Korean Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Interstitial Lung Diseases: Part 2. Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive fibrosing interstitial pneumonia, which presents with a progressive worsening dyspnea, and thus a poor outcome. The members of the Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases as well as the participating members of the Korea Interstitial Lung Disease Study Group drafted this clinical practice guideline for IPF management. This guideline includes a wide range of topics, including the epidemiology, pathogenesis, risk factors, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and acute exacerbation of IPF in Korea.

Risk factors and clinical characteristics of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in lung cancer.

Solid malignancies are associated with the development of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP). This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for PJP among patients with lung cancer. This retrospective case-control study compared patients who had lung cancer with PJP (n = 112) or without PJP (n = 336) matched according to age, sex, histopathology, and stage.

The Relationship between Platelet Count and Host Gut Microbiota: A Population-Based Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study.

Platelet count reflects the severity and prognosis of multiple diseases. Additionally, alterations in gut microbiota have been linked to several chronic diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between gut microbiota and platelet count.

Delamanid, linezolid, levofloxacin, and pyrazinamide for the treatment of patients with fluoroquinolone-sensitive multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (Treatment Shortening of MDR-TB Using Existing and New Drugs, MDR-END): study protocol for a phase II/III, multicenter, randomized, open-label clinical trial.

Background: Treatment success rates of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) remain unsatisfactory, and long-term use of second-line anti-TB drugs is accompanied by the frequent occurrence of adverse events, low treatment compliance, and high costs. The development of new efficient regimens with shorter treatment durations for MDR-TB will solve these issues and improve treatment outcomes.

Methods: This study is a phase II/III, multicenter, randomized, open-label clinical trial of non-inferiority design comparing a new regimen to the World Health Organization-endorsed conventional regimen for fluoroquinolone-sensitive MDR-TB.

Acquisition of Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae in Solid Organ Transplantation Recipients.

Background: Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) can lead to life-threatening outcomes with rapid spread of the carbapenemase gene in solid organ transplantation (SOT) recipients because of limitations of available antibiotics. We examined the characteristics and importance of CPE acquisition in SOT recipients with large numbers of CPE isolates.

Methods: Between November 2015 and October 2016, 584 CPE isolates were found in 37 recipients and verified by carbapenemase gene multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Usefulness of the preoperative prognostic nutritional index score as a predictor of the outcomes of lung transplantation: A single-institution experience.

Background & Aims: There is increasing evidence that preoperative nutritional status is a predictor of disease severity and mortality after lung transplantation (LTX). This study aimed to evaluate preoperative nutritional assessment as a predictor of LTX outcomes.

Methods: We included 132 patients who underwent single or double LTX at Severance Hospital, Yonsei University, between October 2010 and April 2016.

Characterization of Microbiota in Bronchiectasis Patients with Different Disease Severities.

The applications of the 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing has expanded our knowledge of the respiratory tract microbiome originally obtained using conventional, culture-based methods. In this study, we employed DNA-based molecular techniques for examining the sputum microbiome in bronchiectasis patients, in relation to disease severity. Of the sixty-three study subjects, forty-two had mild and twenty-one had moderate or severe bronchiectasis, which was classified by calculating the FACED score, based on the FEV₁ (forced expiratory volume in 1 s, %) (F, 0⁻2 points), age (A, 0⁻2 points), chronic colonization by (C, 0⁻1 point), radiographic extension (E, 0⁻1 point), and dyspnoea (D, 0⁻1 point).

Treatment of latent tuberculous infection among health care workers at a tertiary hospital in Korea.

Objective: To evaluate the acceptance of, adherence to, and outcomes of latent tuberculous infection (LTBI) treatment among health care workers (HCWs).

Design: This was a retrospective study in a tertiary hospital in Korea. From May to August 2017, 2190 HCWs simultaneously underwent a tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA).

Factors Associated with Lung Function Recovery at the First Year after Lung Transplantation.

Purpose: Post-operative pulmonary function is an important prognostic factor for lung transplantation. The purpose of this study was to identify factors affecting recovery of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) at the first year after lung transplantation.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of lung transplantation patients between October 2012 and June 2016.

Relationship between obstructive lung disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the Korean population: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2007-2010.

Purpose: Previous studies have shown that progressive forms of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) occur frequently in patients with obstructive lung disease (OLD). However, few studies have written about this relationship. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between OLD and NAFLD.

Impact of Cigarette Smoke Exposure on the Lung Fibroblastic Response after Influenza Pneumonia.

Influenza viruses can result in significant lung injury with significant morbidity and mortality. In this study, we evaluated the impact of cigarette smoke (CS) exposure on the pulmonary fibroblastic response after influenza infection. We used a murine model in which animals were exposed to CS or room air and subsequently infected with H1N1 influenza virus.

Feasibility of Immediate in-Intensive Care Unit Pulmonary Rehabilitation after Lung Transplantation: A Single Center Experience.

Background: Physical function may influence perioperative outcomes of lung transplantation. We investigated the feasibility of a pulmonary rehabilitation program initiated in the immediate postoperative period at an intensive care unit (ICU) for patients who underwent lung transplantation.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 22 patients who received pulmonary rehabilitation initiated in the ICU within 2 weeks after lung transplantation at our institution from March 2015 to February 2016.

