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.

Pharmacoeconomic inequalities in access to antifibrotic treatment for interstitial lung disease in the Asia-Pacific region.

Antifibrotic drugs, available for the best part of the last decade in many parts of the world, has improved outcomes in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and progressive pulmonary fibrosis. However, it is unclear whether patients suffering from these devastating conditions have timely and adequate access to antifibrotic therapy in the Asia Pacific region (APAC). In this mixed-methods narrative review of 12 APAC countries, integration of questionnaire-based insights of 31 regional clinical experts in interstitial lung disease (ILD) with publicly available pharmaco-economic information has been used to understand how country-specific challenges impact on antifibrotic accessibility.

Outcomes of Donor/Recipient Size-mismatched Lung Transplantation.

Background: Donor/recipient (D/R) size matching is crucial to achieve proper organ allocation and outcome for lung transplantation (LT). However, studies in this regard have not shown consistent results. We analyzed the results of size-mismatched LT focusing on primary graft dysfunction (PGD) and survival.

Thrombospondin-1 modulation by Bifidobacterium spp. mitigates lung damage in an acute lung injury mouse model.

Unlabelled: Our study shows that Bifidobacterium spp. supplementation reduces lung damage in acute lung injury by enhancing immune cell activity and restoring thrombospondin-1 levels, offering a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of ALI/ARDS.

Background: Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are critical conditions characterized by severe lung inflammation and damage, often exacerbated by mechanical ventilation.

Aminoglycoside susceptibility and treatment outcomes in Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary disease.

Background: Treatment with parenteral aminoglycosides is recommended for patients with advanced Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary disease (MAC-PD). However, the evidence supporting susceptibility-based treatment with aminoglycosides is limited.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with MAC-PD treated with aminoglycosides for at least eight weeks between October 2005 and December 2018 at a tertiary referral center in South Korea.

Association Between Plasma Granzyme B Levels, Organ Failure, and 28-Day Mortality Prediction in Patients with Sepsis.

: Sepsis is basically an inflammatory disease that involves the host's immune response. Granzyme B, a cytotoxic protease, has garnered attention for its involvement in modulating immune responses. This study aimed to elucidate the clinical implications of granzyme B in critically ill patients with sepsis, focusing on plasma granzyme B levels as a potential prognostic marker.

Plasma EphA2 level is a superior biomarker to Del-1 for sepsis diagnosis and prognosis.

Background: Sepsis, characterized by a dysregulated host response to infection, often leads to organ dysfunction, and vascular endothelial dysfunction plays a central role. The erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular carcinoma (Eph)A2 receptor is associated with increased vascular permeability; however, the developmental endothelial locus-1 (Del-1), has contrasting effects on endothelial function. Hence, we examined their potential as biomarkers of sepsis.

Cross-sectional study of lung cancer patients as a potential high-risk factor for abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Background: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is more common in Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Considering that ruptured AAA is potentially fatal, timely management of AAA would result in long-term survival benefits. We assess the prevalence and characteristics of AAA in resectable NSCLC patients who would benefit from AAA surveillance.

Sepsis Diagnosis Based on a Parylene Matrix Chip Using LPC16:0 as a Biomarker in Comparison with Colorimetry of Total Phospholipid.

For the medical diagnosis of sepsis, it is crucial to differentiate infectious inflammation from noninfectious symptoms to prevent acute aggravation. Herein, a diagnosis for early stage sepsis was performed using LPC 16:0 and total phospholipids as small molecular biomarkers. The measurement of LPC 16:0 was conducted using a parylene matrix chip, which was developed to effectively detect small molecules in laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS).

Clinical implication of electrocardiogram change in patients experiencing lung transplantation with end stage lung disease.

Introduction: End-stage lung disease causes cardiac remodeling and induces electrocardiogram (ECG) changes. On the other way, whether lung transplantation (LTx) in end-stage lung disease patients are associated with ECG change is unknown. The object of this study was to investigate ECG changes before and after LTx in end-stage lung disease patients and whether these changes had clinical significance.

Post-Transplant Vitamin D Deficiency in Lung Transplant Recipients: Impact on Outcomes and Prognosis.

Despite the recognized clinical significance of vitamin D deficiency in other solid organ transplant recipients, its specific relevance in lung transplantation remains to be fully understood. In this study, we performed a retrospective observational study on the impact of vitamin D deficiency on clinical outcomes and prognosis in 125 lung transplant recipients (LTRs) from October 2014 to March 2020 at a university hospital in Seoul, South Korea. Among 125 LTRs, 51 patients (40.

Regenerative Capacity of Alveolar Type 2 Cells Is Proportionally Reduced Following Disease Progression in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis-Derived Organoid Cultures.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive lung disease that culminates in respiratory failure and death due to irreversible scarring of the distal lung. While initially considered a chronic inflammatory disorder, the aberrant function of the alveolar epithelium is now acknowledged as playing a central role in the pathophysiology of IPF. This study aimed to investigate the regenerative capacity of alveolar type 2 (AT2) cells using IPF-derived alveolar organoids and to examine the effects of disease progression on this capacity.

