Erratum: Disease burden of pneumonia in Korean adults aged over 50 years stratified by age and underlying diseases.

[This corrects the article on p. 764 in vol. 29, PMID: 25378975.

Three-month treatment response and exacerbation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The aim of this study was to investigate relationships between acute exacerbation and Forced Expiratory Volume 1 second (FEV1) improvement after treatment with combined long-acting beta-agonist (LABA) and inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A total of 137 COPD patients were classified as responders or nonresponders according to FEV1 improvement after 3 months of LABA/ICS treatment in fourteen referral hospitals in Korea. Exacerbation occurrence in these two subgroups was compared over a period of 1 yr.

Disease burden of pneumonia in Korean adults aged over 50 years stratified by age and underlying diseases.

Background/aims: This study was conducted to assess the disease burden of pneumonia according to age and presence of underlying diseases in patients admitted with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Methods: We performed a retrospective, observational study and collected data targeting patients with CAP (≥ 50 years) from 11 hospitals. Disease burden was defined as total per-capita medical fee, severity (CURB-65), hospital length of stay (LOS), and mortality.

Epidemiological aspects of pertussis among adults and adolescents in a Korean outpatient setting: a multicenter, PCR-based study.

Epidemiological data of Bordetella pertussis infection among adolescents and adults are limited in Korea. Patients (≥ 11 yr of age) with a bothersome cough for less than 30 days were enrolled during a 1-yr period at 22 hospitals in Korea. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and for bacteriologic culture.

Comparison of Korean COPD guideline and GOLD initiative report in term of acute exacerbation: a validation study for Korean COPD guideline.

The purpose of this study was to compare the Korean COPD guideline to GOLD consensus report in terms of acute exacerbation. A total of 361 patients were enrolled in this study, and 16.9% of them experienced acute exacerbation during the follow-up.

Influence of environmental exposures on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Korea.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by airflow limitation and results from environmental factors and genetic factors. Although cigarette smoking is a major risk factor, other environmental exposures can influence COPD. The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical characteristics of COPD according to the history of environmental exposure.

Asthma status and waning of measles antibody concentrations after measles immunization.

Background: Asthmatics have increased risks of common and serious microbial infections including vaccine preventable diseases. Little is known about whether asthma influences waning of humoral immunity. We assessed whether asthma status influences waning of anti-measles virus antibody concentrations over time.

The health care burden of high grade chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Korea: analysis of the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service data.

Background: Patients with high grade chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD) account for much of the COPD-related mortality and incur excessive financial burdens and medical care utilization. We aimed to determine the characteristics and medical care use of such patients using nationwide data from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service in 2009.

Materials And Methods: Patients with COPD were identified by searching with the International Classification of Diseases-10th Revision for those using medication.

Medical utilization and cost in patients with overlap syndrome of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.

Background: Little information is available regarding medical utilization and cost in patients with overlap syndrome of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. The purpose of this study is to analyze medical utilization and cost in patients with overlap syndrome and to compare them to COPD patients without asthma.

Methods: Using the 2009 Korean National Health Insurance (NHI) database, COPD patients were identified.

Mortality of community-acquired pneumonia in Korea: assessed with the pneumonia severity index and the CURB-65 score.

The pneumonia severity index (PSI) and CURB-65 are widely used tools for the prediction of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). This study was conducted to evaluate validation of severity scoring system including the PSI and CURB-65 scores of Korean CAP patients. In the prospective CAP cohort (participated in by 14 hospitals in Korea from January 2009 to September 2011), 883 patients aged over 18 yr were studied.

The association between inhaled long-acting bronchodilators and less in-hospital care in newly-diagnosed COPD patients.

Background: Although the efficacy of inhaled long-acting bronchodilators has been well documented in randomised controlled studies, whether similar effects are obtained in real-life clinical practice is not clear. In this study, we analysed the effect of inhaled long-acting bronchodilators in newly-diagnosed COPD patients.

Methods: The Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service databases were used.

Asthma and severity of the 2009 novel H1N1 influenza: a case-control study.

Objective: Previous studies reported that the most common chronic condition found among hospitalized patients due to the novel 2009 H1N1 influenza was asthma. However, these studies did not include a concurrent control group. Thus, we investigated the association of asthma status and severity of H1N1 influenza in adults.

Comparison of levofloxacin versus moxifloxacin for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

Rationale: Levofloxacin (LFX) and moxifloxacin (MXF) are the two most frequently recommended fluoroquinolones for treatment of patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). However, studies comparing the effectiveness of LFX and MXF among patients with MDR-TB are lacking.

Objectives: To compare the effectiveness of LFX and MXF in terms of culture conversion after 3 months of treatment for MDR-TB.

Association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and gastroesophageal reflux disease: a national cross-sectional cohort study.

