tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Effects of calisthenic exercises on exercise capasity, symptoms, physical fitness, daily living activities and quality of life in chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases
Authors: Neslihan Duruturk, Hulya Arikan, Sema Savci, Gaye Ulubay, Deniz Inal Ince, Oznur Akkoca Yildiz, Naciye Vardar Yagli
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2013)

Introduction:  The effects of different exercise in COPD remain to be investigated.  Aim: The aim of study was to determine effects of calisthenic exercises on exercise capasity, physical fitness, quality of life, dispne, fatigue in COPD.  Methods: 27 patients in GOLD level II-III randomised in study. 14 patients (mean age:61,28±5,10, FEV 1 :57,28±10,54%pred) received calisthenic exercise for 6 weeks, 3 sessions per week. Control group, 13 patients (mean age:63,84±5,78, FEV 1 :63,69±10,81%pred)received routine medical therapy. Pulmonary function using spirometry, exercise capacity using incremental cycle ergometer, physical fitness using Senior Fitness Test, quality of life using Saint George Respiratory Questionnaire, activities of daily living using London Chest Activities of Daily Living Scale(LCADL), dyspneae using Modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale, fatigue using Fatigue Severity and Impact Scale were evaluated.  Results: FEV1, MVV, VO 2 , VCO 2 , VE, O 2  pulse, exercise time, work load increased in calisthenic group (p 0.05).  Conclusions: Calisthenics improved exercise capasity, physical fitness, quality of life, activities of daily living while it reduced dispne, fatigue. It is necessary to integrate calisthenic exercise to the comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation.
Analysis of the level of cytokines in blood serum and condensate in children with bronchopulmonary pathology
Authors: Olga Alekseeva, Natalia Ilyenkova, Sergey Tereshchenko, Vladimir Chikunov
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2014)

In recent years, much attention is paid to surf markers local inflammation. The least studied is the determination of markers of inflammation cytokines in exhaled air condensate.   Aim:  to evaluate the correlation of changes of interleukins in exhaled air condensate and serum, to determine the possibility of use of non-invasive, as an independent, for the determination of markers of inflammation.   Methods:  we examined 122 children aged 6-12 years (1 group of 38 patients with acute bronchitis, 2 a group of 32 patients with asthma, 3 a group of 32 patients with congenital abnormalities of the lungs). Determination of the concentration of cytokines INFγ, IL-8, IL-6, α-TNF, IL-1β, IL-4 in the blood serum and exhaled air condensate conducted by enzyme immunoassay. The study of the degree of association between the variables was performed using Spearman correlation coefficient.   Results:  In the group of children with acute bronchitis between the level of cytokine serum and exhaled air condensate was a high correlation has been revealed only to IL1β, r=0,83 (p=0.01). In the group of children with asthma high correlation has been revealed to IL-4, r=0.8 in (p=0.01) and low for cytokines INFγ, IL-8, IL-6, α-TNF, IL-6. In the group of children with congenital malformations high correlation was revealed for α-TNF, IL6 and amounted, r=0.84 and r=0,86 respectively (p=0.01), the average correlation for IL1β, r =0,7 (p=0.03).   Conclusions:  The correlation between changes in the level of IL1β, IL-4, IL-6, α-TNF in the blood serum and exhaled air condensate. Expired air condensate can be used as an additional marker for evaluation of airway inflammation.
TB-PCR test of EBUS-TBNA samples in differentiating mediastinal lymphonode tuberculosis and sarcoidosis
Authors: Hai-Feng Ou-Yang, Zhi-Kui Li
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2013)

