• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제71권3호
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• pp.221-224
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• 2011

Poncet's disease is an aseptic polyarthritis developing in the presence of active Tuberculosis occurring elsewhere, and is not due to direct involvement of joints but to an immunological reaction to tuberculoprotein. We experienced a case of Poncet's disease accompanying erythema nodosum in a 55-year-old female patient with pulmonary tuberculosis. She had multiple tender erythematous nodules on both lower limbs for 3 months and a cough and sputum from one month ago. She felt severe pain in both knees and ankles with swelling one week before admission. Her chest X-ray, computed tomography (CT) scan and positive sputum AFB stain results revealed that she had active pulmonary tuberculosis accompanying erythema nodosum and aseptic polyarthritis. Her arthritis and erythema nodosum were dramatically improved within four weeks after anti-tuberculosis therapy. We report a case of Poncet's disease in pulmonary tuberculosis accompanying erythema nodosum.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제84권3호
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• pp.188-199
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• 2021

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. This study aimed to assess the relationship between telomere length and the risk of COPD, lung function, respiratory symptoms, and emphysema index in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Dusty Areas (CODA) cohort. Methods: We extracted DNA from the peripheral blood samples of 446 participants, including 285 COPD patients and 161 control participants. We measured absolute telomere length using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. All participants underwent spirometry and quantitative computed tomography scan. Questionnaires assessing respiratory symptoms and the COPD Assessment Test was filled by all the participants. Results: The mean age of participants at the baseline visit was 72.5±7.1 years. Males accounted for 72% (321 participants) of the all participants. The mean telomere length was lower in the COPD group compared to the non-COPD group (COPD, 16.81±13.90 kb; non-COPD, 21.97±14.43 kb). In COPD patients, 112 (75.7%) were distributed as tertile 1 (shortest), 91 (61.1%) as tertile 2 and 82 (55%) as tertile 3 (longest). We did not find significant associations between telomere length and lung function, exacerbation, airway wall thickness, and emphysema index after adjusting for sex, age, and smoking status. Conclusion: In this study, the relationship between various COPD phenotypes and telomere length was analyzed, but no significant statistical associations were shown.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제31권5호
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• pp.484-495
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• 2023

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) can be defined as a progressive chronic pulmonary disease showing scarring in the lung parenchyma, thereby resulting in increase in mortality and decrease in the quality of life. The pathophysiologic mechanism of fibrosis in IPF is still unclear. Repetitive microinjuries to alveolar epithelium with genetical predisposition and an abnormal restorative reaction accompanied by excessive deposition of collagens are involved in the pathogenesis. Although the two FDA-approved drugs, pirfenidone and nintedanib, are under use for retarding the decline in lung function of patients suffered from IPF, they are not able to improve the survival rate or quality of life. Therefore, a novel therapeutic agent acting on the major steps of the pathogenesis of disease and/or, at least, managing the clinical symptoms of IPF should be developed for the effective regulation of this incurable disease. In the present review, we tried to find a potential of managing the clinical symptoms of IPF by natural products derived from medicinal plants used for controlling the pulmonary inflammatory diseases in traditional Asian medicine. A multitude of natural products have been reported to exert an antifibrotic effect in vitro and in vivo through acting on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition pathway, transforming growth factor (TGF)- β-induced intracellular signaling, and the deposition of extracellular matrix. However, clinical antifibrotic efficacy of these natural products on IPF have not been elucidated yet. Thus, those effects should be proven by further examinations including the randomized clinical trials, in order to develop the ideal and optimal candidate for the therapeutics of IPF.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제63권4호
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• pp.331-336
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• 2007

