Okjoo Lee

The novel HLA‐DRB3*01:01:02:12 allele was fully characterised in a Korean individual.

Background Severe obesity and its associated comorbidities in adolescents pose a growing global health challenge. Although laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has emerged as an effective treatment option, clinical evidence in Asian populations remains limited. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the short-term clinical and metabolic outcomes of LSG in severely obese Korean adolescents. Methods Between 2020 and 2025, a total of 1,824 bariatric surgeries were conducted at Incheon Sejong Hospital, among which 24 adolescent cases of LSG were identified for retrospective analysis. Demographic characteristics, body composition, perioperative laboratory findings, and postoperative weight loss outcomes were analyzed. Results A total of 24 adolescent patients who underwent LSG for severe obesity were included. At 12 months postoperatively, patients achieved significant weight loss, with a mean percentage of excess weight loss of 84.12% and percentage of excess body mass index loss of 84.43%. Body composition analysis at 12 months postoperatively revealed a 51.12% reduction in fat mass, whereas muscle mass was relatively preserved (16.67% loss). Metabolic profiles improved significantly, as evidenced by a decrease in triglycerides (167.3 to 67.9 mg/dL, p = 0.001) and fasting C-peptide (4.0 to 2.4 mg/dL, p = 0.009). Regarding hepatic steatosis and fibrosis, the controlled attenuation parameter and liver stiffness measurement decreased from 337 to 246 dB/m and 7.1 to 5.1 kPa, respectively. Conclusions LSG demonstrated favorable safe and feasible intervention for Korean adolescents with severe obesity within this cohort, achieving significant weight loss and rapid improvements in metabolic and hepatic parameters within the first postoperative year.

Background: Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is an aggressive malignancy in which lymph node (LN) status is a key prognostic factor. Adequate LN retrieval is essential for accurate nodal staging. This study aimed to identify an LN threshold that reduces false node‐negative (false N0) rates and to evaluate its association with overall survival (OS) as supportive evidence. Methods: This retrospective study included 425 patients in a development cohort and 176 patients in an external validation cohort who underwent curative‐intent surgery for GBC between 2008 and 2017. False N0 rates were estimated according to the number of retrieved LNs using a β‐binomial model, and survival analyses were performed as complementary assessments. Results: In both cohorts, retrieval of 11 LNs reduced the false N0 rate to approximately 11%–13% across T stages. Spline‐based analyses demonstrated changes in survival patterns according to LN yield in the development cohort, with an inflection around 11 retrieved LNs, although dichotomized survival comparisons were not statistically significant in either cohort. Conclusions: Retrieval of at least 11 LNs was associated with a lower false N0 rate in GBC and may serve as a reference point for nodal staging. Survival analyses provided contextual support rather than evidence of a direct survival benefit.

Background: Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a rare and aggressive malignancy with poor prognosis and high recurrence rates, even after curative surgical resection. Early recurrence, defined as recurrence within one year after surgery, remains a major clinical concern. This study aimed to identify preoperative prognostic factors and develop a predictive model for early recurrence and overall survival in resected GBC patients. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 251 patients who underwent curative-intent resection for GBC between 2008 and 2017. Logistic regression was used to identify preoperative factors associated with early recurrence. Significant variables were used to construct a nomogram, which was externally validated using a cohort of 176 patients from three independent tertiary centers. Results: The independent predictors of early recurrence included male sex, chronic liver disease, preoperative symptoms, elevated carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), sarcopenic obesity, clinical T3 or higher stage, and suspected metastatic lymph nodes. The nomogram demonstrated strong predictive performance with an AUC of 0.872 (95% CI: 0.817–0.927) in internal validation and 0.703 (95% CI: 0.613–0.793) in external validation. Conclusions: We developed and externally validated a novel nomogram that predicts early recurrence in GBC using only preoperative factors. This model may support individualized risk assessment and aid surgeons and patients in shared decision-making prior to high-risk surgery.

Lee O, et al. Ann Surg Treat Res. 2024 Apr;106(4):211-217. https://doi.org/10.4174/astr.2024.106.4.211

Lee O, et al. Ann Surg Treat Res. 2023 Nov;105(5):310-318. https://doi.org/10.4174/astr.2023.105.5.310