Introduction and background: Transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) guided by endobronchial ultrasonography (EBUS) is a diagnostic method which may be used in diagnosing benign granulomatous diseases in contemporary practice. Cytological, microbiologic and tuberculosis (TB)-polimerase chain reaction (PCR) results in samples play an important role in the differential diagnosis of lymphonode tuberculosis and sarcoidosis. However, the diagnostic value of TB-PCR has not been well analyzed. Aims and objectives: To determine how well TB-PCR test would distinguish mediastinal lymphonode tuberculosis and sarcoidosis in a country endemic for tuberculosis. Methods: Consecutive patients with diagnoses of mediastinal lymphonode tuberculosis and sarcoidosis were enrolled, and the diagnoses confirmed by follow up. DNA was extracted from TBNA samples and subjected to TB-PCR. Results: 22 of 25 patients with mediastinal lymphonode tuberculosis and 2 of 34 patients with sarcoidosis tested positive by TB-PCR. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive values for TB-PCR in distinguishing tuberculosis from sarcoidosis were 0.88 (95% confidence interval 0.75–0.99), 0.91 (0.81–0.99), 0.88 (0.75–0.96) and 0.91 (0.79–0.98), respectively. A combination of TB-PCR with acid-fast staining of samples identified 23 of 25 (96.2%) of patients with mediastinal lymphonode tuberculosis, with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive values (95% CI) of 0.92 (0.78–0.99), 0.91 (0.79–0.96), 0.88 (0.63–0.93) and 0.94 (0.86–0.99), respectively. Conclusions: TB-PCR is a good screening test to distinguish mediastinal lymphonode tuberculosis from sarcoidosis.
Cardiac Fibroblast GRK2 Deletion Enhances Contractility and Remodeling Following Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Meryl C. Woodall, Benjamin P. Woodall, Erhe Gao, Ancai Yuan, Walter J. Koch
Journal: Circulation Research (2016)

G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) is an important molecule upregulated after myocardial injury and during heart failure. Myocyte-specific GRK2 loss before and after myocardial ischemic injury improves cardiac function and remodeling. The cardiac fibroblast plays an important role in the repair and remodeling events after cardiac ischemia; the importance of GRK2 in these events has not been investigated.The aim of this study is to elucidate the in vivo implications of deleting GRK2 in the cardiac fibroblast after ischemia/reperfusion injury.We demonstrate, using Tamoxifen inducible, fibroblast-specific GRK2 knockout mice, that GRK2 loss confers a protective advantage over control mice after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. Fibroblast GRK2 knockout mice presented with decreased infarct size and preserved cardiac function 24 hours post ischemia/reperfusion as demonstrated by increased ejection fraction (59.1±1.8% versus 48.7±1.2% in controls; P<0.01). GRK2 fibroblast knockout mice also had decreased fibrosis and fibrotic gene expression. Importantly, these protective effects correlated with decreased infiltration of neutrophils to the ischemia site and decreased levels of tumor necrosis factor-α expression and secretion in GRK2 fibroblast knockout mice.These novel data showing the benefits of inhibiting GRK2 in the cardiac fibroblast adds to previously published data showing the advantage of GRK2 ablation and reinforces the therapeutic potential of GRK2 inhibition in the heart after myocardial ischemia.
High‐throughput T‐cell receptor sequencing across chronic liver diseases reveals distinct disease‐associated repertoires
Authors: Evaggelia Liaskou, Eva Kristine Klemsdal Henriksen, Kristian Holm, Fatemeh Kaveh, David Hamm, Janine Fear, Marte K. Viken, Johannes Roksund Hov, Espen Melum, Harlan Robins, Johanna Olweus, Tom H. Karlsen, Gideon M. Hirschfield
Journal: Hepatology (2015)

