• 대한세포병리학회지
• /
• 제15권2호
• /
• pp.75-80
• /
• 2004

To analyze the accuracy and usefulness of sputum cytology as a screening method, 103 cases of histologically proven lung cancer registered from 1998 to 2000 at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital were retrospectively examined. We reviewed the original cytologic and surgical diagnoses for the cases, and the cytology slides of all cytologically negative cases. The overall sensitivity of sputum cytology was 0.83 ; the sensitivity of prebronchoscopy sputum cytology for bronchogenic carcinoma was 0.87. Central tumor location (P=0.002), tumor size (>2.4 cm), (P=0.027) and the number of sputum samples $(\geq3)$ (P=0.001) were associated with a positive cytologic diagnosis. Of the 18 cytologically negative cases, 9 cases(38% of smears) were determined to be insufficient for diagnosis, due strictly to low cellularity and saliva. After a review of the cytology slides of cytologically negative cases, we identified several atypical clusters in one case of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma. This negativity was thus attributed to an interpretation error (1/18, 5.6%). Our results suggest that its sensitivity is more strongly related to the specimen adequacy and the times of sampling than to interpretation error. In terms of sensitivity, specificity, accessibility, cost, and morbidity associated with the screening tests, sputum cytology was found to be an accurate effective screening method for lung cancer.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• 제83권3호
• /
• pp.175-184
• /
• 2020

Quantitative sputum cytometry facilitates in assessing the nature of bronchitis associated with exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This is not assessed in most clinical trials that evaluate the effectiveness of strategies to prevent or to treat exacerbations. While up to a quarter of exacerbations may be associated with raised eosinophil numbers, the vast majority of exacerbations are associated with neutrophilic bronchitis that may indicate airway infections. While eosinophilia may be a predictor of response to corticosteroids (oral and inhaled), the limited efficacy of anti-interleukin 5 therapies would suggest that eosinophils may not directly contribute to those exacerbations. However, they may contribute to airspace enlargement in patients with COPD through various mechanisms involving the interleukin 13 and matrix metalloprotease pathways. The absence of eosinophils may facilitate in limiting the unnecessary use of corticosteroids. The presence of neutrophiia could prompt an investigation for the specific pathogens in the airway. Additionally, sputum measurements may also provide insight into the mechanisms of susceptibility to airway infections. Iron within sputum macrophages, identified by hemosiderin staining (and by more direct quantification) may impair macrophage functions while the low levels of immunoglobulins in sputum may also contribute to airway infections. The assessment of sputum at the time of exacerbations thus would facilitate in customizing treatment and treat current exacerbations and reduce future risk of exacerbations.

• 대한임상검사과학회지
• /
• 제41권4호
• /
• pp.189-195
• /
• 2009

Lung cancer is a type of cancer with high mortality; its 5-year survival rate is at a low 14%. Related cytological tests include sputum, bronchial brushing, bronchial washing and fine needle aspiration cytology test etc. From the test specimens in which sputum, bronchial brushing, bronchial washing, and fine needle aspiration cytology were performed, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy between cytology test and histology test. In the sputum test, sensitivity was 27.71% and specificity was 98.02%, and the bronchial brushing test showed sensitivity of 93.33% and a specificity of 91.3%. The bronchial washing test was a sensitivity of 53.7% and its specificity was 98.9%, and the fine needle aspiration cytology test showed sensitivity and specificity were 88.46% and 72.97%, respectively. In the specimens diagnosed as normal at the sputum test, malignant diagnosis was found in 21 specimens of bronchial brushing, 30 cases of bronchial washings and 37 cases of fine needle aspiration cytology specimens. In the specimens diagnosed as normal at the bronchial washing test, malignant diagnosis was found in 5 specimens of sputum, 7 specimens of bronchial brushin and 1 cases of fine needle aspiration cytology. One specimens found to be normal in fine needle aspiration cytology turned out to maligant in sputum test. The result of this research shows that, in diagnosis lung cancer, a test method of high sensitivity and specificity should be pursued. However, depending on the location and malignancy of the illness, diagnosis may not be obtained in some cases. Therefore, we conclude that the cytological tests performed for lung cancer testing such as sputum, bronchial brushing, bronchial washing, and fine needle aspiration cytology should be carried out in a mutually complementary manner.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• 제67권6호
• /
• pp.517-527
• /
• 2009

