Earlier studies reported that the occurrence of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is associated with chronic metabolic disorders such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. Instead of focusing on the relationship between SSNHL and each metabolic disorder, this study aimed to identify the association with metabolic syndrome as a whole, including either prehypertension or prediabetes. As a case-control study, we reviewed 239 patients who experienced SSNHL, and compared them with the same number of healthy subjects (N = 478). Metabolic syndrome-related variables of SSNHL patients were compared to those of healthy control subjects. In addition, patients with SSNHL were classified into two subgroups: the first subgroup showed improvement in hearing (‘response group’), and the second did not present significant improvement (‘non-response group’). Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed according to the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. The risk for SSNHL was 4.3 times higher in patients with metabolic syndrome compared with patients without the syndrome (95% confidence interval, 1.98 to 9.33), even after adjusting for variables that showed significant between-group differences. The likelihood of being unresponsive to treatment was higher in those with metabolic syndrome (1.21 to 3.93; adjusted odds ratio = 2.18), and when the initial hearing loss pattern on a pure-tone audiometry was high tone or flat. Metabolic syndrome appears to be an independent risk factor for SSNHL and, simultaneously, a predictor of poor prognosis.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common cancer, causing considerable mortality and morbidity worldwide. Although HNSCC management has been extensively studied, the treatment outcomes have not improved – the 5-year survival rate of patients with HNSCC is 40%. Recent studies on the development of a novel HNSCC treatment have highlighted proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src (c-Src) as one of the major therapeutic targets. However, the clinical efficacy of c-Src inhibitors against HNSCC was not comparable to that obtained in vitro. Furthermore, the molecular mechanisms underlying the efficacy of c-Src inhibitors remain elusive. In this study, we assessed the efficacy of 4-amino-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-7-(dimethylethyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d] pyrimidine (PP2), a selective c-Src inhibitor on HSNCC. Nine HNSCC cell lines (SNU1041, Fraud, SNU46, SNU1076, SNU899, SCC1483, YD15, YD9, and YD10-) were screened, and the effects of PP2 were evaluated using wound healing, apoptosis, and invasion assays. Western blot analysis of downstream markers was conducted to assess the specific mechanism of action of PP2 in HNSCC. The therapeutic efficacy of PP2 was further evaluated in xenograft mice. PP2 reduced tumor cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, it enhanced tumor cell apoptosis in cell lines and prevented metastasis in mice. PP2 also regulated the epithelial–mesenchymal transition pathway downstream of c-Src. More specifically, in SCC1483 and YD15PP2 HNSCC cell lines, PP2 exposure downregulated Erk, Akt/Slug, and Snail but upregulated E-cadherin. These results suggest that PP2 inhibits cell growth and progression in HNSCC by regulating the epithelial–mesenchymal transition pathway.

We analyzed the relationship between chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and the incidence of head and neck cancers (HNCs) in a Korean adult population. This retrospective cohort study included data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. Adjustments were made to minimize risk variables for sex, age, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and rhinitis between the two groups. The primary endpoint was newly diagnosed HNC between January 2009 and December 2018. Among 1,337,120 subjects in the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, data from 324,774 diagnosed with CRS (CRS group) and 649,548 control subjects (control group) were selected. Patients with CRS exhibited a statistically significant greater risk for nasal cavity/paranasal sinus cancer, hypopharynx/larynx cancer, and thyroid cancer compared with the control group. In the CRS group, the adjusted hazard ratios for nasal cavity/paranasal sinus cancer were 1.809 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.085–3.016), 1.343 (95% CI 1.031–1.748) for hypopharynx and larynx cancer, and 1.116 (95% CI 1.063–1.173) for thyroid cancer. CRS was associated with a higher incidence of HNCs. Therefore, physicians should carefully consider the possibility of HNC progression and implement therapeutic strategies to minimize the impact of these diseases.

In many cases, operation of regional trunk lines is not profitable to railway operators. Nevertheless, railway operators are under pressure to manage regional trunk lines running under deficits, to better serve public interests. Given this situation, railway operators need to optimize assets by adjusting train schedules or changing the number of trains running. When railway operators judge the operation of a regional trunk line, the B/C ratio is generally used as a management index. This ratio is not considered part of strategic operational policy over the long term, and excessively influenced by the aspects of supply and demand over the short term. Accordingly, this study focused on indices that might be used to prevent worsening deficits and provide long term strategic operation policies, main indices to better measure economic situations, and auxiliary indices to supplement the main index. The main indices were measured in conventional ways to target experts and employees. This study presents quantitative standards, which are intended to be used to create itemized criteria through an Analytic Hierarchy Process, for better decision-making.