Inhibition of AXL ameliorates pulmonary fibrosis attenuation of M2 macrophage polarization.

Rationale: Although a relationship between the Gas6/AXL pathway and pulmonary fibrosis (PF) has been suggested, the precise mechanisms and clinical implications of the AXL pathway in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are still unclear.

Methods: Constitutive and conditional AXL-knockout mice were generated and injected with bleomycin (BLM) to induce pulmonary fibrosis. The expression of AXL and macrophage subtypes in BLM-injected mice and patients with IPF was analysed using flow cytometry.

Clinical implications of six-minute walk test in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: A six-minute walk test (6MWT) is a reproducible, easily performed test, and is widely used to determine functional exercise capacity in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, there is currently a paucity of data on the clinical significance of baseline and serial 6-minute walk tests in patients with IPF, especially in Asian patients.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the clinical significance of serial 6MWT in patients with IPF, especially in Asian patients.

Usefulness of CT Quantification-Based Assessment in Defining Progressive Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Rationale And Objectives: To establish a quantitative CT threshold for radiological disease progression of progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) and evaluate its feasibility in patients with connective tissue disease-related interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD).

Materials And Methods: Between April 2007 and October 2022, patients diagnosed with CTD-ILD retrospectively evaluated. CT quantification was conducted using a commercial software by summing the percentages of ground-glass opacity, consolidation, reticular opacity, and honeycombing.

Progression to ANCA-associated vasculitis in patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia and positive ANCA.

Objective: This study explored the development of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) and its risk factors in patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) and positive ANCA results.

Methods: Data of patients diagnosed with IIP with positive ANCA results at a single tertiary center in South Korea were retrospectively reviewed from January 2013 to August 2023. Cox regression analysis was performed to identify variables associated with AAV occurrence following IIP diagnosis.

Outcomes of Lung Transplantation in Patients With Right Ventricular Dysfunction: A Single-Center Retrospective Analysis Comparing ECMO Configurations in a Bridge-to-Transplant Setting.

This study aimed to assess the lung transplantation (LT) outcomes of patients with right ventricular dysfunction (RVD), focusing on the impact of various extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) configurations. We included adult patients who underwent LT with ECMO as a bridge-to-transplant from 2011 to 2021 at a single center. Among patients with RVD ( = 67), veno-venous (V-V) ECMO was initially applied in 79% (53/67) and maintained until LT in 52% (35/67).

Prevalences and Interrelationships of Post COVID-19 Fatigue, Sleep Disturbances, and Depression in Healthy Young and Middle-Aged Adults.

An evaluation of the persistence of symptoms following COVID-19 in economically active young and middle-aged adults is crucial due to its significant socioeconomic impact resulting from compromised work performance. A prospective, multicenter study at 12 South Korean hospitals from January to December 2022 involved telephone interviews along with validated questionnaires. Among 696 participants with a median age of 32 and no prior diagnoses, 30% of participants experienced persistent fatigue, while 21.

Cognition and Functional Capacity: An Initial Comparison of Veteran and Non-Veteran Older Adults.

Introduction: The U.S. Military Veterans aged 65 and older comprise an estimated 43% of the 22 million living Veterans in the United States.

Added value of 40 keV virtual monoenergetic images for diagnosing malignant pleural effusion on chest CT.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the added value of 40 keV virtual mono-energetic images (VMIs) obtained from dual-layer detector CT (DLCT) for diagnosing malignant pleural effusion (MPE) in patients presenting with unilateral pleural effusion on chest CT.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included 75 patients with unilateral pleural effusion who underwent contrast-enhanced chest CT scans using DLCT. Quantitative and qualitative assessments of the visibility of pleural thickening were conducted on both conventional 120 kVp images and 40 keV VMIs.

Choroidal manifestations of non-ocular sarcoidosis: an enhanced depth imaging OCT study.

Background: Although choroidal thickening was reported as a sign of active inflammation in ocular sarcoidosis, there has been no research on the choroidal changes in non-ocular sarcoidosis (defined as systemic sarcoidosis without overt clinical signs of ocular involvement). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate choroidal structural changes in patients with non-ocular sarcoidosis.

