• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.513-517
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• 2015

Background: Growing evidence suggests that the members of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) are important for tumorigenesis. HERC4, one component, is a recently identified ubiqutin ligase. However, the expression level and function role of HERC4 in lung cancer remain unknown. Our objective was to investigate any correlation between HERC4 and development of lung cancer and its clinical significance. Materials and Methods: To determine HERC4 expression in lung cancer, an immunohistochemistry analysis of a tissue microarray containing samples of 10 lung normal tissues, 15 pulmonary neuroendocrine carcinomas, 45 squamous epithelial cancers and 50 adenocarcinomas was conducted. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was applied to obtain a cut-off point of 52.5%, above which the expression of HERC4 was regarded as "positive". Results: On the basis of ROC curve analysis, positive expression of HERC4 was detected in 0/10 (0.0%) of lung normal tissues, in 4/15 (26.7%) of pulmonary neuroendocrine carcinomas, in 13/45 (28.9%) of squamous epithelial cancers and in 19/50 (38.0%) of adenocarcinomas. It showed that lung tumors expressed more HERC4 protein than adjacent normal tissues (${\chi}^2$=4.675, p=0.031). Furthermore, HERC4 positive expression had positive correlation with pT status (${\chi}^2$=44.894, p=0.000), pN status (${\chi}^2$=43.628, p=0.000), histological grade (${\chi}^2$=7.083, p=0.029) and clinical stage (${\chi}^2$=72.484, p=0.000), but not age (${\chi}^2$=0.910, p=0.340). Conclusions: Our analysis suggested that HERC4 is likely to be a diagnostic biomarker for lung cancer.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.273-280
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• 2008

The single intratracheal instillation (ITI) of bleomycin (BLM) is a widely used method for inducing experimental pulmonary fibrosis in rat model. In the present study, pulmonary function tests (PFTs) of tidal volume ($V_T$), minute volume ($V_M$), and respiratory frequency ($F_R$) have been applied to study their possibility as a tool to monitor the progress of BLM-induced lung injury in rat model. Rats were treated with a single ITI of BLM (2.5 mg/kg) or saline (control). Animals were euthanized at 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days post-ITI. Lung toxicity effects were evaluated by inflammatory cell count, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and light microscopic examination of lung injury. The PFT parameters were measured immediately before the animals were sacrificed. BLM treatment induced significant cellular changes in BALF-increase in number of total cells, neutrophils, and lymphocytes along with sustained increase in number of macrophages compared to the controls at days 3, 7, and 14. BALF LDH level was significantly increased compared to that in the controls up to day 14. On day 3, infiltration of neutrophils was observed in the alveolar spaces. These changes developed into marked peribronchiolar and interstitial infiltration by inflammatory cells, and extensive thickening of the interalveolar septa on day 7. At 14, 21, and 28 days, mild peribronchiolar fibrosis was observed along with inflammatory cell infiltration. The results of PFT show significant consistencies compared to the results of other toxicity tests. These data demonstrate that the most suitable time point for assessing lung fibrosis in this model is 14 days post-ITI of BLM based on the observation of fibrosis at 14, 21, and 28 days. Further, the progress of lung injury can be traced by monitoring the PFT parameters of $F_R$, $V_T$, and $V_M$.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1993 no.11
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• pp.13-16
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• 1993

In this paper the morphological characteristic parameters according to the Lee's physical constitution theory are suggested using the X-ray computed tomography. The Lee's physical constitution theory is classify into 4 physical constitutional types by the relative degree of visceral function: those are macro-negative(strong liver- weak lung), micro-negative(strong kidney- weak spleen), micro-positive(strong spleen- weak kidney) and macro-positive(string lung- weak liver). The morphological characteristic parameters are the following. The AA-line is the distance between Rt. & Lt. acupuncture point keug-cheun. The BB-line is the length of lung. The CC-line is the longest width of thorax. The DD-line is the vertical distance between the CC-line and the EE-line. The EE-line is the distance between the Rt. and Lt. anterior superior iliac spines. As the results macro-negative(strong liver-weak lung) has the longest CC-line and the short BB-line. Micro-negative(strong kidney-weak spleen) has the longest EE-line and the short CC-line. Micro-positive(strong spleen-weak kidney) has the longest DD-line and the short BB-line. And macro-positive(strong lung-weak kidney) has the longest BB-line and the short EE-line.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.628-635
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• 1999

