• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.15-21
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• 2008

Background: The melanoma antigen-encoding (MAGE) genes are known to be expressed in various cancer cells, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and are silent in all normal tissues except for the testis. In patients with peripheral NSCLC, bronchial washing fluid can be used to detect the MAGE genes, suggesting a diagnosis of lung cancer. In order to evaluate the diagnostic utility of the MAGE test in patients with peripheral NSCLC, bronchial washing fluid was investigated in patients with peripheral pulmonary nodules, which were invisible as detected by bronchoscopy. Methods: Bronchial washing fluid from 37 patients was used for cytological examinations and MAGE gene detection, using RT-nested-PCR of common A1-A6 mRNA. Results were compared to a final diagnosis of patients as confirmed by pathology. Results: Among the 37 subjects, NSCLC was diagnosed in 21 patients, and benign pulmonary diseases were diagnosed in 16 patients. MAGE mRNA was detected in 10 of 21 (47.6%) NSCLC patients, while conventional cytology examinations were positive for MAGE expression in 2 of 21 (9.5%) cases. MAGE expression was observed in 4 of 16 (25%) benign pulmonary disease patients. Conclusion: The MAGE test of bronchial washing fluid can be used as a sensitive predictor of peripheral NSCLC patients.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.766-775
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• 1997

Background : Primary malignant tumors of the trachea are extremely rare entities and account for a mere 0.1 per cent of all malignancies of the respiratory tract. Because of vague localizing signs, symptoms and a usually negative routine chest film, the patients with tracheal tumors are often treated for asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for considerable period of time before correct diagnosis. Method : We have made a review of the 17 cases of primary tracheal tumors in recent 15 years. We reviewed the clinical features including history of smoking and respiratory symptoms, the official readings of initial routine chest film, the cytologic examination of sputum, the time of delay in diagnosis, and the response according to the therapeutic modalities. Results : Eight out of 9 patients with squamous cell carcinoma(SCC) were above 50 years old, five out of 6 patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma(ACC) were below 50 years old. The most common location of primary tracheal tumors was the upper one-third of trachea in 8 cases(47%). The most frequent symptoms were dyspnea in 13/17 cases(76%) and then stridor or wheezing, cough. and sputum in order. The routine chest roentgenographic examinations were not helpful to diagnose tracheal carcinoma and the cytologic examinations of sputums were helpful to diagnose tracheal carcinoma in only one case with adenocarcinoma. The mean times of delay in diagnosis of patients with sec and ACC were 5 months and 24.9 months respectively. We had bronchial asthma in 8 cases(47%) and tracheal tumors in 4 cases(23%) as initial clinical impression. Conclusion : We would like to perform more comprehensive diagnostic tools(high KVP technique, the fibroptic bronchoscopic examination, chest CT scan etc.) in patients who had the suggestive points for the tracheal tumorse(1. unexplained hemoptysis or hoarsness, 2. inspiratory wheezing or stridor, 3. wax and waning of dyspnea according to changes of position, 4. progressive asthmatics unresponsive to antiasthmatic therapy) and radical resection of tumor or external radiation therapy with curative aim as possible.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.16-21
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• 2007

Purpose: We evaluated the diagnostic value of $^{18}F-FDG$ PET/CT (PET/CT) in lymph node staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) considering calcification and histologic types as well as FDG uptake. Materials and Methods: Fifty-three patients (38 men, 15 women; mean age, 62 years) with NSCLC underwent surgical resection (tumor resection and lymph node dissection) after PET/CT. After surgery, we compared PET/CT results with the biopsy results, and analyzed lymph node metastases, based on histologic types. PET diagnosis of lymph node metastasis was determined by maximum SUV (maxSUV) > 3.0, and PET/CT diagnosis was determined by maxSUV > 3.0 without lymph node calcification. Results: By PET diagnosis, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of overall lymph node staging were 45% (13 of 29), 91% (228 of 252), and 86% (241 of 281). Specificity was 91% in both squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, while sensitivity was 71% in squamous cell carcinoma and 36% in adenocarcinoma. When we excluded calcified lymph node with maxSUV > 3.0 from metastasis by PET/CT diagnosis, specificity improved to 98% in squamous cell carcinoma and 97% in adenocarcinoma. The degree of improvement was not dependent on histologic types. Conclusion: PET/CT improved specificity of lymph node staging by reducing false positive lymph node regardless of histologic types of NSCLC.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.628-635
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• 1999

