• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.33-44
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• 2003

Background : Mycobacterium avium complex(MAC) is the most common respiratory pathogen in nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease. This study described the clinical characteristics of the patients with pulmonary disease caused by MAC. Materials and Methods : The clinical characteristics of 24 patients with pulmonary disease caused by the MAC, who fulfilled the 1997 American Thoracic Society diagnostic criteria for nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease, were retrospectively analyzed. Results : Fourteen patients(58%) were male and the median age at diagnosis was 61 years(range 46-75). Of the 24 patients, 16(67%) had a M. intracellulare infection, 7(29%) had a M. avium infection and one patient was not identified. Coughing (92%) and sputum (88%) were most frequently observed symptoms. The sputum smear for acid-fast bacilli was positive in 17(71%) patients. Fourteen(58%) patients had the upper lobe cavitary form and 10(42%) patients had the nodular bronchiectatic form. In a comparison between the patients with the upper lobe cavitary form and those with the nodular bronchiectatic form, significant differences were found according to sex(male 86% vs. 20%, p=0.003), smoking history(79% vs. 10%, p=0.008), the presence of an underlying disease(64% vs. 20%, p=0.036), the pulmonary function(% forced vital capacity, median 71% vs. 88%, p=0.022; % forced expiratory volume in one second, median 69% vs. 89%, p=0.051) and bilateral disease at chest radiography(29% vs. 90%, p=0.005). The time from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis was longer in those with the nodular bronchiectatic form(median 72 months, range 8-132) than those with the upper lobe cavitary form(median 22 months, range 6-60) Conclusions : MAC pulmonary disease occurs in two distinct populations with two distinct clinical presentations. For a correct diagnosis of MAC pulmonary disease, knowledge of the diverse clinical and radiological findings is essential.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.357-366
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• 1993

Background: Lung clearance of inhaled $^{99m}Tc$-DTPA reflects alveolar epithelial permeability and it had been reported as more sensitive than conventional pulmonary function tests in detecting lung epithelial damage. However, measuring lung clearance of inhaled $^{99m}Tc$-DTPA by gamma camera may not always reflect alveolar epithelial permeability exactly because it is influenced by mucociliary clearance depending on the site of particle deposition. Moreover, this method takes much time and patient's effort because he has to sit or lie still in front of the camera for a prolonged period. Most of the absorbed DTPA is excreted in urine within 24 hours and the amount of excreted DTPA in urine during the first few hours after inhalation is influenced by absorption rate which is correlated with the alveolar-epithelial permeability suggesting that the urinary excretion, especially in first few hours, may be an alternate index for lung clearance. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of ratio of excreted $^{99m}Tc$-DTPA in 2 hour and 24 hour urine as an index of alveolar-epithelial damage. Methods: Pulmonary function tests including diffusing capacity and lung clearance of $^{99m}Tc$-DTPA measured by gama camera ($T_{1/2}$) and 2hr/24hr urine excretion ratio (Ratio) of inhaled $^{99m}Tc$-DTPA in 8 normal subjects and 14 patients with diffuse interstitial lung disease were compared. Results: 1) In the normal control, there was significant negative correlation between the $T_{1/2}$ and the Ratio (r=-0.77, p<0.05). In patients with diffuse interstitial lung disease, there also was significant negative correlation between $T_{1/2}$ and Ratio(r=-0.63, p<0.05). 2) In diffuse interstitial lung disease patients, the $T_{1/2}$ was $38.65{\pm}11.63$ min which was significantly lower than that of normal control, $55.53{\pm}11.15$ min and the Ratio was $52.15{\pm}10.07%$ also signifantly higher than that of the normal control, $40.43{\pm}5.53%$ (p<0.05). 3) There was no significant correlations between $T_{1/2}$ or Ratio and diffusing capactiy of lung in both patients and controls (p>0.05). Conclusion: These results suggests that 2hr/24hr urine excretion ratio of inhaled $^{99m}Tc$-DTPA is a useful simple bedside test in assessing alveolar epithelial permeability and that it may be used as an additive follow-up test in patients with diffuse interstitial lung disease complementing conventional pulmonary function tests.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.624-632
