Development of a Zebrafish Larvae Model for Diabetic Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction

Background and Objectives@#Diabetes mellitus (DM)-associated heart failure (HF) causes high morbidity and mortality. In this study, we established a zebrafish larvae model for in vivo research on diabetic HF. @*Methods@#DM-like phenotypes were induced by treating zebrafish larvae with a combination of D-glucose (GLU) and streptozotocin (STZ). HF was induced by treatment with terfenadine (TER), a potassium channel blocker. Additionally, myocardial contractility, motility, and viability were evaluated. @*Results@#The zebrafish larvae treated with a combination of GLU and STZ showed significantly higher whole-body glucose concentrations, lower insulin levels, and higher phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase levels, which are markers of abnormal glucose homeostasis, than the group treated with only GLU, with no effect on viability. When treated with TER, DM zebrafish showed significantly less myocardial fractional shortening and more irregular contractions than the non-DM zebrafish. Furthermore, in DM-HF with reduced ejection fraction (rEF) zebrafish, a significant increase in the levels of natriuretic peptide B, a HF biomarker, markedly reduced motility, and reduced survival rates were observed. @*Conclusions@#We established a DM-HFrEF zebrafish model by sequentially treating zebrafish larvae with GLU, STZ, and TER. Our findings indicate the potential utility of the developed zebrafish larvae model not only in screening studies of new drug candidates for DM-HFrEF but also in mechanistic studies to understand the pathophysiology of DM-HFrEF.

The Changes in Respiratory and Enteric Adenovirus Epidemiology in Korea From 2017 to June 2022

Since October 2021, severe acute hepatitis of unknown etiology in pediatric patients has been observed in many countries around the world. Adenovirus (mainly enteric adenovirus) was detected in more than 50% of the cases. Nationwide surveillance on acute hepatitis of unknown etiology in pediatric patients was started in May 2022 in Korea. Taking into account the severity of the illness and the urgency of the epidemiological situation worldwide, we report a summary of changes in adenovirus epidemiology during the past five years and six months in Korea.

Rituximab plus multiagent chemotherapy for newly diagnosed CD20-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a prospective phase II study

Background/Aims@#We performed a prospective study to determine the efficacy and safety of rituximab including chemotherapy in CD20-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). @*Methods@#Patients with newly diagnosed ALL, aged ≥ 15 years, were eligible for the study if their leukemic blast cells in bone marrow expressed CD20 ≥ 20% at the time of diagnosis. Patients received multiagent chemotherapy with rituximab. After achieving complete remission (CR), patients received five cycles of consolidation with concomitant rituximab. Rituximab was administered monthly from day 90 of transplantation for patients who received allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. @*Results@#In patients with Philadelphia (Ph)-negative ALL, 39 of 41 achieved CR (95.1%), the 2- and 4-year relapse-free survival (RFS) rates were 50.4% and 35.7%, and the 2- and 4-year overall survival (OS) rates were 51.5% and 43.2%, respectively. In the group with Ph-positive ALL, all 32 patients achieved CR, the 2- and 4-year RFS rates were 60.7% and 52.1%, and the 2- and 4-year OS rates were 73.3% and 52.3%, respectively. In the Ph-negative ALL group, patients with higher CD20 positivity experienced more favorable RFS (p < 0.001) and OS (p = 0.06) than those with lower CD20 positivity. Patients who received ≥ 2 cycles of rituximab after transplantation had significantly improved RFS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.31; p = 0.049) and OS (HR, 0.29; p = 0.021) compared with those who received < 2 cycles. @*Conclusions@#The addition of rituximab to conventional chemotherapy for CD20-positive ALL is effective and tolerable (Clinicaltrials. gov NCT01429610).

