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Received Jul 12, 2017; Accepted Oct 19, 2017
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1. Introduction
Bronchiectasis is a chronic airway disease associated with symptoms such as cough, sputum production, and hemoptysis, and it may develop as a result of various etiologies [1]. A vicious cycle, based predominantly on airway infections, airway inflammation, and structural damage, plays a role in progression and pathogenesis of bronchiectasis [2]. It is disappointing that there are a limited number of effective treatment strategies and evidence-based management recommendations for assessment and follow-up of bronchiectasis. The severity of bronchiectasis should be determined to obtain better treatment outcomes. Assessment of bronchiectasis may be a challenge since there is actually no simple measurement method that has been sufficiently validated. Conventionally, previous reports measured the severity of disease based on FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 s) [3], while Reiff and Bhalla scores in HRCT were also used in some studies to measure disease severity [4, 5]. However, FEV1 was not effective in terms of clinical decision-making, and HRCT (high-resolution computed tomography) scores had a poor correlation with lung functions [6]. Therefore, it became an obligation to create a new scoring system to assess the severity of bronchiectasis. FACED score (F: FEV1, A: age, C: colonization, E: number of affected lobes, and D: dyspnea) [7] and Bronchiectasis Severity Index (BSI) [8] were recently designed as two multidimensional severity grading scales to assess the prognosis of bronchiectasis. FACED score is a five-item grading system that predicts mortality in patients who had been monitored for 5 years. BSI is a seven-item scale that describes future risk of death, hospitalization, and exacerbations. Elevation of systemic inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and total white blood cell count is known to be associated with the extent of the disease and poor lung functions [9]. The relation between CRP or total white blood cell count and the...