Isolated Subscapularis Tear during Sparring in a Professional Boxer: A Case Report / 대한스포츠의학회지

The subscapularis tendon is the largest and most powerful muscle in the rotator cuff, playing a more important role in raising the arm than the supraspinatus or infraspinatus tendon. Subscapularis tendon tears are uncommon, but when it does occur, symptoms are often minimal and diagnosis can be delayed until severe atrophy occurs, leading to weakness of the shoulder muscles. Therefore, early diagnosis and surgical repair of suspected subscapularis tendon injury in athletes is very important for achieving the best functional outcome. Shoulder injuries in professional boxers have been reported to account for only about 3% of all boxing injuries, but there is no specific research on the specific location of these injuries. In this study, the authors report on a case of isolated subscapularis tendon injury that occurred during sparring in a professional boxer and discuss the mechanism of injury and treatment outcomes along with a review of the literature.

Case of Concomitant Endoscopic Treatment of Achalasia with Superficial Esophageal Cancer / 대한소화기학회지

Achalasia, a rare motility disorder of the esophagus, is generally accepted as a premalignant disorder. This paper presents the case of a 72-year-old male with achalasia and synchronous superficial esophageal cancer who experienced dysphagia symptoms for five years. As achalasia is associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer, both can be treated simultaneously if detected at the time of diagnosis. Achalasia and synchronous esophageal cancer are rarely detected and treated endoscopically. This paper reports a case of concurrent successful treatment.

Clinical aspects of patients visiting the emergency department with febrile seizure

Purpose@#We aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics, recurrence, neurological outcomes, and the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in children who visited 2 emergency departments (EDs) with febrile seizure (FS). @*Methods@#We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 3,172 episodes, involving 2,510 children aged 6-60 months whose diagnoses were FSs at the EDs in 2 hospitals from 2013 through 2022. Through the review, we analyzed clinical characteristics and associated factors for the recurrence of FS. As a sub-analysis, the variables were compared between before (2017-2019) and during (2020-2022) the pandemic. @*Results@#A total of 3,172 FS-related visits to the EDs were found in 2,510 children. Of these, 890 children (35.5%) underwent recurrences of FS. The recurrence of FS was associated with boys (63.3% vs. 57.8%; P = 0.007), seizures lasting longer than 5 minutes (16.6% vs. 12.7%; P = 0.007), family history of FS (23.7% vs. 16.2%; P < 0.001), complex FS (13.3% vs. 8.0%; P < 0.001), and epilepsy diagnosed thereafter (9.1% vs. 3.0%; P < 0.001). During the pandemic, we noted a decrease in the number of FS-related visits to the EDs (from 1,274 to 383), an increase in the percentage of complex FS (9.3% vs. 13.8%; P = 0.012), and a decrease in the percentage of recurrent FS (49.4% vs. 33.4%; P < 0.001), compared to before the pandemic. @*Conclusion@#Our study identified factors associated with recurrence of FS, and confirmed the increase in complex FS with the decrease in the recurrence during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. These findings could be helpful when caring for children with FS in EDs.

An infant case of ruptured umbilical hernia with eviscerated omentum after acupuncture

Serious acupuncture-related complications are rare in infants. We experienced a case of a 58-day-old infant with an umbilical hernia who received acupuncture from a non-professional guardian. Upon initial examination in the emergency department, the omentum protruded through the skin defect caused by acupuncture performed on top of the hernia. The infant underwent emergency surgery, and subsequently recovered uneventfully.