COVID-19 outbreak in a religious village community in Republic of Korea and risk factors for transmission

Objectives@#This study aimed to assess the scale and transmission patterns of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a religious village community in South Korea, to determine the risk factors of transmission, and to evaluate vaccine effectiveness. @*Methods@#An epidemiological survey was conducted, and data were collected and analyzed from 602 villagers in the religious village community. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for COVID-19 transmission and to evaluate vaccine effectiveness. @*Results@#The outbreak attack rate was 72.1% (434/602). The attack rate was high among women in their 60s, the unemployed, residents living near religious facility (<500 m), and the unvaccinated. Age, the distance between religious facility and residences, and the absence of vaccination were identified as risk factors for infection. Vaccine effectiveness was 49.0%, and the highest effectiveness was seen in the age group of 59 years or younger (65.8%). @*Conclusion@#This village community was isolated, with little communication with the outside world. However, the frequency of close contact between residents was relatively high, contributing to the spread of COVID-19 in the village even with relatively short exposure. Vaccination rates in the village community were also lower than those in the general public. Public health authorities should consider the potential impact of cultural factors, including religion, that could lead to the exponential spread of COVID-19 in closed village communities.

Impact of Nonpharmacological Interventions on Severe Acute Respiratory Infections in Children: From

Background@#Nonpharmacological interventions (NPIs) reduce the incidence of respiratory infections. After NPIs imposed during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic ceased, respiratory infections gradually increased worldwide. However, few studies have been conducted on severe respiratory infections requiring hospitalization in pediatric patients.This study compares epidemiological changes in severe respiratory infections during pre-NPI, NPI, and post-NPI periods in order to evaluate the effect of that NPI on severe respiratory infections in children. @*Methods@#We retrospectively studied data collected at 13 Korean sentinel sites from January 2018 to October 2022 that were lodged in the national Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARIs) surveillance database. @*Results@#A total of 9,631 pediatric patients were admitted with SARIs during the pre-NPI period, 579 during the NPI period, and 1,580 during the post-NPI period. During the NPI period, the number of pediatric patients hospitalized with severe respiratory infections decreased dramatically, thus from 72.1 per 1,000 to 6.6 per 1,000. However, after NPIs ceased, the number increased to 22.8 per 1,000. During the post-NPI period, the positive test rate increased to the level noted before the pandemic. @*Conclusion@#Strict NPIs including school and daycare center closures effectively reduced severe respiratory infections requiring hospitalization of children. However, childcare was severely compromised. To prepare for future respiratory infections, there is a need to develop a social consensus on NPIs that are appropriate for children.

Two Years of Experience and Methodology of Korean COVID-19 Living Clinical Practice Guideline Development

Background@#In Korea, during the early phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we responded to the uncertainty of treatments under various conditions, consistently playing catch up with the speed of evidence updates. Therefore, there was high demand for national-level evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for clinicians in a timely manner. We developed evidence-based and updated living recommendations for clinicians through a transparent development process and multidisciplinary expert collaboration. @*Methods@#The National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency (NECA) and the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences (KAMS) collaborated to develop trustworthy Korean living guidelines. The NECA-supported methodological sections and 8 professional medical societies of the KAMS worked with clinical experts, and 31 clinicians were involved annually. We developed a total of 35 clinical questions, including medications, respiratory/critical care, pediatric care, emergency care, diagnostic tests, and radiological examinations. @*Results@#An evidence-based search for treatments began in March 2021 and monthly updates were performed. It was expanded to other areas, and the search interval was organized by a steering committee owing to priority changes. Evidence synthesis and recommendation review was performed by researchers, and living recommendations were updated within 3–4 months. @*Conclusion@#We provided timely recommendations on living schemes and disseminated them to the public, policymakers and various stakeholders using webpages and social media.Although the output was successful, there were some limitations. The rigor of development issues, urgent timelines for public dissemination, education for new developers, and spread of several new COVID-19 variants have worked as barriers. Therefore, we must prepare systematic processes and funding for future pandemics.

Widespread Household Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 (Omicron) Variant from Children, South Korea, 2022

The role that children play in the transmission of the omicron variant is unclear. Here we report an outbreak that started in young children attending various pediatric facilities, leading to extensive household transmission that affected 75 families with 88 confirmed case-patients in 3 weeks. Tailored social and public health measures directed towards children and pediatric facilities are warranted with the emergence of highly transmissible omicron variant to mitigate the impact of coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19).

