Application of the Lancet Commission COPD classification to COPD Cohort Population in South Korea.

The Lancet Commissions on COPD recommended a new classification based on five main risk factors. Patients with COPD were prospectively enrolled in a Korean COPD subgroup study cohort between April 2012 and June 2022. Patients were classified according to the etiologies (Type 1: Genetically determined (COPD-G), Type 2: Abnormal lung development (COPD-D), Type 3: Infections (COPD-I), Type 4: Cigarette smoking (COPD-C), Type 5: Biomass and pollution (COPD-P)).

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Is Associated With Decreased Exacerbation and Mortality in Patients With COPD: A Nationwide Korean Study.

Background: Poor uptake to pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is still challenging around the world. There have been few nationwide studies investigating whether PR impacts patient outcomes in COPD. We investigated the change of annual PR implementation rate, medical costs, and COPD outcomes including exacerbation rates and mortality between 2015 and 2019.

Association Between Air Pollution and Viral Infection in Severe Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: Respiratory pathogen infections and air pollution are main causes of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Air pollution has a direct effect on the airway epithelial barrier and the immune system, which can have an influence on infection. However, studies on the relationship between respiratory infections and air pollutants in severe AECOPD are limited.

Differences in clinical significance of bronchodilator responses measured by forced expiratory volume in 1 second and forced vital capacity.

Background: The clinical implication of bronchodilator response (BDR) is not fully understood. However, BDR is frequently present in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We identified the differences in clinical features regarding BDR.

Acute Eosinophilic Pneumonia after Combined Use of Conventional and Heat-Not-Burn Cigarettes: A Case Report.

: Acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP) is a rare acute respiratory disease accompanied by fever, shortness of breath, and cough. Although the pathogenesis of the disease is not yet established, the patient's condition improves with a rapid therapeutic response to systemic corticosteroids. Conventional cigarettes or heat-not-burn cigarettes are the most common cause of AEP among young people.

Clinical Characteristics of Non-Smoking Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients: Findings from the KOCOSS Cohort.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been regarded as a disease of smokers, but the prevalence of non-smoking COPD patients have been reported to be considerable. We investigated differences in clinical characteristics between smoking and non-smoking COPD patients. We used data from the Korea COPD Subgroup Study (KOCOSS) database, which is a multicenter cohort that recruits patients from 54 medical centres in Korea.

Longitudinal changes in forced expiratory volume in 1 s in patients with eosinophilic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Data on changes in lung function in eosinophilic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are limited. We investigated the longitudinal changes in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV) and effects of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) in Korean COPD patients.

Methods: Stable COPD patients in the Korean COPD subgroup study (KOCOSS) cohort, aged 40 years or older, were included and classified as eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic COPD based on blood counts of eosinophils (greater or lesser than 300 cells/μL).

A Multicenter Study to Identify the Respiratory Pathogens Associated with Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Korea.

Background: Although respiratory tract infection is one of the most important factors triggering acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AE-COPD), limited data are available to suggest an epidemiologic pattern of microbiology in South Korea.

Methods: A multicenter observational study was conducted between January 2015 and December 2018 across 28 hospitals in South Korea. Adult patients with moderate-to-severe acute exacerbations of COPD were eligible to participate in the present study.

Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Post-Tuberculosis Bronchiectasis: Findings from the KMBARC Registry.

The clinical characteristics of patients with post-tuberculosis (TB) bronchiectasis have not been well evaluated. We enrolled 598 patients with bronchiectasis who participated in the Korean prospective bronchiectasis registry and compared the characteristics of post-TB bronchiectasis (19.7%) with post-infectious (19.

Prognostic value of serial neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio measurements in hospitalized community-acquired pneumonia.

Introduction: Several serum inflammatory markers are associated with poor clinical outcomes in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). However, the prognosis and early treatment response in hospitalized CAP patients based on serial neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) measurement has never been investigated.

Methods: We performed a retrospective observational study for 175 consecutive patients hospitalized with CAP between February 2016 and February 2018.

Fibrinolysis with Lower Dose Urokinase in Patients with Complicated Parapneumonic Effusion.

Background: Intrapleural urokinase is one of the most widely used fibrinolytic agents in the treatment of complicated parapneumonic effusion (CPPE). However, little research has been performed on the optimal urokinase dosage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the treatment efficacy of half dose urokinase compared with conventional dose urokinase.

Clinical Characteristics of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Female Patients: Findings from a KOCOSS Cohort.

Purpose: The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in females has increased, changing the concept of COPD as a disease mostly limited to males. In this study, the clinical characteristics of COPD in females were investigated.

Patients And Methods: The study was based on a multicenter cohort of COPD patients recruited from 54 medical centers in South Korea.

