tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Acute myocardial infarction is associated with increased number of bronchial macrophages in low risk patients
Authors: Vidar Soyseth, Faiza Mahmood, Arne Didrik Hoiseth, Anke Neukamm, Pal Brekke, Torgunn Waehre, Torbjørn Omland, Johny Kongerud
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2011)

Background: Several studies have shown that low lung function (even within normal limits) as well as respiratory symptoms are associated with increased cardiovascular mortality. In a case referent study we have compared sputum from patients hospitalised for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with sputum from a random sample in the general population. The objective was to investigate the association between inflammatory cells in the airways and AMI.

Method: The cases (N=58, mean age 58 years) had a confirmed diagnosis of AMI and performed induced sputum within 96 hours after the onset of chest pain. The references (N=120)were selected by random sampling from the hospital's catchment area. Subjects aged 40–74 years (mean age 55 years) were invited to participate.

Results: Only six patients (10%) were females and 27 patients (47%) were current smokers. The corresponding prevalences in the reference group was 59 (49%) and 27 (23%), respectively. The total number (mean,SD) of sputum cells was 3.9×106/mL (4.2) and macrophage count was 1.10×106/mL (1.2) among cases, and 3.1×106/mL (2.8) (p=0.12) and 0.72×106/mL (0.69) (p=0.011) among references. The difference in total macrophage count between the cases and the references increased with declining cholesterol (p=0.028). There was also a negative association with increasing age, systolic blood pressure, and current smoking, although not significant.

Conclusion: AMI is associated with a high macrophage count in induced sputum from patients with a low cardiovascular risk profile, suggesting multifocal inflammatory activity.
Cancer Patients: Their Desire for Information and Participation in Treatment Decisions
Authors: H J Sutherland, H A Llewellyn-Thomas, G A Lockwood, D L Tritchler, J E Till
Journal: Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (1989)

The relationship between cancer patients’ desire for information and their preference for participation in decision making has been examined. Approximately 77% of the 52 patients reported that they had participated in decision making to the extent that they wished, while most of the remaining 23% would have preferred an opportunity to have greater input. Although many of the patients actively sought information, a majority preferred the physician to assume the role of the primary decision maker. Ethically, the disclosure of information has been assumed to be necessary for autonomous decision making. Nevertheless, the results of this study indicate that patients may actively seek information to satisfy an as yet unidentified aspect of psychological autonomy that does not necessarily include participation in decision making.
Virtual navigation for transbronchial biopsy
Authors: Elena Filatova, Anna Tcvirenko, Igor Chernyaev, Sofia Markina, Igor Gainiyarov, Roman Berdnikov, Olga Fedorova, Valeriya Valueva, Sergey Skorniakov, Igor Medvinsky, Alexander Saveliev, Dmitry Repin
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2014)

Transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) is the method of choice for diagnosis in patients with disseminated pulmonary lesion (DPL) but it bring morphologically informative material in 53.5% only.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of the virtual navigator during TBLB.

Methods: clinical, radiographic, CT, TBLB , histological and a 3D simulation. In cases with disseminated pulmonary disease it is necessary to build a 3D model based on DICOM image package taken from real patient to obtain the output virtual picture of respiratory congestion and numerous small lesions, among those to choose the most suitable for biopsy . The results of lung biopsy were cut into pieces no more than 0.3 cm for hystilogy. For identification: hematoxylin and eosin stain combined with picrofuchsin Van Gieson with resorcinol - fuchsin by Weigert, and Ziehl – Nielsen methods were used. 

Material Study involved 19 patients. Group 1: 5 patients in whom TBLB conducted with 3D navigation. The group 2 (control): 14 patients in whom TBLB conducted without 3D navigation.

Results: in group1 TBLB gave material in 5 cases (100,0%), the proportion of the received informative n=4 (80,0 %). In the control group - received 14 (100%) biopsies of them informative - 4 (28,6 %). RR1 = 0.8; RR2 = 0.29. OR = 2.8 (p >0,05).

Conclusions: 

Proportion of informative results in a group was 2.8 higher ( p >0,05). The use of virtual navigator with simulation at the planning stage of TBLB significantly increases the proportion of informative research compared with the current technology.

