Investigating the appropriate adenosine deaminase cutoff value for the diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion in a country with decreasing TB burden.

As the burden of tuberculosis (TB) in South Korea decreases while that of malignancy increases with an aging society, the composition of etiology for pleural effusion is changing. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of adenosine deaminase (ADA) for diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) in this circumstance. Medical records of patients who underwent medical thoracoscopy from May 2015 to September 2020 in Incheon St.

Role of Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2‒Related Factor 2 in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by airflow limitation due to chronic airway inflammation and destruction of the alveolar structure from persistent exposure to oxidative stress. The body has various antioxidant mechanisms for efficiently coping with such oxidative stress. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-antioxidant response element (ARE) is a representative system.

Factors associated with discrepancy between fresh frozen and permanent biopsy from medical thoracoscopy: single center analysis of 172 medical flexible thoracoscopy cases.

Background: Frozen sections prepared during medical thoracoscopy (MT) have precise diagnostic ability in pleural pathology and may assist in decision-making before pleurodesis. The present study evaluated the diagnostic sensitivity of frozen sections from flex-rigid MT, and further evaluated clinical parameters for their association with a discrepancy between frozen sections and permanent paraffin sections.

Methods: This retrospective study evaluated 172 patients who underwent flex-rigid MT between February 2017 and November 2019 at Incheon Saint Mary's Hospital.

Impact of smoking amount on clinicopathological features and survival in non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Screening for early detection of lung cancer has been performed in high-risk individuals with smoking history. However, researches on the distribution, clinical characteristics, and prognosis of these high-risk individuals in an actual cohort are lacking. Thus, the objective of this study was to retrospectively review characteristics and prognosis of patients with smoking history in an actual lung cancer cohort.

Effects of chronic intermittent hypoxia caused by obstructive sleep apnea on lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury.

Aim Of The Study: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Sleep quality is an important issue; some patients with acute lung injury (ALI) have underlying OSA. However, the potential influences of OSA on ALI have not been reported until now.

Utilization of a rapid response team and associated outcomes in patients with malignancy.

Background: Recent advances in diagnosis and treatment have improved long-term outcomes in cancer patients. As a result, the requirement for a rapid response team (RRT) for cancer patients is also increasing. This study aimed to analyze utilization of an RRT and the associations between related factors and mortality in a population of cancer patients.

Intermittent hypoxia exacerbates tumor progression in a mouse model of lung cancer.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)-related chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) influences lung cancer progression and to elucidate the associated mechanisms in a mouse model of lung cancer. C57/BL6 mice in a CIH group were exposed to intermittent hypoxia for two weeks after tumor induction and compared with control mice (room air). Hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and metastasis-related matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) were measured.

Chronic nicotine exposure affects programmed death-ligand 1 expression and sensitivity to epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor in lung cancer.

Background: Smoking histories are independently associated with poor response to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with activating EGFR mutations. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of nicotine exposure on programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in EGFR mutant lung cancer cells.

Methods: Human lung adenocarcinoma PC9 cells were exposed to 1 µM nicotine for 3 months designated as PC9/N, and cells were stimulated with gefitinib (0, 0.

Effect of COPD on symptoms, quality of life and prognosis in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Many studies have reported the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its effects and prognosis in patients with lung cancer, but few have considered quality of life and survival of patients with lung cancer according to severity of airway obstruction. This study investigated the presence of COPD and the severity of airway obstruction in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and analyzed how these factors affected symptoms, quality of life, and prognosis.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the prospective lung cancer database of the Catholic Medical Centers at the Catholic University of Korea from 2014 to 2017.

Accuracy and Reliability of Internet Resources Providing Information on Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Study Objectives: To evaluate the readability, content, and quality of internet information about obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Methods: Three major search engines (Google, Yahoo, and Bing) were used to retrieve the first 200 hits for the term "sleep apnea." The website contents were assessed using established guidelines, while the website quality was evaluated using the validated DISCERN instrument and benchmarks.

The relationship between sleep disturbance and health status in patients with COPD.

Introduction: The detection of insomnia in patients with COPD is assumed to be significantly lower than the actual prevalence. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of insomnia and the relationship between insomnia and health status in patients with COPD using two fairly simple and straightforward questionnaires: COPD assessment test (CAT) and insomnia severity index (ISI).

Patients And Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from patients undergoing treatment for COPD at St Paul's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, between December 2015 and August 2016.

Clinical significance of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background/aims: Several studies have identified a role for nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the relationship between the plasma Nrf2 level and the extent of systemic inflammation associated with COPD status remains unclear.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with COPD were recruited from St.

Dyspnea as a Prognostic Factor in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose: To investigate associations between dyspnea and clinical outcomes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Materials And Methods: From 2001 to 2014, we retrospectively reviewed the prospective lung cancer database of St. Paul's Hospital at the Catholic University of Korea.

Smoking habits and nicotine dependence of North Korean male defectors.

Background/aims: The smoking rates and patterns in the North Korean population are not well known. More than 20,000 North Korean defectors have settled in South Korea; thus, we can estimate the current North Korean smoking situation using this group.

Methods: All North Korean defectors spend their first 3 months in a South Korean facility learning to adapt to their new home.

Predictors for diabetic retinopathy in normoalbuminuric people with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Previous studies have reported that microalbuminuria is an independent risk factor for the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). For this reason, the clinical significance of DR in normoalbuminuric type 2 DM patients may be overlooked. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of DR and predictors for DR in normoalbuminuric patients with type 2 DM.