tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
The chest radiograph in cystic fibrosis: a new scoring system compared with the Chrispin-Norman and Brasfield scores.
Authors: S P Conway, M N Pond, I Bowler, D L Smith, E J Simmonds, D N Joanes, G Hambleton, E J Hiller, D E Stableforth, P Weller
Journal: Thorax (1994)

BACKGROUND--Scoring systems for the chest radiograph in cystic fibrosis are used to compare patients and different treatment regimens, and to monitor respiratory disease in individual patients. The Northern chest radiograph score was designed to allow one person to assess the radiological features of lung involvement in cystic fibrosis in as simple, rapid and equally reproducible manner as the established Chrispin and Norman, and Brasfield scoring systems. METHODS--Forty five chest radiographs were scored by 10 physicians with a special interest in cystic fibrosis according to the Brasfield and Northern methods, and by five pairs of physicians according to the Chrispin-Norman criteria. Three individuals and two pairs rescored the radiographs after an interval of 3-5 months. The Northern score was performed with and without a lateral view, using the original posteroanterior radiograph. RESULTS--The Northern score showed a better agreement between observers for the ranking of the radiographs. It was equally well related to respiratory function tests, the Shwachman-Kulczycki score of overall clinical status, and in its discrimination between different radiographs as the other two scoring systems. The Northern score performed equally well with or without a lateral film. CONCLUSIONS--The Northern system fulfils the requirements of a chest radiograph score more successfully than the Chrispin-Norman or Brasfield systems, and does not require a lateral film.
Daily respiratory mortality and PM10 pollution in Mexico City: importance of considering place of death
Authors: M.M. Téllez-Rojo, I. Romieu, S Ruiz-Velasco, M-A Lezana, M-M Hernández-Avila
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2000)

Significant associations have been reported between particles with a 50% cut-off aerodynamic diameter of 10 mm (PM10) and ozone ambient concentrations, and daily number of deaths from respiratory causes. The aim of the present study was to assess such associations among elderly (&gt; or =65 yrs) residents of Mexico City. Ambient air pollution data were provided by the Metropolitan Monitoring Network. During the study period, the average daily PM10 ranged 23.4-175.3 microg x m(-3), and ozone 1 h daily maximums ranged 39.4-216.7 ppb. Information was compiled on the primary and underlying causes of death. The analyses were conducted separately according to place of death (within or out of a hospital unit) using time-series methodology. The total number of deaths from all respiratory causes and mortality for chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) were significantly related to PM10 over different lags: an increase of 10 microg x m(-3) was related to a 2.9% (95% (CI): 0.9-4.9%) increase and to a 4.1% (95% CI: 1.3%-6.9%) increase with a 3-day lag when death occurred out of medical units, respectively. For deaths occurring in medical units, a longer lag and smaller risk estimate was observed. An interactive effect between PM10 and ozone was detected. This study confirms that there is an important impact of PM10 on respiratory morbidity among elderly subjects. It also indicates that accounting for primary and underlying causes of death, and considering place of death may reduce misclassification and provide more accurate estimates of the adverse impact of PM10 on mortality.
Airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma
Authors: P G GIBSON;, V. BRUSASCO, E. CRIMI, R. PELLEGRINO
Journal: Thorax (1999)

Venous aneurysm of the azygos arch is a very rare cause of mediastinal mass and is usually an incidental finding on chest radiography.Nowadays the diagnosis is made by non-invasive tests such as thoracic CT scanning and/or magnetic resonance imaging.The case is described of an asymptomatic woman in whom a mediastinal mass due to an azygos vein aneurysm was diagnosed by non-invasive procedures, the aetiology of which, in all probability, was idiopathic.
Management of Peripheral Vascular Disease
Authors: I. Baumgartner, R. Schainfeld, L. Graziani
Journal: Annual Review of Medicine (2004)

