bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Is bronchoscopic lung biopsy helpful in the management of patients with diffuse lung disease?
Authors: Ensminger S. A. , Prakash U. B. S. 
Published: August 2006

Few studies have evaluated how the results of bronchoscopic lung biopsy (BLB) affect clinical management. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of BLB in the overall management of patients with diffuse pulmonary diseases.The study was a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent fluoroscopy-guided BLB over a 2-yr period. Patients whose biopsy was of a lung mass or single dominant lung nodule were excluded. The usefulness of BLB was assessed to determine whether the results affected the clinical management of these patients.During the study period, 603 patients underwent 651 BLB procedures. The results of BLB were clinically helpful in 494 (75.9%) out of 651 procedures. No diagnostic abnormality was identified in 107 (16.4%) out of the 651 biopsy procedures. This finding was clinically helpful in 59 (55.1%) out of 107 procedures, as the results excluded specific processes suspected before BLB. In 52 procedures (8% of all BLB), no lung parenchyma was obtained.In conclusion, bronchoscopic lung biopsy is a clinically useful test in ∼75% of procedures. In the 25% of bronchoscopic lung biopsies that were clinically unhelpful, the reason for failure in approximately one-third of patients was the failure of the procedure to obtain an adequate quantity of lung parenchyma for a meaningful histological analysis.
Reduced bronchial CD4+ T-cell density in smokers with occupational asthma
Authors: Sjåheim T. , Kongerud J. , Bjørtuft Ø. , Drabløs P. A. , Malterud D. , Halstensen T. S. 
Published: August 2006

Cigarette smoking may alter bronchial inflammation in asthma. Multicolour immunohistofluorescent examination on bronchial cryosections was used to examine bronchial inflammatory cell infiltrate in patients with occupational asthma. Monoclonal antibodies to CD3, CD4, CD8, T-cell receptor-δ1, CD68 and human leukocyte antigen-DR were combined to identify T-cell subsets and macrophages in bronchial biopsies from 20 workers with occupational asthma (12 smokers and eight nonsmokers), 15 healthy workers (seven smokers and eight nonsmokers) and 10 nonsmoking, nonexposed controls.The increased subepithelial CD4+ T-cell density in nonsmoking asthmatics was not present in smoking asthmatics, who had the lowest CD4+ T-cell density of all groups. The decreased subepithelial CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell density correlated with a reduction in lung function, as measured by percentage predicted forced expiratory volume in one second, in smoking asthmatics only. Although smoking asthmatics had a significantly increased number of intraepithelial CD8+ T-cells and macrophages compared with nonsmoking asthmatics, the proportion of γδ-T-cells was significantly decreased in both asthmatic groups.Smoking asthmatics had a distinctly different distribution of T-cell subsets compared with nonsmoking asthmatics. The accumulation of subepithelial CD4+ T-cells, which was observed in nonsmoking asthmatics, appeared to be inhibited in smoking asthmatics, suggesting a smoking-induced bronchial immune modulation, at least in occupational asthma in the aluminium industry.
EU–USA pathology panel for uniform diagnosis in randomised controlled trials for HRCT screening in lung cancer
Authors: Thunnissen F. B. , Kerr K. M. , Brambilla E. , Comin C. E. , Franklin W. A. , Guldhammerskov B. , Westra W. H. , Flieder D. B. 
Published: August 2006

Randomised controlled trials for lung cancer screening using high-resolution computed tomography are now underway. In order to allow effective future comparison of the different trials, as well as strengthening conclusions based upon the analysis of larger data sets, uniformity and consistency of pathology diagnosis are essential. The aim of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of the learning process in this difficult area of diagnostic pathology.Eight pathologists received two CD-ROMs, each with digital images of 30 cases. After diagnosing the first series, selected background reading was provided. Kappa (κ) scores were calculated for each pathologist and category, and were compared to the consensus score.The readings of the first series showed a moderate agreement κ score: mean±sdfor category numbers 8 (all eight categories) and 2 were 0.53±0.05 and 0.65±0.04, respectively. The κ 2 score distinguished between categories denoting benign and malignant lesions. The second series resulted in a good agreement κ score: 0.65±0.06 for category number 8 and 0.81±0.02 for category number 2.In conclusion, this study demonstrates that screen-detected cases pose particular problems for pathologists and that a trained pathology panel serving randomised controlled trials is likely to lead to more consistent and accurate tissue diagnosis.
Induction of mesenchymal cell phenotypes in lung epithelial cells by adenovirus E1A
Authors: Behzad A. R. , Morimoto K. , Gosselink J. , Green J. , Hogg J. C. , Hayashi S. 
Published: August 2006