Estimating the number of severe COVID-19 cases and COVID-19-related deaths averted by a nationwide vaccination campaign in Republic of Korea

Objectives@#The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency promotes vaccination by regularly providing information on its benefits for reducing the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to analyze the number of averted severe COVID-19 cases and COVID-19-related deaths by age group and quantify the impact of Republic of Korea’s nationwide vaccination campaign. @*Methods@#We analyzed an integrated database from the beginning of the vaccination campaign on February 26, 2021 to October 15, 2022. We estimated the cumulative number of severe cases and COVID-19-related deaths over time by comparing observed and estimated cases among unvaccinated and vaccinated groups using statistical modeling. We compared daily age-adjusted rates of severe cases and deaths in the unvaccinated group to those in the vaccinated group and calculated the susceptible population and proportion of vaccinated people by age. @*Results@#There were 23,793 severe cases and 25,441 deaths related to COVID-19. We estimated that 119,579 (95% confidence interval [CI], 118,901–120,257) severe COVID-19 cases and 137,636 (95% CI, 136,909–138,363) COVID-19-related deaths would have occurred if vaccination had not been performed. Therefore, 95,786 (95% CI, 94,659–96,913) severe cases and 112,195 (95% CI, 110,870–113,520) deaths were prevented as a result of the vaccination campaign. @*Conclusion@#We found that, if the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign had not been implemented, the number of severe cases and deaths would have been at least 4 times higher. These findings suggest that Republic of Korea’s nationwide vaccination campaign reduced the number of severe cases and COVID-19 deaths.

A case report of a carotid space abscess due to extraluminal migration of a fishbone into the deep cervical space / 고신대학교의과대학학술지

Laryngopharyngeal foreign bodies are among the cases most frequently encountered by otolaryngologists. Most foreign bodies can be easily removed without any complications. However, surgical removal is required in some cases. Therefore, a delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis could cause fatal complications for patients who need a surgical approach. We report a rare case of extraluminal migration of a foreign body to the deep cervical space. The foreign body (a fishbone) was removed by a surgical approach. With a literature review, we also propose an algorithm for the management of suspicious foreign bodies in the neck.

A Survey on the Perception and Behavior Regarding Tinea Pedis among Korean Adults / 대한피부과학회지

Background@#Dermatophyte infection is one of the most common skin diseases affecting the skin, hair, and nails. Despite widespread recognition of the disease, missing details and misperceptions are commonplace in the general population. @*Objective@#This study aimed to investigate the public perception and behavior regarding dermatophytosis of the hands and feet. @*Methods@#This results from an online survey conducted between July 2022 and August 2022. The survey included 1,000 Korean participants aged 20 to 69 years, of whom 60% experienced symptoms of tinea pedis or onychomycosis. The questionnaire focused on the awareness and personal experience of tinea pedis and perception of the treatment of dermatophytosis. @*Results@#Of the 1,000 participants, nearly 80% regarded tinea pedis as a common skin condition by which anyone can be affected. Furthermore, 88.4% had heard that the treatment of tinea pedis could be harmful, causing skin rash (60.4%) and worsening liver function (48.5%). Among 896 participants who noticed suspicious symptoms, 81.2% did not visit the clinic because it was not severe (50.1%) and seemed easily manageable (25.7%). Of the respondents, 84.4% preferred to meet dermatologists rather than non-dermatologist doctors regarding skin diseases, mainly because of trust in experts and belief in a faster cure. @*Conclusion@#Providing accurate and detailed information via online media, educational campaigns, and medical papers can rectify misconceptions and improve patient appliance, contributing to public skin health.

A study on the effect of denture cleaning utilizing active micro-locomotion of diatom complex / 대한치과재료학회지

