Correlation Between mRNA Expression of Activated Eosinophils and Air Pollutant Exposure in Patients With Asthma.

Background: Eosinophil activation is associated with asthma. Whether air pollution affects the activation of blood eosinophils in patients with asthma remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the correlation between transcriptional activity in eosinophils and air pollutant exposure in patients receiving different levels of Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) treatment.

Higher protein intake may benefit in patients with prolonged mechanical ventilation.

Background: Patients with prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) is usually associated with muscle wasting and diaphragm weakness, resulting in high medical costs and mortality. Adequate energy and protein intake were beneficial in sarcopenia patients. We aimed to investigate the impact of protein intake in weaning parameters in patients with PMV.

IL-6 and TIMP-1 Correlated to Airway Pathogen Colonization and Predict Disease Severity in Patients with Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis.

Background: Non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis is associated with airway pathogen colonization. We planned to investigate the inflammatory markers in patients with different airway pathogens and their correlation with disease severity.

Methods: We enrolled patients aged between 20 and 75 from October 2021 to August 2022.

Correlating Reiff scores with clinical, functional, and prognostic factors: characterizing noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis severity: validation from a nationwide multicenter study in Taiwan.

Background: Our study aimed to confirm a simplified radiological scoring system, derived from a modified Reiff score, to evaluate its relationship with clinical symptoms and predictive outcomes in Taiwanese patients with noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB).

Methods: This extensive multicenter retrospective study, performed in Taiwan, concentrated on patients diagnosed with NCFB verified through high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scans. We not only compared the clinical features of various types of bronchiectasis (cylindrical, varicose, and cystic).

Epidemiology and outcomes of multidrug-resistant bacterial infection in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.

Purpose: Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria impose a considerable health-care burden and are associated with bronchiectasis exacerbation. This study investigated the clinical outcomes of adult patients with bronchiectasis following MDR bacterial infection.

Methods: From the Chang Gung Research Database, we identified patients with bronchiectasis and MDR bacterial infection from 2008 to 2017.

Clinical outcomes and prognostic factors of bronchiectasis rheumatoid overlap syndrome: A multi-institution cohort study.

The information regarding bronchiectasis with RA (BROS) is limited in Asia. The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of BROS in Taiwan. This multi-institute cohort study included patients with BROS from January 2006 to December 2017.

Clinical manifestations and outcomes of fungus-associated asthma: A multi-institution database study in Taiwan.

Background: Differences in the clinical phenotypes and outcomes of fungus-associated asthma remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the presentation of asthmatics with fungal sensitization and/or positive fungal isolates.

Methods: Clinical characteristics, pulmonary function, microbiological data, allergy test reports, emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations were retrieved from the Chang Gung Research Database between 2010 and 2018; the largest electronic medical record-based database in Taiwan.

Impacts of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Isolates in Non-cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis: A 16-Year Cohort Study in Taiwan.

Background: The prevalence of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in patients with chronic respiratory disease has increased. The implication of NTM in non- bronchiectasis remained controversial. This study investigated the impact of NTM in non- bronchiectasis in Taiwan.

Predicting mortality in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis patients using distance-saturation product.

Background: The bronchiectasis severity index (BSI) and FACED score are currently used in predicting outcomes of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB). Distance-saturation product (DSP), the product of distance walked, and lowest oxygen saturation during the 6-min walk test showed strong predictive power of mortality in non-CF bronchiectasis patients. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of these scores and DSP in predicting mortality.

Prognostic Factors in Lung Adenocarcinoma with Bone Metastasis Treated with EGFR-TKIs.

Patients who have advanced lung cancer and bone metastasis (BM) often suffer from skeletal-related events (SREs) that lead to poor quality of life and poor prognosis. Our study aimed to investigate the prognostic factors in patients with BM from epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive lung adenocarcinoma. This retrospective study included 77 lung adenocarcinoma patients with synchronous BM.

Cardiorespiratory coupling is associated with exercise capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: The interaction between the pulmonary function and cardiovascular mechanics is a crucial issue, particularly when treating patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Synchrogram index is a new parameter that can quantify this interaction and has the potential to apply in COPD patients. Our objective in this study was to characterize cardiorespiratory interactions in terms of cardiorespiratory coupling (CRC) using the synchrogram index of the heart rate and respiratory flow signals in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Impaired interferon-α expression in plasmacytoid dendritic cells in asthma.

