• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.353-361
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• 2022

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a multifactorial, heterogeneous disease characterized by persistent inflammation of the sinonasal mucosa and tissue remodeling, which can include basal/progenitor cell hyperplasia, goblet cell hyperplasia, squamous cell metaplasia, loss or dysfunction of ciliated cells, and increased matrix deposition. Repeated injuries can stimulate airway epithelial cells to produce inflammatory mediators that activate epithelial cells, immune cells, or the epithelial-mesenchymal trophic unit. This persistent inflammation can consequently induce aberrant tissue remodeling. However, the molecular mechanisms driving disease within the different molecular CRS subtypes remain inadequately characterized. Numerous secreted and cell surface proteins relevant to airway inflammation and remodeling are initially synthesized as inactive precursor proteins, including growth/differentiation factors and their associated receptors, enzymes, adhesion molecules, neuropeptides, and peptide hormones. Therefore, these precursor proteins require post-translational cleavage by proprotein convertases (PCs) to become fully functional. In this review, we summarize the roles of PCs in CRS-associated tissue remodeling and discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting PCs for CRS treatment.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.23 no.4 s.43
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• pp.693-705
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• 1993

The purpose of this study was to investigate the functional adaptation of the tongue, the hyoid bone, the digastric muscle and the upper airway and the variables predicting postoperative stability following orthognathic surgery in patients with mandibular prognathism. 18 patients were selected(8 men and 10 women) for this study, who had received orthognathic surgery. Their lateral cephalograms, those were taken preoperatively, immediate postoperatively and over 6 months follow-up, were traced and analysed. The results were as follows : 1. The downward displacement of the hyoid bone and extended head posture were recognized, right after operation. Statistically significant correlations were found between the changes of the mandibular position and the digastric muscle and the change of head posture during operation. 2. The tongue was displaced downward following the hyoid displacement postoperatively. Statistically significant correlations were found between the change of the mandibular position and the change of the distance of the tongue and hard palate, and between the change of head posture and the changes of the upper airway sizes, the digastric muscle and the hyoid position during over 6 month's follow-up. 3. The change of the distance of the tongue and hard palate was the most significant factor for prognosis during over 6 month's follow-up. 4. There were no variables before operation to predict the postoperative stability and the constriction of the upper airway.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 1999

Sleep alters both breathing pattern and the ventilatory responses to external stimuli. These changes during sleep permit the development or aggravation of sleep-related hypoxemia in patients with respiratory disease and contribute to the pathogenesis of apneas in patients with the sleep apnea syndrome. Fundamental effects of sleep on the ventilatory control system are 1) removal of wakefulness input to the upper airway leading to the increase in upper airway resistance, 2) loss of wakefulness drive to the respiratory pump, 3) compromise of protective respiratory reflexes, and 4) additional sleep-induced compromise of ventilatory control initiated by reduced functional residual capacity on supine position assumed in sleep, decreased $CO_2$ production during sleep, and increased cerebral blood flow in especially rapid eye movement(REM) sleep. These effects resulted in periodic breathing during unsteady non-rapid eye movement(NREM) sleep even in normal subjects, regular but low ventilation during steady NREM sleep, and irregular breathing during REM sleep. Sleep-induced breathing instabilities are divided due primarily to transient increase in upper airway resistance and those that involve overshoots and undershoots in neural feedback mechanisms regulating the timing and/or amplitude of respiratory output. Following ventilatory overshoots, breathing stability will be maintained if excitatory short-term potentiation is the prevailing influence. On the other hand, apnea and hypopnea will occur if inhibitory mechanisms dominate following the ventilatory overshoot. These inhibitory mechanisms include 1) hypocapnia, 2) inhibitory effect from lung stretch, 3) baroreceptor stimulation, 4) upper airway mechanoreceptor reflexes, 5) central depression by hypoxia, and 6) central system inertia. While the respiratory control system functions well during wakefulness, the control of breathing is commonly disrupted during sleep. These changes in respiratory control resulting in breathing instability during sleep are related with the pathophysiologic mechanisms of obstructive and/or central apnea, and have the therapeutic implications for nocturnal hypoventilation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or alveolar hypoventilation syndrome.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.28-34
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• 2009

Background and Objectives: Foreign bodies of upper aerodigestive tract are common problem for primary care physicians. Delayed diagnosis or failure of removal might cause fatal problemsand complications. Therefore proper diagnosis and management is imperative. In this study, we described clinical features of upper aerodigestive tract foreign body, and analyzed efficacy of different management modality. Materials and Methods: 250 cases of foreign bodies in the esophagus and trachea, between Jan. 1998 through Jan. 2009 has been retrospectively analyzed. A total of 24 cases and 226 cases had been found each as airway foreign bodies and esophageal foreign bodies. The clinical features are described and treatment outcomes, prognosis, and rate of complications of each management modality have been compared. Results: In airway foreign bodies, ventilating bronchoscopy yielded better results, 19 success out of 19 trials than fiberoptic bronchoscopy, 3 success out of 5 trials. Hospitalization days after removal of foreign body didn't show difference between two treatment modalities, although patients who had ventilating bronchoscopy had gone through general anesthesia. And there was no complication after removal of foreign body. In esophageal foreign bodies, rigid esophagoscope yielded better results, 99% of successful removal rate, compared to the EGD, only 78% of successful removal rate. There was no difference of hospitalization days between two modalities. And complication rate was even low in patients who had done rigid esophagoscopic foreign body removal. Conclusion: In upper aerodigestivetract foreign body. Rapid diagnosis and successful foreign body removal is important. Removal by rigid scope(ventilating bronchoscope, rigid esophagoscope) revealed less failure in both airway and esophageal foreign bodies.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.87-90
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• 2016