The relatively low cost and easy method development will give to bronchologist additional information to establish the diagnosis of DPL , which generally can reduce the probability of diagnostic errors.
Patients with tissue hypoxia with unknown origin
Authors: Yasuo To, Kosuke Araki, Yuta Kono, Masako To
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2012)

[Backgrounds] Dyspnoea is common complication in respiratory disease and is mainly caused by hypoxemia due to lung diseases, cardiac diseases or neurologic diseases. Patients with dyspnoea without hypoxemia, hypercapnia and clear abnormal findings considered to have psychological problems. We have found a group of some patients who complain dyspnoea without hypoxemia (normal SpO 2  and PaO 2 ) have high venous oxygen level (P v O 2 ). The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients who have high PvO 2  and normal SpO 2 .  [Method] Eight patients have dyspnoea with high PvO 2  with normal SpO 2  were enrolled in this study. Patients with any other lung diseases or systemic diseases, abnormal chest X-ray finding or elevation of inflammatory markers were also excluded. Arterial and venous blood gas analysis was performed after 10 minutes bed rest. Tissue oxygen levels (PtO 2 ) was calculated using following equation; PtO 2 =PaO 2 -PvO 2 . Serum lactate and pyruvate level were measured by enzyme assay.  [Results] PvO 2  in patients enrolled (67.3±12.4 mmHg) was higher than normal range (26-40 mmHg) and PtO 2  in patients enrolled was lower (22.0±17.3 mmHg,normal range: 40-70 mmHg) than normal range. Serum lactate(21.6±7.9 mg/dl) and pyruvate(2.1±0.9 mg/dl) were also elevated compared to normal range.  [Discussion and Conclusion] The group of patients seem to have dyspnoea due to tissue hypoxia. The tissue hypoxia probably raises pyruvate and lactate levels due to activation of anabolic glycolysis. PvO 2  measurement and assessment of tissue hypoxia is need for the patients with dyspnoea without hypoxemia. It would be also necessary to explore the cause of tissue hypoxia in the patients.
COPD, cognition and vascular inflammation: Interrelation
Authors: Rajesh Gupta, Anupama Gupta, Ankur Gupta, Sushma Sood
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2013)

Background: Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) and Event Related Potential P300 (ERP) as markers of arterial inflammation and cognitive functions respectively are measured and correlated.  Material & methods: Study conducted on 50 COPD patients, diagnosed for 5 years or more, with age 40 or more and 50 controls, the healthy volunteers, with matched age and sex. Routine investigations carried out to rule out other diseases along with other investigation related to COPD. PWV recorded in three different segments using pulse transducers along ECG on four channel polygraph.  ERP recorded from scalp using disc type of Ag/AgCl electrodes. Latency and amplitude of waves calculated. P300 values correlated with patient characteristics.  Results: PWV in COPD group was significantly higher in segments AO-Rad, AO-Fem and Fem-Dp 6.244±1.16, 6.86±.99 and 8.56±1.1as compared to controls 5.14±.664, 5.4±.78 and 7.1±.67 respectively. ERP values given in Table-1.  Discussions: PWV significantly negatively correlated with the FEV1/FVC in the COPD group. It was more affected in AO-F segment. It increased to 27.05% compared to controls. P300 latency was significantly higher and amplitude was lower in COPD patients. So Amplitude of P300 significantly correlated with he severity of COPD i.e. FEV1/FVC. There was statistically significant correlation between age, duration of illness and latency of P300.  P300 latency and PWV showed a positive correlation with each other in COPD patients, implying thereby a common mechanism that may be either inflammation or hypoxia.
Alveolar type II cells transplantation decrease fibrocyte migration in pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Gemma Gay-Jordi, Raquel Guillamat-Prats, Luis Ignacio Sánchez-López, Valeria Sirenko, Fernanda Hernandez-Gonzalez, Oriol Bulbena, Antoni Xaubet, Anna Serrano-Mollar
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2013)

