• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.75 no.6
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• pp.236-237
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• 2013

Many attempts have been made to find genetic abnormalities inducing carcinogenesis after the development of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting EGFR in lung cancer. New target therapies have been already commercialized and studied along with the recent discovery of gene rearrangement involved in the carcinogenic process of non-small cell lung cancer. This study aims to investigate anplastic lymphoma kinase, c-ros oncogene 1, and receptor tyrosine kinase, in particular.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.78 no.1
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• pp.8-17
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• 2015

Background: AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) not only functions as an intracellular energy sensor and regulator, but is also a general sensor of oxidative stress. Furthermore, there is recent evidence that it participates in limiting acute inflammatory reactions, apoptosis and cellular senescence. Thus, it may oppose the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Methods: To investigate the role of AMPK in cigarette smoke-induced lung inflammation and emphysema we first compared cigarette smoking and polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid [poly(I:C)]-induced lung inflammation and emphysema in $AMPK{\alpha}1$-deficient ($AMPK{\alpha}1$-HT) mice and wild-type mice of the same genetic background. We then investigated the role of AMPK in the induction of interleukin-8 (IL-8) by cigarette smoke extract (CSE) in A549 cells. Results: Cigarette smoking and poly(I:C)-induced lung inflammation and emphysema were elevated in $AMPK{\alpha}1$-HT compared to wild-type mice. CSE increased AMPK activation in a CSE concentration- and time-dependent manner. 5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-${\beta}$-4-ribofuranoside (AICAR), an AMPK activator, decreased CSE-induced IL-8 production while Compound C, an AMPK inhibitor, increased it, as did pretreatment with an $AMPK{\alpha}1$-specific small interfering RNA. Conclusion: $AMPK{\alpha}1$-deficient mice have increased susceptibility to lung inflammation and emphysema when exposed to cigarette smoke, and AMPK appears to reduce lung inflammation and emphysema by lowering IL-8 production.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.80 no.2
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• pp.153-158
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• 2017

Background: Recently, increased levels of high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) have been identified in various inflammatory conditions and infections. However, no studies have evaluated the HMGB1 level in nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease, and compared it to mycobacterial lung disease. Methods: A total of 60 patients newly diagnosed with NTM lung disease, 44 culture-positive pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients, and 34 healthy controls, were included in this study. The serum HMGB1 concentrations were quantified using HMGB1 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Results: Serum HMGB1 level in patients with pulmonary TB or NTM lung disease, was significantly lower than that of the healthy controls. In addition, the serum HMGB1 level in TB patients was significantly lower than patients with NTM lung disease. However, the levels in NTM patient subgroups did not differ according to the causative species, disease progression, and disease phenotype. Conclusion: Although low levels of serum HMGB1 has the potential to be a marker of mycobacterial lung disease, these levels were unable to differentiate disease progression and disease phenotype in NTM lung diseases.

• BMB Reports
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.95-109
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• 2003

Inflammatory lung diseases are characterized by chronic inflammation and oxidant/antioxidant imbalance. The sources of the increased oxidative stress in patients with chronic inflammatory lung diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) derive from the increased burden of inhaled oxidants, and from the increased amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by several inflammatory, immune and various structural cells of the airways. Increased levels of ROS produced in the airways is reflected by increased markers of oxidative stress in the airspaces, sputum, breath, lungs and blood in patients with lung diseases. ROS, either directly or via the formation of lipid peroxidation products such as 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal may play a role in enhancing the inflammation through the activation of stress kinases (JNK, MAPK, p38) and redox sensitive transcription factors such as NF-${\kappa}B$ and AP-1. Recent evidences have indicated that oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory mediators can alter nuclear histone acetylation/deacetylation allowing access for transcription factor DNA binding leading to enhanced pro-inflammatory gene expression in various lung cells. Understanding of the mechanisms of redox signaling, NF-${\kappa}B$/AP-1 regulation, the balance between histone acetylation and deacetylation and the release and expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators may lead to the development of novel therapies based on the pharmacological manipulation of antioxidants in lung inflammation and injury. Antioxidants that have effective wide spectrum activity and good bioavailability, thiols or molecules which have dual antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, may be potential therapeutic agents which not only protect against the direct injurious effects of oxidants, but may fundamentally alter the underlying inflammatory processes which play an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory lung diseases.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.568-573
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• 2019

