Development of a Prediction Model for Acute Exacerbation in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Study of the Korea IPF Cohort Registry.

Background: Acute exacerbation (AE) of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has the most disastrous impact on prognosis as a major cause of morbidity and mortality. However, there is no proven treatment, and the occurrence of AE is unpredictable. This study aimed to develop a prediction model for AE in patients with IPF using the nationwide Korea IPF Cohort (KICO) registry.

Establishment of Human Lung Cancer Organoids Using Small Biopsy and Surgical Tissues.

Lung cancer is a highly diverse disease, and reliable preclinical models that accurately reflect tumor characteristics are essential for studying lung cancer biology and testing new therapies. This study aimed to establish patient-derived tumor organoids (PDTOs) using small biopsy samples and surgical specimens to create a model system that preserves the genetic and histological features of the original tumors. PDTOs were generated from 163 lung cancer specimens, including 109 samples obtained using endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) or bronchoscopy, 52 surgical specimens, and 2 pleural fluid samples.

Pattern-based volumetric CT quantification to predict radiation pneumonitis in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer who have diffuse parenchymal lung disease.

Background: Diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD) is a well-known risk factor for radiation pneumonitis (RP) after radiation therapy (RT) for lung cancer. However, it is hard to evaluate the exact extent of DPLD and to predict RP. This study sought to quantify the extent of DPLD and to determine which pattern(s) of DPLD lead to RP using texture analysis of pre-treatment computed tomography (CT) scans.

Identification and Verification of Necroptosis-Related Genes in Patients With Sepsis by Bioinformatic Analysis and Molecular Experiments.

Although necroptosis is an emerging mechanism of multiple organ dysfunction in sepsis, data on the mechanistic link between necroptosis and sepsis are scarce. Bioinformatic analysis was performed to compare the gene profiles between the sepsis (n = 133) and healthy control (n = 12) groups and identify necroptosis-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The identified necroptosis-related DEGs were verified by three-step molecular experiments: (1) quantitative real-time PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; (2) cell culture, transfection and Western blotting; and (3) cytokine array with apoptosis inhibition.

Korean Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Interstitial Lung Diseases: Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is characterized as an immune-mediated interstitial lung disease with heterogeneous clinical manifestations and presents complex diagnostic challenges. This clinical guideline provides a comprehensive framework for diagnosing and managing HP, accentuating the evolving classification into fibrotic and nonfibrotic subtypes. By integrating current clinical guidelines and expert consensus, it addresses essential aspects such as radiologic and histopathologic findings, diagnostic strategies, and pharmacologic management.

CT features of pathologically proven smoking-related interstitial fibrosis: compared with emphysema and usual interstitial pneumonia.

Objectives: To differentiate smoking-related interstitial fibrosis (SRIF) from emphysema and usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) using CT.

Materials And Methods: From January 2016 to October 2023, a total of 123 patients who underwent lung surgery with pathologically proven SRIF (n = 23), emphysema (n = 50), and UIP (n = 50) were included. Three radiologists retrospectively reviewed preoperative chest CTs for imaging features of centrilobular/paraseptal emphysema, multiple thin-walled cysts (MTWC), honeycombing, traction bronchiectasis, subpleural ground-glass opacity (GGO)/reticulation, and presence of smoking-related disease (SRD) and compared the CT features by subgroup.

Prognostic value of [F]FDG PET/CT in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

The study investigates the prognostic value of [F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). A total of 346 IPF patients who underwent FDG PET/CT between 2007 and 2020 were analyzed. Pulmonary FDG uptake [target to background ratio (TBR)] was binarized by optimal cut-off value based on survival analysis.

The impact of deep learning reconstruction in low dose computed tomography on the evaluation of interstitial lung disease.

To evaluate the effect of the deep learning model reconstruction (DLM) method in terms of image quality and diagnostic agreement in low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) for interstitial lung disease (ILD), 193 patients who underwent LDCT for suspected ILD were retrospectively reviewed. Datasets were reconstructed using filtered back projection (FBP), adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction Veo (ASiR-V), and DLM. For image quality analysis, the signal, noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), blind/referenceless image spatial quality evaluator (BRISQUE), and visual scoring were evaluated.

Bioinformatics Analysis of Gene Expression Profiles for Diagnosing Sepsis and Risk Prediction in Patients with Sepsis.

Although early recognition of sepsis is essential for timely treatment and can improve sepsis outcomes, no marker has demonstrated sufficient discriminatory power to diagnose sepsis. This study aimed to compare gene expression profiles between patients with sepsis and healthy volunteers to determine the accuracy of these profiles in diagnosing sepsis and to predict sepsis outcomes by combining bioinformatics data with molecular experiments and clinical information. We identified 422 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the sepsis and control groups, of which 93 immune-related DEGs were considered for further studies due to immune-related pathways being the most highly enriched.

New prognostic scoring system for mortality in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis by modifying the gender, age, and physiology model with desaturation during the six-minute walk test.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease (ILD) with variable and heterogeneous clinical course. The GAP (gender, age, and physiology) model had been used to predict mortality in patients with IPF, but does not contain exercise capacity. Therefore, our aim in this study was to develop new prognostic scoring system in the Korea IPF Cohort (KICO) registry.

Efficacy of Combining Multiple Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy Modalities for Diagnosing Lung Nodules.

Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB) is one of the non-invasive methods used for lung nodule biopsy. We evaluated the efficacy of combining radial endobronchial ultrasound (R-EBUS)-guided transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) with ENB-guided TBLB or transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) for diagnosing lung nodules. Forty patients with a lung nodule underwent ENB-TBLB or TBNA, followed by R-EBUS-TBLB if available.

Plasma Mitochondrial DNA and Necroptosis as Prognostic Indicators in Critically Ill Patients with Sepsis.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been identified as a biomarker for predicting sepsis mortality. Although preclinical studies suggested that necroptosis could explain the mechanistic link of mtDNA in sepsis, this is not yet evident in patients with sepsis. This study evaluated the association between mtDNA and essential necroptosis mediators in prospectively enrolled patients with sepsis.

Clinical utility of EBUS-TBNA of hilar, interlobar, and lobar lymph nodes in patients with primary lung cancer.

Background: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is used to evaluate hilar/interlobar/lobar lymph nodes. This study aimed to assess the clinical utility of EBUS-TBNA for station 10/11/12 lymph nodes (LNs) in patients with primary lung cancer.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database of patients with primary lung cancer who underwent EBUS-TBNA for station 10/11/12 LNs from January 2015 to December 2019.

Prospective Study of Proton Therapy for Lung Cancer Patients with Poor Lung Function or Pulmonary Fibrosis.

PBT has a unique depth-dose curve with a Bragg peak that enables one to reduce the dose to normal lung tissue. We prospectively enrolled 54 patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with definitive PBT. The inclusion criteria were forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) ≤ 1.

Clinical Features, Diagnosis, Management, and Outcomes of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis in Korea: Analysis of the Korea IPF Cohort (KICO) Registry.

Background: The Korea Interstitial Lung Disease Study Group has made a new nationwide idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) registry because the routine clinical practice has changed due to new guidelines and newly developed antifibrotic agents in the recent decade. The aim of this study was to describe recent clinical characteristics of Korean IPF patients.

Methods: Both newly diagnosed and following IPF patients diagnosed after the previous registry in 2008 were enrolled.