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Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, Volume 115, Supplement 187, May 2007, pp. 64-67(4)
The triad of progressive external ophthalmoplegia, atypical retinal pigmentation and cardiac conduction defects characterizes Kearns-Sayre syndrome (KSS), which is most often caused by a single, large deletion of mitochondrial DNA. Endocrine disease appears to be more common in KSS than in other mitochondrial diseases.
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Volume 119, Issue 4, April 2007, Pages 802-807
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology has tracked the US allergy/immunology physician workforce (AIPW) over the past 3 decades by funding 2 workforce surveys (1999, 2004).
With routine childhood vaccination using heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, one concern has been the potential for emergence and expansion of replacement disease caused by serotypes not contained in the heptavalent conjugate vaccine.
Clinical & Experimental Allergy, Volume 37, Number 5, May 2007, pp. 688-695(8)
Allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma represent a continuum of atopic disease. AR is believed to pre-dispose an individual to asthma. Compared with asthmatics and normal controls, the inflammatory response in the lower airways of rhinitics is not fully elucidated.
New England Journal of Medicine Volume 356:1751-1758 April 26, 2007 Number 17
This Journal feature begins with a case vignette that includes a therapeutic recommendation. A discussion of the clinical problem and the mechanism of benefit of this form of therapy follows. Major clinical studies, the clinical use of this therapy, and potential adverse effects are reviewed. Relevant formal guidelines, if they exist, are presented. The article ends with the author's clinical recommendations.
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Vol 175. pp. 919-925, (2007)
Cigarette smoking worsens asthma and is associated with reduced response to corticosteroid therapy. As cigarette smoke is known to have immunomodulatory effects, we hypothesized that one mechanism by which smoking mediates its adverse effect is by reduction of the numbers of bronchial mucosal dendritic cells (DCs), which control B-cell growth and T-cell responses.
The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Volume 11, Number 5, May 2007, pp. 528-533(6)
To 1) calculate the prevalence of cryptococcal pneumonia in 8421 autopsied miners, a population with a high prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection; 2) document the association of cryptococcal pneumonia with other pulmonary infection; 3) document the association of cryptococcal pneumonia with a clinical diagnosis of cryptococcal meningitis; and 4) determine the accuracy of the clinical diagnosis of cryptococcal pneumonia.
The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Volume 11, Number 5, May 2007, pp. 502-507(6)
The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is rising in many parts of the world. This is a study of risk factors for COPD in Chinese patients in Hong Kong.
To prevent reflex-induced bronchoconstriction in patients with asthma, local anesthetics are commonly administered by aerosol or IV as adjunct medication. Lidocaine attenuates responsiveness to a neurally active stimulus that increases tone, but there is scant information about the effect of lidocaine on baseline airway tone.
To prospectively compare maximum intensity projection (MIP) and volume rendering (VR) of multidetector computed tomographic (CT) data for the detection of small intrapulmonary nodules.
The development of bronchial thermoplasty, an investigational outpatient bronchoscopic procedure for asthma, has captured the interest of the interventional pulmonologist. Promising early clinical studies have demonstrated that bronchial thermoplasty may result in an improvement in asthma control.
Chest radiograph is the first step in evaluation of hemoptysis, but when it is normal, some physicians choose bronchoscopy with variable results. In this study, our objective was to elucidate how we could increase diagnostic yield of bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage by looking at inflammatory cells in cytology.
Clinical Microbiology & Infection, Volume 13, Number 5, May 2007, pp. 481-489(9)
This study investigated the molecular epidemiology of a clonal outbreak of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii that occurred between June 2003 and June 2004 in a tertiary-care hospital in Naples, Italy.
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Volume 119, Issue 4, April 2007, Pages 924-929
A discharge against medical advice (AMA) after an asthma hospitalization is a frustrating problem for health care providers, yet little is known about this occurrence.
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Volume 119, Issue 4, April 2007, Pages 960-964
Because nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) intolerance depends on COX-1 inhibition, preferential or selective COX-2 inhibitors have been thought to be well tolerated by these patients.
