• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.203-216
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• 2011

Objectives : This study was conducted to evaluate the protective effects of bee venom on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods : In this study, LPS was administrated to Balb/c mice to induce a disease that resembles COPD. 2 hr prior to LPS administration, mice were treated with bee venom via an intraperitoneal injection. Total cell number and neutrophils number in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were counted and pro-inflammatory cytokines were also measured. For histologic analysis, periodic acid Schiff (PAS) and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stains were evaluated. Proliferating cell nuclear antigens (PCNA) were also assessed by immunohistochemistry. Results : On 7 days after LPS stimulation, influx of neutrophils significantly decreased in the bee venom group, compared with the COPD group. In addition, TNF-a and IL-6 levels decreased in bee venom group. Histological results also demonstrated the attenuation effect of bee venom on LPS-induced lung inflammation. Conclusions : These data suggest that bee venom has protective effects on LPS-induced lung inflammation. Therefore, bee venom may represent a novel therapeutic agent for lung inflammation and in particular for COPD.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.329-342
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• 2018

Nomogram is a statistical tool that visualizes the risk factors of the disease and then helps to understand the untrained people. This study used risk factors of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and compared with logistic regression model and naïve Bayesian classifier model. Data were analyzed using the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 6th (2013-2015). First, we used 6 risk factors about COPD. We constructed nomogram using logistic regression model and naïve Bayesian classifier model. We also compared the nomograms constructed using the two methods to find out which method is more appropriate. The receiver operating characteristic curve and the calibration plot were used to verify each nomograms.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.1104-1113
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• 2020

Objective: To assess the regional ventilation in patients with asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap syndrome (ACOS) using xenon-ventilation dual-energy CT (DECT), and to compare it to that in patients with COPD. Materials and Methods: Twenty-one patients with ACOS and 46 patients with COPD underwent xenon-ventilation DECT. The ventilation abnormalities were visually determined to be 1) peripheral wedge/diffuse defect, 2) diffuse heterogeneous defect, 3) lobar/segmental/subsegmental defect, and 4) no defect on xenon-ventilation maps. Emphysema index (EI), airway wall thickness (Pi10), and mean ventilation values in the whole lung, peripheral lung, and central lung areas were quantified and compared between the two groups using the Student's t test. Results: Most patients with ACOS showed the peripheral wedge/diffuse defect (n = 14, 66.7%), whereas patients with COPD commonly showed the diffuse heterogeneous defect and lobar/segmental/subsegmental defect (n = 21, 45.7% and n = 20, 43.5%, respectively). The prevalence of ventilation defect patterns showed significant intergroup differences (p < 0.001). The quantified ventilation values in the peripheral lung areas were significantly lower in patients with ACOS than in patients with COPD (p = 0.045). The quantified Pi10 was significantly higher in patients with ACOS than in patients with COPD (p = 0.041); however, EI was not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion: The ventilation abnormalities on the visual and quantitative assessments of xenon-ventilation DECT differed between patients with ACOS and patients with COPD. Xenon-ventilation DECT may demonstrate the different physiologic changes of pulmonary ventilation in patients with ACOS and COPD.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.50-57
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• 2008

Pulmonary hypertension is an increase in blood pressure in the pulmonary artery, pulmonary vein or pulmonary capillaries. Depending on the cause, pulmonary hypertension can be a severe disease with markedly decreased exercise tolerance and right-sided heart failure. Pulmonary hypertension can present as one of five different types: arterial, venous, hypoxic, thromboembolic, or miscellaneous. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with severe pulmonary hypertension is a rare disease. A 52-year-old man presented with a complaint of aggravating dyspnea. The mean pulmonary arterial pressure was 61.5 mmHg by Doppler echocardiogram. The patient was prescribed diuretics, digoxin, bronchodilator, sildenafil, bosentan and an oxygen supply. However, he ultimately died of cor pulmonale. Thus, diagnosis and early combination therapy are important.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.80 no.3
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• pp.230-240
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• 2017

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) results in high morbidity and mortality among patients both domestically and globally. The Korean clinical practice guideline for COPD was revised in 2014. It was drafted by the members of the Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases, as well as participating members of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, Korean Physicians' Association, and Korea Respiration Trouble Association. This revised guideline covers a wide range of topics, including the epidemiology, diagnosis, assessment, monitoring, management, exacerbation, and comorbidities of COPD in Korea. We drafted a guideline on COPD management by performing systematic reviews on the topic of management with the help of a meta-analysis expert. We expect this guideline will be helpful medical doctors treating patients with respiratory conditions, other health care professionals, and government personnel in South Korea.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.87 no.3
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• pp.252-260
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• 2024