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• 2000

Background : Home ventilation can decrease hospital-acquired infection, increase physical activity, improve nutritional status, enhance quality of life, and reduce medical costs. The number of patient using home ventilators has been increasing, particularly in Europe and United States. Although the number of patients with home ventilation has been increasing in Korea, the current status of these patients is not well known. This study was undertaken to obtain basic information upon these patients in addition to evaluating any problems related to patients' home care in our country. Methods : A register of 92 patients with home ventilators in Seoul and Kyunggi Province were obtained from commercial ventilator supply companies. The patients were contacted by phone and 29 of them accepted our visit. Information concerning education about home care before discharge, equipment cost, and problems related to home care were documented. The mode and preset variables of the home ventilator were checked; tidal volume (TV), peak airway pressure, and oxygen saturation were measured. Results : There were 26 males (90%) and their mean age was 48.0 (${\pm}20.1$) years. The underlying diseases were : 21 neuromuscular disorders, 2 spinal cord injuries, 6 chronic lung diseases. Among the caregivers, spouses (n=14) predominated. Education for home care before discharge was performed primarily by intensive care unit nurses and the education for ventilator management by commercial companies. Twenty-five of the 29 patients had tracheostomies. Volume targeted type (VTT ; n=20, 69%) was more frequently used than the pressure targeted type (PTT). Twenty-three of the 29 patients purchased a ventilator privately, which cost 7,450,000 (${\pm}$3,290,000) won for a PTT, and 14,280.000 (${\pm}$3,130,000) won for a VTT. Total cost for the equipment was 11,430,000 (${\pm}$634,000) won. The average cost required for home care per month was 1,120,000 (${\pm}$1,360, 000) won. Conclusion : The commonest underlying disease of the patients was neuromuscular disease. The VTT ventilator was primarily used with tracheostomy. Patients and their families considered the financial difficulties associated with purchasing and maintaining equipment for home care an urgent problem. Some patients were aided by a visiting nurse, however most patients were neglected and left without professional medical supervision.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.321-330
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• 1999

Background : Early diagnosis and proper antibiotic treatment are very important in the management of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) because of its high mortality. Bronchoscopy with a protected specimen brush (PSB) has been considered the standard method to isolate the causative organisms of VAP. However, this method burdens consumer economically to purchase a PSB. Another useful method for the diagnosis of VAP is quantitative cultures of aspirated specimens through bronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), for which the infusion of more than 120 m1 of saline has been recommended for adequate sampling of a pulmonary segment. However, occasionally it leads to deterioration of the patient's condition. We studied the diagnostic efficacy of minibronchoalveolar lavage (miniBAL), which retrieves only 25 ml of BAL fluid, in the isolation of causative organisms of VAP. Methods: We included 38 consecutive patients (41 cases) suspected of having VAP on the basis of clinical evidence, who had received antibiotics before the bronchoscopy. The two diagnostic techniques of PSB and miniBAL, which were performed one after another at the same pulmonary segment, 'were compared prospectively. The cut-off values for quantitative cultures to define causative bacteria of VAP were more than $10^3$ colony-forming units (cfu)/ml for PSB and more than $10^4$ cfu/ml for BAL. Results: The amount of instilled normal saline required to retrieve 25 ml of BAL fluid was $93{\pm}32 ml$ (mean${\pm}$SD). The detection rate of causative