Despite the close location of polyps with the Eustachian tube, association between nasal polyposis (NP) and otitis media with effusion (OME) has not been described in the literature. Our retrospective case-control study aimed at assessing the relative risk to develop OME when NP is associated to factors such as asthma, ...

Increased risk of thrombotic events occurs in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Elevated fibrinogen and C-reactive protein (CRP), being common in COPD, are associated with formation of dense fibrin clots resistant to lysis. Statins have been found to display anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic effects. We investigated fibrin clot properties in COPD ...

The effect of chronic cigarette smoke on pulmonary artery (PA) tension has been studied extensively; nevertheless, the direct effect of cigarette smoke is poorly understood. We investigated the direct effect of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) on PA tension in non-smokers, smokers, and COPD patients in vitro. PA samples from 35 ...

The time delay between the start of respiratory symptoms and the correct diagnosis of alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency is often 6 to 8 years. Most patients are misdiagnosed as having COPD or asthma. Recent estimates suggest that only 15 % of patients have already been identified. The PiZZ genotype leads to ...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exhibits airflow obstruction that is not fully reversible. The importance of bronchoreversibility remains controversial. We hypothesised that an emphysematous phenotype of COPD would be associated with decreased bronchoreversibility. 544 patients randomised to the medical arm of the National Emphysema Treatment Trial formed the study group. ...

We assessed the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and its clinical correlates in a large sample of patients who received a kidney transplant (Tx). We also compared the prevalence of the disorder between dialysis patients who were on the waiting list for a Tx (WL) and Tx patients. This ...

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory condition characterized by oxidative stress and the formation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) secreted via the lungs. We recently developed a methodological approach able to identify profiles of VOCs in breath unique for patient groups. Here we applied this recently developed ...

Quadriceps strength relates to exercise capacity and prognosis in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We wanted to quantify the prevalence of quadriceps weakness in COPD and hypothesised that it would not be restricted to patients with severe airflow obstruction or dyspnoea. Predicted quadriceps strength was calculated using a regression equation ...

BACKGROUND: Inflammation of the airways in asthma is associated with the production of cysteinyl leukotrienes (cysLT), prostaglandin (PG)E(2), 8-isoprostane, nitric oxide and other mediators. However, the relationship between asthma severity or eosinophilic inflammation and the concentrations of mediators in sputum is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To assess sputum PGE(2), cysLT, 8-isoprostane and ...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients have reduced circulating hemopoietic progenitors. We hypothesized that severity of COPD parallels the decrease in progenitors and that the reduction in body mass index (BMI) could be associated with more severe bone marrow dysfunction. We studied 39 patients with moderate to very severe COPD ...

BACKGROUND: Acute irritant-induced asthma (IrIa) or reactive airways dysfunction syndrome is caused by exposure to a high concentration of an agent. The long-term pathologic consequences of IrIa remain thus far unknown. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to investigate the chronic airway inflammation and remodeling that occur in association ...

RATIONALE: To determine the general utility of clinical (Asthma Control Test) and physiologic (forced expiratory volume in the first second of exhalation [FEV(1)] and fractionated exhaled nitric oxide level [FeNO]) parameters for characterizing asthma patients. METHODS: Two cross-sectional independent studies simultaneously enrolled 100 patients in the US and 109 patients ...

Airway remodeling in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) results in thickening of bronchial walls and may affect lung function. In the present study we set out to evaluate the relationship between small airway wall thickness and the lung function parameters in patients with asthma and COPD. The study ...

Proton (H+) secretion and the HVCN1 H+ channel are part of the innate host defense mechanism of the airways. The objective of this study was to determine H+ secretion in asthmatic and nonasthmatic patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in freshly excised human sinonasal tissue. Nasal or sinus mucosa from subjects ...

RATIONALE: Patients hospitalized for a COPD exacerbation are usually of advanced age, with functional deterioration, and suffering an increased number of associated conditions, but little is known about gender differences. Our hypothesis is that the frequency and type of comorbidities differ in male and female COPD patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: ...

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of HRCT-confirmed emphysema on biomarkers evaluating airway and systemic inflammation in COPD patients. Forty-nine consecutive male COPD outpatients with stable COPD were divided in two groups according to the presence or absence of emphysema on HRCT. Patients underwent pulmonary function ...

PURPOSE: The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) uses the post-bronchodilator spirometry for diagnosis and severity staging. We evaluated differences in the severity classification of COPD, based on pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2000 to 2004, 207 COPD ...