Epithelial–mesenchymal transformation is now recognised as an important feature of tissue remodelling. The present report concerns the role of adenovirus infection in inducing this transformation in an animal model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Guinea pig primary peripheral lung epithelial cells (PLECs) transfected with adenovirus E1A (E1A-PLECs) were compared to guinea pig normal lung fibroblasts (NLFs) transfected with E1A (E1A-NLFs). These cells were characterised by PCR, immunocytochemistry, electron microscopy, and Western and Northern blot analyses. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays were performed in order to examine nuclear factor (NF)-κB and activator protein (AP)-1 binding activities.E1A-PLECs and E1A-NLFs positive for E1A DNA, mRNA and protein expressed cytokeratin and vimentin but not smooth muscle α-actin. Both exhibited cuboidal morphology and junctional complexes, but did not contain lamellar bodies or express surfactant protein A, B or C mRNAs. These two cell types differed, however, in their NF-κB and AP-1 binding after lipopolysaccharide stimulation, possibly due to differences in the expression of the subunits that comprise these transcriptional complexes.E1A transfection results in the transformation of peripheral lung epithelial cells and normal lung fibroblasts to a phenotype intermediate between that of the two primary cells. It is postulated that this intermediate phenotype may play a major role in the remodelling of the airways in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease associated with persistence of adenovirus E1A DNA.
The effect ofPseudomonas aeruginosaon pulmonary function in patients with bronchiectasis
Authors: Davies G. , Wells A. U. , Doffman S. , Watanabe S. , Wilson R. 
Published: August 2006

Bronchiectasis patients are susceptible to infection withPseudomonas aeruginosa.Isolation is associated with increased severity of disease, greater airflow obstruction and poorer quality of life. It is not known whether infection byP. aeruginosais a marker of disease severity or contributes to disease progression.Consecutive non-cystic fibrosis adult bronchiectasis outpatients (n = 163) with multiple sputum cultures and follow-up pulmonary function tests were designated, according to isolation ofP. aeruginosa, as “never infected” (group 1; n = 67), “intermittently isolated” (group 2; n = 82) and “chronically infected” (group 3; n = 14). Based upon change in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) % predicted levels at ≥2 yrs after presentation, longitudinal behaviour was characterised as “improvement” (≥10% rise), “decline” (≥10% fall) or “stability”. Baseline pulmonary-function tests and longitudinal behaviour were examined in relation to pseudomonas status.There was no difference between the groups in age, sex, smoking habit or length of follow-up. Baseline FEV1levels were highest in group 1 (mean±sd: 77.4±24.3) and higher in group 2 (67.3±25.7) than in group 3 (55.2±18.5). The same significant trends were seen for baseline FEV1/forced vital capacity ratios and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide levels. Subsequent longitudinal behaviour was linked to baseline FEV1levels, which were lowest in patients with improvement and lower in association with decline than with stability. However, longitudinal behaviour did not differ between groups 1, 2 and 3, either before or after adjustment for baseline FEV1levels.Infection byPseudomonas aeruginosaoccurs in bronchiectasis patients with more severe impairment of pulmonary function but does not influence rate of decline in pulmonary function either before or after adjustment for baseline disease severity. Thus,Pseudomonas aeruginosais a marker of bronchiectasis severity but is not linked to an accelerated decline in pulmonary function.
Recommended standards for modern tuberculosis laboratory services in Europe
Authors: Drobniewski F. A. , Hoffner S. , Rusch-Gerdes S. , Skenders G. , Thomsen V. ,   the WHO European Laboratory Strengthening Task Force
Published: August 2006