The management of patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAD) has to be planned in the context of natural history, epidemiology, and apparent risk factors that predict deterioration. The ankle-brachial index to date has proved to be the most effective, accurate, and practical method of PAD detection. Given that PAD is a powerful indicator of systemic atherosclerosis and (independent of symptoms) is associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction and stroke, as well as a six times greater likelihood of death, the prevalence and demographic distribution of measurable PAD becomes particularly relevant. Reliable information on interventions to confer symptom relief is much weaker and reflects discrepancies between published reports from centers of excellence and the experience of patients routinely treated in communities around the world. The impact of newer treatment modalities, such as complex endovascular procedures and therapeutic angiogenesis, has been a subject of recent controversy.
S128 Does The Time Of Day Of Allergen Challenge Affect The Degree Of Inflammatory Response In The Murine Lung?
Authors: H. Durrington, S. Farrow, D. Ray
Journal: Thorax (2014)

<h3>Introduction</h3> Circadian variations in immune parameters such as lymphocyte proliferation, antigen presentation and cytokine gene expression have been described. Recently, an association between the molecular circadian clock, immunity and inflammation has been recognised. To date research in this area has focussed on the innate immune response. However, the time at which the lung is exposed to an allergen might significantly affect the ability of the lung to mount an adequate immune response. Furthermore, this line of investigation might provide valuable insight into asthma, a common disease with a strong circadian rhythm. <h3>Method</h3> We used a well-defined mouse model of allergic lung inflammation, the ovalbumin challenge model. After initial intraperitoneal sensitisation, 4 groups of C57Bl/6 mice received ovalbumin challenge at one of four time points, repeated at the same time for 3 consecutive days. The timepoints used were: 1 am, 6 am, 1 pm or 6 pm. Measurements of airway hyper-responsiveness were recorded, bronchoalveolar lavage was performed and lungs were harvested for immunohistochemistry and for gene analysis by PCR. Experiments were repeated in clock gene knock-out mice, <i>rev-erbα <sup>-/-</sup>.</i> <h3>Results</h3> C57BL/6 mice challenged at 1 am develop increased AHR This suggests that allergic airway inflammation is under clock control Rev-erbα-/- mice show identical responses, suggesting that REV-ERBα is not critical to the development of airway inflammation in this model C57BL/6 mice challenged at 6 pm develop the most profound inflammatory response within the lung (Figure 1) This suggests that allergic inflammation within the lung is caused by a different mechanism to that within the airway, yet is also under clock control <h3>Discussion</h3> Understanding the mechanism underlying clock control of allergic lung inflammation and its possible translation to asthma, provides a new therapeutic opportunity. Furthermore, targeting earlier stages in the circadian pathway might narrow the therapeutic window for timing of existing drug delivery, reducing drug dose and minimising side effects by giving shorter acting agents and the most efficacious time of day.
Hypoxia and Hypoxia-Inducible Factors: Master Regulators of Metastasis
Authors: Xin Lu, Yibin Kang
Journal: Clinical Cancer Research (2010)

Hypoxia is a common condition found in a wide range of solid tumors and is often associated with poor prognosis. Hypoxia increases tumor glycolysis, angiogenesis, and other survival responses, as well as invasion and metastasis by activating relevant gene expressions through hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF). HIF-1α and HIF-2α undergo oxygen-dependent regulation, and their overexpression is frequently associated with metastasis and poor clinical outcomes. Recent studies show that each step of the metastasis process, from the initial epithelial-mesenchymal transition to the ultimate organotropic colonization, can potentially be regulated by hypoxia, suggesting a master regulator role of hypoxia and HIFs in metastasis. Furthermore, modulation of cancer stem cell self-renewal by HIFs may also contribute to the hypoxia-regulated metastasis program. The hypoxia-induced metastatic phenotype may be one of the reasons for the modest efficacy of antiangiogenic therapies and may well explain the recent provocative findings that antiangiogenic therapy increased metastasis in preclinical models. Multiple approaches to targeting hypoxia and HIFs, including HIF inhibitors, hypoxia-activated bioreductive prodrugs, and gene therapies may become effective treatments to prevent or reduce metastasis.
Therapeutic potential of a peptide targeting BCL-2 cell guardians in cancer
Authors: Jerry M. Adams
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (2012)