Background : Maximal expiratory flow rate is determined by the size of airway, elastic recoil pressure and the collapsibility of airway in the lung. The obstruction of expiratory flow is one of the major functional impairments of emphysema, which represents COPD. Nevertheless, expiratory narrowing of upper airway may be recruited as a mechanism for minimizing airway collapse, and maintaining lung volume and hyperinflation by an endogenous positive end-expiratory pressure in patients with airflow obstruction. We investigated the physiologic role of trachea in respiration in emphysema. Method : We included 20 patients diagnosed as emphysema by radiologic and physiologic criteria from January to August in 1997 at Seoul Municipal Boramae Hospital. Chest roentgenogram, high resolution computed tomography(HRCT), and pulmonary function tests including arterial blood gas analysis and body plethysmography were taken from each patient. Cross-sectional area of trachea was measured according to the respiratory cycle on the level of aortic arch by HRCT and calibrated with body surface area. We compared this corrected area with such parameters of pulmonary function tests as $PaCO_2$, $PaO_2$, airway resistance, lung compliance and so on. Results : Expiratory cross-sectional area of trachea had significant correlation with $PaCO_2$ (r=-0.61, p<0.05), $PaO_2$ (r=0.6, p<0.05), and minute ventilation (r=0.73, p<0.05), but inspiratory cross-sectional area did not (r=-0.22, p>0.05 with $PaCO_2$, r=0.26, p>0.05 with $PaO_2$, and r=0.44, p>0.05 with minute ventilation). Minute ventilation had significant correlation with tidal volume (r=0.45, p<0.05), but it had no significant correlation with respiratory frequency (r=-0.31, p>0.05). Cross-sectional area of trachea had no significant correlation with other parameters of pulmonary function including $FEV_1$, FVC, $FEV_1$/FVC, peak expiratory flow, residual volume, diffusing capacity, airway resistance, and lung compliance, whether the area was expiratory or inspiratory. Conclusion : Cross-sectional area of trachea narrowed during expiration in emphysema, and its expiratory area had significant correlation with $PaCO_2$, $PaO_2$, and minute ventilation.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.609-617
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• 1999

Background: The aims of this study were to assess the etiologies, survival and prognostic factors of patients with chronic cor pulmonale visited Pusan National University Hospital. Methods : This study included 103 patients with chronic cor pulmonale. There were 67 men and 36 women. The diagnosis of chronic cor pulmonale was primarily based on the presence of underlying lung disorder and echocardiographic finding of enlarged or hypertrophied right ventricle. Other clinical data including patients' symptoms and signs, findings of arterial blood gas analysis, hematologic and biochemical laboratory and pulmonary function test were assessed. Results: The most common underlying lung disorder was pulmonary tuberculosis(59.2%) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was the next(28.2%). The survival rate was 57% in one year, 45% in two years, and 34% in three years. The prognostic factors were maximal voluntary ventilation(MVV), forced vital capaoity(FVC), $FEV_1$ serum Na, vital capacity(VC), serum albumin and peak expiratory flow(PEF) in univariate analysis. And in multivariate analysis, serum albumin(p=0.0144) and VC(p=0.0078) were statistically significant. Conclusion: Pulmonary tuberculosis was the most important underlying lung disorder in chronic cor pulmonale. The survival rate was 57% in one year, 45% in two years, and 34% in three years. Serum albumin (p=0.0144) and VC(p=0.0078) were statistically significant prognostic factors.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.8
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• pp.583-589
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• 2003

