The cascade of care for latent tuberculosis infection in congregate settings: A national cohort analysis, Korea, 2017-2018.

Background: In 2017, Korea implemented a nationwide project to screen and treat latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in high-risk for transmission public congregate settings. We aimed to assess programme success using a cascade of care framework. Materials and methods: We undertook a cohort study of people from three congregate settings screened between March 2017 and December 2018: (1) first-grade high school students, (2) employees of educational institutions, (3) employees of social welfare facilities. We report percentages of participants with LTBI completing each step in the cascade of care model. Poisson regression models were used to determine factors associated with not visiting clinics, not initiating treatment, and not completing treatment. Results: Among the 96,439 participants who had a positive interferon-gamma release assay result, the percentage visiting clinics for further assessment, to initiate treatment, and who then completed treatment were 50.7, 34.7, and 28.9%, respectively. Compared to those aged 20-34 years, individuals aged < 20 years and aged ≥ 65 years were less likely to visit clinics, though more likely to complete treatment once initiated. Using public health centres rather than private hospitals was associated with people "not initiating treatment" (adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 3.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.95-3.86). Nine-month isoniazid monotherapy therapy was associated with "not completing treatment," compared to 3-month isoniazid and rifampin therapy (aRR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.16-1.41). Conclusion: Among participants with LTBI from three congregate settings, less than one third completed treatment. Age, treatment centre, and initial regimen were important determinants of losses to care through the cascade.

Prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection among participants of the national LTBI screening program in South Korea - A problem of low coverage rate with current LTBI strategy.

Background: The Government of South Korea launched a national preemptive latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) screening program in 2016, including more than 1. 6 million population in congregate settings. The objective of this study was to analyze LTBI prevalence and its risk factors in each setting. Additionally, the proportion of LTBI pool covered by the current national LTBI strategy was investigated. Methods: Database for results of interferon gamma release assay (IGRA), X-ray, and baseline demographic information was linked with National Health Information Database, national tuberculosis (TB) surveillance database, and national contact investigation database. Participants were categorized into three groups: Group A, workers of postpartum care centers, social welfare facilities and educational institutions; Group B, first year students in high school and out-of-school youths; and Group C, inmates of correctional facilities. Relative risks of LTBI by sex, age, place of living, income level, and comorbidities were calculated. Results: A total of 444,394 participants in Group A, 272,224 participants in Group B, and 11,511 participants in Group C who participated in the national LTBI screening program between 2017 and 2018 were included, with LTBI prevalence of 20.7, 2.0, and 33.2%, respectively. Age was the single most important risk factor in Group A and Group C. Low-income level was another risk factor commonly identified in all groups. Among participants with positive IGRA results, 2.7, 4.4, and 3.3% in Groups A, B and C, respectively, had past TB exposure history since 2013. Current LTBI guideline targeting high or moderate TB risk disease covered 6.5, 0.6, and 1.1% of participants with positive IGRA results in Groups A, B and C, respectively. Conclusion: Only a small proportion of participants with positive IGRA results could be covered by the current LTBI strategy. Expansion of LTBI strategy by identifying further high-TB risk group in the general population is required.

Latent Tuberculosis Infection Screening and Treatment in Congregate Settings (TB FREE COREA): Demographic Profiles of Interferon-Gamma Release Assay Cohort.

In 2017, the Korean government launched an unprecedentedly large-scaled latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) screening project which covered more than a million individuals in congregate settings. A total of 1,047,689 participants of source population (n = 2,336,157) underwent LTBI testing from 2017 to 2018. The overall LTBI test uptake rate during this project was 44.8%. Workers in daycare centers (83.5%) and kindergartens (78.9%) showed high participation rate. A total of 1,012,206 individuals with valid results of interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) were selected to constitute the IGRA cohort. Most of the enrolled participants in the IGRA cohort were in their working age. Approximately, three-quarters of total enrolled population were female. Investigating the LTBI prevalence, stages of LTBI care cascade, natural history of LTBI, efficacy of LTBI treatment and cost-effectiveness of LTBI screening are feasible within this IGRA cohort.

Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cell Therapy for Cavernous Nerve Injury-Induced Erectile Dysfunction in the Rat Model: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Using Methodological Quality Assessment.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Few studies were evaluated the effect of blindness on outcome in animal models, though a potential effect of blinding has been reported in clinical trials. We evaluated the effects of adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) on cavernous nerve injury (CNI)-induced erectile dysfunction (ED) in the rat and examined how proper blinding of the outcome assessor affected treatment effect. METHODS AND RESULTS: We searched in Pubmed, EMBASE, Cochrane and Web of Science databases from inception to January 2019. We included CNI animal model, randomized controlled experiments, and ADSC intervention. Erectile function and structural changes were assessed by intracavernous pressure and mean arterial pressure (ICP/MAP) ratios, neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) levels, cavernous smooth muscle and collagen (CSM/collagen) ratios, and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). RESULTS: Nineteen studies were included in the final meta-analysis. The ICP/MAP ratio of the ADSC treatment group increased compared to the control group (SMD=1.33, 95%CI: 1.11∼1.56, I2=72%). The nNOS level (SMD=2.29, 95%CI: 1.74∼2.84, I2=75%), CSM/collagen (SMD=2.57, 95%CI: 1.62∼3.52; I2=85%), and cGMP (SMD=2.96, 95%CI: 1.82∼4.10, I2=62%) were also increased in the ADSC treatment group. Preplanned subgroup analysis was conducted to explore the source of heterogeneity. Five studies with blinded outcome assessment were significantly less effective than the unblinded studies (SMD=1.33, 95%CI: 0.86∼1.80; SMD=1.81, 95%CI: 1.17∼2.46, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: ADSCs might be effective in improving erectile function and structural change in CNI-induced ED. However, non-blinded outcome assessors might cause detection bias and overestimate treatment efficacy. Therefore, the ADSC efficacy must be further evaluated with a rigorous study design to avoid bias.

Clinical Validation of the Psychotic Depression Assessment Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-6, and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale-5: Results from the Clinical Research Center for Depression Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to validate the psychotic depression assessment scale (PDAS), which includes the six-item melancholia subscale from the Hamilton depression rating scale (HAMD-6) and the five-item psychosis subscale from the brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS-5). Data from the Clinical Research Center for Depression (CRESCEND) study, which is a 52-week naturalistic trial, were analyzed. METHODS: Fifty-two patients with psychotic depression from the CRESCEND study met our inclusion criteria. The patients underwent the following psychometric assessments: the PDAS, including HAMD-6 and BPRS-5, the clinical global impression scales, the HAMD, the positive symptom subscale, and the negative symptom subscale. Assessments were performed at the baseline and then at weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, and 52. Spearman correlation analyses were used to assess the clinical validity and responsiveness of the PDAS. RESULTS: The clinical validity and responsiveness of the PDAS, including HAMD-6 and BPRS-5, were acceptable, with the exception of the clinical responsiveness of the PDAS for positive symptoms and the clinical responsiveness of BPRS-5 for negative symptoms. CONCLUSION: The clinical relevance of the PDAS has been confirmed and this clinical validation will enhance its clinical utility and availability.

Chest compression quality, exercise intensity, and energy expenditure during cardiopulmonary resuscitation using compression-to-ventilation ratios of 15:1 or 30:2 or chest compression only: a randomized, crossover manikin study.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to compare the compression quality, exercise intensity, and energy expenditure in 5-minute single-rescuer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) using 15:1 or 30:2 compression-to-ventilation (C:V) ratios or chest compression only (CCO). METHODS: This was a randomized, crossover manikin study. Medical students were randomized to perform either type of CPR and do the others with intervals of at least 1 day. We measured compression quality, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) score, heart rate, maximal oxygen uptake, and energy expenditure during CPR. RESULTS: Forty-seven students were recruited. Mean compression rates did not differ between the 3 groups. However, the mean percentage of adequate compressions in the CCO group was significantly lower than that of the 15:1 or 30:2 group (31.2±30.3% vs. 55.1±37.5% vs. 54.0±36.9%, respectively; P<0.001) and the difference occurred within the first minute. The RPE score in each minute and heart rate change in the CCO group was significantly higher than those of the C:V ratio groups. There was no significant difference in maximal oxygen uptake between the 3 groups. Energy expenditure in the CCO group was relatively lower than that of the 2 C:V ratio groups. CONCLUSION: CPR using a 15:1 C:V ratio may provide a compression quality and exercise intensity comparable to those obtained using a 30:2 C:V ratio. An earlier decrease in compression quality and increase in RPE and heart rate could be produced by CCO CPR compared with 15:1 or 30:2 C:V ratios with relatively lower oxygen uptake and energy expenditure.

