0000000000051877
AUTHOR
Buhl Roland
CAT score single item analysis in patients with COPD: results from COSYCONET
Abstract The COPD Assessment Test (CAT) is in widespread use for the evaluation of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We assessed whether the CAT items carry additional information beyond the sum score regarding COPD characteristics including emphysema. Patients of GOLD grades 1 to 4 from the COPD cohort COSYCONET (German COPD and Systemic Consequences - Comorbidities Network) with complete CAT data were included (n = 2270), of whom 493 had chest CT evaluated for the presence of emphysema. Comorbidities and lung function were assessed following standardised procedures. Cross-sectional data analysis was based on multiple regression analysis of the single CAT items ag…
Serum eosinophil cationic protein as a potential biomarker for interleukin-5 antibody treatment in patients with severe uncontrolled eosinophilic asthma
Serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) has been described as a marker reflecting activation of eosinophils in asthma, potentially correlating to airway inflammation. Our aim was to examine the role of serum ECP to predict treatment efficacy in asthmatics starting interleukin-5 antibody (anti-IL5) therapy. We evaluated 65 patients with severe, uncontrolled eosinophilic asthma (≥300 eosinophils per µl blood) before and approx. 4 months after initiation of anti-IL5 therapy with mepolizumab; 35 patients completed a 12 month follow-up. Evaluation of treatment efficacy included medical history, asthma questionnaires, physical examination, spirometry, exhaled NO and blood tests. Depending on the …
Relationship between clinical and radiological signs of bronchiectasis in COPD patients: Results from COSYCONET.
Bronchiectasis (BE) might be frequently present in COPD but masked by COPD symptoms. We studied the relationship of clinical signs of bronchiectasis to the presence and extent of its radiological signs in patients of different COPD severity. Visit 4 data (GOLD grades 1-4) of the COSYCONET cohort was used. Chest CT scans were evaluated for bronchiectasis in 6 lobes using a 3-point scale (0: absence, 1: ≤50%, 2: >50% BE-involvement for each lobe). 1176 patients were included (61%male, age 67.3y), among them 38 (3.2%) with reported physicians' diagnosis of bronchiectasis and 76 (6.5%) with alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency (AA1D). CT scans were obtained in 429 patients. Within this group, any sign…
Nrf2-interacting nutrients and COVID-19: time for research to develop adaptation strategies
AbstractThere are large between- and within-country variations in COVID-19 death rates. Some very low death rate settings such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, the Balkans and Africa have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods whose intake is associated with the activation of the Nrf2 (Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2) anti-oxidant transcription factor. There are many Nrf2-interacting nutrients (berberine, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, quercetin, resveratrol, sulforaphane) that all act similarly to reduce insulin resistance, endothelial damage, lung injury and cytokine storm. They also act on the same mechanisms (mTOR: Mammalian target of …