With the purpose of identifying significant risk factors in poststernotomy sternal wound infection and mediastinitis, we underwent a retrospective analysis of the whole patients operated on at the our department of cardiovascular surgery for the two years. Material and Method: From March 200f to March 2003 at the depart-ment of cardiovascular surgery, medical school of Soonchunhyang University, major sternal wound infections had been developed in 12 (9.76%) of 123 consecutive patients. These patients underwent open-heart procedure through a midline sternotomy and survived long enough for infection to appear. For this group of patients, we evaluated possible risk factors such as age, sex, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obesity, interval between hospital admission and operation, type of surgical procedure, elective or emergency surgical procedure, reoperation, duration of surgical procedures, duration of cardiopulmonary bypass, amount of blood transfused, post-operative blood loss, chest reexploration, rewiring of a sterile sternal dehiscence, duration of mechanical ventilation, and days of stay in the intensive care unit and analyzed these factors. Result: Analysis represented that age, sex, diabetes mellitus, type and mode of surgical procedure, reoperation, duration of operation, duration of cardio-pulmonary bypass, and interval between hospital admission and operation were not significantly associated with wound infection. For all other predisposing factors, p-values of less than .05 were demonstrated. Eight emerged as significant: early chest reexploration (p=0.001), sternal rewiring (p< 0.0001), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (p<0.0001), blood transfusions (p<0.05), postoperative bleeding (p=0.008), days of stay in the intensive care unit (p< 0.0001), duration of mechanical ventilation (p=0.001), and obesity (p=.003). Conclusion: Contamination of pa-tients may occur before, during, and after the operation, and any kind of reintervention may predispose the patient to wound infection.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.176-183
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• 1998

Background: The total and differential cell count of bronchoalveolar lavage(BAL) fluid are useful assessing activity, prognosis and response to therapy in diffuse interstitial lung disease. But controversy exist as to the appropriate method in processing BAL fluid. Therefore we investigated the effect of gauze filtration, centrifugation and different storage time of BAL fluid on the total and differential cell count. Methods: We obtained BAL fluid from 6 persons with no active lung lesion and divided pooled BAL fluid into several siliconized glass tubes and filtered through 0, 1, 2, 4 folds of cotton guaze(pore size: 1mm), and compared total cell count using hemocytometer after trypan blue staining and differential cell count after Wright-Giemsa staining of cytocentrifuged preparations. And we also counted total and differential cell count after centrifugation(400g for 30 min) and various storage time(2hr, 24hr, and 48hr). Results: There was no difference in total and differential cell count according to folds of gauze filtraion. But without gauze filtration, mucus threads that hampered total and differential cell count were found in 2 cases (33%). Centrifugation resulted in loss of total cell count($24{\pm}18%$) without change in differential cell count. There was no change in total cell count after 2hr storage but significant cell loss was found after 24hr storage time(24hr : $28{\pm}21%$, 48hr : $41{\pm}24%$). However there was no change in differential cell count with 48hr storage time. Conclusion: Total and differential cell count of BAL fluid may be best performed after cotton gauze filtration without centrifugation and within 2 hours.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.385-391
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• 2005

Background : The incidence of nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) infections in Korea is increasing. This retrospective study was performed to examine the recovery rate of NTM from respiratory specimens as well as the isolated NTM colony characteristics, and to assess the clinical significance of a NTM isolation. Methods : The results of the respiratory specimens requested for an acid-fast bacilli (AFB) examination during 2002 at Asan Medical Center, along with the patients clinical characteristics were analyzed. Results : A total 26,820 respiratory specimens were requested for the acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear and culture during the study period. The proportion of M. tuberculosis and NTM isolation was 5.7% and 2.2%, respectively. Among the AFB smear and culture positive specimens, 12.2% were found to be NTM. The scotochromogen showing a low colony count < 20, which appeared to be contaminants, were isolated in 31.8% of the 584 NTM isolates. Excluding the low-colony scotochromogens, the M. avium-intracellulare complex was the most common NTM isolates (42.1%), and was also the most common causative organism for NTM pulmonary diseases. 8.4% (23/275) and 17.8% (49/275) of patients with NTM isolates met the American and British Thoracic Society diagnostic criteria for NTM pulmonary disease, respectively. Conclusion : In case of a positive AFB-smear or culture result, the possibility of NTM being a causative organism should always be considered, even in Korea, which has an intermediate incidence of tuberculosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.128-137
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• 1996

