Clinical and radiological outcome of the locked plate osteosynthesis in distal metadiaphyseal tibial fracture according to the severity of comminution: Varus reduction would not be preferable with lower clinical outcomes.

Background: The optimal treatment for distal tibial fractures remains a matter of debate. Nonetheless, plate osteosynthesis produces favorable results to intramedullary stabilization in aspects of alignment restoration. Aim: The aim of the study was to compare the radiologic and clinical outcomes of distal metadiaphyseal tibial fracture between a simple/wedge fracture (SWF) and a comminuted fracture (CF) using minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO). Patients and Methods: This retrospective study analyzed patients with SWF or CF of the distal tibial metadiaphysis that was surgically treated with a locking compression plate. Postoperative radiographic assessments and the time to radiologic union were noted. Clinical assessments were evaluated using both the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score and the foot function index (FFI). Postoperative complications were documented. Results: Seventy-one cases were analyzed over a mean follow-up period of 20.9 months. Thirty-six patients had SWF and 35 patients presented with CF. The mean time to radiologic union, amounts of postoperative coronal angulation, and incidence of malunion showed no statistical differences. Fibular fixation was more applied in the CF group (P < 0.001). Moreover, the clinical scores revealed no differences. Nonetheless, in the valgus union group, the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score was 90.9 compared to 84.1 in the varus union group (P = 0.042) and the FFI was 9.2% compared to 20.2% in the varus union group (P = 0.017). Conclusion: Plate osteosynthesis for SWF or CF of the distal tibial metadiaphysis led to high union rates and good clinical outcomes. There was no significant difference in the radiologic and clinical results according to the presence of fracture comminution. Nonetheless, the valgus union group showed better clinical outcomes than the varus union group. Clinically, it would be preferred to avoid intraoperative varus reduction.

Juvenile mild traumatic brain injury elicits distinct spatiotemporal astrocyte responses.

Mild-traumatic brain injury (mTBI) represents ~80% of all emergency room visits and increases the probability of developing long-term cognitive disorders in children. To date, molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying post-mTBI cognitive dysfunction are unknown. Astrogliosis has been shown to significantly alter astrocytes' properties following brain injury, potentially leading to significant brain dysfunction. However, such alterations have never been investigated in the context of juvenile mTBI (jmTBI). A closed-head injury model was used to study jmTBI on postnatal-day 17 mice. Astrogliosis was evaluated using glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), vimentin, and nestin immunolabeling in somatosensory cortex (SSC), dentate gyrus (DG), amygdala (AMY), and infralimbic area (ILA) of prefrontal cortex in both hemispheres from 1 to 30 days postinjury (dpi). In vivo T2-weighted-imaging (T2WI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) were performed at 7 and 30 dpi to examine tissue level structural alterations. Increased GFAP-labeling was observed up to 30 dpi in the ipsilateral SSC, the initial site of the impact. However, vimentin and nestin expression was not perturbed by jmTBI. The morphology of GFAP positive cells was significantly altered in the SSC, DG, AMY, and ILA up to 7 dpi that some correlated with magnetic resonance imaging changes. T2WI and DTI values were significantly altered at 30 dpi within these brain regions most prominently in regions distant from the impact site. Our data show that jmTBI triggers changes in astrocytic phenotype with a distinct spatiotemporal pattern. We speculate that the presence and time course of astrogliosis may contribute to pathophysiological processes and long-term structural alterations following jmTBI.

Interventional treatment of arterial injury during blind central venous catheterisation in the upper thorax: experience from two centres.

