• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.80 no.3
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• pp.277-283
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• 2017

Background: Smoking cessation is the most powerful intervention to modify progress of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and nicotine dependence is one of the most important determinants of success or failure in smoking cessation. We evaluated nicotine dependence status and investigated factors associated with moderate to high nicotine dependence in patients with COPD. Methods: We included 53 current smokers with COPD in the Korean Obstructive Lung Disease II cohort enrolled between January 2014 and March 2016. Nicotine dependence was measured by using Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence (FTND). Cognitive function was assessed by Korean version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Results: The median FTND score was 3, and 32 patients (60%) had moderate to high nicotine dependence. The median smoking amount was 44 pack-years, which was not related to nicotine dependence. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that high education status (odds ratio, 1.286; 95% confidence interval, 1.036-1.596; p=0.023), age <70 (odds ratio, 6.407; 95% confidence interval, 1.376-29.830; p=0.018), and mild to moderate airflow obstruction (odds ratio, 6.969; 95% confidence interval, 1.388-34.998; p=0.018) were related to moderate to high nicotine dependence. Conclusion: Nicotine dependence does not correlate with smoking amount, but with education level, age, and severity of airflow obstruction. Physicians should provide different strategies of smoking cessation intervention for current smokers with COPD according to their education levels, age, and severity of airflow obstruction.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2005

Background : Chronic obstructive lung disease is characterized by smoke-related, gradually progressive, fixed airflow obstructions. However, some studies suggested that a reversible bronchial obstruction is common in chronic obstructive lung disease. Such reversibility persists despite the continued treatment with aerosolized bronchodilators and it appears to be related to the diminution in symptoms. The isolated volume response to a bronchodilator is defined as a remarkable increase in the FVC in response to the administration of a bronchodilator whereas the $FEV_1$ remains unchanged. This has been suggested in patients with severe emphysema. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the response to a bronchodilator and the severity of an airflow obstruction in COPD patients using the GOLD classification. Methods : This study examined 124 patients with an airway obstruction. The patients underwent spirometry, and the severity of the airflow obstruction was classified by GOLD. The response groups were categorized by an improvement in the FVC or $FEV_1$ > 12%, and each group was analyzed. Results : Most subjects were men with a mean age of $65.9{\pm}8.5$ years. The mean smoking history was $41.26{\pm}20.1$ pack years. The isolated volume response group had relatively low $FEV_1$ and FVC values compared with the other groups. (p<0.001) Conclusion : In this study, an isolated volume response to a bronchodilator is a characteristic of a severe airway obstruction, which is observed in patient with a relatively poorer baseline lung function.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.377-387
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• 1996

Background : In 1980, WHO made a definition in which the term "impairment" as applied to the respiratory system is used to describe loss of lung function, "disability" the resulting diminution in exercise capacity. The measurement of pulmonary function during exercise would give us information about overall functional capacity and respiratory performance that would be lacking in tests performed at rest. We conducted this study to investigate the role of resting pulmonary function test and exercise test for assessing impairment/disability in patients with chronic airflow obstruction(CAO). Method : We studied 19 patients with CAO. The spirometry and body plethysmograph were performed in stable condition. And then patients performed a progressive incremental exercise test to a symptom-limited maximum using cycle ergometer. Patients were divided in two groups, severe and non-severe impairment, according to the resting PFTs and compaired each other. A patient was considered to be severely impaired if FVC < 50 %, FEV1 < 40 % or FEV1/FVC < 40 %. Results : 1) The airway obstruction and hypoxemia of severe impairment group were more severe and exercise performance was markedly reduced compairing to non-severe impairment group. 2) The severe impairment group showed ventilatory limitation during exercise test and the limiting symptomes ware dyspnea in 9/10 patients. 3) The impairment and disability of the patients with tuberculous destructed lung were most marked in patients with CAO. 4) The FEV1 was the most prevalent criterion for the determination of severe impairment based on resting PFTs and was the valuable best correlated to V02max(r=0.81, p < 0.001). 5) The sensitivity of exercise limits for predicting severe disability according to resting PFTs was 80 % and specificity 89 %. Conclusion : In patients with severe CAO, FEV1 is a good predictive of exercise performance and impairment measured by resting PFTs can predict a disability by exercise test.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.589-597
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• 2015

