Clinical Characteristics of T2-Low and T2-High Asthma-Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Overlap: Findings From COREA Cohort.

Purpose: Despite the emerging biologics, biomarkers and treatment options for asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap (ACO) are still limited, requiring further research.

Methods: We enrolled 378 ACO patients from a multicenter real-world asthma cohort in Korea and compared the clinical characteristics, lung function, and exacerbation between type 2 (T2)-high and T2-low groups. We used the following comparisons: 1) low vs.

Effect of biologic therapies on quality of life in severe asthma: Findings from the PRISM study.

Background: Anti-type 2 (T2) biologic therapies (biologics) improve exacerbation rates, lung function, and asthma-related quality of life (QoL) in patients with severe T2 asthma. However, studies comparing different biologics are lacking. We evaluated the QoL in patients with severe asthma comprehensively and compare the efficacy of different T2-directed biologics using QoL questionnaires.

Serum MRGPRX2 as a Long-term Biomarker for Iodinated Contrast Media-Induced Anaphylaxis.

The diagnosis of anaphylaxis is based on the clinical history. The utility of tryptase measurements in clinical setting is limited. Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor-X2 (MRGPRX2) is expressed in mast cells and is involved in the degranulation of these cells.

The Recombinant Profilin from Free-Living Amoebae Induced Allergic Immune Responses via TLR2.

Background: Repeated exposure to recombinant profilin from (rAc-PF) induces allergic airway responses in vitro and in vivo. Based on the role of toll-like receptors (TLRs) in allergic airway diseases, TLRs play a central role in innate immune responses and the adaptive immune system and regulate responses against antigens through antigen-specific receptors. In this study, we attempted to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying rAc-PF-induced allergic inflammatory responses.

Benralizumab efficacy and safety in severe asthma: A randomized trial in Asia.

Background: Benralizumab is indicated as add-on therapy in patients with uncontrolled, severe eosinophilic asthma; it has not yet been evaluated in a large Asian population with asthma in a clinical trial.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of benralizumab in patients with severe asthma in Asia.

Methods: MIRACLE (NCT03186209) was a randomized, Phase 3 study in China, South Korea, and the Philippines.

Skin Test-Guided Strategy to Select Alternative Iodinated Contrast Media in Patients With Immediate Hypersensitivity Reaction: A Prospective Confirmative Study.

Background: Iodinated contrast media (ICM) are a common cause of drug-induced immediate hypersensitivity reaction (IHR). Repeated use of ICM is often necessary; therefore, a standardized protocol to prevent recurrence of IHR is required.

Objective: We aimed to propose an intradermal skin test (IDT)-guided strategy for previous reactors to prevent recurrence of IHR.

Clinical outcomes of transbronchial cryobiopsy using a 1.1-mm diameter cryoprobe for peripheral lung lesions - A prospective pilot study.

Objectives: Transbronchial cryobiopsy (TBCB) is a novel technique for the diagnosis of peripheral lung lesions (PLLs). We aim to evaluate the clinical outcomes of TBCB using a new 1.1-mm diameter cryoprobe for the diagnosis of PLLs.

Development and Application of an Active Pharmacovigilance Framework Based on Electronic Healthcare Records from Multiple Centers in Korea.

Introduction: With the availability of retrospective pharmacovigilance data, the common data model (CDM) has been identified as an efficient approach towards anonymized multicenter analysis; however, the establishment of a suitable model for individual medical systems and applications supporting their analysis is a challenge.

Objective: The aim of this study was to construct a specialized Korean CDM (K-CDM) for pharmacovigilance systems based on a clinical scenario to detect adverse drug reactions (ADRs).

Methods: De-identified patient records (n = 5,402,129) from 13 institutions were converted to the K-CDM.

The prevalence of multiple chronic conditions and medical burden in asthma patients.

Background: The prevalence of multiple chronic conditions (MCC), defined as several coexisting chronic conditions, has increased with the aging of society. MCC is associated with poor outcomes, but most comorbid diseases in asthma patients have been evaluated as asthma-associated diseases. We investigated the morbidity of coexisting chronic diseases in asthma patients and their medical burdens.

Reducing Microbial Contamination in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Products and Quality Improvement Strategy: Retrospective Analysis of 1996-2021 Data.

