tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
IL-25 secreted from epithelial cells has the potential to promote airway remodeling in asthma
Authors: Fen Liu, Jinxiang Wu, Jiping Zhao, Wen Liu, Liang Dong, Wenxiang Bi
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2012)

Introduction: Interleukin (IL)-25 plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of asthma, not only in airway inflammation, but also in airway remodeling.  Objective: To explore the function and significance of IL-25 in the pathogenesis of eosinophilic asthma (EA) and non-eosinophilic asthma (NEA).  Methods: Induced sputum was analyzed from 50 untreated asthmatic patients: 26 with EA, 24 with NEA. Serum and induced sputum from all the participants were collected and the level of IL-25 in the samples was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Expression of IL-25 in bronchial epithelium and basement membrane thickening were quantified by immunohistochemistry.  Results: Compared with healthy control subjects, the lung function was impaired in patients with EA and NEA. ELISA results showed that the levels of IL-25 in the serum and induced sputum of asthmatic patients were significantly higher than healthy subjects (p   0.05). The immunohistochemistry results indicated that higher expression of IL-25 and thickened basement membrane were observed in asthmatic bronchial epithelium. Correlation analysis showed that the level of IL-25 in serum and induced sputum was positively correlated with the average thickness of basement membrane in asthmatic patients.  Conclusion: IL-25 secreted from epithelial cells has the potential to promote airway remodeling in asthma.The increased level of IL-25 in peripheral blood and bronchial epithelium was parallel, eosinophil may not be necessary for airway remodeling in asthma.  Key words:IL-25, eosinophilia, airways remodeling, bronchial asthma.
Autoimmunity profile in patients with combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE)
Authors: Argyris Tzouvelekis, Georgios Zacharis, Anastasia Oikonomou, Kostantinos Arcontogeorgis, Andreas Koulelidis, Panagiotis Boglou, Marios Froudarakis, Dimitrios Mikroulis, Demosthenes Bouros
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2012)

Background: The combination of pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) is a recently defined syndrome, encompassing a distinct radiologic, revealing both upper lobe emphysema and lower lobe fibrosis, as well as lung function profile, with apparently preserved lung volumes contrasting with disproportionally impaired gas exchange,. It has also been recently described in the context of connective tissue diseases. Our primary aim was to investigate the autoimmunity profile of patients with CPFE. Patients and methods: Thirty nine patients, mean age of 66,5 years, 37 men, all smokers, with CPFE based on radiologic and functional criteria (mean FVC: 68,5%pred, FEV1/FVC:78,2, DLCO: 34,9%pred) were recruited on a retrospective and prospective basis. All patients underwent a thorough investigation of their immunologic profile. Results: Fourteen patients (36%) had positive anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA). Patients with positive ANA presented with elevated CD20 levels in lung biopsy specimens suggestive of elevated B cell activity. In additon, 6 patients (15%) presented with positive antineutrophil cytoplasm antibodies (ANCAs) against myeloperoxidase (MPO) indicative of microscopic polyangiitis. Among the latters three developed respiratory and renal insufficiency and were succesfully treated with cyclophosphamide and methylprednisolone whereas the remaining three were switched to azathioprine maintenance treatment.Conclusions: A significant proportion of patients with CPFE may present with underlying auto-immune disorders that may reside incospicuously. Early identification of these patients using a panel of auto-antibodies may lead to more targeted and potentially effective therapeutic applications.
Rhinovirus infection activates coagulation through eosinophilic airway inflammation
Authors: Christof Majoor, Pieter Kamphuisen, Marianne van de Pol, Joost Meijers, Tom van der Poll, Anita Böing, Rienk Nieuwland, Sebastian Johnston, Peter J. Sterk, Elisabeth Bel, René Lutter, Koen van der Sluijs
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2012)

Introduction: Exacerbations in asthma are most commonly caused by rhinoviruses. Inflammatory conditions, like asthma, are known to activate hemostasis. Vice versa , a prothrombotic state in the lung can also induce or aggravate pulmonary inflammation.

Hypothesis:

Rhinovirus infection activates coagulation in patients with asthma, but not in normal control subjects.

Methods:

14 patients with mild asthma and 14 healthy controls were nasally inoculated with rhinovirus type 16 (10 TCID50) using a validated method. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was retrieved by bronchoscopy at t=-1 and t=6 days. Microparticle-associated tissue factor(TF) activity in BALF was examined by a fibrin generation test (FGT). Thrombin-antithrombin complexes (TAT) and Eosinophil Cationic Protein (ECP) in BALF were measured by immunoassay. Eosinophils were counted on cytospin preparations.