It has been reported that overexpression of MUC5AC induced by excessive inflammation leads to airway obstruction in respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. 15-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) has been reported to have anti-inflammatory effects, but the role of 15-HETE in respiratory inflammation has not been determined. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of 15-HETE on MUC5AC expression and related pathways. In this study, phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) was used to stimulate NCI-H292 bronchial epithelial cells in order to examine the effects of 15-HETE. 15-HETE inhibited PMA-induced expression of MUC5AC mRNA and secretion of MUC5AC protein. Moreover, 15-HETE regulated matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9), mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). In addition, 15-HETE decreased the nuclear translocation of specificity protein-1 (Sp-1) transcription factor and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB). Furthermore, 15-HETE enhanced the transcriptional activity of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) as a PPARγ agonist. This activity reduced the phosphorylation of protein kinase B (PΚB/Akt) by increasing the expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). In conclusion, 15-HETE regulated MUC5AC expression via modulating MMP-9, MEK/ERK/Sp-1, and PPARγ/PTEN/Akt signaling pathways in PMA-treated respiratory epithelial cells.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.86 no.3
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• pp.158-165
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• 2023

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease that is characterized by variable airflow obstruction. The Korean Asthma Study Group of the Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases has recently updated the Korean Asthma Guideline. This review summarizes the updated Korean Asthma Guideline. Asthma prevalence is increasing worldwide, and in Korea. Variable airflow obstruction can be confirmed by bronchodilator response or other tests, and should be established prior to the controller medication. A low-dose inhaled corticosteroid-formoterol is used to alleviate symptoms in all treatment step, and it can be used as a controller as well as reliever in steps 3-5. This approach is preferred, because it reduces the risk of severe exacerbations, compared to the use of short-acting β2-agonist as reliever. In severe asthma, phenotype/endotype based on the underlying inflammation should be evaluated. For type 2 severe asthma, the biologics should be considered.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.81 no.4
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• pp.289-298
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• 2018

Background: Obstructive airway disease patients with increased variability of airflow and incompletely reversible airflow obstruction are often categorized as having asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap syndrome (ACOS). ACOS is heterogeneous with two sub-phenotypes: asthma-ACOS and COPD-ACOS. The objective of this study was to determine the difference in risk of exacerbation between the two sub-phenotypes of ACOS. Methods: A total of 223 patients exhibiting incompletely reversible airflow obstruction with increased variability (spirometrically defined ACOS) were enrolled. These patients were divided into asthma-ACOS and COPD-ACOS according to their physician's diagnosis and smoking history of 10 pack-years. Within-group comparisons were made for asthma-ACOS versus COPD-ACOS and light smokers versus heavy smokers. Results: Compared to patients with COPD-ACOS, patients with asthma-ACOS experienced exacerbation more often despite their younger age, history of light smoking, and better lung function. While the light-smoking group showed better lung function, they made unscheduled outpatient clinic visits more frequently. On multivariate analysis, asthma-ACOS and poor inhaler compliance were significantly associated with more than two unscheduled clinic visits during the previous year. Conclusion: Spirometrically defined ACOS includes heterogeneous subgroups with different clinical features. Phenotyping of ACOS by physician's diagnosis could be significant in predicting future risk of exacerbation.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.238-243
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• 1996