AIM: To evaluate the safety and clinical efficacy of interventional treatment for arterial injury during blind, central venous catheterisation in the upper thorax at two tertiary medical centres. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighteen consecutive patients (37-81 years; M:F=8:10) who underwent interventional treatment for the arterial injuries that occurred during central venous catheterisation without any imaging guidance between November 2007 and December 2018 were included. Clinical data, angiographic findings, detailed interventional procedures, and technical and clinical outcomes were analysed retrospectively. RESULTS: Arterial injury sites were the subclavian artery/branches (n=12), axillary artery/branches (n=2), and common carotid artery (n=4). The target vein was not correlated with the corresponding artery/branches in eight patients (44.4%); internal jugular vein to subclavian artery branches. Angiographic findings were pseudoaneurysm (66.7%, 12/18), contrast medium extravasation (22.2%, 4/18), or both (11.1%, n=2). A stent graft was inserted for the main trunk injuries in nine patients, with (n=2) or without (n=7) prior arterial branch embolisation to prevent potential endoleak, while embolisation for the arterial branch injuries was performed in nine patients. Direct percutaneous access with thrombin injection to the pseudoaneurysm or residual arteriovenous fistula was utilised in two. The technical and clinical success rate was 94.4% (17/18) each. There were no procedure-related complications. In one patient without immediate clinical success, there was a persistent pseudoaneurysm after stent graft placement, which was treated with in-stent balloon dilation. CONCLUSION: Interventional treatment serves as a safe and effective treatment modality for inadvertent arterial injury related to blind, central venous access catheterisation in the upper thorax.

Zinc-depletion associates with tissue eosinophilia and collagen depletion in chronic rhinosinusitis.

BACKGROUND: Zinc plays an important role in many biological processes. Reduced zinc levels have been found in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients, however, its role in the pathophysiology of this disease remains unknown. This study examined zinc levels in the serum, mucus and tissue from CRS patients in relation to collagen content and eosinophil infiltration. The effect of zinc depletion on inflammatory cytokine production and collagen synthesis was assessed in vitro. METHODOLOGY: Zinc levels were determined in serum, mucus and tissue from controls, CRS with (CRSwNP) and without nasal polyps (CRSsNP) patients. Tissue zinc levels, collagen and inflammatory cell infiltration was examined using zinquin assays, immunofluorescence and histology on Tissue Micro Arrays. Cytokine expression and collagen synthesis was evaluated in zinc depleted primary human nasal epithelial cells (HNECs) and primary fibroblasts. RESULTS: CRSwNP patients showed reduced tissue zinc levels in correlation with a reduction in collagen content, and increased eosinophil numbers. Zinc depletion of HNECs and fibroblasts induced the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and MUC5AC and reduced collagen secretion. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest mucosal zinc depletion associates with tissue eosinophilia and collagen depletion in CRSwNP and induces pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and reduction of collagen synthesis in vitro.

Repeated isoflurane in adult male mice leads to acute and persistent motor decrements with long-term modifications in corpus callosum microstructural integrity.

Isoflurane is a commonly used inhalational anesthetic, clinically and in animal experimental studies. Although it has been reported as safe, recent findings suggest that despite widespread use, isoflurane-induced inhalational anesthesia can lead to various pathophysiological and cognitive alterations. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the long-term behavioral and white matter consequences of repeated isoflurane exposure. Twenty 3-month-old C57BL/6J male mice received one exposure of isoflurane for 40 min or 2 exposures to isoflurane separated by 3 days. Behavioral paradigms (open field, balance beam, foot fault, rotarod, elevated zero maze, tail suspension, water maze, and social recognition tests) were administered at 1, 3, 5, 7, and 90 days post exposure. Animals exposed to repeated isoflurane showed significant motor deficits on the balance beam and increased anxiety-like behavior. Animals exposed to single isoflurane showed impaired performance on the foot fault test. Diffusion tensor imaging showed that repeated isoflurane exposure led to long-term disruption of water diffusivity in corpus callosum (CC) white matter. Furthermore, 2-D structure-tensor analysis from stained brain sections showed differences in the microstructural organization of CC white matter in mice with single versus repeated isoflurane exposures. These results suggest that behavioral deficits observed up to 90 days after repeated isoflurane exposure resulted from, at least in part, altered CC white matter microstructural integrity.

