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Gastroenterology / Original Article
Hepatitis B core-related antigen as a multifaceted biomarker in chronic hepatitis B: implications for immune activity and hepatocellular carcinoma prediction
Kwon Yong Tak, Seok Hwan Kim, Myeong Jun Song
Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(4):636-648. Published online July 1, 2026
Background/Aims: Hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) reflects both serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA and intrahepatic covalently closed circular DNA activity, offering potential advantages over conventional biomarkers in monitoring chronic hepatitis B (CHB). This study evaluated the clinical ut..
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Rheumatology / Review
From Sjögren syndrome to Sjögren disease: rethinking classification and diagnostic complexity
Jennifer Jooha Lee, Howook Jeon, Hyun-Sook Kim, Hae-Rim Kim, Seung-Ki Kwok, Yoon-Kyoung Sung, Jisoo Lee, Shin-Seok Lee, Sung-Hwan Park, Yun Jong Lee; on behalf of the Korean Society of Sjogren Disease Research (KCR-SjD)
Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(4):620-635. Published online July 1, 2026
Sjögren syndrome (SS), traditionally regarded as a sicca-predominant condition, is now recognized as a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by type I interferon activation, B-cell hyperactivity, and periepithelial lymphocytic infiltration. This conceptual shift has prompted changes in terminology, wit..
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Rheumatology / Review
Autoimmune diseases in the era of COVID-19: emerging mechanisms, clinical implications, vaccine considerations, and future directions
Jaehyun Kong, Seohyun Hong, Jiyeon Oh, Sooji Lee, Lee Smith, Francesco Branda, Hanseul Cho, Jiyoung Hwang, Dong Keon Yon
Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(4):597-619. Published online July 1, 2026
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted a complex, bidirectional relationship between SARSCoV-2 infection and autoimmune diseases. This review examines how SARS-CoV-2 infection influences the incidence, progression, and outcomes of five major autoimmune conditions: systemic ..
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Hemato-oncology / Review
Korean expert consensus on the management of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura
Seo-Yeon Ahn, Junshik Hong, Jin Seok Kim, Sung-Hyun Kim, Kyoung Ha Kim, Ho-Young Yhim, Yoo Jin Lee, Jaewoo Song, Soo-Mee Bang, Ji Hyun Lee, Seongsoo Jang, Sung Hwa Bae; on behalf of the Korean Society of Hematology Thrombosis and Hemostasis Working Party and the Korean Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis
Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(4):572-584. Published online July 1, 2026
Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a rare but life-threatening thrombotic microangiopathy resulting from severe ADAMTS13 deficiency. Although effective treatments, such as therapeutic plasma exchange, immunosuppressive therapy with rituximab, and caplacizumab, have significantly improved s..
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Rheumatology / Original Article
LncRNA as a diagnostic marker for rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Lin-ling Luo, Yu-tong Chen, Yi-ning Xu, Miao Lu, Xi-de Liu
Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(3):524-536. Published online May 1, 2026
Background/Aims: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is categorized as an autoimmune disorder characterized by the absence of a definitive cure. In this investigation, we executed a systematic review and diagnostic meta-analysis to ascertain the diagnostic efficacy of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the ide..
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Gastroenterology / Original Article
Comparison of the efficacy and safety of endoscopic and fluoroscopic balloon dilatation in benign esophageal strictures
Kwangbeom Park, Chang Hoon Oh, Do Hoon Kim, Ji Hoon Shin, Hee Kyong Na, Ji Yong Ahn, Jeong Hoon Lee, Kee Wook Jung, Kee Don Choi, Ho June Song, Gin Hyug Lee, Hwoon-Yong Jung
Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(3):462-473. Published online May 1, 2026
Background/Aims: Balloon dilatation under endoscopic or fluoroscopic guidance is regarded as the gold standard for treating benign esophageal strictures. However, no prior studies have compared endoscopic balloon dilatation (EBD) with fluoroscopic balloon dilatation (FBD). We aimed to compare the ef..