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Vol 175. pp. 881-887, (2007)
Genes in the interleukin (IL)-4/IL-13/IL-4R pathway have been shown to be associated with asthma and related phenotypes in some populations, but not in others. Furthermore, interaction between these genes has been shown to affect asthma in white and Chinese populations.
Journal of Pediatric Health Care Volume 21, Issue 2, March-April 2007, Pages 99-107
Asthma is influenced by and influences psychosocial experiences in adolescents. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore psychosocial experiences and coping strategies of a sample of adolescents with asthma based on their own accounts.
Quality Management in Health Care. 16(2):113-122, April/June 2007
The development of drug-resistant bacteria from the overuse of antibiotics is a serious problem, with overutilization threatening to disarm caregivers and their patients even as together they face increasingly virulent strains of microbes. On the other hand, the speedy treatment of pneumonia with antibiotics is a firmly established, evidence-based practice, enshrined in Joint Commission on Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations Core Measures used in hospital accrediting and public reporting, and in Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) public-reporting and pay-for-performance hospital measures.
International Journal of Clinical Practice, Volume 61, Number 5, May 2007, pp. 846-852(7)
Aspiration syndromes are clinically and pathologically classified into three sets of disorders: (i) large airway mechanical obstruction caused by foreign bodies; (ii) aspiration pneumonitis; and (iii) aspiration pneumonia.
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Vol 175. pp. 888-895, (2007)
Urban African-American youth, aged 15–19 years, have asthma fatality rates that are higher than in whites and younger children, yet few programs target this population. Traditionally, urban youth are believed to be difficult to engage in health-related programs, both in terms of connecting and convincing.
International Journal of Cardiology Volume 118, Issue 1, 16 May 2007, Pages 28-35
Various respiratory abnormalities are associated with chronic heart failure (CHF). However, changes in inspiratory capacity (IC) and breathing pattern from rest to exercise in patients with CHF have not been thoroughly investigated in these patients.
The Annals of Pharmacotherapy: Vol. 41, No. 4, pp. 574-580
To assess the impact of an asthma CE program provided to community pharmacists on their knowledge, intervention frequency, and the appropriateness of asthma medication use.
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Vol 175. pp. 896-904, (2007)
Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) increases up to 2 weeks after allergen inhalational challenge of subjects with asthma who show a late-phase asthmatic reaction (dual responders). Cellular inflammation and airway remodeling are increased 24 hours after allergen challenge.
Pneumococcal surface protein C (PspC) of Streptococcus pneumoniae is a key virulence factor that mediates adhesion to host cells and immune evasion of the host complement. PspC binds the host immune and complement regulator factor H, which is composed of 20 short consensus repeats (SCR). This interaction contributes to pneumococcal virulence.
Two cases of acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP) following smoking of flavored cigars were analyzed for characteristic features. None of our patients had a history of smoking flavored cigars/cigarettes in the past. One of them had never smoked, and the second patient was an ex-smoker who quit 17 years ago.
To evaluate the performance of a simple screening tool for chest radiography for identification of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) among emergency department (ED) patients who present with respiratory-related complaints.
Sleep Medicine Reviews Volume 11, Issue 2, April 2007, Pages 87-97
Sleep apnea is highly prevalent in subjects after age 60, and affects older men and women similarly. Central apneas are often observed in addition to obstructive and mixed events. Pathogenesis of obstructive and central events during sleep in the elderly can be attributed to an amplification of well-established causes of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in younger adults.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) might lower blood pressure, but evidence from clinical studies is inconsistent, perhaps as a result of small sample size or heterogeneity in study design. This study aimed to assess whether CPAP reduces ambulatory blood pressure in patients with OSAS, to quantify the effect size with precision, and to identify trial characteristics associated with the greatest blood pressure reductions.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficiency and reproducibility of a single-breath-hold time-resolved 3D MR angiographic technique in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.
Exposure to vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) is a cause of occupational bronchitis. We evaluated gene expression profiles in cultured human lung fibroblasts exposed to V2O5 in vitro in order to identify candidate genes that could play a role in inflammation, fibrosis, and repair during the pathogenesis of V2O5-induced bronchitis.