The intergenerational production of depression in South Korea: results from a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Although a number of studies have uncovered relationships between parental capital and the manifestation of depression in their children, little is known about the mechanisms that undergird the relationships. This study investigates the intergenerational effects of the cultural and economic capitals of South Korean parents on depressive symptoms in their adult children and the degree to which the capitals of the adult children explain them. METHODS: We employed nationally representative cross-sectional survey data from the 2006 Korea Welfare Panel Study. A sample of 11,576 adults over thirty years of age was used to investigate the intergenerational production of depression in South Korea. We applied binary logistic regression modelling to the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). RESULTS: Parental education (institutionalized cultural capital) manifested an independent and statistically significant inverse association with depressive symptoms [OR = 1.680 (95% CI: 1.118-2.523) for men; OR = 2.146 (95% CI: 1484-3.102) for women]. Childhood economic circumstances (economic capital) had an independent and statistically significant inverse association with depressive symptoms among adult women only [OR = 2.009 (95% CI: 1.531-2.635)]. The education of the adult children themselves was strongly associated with depressive symptoms in the expected direction [OR = 4.202 (95% CI: 2.856-6.181) for men; OR = 4.058 (95% CI: 2.824-5.830)] and the most of the association between parental capitals and depressive symptoms was explained by the educational attainment of the children. Receipt of monetary inheritance from parents had a weak but statistically significant association with depression among men [OR = 1.248 (95% CI: 1.041-1.496)] but was unrelated to depression among women. A large portion of the association between respondent education and depressive symptoms was explained by household income. Finally, childhood economic circumstances were associated with depressive symptoms among women over and above the cultural and economic capitals held by the women themselves [OR = 1.608 (95% CI: 2.08-2.139)]. CONCLUSIONS: Our study illuminates the importance of the intergenerational transmission of capitals for the development of depressive symptoms among adults in South Korea.

The Effect of 3-Isocyanato-1-Propene on Adhesive Properties of UV-Curing Urethane/Siloxane Acrylate Resin.

We synthesized the urethane/siloxane acrylate oligomer from isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), hydroxyl alkyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane and 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (2-HEA). UV-curable resins were formulated from the synthesized oligomer, ethylene glycol phenyl ether acrylate (PHEA), 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA), trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA) as a reactive diluent, 3-isocyanato-1-propene as an adhesion promoter and photoinitiators. The PET film was treated with plasma in order to introduce the functional group on the PET surface and the functional group was observed through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and the Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR). The adhesion strength between the PET film and the UV-cured resin were increased by using the adhesion promoter. Also, the thermal stability, the modulus and surface hardness were increased, as the adhesion promoter was added.

The prognostic impact of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with small-cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are prognostic factors for various types of cancer. In this study, we assessed the association of NLR and PLR with the prognosis of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) in patients who received the standard treatment. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients who were diagnosed with SCLC and treated with platinum-based chemotherapy between July 2006 and October 2013 in Gyeongsang National University Hospital Regional Cancer Center and Changwon Samsung Hospital. RESULTS: In total, 187 patients were evaluated. Compared with low NLR (<4), high NLR (⩾4) at diagnosis was associated with poor performance status, advanced stage, and lower response rate. Median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were worse in the high-NLR group (high vs low, 11.17 vs 9.20 months, P=0.019 and 6.90 vs 5.49 months, P=0.005, respectively). In contrast, PLR at diagnosis was not associated with OS or PFS (P=0.467 and P=0.205, respectively). In multivariate analysis, stage, lactate dehydrogenase, and NLR at diagnosis were independent prognostic factors for OS and PFS. CONCLUSIONS: NLR is easily measurable and reflects the SCLC prognosis. A future prospective study is warranted to confirm our results.

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and anaemia are independent predictors of survival in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The 1997 international consensus conference on renal cell cancer (RCC) prognosis suggested erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and anaemia as prognostic biomarkers, but most studies reviewed were limited by small sample sizes. METHODS: The Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate whether ESR, ALP, haemoglobin (Hb), and haematocrit (Hct) could predict survival outcomes in 1307 patients with clear cell RCC (ccRCC) who underwent nephrectomy during 1994-2008. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 43 months, we found that the patients with preoperative high levels of ESR, had a 2.10-fold (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21-3.67) greater risk of dying from RCC compared with patients with low levels (normal range). Patients with preoperative anaemia, assessed by Hb and Hct, had a 3.11-fold (95% CI: 1.17-8.25) and 6.20-fold (95% CI: 2.30-16.72) greater risk of dying from other illnesses, respectively, compared with patients without anaemia. ALP levels were not associated with ccRCC patients' survival. These associations for ESR and anaemia were more pronounced in patients with body mass index (BMI) <25 compared with patients with BMI ≥ 25 kg m(-2). CONCLUSION: Preoperative high ESR, but not ALP, was a significant predictor for cancer-specific survival among ccRCC patients. Anaemia increases the risk of death from other illness.