agents was 46.3% (19/41) with PSB and 43.9% (18/41) with miniBAL. The concordance rate of PSB and miniBAL in the bacterial culture was 85.4% (35/41). Although arterial blood oxygen saturation dropped significantly (p<0.05) during ($92{\pm}10%$) and 10 min after ($95{\pm}3%$) miniBAL compared with the baseline ($97{\pm}3%$), all except 3 cases were within normal ranges. The significantly elevated heart rate during ($l25{\pm}24$/min, p<0.05) miniBAL compared with the baseline ($1l1{\pm}22$/min) recovered again in 10 min after ($111{\pm}26$/min) miniBAL. Transient hypotension was developed during the procedure in two cases. The procedure was stopped in one case due to atrial flutter. Conclusion: MiniBAL is a safe and effective technique to detect the causative organisms of VAP.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.795-804
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• 1998

Background: Chronic eosinophilic pneumonia(CEP) is interstitial lung disease characterized by multiple infiltration on radiographic study, accumulation of eosinophils in the alveolar space and interstitium of the lung, chronic persistent symptoms and possible relapse. Acute eosinophilic pneumonia(AEP) is a recently described illness, characterized by rapid clinical course, acute respiratory insufficiency and no relapse. Method : To better characterize acute and chronic eosinophilic pneumonia, we studied the clinical and laboratory features of 16 patients(AEP : 7 patients, CEP : 9 patients), which were clinico-pathohistologically diagnosed and not to be associated with organic disorders producing peripheral blood eosinophilia. Results: The mean age was higher for patients with CEP than for patients with AEP ($55.4{\pm}15.1$ vs. $24.6{\pm}7.9$ years, p<0.05). High fever(above $38^{\circ}C$) was presented in all patients of AEP and in one patient(11%) of CEP. All patients of AEP and eight patients (89%) of CEP showed bilateral pulmonary infiltrates, and 6 patients(86%) of AEP and 2 patients(22%) of CEP showed pleural effusion in chest radiograph. The mean white blood cell count of AEP and CEP were $17,186/mm^3$ and $12,867/mm^3$, respectively. The mean peripheral blood eosinophil count of AEP and CEP were $939/mm^3$ and $2,104/mm^3$, respectively. The mean eosinophil fraction of BAL fluid of AEP and CEP were 32.4% (range: 18~47%) and 35.8% (range: 15.3~88.2%), respectively. The mean $PaO_2$ was lower for patients with AEP than for patients with CEP ($44.1{\pm}15.5$ vs. $62.7{\pm}6.9$mmHg, p<0.05). All patients of AEP and CEP were initially treated with antibiotics. All patients of CEP and one patients of AEP were finally required systemic steroid therapy. 6 patients of AEP were improved without steroid therapy. Relapse was observed in 3 patients(33%) of CEP. Conclusion : Compair with of chronic eosinophilic pneumonia, acute eosinophilic pneumonia was characterized by relatively young age, acute onset, high fever, severe hypoxemia, diffuse pulmonary infiltrates with pleural effusion, steroid therapy is effective but spontaneous improvement with conservative therapy was frequent.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.945-953
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• 1996

Background : Many acute and chronic lung diseases including pneumoconiosis are characterized by the presence of increased numbers of activated macrophages. These macrophages generate several inflammatory cell chemoattractants, by which neutrophil migrate from vascular compartment to the alveolar space. Recruited neutrophils secrete toxic oxygen radicals or proteolytic enzymes and induce inflammatory response. Continuing inflammatory response results in alteration of the pulmonary structure and irreversible fibrosis. Recently, a polypeptide with specific neutrophil chemotactic activity, interleukin-8(IL-8), has been cloned and isolated from a number of cells including : monocytes, macrophages and fibroblasts. IL-1 and/or TNF-${\alpha}$ preceded for the synthesis of IL-8, and we already observed high level of IL-1 and TNF-${\alpha}$ in the pneumoconioses. So we hypothesized that IL-8 may be a central role in the pathogenesis of pneumoconiosis. In order to evaluate the clinical utility of IL-8 as a biomarker in the early diagnosis of pneumoconiosis, we investigated the increase of IL-8 in the pneumoconiotic patient and the correlation between IL-8 level and progression of pneumoconiosis. Method : We measured IL-8 in the serum of 48 patients with pneumoconiosis and 16 persons without dust exposure history as a control group. Pneumoconiotic cases were divided into 3 groups according to ILO Classification : suspicious group(n=16), small opacity group(n=16) and large opacity group(n=16). IL-8 was measured by a sandwich enzytne immunoassay technique. All data were expressed as the $mean{\pm}standard$ deviation. Results: 1) The mean value of age was higher in the small opacity and large opacity group than comparison group, but smoking history was even. Duration of dust exposure was not different among 3 pneumoconiosis groups. 