One of the most important features of the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis is epithelial cell injury and fibroblast proliferation. The original source of this aberrant fibroblast overpopulation might proceed from the lung resident fibroblasts, or could come from circulating fibrocytes migration and its subsequent differentiation to fibroblasts/myofibroblasts. In a previous study our group demonstrated that intratraqueal transplantation of alveolar type II cells (ATII) can reverse the fibrotic process in a rat model of bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis. The objective of this study was to determine whether ATII transplant was able to inhibit fibrocyte recruitment into the fibrotic lung.  Lung fibrosis was induced by intratraqueal instillation of bleomycin (3.5U/kg). The animals were transplanted with ATII (2.5x10 6  cells/animal) 15 days after bleomycin instillation and were sacrificed 21 days after the induction of fibrosis. The expression of CXCL12/CXR4 axis, involved in the recruitment of fibrocytes, was assessed by real time RT-PCR in peripheral blood, lung tissue and isolated cells (macrophages and fibroblasts). Protein synthesis was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in tissue slices.  Fibrotic animals showed increased expression of CXCR4 in both peripheral blood and lung tissue. ATII transplantation was able to significantly reduce these increments. Furthermore, although fibrotic animals also showed increases in CXCL12 expression in pulmonary macrophages, these increases were inhibited in the fibrotic transplanted animals.  In conclusion ATII transplantation is able to inhibit the fibrocyte recruitment reducing the fibrocyte infiltration to lung tissue and then stopping fibrosis.
Randomized clinical trial of tamoxifen alone or combined with fluoxymesterone in postmenopausal women with metastatic breast cancer.
Authors: J N Ingle, D I Twito, D J Schaid, S A Cullinan, J E Krook, J A Mailliard, R F Marschke, H J Long, J G Gerstner, H E Windschitl
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (1988)

A randomized clinical trial was performed to determine if combination hormonal therapy with tamoxifen (TAM) and fluoxymesterone (FLU) was more efficacious than TAM alone for the treatment of postmenopausal women with metastatic breast cancer. Patients failing TAM could subsequently receive FLU. The dose of both drugs was 10 mg orally twice daily. Objective responses were seen in 50 of 119 TAM patients (42%) and 63 of 119 TAM plus FLU patients (53%) (one-sided P = .05). Time to disease progression distributions were better for TAM plus FLU (median, 350 days v 199 days), but the log rank test only approached statistical significance (one-sided P = .07). Duration of response and survival distributions were similar between the two treatment arms. Toxicities, in terms of androgenic side effects, were greater on the TAM plus FLU regimen. Fifty-two patients are evaluable for response with FLU following TAM and 21 (40%) have achieved a response. We conclude that the advantages in terms of response rate and time to progression observed with TAM plus FLU probably represent a biological effect, but are not of sufficient magnitude to justify the routine clinical use of this combination given the lack of survival advantage and side effects encountered.
Problems of Adolescents Sexuality
Authors: J Whatley, N Thin, B Reynolds, A Blackwell
Journal: Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (1989)

Recent discussions highlighted adolescents' sexual behaviour, but published studies concentrate on specific problems or subgroups of patients without addressing factors related to sexuality. To obtain a broad picture we studied two groups of adolescents attending genito-urinary medicine/sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics in contrasting areas of Britain, inner London and Swansea. These were evaluated for referral pattern, sexual partner, contraception, obstetric history, sexually transmitted disease, and cervical cytology findings. Over half the adolescents referred themselves but few doctors other than general practitioners referred patients. Sexual partners were regarded by males as casual but by females as regular. Only 66% (81) of females practised contraception. Adolescents had more STD's than the total clinic population except for genital herpes simplex infection, and a high prevalence of genital warts in females has important future implications. The main conclusions were that there is a need for sexually related education targetted at adolescents and their health care providers, especially doctors.
Safety of bronchial thermoplasty out to 5 years in patients with severe refractory asthma: Research in severe asthma (RISA) trial
Authors: Michel Laviolette, Ian Pavord, Neil Thomson, Robert Niven, Gerard Cox, Paul Corris, Kian Fan-Chung
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2011)

Introduction:  Bronchial thermoplasty (BT) is a bronchoscopic procedure designed to control asthma by reducing airway smooth muscle mass. BT-treated patients from the RISA Trial have been followed to evaluate long-term safety.   Methods:  The RISA Trial enrolled 15 patients on ICS ≥1500μg BDP or equiv. + LABA ± ≤ 30mg OCS; pre-BD FEV 1  ≥50% predicted; and remained symptomatic (daytime symptoms on ≥10 of 14 days or rescue medication use on ≥8 of 14 days prior to enrollment). Long-term safety of BT was assessed over a 5 y period following BT.   Results:  14 patients entered the long-term follow up phase. Safety measures are summarized below:  There were no incidences of pneumothorax, intubation, mechanical ventilation, cardiac arrhythmias, or death as a result of BT treatment over the 5 y.   Conclusions:  The absence of clinical complications and the maintenance of stable lung function over a 5-y period post-BT in patients with severe refractory asthma suggest long-term safety of the procedure out to 5 y.
Clinical-pathologic study of early breast cancer treated by primary radiation therapy.
Authors: J R Harris, J L Connolly, S J Schnitt, R B Cohen, S Hellman
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (1983)