In the diagnosis of pulmonary diseases, auscultation technique is simpler than the other methods, and lung sounds can be used for predicting the types of pulmonary diseases as well as identifying patients with pulmonary diseases. Therefore, in this paper, we identify patients with pulmonary diseases and classify lung sounds according to their sound characteristics using various convolutional neural networks, and compare the classification performance of each neural network method. First, lung sounds over affected areas of the chest with pulmonary diseases are collected by using a single-channel lung sound recording device, and spectral features are extracted from the collected sounds in time domain and applied to each neural network. As classification methods, we use general, parallel, and residual convolutional neural network, and compare lung sound classification performance of each neural network through experiments.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.77 no.2
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• pp.55-59
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• 2014

The US National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) demonstrated a 20% reduction in lung cancer mortality and a 6.7% decrease in all-cause mortality. The NLST is the only trial showing positive results in a high-risk population, such as in patients with old age and heavy ever smokers. Lung cancer screening using a low-dose chest computed tomography might be beneficial for the high-risk group. However, there may also be potential adverse outcomes in terms of over diagnosis, bias and cost-effectiveness. Until now, lung cancer screening remains controversial. In this review, we wish to discuss the evolution of lung cancer screening and summarize existing evidences and recommendations.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.73 no.1
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• pp.61-66
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• 2012

Extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue type (extranodal MZL) is a distinct subgroup of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Pulmonary extranodal MZL is a rare entity and accounts for less than 0.5% of primary pulmonary malignancies. Only a few cases of simultaneous occurrence of lung cancer and pulmonary extranodal MZL have been reported. A 60-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with a pulmonary nodule. She was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma by percutaneous needle biopsy. The protrusions into the left main bronchus were found by accident while performing bronchoscopy during lung cancer evaluation. The bronchial lesions were diagnosed as extranodal MZL. Although the patient underwent surgical resection for the lung adenocarcinoma, the pulmonary extranodal MZL was left untreated; it was monitored during follow-up visits. To our knowledge, this is the first report of synchronous lung adenocarcinoma and primary extranodal MZL of the main bronchus.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.86 no.3
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• pp.176-182
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• 2023

Since the introduction of low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening for patients at high risk of lung cancer, the detection rate of suspicious lung cancer has increased. In addition, there have been many advances in therapeutics targeting oncogenic drivers in non-small cell lung cancer. Therefore, accurate pathological diagnosis of lung cancer, including molecular diagnosis, is increasingly important. This review examines the problems in the pathological diagnosis of suspected lung cancer. For successful pathological diagnosis of lung cancer, clinicians should determine the appropriate modality of the diagnostic procedure, considering individual patient characteristics, CT findings, and the possibility of complications. Furthermore, clinicians should make efforts to obtain a sufficient amount of tissue sample using non- or less-invasive procedures for pathological diagnosis and biomarker analysis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.75 no.3
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• pp.111-115
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• 2013

Although the relationship between malignancy risk with systemic sclerosis (SSc) has been inconclusive, there are some previous studies for a positive correlation. Most patients with SSc have some degree of lung parenchymal involvement in the form of interstitial thickening and fibrosis. Interstitial lung disease is the most common pulmonary manifestation of SSc. Interstitial lung disease following chemotherapy (5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin [FOLFOX]) is an uncommon life-threatening complication and it is induced by oxaliplatin. We report a case of multiple cancers in a patient with SSc and aggravated interstitial lung disease by chemotherapy.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.71 no.5
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• pp.317-321
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• 2011

Occupational lung disease (OLD) is a group of lung diseases caused and/or aggravated by organic and inorganic inhaled dust, fumes, and mist. OLD can develop under various occupational situations. Therefore, occupational history should be considered when evaluating respiratory symptoms. Once OLD is developed, it may not be treated and may even progress after exposure to the causative agents has stopped. The best ways to treat OLD are prevention and early detection by controlling the working environment and conducting regular surveillance of workers. Common OLDs in Korea are coal worker's pneumoconiosis, asbestos-related diseases, and occupational asthma. Recent aspects of these common OLDs in Korea will be described based on recently published studies.