Screening for Lung Cancer, Overdiagnosis, and Healthcare Utilization: A Nationwide Population-Based Study.

Introduction: Guideline-discordant low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening may cause lung cancer (LC) overdiagnosis, but its extent and consequences are unclear. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of self-initiated, non-reimbursed LDCT screening in a predominantly non-smoking population and its impact on LC epidemiology and healthcare utilization.

Methods: This nationwide cohort study analyzed data from Korea's National Health Information Database (NHID) and eleven academic hospital screening centers (1999-2022).

Assessing the 9G Technology Blood Test for Predicting Lung Cancer in Patients with CT-Detected Lung Nodules: A Multicenter Clinical Trial.

: Lung nodules detected by chest computed tomography (CT) often require invasive biopsies for definitive diagnosis, leading to unnecessary procedures for benign lesions. A blood-based biomarker test that predicts lung cancer risk in CT-detected nodules could help stratify patients and direct invasive diagnostics toward high-risk individuals. : In this multicenter, single-blinded clinical trial, we evaluated a test measuring plasma levels of p53, anti-p53 autoantibodies, CYFRA 21-1, and anti-CYFRA 21-1 autoantibodies in patients with CT-detected lung nodules.

Toxicity and efficacy study of a combination of two retinoic acids in an ApoE knockout mouse model of atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease, characterized by inflammation and lipid accumulation in arterial walls, leading to plaque formation. Elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is a primary risk factor for atherosclerosis. All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), a metabolite of vitamin A, has demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects and potential in regulating vascular injury.

Predicting Lung Cancer in Korean Never-Smokers With Polygenic Risk Scores.

In the last few decades, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) with more than 10,000 subjects have identified several loci associated with lung cancer and these loci have been used to develop novel risk prediction tools for cancer. The present study aimed to establish a lung cancer prediction model for Korean never-smokers using polygenic risk scores (PRSs); PRSs were calculated using a pruning-thresholding-based approach based on 11 genome-wide significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Overall, the odds ratios tended to increase as PRSs were larger, with the odds ratio of the top 5% PRSs being 1.

Safety and risk factors for bleeding complications of radial probe endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial biopsy.

Background: Radial probe endobronchial ultrasound (radial EBUS) is widely used to diagnose pulmonary lesions; however, the diagnostic value of radial EBUS-guided transbronchial biopsy (TBB) varies, and its complications (especially the risk of bleeding) are not properly understood.

Objectives: In this study, we evaluated the diagnostic performance and rate of complication of this procedure, and investigated the risk factors associated with the procedure-related bleeding events.

Design: A retrospective cohort study.

Impact of Smoking and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease on All-Cause, Respiratory, and Cardio-Cerebrovascular Mortality.

Introduction: Mortality differences in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) between nonsmokers and smokers remain unclear. We compared the risk of death associated with smoking and COPD on mortality.

Methods: The study included participants aged ≥40 years who visited pulmonary clinics and were categorised into COPD or non-COPD and smoker or nonsmoker on the basis of spirometry results and cigarette consumption.

Prognostic implication of 1-year decline in diffusing capacity in newly diagnosed idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

The progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is assessed through serial monitoring of forced vital capacity (FVC). Currently, data regarding the clinical significance of longitudinal changes in diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) is lacking. We investigated the prognostic implications of a 1-year decline in DLCO in 319 patients newly diagnosed with IPF at a tertiary hospital between January 2010 and December 2020.

BRD2-specific inhibitor, BBC0403, inhibits the progression of osteoarthritis pathogenesis in osteoarthritis-induced C57BL/6 male mice.

Background And Purpose: The discovery of new bromo- and extra-terminal inhibitors presents new drugs to treat osteoarthritis (OA).

Experimental Approach: The new drug, BBC0403, was identified in the DNA-encoded library screening system by searching for compounds that target BRD (bromodomain-containing) proteins. The binding force with BRD proteins was evaluated using time-resolved fluorescence energy transfer (TR-FRET) and binding kinetics assays.

Prospective evaluation of deep learning image reconstruction for Lung-RADS and automatic nodule volumetry on ultralow-dose chest CT.

Purpose: To prospectively evaluate whether Lung-RADS classification and volumetric nodule assessment were feasible with ultralow-dose (ULD) chest CT scans with deep learning image reconstruction (DLIR).

Methods: The institutional review board approved this prospective study. This study included 40 patients (mean age, 66±12 years; 21 women).

Cancer signature ensemble integrating cfDNA methylation, copy number, and fragmentation facilitates multi-cancer early detection.

Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) sequencing has demonstrated great potential for early cancer detection. However, most large-scale studies have focused only on either targeted methylation sites or whole-genome sequencing, limiting comprehensive analysis that integrates both epigenetic and genetic signatures. In this study, we present a platform that enables simultaneous analysis of whole-genome methylation, copy number, and fragmentomic patterns of cfDNA in a single assay.

Differential Diagnosis of Pleural Effusion Using Machine Learning.

Differential diagnosis of pleural effusion is challenging in clinical practice. We aimed to develop a machine learning model to classify the five common causes of pleural effusions. This retrospective study collected 49 features from clinical information, blood, and pleural fluid of adult patients who underwent diagnostic thoracentesis between October 2013 and December 2018.

