Application of 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT radiomic features and machine learning to predict early recurrence of non-small cell lung cancer after curative-intent therapy.

Objective: To predict the recurrence of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) within 2 years after curative-intent treatment using a machine-learning approach with PET/CT-based radiomics.

Patients And Methods: A total of 77 NSCLC patients who underwent pretreatment 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT were retrospectively analyzed. Five clinical features (age, sex, tumor stage, tumor histology, and smoking status) and 48 radiomic features extracted from primary tumors on PET were used for binary classifications.

Clinical Experiences of High-Risk Pulmonary Thromboembolism Receiving Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Single Institution.

Background: The main cause of death in pulmonary embolism (PE) is right-heart failure due to acute pressure overload. In this sense, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) might be useful in maintaining hemodynamic stability and improving organ perfusion. Some previous studies have reported ECMO as a bridge to reperfusion therapy of PE.

Necrotizing sarcoid granulomatosis simulating pulmonary malignancy: A case report.

Rationale: Necrotizing sarcoid granulomatosis (NSG) has recently been termed "sarcoidosis with NSG pattern" for the disease entity representing nodular sarcoidosis with granulomatous pulmonary angiitis. It is characterized by sarcoid-like granulomas, vasculitis, and a variable degree of necrosis. Its rarity and nonspecific clinical symptoms can easily lead to misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis.

Therapy-related myeloid leukemia during erlotinib treatment in a non-small cell lung cancer patient: A case report.

Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are tolerable drugs used for patients with EGFR-mutant advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Serious adverse reactions are uncommon compared with cytotoxic drugs.

Case Summary: A 52-year-old man presented with general weakness and cytopenia.

Missed Lung Cancers on Chest Radiograph: An Illustrative Review of Common Blind Spots on Chest Radiograph with Emphasis on Various Radiologic Presentations of Lung Cancers.

Missed lung cancers on chest radiograph (CXR) may delay the diagnosis and affect the prognosis. CXR is the primary imaging modality to evaluate the lungs and mediastinum in daily practice. The purpose of this article is to review chest radiographs for common blind spots and highlight the importance of various radiologic presentations in primary lung cancer to avoid significant diagnostic errors on CXR.

Association of Genetic Variants of NLRP4 with Exacerbation of Asthma: The Effect of Smoking.

Asthma exacerbation is induced by the interaction of genes and environmental factors such as cigarette smoke. NLRP4 counteracts the activity of the inflammasome, which is responsible for asthma exacerbation. In this study, we analyzed the association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms of NLRP4 with the annual rate of exacerbation and evaluated the additive effect of smoking in 1454 asthmatics.

Incidence and Risk Factors of Pneumonia in Hospitalized Patients with Seasonal Influenza A or B.

Background: Most patients with influenza recover spontaneously or following treatment with an anti-viral agent, but some patients experience pneumonia requiring hospitalization. We conducted a retrospective review to determine the incidence and risk factors of pneumonia in hospitalized patients with influenza A or B.

Methods: A total of 213 patients aged 18 years or older and hospitalized with influenza between January 2012 and January 2015 were included in this study.

Multiple Ewing Sarcoma/Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors in the Mediastinum: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Ewing sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumors (ES/PNET) are high-grade malignant neoplasms. These malignancies present very rare tumors of thoracopulmonary area and even rarer in the mediastinum. In our knowledge, ES/PNET presented with multiple mediastinal masses has not been reported previously.

Different Responses to Clarithromycin in Patients with Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia.

Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP) is an idiopathic interstitial pneumonia characterized by a subacute course and favorable prognosis with corticosteroids. However, some patients show resistance to steroids. Macrolides have been used with success in those patients showing resistance to steroids.

Association study of polymorphisms in interferon-γ receptor genes with the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by mycobacterium, which most commonly affects the lungs. The adaptive immune response in Mycobacterium tuberculosis is predominantly mediated by the interferon-γ (IFN-γ) signaling pathway, which is regulated by IFN-γ receptors (IFNGR). IFN-γ activates the transcription of a number of genes that are important in immune responses, thus the appropriate function of IFNGR appears to be important in host defense against mycobacteria.