A promising approach to cancer therapy is to elicit apoptosis with "BH3 mimetic" drugs, which target proteins of the BCL-2 family. As of yet, however, such drugs can target only certain BCL-2 family proteins. Hence, in this issue of the JCI, LaBelle et al. assess instead the therapeutic potential of a "stapled" BH3 peptide from the BIM protein, which inactivates all its prosurvival relatives. The peptide killed cultured hematologic tumor cells and abated growth of a leukemia xenograft, without perturbing the hematopoietic compartment. Hence, such peptides might eventually provide a new way to treat refractory leukemias.
Response to Letter Regarding Article, “Optical Coherence Tomographic Analysis of In-Stent Neoatherosclerosis After Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation”
Authors: Seung-Jung Park, Soo-Jin Kang, Duk-Woo Park, Jong-Young Lee, Won-Jang Kim, Seung-Whan Lee, Young-Hak Kim, Cheol Whan Lee, Seong-Wook Park, Gary S. Mintz, Takashi Akasaka
Journal: Circulation (2011)
Adiponectin is a predictor for radiographic progression in early RA patients, independently of anti-CCP antibodies
Authors: I. R. Klein-Wieringa, M. P. M. van der Linden, J. C. Kwekkeboom, E. van Beelen, A. van der Helm-van Mil, M. Kloppenburg, T. W. J. Huizinga, R. E. M. Toes, A. Ioan-Facsinay
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2011)

<h3>Background and objectives</h3> Adipose tissue can secrete soluble mediators (adipokines) with potent immune regulatory functions. Some adipokines have been previously associated with radiographic damage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in cross-sectional studies. In the present study we investigated the capacity of adipokines to predict radiographic progression over a period of 4 years and studied their contribution relative to other known risk factors, such as anticyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies. <h3>Materials and methods</h3> Serum concentrations of leptin, visfatin, resistin, adiponectin, adipsin, tumour necrosis factor (TNF) α and interleukin (IL) -6 were determined in baseline sera of 253 RA patients from the Early Arthritis Cohort. The association between levels of these adipokines, and radiographic progression was determined using multivariable regression analysis correcting for age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and the presence of antiCCP antibodies. <h3>Results</h3> IL-6, TNFα, visfatin and adiponectin levels associated positively with radiographic progression over four years. This association was independent of BMI. However, only adiponectin and IL-6 levels remained independent predictors for progression when corrected for anti-CCP antibodies. The association of both TNFα and visfatin with radiographic damage seemed dependent on anti-CCP antibodies, which is in line with the fact that the levels of both cytokines correlated significantly with anti-CCP levels in these patients. Stratification for the presence of anti-CCP antibodies revealed that adiponectin associated with progression only in anti-CCP<sup>+</sup> disease, whereas a trend for a positive association was apparent for IL-6 in both anti-CCP<sup>+</sup> and anti-CCP<sup>−</sup> disease. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Our results indicate that adipokines are predictors for radiographic progression in RA, possibly through distinct underlying biological mechanisms. Within the adipokines studied, adiponectin was found to predict radiographic progression independently of anti-CCP antibodies and only in anti-CCP<sup>+</sup> disease, which indicates it as a potential therapeutic target in RA.
Increased Heat Generation From Atherosclerotic Plaques in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Konstantinos Toutouzas, Virginia Markou, Maria Drakopoulou, Ioannis Mitropoulos, Eleftherios Tsiamis, Manolis Vavuranakis, Sophia Vaina, Christodoulos Stefanadis
Journal: Diabetes Care (2005)