Hepatic T‐cell infiltrates and a strong genetic human leukocyte antigen association represent characteristic features of various immune‐mediated liver diseases. Conceptually the presence of disease‐associated antigens is predicted to be reflected in T‐cell receptor (TCR) repertoires. Here, we aimed to determine if disease‐associated TCRs could be identified in the nonviral chronic liver diseases primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), and alcoholic liver disease (ALD). We performed high‐throughput sequencing of the TCRβ chain complementarity‐determining region 3 of liver‐infiltrating T cells from PSC (n = 20), PBC (n = 10), and ALD (n = 10) patients, alongside genomic human leukocyte antigen typing. The frequency of TCRβ nucleotide sequences was significantly higher in PSC samples (2.53 ± 0.80, mean ± standard error of the mean) compared to PBC samples (1.13 ± 0.17, P &lt; 0.0001) and ALD samples (0.62 ± 0.10, P &lt; 0.0001). An average clonotype overlap of 0.85% was detected among PSC samples, significantly higher compared to the average overlap of 0.77% seen within the PBC ( P = 0.024) and ALD groups (0.40%, P &lt; 0.0001). From eight to 42 clonotypes were uniquely detected in each of the three disease groups (≥30% of the respective patient samples). Multiple, unique sequences using different variable family genes encoded the same amino acid clonotypes, providing additional support for antigen‐driven selection. In PSC and PBC, disease‐associated clonotypes were detected among patients with human leukocyte antigen susceptibility alleles. Conclusion : We demonstrate liver‐infiltrating disease–associated clonotypes in all three diseases evaluated, and evidence for antigen‐driven clonal expansions. Our findings indicate that differential TCR signatures, as determined by high‐throughput sequencing, may represent an imprint of distinctive antigenic repertoires present in the different chronic liver diseases; this thereby opens up the prospect of studying disease‐relevant T cells in order to better understand and treat liver disease. (H epatology 2016;63:1608‐1619)
Abstract 3387: The Effects of Restrictive Annuloplasty on Mitral Leaflet Coaptation and The Mechanism Regulating Functional Mitral Regurgitation: Simplified Echocardiographic Study
Authors: Yasuhiro Shudo, Kazuhiro Taniguchi, Koichi Toda, Hajime Matsue, Hiroki Hata, Shinichi Fujita
Journal: Circulation (2007)

Objectives: The effects of restrictive annuloplasty on mitral leaflet coaptation in a clinical setting have not been fully elucidated. We developed a novel simplified method for assessing the actual degree of coaptation and investigated changes caused by its use. Based on our findings, we evaluated the direct effects of restrictive annuloplasty on mitral leaflet coaptation and the mechanism regulating mitral regurgitation. Methods and Results: We studied 23 patients (mean 60 years old) with functional mitral regurgitation (grade 3 to 4+) with congestive heart failure (LV ejection fraction 32±10%) due to idiopathic (n=8) or ischemic (n=15) who underwent mitral valve repair with restrictive annuloplasty and 20 normal control subjects. We measured the septal-lateral diameter, tenting height, tenting area, and coaptation length of the mitral valve in 4-chamber, 2-chamber, and long-axis views at mid-systole before and after surgery using transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography procedures. Coaptation length was calculated with the following formula: Ad-Ac, where Ad equals the whole length of the anterior leaflet during the diastolic phase and Ac equals the length of the non-coaptation free portion of the anterior leaflet at mid-systole. Coaptation length index was defined as the ratio of coaptation length to septal-lateral diameter. Results: Tenting height and tenting area were significantly decreased, while coaptation length and coaptation length index were significantly increased (Table ). In multivariate analysis, coaptation length index showed a statistically significant negative correlation with degree of residual MR (r=0.77, p&lt;0.0001) and was found to be the most reliable predictor of MR grade. Conclusion: Our novel simplified method provided quantitative and morphological descriptions of mitral leaflet coaptation, and can also provide important information for developing a surgical strategy for regulation of MR. Table
The impact of gene-gene interaction on the severity of bronchial asthma in Ukrainian children
Authors: Zoia Rossokha, Svetlana Kyryachenko, Julia Savenko, Oleksandra Tyazhka, Natalia Gorovenko
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2012)

Background: Gene-gene interaction in the development of different severity of bronchial asthma (BA) has not been investigated.  The aim of the study was to define the genetic differences among children with persistent mild and persistent moderate BA.  Methods: Comparative groups included 13 patients (aged 8,58+0,84 year) with persistent mild BA and 14 patients (aged 8,94+0,82 year) with persistent moderate BA. Sex differences among two groups were not observed. There was performed 10 genes polymorphism investigation using PCR with further RFLP. The differences in comparative groups were assessed by the two tailed Fisher test analyses. MDR program was applied for gene-gene interaction evaluation.  Results: The frequency of DD genotype in ACE gene was significantly higher among patient with persistent moderate BA (p=0,045). The patient with persistent moderate BA had also significantly increased frequency of GSTM1 gene deletion polymorphism (p=0,0004). We have observed no differences in the frequency of others genes polymorphic variants.  MDR analysis has found synergy closely interaction between MTHFR (C677T) and ACE (I/D) genes and between GSTM1 and eNOS (4a/4b).  Conclusion: Gene-gene interaction defined severity of bronchial asthma in children. The further research may help to optimize BA prognosis and treatment.
Pilot Study of Ruxolitinib in Relapsed or Refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma and Primary Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Seok Jin Kim, Hye Jin Kang, Dong-Yeop Shin, Dok Hyun Yoon, Kana Sakamoto, Jee Hyun Kong, Young Hyeh Ko, Kengo Takeuchi, Cheolwon Suh, Won Seog Kim
Journal: Blood (2014)
Lesson of the Week: Cystitis and ureteric obstruction in patients taking tiaprofenic acid
Authors: F G Mayall, R W Blewitt, W G Staff
Journal: BMJ (1994)