American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology. Vol. 36, pp. 600-608, 2007
Calcium (Ca2+) is an important activator of the contractile machinery in airway smooth muscle (ASM). While agonist-induced Ca2+ signals are well characterized in animal ASM, little is known about what occurs in adult human ASM.
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 292: L1002-L1012, 2007
Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) occurs with ascent to high altitude and can contribute to development of high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE). Vascular smooth muscle contains carbonic anhydrase (CA), and acetazolamide (AZ), a CA inhibitor, blunts HPV and might be useful in the prevention of HAPE. The mechanism by which AZ impairs HPV is uncertain.
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 292: L972-L983, 2007
Previous analysis of lung injury and repair has provided evidence for region-specific stem cells that maintain proximal and distal epithelial compartments. However, redundant expression of lineage markers by cells at several levels of the stem cell hierarchy has complicated phenotypic and functional characterization of clonogenic airway cells.
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 292: L898-L907, 2007
Bradykinin (BK) is an inflammatory mediator that can cause bronchoconstriction. In this study, we investigated the membrane currents induced by BK in cultured human airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa frequently colonizes and is responsible for severe ventilator-associated pneumonia in intubated patients. A quorum-sensing (QS) circuit, depending on the production of the two QS-signaling molecules (autoinducers, AIs) 3-oxo-C12-HSL and C4-HSL, regulates the production by P. aeruginosa of several virulence factors and is required for biofilm formation.
Critical Care Medicine. Focused Applications of Ultrasound in Critical Care Medicine. 35(5) Suppl:S173-S177, May 2007
Ultrasound imaging of the upper airway in critically ill patients offers a number of attractive advantages compared with competitive imaging techniques or endoscopy. It is widely available, portable, repeatable, relatively inexpensive, pain-free, and safe. In this review article, I describe ultrasonographic anatomy of the upper respiratory organs and present the main potential applications of ultrasonography in airway management.
The purpose of this article is to describe the techniques to improve motion artifacts, vascular enhancement, flow artifacts, body habitus image noise, vascular opacification in parenchymal lung disease, streak artifacts, and the indeterminate CT pulmonary angiogram. In addition, this article will illustrate the diagnostic criteria of acute and chronic pulmonary emboli.
Allergy and Asthma Proceedings, Volume 28, Number 2, March-April 2007, pp. 194-198(5)
Macrolide antibiotics have immunomodulatory effects that may be beneficial to patients with chronic inflammatory pulmonary conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of azithromycin on lung function, bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), and airway inflammation in asthmatic children.
To evaluate retrospectively the authors' experience of tracheobronchial foreign bodies (TFBs) removal with rigid bronchoscopy in children (age under 12-y old).
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Vol 175. pp. 905-910, (2007)
The aim of our study is to assess the feasibility and validity of airway acidification measurement by induced sputum and its clinical significance in asthma.
Weekly symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) occur in 20% of the population, and GERD has been implicated in the pathophysiology of many respiratory diseases. Microaspiration of contaminated water is a potential portal of entry for Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) organisms into the respiratory tract, and acid-suppression therapy may enhance the survival of mycobacteria in the stomach.
Conventional tests are not always helpful in making a diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy. Many studies have investigated the usefulness of interferon (IFN)-y measurements in pleural fluid for the early diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy. We conducted a metaanalysis to determine the accuracy of IFN-y measurements in the diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy.
Acquired tracheobronchomalacia (TBM) can cause central airway collapse in patients with COPD and may worsen airflow obstruction and symptoms. It is usually not known whether central airway malacia contributes to airflow obstruction. This study was undertaken to quantify central airway collapsibility and relate it to expiratory flow limitation in patients with TBM.
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Vol 175. pp. 875-880, (2007)
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has a poor prognosis and a course that is unpredictable. Pulmonary hypertension may complicate the course of IPF and potentially impact prognosis. There are multiple factors that might influence the onset and severity of pulmonary hypertension in IPF.