Correlation of epidermal growth factor receptor mutation status in plasma and tissue samples of patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Somatic mutations of the gene encoding epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are detected in approximately 30%-50% of patients with non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC), so detection of EGFR mutation is the pivotal step of treatment in patients with advanced NSCLC. However, difficulty in obtaining sufficient tissue and bias from the heterogeneity of the tumor samples are the major obstacles. Although analyzing EGFR with circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in plasma is a breakthrough, accuracy is the problem in variable methods.

KMBARC registry: protocol for a multicentre observational cohort study on non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis in Korea.

Introduction: Despite the significant disease burden of bronchiectasis in Korea, no large-scale, representative prospective cohort studies have been conducted to evaluate the clinical characteristics of Korean patients with bronchiectasis, indicating an urgent need for cohort studies on bronchiectasis.

Methods And Analysis: The Korean Multicenter Bronchiectasis Audit and Research Collaboration (KMBARC) is a prospective, non-interventional observational cohort study on bronchiectasis in Korea. The inclusion criteria of this registry are as follows: (1) adult patients (aged ≥18 years) with or without respiratory symptoms (cough, chronic sputum and/or recurrent respiratory infection) and chest computed tomography revealing bronchiectasis affecting one or more lobes and (2) stable status at the time of registration: patients with bronchiectasis who were admitted for a respiratory aetiology can be enrolled at least 4 weeks after hospital discharge.

The Economic Effect of Early Management in Patients with Early Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Results from a Population-Based Nationwide Survey.

Purpose: The economic effect of regular follow-up and early management in patients with early chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has not yet been clarified. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the economic effect of regular follow-up and early management in these patients.

Methods: Patients with early COPD were identified from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Longitudinal change of FEV and inspiratory capacity: clinical implication and relevance to exacerbation risk in patients with COPD.

Background And Objective: FEV is the gold standard for assessment of COPD. We compared efficacy of FEV, inspiratory capacity (IC), and IC to total lung capacity (TLC) ratio in the evaluation of COPD and their association with exacerbation.

Methods: We analyzed the association of dyspnea severity, quality of life status, and lung function with lung function measurements and exacerbation risk in 982 patients enrolled in the Korea COPD Subgroup Registry and Subtype Research study.

Clinical impacts of the classification by 2017 GOLD guideline comparing previous ones on outcomes of COPD in real-world cohorts.

Purpose: While GOLD classification has been revised, its clinical impacts on outcomes of COPD patients have not been widely evaluated in real-world cohorts.

Materials And Methods: According to 2007, 2013, and 2017 GOLD classifications, distribution and clinical characteristics of group-shifted patients and the risk of acute exacerbation were analyzed in combined Korean COPD cohorts. Future risk for annual moderate-to-severe exacerbation was estimated as incidence rate ratio (IRR) and compared by groups.

The Need for a Well-Organized, Video-Assisted Asthma Education Program at Korean Primary Care Clinics.

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of our new video-assisted asthma education program on patients' knowledge regarding asthma and asthma control.

Methods: Adult asthmatics who were diagnosed by primary care physicians and followed for at least 1 year were educated via smart devices and pamphlets. The education sessions were carried out three times at 2-week intervals.

Association of the Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio with Lung Function and Exacerbations in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: The ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes (NLR) is a widely available marker of inflammation. Several types of inflammatory cells and mediators have been found to be involved in the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We sought to evaluate the association of the NLR with severity of airflow limitation and disease exacerbations in a COPD population.

Choice between Levofloxacin and Moxifloxacin and Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Treatment Outcomes.

Rationale: We previously showed that the choice of levofloxacin or moxifloxacin for the treatment of patients with fluoroquinolone-sensitive multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) did not affect sputum culture conversion at 3 months of treatment.

Objectives: To compare final treatment outcomes between patients with MDR-TB randomized to levofloxacin or moxifloxacin.

Methods: A total of 151 participants with MDR-TB who were included for the final analysis in our previous trial were followed through the end of treatment.

Absolute leukocyte telomere length in HIV-infected and uninfected individuals: evidence of accelerated cell senescence in HIV-associated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has extended the longevity of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals. However, this has resulted in greater awareness of age-associated diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Accelerated cellular senescence may be responsible, but its magnitude as measured by leukocyte telomere length is unknown and its relationship to HIV-associated COPD has not yet been established.

Comparison of levofloxacin versus moxifloxacin for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

Rationale: Levofloxacin (LFX) and moxifloxacin (MXF) are the two most frequently recommended fluoroquinolones for treatment of patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). However, studies comparing the effectiveness of LFX and MXF among patients with MDR-TB are lacking.

Objectives: To compare the effectiveness of LFX and MXF in terms of culture conversion after 3 months of treatment for MDR-TB.

Pulmonary actinomycosis during the first decade of 21st century: cases of 94 patients.

Background: Pulmonary actinomycosis is a chronic pulmonary infection caused by Actinomyces. Both improving oral hygiene and early application of antibiotics to the case of suspicious pulmonary infections result in changes in incidences and presentations of pulmonary actinomycosis. However, there are little reports dealt with the recent clinical characteristics of pulmonary actinomycosis.