Results:

On day 6 after rhinovirus infection, FGT in BALF became significantly shorter in asthma (t=-1: 672s vs. t=6: 516s (medians); p=0.013), whereas there was no change in healthy controls (t=-1: 695s vs. t=6: 707s (medians); p=0.75). At t=6 days, FGT correlated (Spearman) with TAT, eosinophils and ECP (r = -0.607, -0.583 and -0.682 resp., all p<0.01) and TAT with eosinophils and ECP (r = 0.482, 0.538, both p<0.05).

Conclusion: 

Rhinovirus infection significantly shortens the clotting time (FGT) when induced by microparticles isolated from BALF of asthma patients, reflecting enhanced coagulant activity of TF-exposing microparticles. The strong correlations between FGT, TAT, eosinophils and ECP after rhinovirus infection in asthma suggest that eosinophils may play a critical role in the coagulation activation during viral airway infection.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia with chromosomal 5;14 translocation and hypereosinophilia: case report and literature review.
Authors: T F Hogan, W Koss, A J Murgo, R S Amato, J A Fontana, F L VanScoy
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (1987)

A 19-year-old man with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) presented with 82,000 WBC/microL, 57% eosinophils, and cardiorespiratory symptoms. Lymphoblast infiltration of the meninges and testes developed without eosinophil infiltration at these sites and peripheral blood and marrow lymphoblast counts progressively increased, while blood eosinophilia disappeared. The patient's bone marrow cells had a clonal cytogenetic abnormality--t(5;14), (q?,q32)--which disappeared during remission and reappeared during disease relapse. Including this case, three patients with ALL and hypereosinophilia have had cytogenetic studies with G-banding. All three had 14q + chromosomal abnormalities and two had a similar translocation t(5,14), (q?,q32). Survival of the 26 ALL patients with hypereosinophilia reported since 1973 was similar to that of 52 age- and sex-matched historical-control patients without hypereosinophilia treated during the same time interval.
CHLVPP chemotherapy with involved-field irradiation for Hodgkin's disease: favorable results with acceptable toxicity.
Authors: J M Vose, P J Bierman, J R Anderson, D Weisenburger, D F Moravec, S Sorensen, M Hutchins, M D Dowling, D Howe, J Okerbloom
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (1991)

Patients with Hodgkin's disease who were previously untreated with chemotherapy received the chlorambucil, vinblastine, procarbazine, and prednisone (CHLVPP) regimen plus limited involved-field radiation therapy for treatment of Hodgkin's disease through the Nebraska Lymphoma Study Group. One hundred patients, 87 with newly diagnosed Hodgkin's disease and 13 who relapsed after receiving previous radiation therapy, were treated with this regimen between 1982 and 1989. Complete remissions (CRs) were obtained in 88 of 100 patients (88%), and there have been a total of eight relapses. The overall 3-year failure-free survival was 76%, with good-prognosis patients (ie, Karnofsky performance status greater than or equal to 80) having a 3-year failure-free survival of 87%. Toxicity with this regimen was minimal, with neutropenic fevers reported in 13% of the patient population, moderate alopecia in 5%, and mild to moderate nausea and vomiting in 11% of the patients. As primary induction therapy for Hodgkin's disease, CHLVPP is an effective regimen with a high patient acceptance profile.
Tidal forced expirations
Authors: P.D. Sly, R. Tepper, M. Henschen, M Gappa, J Stocks, None on behalf of the Ers/atsTask Force on Standards for Infant Respiratory Function Testing
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2000)

The progress of infant lung function testing has been retarded by both the lack of user-friendly, widely available and affordable equipment and the lack of standardized methodology. The European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society Task Force on Standards for Infant Respiratory Function Testing was formed in an attempt to address these deficiencies. This document represents the consensus of investigators with vast experience in the measurement of lung function in infants. The present recommendations deal with equipment requirements, study procedures and reporting of data for measurements of forced expiration at end-tidal inspiration. They represent the "state of the art" in 1999. They are not meant to inhibit further developments in this technique. The authors anticipate that these guidelines will be updated regularly as knowledge progresses.
Acute pulmonary embolism in COPD patients
Authors: Diego A. Rodriguez, Mauricio Orozco-Levi, Anna Herranz, Faustino Miranda, Alba Ramirez-Sarmiento, Anna Rodo-Pin, Nuria Bas Costas, Juana Martinez-llorens, Jordi Bruguera, Joaquim Gea, Lluis Molina
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2012)

