Taehwa Kim

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) may participate in biological pathways relevant to emphysema, but their associations with quantitative emphysema in human lung tissue remain uncertain. Methods: We analyzed lung tissue miRNA expression and clinical phenotypes from 117 patients with COPD/emphysema in GSE201121. After expression filtering, 839 miRNA loci were evaluated for association with percent emphysema (quantitative CT-derived percent low-attenuation area below − 950 HU) using linear regression adjusted for age and sex with HC3 heteroskedasticity-robust standard errors. Multiple testing was controlled using the Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate (BH-FDR). Significant loci were collapsed to unique mature miRNAs. Secondary analyses examined associations with FEV₁ % predicted, FEV₁/FVC, and DLCO. Sensitivity analyses excluded influential observations, used log-transformed percent emphysema, and evaluated former smokers with adjustment for pack-years. Experimentally validated miRNA-target interactions were queried using multiMiR, followed by Gene Ontology Biological Process enrichment. Results: Fourteen miRNAs were associated with percent emphysema at BH-FDR < 0.05. Eight miRNAs showed positive associations with emphysema (miR-144-5p, miR-190a, miR-20b-5p, miR-451a, miR-3912, miR-15a-5p, miR-202-5p, and miR-4497), whereas six showed negative associations (miR-489, miR-181b-5p, miR-378a-5p, miR-3614-5p, miR-197-3p, and miR-877-3p). Associations with lung function were consistent with the emphysema findings across all 14 miRNAs. After phenotype-specific BH-FDR correction, 12 miRNAs were associated with FEV₁ % predicted, 12 with FEV₁/FVC, and 8 with DLCO. All 14 associations retained their direction and significance across sensitivity analyses. Enrichment analyses of experimentally supported targets identified processes related to miRNA regulation, apoptosis, hypoxia/oxygen responses, cell-cycle regulation, and vasculature development. Conclusion: Lung-tissue expression of 14 mature miRNAs was associated with percent emphysema and lung function in COPD, while target-enrichment findings based on experimentally supported interaction databases were exploratory and require independent and functional validation.

Kim T, et al. Right Heart J. 2026 ;1:e21. https://doi.org/10.65721/rhj.2026.1.e21

Yoon CS, et al. J Korean Med Sci. 2026 Nov;41:e275. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2026.41.e275

Leem AY, et al. Yonsei Med J. 2026 Oct;67(10):724-735. https://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2025.0533

Background Critically ill patients frequently develop acute acalculous cholecystitis (AAC), particularly those requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation, ECMO, or CRRT. Percutaneous cholecystostomy is a minimally invasive alternative to cholecystectomy, yet transportation to the angiography suite may not be feasible in unstable ICU patients. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and outcome of bedside percutaneous cholecystostomy with the conventional technique performed in the angiography suite. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 70 ICU patients who underwent percutaneous cholecystostomy between January 2019 and December 2023 at a tertiary referral center. Patients were divided into two groups based on procedure setting: bedside trocar group (n = 26) and angiography suite group (n = 44). Baseline characteristics, SOFA scores, procedural outcomes, and complications were compared between the groups. Results The bedside group had higher rates of ECMO use (50% vs. 6.8%, p < 0.001), inotrope support (76.9% vs. 52.3%, p = 0.041), and NO ventilation (30.8% vs. 6.8%, p = 0.008). Despite significantly higher pre-procedural SOFA scores (12.85 ± 2.59 vs. 9.77 ± 3.38, p < 0.001), there were no significant differences in complication rates (42.3% vs. 27.3%, p = 0.196), catheter dislodgement, or in-hospital mortality (53.8% vs. 50.0%, p = 0.756) between groups. Catheter dislodgement was the most common complication and was not significantly associated with the technique used. Conclusion Bedside percutaneous cholecystostomy is a viable alternative for critically ill patients who are unable to be moved. This method provides effective biliary decompression even in patients with high disease severity who require multi-organ support.

Sarcopenia, a progressive loss of muscle mass and strength, is a major health concern primarily affecting older adults worldwide. With no pharmaceutical cure for sarcopenia, dietary protein, probiotic supplementation, and physical exercise have gained increasing attention as lifestyle-based interventions. Dietary protein has shown promising effects in preventing the loss of skeletal muscle and physical strength by favorably influencing muscle protein synthesis in sarcopenic individuals. Probiotic supplementation has been associated with muscle regeneration, increased muscle protein synthesis among adults with sarcopenia, and improved exercise performance based on preliminary and emerging evidence. Multimodal or hybrid exercise programs have been shown to improve muscle strength, mobility, and overall physical function in individuals with sarcopenia. This paper reviews how combining protein, probiotics, and multimodal exercise may offer complementary strategies for sarcopenia management. Evidence from preclinical and mechanistic studies suggests that these interventions may support muscle health by activating shared intracellular pathways such as mTOR signaling, the suppression of FOXO3a, and the enhancement of mitochondrial biogenesis.

Taehwa Kim, M.D., Daesup Lee, M.D., Woo Hyun Cho, M.D., Ph.D., Sun Min Lee, M.D., Kyung-Hwa Shin, M.D., Ph.D., and Hye Ju Yeo, M.D., Ph.D.. Ann Lab Med -0001;0:. https://doi.org/10.3343/alm.2024.0691

Objective: A functional immune system is essential for recovery from pneumonia; hence, measuring and monitoring immune-status indicators is clinically important. This study aimed to determine whether QuantiFERON monitoring (QMF) could predict healthcare-associated infection (HCAI) according to the immune-status of patients with pneumonia. Methods: Prospective, observational, single-center study, patients ≥ 19 years hospitalized for pneumonia between October 2020 and November 2021. QFM was performed at hospital admission (D1) and seven days after (D2). Data from 90 patients in the D1 QFM group were analyzed, which was further divided into the non-healthcare-associated infection (non-HCAI, n = 41, 45.6%) and HCAI (n = 49, 54.4%) groups. Results: The D1 and D2 QFM levels were both significantly higher in the non-HCAI group than in the HCAI group (D1 hCAI vs non-HCAI: 4.40 vs 5.75 IU/mL, D2 hCAI vs non-HCAI: 4.38 vs 6.10 IU/mL). Analysis of the change in D1 and D2 QFM levels by each group showed that D2 QFM levels increased over D1 QFM levels in the non-HCAI group (5.75 vs 6.10 IU/mL), while D2 QFM levels decreased over D1 QFM levels in the HCAI group (4.40 vs 4.38 IU/mL). D1 QFM was consistently negatively correlated with TNF-α and CRP. The integrated analysis of D1 QFM and CCI and D1 QFM and CURB-65 had fair to predict the occurrence of HCAI. Conclusion: QFM can be used to predict the immune-status of patients in the context of healthcare-associated infections. These findings provide important insights into the current understanding of pneumonia treatment and recovery.