Blood lead levels in relation to smoking and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): a study from Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES).

Background: Lead exposure is a resurgent environmental issue globally. Smoking can be a source of lead exposure, although the majority of lead poisonings originate from workplace exposures. However, no study has been undertaken concerning the blood lead levels based on the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), smoking status, and other risk factors of COPD.

Blood eosinophil count as a prognostic biomarker in COPD.

Background: High blood eosinophil count is a predictive biomarker for response to inhaled corticosteroids in prevention of acute exacerbation of COPD, and low blood eosinophil count is associated with pneumonia risk in COPD patients taking inhaled corticosteroids. However, the prognostic role of blood eosinophil count remains underexplored. Therefore, we investigated the associated factors and mortality based on blood eosinophil count in COPD.

Redox- and pH-Responsive Nanoparticles Release Piperlongumine in a Stimuli-Sensitive Manner to Inhibit Pulmonary Metastasis of Colorectal Carcinoma Cells.

Redox-responsive nanoparticles having a diselenide linkage were synthesized to target pulmonary metastasis of cancer cells. Methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-grafted chitosan (ChitoPEG) was crosslinked using selenocystine-acetyl histidine (Ac-histidine) conjugates (ChitoPEGse) for stimuli-responsive delivery of piperlongumine (PL). ChitoPEGse nanoparticles swelled in an acidic environment and became partially disintegrated in the presence of HO, resulting in an increase of particle size and in a size distribution having multimodal pattern.

Anemia as a clinical marker of stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the Korean obstructive lung disease cohort.

Background: Anemia is a major co-morbidity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the mechanism of development for anemia and the impact of anemia on the prognosis of COPD remain poorly understood. Therefore, this study attempted to evaluate the prognostic role of anemia on the clinical course of COPD and investigate the factors linked with the serum hemoglobin level in COPD.

Short-term Evaluation of a Comprehensive Education Program Including Inhaler Training and Disease Management on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: Proper education regarding inhaler usage and optimal management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is essential for effectively treating patients with COPD. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a comprehensive education program including inhaler training and COPD management.

Methods: We enlisted 127 patients with COPD on an outpatient basis at 43 private clinics in Korea.

Prevention of venous thromboembolism in medical intensive care unit: a multicenter observational study in Korea.

Patients admitted to medical intensive care unit (MICU) are at increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE); and prophylaxis is recommended. However, the actual range and frequency of VTE prophylaxis administered to MICU patients are not well defined. Patients over 40 yr of age and expected MICU stay of more than 48 hr were eligible for this observational cohort study of 23 MICUs in Korea.

Characterization of mutations in multi- and extensive drug resistance among strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates in Republic of Korea.

In order to characterize molecular mechanisms of first- and second-line drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and to evaluate the use of molecular markers of resistance, we analyzed 62 multidrug-resistant, 100 extensively drug-resistant, and 30 pan-susceptible isolates from Korean tuberculosis patients. Twelve genome regions associated with drug resistance, including katG, ahpC, and inhA promoter for isoniazid (INH); embB for ethambutol (EMB), rpoB for rifampin (RIF), pncA for pyrazinamide (PZA), gyrA for fluoroquinolones; rpsL, gidB, and rrs for streptomycin; rrs and eis for kanamycin (KM); rrs and tylA for capreomycin (CAP); and rrs for amikacin (AMK) were amplified simultaneously by polymerase chain reaction, and the DNA sequences were determined. We found mutations in 140 of 160 INH-resistant isolates (87.

The significance of sedation control in patients receiving mechanical ventilation.

Background: Adequate assessment and control of sedation play crucial roles in the proper performance of mechanical ventilation.

Methods: A total of 30 patients with various pulmonary diseases were prospectively enrolled. The study population was randomized into two groups.

GSK3 inactivation is involved in mitochondrial complex IV defect in transforming growth factor (TGF) β1-induced senescence.

Transforming growth factor β1 (TGF β1) induces Mv1Lu cell senescence by persistently producing mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) through decreased complex IV activity. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism underlying the effect of TGF β1 on mitochondrial complex IV activity. TGF β1 progressively phosphorylated the negative regulatory sites of both glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) α and β, corresponding well to the intracellular ROS generation profile.

Biomechanical stability according to different configurations of screws and rods.

Study Design: Comparison of biomechanical strength according to 2 different configurations of screws and rods.

Objective: To compare the biomechanical strength of different configurations of screws and rods composed of the same material and of the same size.

Summary Of Background Data: Many complications related to instrumentation have been reported.

Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 dependent overexpression of sulfiredoxin and peroxiredoxin III in human lung cancer.

Background/aims: Oxidative stress results in protein oxidation and is implicated in carcinogenesis. Sulfiredoxin (Srx) is responsible for the enzymatic reversal of inactivated peroxiredoxin (Prx). Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) binds to antioxidant responsive elements and upregulates the expression of Srx and Prx during oxidative stress.

Recombinant tissue factor pathway inhibitor in severe community-acquired pneumonia: a randomized trial.

Rationale: Severe community-acquired pneumonia (sCAP) is a leading cause of death worldwide. Adjunctive therapies for sCAP are needed to further improve outcome. A systemic inhibitor of coagulation, tifacogin (recombinant human tissue factor pathway inhibitor) seemed to provide mortality benefit in the sCAP subgroup of a previous sepsis trial.

Emphysema as a risk factor for the outcome of surgical resection of lung cancer.

