Increased Apolipoprotein B/Apolipoprotein A-I Ratio Is Associated With Decline in Lung Function in Healthy Individuals: The Kangbuk Samsung Health Study.

Background: Lung dysfunction and high apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-I (apoB/apoA-I) ratio are both recognized risk factors for cardiovascular disease. However, few studies have examined the association between the apoB/ApoA-I ratio and lung function. Therefore, we investigated whether this ratio is associated with decreased lung function in a large healthy cohort.

The impact of insulin resistance on the association between metabolic syndrome and lung function: the Kangbuk Samsung Health Study.

Background/objective: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is related to lung dysfunction. However, its impact according to insulin resistance (IR) remains unknown. Therefore, we evaluated whether the relation of MS with lung dysfunction differs by IR.

Metabolically healthy and unhealthy obesity and the development of lung dysfunction.

We investigated the association of metabolically healthy (MH) and unhealthy (MU) obesity with incident lung dysfunction. This cohort study included 253,698 Korean lung disease-free adults (mean age, 37.4 years) at baseline.

Decreased lung function is associated with vitamin D deficiency in apparently health, middle aged Koreans: the Kangbuk Samsung Health Study.

Background/objectives: There has been inconsistent relationships between serum vitamin D levels and lung function in previous studies. However, previous studies included patients with medical diseases, affecting both vitamin D levels and lung function. Considering this view of potential confounders, we investigated if vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is linked to lung function in health screening examinee without overt medical conditions.

Decreased lung function is associated with elevated ferritin but not iron or transferrin saturation in 42,927 healthy Korean men: A cross-sectional study.

Objectives: Though elevated ferritin level and decreased lung function both predispose people to cardio-metabolic disease, few reports have investigated the association between them. Furthermore, it remains unclear whether the association reflects a change in iron stores or an epiphenomenon reflecting metabolic stress. Therefore, we looked for possible associations between ferritin, iron, and transferrin saturation (TSAT) and lung function to clarify the role of iron-related parameters in healthy men.

Decreased lung function is associated with risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A longitudinal cohort study.

Background: Decreased lung function is associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), based on linking mechanisms such as insulin resistance and systemic inflammation However, its association with the risk of developing NAFLD is unclear. Our aim was to investigate whether baseline lung function is associated with incident NAFLD in middle-aged healthy Koreans.

Methods: A cohort study of 96,104 subjects (mean age: 35.

Efficacy and safety of ifosfamide in combination with carboplatin and etoposide in small cell lung cancer.

Purpose: Ifosfamide, a potent alkylating agent, is rarely incorporated into small cell lung cancer (SCLC) treatment. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of ifosfamide in combination with carboplatin and etoposide (ICE) in previously untreated patients with SCLC.

Methods: From January 2002 to January 2014, we consecutively enrolled 69 patients with SCLC who were treated with ICE as initial chemotherapy at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital.

A case of metachronous metastasis to the breast from non-small cell lung carcinoma.

Breast metastases from an extramammary primary tumor are very rare and the prognosis for such patients is generally poor. We report here on a case of a 42-year-old female with metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer to the breast, and she is now being followed up on an outpatient basis. In 2004, she presented with a solitary pulmonary nodule in the left lung, and this lesion had been noted to have gradually increased in size over time.

Treatment of isoniazid-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis.

Background: Although resistance to isoniazid (INH) is the most common form of drug resistance seen among Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates, there have been few studies on the efficacy and optimal duration of treatment for patients with INH-resistant tuberculosis (TB).

Methods: We evaluated retrospectively the treatment outcomes of 39 patients who were treated for INH-resistant pulmonary TB. The treatment regimens consisted of a 12-month regimen of rifampin (RIF) and ethambutol (EMB), with pyrazinamide (PZA) given during the first 2 months (2HREZ/10RE) (n = 21), a 9-month regimen of RIF and EMB with PZA during the first 2 months (2HREZ/7RE) (n = 5), and a 6-month regimen of RIF, EMB, and PZA (2HREZ/4REZ) (n = 13).

Usefulness of open lung biopsy in mechanically ventilated patients with undiagnosed diffuse pulmonary infiltrates: influence of comorbidities and organ dysfunction.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of open lung biopsy (OLB) in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation for diffuse pulmonary infiltrates of unknown etiology.

Methods: This was a 10-year retrospective study in a 10-bed medical intensive care unit. The medical records of 36 ventilator-dependent patients who underwent OLB for the diagnosis of unknown pulmonary infiltrates from 1994 to 2004 were reviewed retrospectively.

The effect of oral glutamine on 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin-induced mucositis/stomatitis assessed by intestinal permeability test.

Background & Aims: Systemic chemotherapy may damage gastrointestinal epithelium. Mucositis is associated with increased intestinal permeability (IP). It is known that IP test with chromium 51-ethylene diaminetetra-acetate (51Cr-EDTA) is a useful tool to assess the mucositis.

Differential effects of Fas cross-linking on phospholipase D activation and related lipid metabolism in Fas-resistant A20 cells.

A20 murine lymphoma cells undergoing Fas-mediated apoptosis showed increase in the activity of phospholipase D (PLD), which is involved in proliferative or mitogenic cellular responses. Using A20 cell lines that were resistant to Fas-induced apoptosis, we investigated the differential effects of Fas cross-linking on PLD activity and sphingolipid metabolism. The basal PLD activities in all of the selected three Fas-resistant clones (#5, #8, and #11) were about 2~4 folds higher than that of wild type A20 cells.