Within-Host Evolution of SARS-CoV-2in a B-Cell Depleted Patient With Successful Treatment

Prolonged viral shedding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in an immunocompromised host is a challenge as the treatment and infection control for chronic coronavirus disease 2019 infection is not well established and there is a potential risk of new variants emerging. A 48-year-old woman who underwent chemotherapy, including rituximab and steroid, had reactivation of SARS-CoV-2 68 days after the virus was first detected. She successfully recovered after receiving convalescent plasma and intravenous immunoglobulin. Genomic analysis demonstrated that viruses collected from the nasopharyngeal specimens at day 0 and day 68 had 18 different nucleotide mutations, implying within-host evolution after in-depth epidemiologic investigation.

Time-series comparison of COVID-19 case fatality rates across 21 countries with adjustment for multiple covariates

Objectives@#Although it is widely used as a measure for mortality, the case fatality rate (CFR) of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can vary over time and fluctuate for many reasons other than viral characteristics. To compare the CFRs of different countries in equal measure, we estimated comparable CFRs after adjusting for multiple covariates and examined the main factors that contributed to variability in the CFRs among 21 countries. @*Methods@#For statistical analysis, time-series cross-sectional data were collected from Our World in Data, CoVariants.org, and GISAID. Biweekly CFRs of COVID-19 were estimated by pooled generalized linear squares regression models for the panel data. Covariates included the predominant virus variant, reproduction rate, vaccination, national economic status, hospital beds, diabetes prevalence, and population share of individuals older than age 65. In total, 21 countries were eligible for analysis. @*Results@#Adjustment for covariates reduced variation in the CFRs of COVID-19 across countries and over time. Regression results showed that the dominant spread of the Omicron variant, reproduction rate, and vaccination were associated with lower country-level CFRs, whereas age, the extreme poverty rate, and diabetes prevalence were associated with higher country-level CFRs. @*Conclusion@#A direct comparison of crude CFRs among countries may be fallacious, especially in a cross-sectional analysis. Our study presents an adjusted comparison of CFRs over time for a more proper comparison. In addition, our findings suggest that comparing CFRs among different countries without considering their context, such as the epidemic phase, medical capacity, surveillance strategy, and socio-demographic traits, should be avoided.

Reduced-intensity conditioning versus myeloablative conditioning allogeneic stem cell transplantation for patients with myelofibrosis

Background@#Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) is the sole curative option for myelofibrosis (MF). However, it is unknown as to which of the two, myeloablative conditioning (MAC) or reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC), is a better preconditioning regimen. @*Methods@#Twenty-five patients with MF were treated with alloSCT, 12 of whom underwent RIC.Baseline characteristics, response to alloSCT, adverse events, including graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and survival outcomes were reviewed. @*Results@#There was no difference in the neutrophil engraftment rate and time to engraftment between MAC vs. RIC. The time to platelet engraftment was significantly longer in the MAC group (median, 112.8 vs. 28.8 days for MAC vs. RIC, respectively, P =0.049). RIC was more advantageous in terms of achieving complete chimerism (38.5% vs. 83.3%, P =0.041). The incidence of acute GVHD was 84.6% (11 of 13) and 58.3% (7 of 12) in the MAC and RIC groups, respectively. The cumulative incidence of grade III‒IV acute GVHD was significantly higher in the MAC group than in the RIC group (P =0.03). No significant differences were observed in progression-free and overall survival. The 17-month probability of progression-free survival was 38.4% [95% confidence interval (CI), 19.3‒76.5] vs. 47.6% (95% CI, 25.7‒88.2) (P =0.21), and that of overall survival was 53.8% (95% CI, 32.5‒89.1) vs. 48.6% (95% CI, 26.8‒88.3) (P =0.85) for MAC vs. RIC, respectively. @*Conclusion@#RIC offers a significant advantage over MAC, even in younger patients with MF undergoing alloSCT, in terms of cell engraftment, rate of complete chimerism achievement, and incidence of acute GVHD.

Changes in the pattern and disease burden of acute respiratory viral infections before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objectives@#We conducted a comparative analysis of the differences in the incidence of 8 acute respiratory viruses and the changes in their patterns before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. @*Methods@#Three sentinel surveillance systems of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service were analyzed. The average numbers of reported cases and the related hospital admissions and outpatient data were compared between April 2018–2019 and 2020–2021. Changes in the disease burden and medical expenditures between these 2 time periods were evaluated. @*Results@#During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of reported cases of all acute respiratory viral infections, except for human bocavirus, decreased significantly. Data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service also showed decreases in the actual amount of medical service usage and a marked reduction in medical expenditures. @*Conclusion@#Non-pharmacological interventions in response to COVID-19 showed preventive effects on the transmission of other respiratory viruses, as well as COVID-19. Although COVID-19 had a tremendous impact on society as a whole, with high social costs, there were also positive effects, such as a reduction in the incidence of acute respiratory viral infections.