연구배경: 결핵은 호흡기를 통한 전염성 질환이지만 말초혈액에서 결핵균 PCR이 양성이거나 결핵균이 배양된 보고가 일부 있었다. 이는 결핵의 진단에 있어서의 유용성과 헌혈을 통한 결핵의 전염 가능성의 두 가지 문제를 제기하게 되었고, 저자들은 상기 문제들에 대한 향후 연구방향의 기초자료로 사용하고자 연구를 시행하여 보았다. 방법: 속립성 결핵이 아닌 폐결핵, 비결핵항산균 폐질환, 폐암 및 폐렴 환자 69명을 대상으로 말초혈액에서 결핵균 PCR을 시행하였고, 결핵균이 많을 것으로 추정되는 10명의 폐결핵 환자의 말초혈액을 대상으로 결핵균 배양을 시행하였다. 결핵균 PCR은 nested PCR을 이용한 TB-taq (M&D, Korea)을 이용하였고 혈액배양에는 BACTEC Myco/F Lytic 혈액배양병(Becton Dickinson, Sparks, Md)을 사용하였다. 결과: 결핵균 PCR을 시행한 환자는 69명으로 각각 폐결핵 35명, 비결핵항산균 폐질환 6명, 폐암 20명, 폐렴 8명이었다. 폐렴이나 폐암 환자 28명 모두에서 PCR은 음성이었고, 비결핵항산균 폐질환 6명 중 1명(16.7%), 폐결핵 35명 중 8명(22.8%)에서 양성이었다. 혈액 배양은 폐결핵 10명 모두에서 음성이었다. 결론: 미만성 결핵이 동반되지 않은 폐결핵 환자의 말초혈액에서 결핵균의 DNA가 검출됨을 확인할 수 있었으나 균배양이 되지 않는 것으로 보아 살아있는 균이 존재하기 보다는 균의 일부 성분만 존재할 가능성을 제시하였다.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제60권2호
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• pp.235-238
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• 2006

외인성 지방 흡인에 의한 지방성 폐렴은 대부분 양성의 경과를 취하지만, 본 증례에서처럼 드물게 심한 호흡 부전을 동반할 수도 있으며, 스테로이드 치료에 호전을 보인 1예를 경험하여 이를 보고하는 바이다.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제78권3호
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• pp.203-209
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• 2015

Background: Induced sputum (IS) has been used to collect airway secretions in subjects who have inadequate sputum production. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of IS for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in adults unable to expectorate sputum. Methods: Medical records of 39 PTB patients who underwent IS due to absence of spontaneous sputum production between January 2011 and March 2014 at a tertiary hospital in South Korea were reviewed. Results of acid fast bacilli smear, Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture and polymerase chain reaction assay for M. tuberculosis (TB-PCR) of IS specimens from these patients were analyzed. Clinical and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) characteristics were also analyzed to find characteristics associated with IS culture positivity. Results: Of the 39 IS specimens from PTB patients, 7 (17.9%) were smear positive and 31 (79.5%) were culture positive. Twenty-four IS specimens were tested for TB-PCR and 13 (54.2%) were positive on TB-PCR. Multivariate analysis showed that younger age (p=0.04) and presence of tree-in-bud appearance on HRCT (p=0.03) were independent predictors of IS culture positivity. Conclusion: IS is useful for the diagnosis of PTB in adults unable to expectorate sputum. Younger age and tree-in-bud appearance on HRCT were associated with IS culture positivity in these patients.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제74권5호
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• pp.215-221
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• 2013

Background: Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are considered opportunistic pathogens, and several species of NTM are associated with human diseases that typically involve the pulmonary, skin/soft tissue, or lymphatic systems; such infection may also cause disseminated diseases. Recent studies have reported increasing rates of NTM-induced disease worldwide. Methods: Respiratory samples are being analyzed for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) culture and NTM identification at Dankook University Hospital in Cheonan, Korea, from September 2005 to September 2011. Identification is performed by using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis targeting a novel region of the rpoB gene. Results: A total of 25,133 specimens were received for AFB culture, of which 1,014 (4.0%) were NTM-positive. A total of 267 samples from 186 patients were tested for NTM identifications, and 232 samples from 157 patients were positive for NTM species. Among the patients who tested positive for NTM, 65.6% were men and the average age was 63.3 years. Mycobacterium avium complex, the most commonly detected NTM pathogen, was found in 65.9% of the 232 samples. The annual average percentage of NTM isolates from AFB culture-positive specimens was 31.3%: the highest rate was seen in 2011 (44.3%), followed by 2009 (37.4%) and 2010 (37.2%). An upward trend in NTM incidence was found during the study period. Conclusion: The prevalence of pulmonary NTM isolates continues to increase in Cheonan, suggesting that pulmonary NTM disease is becoming increasingly common.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• 제40권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 2007

