Yonsei medical journal
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Yonsei medical journal · Nov 2021
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement with Minimal Contrast Dye in Patients with Renal Insufficiency.
Concerns have been consistently raised in regards to the considerable amount of contrast dye used during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients with renal insufficiency. In the present study, we introduced minimal contrast TAVR and compared its 30-day clinical outcomes with conventional TAVR. ⋯ Minimal contrast TAVR is feasible and shows more favorable short-term clinical outcomes than conventional TAVR in patients with renal insufficiency.
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Since the COVID-19 pandemic first began in December 2019, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus has continuously evolved with many variants emerging across the world. These variants are categorized as the variant of interest (VOI), variant of concern (VOC), and variant under monitoring (VUM). As of September 15, 2021, there are four SARS-CoV-2 lineages designated as the VOC (alpha, beta, gamma, and delta variants). ⋯ VOCs can also impact the effectiveness of mRNA and adenovirus vector vaccines, although the currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines are still effective in preventing infection and severe disease. Current measures to reduce transmission as well as efforts to monitor and understand the impact of variants should be continued. Here, we review the molecular features, epidemiology, impact on transmissibility, disease severity, and vaccine effectiveness of VOCs.
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Yonsei medical journal · Nov 2021
Developing a Dementia Platform Databank Using Multiple Existing Cohorts.
This study was conducted as a pilot project to evaluate the feasibility of building an integrate dementia platform converging preexisting dementia cohorts from several variable levels. The following four cohorts were used to develop this pilot platform: 1) Clinical Research Center for Dementia of South Korea (CREDOS), 2) Korean Brain Aging Study for Early Diagnosis and Prediction of Alzheimer's disease (K-BASE), 3) Environmental Pollution-induced Neurological Effects (EPINEF) study, and 4) a prospective registry in Dementia Platform Korea project (DPKR). A total of 29916 patients were included in the platform with 348 integrated variables. ⋯ Although individual cohorts were of the same domain and of high quality, we found there were several barriers to integrating individual cohorts, including variability in study variables and measurements. Although many researchers are trying to combine pre-existing cohorts, the process of integrating past data has not been easy. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a protocol with considerations for data integration at the cohort establishment stage.
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Yonsei medical journal · Nov 2021
Indocyanine Green-Loaded PLGA Nanoparticles Conjugated with Hyaluronic Acid Improve Target Specificity in Cervical Cancer Tumors.
Indocyanine green (ICG) is a promising agent for intraoperative visualization of tumor tissues and sentinel lymph nodes in early-stage gynecological cancer. However, it has some limitations, including a short half-life and poor solubility in aqueous solutions. This study aimed to enhance the efficacy of near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging by overcoming the shortcomings of ICG using a nano-drug delivery system and improve target specificity in cervical cancer. ⋯ This study demonstrated the successful application of HINPs as nanocarriers for delivering ICG to CD44-positive cervical cancer, with improved efficacy in NIR fluorescence imaging.
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Yonsei medical journal · Nov 2021
Activation of CpG-ODN-Induced TLR9 Signaling Inhibited by Interleukin-37 in U937 Human Macrophages.
Interleukin-37 (IL-37) is an anti-inflammatory cytokine that inhibits a broad spectrum of inflammatory responses in various human cells, including neutrophils, macrophages, and endothelial cells. The aim of this study was to identify the role of IL-37 in toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) signaling in human macrophages. ⋯ IL-37 inhibits CpG-ODN-mediated inflammatory responses through regulation of a TRAF6-NF-κB pathway in human macrophages.