Radiotolerance of phosphatases of a Serratia sp.: potential for the use of this organism in the biomineralization of wastes containing radionuclides.

Aqueous wastes from nuclear fuel reprocessing present special problems of radiotoxicity of the active species. Cells of Serratia sp. were found previously to accumulate high levels of hydrogen uranyl phosphate (HUP) via the activity of a phosphatase enzyme. Uranium is of relatively low radiotoxicity whereas radionuclide fission products such as (90)Sr and (137)Cs are highly radiotoxic. These radionuclides can be co-crystallized, held within the bio-HUP "host" lattice on the bacterial cells and thereby removed from contaminated solution, depending on continued phosphatase activity. Radiostability tests using a commercial (60)Co γ-source showed that while cell viability and activity of purified phosphatase were lost within a few hours on irradiation, whole-cell phosphatase retained 80% of the initial activity, even after loss of cell culturability, which was increased to 100% by the incorporation of mercaptoethanol as an example radioprotectant, beyond an accumulated dose of >1.3 MGy. Using this co-crystallization approach (without mercaptoethanol) (137)Cs(+) and (85)Sr(2+) were removed from a simulated waste selectively against a 33-fold excess of Na(+).

Glucose metabolism in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: a statistical parametric mapping analysis of (18) F-FDG PET.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Reports describing functional neuroimaging techniques, such as positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) have consistently suggested that these tools are sensitive for the identification of areas of hypoperfusion or hypometabolism, even in the early stages of sCJD. However, there are few reports on the use of [18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) PET in sCJD, and most of them are single case reports. Only two small cohort studies based on visual inspection or a region of interest method have been published to date. Using a statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis of (18) F-FDG PET, we investigated whether there are brain regions preferentially affected in sCJD. METHODS: After controlling for age and gender, using SPM 2, we compared the glucose metabolism between (i) 11 patients with sCJD and 35 controls and (ii) the subset of five patients with the Heidenhain variant of sCJD and 35 controls. RESULTS: The patients with sCJD showed decreased glucose metabolism in bilateral parietal, frontal and occipital cortices. The Heidenhain variant of sCJD showed glucose hypometabolism mainly in bilateral occipital areas. CONCLUSIONS: Glucose hypometabolism in sCJD was detected in extensive cortical regions; however, it was not found in the basal ganglia or thalamus, which are frequently reported to be affected on diffusion-weighted images. The medial temporal area, which is possibly resistant to the prion deposits, was also less involved in sCJD.

Lactone form 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) stimulate the osteoblastic differentiation of mouse periodontal ligament cells via the ERK pathway.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Recent studies reported that the lactone forms of 3-hydroxy- 3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, which are also known as statins, have a bone stimulatory effect. However, there are few reports on the effect of statins on periodontal ligament cells. This study examined the statin-induced osteoblastic differentiation of mouse periodontal ligament cells as well as its mechanism. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Mouse periodontal ligament cells were cultured with lovastatin or simvastatin, and their viability was measured. The levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin, bone sialoprotein and bone morphogenetic protein-2 mRNA expression were evaluated by RT-PCR. The osteoblastic differentiation was characterized by the ALP activity and Alizarin Red-S staining for calcium deposition. The activity of the osteocalcin gene (OG2) and synthetic osteoblast-specific elements (6× OSE) promoter with statins was also measured using a luciferase assay. For the signal mechanism of statins, the ERK1/2 MAPK activity was determined by western blot analysis. RESULTS: A statin treatment at concentrations < 1 µM did not affect the cell viability. Lovastatin or simvastatin at 0.1 µM increased the levels of ALP, osteocalcin, bone sialoprotein and bone morphogenetic protein-2 mRNA in mouse periodontal ligament cells. In addition, the ALP activity, mineralized nodule formation and OG2 and OSE promoter activity were higher in the lovastatin- or simvastatin-treated cells than the control cells. Western blot analysis confirmed that the statins stimulated the phosphorylation of ERK1/2. CONCLUSION: Lovastatin and simvastatin may stimulate the osteoblastic differentiation of periodontal ligament cells via the ERK1/2 pathway. This suggests that the statins may be useful for regenerating periodontal hard tissue.