We performed a clinical-pathologic review of 231 patients with early breast cancer treated by primary radiation therapy. There were 27 patients with infiltrating ductal carcinoma treated with excisional biopsy whose tumors showed a constellation of histologic features: moderate or marked intraductal carcinoma in the tumor, intraductal carcinoma in the adjacent tissue, and high nuclear grade. These patients had a 5-yr local tumor control rate of 61% compared to 96% for similar patients whose tumors did not show all three features. Radiation dose to the primary tumor area influenced the likelihood of local recurrence in these 27 patients: 15 of these patients received 6000 rads or more to the primary tumor area and had a 5-yr local tumor control rate of 84%, compared to 48% for the 12 patients who received less than 6000 rads. These results indicate that a subgroup of breast cancer patients can be identified that has a high risk of local recurrence when an insufficient radiation dose (i.e., less than 6000 rads) is delivered to the primary tumor area.
Occupational asthma due to cobalt in metal working fluid; a report of an outbreak
Authors: Gareth Walters, Alastair Robertson, Emmet McGrath, Vicky Moore, Sherwood Burge
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2013)

Introduction  Occupational asthma (OA) due to cobalt exposure is reported in diamond polishers and cobalt production workers, but rarely in metalworkers. We describe a case series of cobalt OA in a valve manufacturing company, where exposure was from metal-working fluid (MWF) aerosols containing dissolved cobalt.  Methods  Cases of cobalt OA from a manufacturer of stellite (cobalt alloy) engine valves were identified from the West Midlands SHIELD database. Case note data on demographics and symptoms at diagnosis were gathered, along with details of diagnostic tests, including serial peak flow, skin prick tests (SPT), non-specific bronchial reactivity (NSBR) and specific inhalational challenge (SIC) tests to 1-10mg/ml cobalt chloride (CoCl2).  Results  14 workers were diagnosed with OA 1996-2005. Workers were predominantly white, British males (86%), with a mean symptom latency of 30 months (24-48) to diagnosis. 70% had urinary cobalt concentrations suggestive of occupational exposure. Skin sensitization was demonstrated to ≥1 aeroallergen in 64% of workers, and to 1-10mg/ml CoCl2 in 75%. 86% had definite OA on peak-flow analysis (OASYS score 3.3-4.0); 43% of exposed workers demonstrated NSBR at diagnosis. Sensitization to cobalt was confirmed in 7 workers by SIC to 1-10mg/ml CoCl2, including 3 immediate, 1 late and 3 dual asthmatic reactions.  Discussion  Strong evidence for sensitization was demonstrated in most workers by positive SPT and SIC to CoCl2. This is the first case-series of cobalt asthma from the automotive industry, where hard-metal tipped tools and stellite alloys are in common usage. Awareness and vigilance is therefore required in this industry.
T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma in children and adolescents: The experience of the Israel Society of Pediatric Hematology Oncology.
Authors: M. W. Ben Arush, O. Beyar Katz, A. Ben Barak, G. Avrahami, R. Dvir, J. Kapelushnik, H. Kaplinsky, S. Vilk Revel, I. Yaniv, S. Linn
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2010)