Potential Relationship between Season of Birth and Clinical Characteristics in Major Depressive Disorder in Koreans: Results from the CRESCEND Study.

We aimed to examine the potential relationship between season of birth (SOB) and clinical characteristics in Korean patients with unipolar non-psychotic major depressive disorder (MDD). Using data from the Clinical Research Center for Depression (CRESCEND) study in South Korea, 891 MDD patients were divided into two groups, those born in spring/summer (n=457) and those born in autumn/winter (n=434). Measurement tools comprising the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Scale for Suicidal Ideation, Clinical Global Impression of severity, Social and Occupation Functional Assessment Scale, WHO Quality of Life assessment instrument-abbreviated version, Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, and Temperament and Character Inventory were used to evaluate depression, anxiety, overall symptoms, suicidal ideation, global severity, social function, quality of life, drinking, and temperament and character, respectively. Using independent t-tests for continuous variables and χ² tests for discrete variables, the clinical characteristics of the two groups were compared. MDD patients born in spring/summer were on average younger at onset of first depressive episode (t=2.084, p=0.038), had greater loss of concentration (χ²=4.589, p=0.032), and were more self-directed (t=2.256, p=0.025) than those born in autumn/winter. Clinically, there was a trend for the MDD patients born in spring/summer to display the contradictory characteristics of more severe clinical course and less illness burden; this may have been partly due to a paradoxical effect of the 5-HT system.

Economic Impact of Atopic Dermatitis in Korean Patients.

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis is a global public health concern owing to its increasing prevalence and socioeconomic burden. However, few studies have assessed the economic impact of atopic dermatitis in Korea. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a cost analysis of atopic dermatitis and evaluated its economic impacts on individual annual disease burden, quality of life, and changes in medical expenses with respect to changes in health related-quality of life. METHODS: The cost analysis of atopic dermatitis was performed by reviewing the home accounting records of 32 patients. The economic impact of the disease was evaluated by analyzing questionnaires. To handle uncertainties, we compared the results with the data released by the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Board on medical costs claimed by healthcare facilities. RESULTS: The direct cost of atopic dermatitis per patient during the 3-month study period was 541,280 Korean won (KRW), and expenditures on other atopic dermatitis-related products were 120,313 KRW. The extrapolated annual direct cost (including expenditures on other atopic dermatitis-related products) per patient was 2,646,372 KRW. The estimated annual indirect cost was 1,507,068 KRW. Thus, the annual cost of illness of atopic dermatitis (i.e., direct+indirect costs) was estimated to be 4,153,440 KRW. CONCLUSION: The annual total social cost of atopic dermatitis on a national level is estimated to be 5.8 trillion KRW.

Is the BPRS-5 subscale of the psychotic depression assessment scale a reliable screening tool for psychotic depression?: Results from the CRESCEND study.

BACKGROUND: The detection of psychotic depression (PD) among patients with depressive disorders is important for both treatment and monitoring. Therefore, in continuation of our previous work, this study aimed to test the ability of the five-item Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS-5) of the Psychotic Depression Assessment Scale (PDAS) in separating patients with psychotic depression from those with non-psychotic depression (non-PD) and to compare this discriminative validity to that of other item sets. METHODS: A receiver operating characteristics curve was used to identify the optimal cut-off score of the BPRS-5 subscale for sensitive and specific distinction between PD and non-PD in a sample of 494 patients with depressive disorders (53 with PD and 441 with non-PD). RESULTS: Using an optimal cut-off score of 1, the sensitivity and the specificity of the BPRS-5 subscale in detecting PD were 71.2% and 87.2%, respectively. The BPRS-5 outperformed other item sets of the PDAS and the positive symptom subscale of the BPRS in identifying patients with PD. LIMITATIONS: The inter-rater reliability of the PDAS and the BPRS-5 subscale was not evaluated in this study. CONCLUSIONS: The BPRS-5 subscale can be regarded as a more sensitive screening method for PD compared to other item sets from the PDAS and the BPRS. Hence, from a screening perspective, a positive score on any of the five symptoms of the BPRS-5 subscale (hallucinatory behavior, unusual thought content, suspiciousness, blunted affect, and emotional withdrawal) is indicative of PD, and should lead to more thorough diagnostic assessment.