This study compared the effectiveness of self-propelling diatom microbubblers to clean dental appliances with commercial denture cleaning agents according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety’s guidelines. The microbubbler is made by doping diatoms with MnO2 nanosheets that can decompose hydrogen peroxide to generate oxygen bubbles. Artificial saliva is prepared in accordance with the criteria presented by the American Dental Association, dispensed, and dried in 96 well plates. Experimental groups include 10-15% NaOCl (positive control), distilled water (negative control), diatom microbubbler A (Aulacoseira, MnO2-polydopamine (PDA)-A), diatom microbubbler M (Melosira nummuloids, MnO2-sugar (S)-M), Polident (GlaxoSmithKline, Dungarvan, Ireland), Dentfix-forte (Helago-Phama GmbH&Co, Parchim, Germany). After washing, absorbance (OD 600) was measured. If the absorbance was 70% or higher, the condition was determined to have “cleaning power potency,”Statistical significance was evaluated by one-way ANOVA and Bonferroni correction to compare cleaning effects among groups (p<0.05).The average cleaning rates were 93.8±1.0% in NaOCl (positive control) and 79.1±1.5% in distilled water (negative control).With the diatom microbubbler A, the average cleaning rate was 79.8±4.5% in the 3% H 2O 2 2 mg/mL, 64.7±5.5% in 6% H 2O 2 2 mg/mL, and 81.9±7.9% in 6% H 2O 2 4 mg/mL. The diatom microbubbler M group showed average cleaning rates of 88.5±3.6% in 3% H2O2 2 mg/mL, 75.8±4.0% in 6% H2O2 2 mg/mL, and 84.5±4.5% in 6% H2O2 4 mg/mL. Finally, conventional denture cleaning agents showed average cleaning rates of 88.2±1.2% in Polident and 83.3±3.0% in Dentfix-forte. The positive control group had significant differences from all experimental groups, but the negative control group showed significant differences only in A2 and A3, M1 and M2, M3, Polident, and Dentfix-forte (F=190.141, p<0.001). Among all groups except the positive control group, MnO2 -S-M mixed with 3% H2O2 2 mg/mL showed the highest cleaning rate. As the results of this study show, diatom complexes exhibit cleaning effects compatible with conventional denture cleaning agents. Further studies need to be conducted to narrow down the specific optimal conditions of diatom microbubblers and maximize the cleaning effect.

Comparison of work stress, depression, insomnia, and fatigue of emergency department medical staff according to the emergency medical institutions and general characteristics during COVID-19 epidemic

Objective@#The objective of this study was to investigate job stress, depression, insomnia, and fatigue of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) medical staff and analyze the differences according to their general characteristics. @*Methods@#The study enrolled 98 workers at emergency medical institutions with COVID-19 treatment facilities located in Gangwon Province. An online survey was used to protect personal information. Data were analyzed using the statistical program SPSS version 28. The differences in job stress, depression, insomnia, and fatigue of COVID-19 medical staff were verified by t-test and analysis of variance. @*Results@#Analyzing job stress revealed that the average of the lowest relationship conflict stress for each sub-factor was 2.22, the average stress for job demand was the highest at 3.78, and the average whole job stress was 3.04. Contrarily, the average for depression was 1.69, insomnia 2.96, and fatigue 3.07. No statistically significant differences were observed for job stress, depression, insomnia, and fatigue when considering the type of workplace, gender, and occupation of COVID-19 medical staff. However, statistically significant differences were obtained in some variables including age, family members, working period, COVID-19 confirmed, and COVID-19-related education experience. @*Conclusion@#In this study, differences in job-related stress, depression, insomnia, and fatigue were confirmed considering the general characteristics of COVID-19 medical staff. In particular, the results of this study are significant since the difference in perceived stress in performing COVID-19 tasks was identified through empirical analysis by considering sub-factors of job stress.

Socioeconomic Characteristics and Attitudes Toward Suicide Among Gatekeepers in a Suicide Prevention Project in Gyeongsangbuk-do / 생물치료정신의학

Objectives@#This study identifies the socioeconomic characteristics and attitudes toward suicide (ATTS) of gatekeepers participating in a suicide prevention project in Gyeongsangbuk-do. Through this study we hope to increase the understanding required to prevent suicide in the community. @*Methods@#We conducted a survey from October 11 to November 4, 2022, with 1,284 individuals from private organizations who participated in the suicide prevention project between September 23 and November 30, 2022. The survey established demographic characteristics, experience in participating in suicide prevention projects, awareness and need for suicide prevention and mental health services, and ATTS. The study conducted cross-analysis and chi-square tests to identify differences in responses according to demographics. An independent sample t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Scheffe’s post hoc test were performed to analyze the comparisons between each measurement factor. SPSS 21.0 was used to process data and the level of statistical significance was set to p<0.05. @*Results@#The gatekeepers’ ATTS were moderate, with an average of 3.11 out of 5. Specifically, preventability obtained the highest score (4.07), followed by preparedness to prevent (3.96), incomprehensibility (3.74), and noncommunication (3.34). Conversely, resignation obtained the lowest score (2.05), followed by tabooing (2.32) and relation-caused (2.51). The scores for preventability and preparedness to prevent increased with sustained participation in the suicide prevention program, while those for suicidal process decreased. @*Conclusions@#Gatekeepers’ ATTS may improve as a result of participation in the suicide prevention project, with better results with continued participation. Thus, actively recruiting more gatekeepers and keeping them engaged in the program may help prevent suicide.

