Validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Wisconsin Smoking Withdrawal Scale.

Background/aims: This study evaluated the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Wisconsin Smoking Withdrawal Scale (WSWS-K) for use in clinical practice and research on Korean smokers.

Methods: The Wisconsin Smoking Withdrawal Scale was translated into Korean and then back-translated into English. The authors reviewed the translation and back-translation and approved the final questionnaire draft.

Clinical implications of discrepant results between genotypic MTBDR and phenotypic Löwenstein-Jensen method for isoniazid or rifampicin drug susceptibility tests in tuberculosis patients.

Background: The widespread use of molecular, genotypic drug susceptibility tests (DSTs) for antituberculosis (anti-TB) drugs has led to the dilemma of interpreting discordant results between genotypic and conventional, phenotypic DSTs. We investigated the clinical characteristics, including treatment patterns and outcomes, of TB patients with a genotype-phenotype discrepancy in susceptibility to isoniazid (INH) or rifampicin (RIF).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of TB patients who had results for 2 DSTs (genotypic method, MTBDR test for INH and RIF, and phenotypic method) treated between August 2010 and October 2016 in a tertiary university hospital.

The relationship between sleep disturbance and health status in patients with COPD.

Introduction: The detection of insomnia in patients with COPD is assumed to be significantly lower than the actual prevalence. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of insomnia and the relationship between insomnia and health status in patients with COPD using two fairly simple and straightforward questionnaires: COPD assessment test (CAT) and insomnia severity index (ISI).

Patients And Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from patients undergoing treatment for COPD at St Paul's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, between December 2015 and August 2016.

Combination of carboplatin and intermittent normobaric hyperoxia synergistically suppresses benzo[a]pyrene-induced lung cancer.

Background/aims: We explored the effects of intermittent normobaric hyperoxia alone or combined with chemotherapy on the growth, general morphology, oxidative stress, and apoptosis of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P)-induced lung tumors in mice.

Methods: Female A/J mice were given a single dose of B[a]P and randomized into four groups: control, carboplatin (50 mg/kg intraperitoneally), hyperoxia (95% fraction of inspired oxygen), and carboplatin and hyperoxia. Normobaric hyperoxia (95%) was applied for 3 hours each day from weeks 21 to 28.

Factors Related to the Diagnostic Yield of Flexible Bronchoscopy without Guidance in Bronchoscopically Invisible Peripheral Lung Lesions.

Background: We aimed to analyze the factors predicting the diagnostic performance of flexible bronchoscopy without guidance in peripheral lung lesions that are endoscopically invisible.

Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted in St. Paul's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, between January 2007 and March 2013.

Chronic intermittent hypoxia induces liver fibrosis in mice with diet-induced obesity via TLR4/MyD88/MAPK/NF-kB signaling pathways.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and causes chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) during sleep. Inflammation is associated with the development of metabolic complications induced by CIH. Research suggests that innate immune mechanisms are involved in the pro-inflammatory pathways of liver fibrosis.

Demographic Changes in Intensive Care Units in Korea over the Last Decade and Outcomes of Elderly Patients: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.

Background: Aging is a significant issue worldwide, and Korea is one of the most rapidly aging countries. Along with the demographic transition, the age structure of intensive care unit (ICU) patients changes as well.

Methods: The aim of this study was to analyze the change in age distribution of the ICU patients over the last 10 years and its effect on clinical outcomes.

Dyspnea as a Prognostic Factor in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose: To investigate associations between dyspnea and clinical outcomes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Materials And Methods: From 2001 to 2014, we retrospectively reviewed the prospective lung cancer database of St. Paul's Hospital at the Catholic University of Korea.

The apoptotic effect of simvastatin via the upregulation of BIM in nonsmall cell lung cancer cells.

Purpose: Statins are known to have pleiotropic effects that induce cell death in certain cancer cells. BIM is a member of the bcl-2 gene family, which promotes apoptotic cell death. This study investigated the hypothesis that simvastatin has pro-apoptotic effects in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated lung cancer cell lines via the upregulation of the expression of the BIM protein.

Epidemiology of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension in Korea: results from the Korean registry.

Background/aims: The diagnosis of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is difficult for numerous reasons and is related with a poor prognosis. In Korea, the incidence of CTEPH and its clinical features are unknown. Thus, in this study, we evaluated the clinical characteristics and outcomes of CTEPH in a Korean cohort.

Association between vitamin D receptor polymorphisms and osteoporosis in patients with COPD.

Background: Patients with COPD are at an increased risk of osteoporosis. Although many studies have addressed the relationship between the vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphisms and bone health, this relationship has not been fully investigated in patients with COPD. In this study, we investigated the association of VDR polymorphisms with bone mineral density (BMD) and other clinical parameters in patients with COPD.

Curcumin sensitizes human lung cancer cells to apoptosis and metastasis synergistically combined with carboplatin.