The principles underpinning these standards are that any tuberculosis laboratory-based diagnostic procedure should be performed by appropriately trained staff, working to standardised operating procedures in appropriately equipped and safe laboratories, against clear national and international proficiency and quality standards. Quality should be the pre-eminent criteria, not cost.The standards are technologically feasible, but initially may not be within the financial capacity of all laboratories. There is a requirement for government and international donors to adequately fund an appropriate safe infrastructure to enable staff to deliver accurate and timely results at whatever level of activity they are performing.There is a need for national reference laboratories to train a new cadre of mycobacterial laboratory experts. This will require the funding of appropriate individuals at these centres to train and assist in the implementation of good laboratory practice and evaluation to build sustainable capacity. Further operational research is needed to establish the optimal configuration of new technologies to determine isoniazid, rifampicin and second-line drug susceptibility in mycobacterial cultures and also, increasingly, directly on specimens.Improved integration of laboratory medicine as a core part of all tuberculosis programmes is needed to achieve and maximise the potential of new developments.
Characterisation of dendritic cell subsets in lung cancer micro-environments
Authors: Bergeron A. , El Hage F. , Kambouchner M. , Lecossier D. , Tazi A. 
Published: August 2006

The aim of the current study was to seek evidence for a correlation between mediators present in lung cancer micro-environments and subsets of dendritic cells (DCs) infiltrating these tumours.Immunohistochemistry and recently available antibodies were used to define the phenotype of DCs present in surgical biopsies from 12 patients with lung carcinomas, and the local expression of chemokines potentially involved in the recruitment of these cells was evaluated, both at mRNA and protein levels. Real-time PCR was used to analyse the expression of mRNA coding for cytokines known to influence the maturation of DCsin vitro.Different subsets of myeloid DCs were present in lung cancers, but no plasmocytoid DCs were identified. Both Langerhans cells and CD1a+/Langerin cells were interspersed among tumour cells, in numbers that were correlated to the amounts of CC chemokine ligand 20 produced in these tumours. In most specimens, DC-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-grabbing nonintegrin-postive DCs were also present at the periphery of the tumour beds. No DC-lysosomal associated membrane protein-positive DCs were identified and CD83+ DCs were rarely present in the tumour stroma. All tumours expressed interleukin (IL)-10, transforming growth factor-β and vascular endothelial growth factor, whereas IL-12 was virtually absent.Thus, various types of dendritic cells infiltrate lung carcinomas and display an immature phenotype, presumably because of the inhibitory cytokine micro-environment.
Systemic sensitivity to corticosteroids in smokers with asthma
Authors: Livingston E. , Chaudhuri R. , McMahon A. D. , Fraser I. , McSharry C. P. , Thomson N. C. 
Published: August 2006

Cigarette smokers with asthma are insensitive to the therapeutic effects of corticosteroids. It is not known whether this insensitivity to corticosteroids in smokers affects tissue sites beyond the airways.A total of 75 asthmatic subjects (39 smokers) and 78 healthy controls (30 smokers) were recruited to an observational study. The cutaneous and peripheral blood lymphocyte responses to corticosteroids were measured. The cutaneous vasoconstrictor response to topical beclometasone was measured by applying different concentrations of beclometasone solutions to the skin in a random double-blind manner. The degree of blanching at each concentration was graded after 18 h. The sensitivity of peripheral blood lymphocytes to corticosteroids was assessed by measuring the suppressive effect of dexamethasone on lymphocyte proliferation stimulated by phytohaemagglutinin (PHA).Total mean±sdcutaneous vasoconstrictor response score to beclometasone was reduced in smokers with asthma to 5.39±3.58versus7.26±3.05 in never-smokers with asthma; and in all smokers to 6.47±3.33versus7.86±2.81 in all never-smokers. The sensitivity to corticosteroids of lymphocytes stimulated by PHA was similar between groups.In conclusion, smokers with asthma have an impaired cutaneous vasoconstrictor response to topical corticosteroids compared with never-smokers with asthma. This finding suggests that the insensitivity to corticosteroids in smokers with asthma affects tissue sites other than the airways.
Random mutagenesis in Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032 using an IS6100-based transposon vector identified the last unknown gene in the histidine biosynthesis pathway
Authors: Mormann Sascha , Lömker Alexander , Rückert Christian , Gaigalat Lars , Tauch Andreas , Pühler Alfred , Kalinowski Jörn 
Published: August 2006