Association analysis of melanocortin 3 receptor polymorphisms with the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Purpose: Melanocortin 3 Receptor (MC3R) is one of the families of seven-transmembrane G-protein-coupled receptors, and a recent study showed that MCR3 promoter polymorphism was significantly associated with the susceptibility of tuberculosis (TB) in South African population.

Methods: We analyzed six MC3R polymorphisms to examine the genetic effects on the risk of pulmonary TB in Korean subjects by using TaqMan assays and case-control analyses.

Results: Using statistical analyses, one common promoter polymorphism (MC3R rs11575886 T > C) was found to be associated with an increased risk of pulmonary TB.

p53 Expression in a Malignant Mesothelioma Patient during Seven-Year Follow-up.

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is the aggressive tumor of serosal surfaces. There are crude pathogenetic results regarding the biology of MM. Coordinated upregulations of p53 gene expression are shown in malignancies.

Effect of rivaroxaban on fibrinolytic therapy in massive pulmonary embolism: two cases.

The risk of dying from a pulmonary embolism (PE) is estimated to be about 30% if inotropic support is required and no cardiopulmonary arrest occurs. Fibrinolysis in massive PE is regarded as a life-saving intervention, unless there is a high risk of bleeding following the use of the fibrinolytic therapy. Rivaroxaban is an oral factor Xa inhibitor, however its anticoagulation effects before or after administration of fibrinolytics in massive PE are still unknown.

Inhibition of vitamin d receptor translocation by cigarette smoking extracts.

Background: Vitamin D can translocate a vitamin D receptor (VDR) from the nucleus to the cell membranes. The meaning of this translocation is not elucidated in terms of a role in pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) till now. VDR deficient mice are prone to develop emphysema, suggesting that abnormal function of VDR might influence a generation of COPD.

Association of serum leptin and adiponectin with obesity in asthmatics.

Background: Mounting evidence implicates obesity as a major risk factor for asthma. Leptin and adiponectin produced by fat tissues play a critical role in the regulation of body weight and allergic inflammation.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of leptin and adiponectin on development of asthma.

Association of IL-17RB gene polymorphism with asthma.

Background: Interleukin (IL)-17E is a member of the IL-17 family, which induces IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and eotaxin in experimental animals via IL-17 receptor B (IL-17RB). The activation of IL-17RB amplifies allergic-type inflammatory responses by inducing Jun kinase (or JNK), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (or MAPK), and nuclear factor-kappaB.

Objectives: We examined the association of polymorphisms in the IL-17RB gene with asthma susceptibility and investigated the effects of those polymorphisms on the transcription of various IL-17RB isoforms.

Cigarette smoking-induced acute eosinophilic pneumonia: a case report including a provocation test.

The mechanism and cause of acute eosinophilic pneumonia are largely unknown. Many factors including the smoking of cigarettes have been suggested, but none have been proven to directly cause acute eosinophilic pneumonia. The authors report a case of acute eosinophilic pneumonia in a young Asian male who recently started smoking.

Malignant mesothelioma cells are rapidly sensitized to TRAIL-induced apoptosis by low-dose anisomycin via Bim.

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) holds promise for the treatment of tumors; however, many tumors are resistant to TRAIL alone. We previously showed that resistant malignant mesothelioma cells are sensitized to TRAIL-induced apoptosis by diverse toxic insults including chemotherapy, irradiation, or protein translation inhibitors such as cycloheximide. In seeking nontoxic sensitizers for TRAIL, we tested the protein translation inhibitor anisomycin at subtoxic concentrations 10- to 100-fold below those reported to inhibit protein translation.

A novel in vitro model of human mesothelioma for studying tumor biology and apoptotic resistance.

Like many tumors, malignant mesothelioma exhibits significant chemoresistance and resistance to apoptosis in vivo that is not seen in current in vitro models. To study the mechanisms of this multicellular resistance, biologically relevant in vitro models are necessary. Therefore, we characterized and tested human mesothelioma tissue grown in vitro as tumor fragment spheroids.