Aspiration of foreign bodies into the tracheobronchial tree is unusual in adults and it may result in Proximal airway obstruction and acute life-threatening asphyxia. It can be diagnosed by history of aspiration or visualizing the foreign body by chest roentgenogram or bronchoscopy. But it is rarely considered in adults with subacute or chronic respiratory symptoms without a definite history which suggests an aspiration. A 70-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital due to productive cough for two months and dyspnea which aggravated since the day before admission. Chest X-ray showed Pneumonic infiltration on left upper lobe and right lower lobe. Despite several days of conventional therapy, the patient complained of severe dyspnea and wheezing. We performed chest CT to rule out endobronchial stenosis, and it revealed the narrowing of left main stem bronchus compatible with endobronchial tuberculosis. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy for confirmation disclosed a $3.2{\times}0.7{\times}0.2$cm sized foreign body located longitudinally at the left main stem bronchus. We removed it with alligator forcep and it proved In be a piece of artificial denture. The patient remembered losing it while severe coughing on the day before admission. The microscopic examination of bronchial washing fluid revealed numerous acid fast bacilli. After removal of the foreign body, the patient showed marked improvement in symptom and pulmonary function test. Here we report a case of Pulmonary aspiration of foreign body which is confused with endobronchial tuberculosis with a review of the literature.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.189-193
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• 2011

The advent and wide use of antibiotics have decreased the incidence of deep neck infection. When a deep neck infection does occur, however, it can be the cause of significant morbidity and death, resulting in airway obstruction, mediastinitis, pericarditis, epidural abscesses, and major vessel erosion. In our clinic, a patient with diffuse chronic osteomyelitis of mandible and fascial space abscess and necrotic fasciitis due to odontogenic infection at the time of first visit came. We successfully treated the patient by early diagnosis using contrast-enhanced CT and follow up dressing through the appropriate use of radiographic images.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.249-258
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• 2015

Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea are the representative sleep disordered breathings, caused by the temporary and repetitive constriction or obstruction of upper airway during sleep. They present with excessively vibratory noise and repetitive cease of respiration. These disorders commonly result in sleep disturbance and the subsequent daytime sleepiness, chronic fatigue. Furthermore, they can cause the serious and extensive complications including increased risk of hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular accident, neurocognitive disturbance, traffic and occupational accidents, type II diabetes, childhood growth interruption, awakening headache and finally, relatively increased mortality rate. Because appropriate therapeutic intervention is best way for patients to relieve their symptoms and prevent their possible complications, it is very important for dentists to recognize their own role and responsibility in diagnosis and treatment of these disorders. For this, the present article provides the understanding of the clinical features, possible complications, various treatment modalities, and suitable treatment strategies for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.52-58
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• 1998

BACKGROUND： Aspiration is defined as the laryngeal penetration of secretions below the level of the true vocal cords. Aspiration can result in life-threatening complications, such as bronchospasm, airway obstruction, pneumonia, pulmonary abscess, sepsis, and death. The patient with high vagal palsy had significant aspiration and dysphagia OBJECTIVE： To formulate a step-by-step management paradign for the patients with high vagal palsy MATERIALS AND METHODS : The medical records of 23 patients who were diagnosed as high vagal palsy from September, 1995 to April, 1998 in Seoul National University Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. Eleven patients were managed conservatively and 12 patients were operated to treat chronic aspiration. RESULTS : The main etiologies of high vagal palsy were mass lesions of the skull base such as neurogenic tumor, pseudotumor, meningioma or nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Aspiration and dysphagia improved in 7 out of 11 patients who were managed conservatively after 2.2 months on the average. The patients who were refractory to the conservative management underwent surgery and showed improvement in 10 out of 12 patients. The employed surgical modalities were vocal cord medialization combined with cricopharyngeal myotomy in 7 patients, laryngotracheal separation in 3 patients and arytenoid adduction only in 2 patients. Two patients still had gastrostomy tube due to the persistent symptoms. Two patients had improved after surgery, but died of underlying disease. CONCLUSION : The patients with high vagal palsy are recommended to be managed conservatively for the first 2 months. If aspiration and dysphagia are persisting after conservative management, vocal cord medialization combined with or without cricopharyngeal myotomy should be considered. If failed, laryngotracheal separation or gastrostomy will be the next option based on the control of the oropharyngeal secretion.