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 292: L813-L823, 2007
Epidemiological evidence gathered only in the past decade reveals that alcohol abuse independently increases the risk of developing the acute respiratory distress syndrome by as much as three- to fourfold. Experimental models and clinical studies are beginning to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this previously unrecognized association and are revealing for the first time that chronic alcohol abuse causes discrete changes, particularly within the alveolar epithelium, that render the lung susceptible to acute edematous injury in response to sepsis, trauma, and other inflammatory insults.
Respiratory Medicine Volume 101, Issue 4, April 2007, Pages 854-856
Samples of lung tissue, taken at time of lung transplant, from 13 Dutch Caucasian patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (iPAH) and 14 patients with non-idiopathic PAH were studied for the presence of human herpes virus-8 (HHV-8). By immunohistochemical staining, in none of patients expression of HHV-8 latency-associated nuclear antigen 1 (LANA-1) was demonstrated. Using two nested polymerase chain reactions (PCR) to amplify part of the open reading frame (ORF) 65 and ORF 73, we failed to detect HHV-8 DNA in all samples studied.
To compare in a group of doctor-diagnosed patients with asthma or COPD, the effects of a lower dose of fluticasone in a combination product with salmeterol with conventional treatment (i.e. a higher dose of fluticasone), both supplemented with as-needed use of a short-acting bronchodilator.
A novel approach to estimate the severity of COPD exacerbation and predict its outcome is the use of biomarkers. We assessed circulating levels of copeptin, the precursor of vasopressin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin as potential prognostic parameters for in-hospital and long-term outcomes in patients with acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) requiring hospitalization.
A narrow band imaging (NBI) is reported to be useful for observation of the mucosal lesions. We examined the usefulness of NBI for observation of bronchial mucosa by high magnification bronchovideoscopy.
The obesity-hypoventilation syndrome (OHS), commonly defined as a combination of obesity and diurnal hypercapnia, is efficiently treated using nasal positive pressure ventilation (NPPV). The present study aimed to determine whether nocturnal polysomnography allows detection of respiratory disturbances occurring in patients with OHS treated with NPPV that may interfere with the quality of sleep and of ventilatory support, and are not detected by nocturnal pulse oximetry and capnography.
Journal of Clinical Neuroscience Volume 14, Issue 4, April 2007, Pages 328-333
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is an independent risk factor for hypertension, which is a major cause of stroke. The prevalence and associations of OSA in a cohort of stroke patients were studied. The safety and tolerability of early treatment with nasal continuous airways pressure (nCPAP) was also assessed.
Allergy and Asthma Proceedings, Volume 28, Number 2, March-April 2007, pp. 226-229(4)
Patients with symptomatic allergic rhinitis often complain of daytime drowsiness and impairment in their speed of thinking responses. In this study, we compared subjects with allergic rhinitis treated with intranasal fluticasone propionate or placebo.
Allergy and Asthma Proceedings, Volume 28, Number 2, March-April 2007, pp. 111-113(3)
Despite imposing advances in understanding and therapy of asthma there is little progress in some important clinical outcomes. Asthma morbidity and medication use have been increasing worldwide, and mortality, even if rare, has shown only a minimal decline.
Left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction has been observed in cigarette smokers with coronary artery disease. The aim of the study was to assess LV and right ventricular (RV) diastolic function in healthy, young, and slim smokers before and after smoking one cigarette.
Published data on antiinflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of statins suggest they may reduce mortality risks associated with an unchecked immune response to selected infections, including influenza and COPD. We assessed whether statin users had reduced mortality risks from these conditions.
Hypoxia has been suggested to affect myocardial contractile function in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We sought to determine whether myocardial contractile reserve (MCR), as evaluated by echocardiographic tissue Doppler imaging with dobutamine stress (TDDS), might be depressed in OSA patients.
In the diagnosis of early-stage lung cancer photosensitizer-enhanced fluorescence bronchoscopy with inhaled 5-aminolevolinic acid (5-ALA) increases sensitivity when compared to white-light bronchoscopy. This investigation was to evaluate the in vivo tissue pharmacokinetics of inhaled 5-ALA within the bronchial mucosa in order to define the time optimum for its application prior to bronchoscopy.