OBJECTIVES: Patients with COPD are at risk for osteoporosis-related vertebral compression fractures (VCF) which predispose to more fractures and worsening pulmonary function. Our objectives were to: 1 document VCF prevalence in COPD patients; and 2 determine the independent correlates of VCF. METHODS: From 2004-2006, we prospectively recruited consecutive consenting COPD ...

PURPOSE: To establish situations in which family physicians (FPs) consider pulse oximetry a valuable addition to their clinical patient assessment; to explore pulse oximetry results (SpO(2)) when used by FPs in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); to explore associations between SpO(2) and other markers of COPD severity. METHODS: ...

BACKGROUND AND AIM: It is speculated that the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) might increase with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of GERD in patients with asthma and COPD in an area representative of developing countries. ...

OBJECTIVE: Bronchial hyperresponsiveness is usually measured by bronchial challenge with direct (e.g. methacholine) and indirect (e.g. adenosine) agonists. A prospective, randomized, crossover, single-blind study was performed to compare both methods in the first diagnosis of asthma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-seven patients, in which asthma was suspected, were selected (21 male, ...

INTRODUCTION: CRTH2 is expressed on the surface of eosinophils and has been shown to mediate PGD2-induced eosinophil migration in vitro. Eosinophilic infiltration in the upper and lower airways is the key feature of asthma. Considering the fact that eosinophil infiltration is prominent in the upper and lower airways of aspirin ...

INTRODUCTION: High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is a widespread medical imaging method for the study of thoracic diseases. In asthma it is very useful particularly when it is difficult to achieve an effective control of disease, and in severe deterioration. AIM: It was intended to evaluate the imaging changes by HRCT ...

PURPOSE: To analyze and compare computed tomographic (CT) bronchial measurements in patients with asthma and healthy subjects and to correlate bronchial morphometric parameters with functional data and immunohistologic markers of airway remodeling and inflammation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board; patient informed consent ...

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether an abnormal swallowing reflex affects COPD exacerbations. This study investigated the prevalence of abnormal swallowing reflexes and its relationship with COPD exacerbation prospectively. We also clarified its association with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and airway bacterial colonization. METHODS: Swallowing reflex and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) ...

BACKGROUND: Proton (H) secretion and the HVCN1 H channel are part of the innate host defense mechanism of the airways. The objective of this studywas to determine H secretion in asthmatic and nonasthmatic patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in freshly excised human sinonasal tissue.METHODS: Nasal or sinus mucosa from subjects ...

Patients with multiple chemical sensitivity and eczema patients with airway symptoms elicited by odorous chemicals have enhanced cough reflex to capsaicin when applying the tidal breathing method. The aims of the present study were to test whether the capsaicin induced cough reflex was enhanced when applying the single breath inhalation ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The causes of exacerbations in COPD patients are poorly understood. This study examined the association between cough-reflex sensitivity in patients with stable COPD and the frequency of subsequent exacerbations. METHODS: The sampling frame for cases and controls for this study was patients attending a hospital outpatient clinic. ...

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary surfactant protein A (SP-A) is a lectin, with multiple functions that contribute to innate host defense and the regulation of the inflammatory process in the lung. In normal conditions, SP-A seems to protect against the effects of smoking. However, studies in smokers with or without COPD are limited. ...

RATIONALE: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma can exhibit overlapping clinical features. Exhaled air contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that may qualify as noninvasive biomarkers. VOC profiles can be assessed using integrative analysis by electronic nose, resulting in exhaled molecular fingerprints (breathprints). OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that breathprints by electronic ...

AIM: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and characteristics of sleep apnoea syndrome (SAS) in patients hospitalized for poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. METHODS: An overnight ventilatory polygraphic study was systematically performed in 303 consecutive patients. RESULTS: Overall, 34% of these patients had mild SAS, as defined by a ...

The Genuair inhaler is a new multidose dry powder inhaler for the delivery of aclidinium bromide - a novel, long-acting, muscarinic antagonist in development for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The primary aim of this study was to assess the inspiratory flow characteristics through Genuair in patients ...

Studies show reduced forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important independent predictor of cardiovascular death and is characterised by both pulmonary and systemic inflammation. Evidence shows statins have important anti-inflammatory effects in both the lungs and arteries. Although randomised ...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is considered an inflammatory pulmonary disorder with systemic inflammatory manifestations. The aim of this study was to assess the systemic levels of six inflammatory mediators in a large cohort of COPD patients and controls. 409 COPD patients and 231 healthy subjects, aged 40-75 yrs, were ...