Novel molecule BBC0901 inhibits BRD4 and acts as a catabolic regulator in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is induced by matrix degradation and inflammation mediated by bromo-domain-containing protein 4 (BRD4)-dependent catabolic factors. BRD4 acts as both a transcriptional regulator and an epigenetic reader. BBC0901 was identified as an inhibitor of BRD4 using a DNA-encoded library screening system.

Integrative modeling of tumor genomes and epigenomes for enhanced cancer diagnosis by cell-free DNA.

Multi-cancer early detection remains a key challenge in cell-free DNA (cfDNA)-based liquid biopsy. Here, we perform cfDNA whole-genome sequencing to generate two test datasets covering 2125 patient samples of 9 cancer types and 1241 normal control samples, and also a reference dataset for background variant filtering based on 20,529 low-depth healthy samples. An external cfDNA dataset consisting of 208 cancer and 214 normal control samples is used for additional evaluation.

Prediction Models for Mediastinal Metastasis and Its Detection by Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration in Potentially Operable Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Prospective Study.

Background: Prediction models for mediastinal metastasis and its detection by endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) have not been developed using a prospective cohort of potentially operable patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Research Question: Can mediastinal metastasis and its detection by EBUS-TBNA be predicted with prediction models in NSCLC?

Study Design And Methods: For the prospective development cohort, 589 potentially operable patients with NSCLC were evaluated (July 2016-June 2019) from five Korean teaching hospitals. Mediastinal staging was performed using EBUS-TBNA (with or without the transesophageal approach).

Trends and an Online Survey on the Use of Rigid Bronchoscopy in Korea.

Background: Although almost all interventional pulmonologists agree that rigid bronchoscopy is irreplaceable in the field of interventional pulmonology, less is known about the types of diseases that the procedure is used for and what difficulties the operators face during the procedure. The purpose of this study is to evaluate what diseases rigid bronchoscopy is used for, whether it is widely used, and what challenges the operators face in Korea.

Methods: We enrolled 14 hospitals in this retrospective cohort of patients who underwent rigid bronchoscopy between 2003 and 2020.

Effect of chlorhexidine Mouthrinse on prevention of microbial contamination during EBUS-TBNA: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Although endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a minimally invasive procedure, fatal infectious complications have been reported. However, adequate preventive strategies have not been determined. We aimed to investigate the effect of chlorhexidine mouthrinse on the prevention of microbial contamination during EBUS-TBNA.

Peripheral lymphocyte count as a surrogate marker of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy outcomes in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.

Degree of expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is related with Immune check point inhibitors (ICIs) response but it needs sufficient tumor tissue. There is unmet need for easily accessible and prognostic peripheral blood (PB) biomarkers. We investigated the application of serum peripheral lymphocyte count (PLC) as a predictive PB biomarker for ICI response in patients with NSCLC.

Prevalence and impact of airway diseases on clinical outcomes in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Background/aims: The prevalence and effects of airway diseases, including asthma, eosinophilic bronchitis (EB), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and asthma-COPD overlap (ACO) have not been thoroughly studied in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of airway diseases in patients with IPF and to identify the differences in symptoms based on the presence of airway diseases.

Methods: This single-institution prospective cohort study was conducted from June 2017 to September 2018, at the Seoul National University Hospital.

Association of Adipopenia at Preoperative PET/CT with Mortality in Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background Body mass index (BMI) and sarcopenia status are well-established prognostic factors in patients with lung cancer. However, the relationship between the amount of adipose tissue and survival remains unclear. Purpose To investigate the association between baseline adipopenia and outcomes in patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Mortality prediction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and obstructive sleep apnea.

Background: We aimed to assess mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and overlap syndrome, and evaluate which polysomnographic indices-apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) or hypoxemic load measurements-better predict mortality within 10 years.

Methods: Adults with symptoms suggestive of sleep apnea and airway disease who underwent both polysomnography and spirometry plus bronchodilator response tests between 2000 and 2018 were included and divided into four groups according to presence of COPD and moderate-to-severe OSA (AHI ≥15/h). We estimated mortality using a Cox model adjusted for demographic/anthropometric covariates and comorbidities; this was called clinical model.

Effect of Chlorhexidine Mouthrinse on Prevention of Microbial Contamination during EBUS-TBNA: A Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Endobronchial ultrasound‒guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a standard diagnostic method for mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy. Although rare, fatal infectious complications can occur following EBUS-TBNA. However, to date, there is a lack of effective preventive strategies to reduce these complications.

Sleep Duration and Its Associations with Mortality and Quality of Life in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Results from the 2007-2015 KNAHNES.

Background: While extreme sleep duration negatively affects mortality and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in general populations, the relationship remains uncertain in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Objectives: To evaluate the association between sleep duration and mortality and HRQOL in patients with COPD.

Methods: We analyzed 3,349 participants with COPD enrolled in the 2007-2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES).

Impact of Sleep Duration on Mortality and Quality of Life in Chronic Kidney Disease: Results from the 2007-2015 KNHANES.

Introduction: In the general population, short and long sleep durations have been associated with adverse health outcomes. However, this association remains unclear in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We examined the relationship of sleep duration to mortality and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in individuals with CKD.