Background: Sterility and safety assurance of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) products is critical in transplantation. Microbial contamination can lead to product disposal and increases the risk of unsuccessful clinical outcomes. Therefore, it is important to implement and maintain good practice guidelines and regulations for the HSC collection and processing unit in each hospital.

Real-world evaluation of atezolizumab and etoposide-carboplatin as a first-line treatment for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer.

Background/aims: Despite the obvious benefits of adding immune checkpoint inhibitors to platinum-etoposide chemotherapy in patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), real-world data remain scarce.

Methods: This retrospective study included 89 patients with ES-SCLC treated with platinum-etoposide chemotherapy alone (chemo-only group; n = 48) or in combination with atezolizumab (atezolizumab group; n = 41) and compared the survival outcomes between these two groups.

Results: Overall survival (OS) was significantly longer in the atezolizumab group than in the chemo-only group (15.

Toll-like receptor 2 mediates Acanthamoeba-induced allergic airway inflammatory response in mice.

Background: Repeated intranasal exposure to Acanthamoeba has been revealed to induce allergic airway inflammatory responses in mice. Based on the role of toll-like receptors (TLRs) in the pathogenesis of allergic asthma, TLRs form a link between innate and adaptive immune responses, and play an important role in the activation of various cells in the innate immune system.

Methodology/principal Findings: To determine the TLRs that are related to these immune responses, we assessed the expression levels of inflammation-related genes in mouse lung epithelial (MLE)-12 cells treated with excretory-secretory proteins (ES-P) of the Acanthamoeba strain (KA/E2) with or without the TLR antagonists.

Clinical aspects of severe cutaneous adverse reactions caused by beta-lactam antibiotics: A study from the Korea SCAR registry.

Background: Although beta-lactams are 1 of the major causative agents of severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCAR), their epidemiology and clinical aspects have been poorly studied. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of SCAR caused by beta-lactams in the Korean SCAR registry.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed beta-lactam-induced SCAR cases collected from 28 tertiary university hospitals in Korea between 2010 and 2015.

Clinical predictors of treatment response to tiotropium add-on therapy in adult asthmatic patients: From multicenter real-world cohort data in Korea.

Background: Tiotropium, a long-acting muscarinic antagonist, is recommended for add-on therapy to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS)-long-acting beta 2 agonists (LABA) for severe asthma. However, real-world studies on the predictors of response to tiotropium are limited. We investigated the real-world use of tiotropium in asthmatic adult patients in Korea and we identified predictors of positive response to tiotropium add-on.

TonEBP in Myeloid Cells Promotes Obesity-Induced Insulin Resistance and Inflammation Through Adipose Tissue Remodeling.

The phenotypic and functional plasticity of adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) during obesity plays a crucial role in orchestration of adipose and systemic inflammation. Tonicity-responsive enhancer binding protein (TonEBP) (also called NFAT5) is a stress protein that mediates cellular responses to a range of metabolic insults. Here, we show that myeloid cell-specific TonEBP depletion reduced inflammation and insulin resistance in mice with high-fat diet-induced obesity but did not affect adiposity.

Adverse drug events leading to emergency department visits: A multicenter observational study in Korea.

Adverse drug events are significant causes of emergency department visits. Systematic evaluation of adverse drug events leading to emergency department visits by age is lacking. This multicenter retrospective observational study evaluated the prevalence and features of adverse drug event-related emergency department visits across ages.

Intranasally Administered Extracellular Vesicles from Adipose Stem Cells Have Immunomodulatory Effects in a Mouse Model of Asthma.

Asthma is a chronic eosinophilic airway disease characterized by type 2 helper T cell-driven inflammation. Adipose stem cells (ASCs) and the ASC culture supernatant are known to improve allergic airway inflammation; however, the immunomodulatory effects of ASC-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) on allergic airway diseases remain unclear. Thus, we assessed the effects of ASC-derived EVs on allergic airway inflammation in a mouse model of asthma.

Safety and Diagnostic Yield of Radial Probe Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Biopsy for Peripheral Lung Lesions in Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Radial probe endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial lung biopsy (RP-EBUS-TBLB) is widely used for diagnosis of peripheral lung lesions (PLLs). To date, there have been no reports regarding the clinical outcomes of RP-EBUS-TBLB for PLLs in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

Objectives: This study was performed between October 2017 and December 2019 to identify the safety and diagnostic performance of RP-EBUS-TBLB in IPF patients.