Purpose: Heterogeneous human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpression in gastric cancer may lead to a misdiagnosis of HER2 status. Accurate assessment of HER2 status is essential for optimal treatment as novel HER2-directed agents are being investigated in various clinical settings. We evaluated the usefulness of HER2 re-assessment following progression on first-line treatment in initially HER2-negative advanced gastric cancer (AGC) patients. Materials and Methods: We enrolled 177 patients with baseline HER2-negative AGC and performed HER2 re-assessment after progression on first-line treatment from February 2012 to June 2016 at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. The re-assessed HER2 status was analyzed with baseline HER2 status and clinical characteristics. Results: The median age was 54 years (range, 24 to 80 years), and 123 patients (69.5%) were men. Seven patients (4.0%) were HER2-positive on the re-assessment. Patients with baseline HER2 negativity confirmed by a single test (n=100) had a higher HER2-positive re-assessment rate compared to those who had repeated baseline testing (n=77) (5.0% vs. 2.6%). Among the patients with single baseline HER2 testing, the rate was higher in patients with baseline HER2 immunohistochemistry (IHC) 1+ compared to those with IHC 0 (13.4% vs. 3.6%). Conclusion Overall, 4.0% of patients with baseline HER2-negative AGC were HER2-positive on re-assessment, and the HER2-positive re-assessment rate was higher among patients who had a single test at baseline. HER2 re assessment may be considered for initially HER2-negative patients to determine their eligibility for HER2-directed therapy, particularly if their HER2 negativity was determined by a single test, especially if they had a single baseline HER2 IHC 1+ test.

Background: Chronic cough is a common symptom encountered by healthcare practitioners.The global prevalence of chronic cough is 9.6%, with a female predominance. The aim of our study is to reveal the sex differences in prevalence and severity of chronic cough in South Korea, stratified by age and etiology. Methods: This study included adult patients with chronic cough who were recruited from 19 respiratory centers in South Korea. Patients completed the cough numeric rating scale (NRS) and COugh Assessment Test (COAT) questionnaire to assess the severity and multidimensional impact of cough. Results: Among the 625 patients, 419 (67.0%) were females, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:2.03. The mean age was 49.4 years, and the median duration of cough was 12 weeks. The mean NRS and COAT scores were 5.5 ± 1.8 and 9.5 ± 3.6, respectively. Female patients were older (45.3 ± 15.4 vs. 51.6 ± 15.2, P < 0.001) and more likely to have asthma/cough variant asthma (CVA) (26.7% vs. 40.8%, P = 0.001) than male patients. There was no difference in the duration or severity of cough between sexes, regardless of the cause. The male-tofemale ratio was lower for upper airway cough syndrome (UACS), asthma/CVA, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), but not for eosinophilic bronchitis (EB) or unexplained cough. The mean age of female patients was higher in UACS and asthma/CVA, but not in EB, GERD, or unexplained cough. The majority (24.2%) fell within the age category of 50s. The proportion of females with cough increased with age, with a significant rise in the 50s, 60s, and 70–89 age groups. The severity of cough decreased in the 50s, 60s, and 70–89 age groups, with no significant sex differences within the same age group. Conclusion The sex disparities in prevalence and severity of cough varied significantly depending on the age category and etiology. Understanding the specific sex-based difference could enhance comprehension of cough-related pathophysiology and treatment strategies.

Resistance to hypomethylating agents (HMAs) in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a concerning problem. Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is a key cell cycle modulator and is known to be associated with an activation of the PI3K pathway, which is related to the stabilization of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), a target of HMAs. We investigated the effects of volasertib on HMA-resistant cell lines (MOLM/AZA-1 and MOLM/DEC-5) derived from MOLM-13, and bone marrow (BM) samples obtained from patients with MDS (BM blasts >5%) or AML evolved from MDS (MDS/AML). Volasertib effectively inhibited the proliferation of HMA-resistant cells with suppression of DNMTs and PI3K/AKT/mTOR and ERK pathways. Volasertib also showed significant inhibitory effects against primary BM cells from patients with MDS or MDS/AML, and the effects of volasertib inversely correlated with DNMT3B expression. The DNMT3B-overexpressed AML cells showed primary resistance to volasertib treatment. Our data suggest that volasertib has a potential role in overcoming HMA resistance in patients with MDS and MDS/ AML by suppressing the expression of DNMT3 enzymes and PI3K/AKT/mTOR and ERK pathways. We also found that DNMT3B overexpression might be associated with resistance to volasertib.