Genetic polymorphism in exon 2 of cathepsin D is not associated with vascular dementia.

BACKGROUND: Cathepsin D, the most abundant lysosomal and endosomal aspartyl protease, shows beta and gamma secretase activity in vitro by cleaving the amyloid precursor protein (APP) into amyloid beta protein (Aß). Polymorphism at position 224, C224T, on exon 2 of cathepsin D gene (CTSD) has been associated with an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) by some investigators, but there have been contrary findings by others. However, an association between CTSD polymorphism and vascular dementia (VaD) has not been reported thus far. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether a polymorphism at CTSD C224T is associated with VaD in the Korean population. METHODS: We compared the genotype and allele frequencies at this polymorphism site in clinically assessed 162 VaD patients with those in 197 healthy Koreans. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The major genotype frequency at CTSD C224T in normal controls was higher in the Asian population than in various European populations. Our study does not show a significant difference in genotype (P=0.3071) and allele (P=0.2291) frequencies of CTSD C224T between VaD and normal controls. This was the first genetic association study of CTSD in a VaD population.

Fracture, bone mineral density, and the effects of calcitonin receptor gene in postmenopausal Koreans.

SUMMARY: In a candidate gene association study, we found that the variations of calcitonin receptor (CALCR) gene were related to the risk of vertebral fracture and increased bone mineral density (BMD). INTRODUCTION: Calcitonins through calcitonin receptors inhibit osteoclast-mediated bone resorption and modulate calcium ion excretion by the kidney and also prevent vertebral bone loss in early menopause. METHODS: To identify genetically susceptible factors of osteoporosis, we discovered the variations in CALCR gene, genotyped in Korean postmenopausal women (n = 729), and examined the potential involvement of seven single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) and their haplotypes in linkage disequilibrium block (BL_hts). RESULTS: The SNPs, +43147G > C (intron 7), +60644C > T (exon13, 3' untranslated region), and their haplotypes, BL2_ht1 and BL2_ht2, showed a significant association with risk of vertebral fracture (p = 0.048-0.004) and BL2_ht1 showed a highly significant protective effect. Moreover, the polymorphism +60644C > T showed a highly significant association with BMD at both lumbar spine and femoral neck. The subjects carrying CC and CT genotypes with the SNP, +60644C > T, had higher BMD values at the lumbar spine (p = 0.01-0.001) and femoral neck (p = 0.025-0.009). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the CALCR gene may regulate bone metabolism, and +60644C > T in the CALCR gene may genetically modulate bone phenotype.

Three-dimensional analysis of the intramedullary canal axis of tibia: clinical relevance to tibia intramedullary nailing.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate the appropriate insertion point for a tibial intramedullary nail by measuring the intramedullary canal axis of the tibia in three dimensions. METHODS: Forty-three pairs (14 males and 29 females) of cadaveric low extremities (mean age 51 years, range 21-60 years) were analyzed to evaluate the appropriate insertion point for a tibial intramedullary nail by measuring the intramedullary canal axis of the tibia in three dimensions. Computed tomography was performed on 86 lower extremities from the hip to the ankle on cadavers. The location of the intramedullary canal axis of the tibia passing through the tibial plateau, the canal axis center (CAC), was measured. The correlations between the lateral tibial spine (LTS) and the mediolateral coordinates of the CAC were analyzed. RESULTS: The CAC was located at 56.5% distance from the medial cortex. On average, the CAC was located 1.1 mm medial from the LTS. The mean length from the surface center to the CAC was lateral 4.5 mm. CONCLUSION: The appropriate insertion point for a tibial nail was the slightly medial aspect of the LTS. However, it led to the point with a broad range, increasing the necessity to take individual variations into consideration.

