Diagnostic Accuracy of Presepsin and Its Impact on Early Antibiotic De-Escalation in Burn-Related Sepsis.

Background/objectives: Despite overlapping inflammatory responses and frequent culture-negative results in severe burn patients, early and accurate sepsis diagnosis remains challenging. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of seven candidate biomarkers and their clinical utility, particularly in culture-negative cases.

Methods: We conducted a prospective diagnostic accuracy study (January 2021-December 2022; N = 221) in the burn intensive care unit, applying a two-step feature selection to 41 candidate variables.

Lower urinary tract symptoms following perineal burns: Clinical characteristics and predictors of symptom persistence.

Introduction: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are frequently observed following perineal burn injuries, but their long-term clinical implications and predictors of prognosis remain poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of newly developed LUTS in patients with perineal burns and to identify factors associated with persistent symptoms.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 172 patients who were admitted to a burn center with perineal burns and subsequently referred to the urology department for evaluation of new-onset LUTS between August 2010 and December 2023.

The Hippo pathway effector YAP inhibits NF-κB signaling and ccRCC growth by opposing ZHX2.

The prevailing view in the cancer field is that Hippo (Hpo) signaling pathway functions as a tumor suppressor pathway by blocking the oncogenic potential of the pathway effectors Yes1-associated transcriptional regulator (YAP)/transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif. However, YAP can also function as a context-dependent tumor suppressor in several types of cancer including clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCCs). We find that, in addition to inhibiting hypoxia-inducible factor 2α, a major oncogenic driver in Von Hippel-Lindau-/- ccRCC, YAP also blocks nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling in ccRCC to inhibit cancer cell growth under conditions where hypoxia-inducible factor 2α is dispensable.

Longitudinal analysis of ARDS variability and biomarker predictive power in burn patients.

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a severe complication in burn patients, characterized by rapid lung inflammation and hypoxemia. Managing ARDS is challenging due to its high mortality rates and the complex interplay of various pathophysiological factors. This study aims to investigate the heterogeneity of ARDS in burn patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and evaluate the predictive efficacy of biomarkers in comparison to the PaO2/FiO2 (PF) ratio.

The Hippo pathway effector YAP inhibits NF-κB signaling and ccRCC growth by opposing ZHX2.

The prevailing view in the cancer field is that Hippo signaling pathway functions as a tumor suppressor pathway by blocking the oncogenic potential of the pathway effectors Yes1 associated transcriptional regulator (YAP)/transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ). However, YAP can also function as a context-dependent tumor suppressor in several types of cancer including clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCC). We find that, in additional to inhibiting hypoxia-inducible factor 2α (HIF2α), a major oncogenic driver in ()-/- ccRCC, YAP also blocks nuclear factor κB (NF-κB ) signaling in ccRCC to inhibit cancer cell growth under conditions where HIF2α is dispensable.

Deciphering AKI in Burn Patients: Correlations between Clinical Clusters and Biomarkers.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a significant complication in burn patients, impacting outcomes substantially. This study explores the heterogeneity of AKI in burn patients by analyzing creatinine time-series data to identify distinct AKI clusters and evaluating routine biomarkers' predictive values. A retrospective cohort analysis was performed on 2608 adult burn patients admitted to Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital's Burn Intensive Care Unit (BICU) from July 2010 to December 2022.

Central venous catheter tip colonization and associated bloodstream infection in patients with severe burns under routine catheter changing.

Background: Although routine changing of central venous catheters (CVCs) is commonly performed in patients with severe burns, information on pathogen colonization of the CVC tip and associated bloodstream infections (BSIs) is limited in those patients.

Methods: The medical records of 214 patients with severe burns who underwent routine CVC changing at 7-day intervals and their results of 686 pairs of CVC tips and concurrent blood cultures were retrospectively reviewed to evaluate the CVC colonization rate and associated BSI pathogens.

Results: Of the 686 CVCs, 137 (20.

Big data insights into the diagnostic values of CBC parameters for sepsis and septic shock in burn patients: a retrospective study.

Sepsis and septic shock are prevalent and life-threatening complications in burn patients. Despite their severity, existing diagnostic methods are limited. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of Complete Blood Count (CBC) and CBC ratio markers in diagnosing sepsis and septic shock, and in predicting mortality among burn patients.

Pioneering predictions of AKI and AKIN severity in burn patients: a comprehensive CBC approach.

This study aims to evaluate the utility of complete blood count (CBC) markers, in conjunction with the acute kidney injury network (AKIN) criteria, for the early detection, severity assessment, and prediction of mortality outcomes of acute kidney injury (AKI) in burn patients. The research seeks to fill existing gaps in knowledge and validate the cost-effectiveness of using CBC as a routine diagnostic tool for better management of AKI. The study was conducted at Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital.

The clinical differentiation of blood culture-positive and -negative sepsis in burn patients: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when the body's response to infection leads to widespread inflammation and tissue damage. Negative cultures can make it difficult for clinicians to make a diagnosis and may raise questions about the validity of the definition of sepsis. In addition, the clinical distinctions between burn patients with blood culture-positive and -negative sepsis are also poorly understood.

Tracking longitudinal biomarkers in burn patients with sepsis and acute kidney injury: an unsupervised clustering approach.

Background: Sepsis is a grave medical disorder characterized by a systemic inflammatory response to infection. Furthermore, it is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in hospitalized patients. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication of sepsis and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality.

Evaluating clinical heterogeneity and predicting mortality in severely burned patients through unsupervised clustering and latent class analysis.