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is an established cause of worse evolution during acute Pulmonary Embolism (PE). The aim of our study was to evaluate the profile of COPD patients admitted for PE.  We conducted a retrospective cohort study in consecutive patients (n=225) diagnosed with PE between January 2009 and December 2010.  Of 225 subjects included (mean ± SD; 72±15 years), 27 (12%) had COPD (71 ± 10 years). The total number of deaths during hospitalization was 38 (17%) in patients without COPD, and 7 (25%) in COPD (p=0.02). COPD Patients (78% males) showed severe disease (FEV1 46 ± 12 % predicted). Previous venous thromboembolic disease (VTD) (37%) or surgery (3%), current cancer (26%) or immobilization (18%) were detected. Obesity was the most frequent co morbidity (50%). Non-survivors COPD showed statistically significant increase of NTpro-BNP (2500 ± 530 pg/ml) and CRP (8.6 ± 0.7mg/l) than COPD survivors patients (850 ± 140pg/ml and 2.8 ± 0.7mg/l, respectively). Severity disease was similar in both groups (FEV1, 45% vs 47%, respectively). Previous VTD [relative risk (RR), 1.1; 95% CI, 1.0–4.0], obesity (RR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.0–5.0), cancer (RR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.3–5.1) and elevated CRP (RR, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.4–6.6) were significantly associated with PE-related death, right heart failure or prolonged hospital stay.  The number of COPD patients diagnosed for acute PE was slightly higher than previously reported. In addition, COPD patients might be an under recognized group with increased mortality.
Genital Flora during Pregnancy and Colonization of the Newborn
Authors: Jean M Ross, J R Needham
Journal: Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (1980)

A longitudinal study of the cervical and vaginal microflora of 131 pregnant women showed a similar range of organisms at first visit (up to 16 weeks), at 28 weeks and at 36 weeks of pregnancy. Twenty different groups or genera of microorganisms were recovered, predominantly lactobacilli. There was a fall in the isolation rate of organisms in the mothers 6 to 8 weeks after delivery. Lactobacilli and yeasts including Candida albicans were recovered less frequently whereas the incidence of Escherichia coli and group B streptococci increased. Infants bom to these mothers were swabbed within 24 hours of delivery and yielded organisms from the umbilicus, ear and mouth in 24%, 33% and 38% of cases respectively. Alpha haemolytic streptococci and Staphylococcus aureus were the predominant organisms. Sixteen different groups or genera were isolated. The isolation rates in non-pregnant women attending a ‘well-women’ clinic were similar to those in the postnatal mothers; few women of 60 years or more were colonized.
EBUS-TBNA in the diagnose of intrathoracic lymph nodes of patients with extratoracic malignancy
Authors: Sonia Herrero Marín, Jose Antonio Cascante Rodrigo, Maria Isabel Andrade Vela, Vanessa Lopez Rodriguez, Javier Hueto Pérez de Heredia, Pilar Cebollero Rivas, Ana Aránzazu Echegoyen Silanes
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2013)

To evaluate the yield of EBUS-TBNA in the diagnose of intrathoracic lymph nodes of patients with extratoracic malignancy.

Methods : 42 of 273 EBUS-TBNA done in the last four years corresponded to patients with extratoracic malignancy (EM). In 40 we previously knew the original neoplasia. We haven't include those patients with previous EM that finally were diagnosed of lung cancer.

Results: The mean age was 64.7 years (36-81), 67% were men. The mean size on CT of the lymph nodes was 1. 29 cm (0.5-3.8). The average of punctures per patient was 6.02 (2-16), obtaining valid samples in 95% of cases. The average of valid sample in these patients was 4.07 (2-10).The final results of EBUS were

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-Two false negative cases were detected. Both of them were finally diagnosed of Lymphoma. In none of the two we previously knew the diagnosis.

-33 of the 42 patients had prior PET/CT and all of them showed positive FDG uptake of these lymph nodes with a mean SUVmax of 4.2 (1.7-10.3).

-EBUS-TBNA showed a sensibility of 87.5% and a NPV of 86.5 with 12.5% of false negative among patients we could to evaluate.

Conclusions: 1- EBUS is a useful tool in the diagnosis of mediastinal and hiliar lymph nodes in patients with extrapulmonary malignancy cancer with a sensibility and NPV similar to those found in the staging of lung cancer.