AbstractBackgroundCorynebacterium glutamicum, a Gram-positive bacterium of the class Actinobacteria, is an industrially relevant producer of amino acids. Several methods for the targeted genetic manipulation of this organism and rational strain improvement have been developed. An efficient transposon mutagenesis system for the completely sequenced type strain ATCC 13032 would significantly advance functional genome analysis in this bacterium.ResultsA comprehensive transposon mutant library comprising 10,080 independent clones was constructed by electrotransformation of the restriction-deficient derivative of strain ATCC 13032,C. glutamicumRES167, with an IS6100-containing non-replicative plasmid. Transposon mutants had stable cointegrates between the transposon vector and the chromosome. Altogether 172 transposon integration sites have been determined by sequencing of the chromosomal inserts, revealing that each integration occurred at a different locus. Statistical target site analyses revealed an apparent absence of a target site preference. From the library, auxotrophic mutants were obtained with a frequency of 2.9%. By auxanography analyses nearly two thirds of the auxotrophs were further characterized, including mutants with single, double and alternative nutritional requirements. In most cases the nutritional requirement observed could be correlated to the annotation of the mutated gene involved in the biosynthesis of an amino acid, a nucleotide or a vitamin. One notable exception was a clone mutagenized by transposition into the genecg0910, which exhibited an auxotrophy for histidine. The protein sequence deduced fromcg0910showed high sequence similarities to inositol-1(or 4)-monophosphatases (EC 3.1.3.25). Subsequent genetic deletion ofcg0910delivered the same histidine-auxotrophic phenotype. Genetic complementation of the mutants as well as supplementation by histidinol suggests thatcg0910encodes the hitherto unknown essential L-histidinol-phosphate phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.15) inC. glutamicum. Thecg0910gene, renamedhisN, and its encoded enzyme have putative orthologs in almost all Actinobacteria, including mycobacteria and streptomycetes.ConclusionThe absence of regional and sequence preferences of IS6100-transposition demonstrate that the established system is suitable for efficient genome-scale random mutagenesis in the sequenced type strainC.glutamicumATCC 13032. The identification of thehisNgene encoding histidinol-phosphate phosphatase inC. glutamicumclosed the last gap in histidine synthesis in the Actinobacteria. The system might be a valuable genetic tool also in other bacteria due to the broad host-spectrum of IS6100.
Morphological correlates to cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia as studied with Bayesian regression
Authors: Lawyer Glenn , Nyman Håkan , Agartz Ingrid , Arnborg Stefan , Jönsson Erik G , Sedvall Göran C , Hall Håkan 
Published: August 2006

