Noeul Kang

BACKGROUND: The role of bacterial microbiota in the pathogenesis of nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) is unclear. We aimed to compare the bacterial microbiome of disease-invaded lesions and non-invaded lung tissue from NTM-PD patients. METHODS: We analyzed lung tissues from 23 NTM-PD patients who underwent surgical lung resection. Lung tissues were collected in pairs from each patient, with one sample from a disease-involved site and the other from a non-involved site. Lung

Aspergillus nodules represent a subtype of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis, but details on their characteristics and outcomes are limited. We evaluated 80 patients with pathologically confirmed Aspergillus nodules between January 2009 and December 2016. The median age of the patients was 59 years, and 46 (58%) were women. Seventy-three (91%) patients were surgically diagnosed with Aspergillus nodules and the remaining seven (9%) patients were diagnosed by percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy

Artificial intelligence-based models showed excellent performance in asthma prediction compared to using PC₂₀ ≤ 16 mg/mL. The novel technology could be used to enhance the clinical diagnosis of asthma.

The HRQoL impairment of CC patients was associated with older age, female sex, and comorbidities but it was also affected by cough severity, complications, treatments, and treatment responses. Longitudinal studies are warranted to further understand and improve the HRQoL of CC patients.

Surgical resection should be considered as the first choice for early-stage NSCLC with COPD. Despite poor lung function or general patient condition, RT rather than SC can be an alternative option if surgery is not feasible. A multi-disciplinary approach and active communication between patients and physicians might be helpful for adequate decision-making regarding treatment for patients with early-stage NSCLC and COPD.

A relationship between HRV and type D personality was not identified using short-term HRV measurements in non-clinical patients with no definitive cardiovascular disease. Further studies using long-term HRV measurements in patients with cardiovascular disease are necessary to conclude an association between HRV and type D personality.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated whether the sputum bacterial microbiome differs between nontuberculous mycobacteria pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) patients with stable disease not requiring antibiotic treatment and those requiring antibiotics. METHODS: We collected sputum samples from 21 clinically stable NTM-PD patients (stable group) and 14 NTM-PD patients needing antibiotic treatment (treatment group). We also obtained 13 follow-up samples from the stable group. We analyzed the 48 samples using 16S rRNA

In subjects with moderate AO, low FVC was independently associated with behavior restrictions even after adjusting for confounding factors.

PURPOSE: Potassium-competitive acid blockers (P-CABs) are a newer class of acid suppressants with convenient dosing and a rapid onset of action, while showing efficacy comparable to proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in treating peptic symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This study aimed to assess the effect of P-CABs on GERD-related chronic cough. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, active-controlled, exploratory trial evaluated adults with chronic cough (≥ 8 weeks) and a recent

BACKGROUND: Ear, nose, and throat involvement are common in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). Among otologic manifestation, middle ear effusion (MEE) is less recognized but a problematic condition as it may progress to hearing impairment when left untreated. This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics, risk factors and clinical outcomes of MEE in EGPA patients. METHODS: This is a case-control study of patients who were diagnosed and treated for EGPA from January 1995 to

PURPOSE: The role of epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) in the management of persistent subsolid nodules (SSNs) is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the impact of EGFR-TKIs on concurrent SSNs in patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients who received an EGFR-TKI for at least 1 month for stage IV NSCLC and had concurrent SSN(s) that had existed for at least 3 months on chest computed tomography were includ

Thoracolithiasis is a rare benign condition with mobile free bodies in the pleural cavity. It is asymptomatic and mostly found incidentally. Up to our knowledge there is no report of symptomatic numerous thoracolithiasis. We report a very rare case of thoracolithiasis in a 36-year-old female with chest discomfort. Images from computed tomography presented a chain of small non-enhancing nodules in the left hemi-diaphragmatic pleura. Exploratory thoracoscopy was performed and twenty-five mobile pe