2) IL-8 level was $70.50{\pm}53.63pg/m{\ell}$ in the suspicious group, $107.50{\pm}45.88pg/m{\ell}$ in the small opacity group, $132.50{\pm}73.47pg/m{\ell}$ in the large opacity group and $17.85{\pm}33.85pg/m{\ell}$ in the comparison group. IL-8 concentration in all pneumoconiosis group was significant higher than that in the comparison group(p<0.001). 3) IL-8 level tended to increase with the progression of pneumoconiosis. Multiple comparison test using Anova/Scheffe analysis showed a significant difference between suspicious group and large opacity group(p<0.05). 4) The level of IL-8 was correlated with the progression of pneumoconiosis(r=0.4199, p<0.05). Conclusion : IL-8 is thought to be a good biomarker for the early diagnosis of pneumoconiosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.855-861
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• 1995

Background: Parathyroid hormone-related protein(PTHrp) was first identified as the cause of hypercalcemia in malignancy. Hypercalcemia can be found in malignancy, especially in the epidermoid carcinoma of the lung, even without extensive metastases to the bones. The application of sensitive assays for PTHrp may help in the early diagnosis of lung cancer, in the monitoring of treatment and in the detection of recurrence. Method: Serum PTHrp was measured by radioimmunoassay detecting the N-terminal 1~34 peptide of human PTHrp(PTHrp 1-34) in 63 histologically confirmed lung cancer patients and 22 healthy controls. Result: Serum PTHrp(mean$\pm$S.E.) was $312{\pm}68.9pg/ml$ in 63 lung cancer patients and $158{\pm}38.2pg/ml$ in 22 controls(p>0.05). PTHrp was $356{\pm}103.9pg/ml$ in 34 epidermoid carcinoma patients, $281{\pm}148.7pg/ml$ in 15 adenocarcinoma patients and $316{\pm}140.8pg/ml$ in 9 small cell carcinoma patients. In epidermoid carcinoma patients, PTHrp was $570{\pm}472.3pg/ml$ in stage II(n=3; p<0.05 vs controls), $166{\pm}22.4pg/ml$ in stage IIIa(n=9), $282{\pm}113.3pg/ml$ in stage IIIb(n=12) and $668{\pm}367.9pg/ml$ in stage IV(n=9; p<0.05 vs controls). PTHrp was significantly increased in 8 epidermoid carcinoma patients with bone metastases($1526{\pm}811.2\;pg/ml$; p<0.0005 vs controls). Hypercalcemia was observed in an epidermoid carcinoma patient whose PTHrp value was 244 pg/ml. Conclusion: The serum PTHrp was increased in advanced epidermoid carcinoma patients even without hypercalcemia. The measurement of PTHrp may be not helpful in the early diagnosis of lung cancer. But the lung cancer should be suspected in the marked elevation of PTHrp. It may be of value in detecting patients of advanced diseases with bone metastases or patients who might develop the malignancy associated hypercalcemia.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1296-1307
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• 1997

Background : Erdosteine is a thiol derivative developed for the treatement of chronic obstructive bronchitis, including acute infective exacerbation of chronic bronchitis. Erdosteine has mucomodulating and antioxidant properties and especially exhibits excellent gastrointestinal tolerability. Methods : The study was conducted as a prospective evaluation, with 2 comparative groups orally treated with erdosteine 300mg (bid.) or ambroxol 30mg (b.i.d.) for 7 days and the design of trial was double-blind. The treatments have been assigned randomly to patients (n=80) with acute or chronic bronchitis. The primary end-point used to determine efficacy in this study was subjective symptoms including expectorating frequence, expectoration volume, expectorating difficulty, expectoration viscosity, cough intensity and dyspnea. The secondary end-points of efficacy was the result of arterial blood gas analysis and pulmonary function test. Safety was evaluated with adverse drug reactions and laboratory tests monitoring. 