2- EBUS is not useful in the diagnose of lymphoma with intrathoracic lymph node affected.
Phase II Evaluation of Thalidomide in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer
Authors: Said M. Baidas, Eric P. Winer, Gini F. Fleming, Lyndsay Harris, James M. Pluda, Jeanette G. Crawford, Hideko Yamauchi, Claudine Isaacs, John Hanfelt, Mariella Tefft, David Flockhart, Michael D. Johnson, Michael J. Hawkins, Marc E. Lippman, Daniel F. Hayes
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2000)

PURPOSE: To determine the efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetics, and effect on serum angiogenic growth factors of two dose levels of thalidomide in patients with metastatic breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with progressive metastatic breast cancer were randomized to receive either daily 200 mg of thalidomide or 800 mg to be escalated to 1,200 mg. Fourteen heavily pretreated patients were assigned to each dose level. Each cycle consisted of 8 weeks of treatment. Pharmacokinetics and growth factor serum levels were evaluated. RESULTS: No patient had a true partial or complete response. On the 800-mg arm, 13 patients had progressive disease at or before 8 weeks of treatment and one refused to continue treatment. The dose was reduced because of somnolence to 600 mg for five patients and to 400 mg for two and was increased for one to 1,000 mg and for four to 1,200 mg. On the 200-mg arm, 12 patients had progressive disease at or before 8 weeks and two had stable disease at 8 weeks, of whom one was removed from study at week 11 because of grade 3 neuropathy and the other had progressive disease at week 16. Dose-limiting toxicities included somnolence and neuropathy. Adverse events that did not require dose or schedule modifications included constipation, fatigue, dry mouth, dizziness, nausea, anorexia, arrhythmia, headaches, skin rash, hypotension, and neutropenia. Evaluation of circulating angiogenic factors and pharmacokinetic studies failed to provide insight into the reason for the lack of efficacy. CONCLUSION: Single-agent thalidomide has little or no activity in patients with heavily pretreated breast cancer. Further studies that include different patient populations and/or combinations with other agents might be performed at the lower dose levels.
India's critical care doctors are highly stressed, survey finds
Authors: C. Travasso
Journal: BMJ (2015)

Between two fifths and three fifths of doctors who work in critical care units in India are moderately to severely stressed, show the results of a cross sectional survey published in the Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine .1 The 242 respondents, all of whom were critical care doctors (85% male), were either full time intensivists or other specialists who spent at least half their day in critical care units.

High levels of stress were seen among …
Palliative Care for the Poor and Disenfranchised: A View from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Authors: Rosemary Gibson
Journal: Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (2001)

Palliative care is likely to become the norm of practice in the mainstream of US healthcare in the coming decade. Healthcare providers are taking the lessons of hospice care and incorporating them in other settings, especially hospitals and nursing homes, where the majority of Americans spend their last days of life. According to unpublished survey findings hundreds of US hospitals have palliative care programmes and many others are planning to establish one. Although these numbers represent a small percentage of the more than 5000 hospitals in the USA, anecdotal evidence suggests that this growth is a very recent phenomenon and is continuing at a rapid rate.
The relationship of comorbidities with clinical and phsyiological parameters in COPD
Authors: Fatma Ciftci, Elif Sen, Gokcen Arkan, Duygu Acar, Pinar Onen, Banu Gulbay, Oznur Yildiz, Turan Acican, Sevgi Saryal, Gulseren Karabiyikoglu
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2012)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is defined as a systemic inflammatory disease. Systemic inflammation can start certain comorbidities or increase their severity. This study aims to assess the relationship of comorbid diseases with clinical and physiological parameters.  The study enrolled 115 patients (15 female, 100 male) who are on regular follow-up in COPD outpatient clinic. In each patient the presence of cardiovascular disease (hypertension, coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, heart failure), hyperlipidemia, cachexia, malignancy, diabetes, osteoporosis, anxiety disorder, depression, obstructive sleep apnea, and anemia was questioned. The most frequent diseases were hypertension, coronary artery disease, and hyperlipidemia (43,9%, 39,6%, 27,4%, respectively). Cardiovascular diesases were more common in those with a FEV1 percent below 50 (r=0,10; p  In patients with a high Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) coronary artery disease (r=0,032; p  As a conclusion, disease stage and hypoxemia level are related to concomittant cardiovascular system diseases. A more than expected deterioration in general health status is observed in COPD patients with comorbidities.
Prevalence of CXCR4-tropic viruses in clustered transmission chains at the time of primary HIV-1 infection
Authors: P. Frange, L. Meyer, J. Ghosn, C. Deveau, C. Goujard, C. Duvivier, R. Tubiana, C. Rouzioux, M.-L. Chaix
Journal: Clinical Microbiology and Infection (2012)
Abstract 17461: The Potential Role of Statin in Patients With Critical Limb Ischemia
Authors: Atsushi Tosaka, Yoshimitsu Soga, Osamu Iida, Masato Nakamura
Journal: Circulation (2013)

