreased heart rate variability (HRV) has been reported to be associated with cardiac autonomic dysfunction. Hypopituitarism in nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA) is often linked to increased cardiovascular mortality. We therefore hypothesized that postoperative NFPA patients with hormone deficiency have an elevated risk of HRV alterations indicating cardiac autonomic dysfunction. @*Methods@#A total of 22 patients with NFPA were enrolled in the study. Between 3 and 6 months after surgery, a combined pituitary function test (CPFT) was performed, and HRV was measured. The period of sleep before the CPFT was deemed the most stable period, and the hypoglycemic period that occurred during the CPFT was defined as the most unstable period. Changes in HRV parameters in stable and unstable periods were observed and compared depending on the status of hormone deficiencies. @*Results@#In patients with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) deficiency with other pituitary hormone deficiencies, the low frequency to high frequency ratio, which represents overall autonomic function and is increased in the disease state, was higher (P=0.005). Additionally, the standard deviation of the normal-to-normal interval, which decreases in the autonomic dysfunction state, was lower (P=0.030) during the hypoglycemic period. In panhypopituitarism, the low frequency to high frequency ratio during the hypoglycemic period was increased (P=0.007). @*Conclusion@#HRV analysis during CPFT enables estimation of cardiac autonomic dysfunction in patients with NFPA who develop ACTH deficiency with other pituitary hormone deficiencies or panhypopituitarism after surgery. These patients may require a preemptive assessment of cardiovascular risk.
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Background@#A Korean Multicenter Prospective cohort study of Active Surveillance or Surgery (KoMPASS) for papillary thyroid microcarcinomas (PTMCs) has been initiated. The aim is to compare clinical outcomes between active surveillance (AS) and an immediate lobectomy for low-risk PTMCs. We here outline the detailed protocol for this study. @*Methods@#Adult patients with a cytopathologically confirmed PTMC sized 6.0 to 10.0 mm by ultrasound (US) will be included. Patients will be excluded if they have a suspicious extra-thyroidal extension or metastasis of a PTMC or multiple thyroid nodules or other thyroid diseases which require a total thyroidectomy. Printed material describing the prognosis of PTMCs, and the pros and cons of each management option, will be provided to eligible patients to select their preferred intervention. For the AS group, thyroid US, thyroid function, and quality of life (QoL) parameters will be monitored every 6 months during the first year, and then annually thereafter. Disease progression will be defined as a ≥3 mm increase in maximal diameter of a PTMC, or the development of new thyroid cancers or metastases. If progression is detected, patients should undergo appropriate surgery. For the lobectomy group, a lobectomy with prophylactic central neck dissection will be done within 6 months. After initial surgery, thyroid US, thyroid function, serum thyroglobulin (Tg), anti-Tg antibody, and QoL parameters will be monitored every 6 months during the first year and annually thereafter. Disease progression will be defined in these cases as the development of new thyroid cancers or metastases. @*Conclusion@#KoMPASS findings will help to confirm the role of AS, and develop individualized management strategies, for low-risk PTMCs.