OBJECTIVE— Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and diabetes show increased inflammatory activation. Thermography detects local inflammatory involvement as heat generation. The aim of this study was to investigate whether patients with CAD and diabetes have increased local heat generation compared with nondiabetic patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—We enrolled patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions: 45 diabetic patients and 63 nondiabetic patients, serving as the control group, matched for age, type of clinical syndrome, statin and aspirin intake, and angiographic stenosis (%). Coronary thermography was performed, and temperature difference (ΔT) between the atherosclerotic plaque and the proximal vessel wall was measured. RESULTS—Patients with diabetes had increased temperature difference compared with nondiabetic patients (ΔT: 0.17 ± 0.18°C vs. 0.09 ± 0.02°C, P = 0.01). Twenty-one diabetic and 22 nondiabetic patients suffered from acute coronary syndromes (ACSs) (P = 0.22). Patients with diabetes and ACSs had increased temperature difference compared with nondiabetic patients with ACSs (ΔT: 0.29 ± 0.31°C vs. 0.15 ± 0.21°C, P = 0.02), which is the same as patients with diabetes and chronic stable angina (ΔT: 0.09 ± 0.08°C vs. 0.05 ± 0.04°C, P = 0.006). Twenty-three diabetic and 30 nondiabetic patients were under therapy with statins (P = 0.72). Patients with diabetes under statins had lower temperature difference compared with untreated patients (ΔT: 0.11 ± 0.12°C vs. 0.22 ± 0.21°C, P = 0.02), which is the same as nondiabetic patients under statins (ΔT: 0.05 ± 0.04°C vs. 0.13 ± 0.18°C, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS—Patients with diabetes have increased temperature difference compared with nondiabetic patients. Patients with diabetes under statins showed decreased temperature difference compared with untreated patients, suggesting that statins have a favorable effect in patients with diabetes and CAD.
Phase II Trials of Imatinib Mesylate and Docetaxel in Patients with Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer and Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Anne S. Tsao, Suyu Liu, Junya Fujimoto, Ignacio I. Wistuba, J. Jack Lee, Edith M. Marom, Chusilp Charnsangavej, Frank V. Fossella, Hai T. Tran, George R. Blumenschein, Vassiliki Papadimitrakopoulou, Merrill S. Kies, Waun K. Hong, David J. Stewart
Journal: Journal of Thoracic Oncology (2011)
The enhanced liver fibrosis test: a clinical grade, validated serum test, biomarker of overall fibrosis in systemic sclerosis
Authors: Giuseppina Abignano, Giovanna Cuomo, Maya H Buch, William M Rosenberg, Gabriele Valentini, Paul Emery, Francesco Del Galdo
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2013)

<h3>Objectives</h3> The absence of a serological surrogate outcome measure of fibrosis in systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a major deficiency for intervention studies and clinical management. An algorithm including the serum concentration of procollagen-III aminoterminal-propeptide, tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 and hyaluronic acid, has recently been validated as predictive of severity and clinical outcome in chronic liver diseases (enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF) test) and implemented as a clinical grade test available for physicians. We evaluated the ELF test as a surrogate outcome measure in SSc. <h3>Methods</h3> The ELF score was determined blindly in 210 patients with SSc. Results were correlated with clinical, functional and instrumental variables including disease severity, activity and disability. <h3>Results</h3> The ELF test was above normal range in 83% of SSc patients (175/210). The ELF score showed a significant correlation (p&lt;0.0001) with extent of skin involvement (r=0.28), diffusing lung capacity of carbon monoxide (DLCO) (r=−0.32), health assessment questionnaire–disability index (HAQ-DI) (r=0.32), disease severity score (r=0.3) and age (r=0.41). In addition, ELF correlated with disease activity (r=0.23; p=0.02). Using regression analysis, the extent of skin involvement, age, DLCO and gender were independently associated with the ELF score. The ELF score did not correlate with the presence of pulmonary artery hypertension, digital ulcers or any other measure of vasculopathy. <h3>Conclusions</h3> The ELF test is a clinical-grade serum test that significantly correlates with several measures of fibrosis in SSc and with overall disease activity, severity and HAQ-DI. The specific correlation with fibrosis and its face validity, together with the feasibility of the test, warrant its further development as a surrogate outcome measure of fibrosis in SSc.
Hippocampal Volume Development in Healthy Siblings of Childhood-Onset Schizophrenia Patients
Authors: Anand Mattai, Avinash Hosanagar, Brian Weisinger, Deanna Greenstein, Reva Stidd, Liv Clasen, Francois Lalonde, Judith Rapoport, Nitin Gogtay
Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry (2011)