The experimental induction of cough has become an important component of clinical cough research. Measurement of cough reflex sensitivity allows the evaluation of the effect of pharmacological and other interventions on the cough reflex, as well as the performance of epidemiological studies relevant to cough.
In a series of studies carried out in different experimental models, we investigated the type(s) of lung afferents and mechanism(s) underlying the cigarette smoke-induced airway irritation and cough. In healthy non-smokers, the intensity of airway irritation and cough evoked by cigarette smoke was markedly reduced after premedication with hexamethonium.
Cough is the most common complaint that leads patients to seek medical attention. Especially chronic persistent cough is annoying, and requires appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
Coughing can be both voluntarily induced and involuntarily initiated by activation of vagal afferent nerves innervating the airways and lungs. Centrally, cough is regulated at the level of the brainstem through integration of vagal afferent nerve input by relay neurones in the nucleus tractus solitarius (nTS).
Neuronal pathways associated with cough exhibit remarkable plasticity that can result in a persistent and uncontrollable urge to cough during disease. Afferent neurones involved in detecting tussive stimuli are polymodal, i.e. they respond to several types of stimuli including acid, inflammatory mediators such as bradykinin and mechanical stimuli.
Respiratory Medicine Volume 101, Issue 5, May 2007, Pages 1026-1031
Early discharge for patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) has been shown to be effective by clinical trials. To evaluate its implementation and efficacy in clinical practice, data concerning early discharge schemes (EDS) from the 2003 National COPD Audit were collected and analysed.
Clinical Microbiology & Infection, Volume 13, Number 5, May 2007, pp. 476-480(5)
The aim of this study was to investigate the patterns and dynamics of the microbiota in the airways of ventilated patients. Seventy-four mechanically-ventilated patients were recruited consecutively.
In 2001, a small-scale bioterrorism-related anthrax attack was perpetrated via the US mail. The optimal future response may require strategies different from those required in a large-scale attack.
In COPD patients, there is reduced vascularity and inflammation of the bronchi, which may have opposite effects on bronchial blood flow (QAW). We studied the relationship of QAW with the fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FENO), which is a potent vasodilator. We also investigated the vascular response to budesonide and a B2-agonist.
Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is useful in diagnosing congestive heart failure (CHF) in patients presenting in the emergency department with acute dyspnea. We prospectively tested the utility of BNP for discriminating ARDS vs cardiogenic pulmonary edema (CPE).
Biological lung volume reduction (BLVR) using biological reagents to remodel and shrink damaged regions of lung has previously been accomplished in sheep with experimental pulmonary emphysema. This report summarizes the initial clinical experience including a 3-month follow-up using this technique in humans.
Allergy, Volume 62, Number 2, February 2007, pp. 154-161(8)
In asthmatic patients, both symptoms and hyperresponsiveness are related to immunoglobulin E (IgE) concentration in serum. The anti-IgE monoclonal antibody omalizumab improved the control of asthma, but its effect on airway hyperresponsiveness is controversial.
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Volume 119, Issue 3, March 2007, Pages 604-610
Young children with wheezing predominantly with respiratory tract illnesses experience severe exacerbations separated by extended periods of wellness and may be described as having 'severe intermittent wheezing," a diagnostic category not currently recognized in national guidelines.
Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, Volume 18, Number 3, May 2007, pp. 188-195(8)
The standardized International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) is a valid tool in assessing prevalence of asthma indices. In order to determine the time trends of childhood asthma in Taiwan, we compared data from nationwide ISAAC surveys from a very large sample of Taiwanese 12- to 15-year-old school children, using ISAAC core written and video questionnaires.
Pediatric Allergy and Immunology,Volume 18, Number 3, May 2007, pp. 201-208(8)
The prevalence of atopy and asthma, and their association with familial and environmental factors were investigated among 13- to 14-yr-old children living in Brescia, an industrialized town in North Italy. All the 1450 children attending primary school in the town were invited to participate, and 967 of them (66.7%, 493 males) provided a valid questionnaire filled in by their parents at home.
