Search

Background and Objectives: Hyperuricemia is associated with a variety of comorbidities. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between hyperuricemia and hearing impairment in Korean adults. Materials and Methods: Audiometric and laboratory test data from the 2019 to 2020 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) were used for analysis. Hearing impairment was defined as a pure-tone average (0.5, 1, 2, 4 kHz) threshold level ≥ 41 decibels. The definition of hyperuricemia was different for males and females: >7 mg/dL for males vs. >6 mg/dL for females. Results: A total of 4857 (weight n = 17,990,725) subjects were analyzed. The mean age was 56.8 years old. The weighted prevalence was 12.1% for hyperuricemia and 2.5% for gout. The prevalence of hearing impairment was 13.4%. In the univariable analysis, hyperuricemia was significantly associated with hearing impairment. However, the diagnosis of gout was not associated with hearing impairment. In the multivariable analysis, hyperuricemia (odds ratios (OR): 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03–1.92, p = 0.030) was associated with hearing impairment along with age (OR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.10–1.14, p < 0.001), female sex (OR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.34–0.64, p < 0.001), education (OR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.30–0.63, p = 0.001), and occupational noise exposure (OR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.25–2.22, p = 0.001). In the subgroup analysis, hyperuricemia was associated with hearing impairment in females (OR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.02–2.48, p = 0.041) and the elderly aged 60 years or more (OR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.05–1.99, p = 0.023). Conclusions: Hyperuricemia was independently associated with hearing impairment, especially in females and the elderly aged 60 years or more. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has been proposed as triggering autoimmunity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence and clinical significance of autoantibodies in patients with COVID‐19. Methods: We retrospectively collected data from 245 patients who were hospitalized for COVID‐19. All patients were tested for the presence of antinuclear antibody (ANA), rheumatoid factor (RF), anti‐citrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA), and anti‐cytoplasmic neutrophil antibody (ANCA). Risk factors for death and critical COVID‐19, defined as the need for invasive mechanical ventilation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, were analyzed. Results: Ninety (36.7%) patients tested positive for ANA, and 51 (20.8%) patients tested positive for RF. Three patients each (1.2%) tested positive for ACPA and ANCA. RF‐positive patients had higher rates of invasive mechanical ventilation and death than RF‐negative patients (70.6% vs 28.4%, P < 0.001 and 45.1% vs 18.6%, P < 0.001, respectively). Underlying lung disease, kidney disease, heart disease, quick COVID severity index (qCSI), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were associated with in‐hospital death. RF (odds ratio [OR] 7.31, 95% CI 2.50–21.37, P < 0.001), qCSI (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.19–1.69, P < 0.001), and LDH (OR 1.004, 95% CI 1.002–1.005, P < 0.001) were associated with critical COVID‐19. Combination of RF, qCSI, and LDH showed good prognostic value (area under the curve = 0.903, P < 0.001) for critical COVID‐19. Conclusions: ANA and RF were frequently detected in COVID‐19 patients. RF could be a risk factor for critical COVID‐19. The results of this study suggest immune dysfunction contributes to the complications of COVID‐19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soil vulnerability index (SVI) classifies vulnerability to cropland pollutant transport by surface runoff and leaching, helping to categorize areas with a high contribution of pollutant loads. This study aims to 1) adopt the SVI classification scheme in South Korea and 2) suggest a modified SVI classification scheme for surface runoff to anticipate climate change impacts. The precipitation amount was considered in an original scheme to make a modified scheme. The results with an original SVI classification scheme predicted that the SVI surface runoff vulnerability was relatively greater in areas with a steep slope than in those with a plain topography, and a high level of the SVI leaching vulnerability was frequently observed in plain areas. When a modified SVI classification scheme was applied, "High" vulnerability class increased from 44.0% to 57.4% and the greater increase rate was observed in the regions susceptible to heavy precipitation defined as a day with more than 80 mm precipitation. When compared with observational suspended solids, the results with a modified SVI classification scheme were more