Study on Depression and the Risk Factors Among Elderly Residents in Gyeongsangbuk-do / 생물치료정신의학

Objectives@#The purpose of this study is to analyze the prevalence and factors of depression among the elderly population, a significant issue in Korea’s aging society. We aim to provide basic indicators for improving mental health and quality of life. @*Methods@#From February to December 2021, a study was conducted on a population of 19,158 elderly individuals aged 65 and above residing in Gyeongsangbuk-do province. The severity of depression was evaluated using the Korean version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9. In addition, demographic information was collected to analyze factors that may influence depression. @*Results@#In the PHQ-9 screening, the average score was 3.65. The results showed that 13,705 individuals (71.5%) were in the normal group with scores ranging from 0 to 4, 3,683 individuals (19.2%) were in the mild group with scores ranging from 5 to 9, 1,575 individuals (8.2%) were in the moderate group with scores ranging from 10 to 19, and 195 individuals (1.0%) were in the severe group with scores of 20 or higher. It was found that place of residence, education level, type of housing, top two difficulties in daily life, subjective economic status, desired services, subjective mental health, past and current history of mental health treatment, and medication for physical illness had statistically significant effects on depression. @*Conclusions@#Various factors were found to have a significant impact on depression among the elderly population in Gyeongsangbuk-do. Proactive prevention and treatment tailored to the population characteristics of the region may be necessary.

Association Between the Need for Mental Health Intervention and Mental Health Problems Among the General Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic / 생물치료정신의학

Objectives@#During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the prevalence of anxiety and depression in the general population was higher than before the pandemic. Identifying subjects at high risk for mental disorders may be necessary for effective mental health intervention. This study examines the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and anger and the related factors in the general population living in Daegu City one year after the COVID-19 pandemic. @*Methods@#This study collected data on sociodemographic variables, the need for mental health intervention, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory state anger from 1,000 subjects. This study performed independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, post hoc analysis, chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression analyses to examine the relationship between sociodemographic variables including the need for mental health intervention and depression, anxiety, and anger. @*Results@#The prevalence rates of depression, anxiety, and anger were 22.4%, 31.3%, and 42.3%. The need for mental health intervention was associated with the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and anger (p<0.001). Additionally, the risk of depression, anxiety, and anger was higher in the group with the need for mental health intervention compared to those without the need (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]; anxiety, 3.270 [2.337–4.575], p<0.001; depression, 4.475 [3.284– 6.097], p<0.001; anger, 4.225 [3.121-5.718], p<0.001). @*Conclusions@#One year after the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and anger in the general population of Daegu City was high. The subject’s perceived need for mental health intervention is associated with the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and anger and helps identify subjects requiring additional mental health intervention.