Down-regulation of cough sensitivity in humans is rarely discussed in terms other than pharmacological treatment of cough or hypersensitive cough reflex. Chronic cough and increased cough sensitivity could be due to a number of airway and other diseases. When such conditions are excluded, there still remains a group of patients ...

Physiological differences and similarities in asthma and COPD are documented based on respiratory function testing. (1) The airflow reversibility is usually important for the diagnosis of asthma. However, patients with long disease histories may have poor reversibility. The reversibility test in COPD is useful for predicting the treatment response. (2) ...

BACKGROUND: Obesity and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are both associated with the prevalence of major cardiovascular illnesses and certain common factors they are considered responsible for, such as stress oxidative increase, sympathetic tonus and resistance to insulin. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of ...

An imbalance between oxidative stress and antioxidative capacity may play an important role in the development and progression of bronchial asthma (BA) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We carried out a study to assess the systemic oxidant-antioxidant status during the exacerbation and the stable period in patients with BA ...

The severity of airway narrowing impacts ventilatory function, quality of life, and choice of therapy for patients with central airway obstruction. The quantification of airway caliber remains a subjective estimate that depends on patient positioning, technique, and operator experience. In this article, we describe how morphometric bronchoscopy, a software processing ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Paradoxical vocal fold motion dysfunction (PVFMD) is a disorder of the larynx characterized by adduction of the vocal cords during the respiratory cycle leading to symptoms of extrathoracic airway obstruction. PVFMD mimics asthma and patients with PVFMD (PVFMD+) are often diagnosed incorrectly as refractory asthma and receive ...

In patients with abnormalities of cell-mediated immunity, strongyloides hyperinfection syndrome may occur producing pulmonary infection that may manifest as asthma, chronic bronchitis, haemoptysis, eosinophilia and pulmonary infiltrates. We report a case of an uncontrolled asthma patient who presented with fever and haemoptysis. She had no evidence of immunosuppression and CT ...

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to evaluate whether tissue transglutaminase (tTG) may be involved in airway inflammation of toluene diisocyanate-induced occupational asthma (TDI-OA). METHODS: We enrolled 93 patients with TDI-OA, 177 asymptomatic exposed subjects, 43 patients with allergic asthma, and 70 unexposed normal controls. The prevalence of serum immunoglobulin G ...

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is prognosti- cally important in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Since PH only weakly correlates with hypoxemia, other factors must play a role. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether polymorphisms of the serotonin transporter (5HTT), serotonin-2a receptor (5HTR2a) and endothelial nitric oxide synthetase (eNOS) are related to PH ...

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been recognized as a multi component disease. Currently, limited data are available about determining factors of systemic inflammation in COPD, in particular C-reactive protein (CRP). The aim was to determine whether and to what extent COPD patients with a low, high ...

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide and represents one of the major causes of chronic morbidity. Cigarette smoking is the most important risk factor for COPD. In these patients, the airflow limitation is caused by a mixture of small airways disease and parenchyma ...

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to compare the extent of biofilm infection in percentage of mucosal surface area of adenoids removed from children with otitis media with effusion (OME) vs those with recurrent acute otitis media (RAOM) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Comparative microanatomical investigation ...

Eosinophils are pro-inflammatory cells that make a major contribution to allergic diseases affecting the upper and lower airways, skin and gastrointestinal tract. IL-5 is central to eosinophil maturation and release from the bone marrow, and to the subsequent accumulation, activation and persistence of eosinophils in the tissues. Reslizumab from Ception ...

This study was conducted to evaluate the role of swimming on mechanic of lung in healthy individual and patients with asthma. A total 76 girls who took part in the course of regular swimming session three day per week for eight weeks enrolled in this study. All of them completed ...

BACKGROUND: Ambulatory oxygen is frequently prescribed for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who have oxygen desaturation </=88% during exercise. The 6-min walk test (6MWT) with continuous pulse oximetry monitoring is a common method to document this oxygen desaturation, but the reproducibility of this test in determining the need ...

We previously reported that approximately one-fourth of patients with lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) may respond to therapy with bronchodilators. However, the validity of those observations has been questioned. The aims of the present study were to determine the prevalence of reversible airflow obstruction in patients with LAM and to identify associated clinical ...