Search results for "HORMONES"

Effects of inhaled corticosteroids in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

2011

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been described as a heterogeneous multifactorial disorder associated with an abnormal inflammatory response of the peripheral airways and with variable morphologic, physiologic and clinical phenotypes. This notion of the disease is actually poorly supported by data, and there are substantial discrepancies and a weak correlation between inflammation, structural damage, functional impairment and degree of clinical symptoms. This problem is compounded by a poor understanding of the complexity and intricacies on the inflammatory pathways in COPD. Despite the evidence for efficacy of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) on selected clinical endpoints in …

Current and future pharmacologic therapy of exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.

2005

Exacerbations are an important cause of the morbidity and mortality associated with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Newer therapies include long-acting beta(2)-agonists, which are more effective than short-acting bronchodilators. Inhaled corticosteroids and, in asthma, leukotriene receptor antagonists may have roles in the early phase of exacerbation as an alternative to or added to oral prednisolone. In the future, combinations of long-acting beta(2)-agonists and anticholinergic bronchodilators may offer additive clinical benefits. However, although the treatment and prevention of exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma have been improved by usin…

Defining moderate asthma exacerbations in clinical trials based on ATS/ERS joint statement

2015

Background Exacerbations are a key outcome in clinical research, providing patient-relevant information about symptomatic control, health state and disease progression. Generally considered as an episode of (sub)acute deterioration of respiratory symptoms, a precise, clinically useful definition is needed for use in clinical trials. Aim and methods Focussing on moderate exacerbations, this opinion piece reviews landmark trials and current guidelines to provide a practical definition of a moderate exacerbation. Specifically, we adapt the ATS/ERS consensus statement of terminology Reddel et al. (2009) [1] which provides a conceptual (or 'theoretical') definition for moderate exacerbations, to…

What drives inhaler prescription for asthma patients? Results from a real-life retrospective analysis

2020

Abstract Background The choice of inhaler device for asthma patients depends upon multiple attributes. We investigated factors that may drive general practitioners (GPs) and respiratory specialists in the prescription of inhaler devices for asthma patients who initiated inhalation therapy. Methods We retrospectively analysed prescriptions by GPs and respiratory specialists to asthma patients commencing inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β2-agonist combination therapy available as both pressurised metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) and dry powder inhalers (DPIs). Patient characteristics were compared by device and multivariate analysis was used to model the likelihood of receiving a pMDI as oppos…

Advances in asthma pathophysiology: stepping forward from the Maurizio Vignola experience

2015

Maurizio Vignola was a superb and innovative researcher, who wrote seminal papers on the biology of airway epithelium in asthma. Inflammation and remodelling were the main topics of his research, mostly conducted in biopsy specimens from patients with asthma of variable severity, encompassing the entire spectrum of the disease from mild to severe asthma. His observations contributed to define the biology of asthma as we know it today, and opened the way to the personalised treatment of asthma. His group has successfully continued to investigate the biology and clinical aspects of bronchial asthma, with major interest in the clinical use of biomarkers to monitor disease activity, and in the …

Indacaterol/glycopyrronium/mometasone fixed dose combination for uncontrolled asthma

2021

INTRODUCTION Asthma symptoms can be relieved through a maintenance treatment combining long-acting β2-agonist and inhaled corticosteroids (LABA/ICS). However, for patients with inadequately controlled asthma, the LABA/ICS combination might not be sufficient. Under these conditions, clinical guidelines recommend the administration of inhaled long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA) as an add-on therapy to LABA/ICS to better control asthma and improve lung function. For nearly two decades, the only LAMA to be approved on the market has been tiotropium. AREAS COVERED We reviewed recent clinical studies evaluating the safety and efficacy of LABA/LAMA/ICS fixed dose combinations by searching Pu…

A survey on features of allergic rhinitis in children

2013

Objective: A number of epidemiologic studies evaluated the prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR), but few data are available on its different clinical presentations. We addressed this survey to assess the features of AR in children and adolescents. Methods: Thirty-five centers in Italy included 2623 pediatric patients with rhinitis, of whom 2319 suffered from AR, while 304 had other kinds of rhinitis. For each patient a standardized questionnaire was filled in, including ARIA classification, the duration of symptoms, the allergen identified as clinically relevant, the co-morbidities, the kind of treatment, the response to treatment, the satisfaction with the treatment, and the feasibility of…

REGULATION OF THE EXPRESSION OF RNA-BINDING PROTEINS IN DEVELOPING AND ADULT RAT BRAINS: ROLE OF THYROID HORMONES

2005

EFFECTS OF THYROID HORMONES ON RNA-BINDING PROTEINS EXPRESSED IN DEVELOPING RAT BRAIN

2005

Evaluation of a possible association between estradiol and progesterone levels and ectopic pregnancy in low risk women undergoing IVF/ICSI

2018

Introduction: Several independent risk factors of Ectopic Pregnancy (EP) have been described to date. Nevertheless, estradiol and progesterone have not been related to ectopic pregnancy, although there is biological rationale to think about them as possible candidates. Our aim was to correlate the incidence of EP with levels of estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4), measured on two days (hCG day, and seven days later (hCG+7)), including the differences and ratios of these concentrations, between the two time-points. Material and methods: Retrospective cohort study of 578 patients undergoing fresh embryo transfer after IVF (100 cycles), ICSI (508 cycles) and IVF/ICSI (64 cycles) without risk …