Cough, the most common symptom, encountered in the outpatient clinic can be caused by various underlying diseases. It defines as chronic cough that the duration of cough is more than 8 weeks with a normal chest X-ray findings. The cause of cough can be found out for more than 90% through the appropriate diagnostic approach and Upper airway cough syndrome, Asthma and Gastroesophageal reflex disease are the most common causes of disease to non-smokers. Chronic cough can be due to not one reason but various reasons and achieve good results by a systematic approach to diagnosis and a concrete treatment on the basis of the sufficient understanding of the underlying disease.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.47-56
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• 2015

A 27-year-old man presented an anterior open bite relapse. He had low tongue posture positioned anteriorly at rest and during swallowing and reported chronic difficulty in nose breathing. Head cone-beam computed tomography revealed nasal septum deviation, right turbinate hypertrophy, and left maxillary sinus congestion, which were thought to contribute to the breathing problem, encourage the improper tongue posture, and thereby cause the relapse. Multidisciplinary treatment involving an otorhinolaryngologist, an orthodontist, and a periodontist resolved the upper airway obstruction and corrected the malocclusion. The follow-up examination after 3 years 5 months demonstrated stable results.

• BMB Reports
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.59-64
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• 2018

The airway epithelium is the first place, where a defense mechanism is initiated against environmental stimuli. Mucociliary transport (MCT), which is the defense mechanism of the airway and the role of airway epithelium as mechanical barriers are essential in innate immunity. To maintain normal physiologic function, normal oxygenation is critical for the production of energy for optimal cellular functions. Several pathologic conditions are associated with a decrease in oxygen tension in airway epithelium and chronic sinusitis is one of the airway diseases, which is associated with the hypoxic condition, a potent inflammatory stimulant. We have observed the overexpression of the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), an essential factor for oxygen homeostasis, in the epithelium of sinus mucosa in sinusitis patients. In a series of previous reports, we have found hypoxia-induced mucus hyperproduction, especially by MUC5AC hyperproduction, disruption of epithelial barrier function by the production of VEGF, and down-regulation of junctional proteins such as ZO-1 and E-cadherin. Furthermore, hypoxia-induced inflammation by HMGB1 translocation into the cytoplasm results in the release of IL-8 through a ROS-dependent mechanism in upper airway epithelium. In this mini-review, we briefly introduce and summarize current progress in the pathogenesis of sinusitis related to hypoxia. The investigation of hypoxia-related pathophysiology in airway epithelium will suggest new insights on airway inflammatory diseases, such as rhinosinusitis for clinical application and drug development.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.577-583
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• 1990

Subglottic stenosis is a disorder characterized by narrowing of the airway below the glottis. In children, the stenosis is usually due to scar formation secondary to prolonged airway intubation, rather than to external trauma. The location and extent of the stenosis are highly variable, consequently, corrective measures need to be selected to suit the individual problem. Conservative treatment is adequate for lesser degrees of stenosis but those with more severe scarring require external laryngeal surgery. We managed 2 children with subglottic stenosis due to prolonged intubation after open heart surgery who needed a resectional surgery of the stenotic upper airway. The preoperative evaluation and surgical technique for subglottic stenosis were reviewed.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.63-66
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• 2011

It has been controversial whether upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) is a distinct syndrome or not since it was reported in 1993. The International Classification of Sleep Disorders classified UARS under obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in 2005. UARS can be diagnosed when the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) is fewer than 5 events per hour, the simultaneously calculated respiratory disturbance index (RDI) is more than 5 events per hour due to abnormal non-apneic non-hypopneic respiratory events accompanying respiratory effort related arousals (RERAs), and oxygen saturation is greater than 92% at termination of an abnormal breathing event. Although esophageal pressure measurement remains the gold standard for detecting subtle breathing abnormality other than hypopnea and apnea, nasal pressure transducer has been most commonly used. RERAs include phase A2 of cyclical alternating patterns (CAPs) associated with EEG changes. Symptoms of OSAS can overlap with UARS, but chronic insomnia tends to be more common in UARS than in OSAS and clinical symptoms similar with functional somatic syndrome are also more common in UARS. In this journal, diagnostic and clinical differences between UARS and OSAS are reviewed.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.557-565
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• 2019

Objectives: This study investigated the effect of local acupuncture point stimulation and the application of a topical herbal mixed heating cream in a chronic cough patient who had not responded to various medications for more than a few months. Methods: An 81 year-old female patient who was suspected to be suffered from Upper Airway Cough Syndrome (UACS) was examined. The patient was treated with local acupuncture point stimulation and the application of a topical herbal mixed heating cream. We used the Leicester Cough Questionnaire, Cough-Specific Quality-of-Life Questionnaire, and Verbal Numerical Rating Scale to assess the patient's respiratory symptoms. Results: Local acupuncture point stimulation and the application of a topical herbal mixed heating cream resulted in the improvement of cough symptoms. The quality of life due to the alleviation of symptoms also significantly improved. Adverse effects were not observed. Conclusions: This study suggests that local acupuncture point stimulation and the application of a topical herbal mixed heating cream may be an effective therapy for the treatment of chronic cough in patients with UACS.