Background : We can diagnose pulmonary tuberculosis with sputum AFB smear and culture, but sputum AFB smear has low sensitivity and culture needs long period, and they are not available in the patients who can not expectorate effectively. Recently developed, PCR is a fast diagnostic tool in tuberculosis, but false positive and false negative are important problems. So, we studied the diagnostic value of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear, culture, PCR through the bronchoscopy. Methods : The 67 pulmonary tuberculosis patients and 43 non-pulmonary tuberculosis patients were analyzed with their sputum specimen AFB smear and culture. Also, bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage were done, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear, culture and PCR were done. Results: 1) In the cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, the sensitivity of sputum AFB smear and culture were 32.8% and 57.4%, respectively. And the sensitivity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear and culture were 47.8% and 80.6%. respectively. 2) In the cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, the sensitivity and the positive predictive value(for predicting a positive culture) of PCR were 80.6% and 81.5%, respectively. 3) In the cases of sputum AFB smear-negative and culture-negative pulmonary tuberculosis, the sensitivity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear, culture, PCR, and the positive predictive value(for predicting a positive culture) of PCR were 23.1%, 100%, 88.5%, and 82.4%, respectively. 4) The specificity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid PCR was 77.0%. 5) The median number of days between obtaining a specimen and starting therapy was 5 days for sputum AFB smear, 9 days for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear, 26 days for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid PCR, 32 days for sputum culture, 56 days for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid culture. Conclusion : The sensitivity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear and culture are higher than sputum AFB smear and culture. So, the bronchoscopy must be considered for evaluating suspected cases of pulmonary tuberculosis in patients from whom smears of expectorated sputum do not reveal mycobacteria or from whom no sputum can be obtained. Especially, combined with PCR, it is expected that pulmonary tuberculosis can be diagnosed more rapidly and more accurately, so bronchoalveolar lavage fluid APB smear and PCR can be helpful in the early treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.322-331
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• 1995

Introduction: This study was performed to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of simultaneous determination of 3 tumor markers {serum carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA), squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC Ag) and neuron specific enolase(NSE)} in lung cancer patients. Method: In 113 patients with primary lung cancer(70 with squamous cell carcinoma, 30 with adenocarcinoma, 13 with small cell carcinoma) and 103 patients with benign lung diseases, serum CEA and NSE were measured by enzyme immunoassay, and SCC Ag was measured by microparticle enzyme immunoassay. Results: 1) The mean serum levels of 3 tumor markers were significantly higher in lung cancer groups than benign lung disease groups respectively(p=0.001). 2) In squamous cell carcinoma, the SCC Ag was elevated in 67%, in adenocarcinoma CEA was elevated in 77% and in small cell carcinoma NSE was elevated in 77%, but there were no significant differences according to the stage of each cancer cell types. 3) CEA was the most sensitive marker, but nonspecific to cancer types. SCC Ag was less sensitive than other markers, but more specific toward squamous cell carcinoma, and NSE was more specific to primary lung cancer. 4) As the number of positive tumor markers was increased, the relative possibility of lung cancer was also increased. If two markers were positive, it increased to 77%, and if three markers were positive it increased to 90%. Conclusion: The simultaneous measurement of serum CEA, SCC Ag and NSE would provide additional information for the diagnosis of lung cancer.