Pain Control and Sedation in Neuro Intensive Critical Unit

Neurocritical patients who can self-report pain use the 0-10 numerical rating scale (NRS, verbal or visual form). However, critically ill patients whose nervous systems cannot express pain use the behavioral pain scale (BPS) and the critical care pain observation tool (CPOT) behavioral pain assessment tools. These tools reveal pain-related changes in movement, facial expression, posture, and physiological indicators such as heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate. In pain control, it is first essential to reduce unnecessary painkillers through non-drug therapy and maximize the effect of the administered analgesics. For nonneuropathic pain, narcotic analgesics such as fentanyl, hydromorphone, morphine, and remifentanil are administered intravenously. Gabapentin, pregabalin, and carbamazepine are recommended along with narcotic analgesics for neuropathic pain control. In addition, nonnarcotic analgesics for multi-modal analgesia are used to reduce the use of narcotic analgesics or the side effects of narcotic analgesics. In the intensive care unit (ICU), the sedation-agitation scale (SAS) and the Richmond agitation-sedation scale (RASS) are used to determine the depth of sedation to be maintained during shallow or deep sedation, considering the condition of the critically ill patient. When selecting sedatives for critically ill patients, preferentially consider nonbenzodiazepines such as propofol or dexmedetomidine rather than benzodiazepines such as midazolam or lorazepam. In addition, patients use painkillers or sedatives for over a week, and neurological changes or physiological dependence may occur. Therefore, clinicians should evaluate the critically ill patient’s condition, and sedatives and painkillers should be reduced or discontinued.

Moderate-Intensity Rosuvastatin Plus Ezetimibe Versus High-Intensity Rosuvastatin for Target Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Goal Achievement in Patients With Recent Ischemic Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial / 대한뇌졸중학회지

Background@#and Purpose Moderate-intensity statin plus ezetimibe versus high-intensity statin alone may provide a greater low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction in patients with recent ischemic stroke. @*Methods@#This randomized, open-label, controlled trial assigned patients with recent ischemic stroke <90 days to rosuvastatin/ezetimibe 10/10 mg once daily (ROS10/EZT10) or to rosuvastatin 20 mg once daily (ROS20). The primary endpoint was LDL-C reduction ≥50% from baseline at 90 days. Key secondary endpoints were LDL-C <70 mg/dL and multiple lipid goal achievement, and composite of major vascular events. @*Results@#Of 584 randomized, 530 were included in the modified intention-to-treat analysis. The baseline LDL-C level was 130.2±34.7 mg/dL in the ROS10/EZT10 group and 131.0±33.9 mg/dL in the ROS20 group. The primary endpoint was achieved in 198 patients (72.5%) in the ROS10/EZT10 group and 148 (57.6%) in the ROS20 group (odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 1.944 [1.352–2.795]; P= 0.0003). LDL-C level <70 mg/dL was achieved in 80.2% and 65.4% in the ROS10/EZT10 and ROS20 groups (P=0.0001). Multiple lipid goal achievement rate was 71.1% and 53.7% in the ROS10/EZT10 and ROS20 groups (P<0.0001). Major vascular events occurred in 1 patient in the ROS10/EZT10 group and 9 in the ROS20 group (P=0.0091). The adverse event rates did not differ between the two groups. @*Conclusion@#Moderate-intensity rosuvastatin plus ezetimibe was superior to high-intensity rosuvastatin alone for intensive LDL-C reduction in patients with recent ischemic stroke. With the combination therapy, more than 70% of patients achieved LDL-C reduction ≥50% and 80% had an LDL-C <70 mg/dL at 90 days.

Comparative Effectiveness of COVID-19 Bivalent Versus Monovalent mRNA Vaccines in the Early Stage of Bivalent Vaccination in Korea: October 2022 to January 2023

Background@#This retrospective observational matched-cohort study of 2,151,216 individuals from the Korean coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine effectiveness cohort aimed to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of the COVID-19 bivalent versus monovalent vaccines in providing additional protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, critical infection, and death in Korea. @*Methods@#Among individuals, those vaccinated with COVID-19 bivalent vaccines were matched in a 1:1 ratio with those who were vaccinated with monovalent vaccines (bivalent vaccines non-recipients) during the observation period. We fitted a time-dependent Cox proportional-hazards model to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) of COVID-19 outcomes for infection, critical infection, and death, and we defined vaccine effectiveness (VE) as 1–HR. @*Results@#Compared with the bivalent vaccination group, the incidence proportions in the monovalent vaccination group were approximately three times higher for infection, nine times higher for critical infection, and 11 times higher for death. In the early stage of bivalent vaccination, relative VE of bivalent vaccine against monovalent vaccine was 42.4% against SARS-CoV-2 infection, 81.3% against critical infection, and 85.3% against death. In addition, VE against critical infection and death according to the elapsed period after bivalent vaccination was maintained at > 70%. @*Conclusion@#The bivalent booster dose provided additional protection against SARS-CoV-2 infections, critical infections, and deaths during the omicron variant phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Risk Factors Related to COVID-19Reinfection and Fatality During the Omicron (BA.1/BA.2) Period in Korea