Although carboplatin is one of the standard chemotherapeutic agents for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), it has limited therapeutic efficacy due to activation of a survival signaling pathway and the induction of multidrug resistance. Curcumin, a natural compound isolated from the plant Curcuma longa, is known to sensitize tumors to different chemotherapeutic agents. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether curcumin can chemosensitize lung cancer cells to carboplatin and to analyze the signaling pathway underlying this synergism.

Serious Complications after Self-expandable Metallic Stent Insertion in a Patient with Malignant Lymphoma.

An 18-year-old woman was evaluated for a chronic productive cough and dyspnea. She was subsequently diagnosed with mediastinal non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). A covered self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) was implanted to relieve narrowing in for both main bronchi.

Efficacy of team-based financial incentives for smoking cessation in the workplace.

Worksite smoking cessation programs offer accessibility of the target population, availability of occupational health support, and the potential for peer pressure and peer support. The purpose of this study was to identify the efficacy of the financial incentives given to various teams in the workplace. St.

The associations between anthropometric indices and obstructive sleep apnea in a Korean population.

Background: Obesity is a major risk factor for the development of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Although clinical and epidemiological studies have shown that OSA and obesity are strongly associated, few Asian studies have examined the associations between anthropometric obesity indices and OSA, especially in the Korean population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of anthropometric obesity indices on OSA in a Korean population.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy caused by pulmonary tuberculosis: a case report.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is defined as a reversible, acute ventricular dysfunction without any evidence of coronary artery obstruction. There have been reports of TTC caused by emotional or physical stress, drug use, hormone imbalance, or medical conditions such as pulmonary disease, sepsis, and trauma, but a relationship between TTC and pulmonary tuberculosis has not previously been reported. From our knowledge, this is the first report of TTC caused by pulmonary tuberculosis.

A case of pneumomediastinum and parapneumonic effusions following pharyngeal perforation caused by shouting.

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is an uncommon disorder, and usually affects young men and has a benign course. Common triggers are asthma, the smoking of illicit drugs, the Valsalva maneuver, and respiratory infections. Most cases are usually due to alveolar rupture into the pulmonary interstitium caused by excess pressure.

A multicenter phase II study of belotecan, a new camptothecin analogue, in elderly patients with previously untreated, extensive-stage small cell lung cancer.

Purpose: Belotecan is a new camptothecin analogue and a potent topoisomerase I inhibitor. The aim of this phase II study was to investigate the efficacy and toxicity of belotecan in previously untreated elderly patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Methods: A total of 26 patients, aged ≥65 years, with previously untreated, extensive-stage SCLC were enrolled in the study.

A case of typhlitis developed after chemotherapy with irinotecan and Cisplatin in a patient with small cell lung carcinoma.

Typhlitis is a necrotizing colitis that usually occurs in neutropenic patients and develops most often in patients with hematologic malignancies such as leukemia and lymphoma. Typhlitis may proceed to bowel perforation, peritonitis and sepsis, which requires immediate treatment. Irinotecan is a semisynthetic analogue of the natural alkaloid camptothecin which prevents DNA from unwinding by inhibition of topoisomerase I.

A case of tracheobronchial aspergillosis resolved spontaneously in an immunocompetent host.

A 47-year old man visited our hospital because of purulent sputum for 3 months. Chest X-ray showed destruction of both the upper lungs, and bronchoscopy revealed inflammatory change with whitish plaque on the left main bronchus through upper division of the left upper lobe. Tracheobronchial aspergillosis (TBA) was finally diagnosed as a result of histologic and microbiologic examination.

Clinical experience of rigid bronchoscopy in single center.

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze clinical situations requiring rigid bronchoscopy and evaluate usefulness of rigid bronchoscopic intervention in benign or malignant airway disorders.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 29 patients who underwent rigid bronchoscopy from November 2007 to February 2011 at St. Paul's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea School of Medicine.

Comparison of tiotropium plus fluticasone propionate/salmeterol with tiotropium in COPD: a randomized controlled study.

Background: The combination of tiotropium and fluticasone propionate/salmeterol (FSC) is commonly used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but no study had evaluated the effectiveness of tiotropium plus FSC with 250 μg of fluticasone propionate. Our aim was to assess whether tiotropium (18 μg once daily) plus FSC (250/50 μg twice daily) provides better clinical outcomes compared to tiotropium monotherapy.

Methods: In this 24-week, randomized, open label, multicenter two-arm parallel study, 479 patients received tiotropium plus FSC (n = 237) or tiotropium alone (n = 242).

Inhibitory effect of receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) on the TGF-β-induced alveolar epithelial to mesenchymal transition.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a lethal parenchymal lung disease characterized by myofibroblast proliferation. Alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) are thought to produce myofibroblasts through the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily of cell surface receptors whose activation is associated with renal fibrosis during diabetes and liver fibrosis.