61 patients was included in the efficacy analysis, due to the fact that 19 patients drop-out for different reasons. The obtained values have been analyzed with paired Hest., ANOVA test., multivariate $t^2$-test, repeated measures analysis of covariance, two sample t-test, loglinear-logit model analysis, Fisher's exact test. Results : 1) There was no significant difference on demographic data and vital signs between erdosteine and ambroxol treated groups. 2) The comparison between erdosteine and ambroxol treated groups showed no significant difference in improvement of each symptom in spite of the more favorable efficacy obtained with erdosteine. No difference on the contrary was observed for arterial blood gas analysis and pulmonary function test. 3) As safety is concerned, no clinical significant changes in laboratory test and symptom were induced in erdosteine and ambroxol treated group and two patients in ambroxol treated group drop-out for adverse reactions in symptom. 4) In the evaluation of final clinical efficacy, erdosteine improved more effectively patient's overall symptoms {very good effect (11/31), good effect (12/31), moderate effect (6/31), no effect (2/31), aggravation (0/31)} than ambroxol {very good effect (6/30), good effect (14/30), moderate effect (5/30), no effect (4/30), aggravation (2/30)}. And the probability of symptomatic improvement by erdosteine compared to ambroxol was 2.5 times. (p<0.05). Conclusion : This study showed that erdosteine was clinically effective and safe drug for treatment of acute and chronic bronchitis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.219-229
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• 2003

Background : The management of thoracic empyema and complicated parapneumonic effusion requires adequate antibiotics use and prompt drainage of infected pleural space. Tube thoracostomy for loculated empyema has low success rate and is also an invasive procedure with potential morbidity. Complications include hemothorax, perforation of intra-abdominal or intra-thoracic organs, diaphragmatic laceration, empyema, pulmonary edema, and Horner's syndrome. Given the potential morbidity of traditional chest tube insertion, use of the image-guided pigtail catheter drainage(PCD) of empyema has been employed. We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients with empyema or complicated parapneumonic effusion to determine the efficacy of percutaneous pigtail catheter drainage. Materials and Methods : 45 patients with complicated parapneumonic effusions or empyema were treated at Gil medical center from January 1998 to June, 1999. All were initially given PCD procedure and the following data were collected: clinical symptoms at the time of diagnosis, alcohol and smoking history, the characteristics of pleural effusion, radiologic findings (at the time of catheter insertion, removal and 1 month after catheter removal), the amount of effusion drained for initial 24 hours, the time from catheter insertion to removal and the use of surgical approach. Results : Male gender was more frequent (42 men vs. 3 women), the mean age of the study population was 52(range: 21~74) years. Empyema was found in 23 patients, complicated parapneumonic effusion in 22 patients. Four patients(three, parapneumonic effusion and one, with empyema) with PCD only treated, were cast off. Among the available patients, 36(80%) patients were treated with PCD only or PCD with urokinase. Among the 23 patients with empyema, surgical approach was required in five patients(27.1%, one required decortication, four open thoracostomy), one patient, treated with surgical procedure, died of sepsis. There was no significant difference of the duration of catheter insertion, the duration of hospital admission after catheter insertion and the mean amount of effusion drained for initial 24 hours between the patients with only PCD treated and the patients treated with PCD and urokinase. The duration of catheter insertion($9.4{\pm}5.25days$ vs. $19.2{\pm}9.42days$, p<0.05) and the duration of hospital admission after catheter insertion($15.9{\pm}10.45days$ vs. $38.6{\pm}11.46days$, p<0.01) of the patients with only PCD treated were more longer than those of the patients treated with surgical procedure after PCD. They were same between the patients treated with urokinase after PCD and the patients treated with surgical procedure after