ABSTRACT
Background and objectives: Herpes zoster (HZ) is caused by the reactivation of a pre-existing latent varicella zoster virus, which is one of the viruses that causes hearing loss, and hearing loss may occur due to a systemic immune response even if it does not invade the auditory nerve. This study aimed to determine the correlation between sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) in older adult patients who received HZ treatment. Materials and Methods: We used the cohort data of patients aged 60 years and above (n = 624,646) between 2002 and 2015 provided by the National Health Insurance Service. The patients were divided into two groups: those who were diagnosed with HZ between 2003 and 2008 (group H, n = 36,121) and those who had not been diagnosed with HZ between 2002 and 2015 (group C, n = 584,329). Results: In the main model (adjusted HR = 0.890, 95% CI = 0.839-0.944, p < 0.001) adjusted for sex, age, and income, and the full model (adjusted HR = 0.894, 95% CI = 0.843-0.949, p < 0.001) adjusted for all comorbidities, group H had a lower risk of SSNHL than group C. Conclusions: This study showed that patients who received HZ treatment had a lower incidence of SSNHL within five years after diagnosis.
Subject(s)
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural , Hearing Loss, Sudden , Herpes Zoster , Humans , Aged , Herpesvirus 3, Human , Proportional Hazards Models , Herpes Zoster/complications , Herpes Zoster/drug therapy , Herpes Zoster/epidemiology , Hearing Loss, Sensorineural/epidemiology , Hearing Loss, Sudden/drug therapy , Hearing Loss, Sudden/epidemiology , Republic of Korea/epidemiology , National Health Programs , Retrospective Studies , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
Ultrahigh-resolution patterning with high-throughput and high-fidelity is highly in demand for expanding the potential of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) from mobile and TV displays into near-to-eye microdisplays. However, current patterning techniques so far suffer from low resolution, consecutive pattern for RGB pixelation, low pattern fidelity, and throughput issue. Here, we present a silicone engineered anisotropic lithography of the organic light-emitting semiconductor (OLES) that in-situ forms a non-volatile etch-blocking layer during reactive ion etching. This unique feature not only slows the etch rate but also enhances the anisotropy of etch direction, leading to gain delicate control in forming ultrahigh-density multicolor OLES patterns (up to 4500 pixels per inch) through photolithography. This patterning strategy inspired by silicon etching chemistry is expected to provide new insights into ultrahigh-density OLED microdisplays.