Techniques in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Volume 9, Issue 1, January 2007, Pages 25-31
Transesophageal ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) enables minimally invasive tissue sampling of mediastinal lymph nodes. There is convincing evidence that EUS-FNA is an accurate method for mediastinal staging of patients with non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and therefore EUS-FNA provides an alternative for surgical evaluation of the mediastinum.
Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics Volume 44, Issue 2, March-April 2007, Pages 153-161
The prevalence of respiratory abnormalities was studied in an elderly nursing home population. This study investigated 475 female and 147 male individuals living in five nursing homes in Zagreb, Croatia. Chronic respiratory symptoms were recorded using the British Medical Research Council questionnaire. Ventilatory capacity was measured with maximum expiratory flow-volume (MEFV) curves on which forced vital capacity (FVC), one-second forced expiratory volume (FEV1), maximum expiratory flow rate at 50% FVC (FEF50), and maximum expiratory flow rate at 25% FVC (FEF25) were measured.
International Journal of Clinical Practice, Volume 61, Number 4, April 2007, pp. 589-593(5)
Extra-corporeal life support (ECLS) has been applied successfully to congenital respiratory defects but less optimally to acquired pulmonary failure. We extended this support to certain extreme complexities of patients with acute respiratory distress.
Scandinavian Journal of Immunology, Volume 65, Number 3, March 2007, pp. 265-270(6)
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a serious disease characterized with progressive scarring of the lungs in which a genetic background is supposed. We have tested correlation of promotor regions of IL-1alpha and IL-4 gene polymorphisms with clinical parameters in IPF.
Journal of Critical Care Volume 22, Issue 1, March 2007, Pages 26-27
Within the Gram-negative bacteria identified as pathogens causing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), multidrug-resistant ones, especially Acinetobacter species, present specific challenges for the caregivers in intensive care units (ICUs).
Virchows Archiv, Volume 450, Number 2, February 2007, pp. 221-223(3)
Sclerosing hemangioma (SH) with endobronchial growth (SH-EG) is an extremely unusual form of SH. A case of SH-EG in a 47-year-old female is described. She suffered from a productive cough for 4 months.
BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2007, 7:8
Tobacco smoking is a serious risk to health: several therapies are available to assist those who wish to stop. Smokers who approach publicly funded stop-smoking clinics in the UK are currently offered nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or bupropion, and group behaviour therapy, for which there is evidence of effectiveness.
European Journal of Pediatrics, Volume 166, Number 5, May 2007, pp. 473-483(11)
This study's aim was to assess neurodevelopmental and growth outcome until the age of 4 years of premature infants placed on early nCPAP, in the setting of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and follow-up program of the Division of Neonatology of the Department of Pediatrics of the University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
International Journal of Clinical Practice, Volume 61, Number 5, May 2007, pp. 725-736(12)
This randomised, double-blind, 6-month study compared budesonide/formoterol for maintenance and relief with salmeterol/fluticasone and a fixed maintenance dose of budesonide/formoterol, both with terbutaline for relief.
Although balloon dilation is a safe procedure, it can lead to laceration of the airway, causing bleeding, pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, or mediastinitis. We therefore determined the incidence and clinical significance of tracheobronchial lacerations after balloon dilation for treatment of benign tracheobronchial strictures.
The respiratory health effects of working in swine operations have been previously investigated mainly in male owner/operators with intermittent exposure to indoor air contaminants.
Health Policy Volume 81, Issues 2-3, May 2007, Pages 309-319
This paper reports on a retrospective analysis of hospital-based healthcare costs associated with the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Volume 11, Number 5, May 2007, pp. 508-514(7)
To determine the role of polymorphisms of genes regulating glutathione S-transferase (GST) and its plasma GST activity in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics. 28(2):92-99, April 2007
Asthma is the most common chronic childhood illness. Treatment is typically focused on disease management rather than developmental and behavioral comorbidities that may affect quality of life or contribute to poor disease control.