Is the Psychotic Depression Assessment Scale a useful diagnostic tool? The CRESCEND study.

BACKGROUND: The Psychotic Depression Assessment Scale (PDAS) has been validated as a method of assessing the severity and treatment outcomes of psychotic depression (PD). We aimed to compare the results of the PDAS in PD and non-psychotic depression (non-PD) patients and validate the PDAS as a diagnostic tool for PD. METHODS: We included 53 patients with PD and 441 with non-PD who participated in the Clinical Research Center for Depression study in South Korea. In addition to the PDAS, psychometric tools including the HAMD17, HAMA, BPRS, CGI-S, SOFAS, SSI-Beck, WHOQOL-BREF, AUDIT, and FTND were used to assess, respectively, depression, anxiety, overall symptoms, global severity, social functioning, suicidal ideation, quality of life, alcohol use, and nicotine use. RESULTS: After adjusting for age and total HAMD17 score, PD patients had higher scores for depressive mood, hallucinations, unusual thought content, suspiciousness, blunted affect, and emotional withdrawal on the PDAS and higher total scores on the SSI-Beck than non-PD patients. Binary logistic regression identified hallucinatory behavior and emotional withdrawal as predictors of PD. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that emotional withdrawal could be used to differentiate psychotic from non-psychotic depression. LIMITATIONS: The inter-rater reliability for psychometric assessments was not evaluated. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to assessing the severity and treatment outcomes of PD, PDAS can help in the diagnosis of PD.

Effect on smoking quit rate of telling smokers their health risk appraisal in terms of health age: a randomized control trial.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated whether providing health risk appraisal for Koreans (KHRA) in terms of 'health age' during smoking cessation program would effectively help smokers quit smoking or not. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 332 male smokers aged between 30-65 years old, registered for a smoking cessation program in a public health center in a city, were recruited and underwent a baseline survey from January 2010 to February 2011. They were then prospectively randomized to a conventional counseling group (n=165) or a KHRA group (n=167), and received conventional counseling or KHRA-based counseling for six months. Abstinence rates were identified through carbon monoxide measurement (at the 4th and 24th weeks) or urinary cotinine level (at the 12th week). RESULTS: The abstinence rate confirmed by exhaled carbon monoxide was significantly higher in the KHRA group (61.1%) than the control group (49.1%) at the 4th week (absolute difference 12.0%, 95% CI: 1.4%-22.6%). However, there was no difference in abstinence rates between the two groups at the 12th and 24th weeks. The predicting factors of 24 week's smoking cessation success were age, older than 50 years old (OR 2.02, 95% CI: 1.16-3.52), lower Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence score less than 4 (OR 1.84, 95% CI: 1.03-3.29), and higher Self Efficacy/Temptation score (OR 1.79, 95% CI: 1.05-3.06). CONCLUSIONS: Smoking cessation counseling with KHRA could be effective compared to conventional counseling in the short period of smoking cessation. Further study is needed to evaluate the long-term efficacy of KHRA in tobacco dependence treatment and to establish the indication and target population of this tool.

The Association between Economic Status and Depressive Symptoms: An Individual and Community Level Approach.

OBJECTIVE: The study was conducted to investigate the association between economic status and depressive symptoms by comparing the prevalence rates of depressive symptoms at community level and analyzing the possibility of depressive symptoms at individual level. METHODS: A survey was conducted from November, 2006 to November, 2007 on 966 and 992 representative subjects recruited by stratified clustered sampling in two regions located in Seoul. We used a standardized questionnaire including the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression and questions on the socioeconomic characteristics. The adjusted prevalence rates of depressive symptoms were compared at community level, and multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association between depressive symptoms and economic statuses at individual level among each region. RESULTS: The adjusted prevalence of depressive symptoms was higher in the region with a high socioeconomic status (23.1%) than in the region with a lower economic status (16.6%)(p<0.001). However, logistic regression analysis of individual level revealed that a higher economic status was significantly associated with a lower possibility of depressive symptoms among the females in the low economic status region. This tendency was not observed among the males in both of the regions. CONCLUSION: The association between economic status and depressive symptoms was found to be different when it was approached at community level or individual level. In addition, the association of two variables was different by gender at individual level. Further studies that consider the third mediators are needed to determine the association between the two variables.