Transgene and transposon silencing in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by a DEAH-box RNA helicase.

The molecular mechanism(s) responsible for posttranscriptional gene silencing and RNA interference remain poorly understood. We have cloned a gene (Mut6) from the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii that is required for the silencing of a transgene and two transposon families. Mut6 encodes a protein that is highly homologous to RNA helicases of the DEAH-box family. This protein is necessary for the degradation of certain aberrant RNAs, such as improperly processed transcripts, which are often produced by transposons and some transgenes.

High-speed characteristics of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers and resonant-cavity-enhanced photodetectors based on intracavity-contacted structure.

We fabricated vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) and resonant-cavity-enhanced photodetectors (RCE-PDs) with GaAs/AlGaAs distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs), operating at lambda approximately 980 nm, based on an intracavity-contacted structure. The top-DBR mesa diameter of the VCSELs was optimized to 18 microm in terms of slope efficiency, differential series resistance, and 3 dB bandwidth. For VCSELs with an oxide aperture of 4.5 microm and a top-DBR mesa diameter of 18 microm, the threshold current was about 1.2 mA, exhibiting maximum output power of approximately 3.49 mW (at 20 degrees C) with good uniformity. The effect of the overetching in the outermost layer of RCE-PDs on the device performance was also investigated. For RCE-PDs based on the VCSEL structure, a peak responsivity of 0.44 A/W (at lambda approximately 979.7 nm) with a spectral width of approximately 3 nm and a dark current of 68 pA under a bias voltage of -5 V at 20 degrees C was obtained. The maximum 3 dB bandwidths of approximately 11.5 GHz with a modulation current efficiency factor of 5.6 GHz/mA(1/2) at -7 mA and 9 GHz at -7 V were achieved for VCSELs and RCE-PDs, respectively.

PRNP 1368 polymorphism is not associated with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the Korean population.

BACKGROUND: Human prion protein gene (PRNP) is considered a critical and fundamental gene in determining the incidence of human prion diseases. Codons 129 and 219 play an important role in the susceptibility to sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). An association between sporadic CJD and the polymorphism (PRNP 1368) in an upstream of PRNP exon 1 has been reported in the British and German populations, but study in the Dutch population has failed to confirm an association. PURPOSE: To investigate whether the PRNP 1368 polymorphism is associated with sporadic CJD in the Korean population. METHODS: We compared the genotype and allele frequencies of PRNP 1368 polymorphism in 171 sporadic CJD patients with those in 212 healthy Koreans. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: A significant difference of genotype and allele frequencies at PRNP 1368 was found between the normal Korean population and various European populations. In contrast to the results in the British and German populations, our study does not show a significant difference in genotype (P = 0.2763) and allele (P = 0.3750) frequencies of PRNP 1368 between sporadic CJD and normal controls.

First Report of the Korean Lung Transplantation Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Korean Organ Transplantation Registry (KOTRY) began to register lung transplants in 2015. This is an initial report on the status of patients receiving lung transplants over the past 2 years. METHODS: We analyzed a total of 69 patients who received lung transplants in 2015 and 2016 and who registered with the KOTRY. RESULTS: The 69 patients were treated in 5 institutions. The average (SD) donor age was 39.2 (12.6) years; there were 40 male patients. The average (SD) recipient age was 55.7 (10.0) years, and the number of male recipients was 46. A total of 66 patients underwent bilateral lung transplantation, 3 underwent single-lung transplantation, and 1 underwent simultaneous heart-lung transplantation. The most frequent indication for lung transplantation was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (35 patients), followed by connective tissue disease-related interstitial lung disease (9) and acute respiratory failure (8). Prior to transplantation, 23 patients required ventilator care, and 12 required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation while on the waiting list. Episodes of acute rejection during follow-up were reported in 4, 2, 1, and 1 patients at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, respectively. Infections requiring hospitalization were reported in 27, 10, 4, and 3 patients at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: The establishment of KOTRY renders it possible to collect nationwide data on lung transplantation, improving research on the topic and clarifying clinical feasibility.