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Purpose@#Numerous studies have reported the effects of interrupting prolonged sitting with aerobic exercise on vascular and postprandial function, but the effects of resistance exercise for interrupting prolonged sitting remain unclear. We tested the hypothesis that intermittent resistance activity breaks would attenuate prolonged sittinginduced vascular and postprandial metabolic dysfunction. @*Methods@#Fourteen healthy adults (age, 24±2 years; body mass index, 22.0±2.4 kg/m2 ) completed two trials in a randomized cross-over design. During a 4-hour sitting after a high-fat meal, the participants underwent either resistance activity (RA) with 10 repetitions of five exercises every hour or uninterrupted sitting as a control trial (SIT). Plasma glucose, triglycerides, and brachial artery blood pressure, along with blood flow and shear rate in the superficial femoral artery and carotid artery were measured at baseline and every hour during the 4-hour sitting period. Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was measured at baseline, 2 hours, and 4 hours after the start of the sitting. @*Results@#Plasma glucose and triglycerides increased after a high-fat meal in both RA and SIT groups without a significant interaction effect. In addition, while SIT group decreased brachial artery FMD (7.2%±2.0% to 6.5%±2.7% to 5.1%±2.6%), RA did not attenuate a decrease in FMD (7.6%±3.4% to 7.3%±3.1% to 6.7%±2.7%, interaction p=0.581). @*Conclusion@#Our findings indicate that interrupting prolonged sitting with intermittent RA did not attenuate the negative effects of sitting on vascular function and postprandial metabolism in young healthy adults.
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Purpose@#Regular aerobic exercise improves exercise capacity and quality of life in children with congenital heart disease (CHD), but it remains unclear whether aerobic exercise would improve vascular function in children with CHD. We tested the hypothesis that acute bout of virtual reality (VR) exergame would improve vascular function in children with CHD. @*Methods@#In a single-arm study, eight children (age, 9±1 years; five males) with CHD participated in VR exergame (30 minutes at 40% of heart rate reserve) using a stationary cycle ergometer with a head mount display. Endothelial function and arterial stiffness as surrogate markers of vascular function were assessed via reactive hyperemia index (RHI) and augmentation index (AIx) using peripheral arterial tonometry at baseline and 30 minutes after VR exergame. @*Results@#Compared to baseline, VR exergame improved in RHI (1.08 [0.96–1.30] to 1.16 [1.09–1.36], p＜ 0.05) and natural log transformed RHI (0.07 [−0.04–0.26] to 0.15 [0.09–0.31], p＜ 0.05). However, no significant changes were observed for decrease AIx (−1.00 [−9.00–9.50] to −7.00 [−14.00–8.75], p=0.547) and AIx@75 (−6.50 [9.75–3.50] to −4.50 [−13.00–4.50], p=0.735) (all index values are reported as median [interquartile range]). @*Conclusion@#These findings suggest that a single bout of VR exergame has the potential to improve vascular endothelial function in children with CHD.
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Nasotracheal intubation is commonly performed under general anesthesia in oral and maxillofacial surgery. For the convenience of surgery, nasal Ring-Adair-Elwyn (RAE) tubes are mainly used. Because the nasal RAE tubes were bent in an “L” shape, the insertion depth was limited. Particularly, it is necessary to accurately determine the appropriate depth of the RAE tubes in children. Several types of nasal RAE tubes are used in the medical market, which vary in material and length. We performed endotracheal intubation using a nasal RAE tube for double-jaw surgery, but air leakage persisted even when the air pressure in the cuff was increased. When checked with a laryngoscope, it was confirmed that the tube was pushed out, and the cuff was caught on the vocal cords, causing air leakage. Since inserting the tube deeply did not solve the problem, replacing it with a nasal RAE tube (Polar TM , Preformed Tracheal Tube, Smith Medical, Inc., USA) did not cause air leakage; thus, we reported this case.