Cough is the most common respiratory symptom that can have various causes. It is a major clinical problem that can reduce a patient’s quality of life. Thus, clinical guidelines for the treatment of cough were established in 2014 by the cough guideline committee under the Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases. From October 2018 to July 2020, cough guidelines were revised by members of the committee based on the first guidelines. The purpose of these guidelines is to help clinicians efficiently diagnose and treat patients with cough. This article highlights the recommendations and summary of the revised Korean cough guidelines. It includes a revised algorithm for the evaluation of acute, subacute, and chronic cough. For a chronic cough, upper airway cough syndrome (UACS), cough variant asthma (CVA), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) should be considered in differential diagnoses. If UACS is suspected, first-generation antihistamines and nasal decongestants can be used empirically. In cases with CVA, inhaled corticosteroids are recommended to improve cough. In patients with suspected chronic cough due to symptomatic GERD, proton pump inhibitors are recommended. Chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, bronchiolitis, lung cancer, aspiration, intake of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, intake of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor, habitual cough, psychogenic cough, interstitial lung disease, environmental and occupational factors, tuberculosis, obstructive sleep apnea, peritoneal dialysis, and unexplained cough can also be considered as causes of a chronic cough. Chronic cough due to laryngeal dysfunction syndrome has been newly added to the guidelines.

Cough is the most common respiratory symptom that can have various causes. It is a major clinical problem that can reduce a patient’s quality of life. Thus, clinical guidelines for the treatment of cough were established in 2014 by the cough guideline committee under the Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases. From October 2018 to July 2020, cough guidelines were revised by members of the committee based on the first guidelines. The purpose of these guidelines is to help clinicians efficiently diagnose and treat patients with cough. This article highlights the recommendations and summary of the revised Korean cough guidelines. It includes a revised algorithm for the evaluation of acute, subacute, and chronic cough. For a chronic cough, upper airway cough syndrome (UACS), cough variant asthma (CVA), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) should be considered in differential diagnoses. If UACS is suspected, first-generation antihistamines and nasal decongestants can be used empirically. In cases with CVA, inhaled corticosteroids are recommended to improve cough. In patients with suspected chronic cough due to symptomatic GERD, proton pump inhibitors are recommended. Chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, bronchiolitis, lung cancer, aspiration, intake of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, intake of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor, habitual cough, psychogenic cough, interstitial lung disease, environmental and occupational factors, tuberculosis, obstructive sleep apnea, peritoneal dialysis, and unexplained cough can also be considered as causes of a chronic cough. Chronic cough due to laryngeal dysfunction syndrome has been newly added to the guidelines.

Purpose: We report a case of familial amyloid polyneuropathy in a patient presenting with open-angle glaucoma and progressive vitreous opacity.Case summary: A 62-year-old female patient presented with uncontrolled intraocular pressure (IOP) in the left eye that did not respond to medical treatment. She had no history of systemic diseases other than hypertension. Trabeculectomy was performed in the left eye. Thirteen months later, as IOP in the right eye suddenly increased to 50 mmHg and was not controlled, trabeculectomy was also performed in the right eye. Anterior chamber angle was wide and open in both eyes and there were no abnormalities. Vitreous opacity increased gradually in both eyes. Neurological examination was conducted as the patient complained of numbness in the feet, and a diagnosis of familial amyloid polyneuropathy was confirmed. Conclusions Although rare, familial amyloid polyneuropathy and secondary glaucoma should be considered as differential diagnoses in open-angle glaucoma patients showing high intraocular pressure accompanied by progressive vitreous opacity.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety of active phacoemulsification fluidics with a bevel-down phaco-tip on corneal endothelial cells in patients with various corneal endothelial cell densities (ECDs). Methods: One hundred and seventy-three eyes of 111 patients who underwent cataract surgery using active phacoemulsification fluidics with a bevel-down phaco-tip technique were consecutively enrolled. We analyzed the postoperative changes in corneal parameters including ECD and clinical factors associated with percent change in ECD. Results: Preoperative mean ECD was 2,511.02 ± 463.14 cells/mm2 (range, 540-3,390 cells/mm2). There was a significant change in postoperative ECD (-50.70 cells/mm2, p < 0.017), and no significant change in hexagonality or coefficients of variation. A higher preoperative mean ECD (B = -0.010, p < 0.001), a higher grade of nucleus sclerosis (B = -3.002, p < 0.001), and a younger age (B = 0.167, p = 0.040) were associated with a larger percent change in ECD. Conclusions There was very low ECD loss after active phacoemulsification fluidics with a bevel-down phaco-tip. The lower preoperative ECD was not a risk factor for postoperative ECD loss. Therefore, we suggest that active phacoemulsification fluidics with a bevel-down phaco-tip technique can be performed safely in patients with low ECD when nuclear sclerosis is not severe.