Safety and efficacy of nilotinib in adult patients with chronic myeloid leukemia: a post-marketing surveillance study in Korea

Background@#Nilotinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for frontline and 2nd line treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph+ CML). This study aimed to confirm the safety and efficacy of nilotinib in routine clinical practice within South Korea. @*Methods@#An open-label, multicenter, single-arm, 12-week observational post-marketing surveillance (PMS) study was conducted on 669 Korean adult patients with Ph + CML from December 24, 2010, to December 23, 2016. The patients received nilotinib treatment in routine clinical practice settings. Safety was evaluated by all types of adverse events (AEs) during the study period, and efficacy was evaluated by the complete hematological response (CHR) and cytogenetic response. @*Results@#During the study period, AEs occurred in 61.3% (410 patients, 973 events), adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in 40.5% (271/669 patients, 559 events), serious AEs in 4.5% (30 patients, 37 events), and serious ADRs in 0.7% (5 patients, 8 events). Furthermore, unexpected AEs occurred at a rate of 6.9% (46 patients, 55 events) and unexpected ADRs at 1.2% (8 patients, 8 events). As for the efficacy results, CHR was achieved in 89.5% (442/494 patients), and minor cytogenetic response or major cytogenetic response was achieved in 85.8% (139/162 patients). @*Conclusion@#This PMS study shows consistent results in terms of safety and efficacy compared with previous studies. Nilotinib was well tolerated and efficacious in adult Korean patients with Ph + CML in routine clinical practice settings.

Long-term follow-up results of cytarabine-containing chemotherapy for acute promyelocytic leukemia

Background/Aims@#We evaluated the feasibility and long-term efficacy of the combination of cytarabine, idarubicin, and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) for treating patients with newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). @*Methods@#We included 87 patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia and a t(15;17) or promyelocytic leukemia/retinoic acid receptor alpha (PML-RARα) mutation. Patients received 12 mg/m2/day idarubicin intravenously for 3 days and 100 mg/m2/day cytarabine for 7 days, plus 45 mg/m2/day ATRA. Clinical outcomes included complete remission (CR), relapse-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS), and the secondary malignancy incidence during a 20-year follow-up. @*Results@#The CR, 10-year RFS, and 10-year OS rates were 89.7%, 94.1%, and 73.8%, respectively, for all patients. The 10-year OS rate was 100% for patients that achieved CR. Subjects were classified according to the white blood cell (WBC) count in peripheral blood at diagnosis (low-risk, WBC < 10,000/mm3; high-risk, WBC ≥ 10,000/mm3). The low-risk group had significantly higher RFS and OS rates than the high-risk group, but the outcomes were not superior to the current standard treatment (arsenic trioxide plus ATRA). Toxicities were similar to those observed with anthracycline plus ATRA, and higher than those observed with arsenic trioxide plus ATRA. The secondary malignancy incidence after APL treatment was 2.7%, among the 75 patients that achieved CR, and 5.0% among the 40 patients that survived more than 5 years after the APL diagnosis. @*Conclusions@#Adding cytarabine to anthracycline plus ATRA was not inferior to anthracycline plus ATRA alone, but it was not comparable to arsenic trioxide plus ATRA. The probability of secondary malignancy was low.

Eltrombopag for Post-Transplant Poor Graft Function in East Asian Patients

Poor graft function (PGF) is a serious, potentially life-threatening complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Eltrombopag has shown multilineage responses in patients with refractory severe aplastic anemia, supporting the idea that it may improve cytopenia in patients with PGF. This retrospective, single center analysis included 8 Korean patients receiving eltrombopag for PGF. Median interval between transplant and eltrombopag treatment was 73 days, and the median duration treatment was 3.5 weeks.With median maximum daily dose of 50 mg, the time to best response was 93 days. Median hemoglobin increased from 8.2 g/dL to 10.9 g/dL, platelet from 18.5 × 109 /L to 54 × 109 /L, and absolute neutrophil count from 1.25 × 109 /L to 3.32 × 109 /L. In conclusion, eltrombopag is a good option for PGF in Korean patients, even at a lower dose compared to western patients.