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Background@#While the importance of mental health is well-recognized in the field of occupational health, implementation of effective strategies in the workplace has been limited by gaps in infrastructure, program comprehensiveness, coverage, and adherence. The authors developed a Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) model based occupational mental health intervention, and implemented in a web-based format with a smartphone application. @*Methods@#The SBIRT-based intervention was developed by a multidisciplinary team, including occupational health physicians, nurses, psychiatrists, and software developers. The following mental health areas were included, based on outcomes of an epidemiological survey conducted: insomnia, depression, anxiety, problematic alcohol use, and suicidal risk. The viability of the two-step evaluation process utilizing a combination of the brief version and the full-length version of the questionnaire was examined using responses from the survey. The intervention was adjusted according to the survey results and expert opinions. @*Results@#The epidemiological survey included 346 employees who completed the long-form version of mental health scales. These data were the used to confirm the diagnostic value of using a combination of short-form and long-form version of the scales for screening in the SBIRT model. The model uses a smartphone application for screening, provision of psychoeducation, and for surveillance. The universal methods of the model ensure it can be implemented by all occupational managers, regardless of their specialization in mental health. In addition to the two-step screening procedure to identify employees at-risk for mental health problems, the model includes a stepped care approach, based on risk stratification, to promote mental health education, management, and follow-up for continuous care. @*Conclusion@#The SBIRT model-based intervention provides an easy-to-implement approach for the management of mental health in the workplace. Further studies are required to examine the effectiveness and feasibility of the model.
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Purpose@#Although chronotropic incompetence (CI) is common in patients with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) and is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes, few data are available regarding modifiable predictors of CI in this escalating patient population. We tested the hypothesis that higher levels of physical activity (PA) are associated with a lower prevalence of CI in patients with complex CHD and evaluated the receiver operating characteristic curve to identify the PA level that best predicted CI. @*Methods@#We evaluated 111 adolescents with complex CHD. CI was defined as the failure to achieve 80% of the chronotropic response index during peak cardiopulmonary exercise test. Self-reported habitual activity was obtained using a global PA questionnaire. @*Results@#CI was identified in 45 of the 111 cases (40.5%). After adjusting for potential confounding variables, the high PA group demonstrated a lower odds ratio for having CI (odds ratios, 0.25; 95% confidence interval, 0.06‒0.99) compared with the low PA group. The most accurate cut-point for PA to predict the prevalence of CI was 15 metabolic equivalents (METs)-hours/week (areas under the curve, 0.71; 95% confidence interval, 0.61‒0.81; sensitivity, 71%; specificity, 69%). @*Conclusion@#Our findings demonstrate that higher levels of PA are associated with a lower prevalence of CI, independent of potential confounders, and that 15 METs-hours/week of PA provides a cut-point for accurately predicting the presence of CI in adolescents with complex CHD.
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Background@#The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of liquefied digestive medicines on the composite resin surface. @*Methods@#Three types of liquefied digestive medicines (Gashwalmyeongsu, Wicheongsu, and Saengrokcheon) were selected as experimental groups, Samdasoo and Chamisul as negative controls, and Trevi as positive controls were selected to measure pH and titratable acidity. The samples filled with resin at acrylic were made total 300, 50 per group. To evaluate the erosion risk of the composite resin, the specimens were immersed in a liquefied medicine for 1, 3, 5, 15, and 30 minutes, and then the surface microhardness was measured using the Vickers Hardness Number, and the surface change was observed with scanning electron microscope (SEM). @*Results@#The average pH of the three liquefied medicine was 3.75±0.30, the Saengrokcheon was the lowest at 3.45±0.01, and the Trevi was 4.66 and Samdasoo and Chamisul were 7.40 and 8.58, respectively. The amount of NaOH reaching pH 5.5 and 7.0 was the lowest in the order of Trevi, Gashwalmyeongsu, Wicheongsu, and Saengrokcheon. The largest surface hardness reduction value was shown in Gashwalmyeongsu (−11.85±3.73), followed by Saengrokcheon (−9.79±3.11) and Wicheongsu (−8.28±2.83), and Samdasoo (−0.84±1.56) and Chamisul (−6.24±0.42) had relatively low surface hardness reduction values. However, Trevi (−16.67±5.41), a positive control group containing carbonic acid, showed a higher decrease in surface hardness than the experimental group. As a result of observation with SEM, experimental group and positive control group, showed rough surfaces and irregular cracks, and negative control groups showed smooth patterns similar to before immersion. @*Conclusion@#The liquefied digestive medicine with low pH could weaken the composite resin surface, and the carbonic acid component could more effect on the physical properties of the composite resin than pH.