Background: Toll-like receptor (TLR)-7-associated rhinovirus (RV) activation is involved in the pathogenesis of asthma. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are the main interferon-α-producing cells against viruses.

Objective: To determine whether asthmatic patients and control subjects differ in terms of interferon-α expression in pDCs under TLR-7 or RV stimulation.

Impact of concomitant nontuberculous mycobacteria and isolates in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.

Purpose: is associated with pulmonary function decline and high disease severity in non-cystic fibrosis (CF) bronchiectasis. The prevalence of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in non-CF bronchiectasis patients has increased recently. This study investigated the impact of NTM with or without isolates in non-CF bronchiectasis patients.

Distance-saturation product of the 6-minute walk test predicts mortality of patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.

Background: Previous surveillance methods to monitor the prognoses of patients with bronchiectasis are too complex for use in daily practice. The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is a simple exercise test to predict the prognosis of chronic obstructive airway disease and numerous chronic lung diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. No studies have investigated exercise-induced oxygen desaturation (EID) and distance-saturation product (DSP) of 6MWT to predict the prognoses of patients with bronchiectasis.

Prognostic implication of EGFR gene mutations and histological classification in patients with resected stage I lung adenocarcinoma.

Introduction: The prognostic value of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations and the correlation between EGFR mutations and the new International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer/American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society (IASLC/ATS/ERS) histological classification remain controversial. The current study aimed to investigate the pure prognostic role of EGFR mutations in treatment-naïve patients with resected stage I lung adenocarcinoma.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 373 patients with stage I pulmonary non-small-cell lung cancer who underwent complete surgical resection between January 2010 and May 2014.

Alveolar recruitment maneuver attenuates extravascular lung water in acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Background: The alveolar recruitment maneuver (RM) has been reported to improve oxygenation in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and may be related to reduced extravascular lung water (EVLW) in animals. This study was designed to investigate the effects of RM on EVLW in patients with ARDS.

Methods: An open label, prospective, randomized controlled trial including patients with ARDS was conducted in hospitals in North Taiwan between 2010 and 2016.

Advanced primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma: clinical manifestations, treatment, and outcome.

Background: Primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) is rare, with better clinical outcomes than other lung cancers. However, reports on advanced LELC characteristics and prognosis are lacking.

Methods: This retrospective study included adults diagnosed with advanced LELC (at least stage IIIA) between January 2003 and December 2015.

Afatinib in Treatment-Naive Patients With EGFR-Mutated Lung Adenocarcinoma With Brain Metastasis: A Case Series.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) were previously the standard first-line treatments for lung cancers with activating EGFR mutations. The first-generation reversible EGFR TKIs, gefitinib and erlotinib, demonstrated substantial efficacy in the treatment of brain metastases from EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma. However, the efficacy of afatinib, the second-generation irreversible EGFR TKI, as the first-line treatment in lung adenocarcinoma patients with brain metastasis has yet to be evaluated.

Flexible bronchoscopy with multiple modalities for foreign body removal in adults.

Objectives: Aspiration of the lower airways due to foreign body is rare in adults. This study aimed to determine the outcome of patients who received flexible bronchoscopy with different modalities for foreign body removal in the lower airways.

Patients And Methods: Between January 2003 and January 2014, 94 patients diagnosed with foreign body in the lower airways underwent flexible bronchoscopy with different modalities, which included forceps, loop, basket, knife, electromagnet, and cryotherapy.

Removal of endobronchial malignant mass by cryotherapy improved performance status to receive chemotherapy.

Although malignant endobronchial mass (MEM) has poor prognosis, cryotherapy is reportedly a palliative treatment. Clinical data on postcryotherapy MEM patients in a university-affiliated hospital between 2007 and 2011 were evaluated. Survival curve with or without postcryotherapy chemotherapy and performance status (PS) improvement of these subjects were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method.

The role of the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in patients with stable non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.

Study Objectives. The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and other clinical tools including high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in patients with stable non-CF bronchiectasis. Design.