Background: Bronchiectasis (BE) remains a rare respiratory disease in Korea. This retrospective study was done to investigate the potential pathogenic microorganisms (PPMs) that cause in patients with BE, through the use of sputum specimens. Methods: One hundred eleven adult patients, who had undergone chest computed tomography (CT), sputum gram stain/culture, and BE detected by chest CT, were included in this study. Sputum adequacy was determined by using Murray-Washington classification. Results: The mean (${\pm}$SD) age of patients was 60.9 (${\pm}$14.0). The number of PPMs was 167 (67%) in the total 248 isolated organisms. The most frequent PPMs were P. aeruginosa (23.4%), K. pneumoniae (10.5%), and S. aureus (8.4%). The proportion of adequate sputum (AS) was 25.8% in the total sputum specimens. The patients with AS were 41 (37%) and the patients with inadequate sputum (IS) were 70 (63%). The proportion of P. aeruginosa was higher in AS compared to that of IS (44% vs. 19%, p=0.004). The BE score was also higher in P. aeruginosa (+) patients compared to that of P. aeruginosa (-) patients (10.8 vs. 7.6, p=0.001). Conclusion: Although the proportion of AS in the total sputum was low, PPMs were isolated in most patients with BE. It is likely that P. aeruginosa was isolated in AS and AS patients had higher BE scores.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• 제41권3호
• /
• pp.171-173
• /
• 2003

A 23-year-old medical student showed a positive reaction on a skin test for Paragonimus westermani, and two Tarsonemus floricolus mites were subsequently found by sputum examination and identified morphologically. Our report is the first human case of Tarsonemus floricofus in Korea.

• 대한세포병리학회지
• /
• 제4권2호
• /
• pp.156-159
• /
• 1993

Cryptococcosis is a systemic mycosis that most often involves the central nervous system, followed by subclinical or symptomatic pulmonary involvement. We describe a case of unsuspected pulmonary cryptococcosis in a 69-year-old woman, diagnosed by sputum cytology. Sputum smears revealed numerous yeast like organisms typical of Cryptococcus neoformans measuring from 7 to 17 um in diameter. Mucicarmine, PAS, and methenamine sliver stains showed positive reaction of capsule and cell wall of Cryptococcus neoformans.

• 대한세포병리학회지
• /
• 제12권1호
• /
• pp.17-23
• /
• 2001

To evaluate the role of sputum and bronchial washing for the diagnosis of lung carcinoma, we studied the sensitivity of both cytologic techniques using the biopsy confirmed cases from 228 patients. Among them, 123 cases were squamous cell carcinomas, 42 cases were adenocarcinomas, 48 cases were small cell carcinomas, one case was large cell carcinoma, and 14 cases were other types of carcinoma including poorly differentiated carcinomas. Three hundreds and ninety two sputa and 173 sputa were obtained in the pre- and post-bronchoscopic periods. Bronchial washing had been taken once in each patient. The overall sensitivity of the sputum cytology was 0.52 and that of the bronchial washing 0.63, while it increased to 0.83 when a combination of both techniques. Squamous cell carcinomas were diagnosed to the great extent in which sensitivities were 0.59 and 0.74, in sputum and bronchial washing, respectively. The post-bronchoscopic sputa showed higher sensitivity (0.44) than pre-bronchoscopic sputa (0.30). The sensitivity on sputa increased from 0.34 to 0.49 when three samples were examined compared to the single examination. The accuracy of cell typing was 94.0% in sputa and 93.8% In bronchial washing. Repeated sputum examination including post-bronchoscopic sputa is warranted to Improve sensitivity and a complementary role of both cytologlc techniques can be postulated by these data.

• 대한세포병리학회지
• /
• 제5권2호
• /
• pp.148-153
• /
• 1994

A prospective survey of sputum cytologic specimen was performed for 16 months from Jan. 1993 to Apr. 1994 in Presbyterian Medical Center. The purpose of this study is to find the positive rate of sputum cytology in the diagnosis of lung cancer and to correlate these results with tumor location and stage. Sputum cytologic specimen were received from 104 patients among 158 patients diagnosed as lung malignancy by histologic examination. Cytologic diagnosis of "suggestive of malignancy" was made in 61 patients (59%) and dysplasia in 9 patients(9%), atypia in 14 patients(13%), benign in 15 patients(14%) and inadequate specimen in 5 patients (5%), respectively. Among 84 patients beyond the cytologic diagnosis of atypia, 51 patients (61%) disclosed a central location, while 33 patients (39%) showed peripheral lesions. All 54 patients diagnosed as suggestive of non-small cell carcinoma were stage III or over, and all 7 patients diagnosed as suggestive of small cell carcinoma were in advanced stage. These results suggest that the cytologic examination of sputum seems to be an important tool in diagnosis of lung cancer.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• 제47권4호
• /
• pp.517-524
• /
• 1999