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Background@#People with special needs tend to require diverse behavioral management in dentistry. They may feel anxious or uncomfortable or may not respond to any communication with the dentists. Patients with medical, physical, or psychological disorders may not cooperate and therefore require sedation (SED) or general anesthesia (GA) to receive dental treatment. Using the healthcare big data in Korea, this study aimed to analyze the trends of SED and GA in special needs patients undergoing dental treatment. It is believed that these data can be used as reference material for hospitals and for preparation of guidelines and related policy decisions of associations or governments for special needs patients in dentistry. @*Methods@#The study used selected health information data provided by the Korean National Health Insurance Service. Patients with a record of use of one of the eight selected drugs used in dental SED between January 2007 and September 2019, those with International Classification of Diseases-10 codes for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), phobia, brain disease, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, genetic disease, autism, mental disorder, mental retardation, and dementia were selected. The insurance claims data were analyzed for age, sex, sedative use, GA, year, and institution. @*Results@#The number of special needs patients who received dental treatment under SED or GA from January 2007 to September 2019 was 116,623. Number of SED cases was 136,018, performed on 69,265 patients, and the number of GA cases was 56,308, implemented on 47,257 patients. In 2007, 3100 special needs patients received dental treatment under SED while in 2018 the number of cases increased 6 times to 18,528 SED cases. In dentistry, ADHD was the most common disability for SED cases while phobia was the most common cause of disability for GA. The male-to-female ratio with respect to SED cases was higher for males (M : F = 64.36% : 35.64%). @*Conclusion@#The application of the SED method and GA for patients with special needs in dentistry is increasing rapidly; thus, preparing guidelines and reinforcing the education and system are necessary.
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Purpose@#The purpose of this study was to explore nurses’ experience with caring for COVID-19 patients in a negative pressure room amid the spread of the pandemic. @*Methods@#This study was a qualitative research, and focus group interviews were used to collect data. Three focus groups comprising 19 nurses were interviewed from February 17 to 25, 2021. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim with the consent of the participants. The verbatim transcripts were scrutinized using thematic analysis. @*Results@#Two main themes emerged from the analysis: ‘Struggling in an isolated space’ and ’Limitations of nursing infrastructure and system’. The nurses caring for COVID-19 patients experienced anxiety and fear about the infection, physical exhaustion, emotional burnout, and a sense of duty as a nurse. They also acknowledged the lack of guidelines, increased task and burden, limitations of nursing care, and the demand for improving the limitations of the nursing system. @*Conclusion@#The results of this study demonstrate that nurses caring for COVID-19 patients encounter physical and emotional problems within the limited healthcare system. The study suggests that comprehensive interventions are needed for nurses. Furthermore, detailed guidelines, strengthening of nursing personnel, and improvements to the nursing system are vital to effectively cope with the pandemic. The government and medical institutions should be aware of the needs of nurses and what they are going through, and make efforts to improve the quality of life of healthcare workers and create a safe healthcare environment.
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Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major public health problem and the most common form of chronic liver disease, affecting 25% of the global population. Although NAFLD is closely linked with obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes mellitus, knowledge on its pathogenesis remains incomplete. Emerging data have underscored the importance of Rho-kinase (Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing kinase [ROCK]) action in the maintenance of normal hepatic lipid homeostasis. In particular, pharmacological blockade of ROCK in hepatocytes or hepatic stellate cells prevents the progression of liver diseases such as NAFLD and fibrosis. Moreover, mice lacking hepatic ROCK1 are protected against obesity-induced fatty liver diseases by suppressing hepatic de novo lipogenesis. Here we review the roles of ROCK as an indispensable regulator of obesity-induced fatty liver disease and highlight the key cellular pathway governing hepatic lipid accumulation, with focus on de novo lipogenesis and its impact on therapeutic potential. Consequently, a comprehensive understanding of the metabolic milieu linking to liver dysfunction triggered by ROCK activation may help identify new targets for treating fatty liver diseases such as NAFLD.