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Cardiology / Review
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation for symptomatic severe aortic stenosis and its expanding clinical indications
Hyungdon Kook, Young-Hyo Lim
Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(3):373-383. Published online February 24, 2026
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a minimally invasive treatment for symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (AS) that was initially developed for patients with prohibitive surgical risk. Since the first-in-human procedure in 2002, TAVI has gained global acceptance owing to its favorable ..
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Infectious diseases / Original Article
Hemodialysis vascular access infections: epidemiology and risk factors for treatment failure
Shi Nae Yu, Eunjung Lee, Se Yoon Park, Oh-Hyun Cho, Sangchul Yun, Tark Kim, Min Seo Kang, Yae Jee Baek, Jongtak Jung, Tae Hyong Kim
Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(2):317-327. Published online March 1, 2026
Background/Aims: Infection remains the second leading cause of mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Despite the direct relationship between hemodialysis vascular access-related infections (HD-VARI) and both prognosis and mortality in ESRD patients, there is a paucity of researc..
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Endocrinology-metabolism / Original Article
Development of Simple Assessment tool for predict imminent risk of Fracture in Elderly women
So Young Park, Sujin Kwon, Kyoung Jin Kim, Seong Hee Ahn, Ha Young Kim, Kyoung Min Kim; the Epidemiology Committee of the Korean Society of Bone Metabolism
Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(2):277-285. Published online March 1, 2026
Background/Aims: Previously developed fracture risk prediction models primarily estimate long-term risk and are limited in their ability to predict imminent fractures. We developed a simplified and practical model to predict the short-term fracture risk (1- to 3-year risk) in elderly Korean women.
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Gastroenterology / Original Article
Clinical features of NAAT-positive, toxin-negative Clostridioides difficile infections in South Korea
In Hyoung Choi, Chang Kyo Oh, Young Wook Cho, Young-Seok Cho
Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(2):255-264. Published online March 1, 2026
Background/Aims: The clinical characteristics of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in patients within the Asia-Pacific region who test positive on the nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) and negative on the toxin enzyme immunoassay (EIA, hereafter referred to as “Toxin”) are uncle..
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Infectious diseases / Review
Updates on epidemiology and diagnostic tests of syphilis in South Korea
Dong Youn Kim, Ki-Ho Park
Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(2):242-254. Published online March 1, 2026
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the spirochete Treponema pallidum. Recently, there has been a global resurgence of syphilis cases. In South Korea, the reported rate of syphilis steadily increased from 1.93 per 100,000 individuals in 2011 to 3.41 per 100,000 individuals in 2019. ..
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Nephrology / Original Article
Arteriovenous fistulas are associated with superior outcomes in very elderly hemodialysis patients: a nationwide cohort study
Hyung Duk Kim, Do Hyoung Kim, Hyangkyoung Kim, Hyung-Seok Lee, Seung Boo Yang, Seok Joon Shin, Hoon Suk Park; on behalf of the vascular access working group of the Korean Society of Dialysis Access
Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(1):152-162. Published online January 1, 2026
Background/Aims: The optimal vascular access strategy for very elderly patients initiating hemodialysis (HD) remains unclear. Arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) offer long-term benefits but may be limited due to vascular aging. This study evaluated vascular access outcomes in patients aged ≥ 80 years.
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Gastroenterology / Review
From bench to bedside: pancreatic juice as a platform for biomarker discovery in pancreatic disease
Pradeep K. Siddappa, Niwen Kong, Alice Lee, Yi Jiang, Walter G. Park
Korean J Intern Med. 2026;41(1):15-30. Published online January 1, 2026
Pancreatic juice (PJ) analysis has emerged as a promising modality for the diagnosis of pancreatic diseases, particularly pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and chronic pancreatitis. This review explores the role of PJ analysis in identifying biomarkers for the early detection and differentiation of p..