Burn injuries often result in a high level of clinical heterogeneity and poor prognosis in patients with severe burns. Clustering algorithms, which are unsupervised methods that can identify groups with similar trajectories in patients with heterogeneous diseases, can provide insights into the mechanisms of the disease pathogenesis. This study aimed to analyze routinely collected biomarkers to understand their mortality prediction power, identify the clinical meanings or subtypes, and inform treatment decisions to improve the outcomes of patients with burns.

Suspicious findings observed retrospectively on CT imaging performed before the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Background: Few studies have focused on computed tomography findings before a pancreatic cancer diagnosis. We aimed to investigate the prediagnostic computed tomography findings of patients who had undergone computed tomography within the prediagnostic period of their pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

Methods: Between January 2008 and December 2019, 27 patients who underwent contrast-enhanced abdominal or chest computed tomography including the pancreas within 1 year of a pancreatic cancer diagnosis were enrolled in this retrospective study.

Clinical application of functional near-infrared spectroscopy for burn assessment.

Early assessment of local tissue oxygen saturation is essential for clinicians to determine the burn wound severity. We assessed the burn extent and depth in the skin of the extremities using a custom-built 36-channel functional near-infrared spectroscopy system in patients with burns. A total of nine patients with burns were analyzed in this study.

Longitudinal profile of routine biomarkers for mortality prediction using unsupervised clustering algorithm in severely burned patients: a retrospective cohort study with prospectively collected data.

Purpose: Burn injury has high clinical heterogeneity and worse prognosis in severely burned patients. Clustering algorithms using unsupervised methods to identify groups with similar trajectories in heterogeneous disease patients can provide insight into mechanisms of disease pathogenesis. This study analyzed routinely collected biomarkers to evaluate mortality prediction, find clinical meanings for these or their subtypes, and evaluate patterns.

Validation of Sepsis-3 using survival analysis and clinical evaluation of quick SOFA, SIRS, and burn-specific SIRS for sepsis in burn patients with suspected infection.

Purpose: Sepsis-3 is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by dysregulated host responses to infection; and defined using the Sepsis-3 criteria, introduced in 2016, however, the criteria need to be validated in specific clinical fields. We investigated mortality prediction and compared the diagnostic performance of quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA), systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), and burn-specific SIRS (bSIRS) in burn patients.

Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort study examined burn patients in Seoul, Korea during January 2010-December 2020.

YAP antagonizes TEAD-mediated AR signaling and prostate cancer growth.

Hippo signaling restricts tumor growth by inhibiting the oncogenic potential of YAP/TAZ-TEAD transcriptional complex. Here, we uncover a context-dependent tumor suppressor function of YAP in androgen receptor (AR) positive prostate cancer (PCa) and show that YAP impedes AR PCa growth by antagonizing TEAD-mediated AR signaling. TEAD forms a complex with AR to enhance its promoter/enhancer occupancy and transcriptional activity.

Dose-dependent phosphorylation and activation of Hh pathway transcription factors.

Graded Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is mediated by graded Cubitus interruptus (Ci)/Gli transcriptional activity, but how the Hh gradient is converted into the Ci/Gli activity gradient remains poorly understood. Here, we show that graded Hh induces a progressive increase in Ci phosphorylation at multiple Fused (Fu)/CK1 sites including a cluster located in the C-terminal Sufu-binding domain. We demonstrated that Fu directly phosphorylated Ci on S1382, priming CK1 phosphorylation on adjacent sites, and that Fu/CK1-mediated phosphorylation of the C-terminal sites interfered with Sufu binding and facilitated Ci activation.

Frontal lobe hemodynamics detected by functional near-infrared spectroscopy during head-up tilt table tests in patients with electrical burns.

Significance: Electrical burns can cause severe damage to the nervous system, resulting in autonomic dysfunction with reduced cerebral perfusion. However, few studies have investigated these consequences.

Aim: To elucidate changes in prefrontal cerebral hemodynamics using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during the head-up tilt table test (HUT) for patients with electrical burns.

YAP inhibits ERα and ER breast cancer growth by disrupting a TEAD-ERα signaling axis.

Hippo signaling restricts tissue growth by inhibiting the transcriptional effector YAP. Here we uncover a role of Hippo signaling and a tumor suppressor function of YAP in estrogen receptor positive (ER) breast cancer. We find that inhibition of Hippo/MST1/2 or activation of YAP blocks the ERα transcriptional program and ER breast cancer growth.

Wound healing ability of acellular fish skin and bovine collagen grafts for split-thickness donor sites in burn patients: Characterization of acellular grafts and clinical application.

Due to its high polyunsaturated fatty acid content, acellular fish skin has emerged as a dermal substitute for the promotion of wound healing as it decreases scar formation while providing pain relief. However, various systematic studies on acellular fish skin, such as its biophysical analysis, in vitro activities, and clinical application, have not been sufficiently investigated. In this study, we conducted a comparative study to evaluate the wound-healing ability of acellular fish skin graft (Kerecis®) with that of the widely used bovine collagen skin graft (ProHeal®).

Characterization of Smoothened Phosphorylation and Activation.

The GPCR-family protein Smoothened (Smo) is an obligatory signal transducer of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway. Binding of Hh to its receptor Patched (Ptc) alleviates Ptc-mediated inhibition of Smo, allowing Smo to activate the Cubitus interruptus (Ci)/Gli family of zinc finger transcription factors. The activation of Smo is an early and crucial event in Hh signal transduction.