Background@#This study aimed to investigate the deaths due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reinfection and related risk factors. @*Methods@#National cohort data were collected for a six-month period when omicron BA.1/BA.2 variant was dominant in South Korea. @*Results@#The long-term care facility residents (adjusted odds ratio, 3.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.98–3.25) had significantly higher risk of reinfection than the general population. The risk of reinfection was significantly lower for persons with 2 or more vaccine doses compared to the unvaccinated. The risk of death was significantly higher in the reinfection group than in the primary infection group for persons in the 60–74 years age group (adjusted relative risk [aRR], 1.62; 95% CI, 1.19–2.20), and immunocompromised group (aRR, 4.56; 95% CI, 2.34–8.90). @*Conclusion@#In these data, vaccination history was significantly related to reduced COVID-19 reinfection and severe progression, and scheduled vaccinations were important even with a history of infection.

Epigenetic Regulation of the Expression of T Cell Stimulatory and Inhibitory Factors by Histone H3 Lysine Modification Enzymes and Its Prognostic Roles in Glioblastoma

Background@#This study aimed to identify the specific T cell co-stimulatory and co-inhibitory factors that play prognostic roles in patients with glioblastoma. Additionally, the unique histone H3 modification enzymes that regulate the expression levels of these specific costimulatory and co-inhibitory factors were investigated. @*Methods@#The medical records of 84 patients newly diagnosed with glioblastoma at our institution from January 2006 to December 2020 were retrospectively reviewed.Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for T cell co-stimulatory factors (CD27, CD28, CD137, OX40, and ICOS), T cell co-inhibitory factors (CTLA4, PD1, PD-L1, TIM3, and CD200R), and histone H3 lysine modification enzymes (MLL4, RIZ, EZH1, NSD2, KDM5c, JMJD1a, UTX, and JMJD5) was performed on archived paraffin-embedded tissues obtained by biopsy or resection. Quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed for specific factors, which demonstrated causal relationships, in order to validate the findings of the IHC examinations. @*Results@#The mean follow-up duration was 27.5 months (range, 4.1–43.5 months). During this period, 76 patients (90.5%) died, and the mean OS was 19.4 months (95% confidence interval, 16.3–20.9 months). Linear positive correlations were observed between the expression levels of CD28 and JMJD1a (R2 linear = 0.982) and those of CD137 and UTX (R2 linear = 1.528). Alternatively, significant negative correlations were observed between the expression levels of CTLA4 and RIZ (R2 linear = −1.746) and those of PD-L1 and EZH1 (R2 linear = −2.118); relationships were confirmed by qRT-PCR. In the multivariate analysis, increased expression levels of CD28 (P = 0.042), and CD137 (P = 0.009), and decreased expression levels of CTLA4 (P = 0.003), PD-L1 (P = 0.020), and EZH1 (P = 0.040) were significantly associated with longer survival. @*Conclusion@#These findings suggest that the expression of certain T cell co-stimulatory factors, such as CD28 and CD 137, and co-inhibitory factors, such as CTLA4 and PD-L1 are associated with prognosis of glioblastoma patients.