Background : Maximal expiratory flow rate is determined by the size of airway, elastic recoil pressure and the collapsibility of airway in the lung. The obstruction of expiratory flow is one of the major functional impairments of emphysema, which represents COPD. Nevertheless, expiratory narrowing of upper airway may be recruited as a mechanism for minimizing airway collapse, and maintaining lung volume and hyperinflation by an endogenous positive end-expiratory pressure in patients with airflow obstruction. We investigated the physiologic role of trachea in respiration in emphysema. Method : We included 20 patients diagnosed as emphysema by radiologic and physiologic criteria from January to August in 1997 at Seoul Municipal Boramae Hospital. Chest roentgenogram, high resolution computed tomography(HRCT), and pulmonary function tests including arterial blood gas analysis and body plethysmography were taken from each patient. Cross-sectional area of trachea was measured according to the respiratory cycle on the level of aortic arch by HRCT and calibrated with body surface area. We compared this corrected area with such parameters of pulmonary function tests as $PaCO_2$, $PaO_2$, airway resistance, lung compliance and so on. Results : Expiratory cross-sectional area of trachea had significant correlation with $PaCO_2$ (r=-0.61, p<0.05), $PaO_2$ (r=0.6, p<0.05), and minute ventilation (r=0.73, p<0.05), but inspiratory cross-sectional area did not (r=-0.22, p>0.05 with $PaCO_2$, r=0.26, p>0.05 with $PaO_2$, and r=0.44, p>0.05 with minute ventilation). Minute ventilation had significant correlation with tidal volume (r=0.45, p<0.05), but it had no significant correlation with respiratory frequency (r=-0.31, p>0.05). Cross-sectional area of trachea had no significant correlation with other parameters of pulmonary function including $FEV_1$, FVC, $FEV_1$/FVC, peak expiratory flow, residual volume, diffusing capacity, airway resistance, and lung compliance, whether the area was expiratory or inspiratory. Conclusion : Cross-sectional area of trachea narrowed during expiration in emphysema, and its expiratory area had significant correlation with $PaCO_2$, $PaO_2$, and minute ventilation.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.59-66
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• 1984

Although it is well established that steroid is effective for treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS), the action mechanism of steroid on NRDS is not well known. Several authors have insisted that steroid increases secretion of pulmonary surfactant from type II pneumocyte, but others have insisted that steroid does not affect the secretory function of the type II pneumocyte. And some authors have suggested that steroid may ca use compositional change of pulmonary surfactant phospholipid. From these aspects, it is desirable to confirm the effect of steroid on (he secretory function of the type II pneumocyte. In order to know the effect of steroid on pulmonary surfactant activity, phospholipid phosphorus of lung lavage was measured and composition of pulmonary surfactant phospholipid of lung lavage was analyzed by thin layer chromatography (TLC) in control (C), pneumonectomized (PN), and pneumonectomized with betamethasone treated (PNS) rabbits. And lung weight and lung weight-body weight ratio were measured in each experimental group also. In PN group, right lung pneumonectomy was performed under general anesthesia with pentobarbital sodium (30mg/kg). On the fifth day after the surgery, the left lung was excised and measured above parameters. In PNS group, pneumonectomy was performed as PN group, and one day after the surgery, betamethasone was injected for four days intramusculary (4mg/day) and rabbits were sacrificed. The experiment yielded following results. PNS group's lung weight was significantly (p<0.01) heavier than C group's, but in comparison with PN group's it showed no significant change. PNS group's L/B ratio was significantly (p<0.05) higher than C group's, but compared with PN group's it showed no significant change. The value of phospholipid phosphorus content of PNS group was significantly (p<0.01) higher than that of C group. Even if the value of phospholipid phosphorus content in PNS group was not significantly higher than that of PN group, it showed increasing tendency compared with that of PN group. And in an analysis of the thin layer chromatogram, quantity (${\mu}mol/gm$ of wet weight lung) of phosphatidylcholine in PNS group decreased significantly (p<0.05) compared with C and PN group. From these results, it may be suggested that though steroid inhibits cellular hyperplasia in the compensatory growing lung, it auguments the secretory function of type II pneumocyte and causes compositional change of pulmonary surfactant phospholipid.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.65 no.5
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• pp.385-389
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• 2008