systematic review the puzzle's intricacies may be disentangled.The vast amount of available information underscores the value of systematic reviews.As T S Eliot asked in his poem "The Rock," "Where is the know- ledge we have lost in information?"Moreover, decision makers of various types are inundated with unmanage- able amounts of information.They have great need for systematic reviews that separate the known from the unknown and that save them from the position of knowing less than has been proved.6Advantages of the systematic review are many.Whether scientific findings are consistent and can be generalised across populations, settings, and treatment variations or whether findings vary significantly by particular subsets can be gleaned.Unique advantages of quantitative systematic reviews or meta-analyses are increased power and precision in estimating effects and risks.Hopefully, both qualitative and quantitative systematic reviews, with their explicit methods, will limit bias and improve the reliability and accuracy of recommendations.I thank Dr Rosalva M Solis for her assistance in the preparation ofthis article.
<i>TSLP</i> polymorphisms are associated with asthma in a sex‐specific fashion
Authors: G. M. Hunninghake, M. E. Soto‐Quirós, L. Avila, H. P. Kim, J. Lasky‐Su, N. Rafaels, I. Ruczinski, T. H. Beaty, R. A. Mathias, K. C. Barnes, J. B. Wilk, G. T. O’Connor, W. James Gauderman, H. Vora, J. W. Baurley, F. Gilliland, C. Liang, J. S. Sylvia, B. J. Klanderman, S. S. Sharma, B. E. Himes, C. J. Bossley, E. Israel, B. A. Raby, A. Bush, A. M. Choi, S. T. Weiss, J. C. Celedón
Journal: Allergy (2010)

To cite this article: Hunninghake GM, Soto‐Quirós ME, Avila L, Kim HP, Lasky‐Su J, Rafaels N, Ruczinski I, Beaty TH, Mathias RA, Barnes KC, Wilk JB, O’Connor GT, James Gauderman W, Vora H, Baurley JW, Gilliland F, Liang C, Sylvia JS, Klanderman BJ, Sharma SS, Himes BE, Bossley CJ, Israel E, Raby BA, Bush A, Choi AM, Weiss ST, Celedón JC. TSLP polymorphisms are associated with asthma in a sex‐specific fashion. Allergy 2010; 65 : 1566–1575. Abstract Background: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in thymic stromal lymphopoietin ( TSLP ) have been associated with IgE (in girls) and asthma (in general). We sought to determine whether TSLP SNPs are associated with asthma in a sex‐specific fashion. Methods: We conducted regular and sex‐stratified analyses of association between SNPs in TSLP and asthma in families of children with asthma in Costa Rica. Significant findings were replicated in whites and African‐American participants in the Childhood Asthma Management Program, in African‐Americans in the Genomic Research on Asthma in the African Diaspora study, in whites and Hispanics in the Children’s Health Study, and in whites in the Framingham Heart Study (FHS). Main Results: Two SNPs in TSLP (rs1837253 and rs2289276) were significantly associated with a reduced risk of asthma in combined analyses of all cohorts ( P values of 2 × 10 −5 and 1 × 10 −5 , respectively). In a sex‐stratified analysis, the T allele of rs1837253 was significantly associated with a reduced risk of asthma in males only ( P = 3 × 10 −6 ). Alternately, the T allele of rs2289276 was significantly associated with a reduced risk of asthma in females only ( P = 2 × 10 −4 ). Findings for rs2289276 were consistent in all cohorts except the FHS. Conclusions: TSLP variants are associated with asthma in a sex‐specific fashion.
Outreach Education to Improve Quality of Rural ICU Care
Authors: MICHAEL S. HENDRYX, JOHN F. FIESELMANN, M. JEANNE BOCK, DOUGLAS S. WAKEFIELD, CHARLES M. HELMS, SUZANNE E. BENTLER
Journal: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (1998)