Carinal Resection and Reconstruction.

The carinal resection is still considered a real challenge, both for a thoracic surgeon and an anesthesiologist. Depending on the indications and the degree of local advancement of the neoplasm, there are 2 techniques of carinal resection and reconstruction. The first one consists of the isolated resection with formation of a new bifurcation, whereas the second one is a combination of anatomic resection of lung parenchyma together with the bifurcation and the subsequent reconstruction.

Relationship between airway obstruction and incidence of metabolic syndrome in Korea: a community-based cohort study.

Background: Although studies have examined the relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and COPD, the incidence of MetS in individuals with COPD has not specifically been investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of MetS in subjects with airway obstruction using data from a community-based cohort.

Patients And Methods: Data representing 4 years of follow-up from the Ansung-Ansan cohort were analyzed; a total of 6,184 adults, who were ≥40 years of age and underwent spirometry, were enrolled in this study.

Guideline for Antibiotic Use in Adults with Community-acquired Pneumonia.

Community-acquired pneumonia is common and important infectious disease in adults. This work represents an update to 2009 treatment guideline for community-acquired pneumonia in Korea. The present clinical practice guideline provides revised recommendations on the appropriate diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of community-acquired pneumonia in adults aged 19 years or older, taking into account the current situation regarding community-acquired pneumonia in Korea.

Role of flexible bronchoscopy in patients with sputum-negative pulmonary tuberculosis.

Background: Pulmonary tuberculosis is one of the major health concerns in the developing countries. Isolation of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) or tuberculosis bacilli from the sputum is required for the diagnosis. A proportion of suspected pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) cases either clinically or radiologically will not produce sputum or will have sputum negative for AFB.

The Effects of Retinoic Acid and MAPK Inhibitors on Phosphorylation of Smad2/3 Induced by Transforming Growth Factor β1.

Background: Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), retinoic acid (RA), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and MEK signaling play critical roles in cell differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis. We investigated the effect of RA and the role of these signaling molecules on the phosphorylation of Smad2/3 (p-Smad2/3) induced by TGF-β1.

Methods: A549 epithelial cells and CCD-11Lu fibroblasts were incubated and stimulated with or without all-trans RA (ATRA) and TGF-β1 and with MAPK or MEK inhibitors.

Evaluation of the Quality of Care among Hospitalized Adult Patients with Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Korea.

Pneumonia is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Since 2014, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) has assessed the overall quality of care among hospitalized adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) provided by all medical institutions in Korea. A committee of the Korea Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases developed the hospital inpatient quality measures set for CAP consisting of eight core measures and five monitoring measures.

Urine IP-10 as a biomarker of therapeutic response in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis.

Background: Prior to clinical trials of new TB drugs or therapeutic vaccines, it is necessary to develop monitoring tools to predict treatment outcomes in TB patients. Urine interferon gamma inducible protein 10 (IP-10) is a potential biomarker of treatment response in chronic hepatitis C virus infection and lung diseases, including tuberculosis. In this study, we assessed IP-10 levels in urine samples from patients with active TB at diagnosis, during treatment, and at completion, and compared these with levels in serum samples collected in parallel from matched patients to determine whether urine IP-10 can be used to monitor treatment response in patients with active TB.

Prognostic value of pre-transplant mean pulmonary arterial pressure in lung transplant recipients: a single-institution experience.

Background: Currently, lung transplantation (LTX) is considered to be a curative treatment option in patients with end-stage lung disease. Although pulmonary hypertension (PH), confirmed by cardiac catheterization, is a prognostic factor in patients undergoing LTX, the prognostic value of PH in Asian lung transplant recipients remains uncertain. In this study, we aimed to determine whether PH before LTX may serve as a prognostic factor for survival in Asian patients.

Comparison of short-term outcomes for connective tissue disease-related interstitial lung disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis after lung transplantation.

Background: Pulmonary involvement is common in connective tissue disease (CTD), and respiratory failure is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in CTD-related interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD). Lung transplantation is thus important for these patients. However, survival, outcomes, and management of these patients after transplantation have been debated.

Pharmacophoric screening of newly synthesized isoniazid derivatives and their antimycobacterial activity.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is clinically recognized as a causative agent of Tuberculosis. Keeping in view, this study was endeavored to screen our previously synthesized seventeen INH analogues for their antimycobacterial potential using proportion method. During this process, INH and all the seventeen compounds were examined at different concentrations of 0.

Comparison of CPI and GAP models in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a nationwide cohort study.

The clinical course of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is difficult to predict, partly owing to its heterogeneity. Composite physiologic index (CPI) and gender-age-physiology (GAP) models are easy-to-use predictors of IPF progression. This study aimed to compare the predictive values of these two models.

Prevalence of pre-transplant anti-HLA antibodies and their impact on outcomes in lung transplant recipients.

Background: Previous studies have suggested that antibodies against human leukocyte antigen (HLA) are associated with worse outcomes in lung transplantation. However, little is known about the factors associated with outcomes following lung transplantation in Asia. Accordingly, we investigated the prevalence of anti-HLA antibodies in recipients before transplantation and assessed their impact on outcomes in Korea.