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most common causes of chronic cough and a potential risk factor for exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of GERD in patients with COPD and association between GERD and COPD exacerbation.

Methods: Data were collected from the National Health Insurance Database of Korea.

Asthma and risk of selective IgA deficiency or common variable immunodeficiency: a population-based case-control study.

Objective: To determine the association between a history of asthma and a diagnosis of selective IgA deficiency (sIgAD)/common variable immunodeficiency (CVID).

Patients And Methods: This population-based case-control study included residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, who met the Pan-American Group for Immunodeficiency/European Society for Immunodeficiencies diagnostic criteria for sIgAD/CVID between January 1, 1964, through December 31, 2008. Each case had 4 age- and sex-matched controls (2 from the community and 2 from a list of individuals who had undergone an immune work-up).

Economic burden and epidemiology of pneumonia in Korean adults aged over 50 years.

This study was performed to estimate the direct medical costs and epidemiology of pneumonia in adults of Korea. We conducted a multi-center, retrospective, observational study and collected data targeting for community-acquired pneumonia patients ( ≥ 50 yr) from 11 hospitals. Costs attributable to the treatment of pneumonia were estimated by reviewing resource utilization and epidemiology data (distribution of pathogen, hospital length of stay, overall outcome) were also collected.

Characteristics of children with asthma who achieved remission of asthma.

Objective: To characterize two groups of asthmatics who had achieved remission and those who had not achieved remission of asthma.

Methods: The study was a retrospective cohort study based on 117 asthmatic children who participated in a previous study. We categorized the children into two groups: asthmatics with remission versus asthmatics without remission.

A possible role for CD8+ and non-CD8+ cell granzyme B in early small airway wall remodelling in centrilobular emphysema.

Background And Objective: CD8(+) cell infiltration and apoptosis of airway epithelial cells are increased in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). CD8(+) T cells induce apoptosis by releasing granzymes, which can also cause extracellular matrix degradation and remodelling. Granzyme B levels and T cells expressing granzyme B are increased in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of COPD patients, which suggests that granzyme B may contribute to the pathogenesis of COPD.

Use of videofluoroscopic swallowing study in patients with aspiration pneumonia.

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of dysphagic elderly Korean patients diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia as well as to examine the necessity of performing a videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) in order to confirm the presence of dysphagia in such patients.

Method: The medical records of dysphagic elderly Korean subjects diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia were retrospectively reviewed for demographic and clinical characteristics as well as for VFSS findings.

Results: In total, medical records of 105 elderly patients (81 men and 24 women) were reviewed in this study.

A Multicenter Study of Pertussis Infection in Adults with Coughing in Korea: PCR-Based Study.

Background: Limited data on the incidence and clinical characteristics of adult pertussis infections are available in Korea.

Methods: Thirty-one hospitals and the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collaborated to investigate the incidence and clinical characteristics of pertussis infections among adults with a bothersome cough in non-outbreak, ordinary outpatient settings. Nasopharyngeal aspirates or nasopharyngeal swabs were collected for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and culture tests.

Poor correlation between tuberculin skin tests and interferon-γ assays in close contacts of patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

Background And Objective: The results of tuberculin skin tests (TST) and QuantiFERON TB-Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) assays were compared in close contacts of patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).

Methods: Close contacts of patients with bacteriologically confirmed MDR-TB (n = 101) were assessed. Most contacts were members of the households of patients, and 79 (78.

Assessment of the association between atopic conditions and tympanostomy tube placement in children.

This study assesses the relationship between otitis media and atopic conditions in children by comparing the incidence of tympanostomy tube placement between children with and without atopic conditions: asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis. Study subjects were a cohort of 323 healthy children who participated in a study of vaccine response. All episodes of tympanostomy tube placement and physician diagnoses of allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis were collected through comprehensive medical record review.

Impact of Asthma on the Severity of Serious Pneumococcal Disease.

We recently reported an increased risk of serious pneumococcal disease (SPD) in asthmatics. Little is known about the impact of asthma status on the severity of SPD. We compared the severity of serious pneumococcal disease (SPD) between patients with asthma and those without asthma.

Assessment of humoral and cell-mediated immune response to measles-mumps-rubella vaccine viruses among patients with asthma.

Little is known about the influence of asthma status on humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine viruses. We compared the virus-specific IgG levels and lymphoproliferative response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to MMR vaccine viruses between asthmatic and nonasthmatic patients. The study subjects included 342 healthy children aged 12-18 years who had received two doses of the MMR vaccine.

Customized Asthma Control Test with reflection on sociocultural differences.

We evaluated the utility and feasibility of customizing Asthma Control Test (ACT) items to generate a Korean Asthma Control Test (KACT) specific for Korean patients. We surveyed 392 asthma patients with 19 items, selected to reflect the Korean sociocultural context. Guideline ratings were integrated with the evaluations of specialists (i.