배 경: 기관지천식은 만성적인 기도염증질환으로서 기도염증으로 인해 기도 과민성과 가역적인 기도폐쇄양상을 나타내는 것으로 알려져 있다. 기도염증의 정도를 측정하는데 있어서 유도객담이 내시경을 이용한 방법보다 비침습적이고 안전하며 반복적으로 시행할 수 있는 믿을 만한 검사 방법으로 인정을 받고 있다. 그래서 본 연구에서는 유도객담을 이용하여 기도염증과 기관지 과민성간의 상관관계를 관찰하였다. 방 법 : 기관지천식의 기왕력이 있는 17명의 환자를 대상으로 검사 시작 4주 이내에 호흡기 감염이 있었거나 객담을 배출할 수 없는 환자는 제외시켜 15명이 연구에 참가하였다. 기도염증의 정도를 측정하기 위해 고장성 생리식염수(3%)로 유도객담을 채취한 후 타액과 분리한 객담 1cc를 pippet을 사용하여 15ml conical tube에 옮긴다. 4cc의 dithiothreitol 0.1%용액(Sputalysin 10%, Calbiochem Corp., San Diego, California.)과 이 용액의 완충제인 Dulbecco's phosphate buffered saline 4cc를 사용하여 처리한 다음 염증세포수와 ECP를 측정하였다. 기관지 과민성을 알기 위해 메타콜린 기관지 유발시험을 시행하여 $PC_{20}$을 구하였다. 결 과 : 기저치 폐기능검사상 $FEV_1$은 예측치의 $76.3{\pm}30.3%$였고 유도객담 검사상 대식세포 수, 호중구, 호산구, 림프구는 각각 $39.1{\pm}27.0%$, $29.6{\pm}21.0%$, $28.8{\pm}18.8%$, $1.3{\pm}3.1%$였다. 유도객담 내의 ECP농도는 평균 $1,101{\pm}833\;{\mu}g/L$였고, 기하평균 $PC_{20}$은 0.56 mg/mL로 나왔다. 유도객담 내의 ECP농도는 유도객담 내의 호산구 수와 유의한 양의 상관관계(r=0.81, p<0.05)가 있었고, 가저치 폐기능검사 결과($FEV_1$)와는 유의한 역상관관계(r=-0.62, p<0.05)를 보였다. 유도객담 내 호산구 수와 메타콜린 기관지 유발시험에 의한 $PC_{20}$간에는 유의한 역상관관계(r=-0.78, p<0.05)를 보였으나, 호중구 수와 $PC_{20}$사이에는 유의한 상관관계(r=0.11, p=0.69)를 나타내지 않았다. 결 론 : 유도객담은 천식환자에서 기도염증의 정도를 반영하는 안전하면서도 유용한 검사이며 호산구의 침윤으로 인한 기도염증이 기관지천식 환자에서 기관지 과민성을 유발시키는 주요한 원인인자로서 관여할 것으로 생각된다.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• 제79권3호
• /
• pp.165-178
• /
• 2016

Background: Although recent metagenomic approaches have characterized the distinguished microbial compositions in airways of asthmatics, these results did not reach a consensus due to the small sample size, non-standardization of specimens and medication status. We conducted a metagenomics approach by using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of the induced whole sputum representing both the cellular and fluid phases in a relative large number of steroid $na{\ddot{i}}ve$ asthmatics. Methods: Induced whole sputum samples obtained from 36 healthy subjects and 89 steroid-$na{\ddot{i}}ve$ asthma patients were analyzed through T-RFLP analysis. Results: In contrast to previous reports about microbiota in the asthmatic airways, the diversity of microbial composition was not significantly different between the controls and asthma patients (p=0.937). In an analysis of similarities, the global R-value showed a statistically significant difference but a very low separation (0.148, p=0.002). The dissimilarity in the bacterial communities between groups was 28.74%, and operational taxonomic units (OTUs) contributing to this difference were as follows: OTU 789 (Lachnospiraceae), 517 (Comamonadaceae, Acetobacteraceae, and Chloroplast), 633 (Prevotella), 645 (Actinobacteria and Propionibacterium acnes), 607 (Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus otakiensis, Lactobacillus sunkii, and Rhodobacteraceae), and 661 (Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, and Leptotrichiaceae), and they were significantly more prevalent in the sputum of asthma patients than in the sputum of the controls. Conclusion: Before starting anti-asthmatic treatment, the microbiota in the whole sputum of patients with asthma showed a marginal difference from the microbiota in the whole sputum of the controls.