Pediatric Critical Care Medicine. 8(2):96-101, March 2007
Von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF-Ag) is a marker of pulmonary and systemic endothelial activation and injury. Adult studies indicate that patients with plasma vWF-Ag levels >=450% of control early in the course of acute lung injury (ALI) have an increased risk of death. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether vWF-Ag is elevated in the early phase of ALI in children and whether the magnitude of the increase was predictive of two important outcomes: mortality or duration of mechanical ventilation.
Left ventricular (LV) filling is impaired in patients with severe emphysema manifesting in small end-diastolic dimensions. We hypothesized that the hyperinflated lungs of these patients with high intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressure will decrease intrathoracic blood volume (ITBV) and ventricular preload. We therefore measured ITBV, and LV and right ventricular (RV) dimensions and function using MRI techniques in patients with severe emphysema.
The impact of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) on the arterial baroreflex, and its significance, is still under debate. We investigated the baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) during sleep in well-selected OSAS patient and control subject cohorts.
Allergy and Asthma Proceedings, Volume 28, Number 2, March-April 2007, pp. 190-193(4)
Recently, several authors have documented that respiratory infections may cause wheezing and acute exacerbation of asthma in children. Respiratory syncytial virus infections have been recognized to produce the first episode of wheezing in children who go on to develop chronic asthma. Furthermore, repeated infections caused by other common childhood viral pathogens have been proposed to affect responses of the immune system in such a way as to prevent the onset of allergic diseases and possibly asthma.
Critical Care Medicine. 35(4):1061-1067, April 2007
High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) has been proposed as a late mediator of sepsis, but human data are sparse and conflicting. We describe plasma HMGB1 concentrations in humans with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), the most common cause of severe sepsis, and test the hypotheses that HMGB1 levels are higher in CAP than healthy controls, higher in CAP with severe sepsis than CAP without severe sepsis, and higher in severe sepsis nonsurvivors than survivors.
Respiratory Medicine Volume 101, Issue 5, May 2007, Pages 903-909
Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREM)-1 is a recently described molecule that plays an important role in myeloid cell-activated inflammatory responses. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of TREM-1 in pleural effusions of various causes.
Allergy and Asthma Proceedings, Volume 28, Number 2, March-April 2007, pp. 183-189(7)
Childhood recurrent wheezing is a very prevalent heterogeneous clinical entity. An 8-year prospective study was performed to correlate the clinical outcome of recurrent wheezing in the first years of life with prognostic risk factors.
Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention 16, 820-822, April 1, 2007
National smoking prevalence estimates are the primary basis for assessing progress in tobacco control across the world. They are based on surveys of self-reported cigarette smoking. It has been assumed that this is sufficiently accurate for policy purposes, but this assumption has not been adequately tested.
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common and serious nosocomial infection. Accurate, timely diagnosis enables affected patients to receive appropriate therapy and avoids mistreatment of patients having other conditions.
Recording cough sounds to objectively quantify coughing was first performed using large reel-to-reel tape recorders more than 40 years ago. Coughs were counted manually, which is an extremely laborious and time-consuming process.
Chronic cough, which may be of asthmatic or nonasthmatic origin, is an important clinical issue. Airway inflammation, and remodeling demonstrated by subbasement membrane thickening has been associated with cough variant asthma (CVA) as well as with nonasthmatic chronic cough (NAC). CT studies have shown airway wall thickening in patients with asthma who wheeze. We examined airway wall thickness by CT in adult patients with chronic cough and examined its pathophysiologic implication.
The comet-tail technique of chest ultrasonography has been described for the diagnosis of cardiogenic pulmonary edema. This is the first report describing its use for the diagnosis and monitoring of high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), the leading cause of death from altitude illness.
Recently, it has been shown that in asthma between body mass index (BMI) is associated with reduced exhaled NO. Our objective in this study was to determine if the BMI-related changes in exhaled NO differ across asthmatics and controls, and to determine if they these changes are related to increased airway oxidative stress and systemic levels of leptin and adiponectin.
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