Although transthoracic needle biopsy (TTNB) was introduced for lung biopsy about 40 years ago, it is still mainstay of pathologic diagnosis in lung cancer, because it is relatively inexpensive and can obtain tissue regardless of the tumor-bronchus relationship. With several technological advances, proceduralists can perform TTNB more safely and accurately. Utilizing ultrasound-guided biopsy for peripheral lesions in contact with the pleura and rapid onsite evaluation during the procedure are expected to make up the weakness of TTNB. However, due to the inherent limitations of the percutaneous approach, the incidence of complications such as pneumothorax or bleeding is inevitably higher than that of other lung biopsy techniques. Thorough understating of each biopsy modality and additional technique are fundamental for maximizing diagnostic accuracy and minimizing the complications.

Although transthoracic needle biopsy (TTNB) was introduced for lung biopsy about 40 years ago, it is still mainstay of pathologic diagnosis in lung cancer, because it is relatively inexpensive and can obtain tissue regardless of the tumor-bronchus relationship. With several technological advances, proceduralists can perform TTNB more safely and accurately. Utilizing ultrasound-guided biopsy for peripheral lesions in contact with the pleura and rapid onsite evaluation during the procedure are expected to make up the weakness of TTNB. However, due to the inherent limitations of the percutaneous approach, the incidence of complications such as pneumothorax or bleeding is inevitably higher than that of other lung biopsy techniques. Thorough understating of each biopsy modality and additional technique are fundamental for maximizing diagnostic accuracy and minimizing the complications.

Neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (NAIT) occurs when maternal alloantibodies react to antigens expressed on fetal platelets, which is mainly platelet-specific alloantigen or HLA, resulting in their immune destruction. Here, we described a patient who suffered from NAIT caused by anti-HLA-A2 antibody. Sera from the mother and the newborn were screened for human platelet antigen-specific antibodies and HLA antibodies by ELISA, and HLA antibodies were detected in both of them. The antibody specificity was identified as anti-HLA-A2 by Luminex single antigen bead assay. HLA typing results showed that patient's father descended HLA-A2 antigen on the patient and the mother was HLA-A2 negative. It is most conceivable that anti-HLA-A2 alloantibody in the mother's sera crossed the placenta and subsequently caused NAIT in the case presented. The patient received platelet concentrates, oral steroid and intravenous globulin and platelet count increased to 120x10(9)/L on the 90th day of life. The Luminex single antigen bead assay used in this case is highly sensitive and specific assay to determine antibody specificity and it is faster and more convenient for routine use in clinical laboratory so that this assay could be useful to diagnose NAIT caused by HLA antibodies and treat such NAIT patients with HLA matched platelet transfusion.
Antibodies ; Antibody Specificity ; Blood Platelets ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fathers ; Histocompatibility Testing ; HLA-A2 Antigen ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Isoantibodies ; Isoantigens ; Mothers ; Placenta ; Platelet Count ; Platelet Transfusion ; Thrombocytopenia, Neonatal Alloimmune

BACKGROUND: The definition of sarcopenia focuses on muscle mass and function. Sarcopenic obesity is the relative excess of fat tissue with decreased muscle mass. We examined the association between cigarette smoking and sarcopenia according to obesity in middle-aged and elderly Koreans. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 9,385 subjects (age ≥50 years) based on data from the fourth and fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (2008–2011). Smoking groups were categorized by smoking status and the number of cigarettes smoked daily. Sarcopenia was defined as weight-adjusted appendicular skeletal muscle mass of 2 standard deviations below the sex-specific mean for young adults. Obesity was defined as fat mass ≥30% for men and ≥40% for women. Subjects were categorized into three groups: sarcopenic obese (SO), sarcopenic non-obese (SNO), and normal. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between smoking and SNO and SO. RESULTS: Among men, current smokers were more associated with SNO than never-smokers (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 3.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09–10.26). However, there was no significant association between smoking status and SNO in women or SO in either sex. Among current smokers, moderate smokers (11–20 cigarettes/d) were more likely to be SNO (adjusted OR, 5.81; 95% CI, 1.12–30.31) and heavy smokers (>20 cigarettes/d) were more likely to be SO (adjusted OR, 9.53; 95% CI, 1.65–55.01) than light smokers (<11 cigarettes/d). CONCLUSION: In men, smoking was positively associated with SNO, and heavy smokers were more likely to be SO than light smokers.
Aged ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Nutrition Surveys ; Obesity ; Odds Ratio ; Sarcopenia ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tobacco Products ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Though several factors have been found to be associated with depression, yet many others remain uncovered. A few studies have focused on the correlation between smoking and depression. This study was designed to explore whether there was a relationship between smoking and depression in a Korean adult group.METHODS: This study was based on the 2014 data of 17,780 Koreans obtained from the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHNES, 2013–2015). The participants' depression status was evaluated based on their responses to survey. The correlation between smoking and depression was examined using multiple linear regression analysis after adjusting confounders. The result was represented as correlation factors, and a P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.RESULTS: Our study revealed higher depression prevalence in the current smoker group as compared to non-smokers and ex-smokers and this difference was statistically significant.CONCLUSION: Smoking status was statistically significantly related to depression. Among the three smoking status groups, the current smoker group had the highest prevalence of depression. Hence s stopping smoking was considered to be effective and important to prevent depression.
Adult ; Depression ; Humans ; Korea ; Linear Models ; Nutrition Surveys ; Prevalence ; Smoke ; Smoking

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are undifferentiated cells that can differentiate into specific cell lineages when exposed to the right conditions. The ability of MSCs to differentiate into particular cells is considered very important in biological research and clinical applications. MSC spheroids are clusters of MSCs cultured in three dimensions, which play an important role in enhancing the proliferation and differentiation of MSCs. MSCs can also participate in vascular formation by differentiating into endothelial cells and secreting paracrine factors. Vascularization ability is essential in impaired tissue repair and function recovery. Therefore, the vascularization ability of MSCs, which enhances angiogenesis and accelerates tissue healing has made MSCs a promising tool for tissue regeneration. However, MSC spheroids are a relatively new research field, and more research is needed to understand their full potential. METHODS: In this review, we highlight the importance of MSC spheroids’ vascularization ability in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine while providing the current status of studies on the MSC spheroids’ vascularization and suggesting potential future research directions for MSC spheroids. RESULTS: Studies both in vivo and in vitro have demonstrated MSC spheroids’ capacity to develop into endothelial cells and stimulate vasculogenesis. CONCLUSION MSC spheroids show potential to enhance vascularization ability in tissue regeneration. Yet, further research is required to comprehensively understand the relationship between MSC spheroids and vascularization mechanisms.

The stethoscope has long been used for the examination of patients, but the importance of auscultation has declined due to its several limitations and the development of other diagnostic tools. However, auscultation is still recognized as a primary diagnostic device because it is non-invasive and provides valuable information in real-time. To supplement the limitations of existing stethoscopes, digital stethoscopes with machine learning (ML) algorithms have been developed. Thus, now we can record and share respiratory sounds and artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted auscultation using ML algorithms distinguishes the type of sounds. Recently, the demands for remote care and non-face-to-face treatment diseases requiring isolation such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection increased. To address these problems, wireless and wearable stethoscopes are being developed with the advances in battery technology and integrated sensors. This review provides the history of the stethoscope and classification of respiratory sounds, describes ML algorithms, and introduces new auscultation methods based on AI-assisted analysis and wireless or wearable stethoscopes.