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects close to 400 million people worldwide and is the 3rd leading cause of mortality. It is a heterogeneous disorder with multiple endophenotypes, each driven by specific molecular networks and processes. Therapeutic discovery in COPD has lagged behind other disease areas owing to a lack of understanding of its pathobiology and scarcity of biomarkers to guide therapies. Single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is a powerful new tool to identify important cellular and molecular networks that play a crucial role in disease pathogenesis. This paper provides an overview of the scRNA-seq technology and its application in COPD and the lessons learned to date from scRNA-seq experiments in COPD.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.83 no.2
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• pp.107-115
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• 2020

Aging is often viewed as a progressive decline in fitness due to cumulative deleterious alterations of biological functions in the living system. Recently, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying aging biology has significantly advanced. Interestingly, many of the pivotal molecular features of aging biology are also found to contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic lung disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, for which advanced age is the most crucial risk factor. Thus, an enhanced understanding of how molecular features of aging biology are intertwined with the pathobiology of these aging-related lung disorders has paramount significance and may provide an opportunity for the development of novel therapeutics for these major unmet medical needs. To serve the purpose of integrating molecular understanding of aging biology with pulmonary medicine, in this review, recent findings obtained from the studies of aging-associated lung disorders are summarized and interpreted through the perspective of molecular biology of aging.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.86 no.3
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• pp.196-202
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• 2023

Background: The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) update 2023 proposed new definitions of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and COPD exacerbation. However, an agreement on the definitions has not been made, either internationally or domestically. This study aimed to reach an agreement between experts on the new definitions of COPD and COPD exacerbation in South Korea. Methods: A modified Delphi method was used to make an agreement on the definitions of COPD and COPD exacerbation proposed by the GOLD update 2023. We performed two rounds of the survey including 15 Korean experts on COPD, asthma, and tuberculosis. Results: More than two-thirds of the experts agreed on 12 of the 13 statements related to the definitions of COPD and COPD exacerbation in the two rounds of the survey. The experts agreed on the definitions of COPD and COPD exacerbation that should be revised in line with the definitions proposed by the GOLD update 2023. However, the experts showed an uncertain opinion on the statement that the definition of COPD includes patients with persistent airflow obstruction due to bronchiectasis. Conclusion: Based on this Delphi survey, experts' agreement was made on the definitions of COPD and COPD exacerbation proposed by the GOLD update 2023.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.85 no.2
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• pp.101-110
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• 2022

There is a considerable number of individuals who exhibit features of both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), defined as asthma-COPD overlap (ACO). Many studies have reported that these patients have a greater burden of symptoms, including cough and dyspnea, and experience more exacerbations and hospitalizations than those with non-ACO COPD or asthma. Although diagnostic criteria for ACO have not yet been clearly established, their clinical significance remains to be determined. As interest in ACO grows, related studies have been conducted in South Korea as well. The present review summarizes ACO-related studies in South Korea to better understand Korean ACO patients and guide further research. Several cohort studies of asthma and COPD and population-based studies for ACO were reviewed and the key results from demographics, clinical features, lung function, biomarkers, treatment, and prognosis were summarized.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.105-110
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• 2000

Pulmonary aspergillosis is classified as a saprophytic, allergic, and invasive disease. Chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis is categorized as an invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Most invasive pulmonary aspergillosis have acute and toxic clinical features but chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis is characterized by a subacute infection, most commonly seen in patients with altered local defense system from preexisting pulmonary disease or in mild immunocompromised patients. Pulmonary artery aneurysm due to this infection is termed as a mycotic aneurysm, etiology of which are tuberculosis, syphilis, bacteria and fungus. We report a case of chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis complicating pulmonary aneurysm in a 62 year-old man who was presented with cough, sputum, and fever. Chest radiographs showed a rapid, progressive cavitary lesion and pulmonary artery aneurysm. Angioinvasion of asper gillus was revealed by pathology after operative removal of left upper lobe containing the pulmonary artery aneurysm. He was treated with itraconazole.