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Background/Aims@#This study aimed to investigate whether everolimus (EVR) affects long-term survival after liver transplantation (LT) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). @*Methods@#The data from 303 consecutive patients with HCC who had undergone LT from January 2012 to July 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups: 1) patients treated with EVR in combination with calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) (EVR group; n=114) and 2) patients treated with CNI-based therapy without EVR (non-EVR group; n=189). Time to recurrence (TTR) and overall survival (OS) after propensity score (PS) matching were compared between the groups, and prognostic factors for TTR and OS were evaluated. @*Results@#The EVR group exhibited more aggressive tumor biology than the non-EVR group, such as a higher number of tumors (P=0.003), a higher prevalence of microscopic vascular invasion (P=0.017) and exceeding Milan criteria (P=0.029). Compared with the PS-matched non-EVR group, the PS-matched EVR group had significantly better TTR (P<0.001) and OS (P<0.001). In multivariable analysis, EVR was identified as an independent prognostic factor for TTR (hazard ratio [HR], 0.248; P=0.001) and OS (HR, 0.145; P<0.001). @*Conclusions@#Combined with CNIs, EVR has the potential to prolong long-term survival in patients undergoing LT for HCC. These findings warrant further investigation in a well-designed prospective study.
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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with distant metastasis is an absolute contraindication for liver transplantation (LT). However, it is still unclear whether LT is feasible or acceptable in such patients, albeit after being treated with a multidisciplinary approach and after any metastatic lesion is ruled out. We report one such successful treatment with living donor LT (LDLT) after completely controlling far-advanced HCC with inferior vena cava tumor thrombosis and multiple lung metastases. The patient has been doing well without HCC recurrence for eight years since LDLT. The current patient could be an anecdotal case, but provides a case for expanding LDLT indications in the context of advanced HCC and suchlike.
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Hemophilia A is a hemorrhagic disease caused by coagulation factor VIII deficiency. In head and neck cancer surgery, especially during a reconstructive one, complications can occur. These include hematomas due to bleeding which can then lead to flap ischemia, necrosis, and impaired wound healing. There are fewer cases of reconstructive surgery in patients with hemophilia A. Here in we report, a reconstructive surgery that involved mass resection, partial glossectomy (right), selective neck dissection (right, Levels I, II, III, IV), and reconstruction at the lateral arm free flap (left) in a 25-year-old man with hemophilia A. The surgery was successfully performed without any complications after pretreatment with Factor VIII concentrate, which has not been reported earlier.
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Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major public health problem and the most common form of chronic liver disease, affecting 25% of the global population. Although NAFLD is closely linked with obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes mellitus, knowledge on its pathogenesis remains incomplete. Emerging data have underscored the importance of Rho-kinase (Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing kinase [ROCK]) action in the maintenance of normal hepatic lipid homeostasis. In particular, pharmacological blockade of ROCK in hepatocytes or hepatic stellate cells prevents the progression of liver diseases such as NAFLD and fibrosis. Moreover, mice lacking hepatic ROCK1 are protected against obesity-induced fatty liver diseases by suppressing hepatic de novo lipogenesis. Here we review the roles of ROCK as an indispensable regulator of obesity-induced fatty liver disease and highlight the key cellular pathway governing hepatic lipid accumulation, with focus on de novo lipogenesis and its impact on therapeutic potential. Consequently, a comprehensive understanding of the metabolic milieu linking to liver dysfunction triggered by ROCK activation may help identify new targets for treating fatty liver diseases such as NAFLD.
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Background/Aims@#This study aimed to investigate whether everolimus (EVR) affects long-term survival after liver transplantation (LT) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). @*Methods@#The data from 303 consecutive patients with HCC who had undergone LT from January 2012 to July 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups: 1) patients treated with EVR in combination with calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) (EVR group; n=114) and 2) patients treated with CNI-based therapy without EVR (non-EVR group; n=189). Time to recurrence (TTR) and overall survival (OS) after propensity score (PS) matching were compared between the groups, and prognostic factors for TTR and OS were evaluated. @*Results@#The EVR group exhibited more aggressive tumor biology than the non-EVR group, such as a higher number of tumors (P=0.003), a higher prevalence of microscopic vascular invasion (P=0.017) and exceeding Milan criteria (P=0.029). Compared with the PS-matched non-EVR group, the PS-matched EVR group had significantly better TTR (P<0.001) and OS (P<0.001). In multivariable analysis, EVR was identified as an independent prognostic factor for TTR (hazard ratio [HR], 0.248; P=0.001) and OS (HR, 0.145; P<0.001). @*Conclusions@#Combined with CNIs, EVR has the potential to prolong long-term survival in patients undergoing LT for HCC. These findings warrant further investigation in a well-designed prospective study.