AbstractBackgroundRelationships between cognitive deficits and brain morphological changes observed in schizophrenia are alternately explained by less gray matter in the brain cerebral cortex, by alterations in neural circuitry involving the basal ganglia, and by alteration in cerebellar structures and related neural circuitry. This work explored a model encompassing all of these possibilities to identify the strongest morphological relationships to cognitive skill in schizophrenia.MethodsSeventy-one patients with schizophrenia and sixty-five healthy control subjects were characterized by neuropsychological tests covering six functional domains. Measures of sixteen brain morphological structures were taken using semi-automatic and fully manual tracing of MRI images, with the full set of measures completed on thirty of the patients and twenty controls. Group differences were calculated. A Bayesian decision-theoretic method identified those morphological features, which best explained neuropsychological test scores in the context of a multivariate response linear model with interactions.ResultsPatients performed significantly worse on all neuropsychological tests except some regarding executive function. The most prominent morphological observations were enlarged ventricles, reduced posterior superior vermis gray matter volumes, and increased putamen gray matter volumes in the patients.The Bayesian method associated putamen volumes with verbal learning, vigilance, and (to a lesser extent) executive function, while caudate volumes were associated with working memory. Vermis regions were associated with vigilance, executive function, and, less strongly, visuo-motor speed. Ventricular volume was strongly associated with visuo-motor speed, vocabulary, and executive function. Those neuropsychological tests, which were strongly associated to ventricular volume, showed only weak association to diagnosis, possibly because ventricular volume was regarded a proxy for diagnosis. Diagnosis was strongly associated with the other neuropsychological tests, implying that the morphological associations for these tasks reflected morphological effects and not merely group volumetric differences. Interaction effects were rarely associated, indicating that volumetric relationships to neuropsychological performance were similar for both patients and controls.ConclusionThe association of subcortical and cerebellar structures to verbal learning, vigilance, and working memory supports the importance of neural connectivity to these functions. The finding that a morphological indicator of diagnosis (ventricular volume) provided more explanatory power than diagnosis itself for visuo-motor speed, vocabulary, and executive function suggests that volumetric abnormalities in the disease are more important for cognition than non-morphological features.
Ectopic thyroid in an adrenal mass: a case report
Authors: Hagiuda Jun , Kuroda Isao , Tsukamoto Takuji , Ueno Munehisa , Yokota Chizuko , Hirose Takanori , Deguchi Nobuhiro 
Published: August 2006

Abstract

Background
It is difficult to explain ectopic thyroid beneath the diaphragm because during the development the thyroid descends from the tongue to the anterior of the trachea. A few cases of ectopic lesions have been reported in the literature for abdominal organs including the adrenal glands, but the mechanism by which the thyroid components migrate into the abdomen has been poorly understood.

Case presentation
A 54-year-old woman was diagnosed as having an adrenal mass. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy was carried out. Microscopically, the mass was composed of normal adrenal and ectopic thyroid tissues.

Conclusion
We herein describe the fourth case reported of ectopic thyroid in the adrenal gland.
Combined determination of plasma MMP2, MMP9, and TIMP1 improves the non-invasive detection of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder
Authors: Staack Andrea , Badendieck Steffen , Schnorr Dietmar , Loening Stefan A , Jung Klaus 
Published: August 2006

Abstract

Background
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their inhibitors (TIMPs) play a major role in the maintenance of extracellular matrix homeostasis and are involved in the process of tumour invasion and metastasis in several malignant tumour entities. The goal of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of various circulating MMPs and TIMPs in blood plasma for a non-invasive detection of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder (TCC).

Methods
In this study the concentrations of MMP1, MMP2, MMP3, MMP9, their inhibitors TIMP1, TIMP2, and the MMP1/TIMP1-complex (MTC1) were quantified in blood plasma with the sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Blood plasma samples were investigated from 68 patients (non-metastasized, n = 57 and metastasized, n = 11) with TCC of the bladder and from 79 healthy controls. The mROC program was used to calculate the best two- and three- marker combinations. The diagnostic values for all single markers and the marker combinations were estimated both by the overall diagnostic performance index area under the ROC curve (AUC) and the sensitivity and specificity at cutoff limits with the highest diagnostic accuracy and at the 90% and 95% limits of sensitivity and specificity, respectively.

Results
The median MMP2 concentration was elevated in blood plasma in all patient groups with TCC in comparison to the controls (p < 0.001). The concentrations of TIMP1, TIMP2, and MTC1 in plasma probes were significantly lower from patients with non-metastasized TCC compared to the controls. MMP2 tested alone reached the highest sensitivity and specificity at 75%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity increased when tested in combination with MMP9 and TIMP1 (97%, 94%, respectively). The combination of MMP9 and TIMP1 also showed an improved sensitivity (80%) and specificity (99%) than tested alone.

Conclusion
MMP2 is a statistically significant marker in blood plasma for bladder cancer detection with an increased diagnostic value in combination with MMP9 and TIMP1. This study showed that the highest sensitivities and specificities are not obtained by testing each marker alone. As shown by the best two-marker combination, which includes MMP9 and TIMP1, the optimized combination does not always include the best single markers.