Asthma ; Bronchitis ; Cohort Studies ; Cough ; Diagnosis ; Disease Management ; Eosinophils ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Humans ; Korea ; Lung Diseases ; Multivariate Analysis ; Observational Study ; Pregnant Women ; Retrospective Studies ; Tuberculosis

BACKGROUND: Chronic cough is defined as a cough lasting more than 8 weeks and socio-economic burden of chronic cough is enormous. The characteristics of chronic cough in Korea are not well understood. The Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases (KATRD) published guidelines on cough management in 2014. The current study evaluated the clinical characteristics of chronic cough in Korea and the efficacy of the KATRD guidelines. METHODS: This was a multi-center, retrospective observational study conducted in Korea. The participants were over 18 years of age. They had coughs lasting more than 8 weeks. Subjects with current pulmonary diseases, smokers, ex-smokers with more than 10 pack-years or who quit within the past 1 year, pregnant women, and users of cough-inducing medications were excluded. Evaluation and management of cough followed the KATRD cough-management guidelines. RESULTS: Participants with chronic cough in Korea showed age in the late forties and cough duration of more than 1 year. Upper airway cough syndrome was the most common cause of cough, followed by cough-variant asthma (CVA). Gastro-esophageal reflux diseases and eosinophilic bronchitis were less frequently observed. Following the KATRD cough-management guidelines, 91.2% of the subjects improved after 4 weeks of treatment. Responders were younger, had a longer duration of cough, and an initial impression of CVA. In univariate and multivariate analyses, an initial impression of CVA was the only factor related to better treatment response. CONCLUSION The causes of chronic cough in Korea differed from those reported in other countries. The current Korean guidelines proved efficient for treating Korean patients with chronic cough.

BACKGROUND: Chronic cough is defined as a cough lasting more than 8 weeks and socio-economic burden of chronic cough is enormous. The characteristics of chronic cough in Korea are not well understood. The Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases (KATRD) published guidelines on cough management in 2014. The current study evaluated the clinical characteristics of chronic cough in Korea and the efficacy of the KATRD guidelines. METHODS: This was a multi-center, retrospective observational study conducted in Korea. The participants were over 18 years of age. They had coughs lasting more than 8 weeks. Subjects with current pulmonary diseases, smokers, ex-smokers with more than 10 pack-years or who quit within the past 1 year, pregnant women, and users of cough-inducing medications were excluded. Evaluation and management of cough followed the KATRD cough-management guidelines. RESULTS: Participants with chronic cough in Korea showed age in the late forties and cough duration of more than 1 year. Upper airway cough syndrome was the most common cause of cough, followed by cough-variant asthma (CVA). Gastro-esophageal reflux diseases and eosinophilic bronchitis were less frequently observed. Following the KATRD cough-management guidelines, 91.2% of the subjects improved after 4 weeks of treatment. Responders were younger, had a longer duration of cough, and an initial impression of CVA. In univariate and multivariate analyses, an initial impression of CVA was the only factor related to better treatment response. CONCLUSION The causes of chronic cough in Korea differed from those reported in other countries. The current Korean guidelines proved efficient for treating Korean patients with chronic cough.