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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with distant metastasis is an absolute contraindication for liver transplantation (LT). However, it is still unclear whether LT is feasible or acceptable in such patients, albeit after being treated with a multidisciplinary approach and after any metastatic lesion is ruled out. We report one such successful treatment with living donor LT (LDLT) after completely controlling far-advanced HCC with inferior vena cava tumor thrombosis and multiple lung metastases. The patient has been doing well without HCC recurrence for eight years since LDLT. The current patient could be an anecdotal case, but provides a case for expanding LDLT indications in the context of advanced HCC and suchlike.
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Hemophilia A is a hemorrhagic disease caused by coagulation factor VIII deficiency. In head and neck cancer surgery, especially during a reconstructive one, complications can occur. These include hematomas due to bleeding which can then lead to flap ischemia, necrosis, and impaired wound healing. There are fewer cases of reconstructive surgery in patients with hemophilia A. Here in we report, a reconstructive surgery that involved mass resection, partial glossectomy (right), selective neck dissection (right, Levels I, II, III, IV), and reconstruction at the lateral arm free flap (left) in a 25-year-old man with hemophilia A. The surgery was successfully performed without any complications after pretreatment with Factor VIII concentrate, which has not been reported earlier.
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Purpose@#Recovery from exercise is a vulnerable phase that has been linked to increased susceptibility to sudden cardiovascular events. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. We tested the hypothesis that postexercise cigarette smoking would attenuate hemodynamics and vascular function during recovery from exercise in young men. @*Methods@#Thirteen habitual smokers (age, 22±3 years; body mass index, 25.1±3.6 kg/m 2 ) participated in (1) cigarette smoking (0.6 mg nicotine) and (2) sham smoking (SHAM) immediately postexercise (30 minutes on a treadmill;40% to 60% of heart rate [HR] reserve) in a randomized order. Assessments were hemodynamics (HR, rate-pressure product [RPP], brachial and central artery blood pressures) and vascular function (arterial stiffness via carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity [PWV]; conduit vessel function via brachial artery flow-mediated dilation [FMD]). All variables were assessed at baseline, 10 minutes, and 30 minutes postexercise, except for FMD (baseline and 30 minutes postexercise). @*Results@#Compared with the SHAM trial, cigarette smoking increased HR, RPP, and brachial and central blood pressures postexercise (interaction, p＜ 0.05). PWV reduced and FMD increased postexercise in the SHAM trial, while cigarette smoking attenuated exercise-induced improvements (interaction, p＜ 0.05). @*Conclusion@#Cigarette smoking attenuated hemodynamic recovery and an improvement in arterial stiffness and conduit vessel function in young habitual smokers, thereby providing evidence for the negative effects of cigarette smoking during recovery from exercise.
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Purpose@#Melanoma is a potentially fatal cutaneous malignancy and regional lymph node (LN) metastases are the most important predictors of mortality. This study aimed to analyze clinical features and risk factors of complications associated with inguinal LN dissection (LND) to establish treatment protocols. @*Methods@#This single-center retrospective study (2000 to 2018) consisted of patients who underwent inguinal area sentinel LN biopsy (SLNB) or LND due to malignant melanoma. Risk factors and outcomes were analyzed. @*Results@#One hundred patients underwent SLNB alone (n=67; patients with negative SLNB), complete LND (CLND) after positive SLNB (n=19), or radical LND without SLNB (n=14). Five-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates among these groups were 87.3%, 57.4%, and 61.9%, and 59.0%, 22.7%, and 28.1%, respectively. The complication rate in the SLNB alone group was lower than the other groups (22.4% vs. 47.4% and 35.7%, respectively; P=0.048). Seroma was the most common complication in the SLNB alone group (15.0%); lymphedema was most common in the CLND after SLNB group (21.1%). Multivariate analysis of risk factors for postoperative complications found the hazard ratio for body mass index >28 kg/m2 was 4.376 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.243–15.401; P=0.022). The hazard ratio for LND (including CLND after SLNB and radical LND without SLNB) was 3.263 (95% CI, 1.248–8.529; P=0.016). @*Conclusion@#Inguinal LND is a higher risk procedure compared to SLNB and other sites for postoperative complications, irrespective of meticulous surgical techniques. More studies are needed to establish treatment protocols (e.g., observation vs. CLND after a positive SLNB result) and the risks and benefits in Asian populations.