consistent with observations than those with an original SVI classification scheme. Relative to the baseline period, the SVI surface runoff vulnerability of "High" class increased by 47.1–88.7% during the climate change period. When the number of vulnerability classes was increased, the differences on "Very extremely high" class between the baseline and projection periods were clear with the increase rate of 16.4–343%. The results with an original SVI classification scheme matched well with the topographic characteristics, and a modified SVI classification scheme captured the impacts of regional precipitation patterns and climate change impacts. As a first approach to adopting the SVI classification system to South Korea, increasing the number of classifications in regions with excessive rainfall amounts can improve identifying those most vulnerable areas. • The SVI was developed to classify soil vulnerability classes to cropland pollutant. • The SVI classification scheme was tested on croplands across South Korea. • The SVI classification results agreed well with topographic characteristics. • An original classification scheme was modified to consider precipitation amount. • A modified classification scheme showed enhanced SVI classification results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Gout is associated with several comorbidities. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of comorbidities in the Korean adult population with gout and investigated the association of gout with these comorbidities., Methods: Data from 15,935 (weighted n = 39,049,167) participants aged 19 years and older in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2019 to 2021 were used for analysis. Weighted prevalence and odds ratios (OR) of comorbidities in individuals with gout were compared to a non-gout population., Results: The weighted prevalence of gout was 2.1% (weighted n = 808,778). Among individuals with gout, 66.5% had metabolic syndrome, 54.9% had hypertension, 41.2% had hypercholesterolemia, 19.1% had diabetes, 13.5% had chronic kidney disease (CKD), 4.1% had myocardial infarction or angina, 3.8% had stroke, and 2.8% had rheumatoid arthritis (RA). After adjusting for socioeconomic and lifestyle characteristics, gout was independently associated with the increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome (male OR = 2.0, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.5-2.8; female OR = 3.7, 95% CI: 1.5-9.2), hypercholesterolemia (male OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.4-2.5; female OR = 3.1, 95% CI: 1.3-7.5), CKD (male OR = 4.5, 95% CI: 2.7-7.3; female OR = 11.5, 95% CI: 4.1-32.1), and RA (male OR = 2.8, 95% CI: 1.1-7.1; female OR = 3.1, 95% CI: 1.1-8.7) compared to the non-gout population., Conclusions: Gout was associated with several comorbidities, including RA, in both males and females. These results suggest that the prevention and treatment of comorbidities at the individual level, carried out by clinicians, and knowledge of these comorbidities would help guide health policies for the Korean population., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: To investigate urine microbiome differences among healthy women, women with recurrent uncomplicated cystitis (rUC), and those with sporadic/single uncomplicated cystitis (sUC) to challenge traditional beliefs about origins of these infections., Materials and Methods: Patients who underwent both conventional urine culture and next-generation sequencing (NGS) of urine were retrospectively reviewed. Symptom-free women with normal urinalysis results as a control group were also studied. Samples were collected via transurethral catheterization., Results: In the control group, urine microbiome was detected on NGS in 83.3%, with Lactobacillus and Prevotella being the most abundant genera. The sensitivity of urine NGS was significantly higher than that of conventional urine culture in both the sUC group (91.2% vs. 32.4%) and the rUC group (82.4% vs. 16.4%). In urine NGS results, Enterobacterales , Prevotella , and Escherichia / Shigella were additionally found in the sUC group, while the recurrent urinary tract infection (rUTI)/rUC group exhibited the presence of Lactobacillus , Prevotella , Enterobacterales , Escherichia / Shigella , and Propionibacterium . Moreover, distinct patterns of urine NGS were observed based on menopausal status and ingestion of antibiotics or probiotics prior to NGS test sampling., Conclusions: Urine microbiomes in control, sUC, and rUTI/rUC groups exhibited distinct characteristics. Notably, sUC and rUC might represent entirely separate pathological processes, given their distinct urine microbiomes. Consequently, the use of urine NGS might be essential to enhancing sensitivity compared to conventional urine culture in both sUC and rUTI/rUC groups., Competing Interests: The authors have nothing to disclose., (© The Korean Urological Association.)