Background: Revascularization is the optimal treatment to avoid major amputation for critical limb ischemia (CLI) patients. Although previous studies report that statin administration is associated...
Long-Term Results from an Epiretinal Prosthesis to Restore Sight to the Blind
Authors: Allen C. Ho, Mark S. Humayun, Jessy D. Dorn, Lyndon da Cruz, Gislin Dagnelie, James Handa, Pierre-Olivier Barale, José-Alain Sahel, Paulo E. Stanga, Farhad Hafezi, Avinoam B. Safran, Joel Salzmann, Arturo Santos, David Birch, Rand Spencer, Artur V. Cideciyan, Eugene de Juan, Jacque L. Duncan, Dean Eliott, Amani Fawzi, Lisa C. Olmos de Koo, Gary C. Brown, Julia A. Haller, Carl D. Regillo, Lucian V. Del Priore, Aries Arditi, Duane R. Geruschat, Robert J. Greenberg
Journal: Ophthalmology (2015)

<h3>Purpose</h3> Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of inherited retinal degenerations leading to blindness due to photoreceptor loss. Retinitis pigmentosa is a rare disease, affecting only approximately 100 000 people in the United States. There is no cure and no approved medical therapy to slow or reverse RP. The purpose of this clinical trial was to evaluate the safety, reliability, and benefit of the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System (Second Sight Medical Products, Inc, Sylmar, CA) in restoring some visual function to subjects completely blind from RP. We report clinical trial results at 1 and 3 years after implantation. <h3>Design</h3> The study is a multicenter, single-arm, prospective clinical trial. <h3>Participants</h3> There were 30 subjects in 10 centers in the United States and Europe. Subjects served as their own controls, that is, implanted eye versus fellow eye, and system on versus system off (native residual vision). <h3>Methods</h3> The Argus II System was implanted on and in a single eye (typically the worse-seeing eye) of blind subjects. Subjects wore glasses mounted with a small camera and a video processor that converted images into stimulation patterns sent to the electrode array on the retina. <h3>Main Outcome Measures</h3> The primary outcome measures were safety (the number, seriousness, and relatedness of adverse events) and visual function, as measured by 3 computer-based, objective tests. <h3>Results</h3> A total of 29 of 30 subjects had functioning Argus II Systems implants 3 years after implantation. Eleven subjects experienced a total of 23 serious device- or surgery-related adverse events. All were treated with standard ophthalmic care. As a group, subjects performed significantly better with the system on than off on all visual function tests and functional vision assessments. <h3>Conclusions</h3> The 3-year results of the Argus II trial support the long-term safety profile and benefit of the Argus II System for patients blind from RP. Earlier results from this trial were used to gain approval of the Argus II by the Food and Drug Administration and a CE mark in Europe. The Argus II System is the first and only retinal implant to have both approvals.
The influence of posttuberculosis pleural changes on pulmonary function and quality of life
Authors: Mikhail Chushkin, Sergey Mandrykin, Pavel Senchikhin, Svetlana Bukhareva, Eduard Tikhokhod, Sergey Smerdin
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2013)

Pleural disease may have important functional consequences. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of the pleural changes after tuberculosis on pulmonary function and quality of life (QoL) in patients cured for tuberculosis.

Methods: we investigated QoL and pulmonary function in 280 patients cured for tuberculosis (between the ages of 20 and 82 years). QoL was studied with Saint George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). According their pleural changes all the patients were divided into four groups (1= not demonstrated, 2=small, 3-large unilateral, 4-large bilateral).

Results: The pleural changes were found to have a significant effect on the decrease in TLC and FVC. Restrictive pattern (TLC or FVC  0.01) in groups 1,2,3,4, respectively. Although QoL was worse in patients with large bilateral changes differences between groups in components of SGRQ were not statistic significant (but Activity score).

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Conclusions: Functional sequelae of the pleural changes were restrictive in type and depended on their extent. We did not find the influence of posttuberculosis pleural changes on QoL.