Fertility Preservation in Young Women With Breast Cancer: A Review / 한국유방암학회지

Fertility preservation is a major concern in young patients diagnosed with breast cancer and planning to receive multimodality treatment, including gonadotoxic chemotherapy with or without age-related decline through long-term endocrine therapy. Most breast cancer patients undergo multimodality treatments; many short-term and long-term side effects arise during these therapies. One of the most detrimental side effects is reduced fertility due to gonadotoxic treatments with resultant psychosocial stress. Cryopreservation of oocytes, embryos, and ovarian tissue are currently available fertility preservation methods for these patients. As an adjunct to these methods, in vitro maturation or gonadotropinreleasing hormone agonist could also be considered. It is also essential to communicate well with patients in the decision-making process on fertility preservation. It is essential to refer patients diagnosed with breast cancer on time to fertility specialists for individualized treatment, which may lead to desirable outcomes. To do so, a multimodal team-based approach and in-depth discussion on the treatment of breast cancer and fertility preservation is crucial. This review aims to summarize infertility risk related to currently available breast cancer treatment, options for fertility preservation and its details, barriers to oncofertility counseling, and psychosocial issues.

The Fracture Risk Assessment Tool Probability and Trabecular Bone Score Mediate the Relationship between Sphingosine 1-phosphate Levels and Fracture Risk

Background@#The sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) concentration is a potential biomarker of osteoporotic fracture and is associated with both the fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX) probability and trabecular bone score (TBS), which are well-known predictors of fracture. We sought to estimate the effect of the S1P concentration on fracture risk using the FRAX probability and TBS as mediators. @*Methods@#Plasma S1P concentrations, FRAX variables, and TBSs were measured in 66 postmenopausal women with fractures and 273 postmenopausal women without fractures. Associations between S1P concentration, FRAX probability, TBS, and fracture risk were analyzed using correlation, logistic regression, and mediation analyses. @*Results@#Subjects in the highest S1P concentration tertile had a higher fracture risk (odds ratio [OR], 5.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.22–11.67) than those in the lowest S1P concentration tertile before adjustment. Subjects in the highest FRAX probability tertile had a higher fracture risk (OR, 14.59; 95% CI, 5.01–42.53) than those in the lowest FRAX probability tertile before adjustment. Subjects in the lowest TBS tertile had a higher fracture risk (OR, 4.76; 95% CI, 2.28–9.93) than those in the highest TBS tertile before adjustment. After adjustment for FRAX probability and TBS, the highest S1P concentration tertile was still associated with a higher fracture risk (OR, 3.13; 95% CI, 1.28–7.66). The FRAX probability and TBS accounted for 32.6% and 21.7%, respectively, of the relationship between the S1P concentration and fracture risk. @*Conclusions@#The relationship between the circulating S1P concentration and fracture risk was partly mediated by the FRAX probability, bone microarchitecture, and other factors.

Core indicators related to the elimination of hepatitis B and C virus infection in South Korea: A nationwide study

Background/Aims@#To eliminate hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria in 2021, this study investigated the national core indicators representing the current status of viral hepatitis B and C in South Korea. @*Methods@#We analyzed the incidence, linkage-to-care, treatment, and mortality rates of HBV and HCV infection using the integrated nationwide big data of South Korea. @*Results@#According to data from 2018–2020, the incidence of acute HBV infection in South Korea was 0.71 cases per 100,000 population; tthe linkage-to-care rate was only 39.4%. Among those who need hepatitis B treatment, the treatment rate was 67.3%, which was less than 80% reported in the WHO program index. The annual liver-related mortality due to HBV was 18.85 cases per 100,000 population, exceeding the WHO target of four; the most frequent cause of death was liver cancer (54.1%). The annual incidence of newly diagnosed HCV infection was 11.9 cases per 100,000 population, which was higher than the WHO impact target of five. Among HCV-infected patients, the linkage-to-care rate was 65.5% while the treatment rate was 56.8%, which were below the targets of 90% and 80%, respectively. The liver-related annual mortality rate due to HCV infection was 2.02 cases per 100,000 population. @*Conclusions@#Many of the current indicators identified in the Korean population did not satisfy the WHO criteria for validation of viral hepatitis elimination. Hence, a comprehensive national strategy should be urgently developed with continuous monitoring of the targets in South Korea.