It is unclear whether emphysema, regardless of airflow limitation, is a predictive factor associated with survival after lung cancer resection. Therefore, we investigated whether emphysema was a risk factor associated with the outcome after resection for lung cancer. This study enrolled 237 patients with non small cell lung cancer with stage I or II who had surgical removal.

Epithelial apoptosis as a clinical marker in idiopathic interstitial pneumonia.

Backgrounds: Epithelial cell apoptosis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP).

Methods: Serum levels of caspase-cleaved cytokeratin-18 (M30) were measured in 55 patients with IIP and 34 healthy controls using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The IIP cases included usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP; n = 30), nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP; n = 15), and cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP; n = 10).

Acute hemodynamic effects of recruitment maneuvers in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Background: The recruitment maneuver (RM) in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) can cause hemodynamic derangement. We evaluated circulatory and cardiac changes during RMs.

Methods: We performed sustained inflation (SI) with a pressure of 40 cm H(2)O for 30 seconds as an RM on 22 patients with ARDS.

Selectively decreased expression of peroxiredoxins induced by silica in pulmonary epithelial cells.

Background/aims: Peroxiredoxin (Prx) belongs to a ubiquitous family of antioxidant enzymes that regulates many cellular processes through intracellular oxidative signal transduction pathways. Silica-induced lung damage involves reactive oxygen species (ROS) that trigger subsequent toxic effects and inflammatory responses in alveolar epithelial cells resulting in fibrosis. Therefore, we investigated the role of Prx in the development of lung oxidant injury caused by silicosis, and determined the implication of ROS in that process.

Expression of Bcl-2 predicts outcome in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Background: Platinum-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) is a standard treatment for locally advanced unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The determination of parameters that may predict the result of the treatment has strong clinical implications.

Patients And Methods: Pretreatment tumor biopsy specimens from 39 patients with locally advanced NSCLC (stage IIIA: 5, stage IIIB: 34) were analyzed for p53, Bcl-2, Bax and ERCC1 expression by immunohistochemistry.

Serum angiopoietin-1 as a prognostic marker in resected early stage lung cancer.

Purpose: We evaluated the clinical significance of angiopoietins and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in patients with resected early stage lung cancer.

Patients And Methods: The study enrolled 101 patients with completely resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) of stage I or II, along with 70 healthy volunteers. Serum concentrations of angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2, and VEGF were measured with an ELISA.

Clinical usefulness of the fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET maximal standardized uptake value (SUV) in combination with CT features for the differentiation of adenocarcinoma with a bronchioloalveolar carcinoma from other subtypes of non-small cell lung cancers.

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical usefulness of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET maximal SUV in combination with CT features for differentiation of adenocarcinoma with bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) from other subtypes of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included 125 patients (104 men and 21 women; mean age, 64 years) who underwent CT and subsequent FDG-PET examinations for preoperative evaluation and underwent curative intent operation with the final diagnoses of NSCLC made by surgical histopathology. We categorized NSCLC into adenocarcinoma with BAC feature and other subtypes.

Expression of excision repair cross-complementation group 1 protein predicts poor outcome in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with platinum-based doublet chemotherapy.

Background: Alterations in apoptosis and DNA damage repair related proteins are associated with resistance to chemotherapy, which is the most important cause of treatment failure in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients And Methods: Pretreatment tumor biopsy specimens from 50 patients with NSCLC including stage IIIB with malignant pleural effusion or stage IV or recurrent disease were analyzed for p53, Bcl-2, Bax, and ERCC1 expression by immunohistochemistry. All patients were treated with platinum-based third-generation doublet chemotherapy, in which gemcitabine and cisplatin was the most commonly administered regimen (17 patients).

The role of peroxiredoxin III in the ototoxic drug-induced mitochondrial apoptosis of cochlear hair cells.

Conclusion: Peroxiredoxin (Prx) III plays a protective role in cisplatin- and gentamicin-induced apoptosis via a mitochondria-dependent pathway in cochlear hair cells.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of the depletion of endogenous Prx III on oxidative damage to mitochondrial components and on apoptotic events with the use of RNA interference.

Materials And Method: .

Low expression of Bax predicts poor prognosis in resected non-small cell lung cancer patients with non-squamous histology.

Objective: The present study evaluated the prognostic significance of apoptosis-related proteins p53, Bax and galectin-3 in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with surgical resection.

Methods: We investigated the expression of these proteins and their association with clinicopathologic characteristics including disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in 205 NSCLC patients who underwent surgical resection (Stage I, 97; II, 46; IIIA, 45; IIIB, 17) using immunohistochemistry. Eighty-eight patients (43%) received adjuvant treatment (chemotherapy: 8, radiotherapy: 24, both: 56).

Diagnostic performance of (18)F-FDG PET/CT for lymph node staging in patients with operable non-small-cell lung cancer and inflammatory lung disease.

As (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is taken up by inflammatory lymph nodes, it could be falsely interpreted as metastasis. Therefore, we evaluated the diagnostic ability of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) for lymph node staging of lung cancer when inflammatory lung disease coexisted. Patients with operable non-small-cell lung cancer and FDG-avid lymph nodes were retrospectively classified into two groups; those with inflammatory lung disease (ILD) and those without it (NILD).

Evaluation of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from ARDS patients with regard to apoptosis.

Background: Apoptosis is thought to play an important role in the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We evaluated the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from ARDS patients focusing on apoptosis.

Methods: The study enrolled 31 ARDS patients and 20 healthy controls.