Clinical factors associated with a boosted TST reaction.

<p>TST, tuberculin skin test; OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval; BMI, body mass index; IQR, interquartile range; TB, tuberculosis; CXR, simple chest radiography.</p>*<p>Data could not be obtained for one participant.</p>$<p>Technicians were defined as technical employees performing radiologic, laboratory, pathologic, and physiotherapeutic services.</p

Clinical factors associated with a positive TST through univariate and multivariate analyses during the two-step period.

<p>TST, tuberculin skin test; BMI, body mass index; IQR, interquartile range; TB, tuberculosis; CXR, simple chest radiography; OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval.</p>*<p>Data could not be obtained for two participants.</p>$<p>Technicians were defined as technical employees performing radiologic, laboratory, pathologic, and physiotherapeutic services.</p

Clinical factors associated with a positive TST by univariate and multivariate analyses during the one-step period.

<p>TST, tuberculin skin test; BMI, body mass index; IQR, interquartile range; TB, tuberculosis; CXR, simple chest radiography; OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval.</p>*<p>Data could not be obtained for six participants.</p>$<p>Technicians are defined as technical employees performing radiologic, laboratory, pathologic, and physiotherapeutic services.</p

Baseline characteristics of participants.

<p>BMI, body mass index; IQR, interquartile range; TB, tuberculosis; CXR, simple chest radiography; TST, tuberculin skin test.</p>*<p>Data could not be obtained for eight participants.</p>$<p>Technicians were defined as technical employees performing radiologic, laboratory, pathologic, and physiotherapeutic services.</p

Trend of TST positivity according to age.

<p>Trend of TST positivity according to age.</p

Comparison of CT-Determined Pulmonary Artery Diameter, Aortic Diameter, and Their Ratio in Healthy and Diverse Clinical Conditions

<div><p>Background</p><p>The main pulmonary artery diameter (mPA), aortic diameter (Ao), and the mPA/Ao ratio, easily measured using chest computed tomography (CT), provide information that enables the diagnosis and evaluation of cardiopulmonary diseases. Here, we used CT to determine the sex- and age-specific distribution of normal reference values for mPA, Ao, and mPA/Ao ratio in an adult Korean population.</p><p>Methods</p><p>Data from non-contrast, ECG-gated, coronary-calcium-scoring CT images of 2,547 individuals who visited the Health Screening Center of the Severance Hospital were analyzed. Healthy individuals (n = 813) included those who do not have hypertension, diabetes, asthma, obstructive lung disease, ischemic heart disease, stroke, smoking, obesity, and abnormal CT findings. Both mPA and Ao were measured at the level of bifurcation of the main pulmonary artery.</p><p>Results</p><p>The mean mPA and Ao were 25.9 mm and 30.0 mm in healthy participants, respectively, while the mean mPA/Ao ratio was 0.87. Medical conditions associated with a larger mPA were male, obesity, smoking history, hypertension, and diabetes. A larger mPA/Ao ratio was associated with female, the obese, non-smoker, normotensive, and normal serum level of lipids, while a smaller mPA/Ao ratio was associated with older age. In healthy individuals, the 90th percentile sex-specific mPA, Ao, and mPA/Ao ratio were, 31.3 mm (95% CI 29.9–32.2), 36.8 mm (95% CI 35.7–37.5), and 1.05 (95% CI 0.99–1.07) in males, and 29.6 mm (95% CI 29.1–30.2), 34.5 mm (95% CI 34.1–34.9), and 1.03 (95% CI 1.02–1.06) in females, respectively.</p><p>Conclusion</p><p>In the Korean population, the mean mPA reference values in male and female were 26.5 mm and 25.8 mm, respectively, while the mean mPA/Ao ratio was 0.87. These values were influenced by a variety of underlying medical conditions.</p></div

Distribution of mPA, Ao, and mPA/Ao ratio.

<p>Histograms show the distributions of mPA, Ao and mPA/Ao ratio values in all (n = 2,547) (A, C, E) and healthy participants (n = 813) (B, D, F), respectively (dark gray: male, gray: female). mPA, main pulmonary artery; Ao, aorta.</p

mPA, Ao and mPA/Ao according to age in healthy reference group (n = 813).

<p>mPA, Ao and mPA/Ao according to age in healthy reference group (n = 813).</p

Clinical characteristics of the groups with mPA/Ao ratio < 1.04 and mPA/Ao ratio ≥ 1.04 (n = 2,547).

<p><a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0126646#t004fn001" target="_blank">^*</a></p

Measurement of the pulmonary artery and ascending aorta diameters.

<p>Pulmonary artery and ascending aorta diameters were assessed on a transverse CT image at the level of the pulmonary artery bifurcation. Vessel diameters were obtained by measuring the widest diameter vertical to the long axis of the main pulmonary artery, using a computer caliper. mPA, main pulmonary artery; Ao, aorta</p