배경: 심장판막 및 그 주변의 큰 혈관들의 내피세포는 다른 부위와 달리 훨씬 완화된 면역 반응을 보이는 것에 착안하여, 고정액이나 면역학적 처치를 거치지 않은 이종 판막의 대동맥 판막의 임상적 유용성을 돼지-염소 간 이종 폐동맥 판막도관 이식 실험을 통해 알아보고자 하였다. 대상 및 방법: 돼지 폐동맥 판막도관은 특별한 면역학적 처치를 거치지 않은 채 준비하여 인공심폐기 가동 하에 염소의 우심실 유출로에 이식하였다. 염소들은 군당 2마리씩 배정하여 이식 후 하루, 1주, 3개월, 6개월, 12개월 동안 각각 관찰하였다. 실험동물을 희생하기 전 심초음파검사를 시행하여 판막의 움직임을 관찰하였고, 이종 장기를 적출한 후 판막도관의 조직학적 변화를 관찰하였다. 결과: 총 12마리 중 10마리에서 정해진 기간 동안 생존하였다. 이식된 폐동맥의 전벽의 동맥류가 12개월과 3개월 관찰한 각각 한 마리의 염소에서 발견되었다. 심초음파 검사에서는 다양한 정도의 폐동맥 판막 폐쇄부전의 소견을 보였으나 판막의 협착이나 혈전형성, 증식증은 관찰되지 않았다. 조직학적 관찰에서 이식 세포의 핵은 핵농축 및 핵융해를 통해 없어졌지만, 이식된 이종 판막도관의 세 구역(폐동맥, 폐동맥 판막, 누두부)은 구조가 보존되면서 점차적으로 시간에 따라 숙주 세포로 대체되었다. 결론: 면역학적 처리를 거치지 않은 이종 폐동맥 판막도관이 돼지-염소 간 이종 이식실험에서 다소의 문제점이 발견되기는 하였지만 성공적으로 숙주 세포로 대체되어 기존의 조직판막의 대안이 될 가능성을 제시하였다.

• 한국임상수의학회지
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• 제38권6호
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• pp.269-273
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• 2021

A dog was presented with a cough, dyspnea, nasal discharge, gagging, and exercise intolerance. The dog showed leukocytosis, peripheral eosinophilia, and an increase C-reactive protein. The radiographic findings noted bronchointerstitial infiltration, intrathoracic lymphadenopathy, and soft tissue opacity mass. Computed tomography findings showed thickening of the bronchus and bronchiole. Also, peri-bronchial consolidation and generalized intrathoracic lymphadenopathy was present. On blind bronchoalveolar lavage and pulmonary cytology, there were significantly increased eosinophils. Canine pulmonary respiratory pathogens from a real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis was negative. Consequently, the dog was diagnosed with eosinophilic bronchopneumopathy. Clinical signs improved significantly within a few days after treatment with an oral corticosteroid.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제73권5호
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• pp.266-272
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• 2012

Background: Limited data on the incidence and clinical characteristics of adult pertussis infections are available in Korea. Methods: Thirty-one hospitals and the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collaborated to investigate the incidence and clinical characteristics of pertussis infections among adults with a bothersome cough in non-outbreak, ordinary outpatient settings. Nasopharyngeal aspirates or nasopharyngeal swabs were collected for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and culture tests. Results: The study enrolled 934 patients between September 2009 and April 2011. Five patients were diagnosed as confirmed cases, satisfying both clinical and laboratory criteria (five positive PCR and one concurrent positive culture). Among 607 patients with cough duration of at least 2 weeks, 504 satisfied the clinical criteria of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (i.e., probable case). The clinical pertussis cases (i.e., both probable and confirmed cases) had a wide age distribution ($45.7{\pm}15.5$ years) and cough duration (median, 30 days; interquartile range, 18.0~50.0 days). In addition, sputum, rhinorrhea, and myalgia were less common and dyspnea was more common in the clinical cases, compared to the others (p=0.037, p=0.006, p=0.005, and p=0.030, respectively). Conclusion: The positive rate of pertussis infection may be low in non-outbreak, ordinary clinical settings if a PCR-based method is used. However, further prospective, well-designed, multicenter studies are needed.