Background: There are reports that food deprivation causes emphysematous changes in the lungs of rats and humans. However, the meaning of this phenomenon in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to determine the correlations between the caloric intake and parameters of the lung function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Methods: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who had visited the respiratory clinic from March, 2006 for one year were enrolled in this study. The patients underwent pulmonary function tests, and a dietitian evaluated their nutritional intake using a food record method. Results: There was no correlation between the total caloric intake and forced vital capacity (FVC, %predicted) or forced expiratory volume in one second ($FEV_1$, %predicted). The total caloric intake showed a positive correlation with the diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide (DLCO %predicted, DLCO/VA %predicted), and a negative correlation with the total lung capacity (TLC, %predicted). Of the calories taken, only calories from protein intake correlated with the diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide (DLCO %predicted, DLCO/VA %predicted). Conclusion: The total caloric intake of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease showed a positive correlation with the diffusing capacity of the lung, and a negative correlation with the total lung capacity. Further study on the linkage between the caloric intake and severity of emphysema is needed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.31-37
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• 2023

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between being underweight and respiratory function indicators such as pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, and diaphragm thickness in normal adults without lung disease. METHODS: The participants in this experiment were thirty young adults. To compare the respiratory function between the underweight and normal weight individuals, 15 participants were selected from each of the underweight and normal weight groups based on body mass index. Respiratory function tests were conducted through pulmonary function tests and respiratory muscle strength tests. Diaphragm thickness was measure with ultrasonography, and physical characteristics were obtained from grip strength and waist circumference. An independent t-test was used to compare the averages of the parameters measured in the two groups. RESULTS: In the respiratory function tests between the two groups, statistically significant differences (p < .05) emerged in the ratio of the predicted forced vital capacity (%FVC), the ratio of the predicted forced expiratory volume in one second (%FEV1), maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), and diaphragm thickness at the functional residual capacity (FRC). There was no statistically significant difference in the forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second, maximal inspiratory pressure, diaphragm thickness at the total lung capacity, and thickening ratio (p > .05). CONCLUSION: Decreases in some variables of respiratory function, such as the %FVC, %FEV1, MEP, and diaphragm thickness at the FRC were observed in underweight subjects. However, it is difficult to determine whether it affected the overall respiratory function. Future studies are needed to clearly identify the relationship between being underweight and respiratory function.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.683-692
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• 2019

