Relationship between Serum Cadmium Concentration and Lung function: A Study Using KNHANES data.

Background: Occupational and environmental exposures to cadmium affects lung. Cadmium accumulation alters intracellular signaling and impairs innate immunity which leads to chronic inflammation. Various factor such as gender, age, smoking status and comorbidities are known to be associated with blood cadmium levels.

Evaluation of Risk Factors for Fall Incidence Based on Statistical Analysis.

Background: Falls are common among hospitalized patients, particularly affecting older adults. This study analyzed patients who experienced falls at Kangwon National University Hospital (KNUH) and classified them based on department and nursing shift hours.

Methods: Data from adult patients admitted to KNUH between 2018 and 2023 who experienced falls were analyzed, focusing on demographics, medications, comorbidities, alcohol and smoking histories, and the Morse Fall Scale.

Clinical outcomes of early remdesivir administration in hospitalized patients at high risk for severe COVID-19 during the Omicron wave.

Background: Early remdesivir administration in high-risk patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is known to be effective in preventing the progression to severe disease. However, the effect of early remdesivir administration on Omicron variants, which are known to have decreased severity, remains unclear.

Methods: This study aimed to analyze the effects of early remdesivir administration during the Omicron wave in hospitalized patients.

Predictive Mortality and Gastric Cancer Risk Using Clinical and Socio-Economic Data: A Nationwide Multicenter Cohort Study.

Gastric cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, particularly in East Asia, with a notable burden in Republic of Korea. This study aimed to construct and develop machine learning models for the prediction of gastric cancer mortality and the identification of risk factors. All data were acquired from the Korean Clinical Data Utilization for Research Excellence by multiple medical centers in South Korea.

National Statistics of Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection for Early Gastric Cancer in Korea.

Purpose: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is the standard treatment for early gastric cancer (EGC) with a low risk of lymph node metastasis. In Korea, ESD was included in the National Health Insurance (NHI) coverage in 2011, which was expanded in 2018. In the present study, we investigated the status and trends of ESD for EGC over the past decade since its incorporation into the NHI system.

Acute kidney injury as a prognostic marker in severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a tick-borne illness with a notable morality risk that is becoming increasingly prevalent in East Asia (14-36%). Increasing evidence indicates a more direct role of the SFTS virus in renal impairment. However, few studies have explored the risk factors for and clinical outcomes of AKI in patients with SFTS.

Incidence of New Asthma in Pregnancy and Associated Risk Factors: A 10-Year Nationwide Population-Based Study.

Pregnancy is a risk factor for asthma exacerbation and may trigger new-onset asthma in nonasthmatics. This study evaluated the epidemiology of newly diagnosed asthma during pregnancy and the associated risk factors among previously nonasthmatic women. Twelve-year medical data from the Korean National Health Insurance claims database (from January 2007 to December 2018) of Korean women who gave birth between January 2012 and December 2015 were collected.

Assessing the New 2020 ESGO/ESTRO/ESP Endometrial Cancer Risk Molecular Categorization System for Predicting Survival and Recurrence.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the 2020 European Society of Gynecological Oncology/European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology/European Society of Pathology (ESGO/ESTRO/ESP) guidelines for endometrial cancer (EC). Additionally, a novel risk category incorporating clinicopathological and molecular factors was introduced. The predictive value of this new category for recurrence and survival in Korean patients with EC was assessed, and comparisons were made with the 2013 and 2016 European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) risk classifications.

Associations of Night Shift Status During Pregnancy With Small for Gestational Age and Preterm Births.

Background: Shift work, including night shift work, during pregnancy has been associated with adverse birth outcomes such as small for gestational age (SGA) infants and preterm births. This study, conducted in South Korea using the Korean CHildren's ENvironmental health Study (Ko-CHENS) cohort, aimed to investigate the association between shift work and night shift status during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes.

Methods: The Korean Ko-CHENS is a nationwide prospective birth cohort study of children's environmental diseases, conducted by the Ministry of Environment and the National Institute of Environmental Research.

Effects of heavy metal exposure during pregnancy on birth outcomes.

Exposure to heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury poses serious health risks to pregnant women because of their high toxicity. In this study, we investigated the associations of heavy metal exposure with birth outcomes of Korean infants. Data of 5,215 women between 2015 and 2019 were analyzed.

CT-Derived Deep Learning-Based Quantification of Body Composition Associated with Disease Severity in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Purpose: Our study aimed to evaluate the association between automated quantified body composition on CT and pulmonary function or quantitative lung features in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Materials And Methods: A total of 290 patients with COPD were enrolled in this study. The volume of muscle and subcutaneous fat, area of muscle and subcutaneous fat at T12, and bone attenuation at T12 were obtained from chest CT using a deep learning-based body segmentation algorithm.

A Preliminary Study on the Potential Protective Role of the Antioxidative Stress Markers of Cognitive Impairment: Glutathione and Glutathione Reductase.

Objective: : To investigate the relationship between reduced glutathione (GSH), a key molecule of the antioxidant defense system in the blood, and glutathione reductase (GR), which reduces oxidized glutathione (glutathione disulfide [GSSG]) to GSH and maintains the redox balance, with the prevalence of Alzheimer's dementia and cognitive decline.

Methods: : In all, 20 participants with Alzheimer's dementia who completed the third follow-up clinical evaluation over 6 years were selected, and 20 participants with normal cognition were selected after age and sex matching. The GSH and GR concentrations were the independent variables.