This study tests whether an outreach educational program tailored to institutional specific patient care practices would improve the quality of care delivered to mechanically ventilated intensive care unit (ICU) patients in rural hospitals. The study was conducted as a randomized control trial using 20 rural Iowa hospitals as the unit of analysis. Twelve randomly selected hospitals received an outreach educational program. After review of the medical records of eligible patients, a multidisciplinary team of intensive care unit specialists from an academic medical center delivered an educational program with content specific to the findings and capacity of the hospital. The outcome measures included patient care processes, patient morbidity and mortality outcomes, and resource use. Results indicated that the outreach program significantly improved many patient care processes (lab work, nursing, dietary management, ventilator management, ventilator weaning). The program marginally reduced hospital ventilator days. Both total length of stay and ICU length of stay fell markedly in the intervention group (by an average of 3.2 and 2.1 d, respectively), while the control group fell only 0.6 and 0.3 d, respectively. However, these effects did not reach statistical significance. Unfortunately, the program had no detectable effects on the clinical outcomes of mortality or nosocomial events. We conclude that an outreach program of this type can effectively improve processes of care in rural ICUs. However, improving processes of care may not always translate into improvement of specific outcomes.
Intraalveolar Catecholamines and the Human Lung Microbiome
Authors: Robert P. Dickson, John R. Erb-Downward, Hallie C. Prescott, Fernando J. Martinez, Jeffrey L. Curtis, Vibha N. Lama, Gary B. Huffnagle
Journal: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (2015)

biomarkers are encouraging and show that we have indeed targeted BMPR2 in patients with reduced levels of BMPR2.It will be of interest to determine whether the same effect can be achieved in patients with documented mutations and whether a subset of patients is particularly sensitive to the beneficial effects of this strategy and could therefore be identified up front as potential "responders" on the basis of BMPR2 levels.
A new monoclonal antibody (CAL2) detects CALRETICULIN mutations in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded bone marrow biopsies
Authors: H Stein, R Bob, H Dürkop, C Erck, D Kämpfe, H-M Kvasnicka, H Martens, A Roth, A Streubel
Journal: Leukemia (2015)

Recent advances in the diagnostic of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) discovered CALRETICULIN (CALR) mutations as a major driver in these disorders. In contrast to JAK2 mutations being mainly associated with polycythaemia vera, CALR mutations are only associated with primary myelofibrosis (PMF) and essential thrombocythaemia (ET). CALR mutations are present in the majority of PMF and ET patients lacking JAK2 and MPL mutations. As these CALR mutations are absent from reactive bone marrow (BM) lesions their presence indicates ET or PMF. So far these mutations are detectable only by molecular assays. Their molecular detection is cumbersome because of the great CALR mutation heterogeneity. Therefore, the availability of a simple assay would be of great help. All CALR mutations reported lead to a frameshift generating a new 36 amino-acid C-terminus. We generated a monoclonal antibody (CAL2) to this C-neoterminus by immunizing mice with a representative peptide and compared its performance with Sanger sequencing data in 173 MPNs and other BM diseases. There was a 100% correlation between the molecular and the CAL2 immunohistochemical (IHC) assays. Thus, the detection of CALR mutations by the CAL2 IHC is a specific, sensitive, rapid, simple and low-cost method.
Symptoms govern treatment
Authors: Simon B Middleton, Richard E Lovegrove, Howard Reece-Smith
Journal: BMJ (2008)

Acheson and Scholefield reviewed the management of haemorrhoids.1 At our centre, we have adopted an approach whereby symptoms govern the therapeutic decision.

For many patients, bleeding is the principal symptom, and we have used Doppler guided haemorrhoidal artery ligation (DGHAL) since 2004 in those whose condition has not improved after injection of oily phenol in the outpatient clinic. …