The microbiome in respiratory medicine: current challenges and future perspectives

The healthy lung has previously been considered to be a sterile organ because standard microbiological culture techniques consistently yield negative results. However, culture-independent techniques report that large numbers of microorganisms coexist in the lung. There are many unknown aspects in the field, but available reports show that the lower respiratory tract microbiota: 1) is similar in healthy subjects to the oropharyngeal microbiota and dominated by members of the Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria phyla; 2) shows changes in smokers and well-defined differences in chronic respiratory diseases, although the temporal and spatial kinetics of these changes are only partially…

Biological age instead of chronologic age as prognostic factor in IPF: clinical implications of telomere shortening

Impact of obstructive sleep apnea on metabolic dysfunction in severe obesity.

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) seems to worsen metabolism. This effect has not evaluated in morbid obesity (MO). We hypothesized that the metabolic profile is more impaired in MO patients with OSA than in those without and investigated whether any specific metabolic dysfunction is related to OSA in MO. A prospective multi-centre cross-sectional study was conducted in consecutive subjects before bariatric surgery. OSA was defined as apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI)≥15 by overnight polysomnography (PSG). Anthropometrical, blood pressure (BP) and fasting blood measurements were obtained the morning after. Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) was defined according to NCEP ATPIII modified criteria. 159 patient…

Predictive factors of severe multilobar pneumonia and shock in patients with influenza

PurposeTo identify risk factors present at admission in adult patients hospitalised due to influenza virus infection during the 2009/10 and 2010/11 seasons—including whether infection was from pandemic or seasonal influenza A infections—that were associated with the likelihood of developing severe pneumonia with multilobar involvement and shock.MethodsProspective cohort study. Patients hospitalised due to influenza virus infection were recruited. We collected information on sociodemographic characteristics, pre-existing medical conditions, vaccinations, toxic habits, previous medications, exposure to social environments, and EuroQoL-5D (EQ-5D). Severe pneumonia with multilobar involvement a…