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Hemato-oncology / Original Article
Real-world treatment outcomes in South Korean patients with epidermal growth factor receptor-mutant non-small cell lung cancer
Young Saing Kim, Eun Young Lee, Hyun Woo Lee, Jin-Hyuk Choi, Tae-Hwan Kim, Yong Won Choi, Mi Sun Ahn
Korean J Intern Med. 2025;40(6):1029-1041. Published online October 31, 2025
Background/Aims: This study aimed to assess the real-world treatment outcomes in South Korean patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving first-line (1L) EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs).
Methods: We used the Health Insurance Revie..
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Endocrinology-metabolism / Original Article
Association between metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and the risk of thyroid cancer: a nationwide cohort study
Jeongmin Lee, Jeongeun Kwak, Min-Hee Kim, Seung-Hwan Lee, Jae-Hyoung Cho, Dong-Jun Lim, Jung Min Lee, Sang-Ah Chang, Hun-Sung Kim
Korean J Intern Med. 2025;40(5):813-822. Published online August 26, 2025
Background/Aims: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is associated with various metabolic disorders; however, its relationship with thyroid cancer remains unclear. This study investigated the association between MASLD and the risk of thyroid cancer.
Methods: This retros..
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Cardiology / Original Article
Impact of guideline-directed medical therapy on the cardiac or non-cardiac death in acute myocardial infarction
Jin-Ho Choi, Dahee Hyun, Seung Ho Hur, Seung Woon Rha, Seung Jae Joo, Hyo-Soo Kim, Myung Ho Jeong; on behalf of KAMIR-NIH investigators
Korean J Intern Med. 2025;40(5):780-789. Published online August 29, 2025
Background/Aims: While the clinical effectiveness of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) is well established in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), its specific impact on cause-specific mortality remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the impact of GDMT on both cardiac a..
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Pulmonology / Review
Diagnostic approach for incidental pulmonary nodules
SeungYong Park, Seoung Ju Park
Korean J Intern Med. 2025;40(5):710-724. Published online August 26, 2025
Lung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide and is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, with poor survival outcomes. Early detection and appropriate management of incidental pulmonary nodules, frequently identified through low-dose computed tomography screening, are cr..
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Gastroenterology / Original Article
Impact of body mass index on clinical outcomes in intestinal Behçet’s disease
Daye Park, Jihye Park, Soo Jung Park, Jae Jun Park, Tae Il Kim, Jae Hee Cheon
Korean J Intern Med. 2025;40(4):606-615. Published online July 1, 2025
Background/Aims: The impact of body mass index (BMI) on the clinical outcomes of intestinal Behçet’s disease (BD) remains unclear. This study assessed the association between BMI and disease progression.
Methods: A retrospective analysis of 760 patients with intestinal BD was conducted. Patients were..
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Gastroenterology / Original Article
Submucosal saline injection and mini-probe endoscopic ultrasound to assess endoscopic resectability of colorectal subepithelial tumors
Jung-Bin Park, Ji Eun Baek, June Hwa Bae, Seung Wook Hong, Sung Wook Hwang, Sang Hyoung Park, Byong Duk Ye, Jeong-Sik Byeon, Seung-Jae Myung, Suk-Kyun Yang, Dong-Hoon Yang
Korean J Intern Med. 2025;40(4):592-605. Published online July 1, 2025
Background/Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and outcomes of mini-probe endoscopic ultrasound (mEUS) followed by submucosal saline injection (SSI-mEUS) for assessing the endoscopic resectability of colorectal subepithelial lesions (SELs).
Methods: From January 2020 to December 2023..
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Gastroenterology / Original Article
Medical disputes involving lower gastrointestinal endoscopies: cases from the Korean Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency
Eun Hye Oh, Jeong Eun Shin, Jun Yong Bae, Yoon Suk Lee, Yehyun Park, Yong Hwan Kwon, Chang Nyol Paik, Jun Kyu Lee, Tae Hee Lee
Korean J Intern Med. 2025;40(3):404-426. Published online April 30, 2025
Background/Aims: As the number of lower gastrointestinal endoscopies and high-risk examinees increases, the incidence of adverse events associated with these endoscopies has also increased. Medical disputes and lawsuits related to adverse events are rapidly increasing.
Methods: Medical disputes rel..
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