9574 Background: Survival in T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) has improved over the past 30 years, largely through treatment protocols derived from regimens designed for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. We report the results of a retrospective multi-institutional, non randomized study performed in Israel and based on the NHL-BFM-95 in 1999-2006. Methods: From January 1999 through December 2006, 37 eligible patients were enrolled from six centers in Israel. The main goal of our work was to conduct a retrospective study regarding T-cell lymphoma and its prevalence, clinical characteristics, pathological characteristics, prognostic factors, overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS). Our study included children and adolescents up to age 21 from all the centers in Israel where the patients were treated in pediatric departments. All patients had a minimal follow up of 2 years after diagnosis. Results: At a median follow-up of 4 years (range, 2-9 years), OS and EFS for all patients was 86.5% and 83.8%, respectively. OS was 86.6% and 83.3% for patients with stage III and stage IV, respectively, and EFS was 83.3% and 83.3%, respectively. EFS for Arabic patients was 62.5% and 89.7% for Jewish patients (p=0.014). Patients who did not express CD45 antigen showed superior survival (p=0.028). Five (13.5%) patients relapsed, four of whom died of their disease. Death as a consequence of therapy toxicity was documented in one patient while on the re-induction protocol (protocol IIA). Conclusions: Our retrospective study of children and adolescents with T-LBL showed similar results to other international studies. However, there is a need for comparing the epidemiological results between Israel and other countries in the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. Randomized trials are warranted to define the characteristics of microscopic disease, to detect minimal residual disease, and to monitor response to therapy. No significant financial relationships to disclose.
The retrospective review of capillia MAC antibody ELISA
Authors: Kazutaka Fujita, Satoshi Tsurusaki, Naomi Onda, Jun Kanazawa, Yoshiya Tsunoda, Shihyuan Lin, Hayashihara Kenji, Yasuhiro Umezu, Takefumi Saito, Shimao Fukai
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2013)

A morbidity of non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection (NTM) is increasing in japan yearly. Although the incidence was a person per 100,000 persons in 1975, it increased to over 5.7 person per 100,000 persons in 2007. In addition, the mortality is reported to be increasing. Because Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) strains have been a major cause of NTM pulmonary diseases in non-HIV immunocompetent hosts in Japan, the diagnosis and treatment of MAC pulmonary diseases in those patients are essential.  The aim of this study is to evaluate a newly-developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to diagnose MAC disease, Capillia MAC antibody ELISA.  Capillia MAC antibody ELISA was measured for all 106 patients who were suspicious of mycobacterial pulmonary disease and who had lung disease without suspicous cases of lung cancer between June 12, 2012 and December 11, 2012.  We reviewed retrospectively 52 females (average age:61.17 y. o.) and 54 males (average age:70.39 y. o.).We adopted the cut off value of 0.7U/ml. The sensitivity and specificity of the test for a diagnosis of MAC pulmonary disease was determined based on clinical diagnosis.  Forty-two cases showed positive results of Capillia MAC antibody ELISA : 25 females (M.avium - 16 cases, M.intracellulare - 9) and 17 males (M.avium - 9, M.intracellulare – 8).In comparison to clinical diagnosis, the sensitivity and specificity of the test for a diagnosis of MAC pulmonary disease is 67% and 94% (females 68% and 93%, males 65% and 95%), respectively.  We concluded that Capillia MAC antibody ELISA might be a highly specific test. And so the laboratory test might be useful in ruling in bacteriologically-negative MAC pulmonary disease.
Nanoparticle‐Mediated Target Delivery of TRAIL as Gene Therapy for Glioblastoma
Authors: Kui Wang, Forrest M. Kievit, Mike Jeon, John R. Silber, Richard G. Ellenbogen, Miqin Zhang
Journal: Advanced Healthcare Materials (2015)

Human tumor necrosis factor α‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL) is an attractive cancer therapeutic because of its ability to induce apoptosis in tumor cells while having a negligible effect on normal cells. However, the short serum half‐life of TRAIL and lack of efficient in vivo administration approaches have largely hindered its clinical use. Using nanoparticles (NPs) as carriers in gene therapy is considered as an alternative approach to increase TRAIL delivery to tumors as transfected cells would be induced to secrete TRAIL into the tumor microenvironment. To enable effective delivery of plasmid DNA encoding TRAIL into glioblastoma (GBM), we developed a targeted iron oxide NP coated with chitosan–polyethylene glycol–polyethyleneimine copolymer and chlorotoxin (CTX) and evaluated its effect in delivering TRAIL in vitro and in vivo. NP–TRAIL successfully delivers TRAIL into human T98G GBM cells and induces secretion of 40 pg mL −1 of TRAIL in vitro. Transfected cells show threefold increased apoptosis as compared to the control DNA bound NPs. Systemic administration of NP–TRAIL–CTX to mice bearing T98G‐derived flank xenografts results in near‐zero tumor growth and induces apoptosis in tumor tissue. Our results suggest that NP–TRAIL–CTX can potentially serve as a targeted anticancer therapeutic for more efficient TRAIL delivery to GBM.