Methods: This retrospective case-control study was conducted at Asan Medical Center, a tertiary referral center.

Functional characterization of plant specific Indeterminate Domain (IDD) transcription factors in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.).

Plant-specific transcription factors (TFs) are responsible for regulating the genes involved in the development of plant-specific organs and response systems for adaptation to terrestrial environments. This includes the development of efficient water transport systems, efficient reproductive organs, and the ability to withstand the effects of terrestrial factors, such as UV radiation, temperature fluctuations, and soil-related stress factors, and evolutionary advantages over land predators. In rice and Arabidopsis, INDETERMINATE DOMAIN (IDD) TFs are plant-specific TFs with crucial functions, such as development, reproduction, and stress response.

Clinical characteristics and outcome of lung cancer in patients with fibrosing interstitial lung disease.

Background: Lung cancer (LC) is an important comorbidity of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and has a poor prognosis. The clinical characteristics and outcome of each ILD subtype in LC patients have not been sufficiently investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the difference between idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and non-IPF ILD as well as prognostic factors in patients with ILD-LC.

Risk Factors for the Mortality of Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 Requiring Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in a Non-Centralized Setting: A Nationwide Study.

Background: Limited data are available on the mortality rates of patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to analyze the relationship between COVID-19 and clinical outcomes for patients receiving ECMO.

Methods: We retrospectively investigated patients with COVID-19 pneumonia requiring ECMO in 19 hospitals across Korea from January 1, 2020 to August 31, 2021.

Factors Associated with the Discrepancy between Exercise Capacity and Airflow Limitation in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: Exercise capacity is associated with lung function decline in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, but a discrepancy between exercise capacity and airflow limitation exists. This study aimed to explore factors contributing to this discrepancy in COPD patients.

Methods: Data for this prospective study were obtained from the Korean COPD Subgroup Study.

Predictive Role of White Blood Cell Differential Count for the Development of Acute Exacerbation in Korean Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Purpose: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a respiratory disease characterized by chronic inflammation. Acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) manifests as acute worsening of respiratory symptoms and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the predictive value of white blood count (WBC) and its derived inflammatory biomarkers for AECOPD.

Clinical manifestations and associated factors of uveitis in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis: a case control study.

Sarcoidosis, an idiopathic and inflammatory disease, affects various organs and can manifest as uveitis. Due to limited evidence, researchers investigated the risk factors associated with uveitis in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis. A retrospective study was conducted on 71 pulmonary sarcoidosis patients, including 19 with uveitis and 52 without.

Clinical impact of pre-existing acute exacerbation in patients with interstitial lung disease who underwent lung transplantation.

Background: Acute exacerbation of interstitial lung disease (AE-ILD) significantly impacts prognosis, leading to high mortality rates. Although lung transplantation is a life-saving treatment for selected patients with ILD, its outcomes in those presenting with AE-ILD have yielded conflicting results compared with those with stable ILD. This study aims to investigate the impact of pre-existing AE on the prognosis of ILD patients who underwent lung transplantation.

Clinical effect of progressive pulmonary fibrosis on patients with connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease: a single center retrospective cohort study.

The concept of progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) has been introduced to predict the diverse prognosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD). However, the incidence and effect of PPF on outcomes in patients with connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD) need to be elucidated. This study reviewed 197 patients with CTD-ILD.

Clinical characteristics and prognostic impact of acute exacerbations in patients with interstitial lung disease and lung cancer: A single-center, retrospective cohort study.

Background: Although acute exacerbation (AE) after treatment for lung cancer (LC) is a poor prognostic factor in patients with interstitial lung disease associated with lung cancer (ILD-LC), the risk of AE according to cancer treatment type remains unclear. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to investigate the association between AE and treatment received for LC in patients with ILD-LC.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of patients with ILD-LC who had undergone treatment for LC between January 2018 and December 2022.