Objective: We aimed to evaluate correlations between computed tomography (CT) parameters and pulmonary function test (PFT) parameters according to disease severity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and to determine whether CT parameters can be used to predict PFT indices. Materials and Methods: A total of 370 patients with COPD were grouped based on disease severity according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) I-IV criteria. Emphysema index (EI), air-trapping index, and airway parameters such as the square root of wall area of a hypothetical airway with an internal perimeter of 10 mm (Pi10) were measured using automatic segmentation software. Clinical characteristics including PFT results and quantitative CT parameters according to GOLD criteria were compared using ANOVA. The correlations between CT parameters and PFT indices, including the ratio of forced expiratory volume in one second to forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) and FEV₁, were assessed. To evaluate whether CT parameters can be used to predict PFT indices, multiple linear regression analyses were performed for all patients, Group 1 (GOLD I and II), and Group 2 (GOLD III and IV). Results: Pulmonary function deteriorated with increase in disease severity according to the GOLD criteria (p < 0.001). Parenchymal attenuation parameters were significantly worse in patients with higher GOLD stages (P < 0.001), and Pi10 was highest for patients with GOLD III (4.41 ± 0.94 mm). Airway parameters were nonlinearly correlated with PFT results, and Pi10 demonstrated mild correlation with FEV1/FVC in patients with GOLD II and III (r = 0.16, p = 0.06 and r = 0.21, p = 0.04, respectively). Parenchymal attenuation parameters, airway parameters, EI, and Pi10 were identified as predictors of FEV₁/FVC for the entire study sample and for Group 1 (R² = 0.38 and 0.22, respectively; p < 0.001). However, only parenchymal attenuation parameter, EI, was identified as a predictor of FEV₁/FVC for Group 2 (R² = 0.37, p < 0.001). Similar results were obtained for FEV₁. Conclusion: Airway and parenchymal attenuation parameters are independent predictors of pulmonary function in patients with mild COPD, whereas parenchymal attenuation parameters are dominant independent predictors of pulmonary function in patients with severe COPD.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.111-116
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• 2023

Purpose: Pneumoconiosis is a chronic lung disease in which the lungs become hardened due to the accumulation of fine mineral dust that has been breathed in at industrial sites. The lungs are unable to function properly, resulting in complications of several respiratory diseases. Methods: The subjects were 36 elderly adults (pneumoconiosis patients 18, healthy elderly 18) over the age of 65 years. The respiratory function was assessed using a spirometer to measure forced vital capacity (FVC), first second of forced expiration (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, and peak expiratory flow n(PEF). The static balance function test was determined by the center of mass (COM), ankle angle range, hip angle range, sway parameters, and reciprocal compensatory index (RCI). Cognitive function was measured by applying MoCA-k. Results: Comparison of respiration functions between the two groups showed statistically significant differences in FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, and PEFs (p<0.05). Cognitive abilities showed statistically significant differences due to higher cognitive skills in the control group as compared to the patient group (p<0.05). Most results of the static balance capability measurements showed statistically significant differences between the groups (p<0.05). However, no statistically significant differences were obtained for COM AP Range, Angle AP Range, RCI ML Range, and AP Range (p>0.05). Conclusion: The results of the current study indicate that patients suffering from pneumoconiosis have less cognitive ability and balance function as compared to healthy elderly people. Therefore, we expect an improvement in the balance ability and cognitive function through systematic management and strengthening lung function training to improve the quality of life of pneumoconiosis patients.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.84 no.4
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• pp.274-281
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• 2021

Background: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) is a well-designed survey to collect national data, which many researchers have used for their studies. In KNHANES, although portable spirometry was used, its reliability has not been verified. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 58 participants from four Korean institutions. The participants were classified into normal pattern, obstructive pattern, and restrictive pattern groups according to their previous spirometry results. Lung function was estimated by conventional spirometry and portable spirometry, and the results were compared. Results: The intraclass correlation coefficients of forced vital capacity (FVC) (coefficient, 9.993; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.988-0.996), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁) (coefficient, 0.997; 95% CI, 0.995-0.998), FEV₁/FVC ratio (coefficient, 0.995; 95% CI, 0.992-0.997), and forced expiratory flow at 25-75% (FEF25-75%; coefficient, 0.991; 95% CI, 0.984-0.994) were excellent (all p<0.001). In the subgroup analysis, the results of the three parameters were similar in all groups. In the overall and subgroup analyses, Pearson's correlation of all the parameters was also excellent in the total (coefficient, 0.986-0.994; p<0.001) and subgroup analyses (coefficient, 0.915-0.995; p<0.001). In the paired t-test, FVC, FEV₁/FVC, and FEF25-75% estimated by the two instruments were statistically different. However, FEV₁ was not significantly different. Conclusion: Lung function estimated by portable spirometry was well-correlated with that estimated by conventional spirometry. Although the values had minimal differences between them, we suggest that the spirometry results from the KNHANES are reliable.