PCD($11.1{\pm}7.35days$ vs. $19.2{\pm}9.42days$, p<0.05, $17.5{\pm}9.17days$ vs. $38.6{\pm}11.46days$, p<0.01). In 16 patients(44.4%) with only PCD treated or PCD and urokinase treated, the amount of effusion at the time of catheter removal was decreased more than 75% and in 17 patients(47.2%) effusion decreased 50~75%. .In one patient effusion decreased 25~50%, in two patients effusion decreased less than 25%. One month after catheter removal, in 35 patients(97.2%, four patients were cast off), the amount of pleural effusion was successfully decreased more than 50%. There were no complications related to pigtail catheter insertion. Conclusion : In this study, PCD seemed to be an early efficacious procedure in treating the patients with complicated parapneumonic effusion or empyema without any serious procedure related complication.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.379-388
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• 1994

Background : In sleep apnea syndrome, arterial oxygen saturation($SaO_2$) decreases at a variable rate and to a variable degree for a given apneic period from patient to patient, and various kinds of cardiac arrythmia are known to occur. Factors supposed to affect arterial oxygen desaturation during apnea are duration of apnea, lung voulume at which apnea occurs, and oxygen consumption rate of the subject. The lung serves as preferential oxygen source during apnea, and there have been many reports related with the influence of lung volume on $SaO_2$ during apnea, but there are few, if any, studies about the influence of oxygen consumption rate of an individual on $SaO_2$ during breath holding or about the profile of arterial oxygen resaturation after breathing resumed. Methods : To investigate the changes of $SaO_2$ and heart rate(HR) during breath holding(BH) and rebreathing(RB) and to evaluate the physiologic factors responsible for the changes, lung volume measurements, and arterial blood gas analyses were performed in 17 healthy subjects. Nasal airflow by thermistor, $SaO_2$ by pulse oxymeter and ECG tracing were recorded on Polygraph(TA 4000, Gould, U.S.A.) during voluntary BH & RB at total lung capacity(TLC), at functional residual capacity(FRC) and at residual volume(RV), respectively, for the study subjects. Each subject's basal metabolic rate(BMR) was assumed on Harris-Benedict equation. Results: The time needed for $SaO_2$ to drop 2% from the basal level during breath holding(T2%) were $70.1{\pm}14.2$ sec(mean${\pm}$standard deviation) at TLC, $44.0{\pm}11.6$ sec at FRC, and $33.2{\pm}11.1$ sec at RV(TLC vs. FRC, p<0.05; FRC vs. RV, p<0.05). On rebreathing after $SaO_2$ decreased 2%, further decrement in $SaO_2$ was observed and it was significantly greater at RV($4.3{\pm}2.1%$) than at TLC($1.4{\pm}1.0%$)(p<0.05) or at FRC($1.9{\pm}1.4%$)(p<0.05). The time required for $SaO_2$ to return to the basal level after RB(Tr) at TLC was not significantly different from those at FRC or at RV. T2% had no significant correlation either with lung volumes or with BMR respectively. On the other hand, T2% had significant correlation with TLC/BMR(r=0.693, p<0.01) and FRC/BMR (r=0.615, p<0.025) but not with RV/BMR(r=0.227, p>0.05). The differences between maximal and minimal HR(${\Delta}HR$) during the BH-RB manuever were $27.5{\pm}9.2/min$ at TLC, $26.4{\pm}14.0/min$ at RV, and $19.1{\pm}6.0/min$ at FRC which was significantly smaller than those at TLC(p<0.05) or at RV(p<0.05). The mean difference of 5 p-p intervals before and after RB were $0.8{\pm}0.10$ sec and $0.72{\pm}0.09$ sec at TLC(p<0.001), $0.82{\pm}0.11$ sec and $0.73{\pm}0.09$ sec at FRC(p<0.025), and $0.77{\pm}0.09$ sec and $0.72{\pm}0.09$ sec at RV(p<0.05). Conclusion Healthy subjects showed arterial desaturation of various rates and extent during breath holding at different lung volumes. When breath held at lung volume greater than FRC, the rate of arterial desaturation significantly correlated with lung volume/basal metabolic rate, but when breath held at RV, the rate of arterial desaturation did not correlate linearly with RV/BMR. Sinus arrythmias occurred during breath holding and rebreathing manuever irrespective of the size of the lung volume at which breath holding started, and the amount of change was smallest when breath held at FRC and the change in vagal tone induced by alteration in respiratory movement might be the major responsible factor for the sinus arrythmia.