Medical Costs of Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease, South Korea, 2015-2019.

Nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) prevalence is a rising public health concern. We assessed the long-term healthcare systems perspective of costs incurred by 147 NTM-PD patients at a tertiary hospital in South Korea. Median cumulative total medical cost in managing NTM-PD patients was US $5,044 (interquartile range US $3,586-$9,680) over 49.

Malnutrition is associated with mortality in Sjögren's syndrome-associated interstitial lung disease.

The role of nutritional status as a prognostic factor in patients with Sjögren's syndrome-associated interstitial lung disease (SjS-ILD) is currently unclear. This study aimed to predict the prognosis of patients with SjS-ILD through their nutritional status assessment. In this retrospective observational study, nutritional status was evaluated at the time of diagnosis using body mass index (BMI) and nutritional markers such as controlling nutritional status (CONUT), the Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), and prognostic nutrition index (PNI) for all participants.

Immunogenicity and Predictive Factors Associated with Poor Response after Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Vaccination in Lung Transplant Patients.

Lung transplant patients are more likely to develop severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) compared with the general population and should be vaccinated against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, previous studies have reported reduced vaccination immunogenicity in lung transplantation patients. We aimed to investigate the serological response and associated factors after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in this population.

Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes of Pulmonary Diseases Caused by Coinfections With Multiple Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Species.

Background: Coinfections with multiple nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) species have not been widely studied. We aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes in patients with NTM-pulmonary disease (PD) caused by coinfection with multiple NTM species.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with NTM-PD at a tertiary referral hospital in Korea between March 2012 and December 2018.

Development and validation of novel simple prognostic model for predicting mortality in Korean intensive care units using national insurance claims data.

Background/aims: Intensive care unit (ICU) quality is largely determined by the mortality rate. Therefore, we aimed to develop and validate a novel prognostic model for predicting mortality in Korean ICUs, using national insurance claims data.

Methods: Data were obtained from the health insurance claims database maintained by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service of South Korea.

Factors affecting accuracy of clinical staging in resectable non-small cell lung cancer in a real-world study.

Background: The clinical staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is well known to be related to their prognosis. However, there is usually a discrepancy between clinical staging and pathological staging. There are few analyses of clinical staging accuracy in patients with NSCLC.

Risk Factors for Unfavorable Outcomes of Tuberculosis in Korea: Implications for Patient-Centered Care in Tuberculosis Treatment.

Background: The treatment success rate for tuberculosis (TB) has stagnated at 80-81% in South Korea, indicating unsatisfactory outcomes. Enhancing treatment success rate necessitates the development of individualized treatment approaches for each patient. This study aimed to identify the risk factors associated with unfavorable treatment outcomes to facilitate tailored TB care.

Diagnosis of Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia via Whole Exome Sequencing and Histologic Findings.

Purpose: To assess the diagnostic potential of whole-exome sequencing (WES) and elucidate the clinical and genetic characteristics of primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) in the Korean population.

Materials And Methods: Forty-seven patients clinically suspected of having PCD were enrolled at a tertiary medical center. WES was performed in all patients, and seven patients received biopsy of cilia and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Impact of age on mortality and transfer to long-term care in patients in an intensive care unit.

Background: In the global trend of population aging, age is one of the significant factors to be considered in critically ill patients. However, the impact of age on clinical outcomes and long-term prognosis in this population varies across different studies.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis for patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit (ICU) (30 beds) between January 2017 and December 2020 at the tertiary referral hospital in Korea.

Electrochemical analysis of total phospholipids in human serum for severe sepsis diagnosis.

Electrochemical analysis of total phospholipids was performed for the diagnosis of sepsis. The influence of electrode materials on the analysis of the chromogenic substrate was analyzed using Au, graphite, and pyrolyzed carbon electrodes. The total phospholipid analysis based on electrochemical analysis with pyrolyzed carbon was used for diagnosis of sepsis using sera from healthy volunteers, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), and severe sepsis patients.

Association between Proteinuria Status and Risk of Hypertension: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

Proteinuria is associated with cardiovascular disease. However, the relationship between changes in proteinuria status and hypertension remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the association between changes in proteinuria status and the risk of developing hypertension with the data from the Korean National Health Insurance Database.

Preparation and characterization of lysozyme loaded liposomal dry powder inhalation using non-ionic surfactants.

Delivering protein drugs through dry powder inhalation (DPI) remains a significant challenge. Liposomes offer a promising solution, providing protection for proteins from external environment and controlled release capabilities. Furthermore, the use of non-ionic surfactants plays a crucial role in protecting the activity of proteins because of how the surfactants positioning themselves at the liquid-gas interface during the spray-drying process.