Leukemic stem cell phenotype is associated with mutational profile in acute myeloid leukemia

Background/Aims@#Understanding leukemic stem cell (LSC) is important for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment. However, association of LSC with patient prognosis and genetic information in AML patients is unclear. @*Methods@#Here we investigated the associations between genetic information and the various LSC phenotypes, namely multipotent progenitor (MPP)-like, lymphoid primed multipotent progenitor (LMPP)-like and granulocyte-macrophage progenitors (GMP)-like LSC in 52 AML patients. @*Results@#In secondary AML patients, MPP-like LSC was significantly higher than de novo AML (p = 0.0037). The proportion of MPP-like LSC was especially high in post-myeloproliferative neoplasm AML (p = 0.0485). There was no correlation between age and LSC phenotype. Mutations of KRAS and NRAS were observed in MPP-like LSC dominant patients, TP53 and ASXL1 mutations in LMPP-like LSC dominant patients, and CEBPA, DNMT3A and IDH1 mutations in GMP-like LSC dominant patients. Furthermore, KRAS mutation was significantly associated with MPP-like LSC expression (p = 0.0540), and TP53 mutation with LMPP-like LSC expression (p = 0.0276). When the patients were separated according to the combined risk including next generation sequencing data, the poorer the prognosis, the higher the LMPP-like LSC expression (p = 0.0052). This suggests that the dominant phenotype of LSC is one of the important factors in predicting the prognosis and treatment of AML. @*Conclusions@#LSC phenotype in AML is closely associated with the recurrent mutations which has prognostic implication. Further research to confirm the meaning of LSC phenotype in the context of genetic aberration is warranted.

Treatment outcome and prognostic factors of Korean patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a multicenter retrospective study

Background/Aims@#Compared with Western countries, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) rarely occurs in Asia and has different clinical characteristics. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics, treatment outcomes, and prognostic significance of Korean patients with CLL. @*Methods@#We retrospectively analyzed 90 patients with CLL who had received chemotherapy at 6 centers in Korea between 2000 and 2012. @*Results@#Compared with Western patients with CLL, Korean patients with CLL express lambda (42.0%) and atypical markers such as CD22 and FMC7 (76.7% and 40.0%, respectively) more frequently. First-line chemotherapy regimens included chlorambucil (n = 43), fludarabine and cyclophosphamide (FC) (n = 20), fludarabine (n = 13), rituximab-FC (n = 4). The remaining patients were treated with other various regimens (n = 10). The 5-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 79.3% and 28.1%, respectively. Multivariate analyses showed that hyperleukocytosis (≥ 100 × 103/μL), extranodal involvement, and the Binet C stage were significant negative prognostic factors for OS (hazard ratio [HR] 4.75, p = 0.039; HR 21.6, p = 0.002; and HR 4.35, p = 0.034, respectively). Cytogenetic abnormalities including complex karyotypes (≥ 3), del(11q), and del(17) had a significantly adverse impact on both OS and PFS (p < 0.001 and p = 0.010, respectively). @*Conclusions@#Initial hyperleukocytosis, extranodal involvement, complex karyotype, del(17) and del(11q) need to be considered in the risk stratification system for CLL.

Updated recommendations for the treatment of venous thromboembolism

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis, is a condition characterized by abnormal blood clot formation in the pulmonary arteries and the deep venous vasculature. It is often serious and sometimes even fatal if not promptly and appropriately treated. Moreover, the later consequences of VTE may result in reduced quality of life. The treatment of VTE depends on various factors, including the type, cause, and patient comorbidities. Furthermore, bleeding may occur as a side effect of VTE treatment. Thus, it is necessary to carefully weigh the benefits versus the risks of VTE treatment and to actively monitor patients undergoing treatment. Asian populations are known to have lower VTE incidences than Western populations, but recent studies have shown an increase in the incidence of VTE in Asia. A variety of treatment options are currently available owing to the introduction of direct oral anticoagulants.The current VTE treatment recommendation is based on evidence from previous studies, but it should be applied with careful consideration of the racial, genetic, and social characteristics in the Korean population.