Previous anatomic studies have established a reduction in hippocampal volume in schizophrenia, but few have investigated the progressive course of these changes and whether they are trait markers. In the present study, the authors examined hippocampal volumes in relation to age for patients with childhood-onset schizophrenia, their nonpsychotic healthy siblings, and healthy comparison subjects.
Clinical Evaluation of New Office Spirometer
Authors: Leonard D. Hudson
Journal: JAMA (1978)

The accuracy of a simple, pneumatic, direct-recording spirometer suitable for office use was evaluated by comparing spirometry on a water-sealed, 13.5-liter, water-filled spirometer for 120 patients. Good correlation between the two spirometers was seen through a wide range of values for forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second, and forced expiratory flow during 25% to 75% of forced vital capacity, with coefficients of correlation being 988, 988, and 948, respectively. All correlations were significant. The pneumatic spirometer is accurate, simple to operate, and suitable for spirometry in the office and clinic. (<i>JAMA</i>240:2754-2755, 1978)
Diagnosis and treatment of mood disorders in patients with rheumatic disease
Authors: M. ALPAY
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2000)

Diagnosis and treatment of mood disorders in patients with rheumatic diseaseMood disorders are common among the medically ill and tend to worsen, as illness becomes more severe.Major depressive disorder (MDD) occurs in 4-6% of the general population, in 5-10% of medically ill outpatients, and in 10-30% of hospitalised medical inpatients. [1]2][3] Rheumatic diseases such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue/pain syndromes, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), scleroderma, and Sjögren's syndrome (SS) are associated with psychiatric disorders or symptom states.Depression is associated with increased functional disability, pain, and stressors like low autonomy, low income, marital status and high demands. 4 5By nature recurrent and progressive, it should be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.
Involvement of Epithelial Cell Transforming Sequence-2 Oncoantigen in Lung and Esophageal Cancer Progression
Authors: Daizaburo Hirata, Takumi Yamabuki, Daiki Miki, Tomoo Ito, Eiju Tsuchiya, Masahiro Fujita, Masao Hosokawa, Kazuaki Chayama, Yusuke Nakamura, Yataro Daigo
Journal: Clinical Cancer Research (2008)

This study aims to isolate potential molecular targets for diagnosis, treatment, and/or prevention of lung and esophageal carcinomas.We screened for genes that were frequently overexpressed in the tumors through gene expression profile analyses of 101 lung cancers and 19 esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC) by cDNA microarray consisting of 27,648 genes or expressed sequence tags. In this process, we identified epithelial cell transforming sequence 2 (ECT2) as a candidate. Tumor tissue microarray was applied to examine the expression of ECT2 protein in 242 archived non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLC) and 240 ESCC specimens and to investigate its prognostic value. A role of ECT2 in lung and esophageal cancer cell growth and/or survival was examined by small interfering RNA experiments. Cellular invasive activity of ECT2 in mammalian cells was examined using Matrigel assays.Northern blot and immunohistochemical analyses detected expression of ECT2 only in testis among 23 normal tissues. Immunohistochemical staining showed that a high level of ECT2 expression was associated with poor prognosis for patients with NSCLC (P = 0.0004) as well as ESCC (P = 0.0088). Multivariate analysis indicated it to be an independent prognostic factor for NSCLC (P = 0.0005). Knockdown of ECT2 expression by small interfering RNAs effectively suppressed lung and esophageal cancer cell growth. In addition, induction of exogenous expression of ECT2 in mammalian cells promoted cellular invasive activity.ECT2 cancer-testis antigen is likely to be a prognostic biomarker in clinic and a potential therapeutic target for the development of anticancer drugs and cancer vaccines for lung and esophageal cancers.