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Purpose@#Melanoma is a potentially fatal cutaneous malignancy and regional lymph node (LN) metastases are the most important predictors of mortality. This study aimed to analyze clinical features and risk factors of complications associated with inguinal LN dissection (LND) to establish treatment protocols. @*Methods@#This single-center retrospective study (2000 to 2018) consisted of patients who underwent inguinal area sentinel LN biopsy (SLNB) or LND due to malignant melanoma. Risk factors and outcomes were analyzed. @*Results@#One hundred patients underwent SLNB alone (n=67; patients with negative SLNB), complete LND (CLND) after positive SLNB (n=19), or radical LND without SLNB (n=14). Five-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates among these groups were 87.3%, 57.4%, and 61.9%, and 59.0%, 22.7%, and 28.1%, respectively. The complication rate in the SLNB alone group was lower than the other groups (22.4% vs. 47.4% and 35.7%, respectively; P=0.048). Seroma was the most common complication in the SLNB alone group (15.0%); lymphedema was most common in the CLND after SLNB group (21.1%). Multivariate analysis of risk factors for postoperative complications found the hazard ratio for body mass index >28 kg/m2 was 4.376 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.243–15.401; P=0.022). The hazard ratio for LND (including CLND after SLNB and radical LND without SLNB) was 3.263 (95% CI, 1.248–8.529; P=0.016). @*Conclusion@#Inguinal LND is a higher risk procedure compared to SLNB and other sites for postoperative complications, irrespective of meticulous surgical techniques. More studies are needed to establish treatment protocols (e.g., observation vs. CLND after a positive SLNB result) and the risks and benefits in Asian populations.
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Background/Aims@#Enzymatic analysis of aspartate/alanine aminotransferase (AST/ALT) does not exactly represent the progression of liver fibrosis or inflammation. Immunoassay for AST (cytoplasmic [c] AST/mitochondrial [m] AST) and ALT (ALT1/ALT2) has been suggested as one alternatives for enzymatic analysis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of immunoassay in predicting liver fibrosis and inflammation. @*Methods@#A total of 219 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) who underwent hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) and liver biopsy before antiviral therapy were recruited. Serum samples were prepared from blood during HVPG. Results of biochemical parameters including enzymatic AST/ALT and immunological assays of cAST, mAST, ALT1, and ALT2 through sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) immunoassay with fluorescence labeled monoclonal antibodies were compared with the results of METAVIR stage of live fibrosis and the Knodell grade of inflammation. @*Results@#METAVIR fibrosis stages were as follows: F0, six (3%); F1, 52 (24%); F2, 88 (40%); F3, 45 (20%); and F4, 28 patients (13%). Mean levels of AST and ALT were 121 ± 157 and 210 ± 279 IU/L, respectively. Mean HVPG score of all patients was 4.7 ± 2.5 mmHg. According to the stage of liver fibrosis, HVPG score (p < 0.001, r = 0.439) and ALT1 level (p < 0.001, r = 0.283) were significantly increased in all samples from patients with CHB. ALT (p < 0.001, r = 0.310), ALT1 (p < 0.001, r = 0.369), and AST (p < 0.001, r = 0.374) levels were positively correlated with Knodell grade of inflammation. @*Conclusions@#ALT1 measurement by utilizing sandwich ELISA immunoassay can be useful method for predicting inf lammation grade and fibrosis stage in patients with CHB.