Comparison of influenza surveillance data from the Republic of Korea, selected northern hemisphere countries and Hong Kong SAR (China) from 2012 to 2017

@#Influenza surveillance is conducted in many countries; it is one of the most important types of infectious disease surveillance due to the significant impact and burden of the influenza virus. The Republic of Korea has a temperate climate, and influenza activity usually peaks in the winter as in other temperate-climate countries in the northern hemisphere. This descriptive study compared the influenza surveillance data from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with that from other countries and areas in the northern hemisphere, namely China, including Hong Kong Special Administrative Region SAR, Japan and the United States of America, to identify seasonal influenza patterns from 2012 to 2017. Data on influenza-like illnesses (ILIs) and laboratory surveillance were collected from various sources; visual comparisons were conducted on the onset, duration and the peak timing of each influenza season based on subtypes. Correlation coefficients were estimated, and time differences for the beginning of influenza seasons between the Republic of Korea and other countries were measured. ILIs in North China and cases reported from Japan’s sentinel surveillance showed high correlations with the Republic of Korea. The number of confirmed influenza cases in Japan showed a high correlation with the laboratory-confirmed influenza cases in the Republic of Korea. We found that there are similarities in the influenza patterns of the Republic of Korea, Japan and North China. Monitoring these neighbouring countries’ data may be useful for understanding influenza patterns in the Republic of Korea. Continuous monitoring and comparison of influenza surveillance data with neighbouring countries is recommended to enhance preparedness against influenza.

Similar transplant outcomes between haploidentical and unrelated donors after reduced-intensity conditioning with busulfan, fludarabine, and anti-thymocyte globulin in patients with acute leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome

BACKGROUND: Although T-cell-replete hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) from haploidentical donors (HIDs) using anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) has shown promising outcomes, previous studies often adopted heterogenous graft sources and conditioning.METHODS: We retrospectively compared HCT outcomes from 62 HIDs, 36 partially-matched unrelated donors (PUDs), and 55 matched unrelated donors (MUDs) in patients with acute leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome using the same graft source of peripheral blood and a reduced intensity conditioning of busulfan, fludarabine, and ATG.RESULTS: The estimates of 3-yr disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were not significantly different among the MUD, HID, and PUD groups, at 46%, “41%, and 36%” for the DFS rate (P=0.844), and 55%, 45%, and 45% for the OS rate (P=0.802), respectively. Cumulative incidence of relapse and non-relapse mortality at 3 yr was similar among different donor types. Subsequent multivariable analyses showed that the sex of the patient (male) and a high/very high disease risk index were independently associated with poorer DFS and OS, while the donor type was not.CONCLUSION: T-cell replete HCT from HIDs using an ATG-containing reduced intensity conditioning regimen may be a reasonable option in the absence of matched related donors in patients with acute leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome.

KCDC Risk Assessments on the Initial Phase of theCOVID-19 Outbreak in Korea

Objectives@#This study aims to evaluate the risk assessments of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) in the KoreaCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), from the point of detection to the provision of basicinformation to the relevant public health authorities. @*Methods@#To estimate the overall risk of specific public health events, probability, and impact at thecountry-level were evaluated using available information. To determine the probability of particularpublic health events, the risk of importation and risk of transmission were taken into consideration.KCDC used 5 levels (“very low,” “low,” “moderate,” “high,” and “very high”) for each category and overallrisk was eventually decided. @*Results@#A total of 8 risk assessments were performed on 8 separate occasions between January 8th toFebruary 28th, 2020, depending on the detection and report of COVID-19 cases in other countries. Theoverall risk of the situation in each assessment increased in severity over this period: “low” (first),“moderate” (second), “high” (third), “high” (fourth), “high” (fifth), “high” (sixth), “high” (seventh), and“very high” (eighth). @*Conclusion@#The KCDC’s 8 risk assessments were utilized to activate national emergency responsemechanisms and eventually prepare for the pandemic to ensure the containment and mitigation ofCOVID-19 with non-pharmaceutical public health measures.