Required biological time for lung maturation and duration of invasive ventilation: a Korean cohort study of very low birth weight infants.

Background: We investigated the duration of invasive ventilation among very low birth weight (VLBW) infants to evaluate the current minimum time required for lung maturation to breathe without ventilator assistance after preterm birth.

Methods: A total of 14,658 VLBW infants born at ≤32 weeks between 2013 and 2020 were enrolled. Clinical data were collected from the Korean Neonatal Network, a national prospective cohort registry of VLBW infants from 70 neonatal intensive care units.

Metabolomics Reveals Dysregulated Sphingolipid and Amino Acid Metabolism Associated with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Purpose: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous disease presenting as multiple phenotypes, such as declining lung function, emphysema, or persistent airflow limitation caused by several risk factors, including cigarette smoking and air pollution. The inherent complexity of COPD phenotypes propounds difficulties for accurate diagnosis and prognosis. Although metabolomic profiles on COPD have been reported, the role of metabolism in COPD-related phenotypes is yet to be determined.

Structural and functional alterations of subjects with cement dust exposure: A longitudinal quantitative computed tomography-based study.

Cement dust exposure (CDE) can be a risk factor for pulmonary disease, causing changes in segmental airways and parenchymal lungs. This study investigates longitudinal alterations in quantitative computed tomography (CT)-based metrics due to CDE. We obtained CT-based airway structural and lung functional metrics from CDE subjects with baseline CT and follow-up CT scans performed three years later.

Quantitative assessment the longitudinal changes of pulmonary vascular counts in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Chest computed tomography (CT) is a widely used method to assess morphological and dynamic abnormalities in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The small pulmonary vascular cross-section (CSA), quantitatively extracted from volumetric CT, is a reliable indicator for predicting pulmonary vascular changes. CSA is associated with the severity of symptoms, pulmonary function tests (PFT) and emphysema and in COPD patients the severity increases over time.

Correlation between Telomere Length and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-Related Phenotypes: Results from the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Dusty Areas (CODA) Cohort.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common chronic respiratory disease with increased prevalence in the elderly. Telomeres are repetitive DNA sequences found at the end of the chromosome, which progressively shorten as cells divide. Telomere length is known to be a molecular marker of aging.

Computed tomography-based visual assessment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: comparison with pulmonary function test and quantitative computed tomography.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has variable subtypes involving mixture of large airway inflammation, small airway disease, and emphysema. This study evaluated the relationship between visually assessed computed tomography (CT) subtypes and clinical/imaging characteristics.

Methods: In total, 452 participants were enrolled in this study between 2012 and 2017.

Quantitative computed tomography features and clinical manifestations associated with the extent of bronchiectasis in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD.

Background: Few studies have investigated the quantitative computed tomography (CT) features associated with the severity of bronchiectasis in COPD patients. The purpose of this study was to identify the quantitative CT features and clinical values to determine the extent of bronchiectasis in moderate-to-severe COPD patients.

Methods: A total of 127 moderate-to-severe COPD patients were selected from the cohort of COPD in Dusty Areas (CODA).

Epidemiological study of PM and risk of COPD-related hospital visits in association with particle constituents in Chuncheon, Korea.

Background And Objective: Aside from smoking, which is already recognized as a strong risk factor for COPD, interest in the impact of particulate matter (PM) on COPD is increasing. This study aimed to investigate the effect of PM, especially with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm (PM), and its chemical constituents on the exacerbation of COPD.

A cluster analysis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in dusty areas cohort identified three subgroups.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous disease with variable clinical manifestations, structural changes, and treatment responses. In a cohort study, we performed a baseline cluster analysis to identify the subgroups of COPD and to assess the clinical outcomes of each subgroup during a 1-year follow-up.

Methods: We analyzed dusty areas cohort comprising 272 patients with COPD.

Inflammatory biomarkers and radiologic measurements in never-smokers with COPD: A cross-sectional study from the CODA cohort.

Various biomarkers have emerged as potential surrogates to represent various subgroups of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which manifest with different phenotypes. However, the biomarkers representing never-smokers with COPD have not yet been well elucidated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations of certain serum and radiological biomarkers with the presence of COPD in never-smokers.

Which bronchodilator reversibility criteria can predict severe acute exacerbation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients?

Background: It is unclear whether various bronchodilator reversibility (BDR) criteria affect the prognosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of positive BDR defined according to various BDR criteria on the risk of severe acute exacerbation (AE) in COPD patients.

Methods: Patients from four prospective COPD cohorts in South Korea who underwent follow-up for at least 1 year were enrolled in this study.

Differences in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease phenotypes between non-smokers and smokers.

Introduction And Objectives: Although tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), more than one-fourth of COPD patients are non-smokers. In this cross-sectional study, the differences in COPD phenotypes between non-smokers and smokers in male subjects were investigated and were focused on structural lung changes using a quantitative assessment of computed tomography (CT) images.

Methods: They divided male participants with COPD, from a Korean cohort near a cement plant, into non-smokers and smokers by a cutoff of a 5 pack-year smoking history.

Implications of the pulmonary artery to ascending aortic ratio in patients with relatively mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Identifying markers for predicting the course and outcome of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains important. The relative pulmonary artery enlargement to aorta ratio (PA-A ratio), which is measured using computed tomography (CT), is a reported predictor for COPD exacerbation and mortality. However, little is known about the implications of the PA-A ratio in patients with mild COPD.