Search results for "Pulmonary Disease"
showing 10 items of 360 documents
Frequent detection of cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA in the lower respiratory tract in CMV-seropositive pediatric patients with underlying chronic broncho…
2012
Abstract Cytomegalovirus (CMV) may be a relevant cause of morbidity in patients displaying various inflammatory diseases. In this study, it was investigated whether CMV DNA is detected in the lower respiratory tract and the systemic compartment in pediatric patients with chronic or recurrent bronchopulmonary diseases. A total of 42 lower respiratory tract specimens and 11 paired plasma samples from 42 patients were analyzed for the presence of CMV DNA by real‐time PCR. The respiratory specimens were also screened for the presence of respiratory viruses and human herpesvirus 6 (HHV‐6) and 7 (HHV‐7) by PCR methods. Quantitative bacterial and fungal cultures were performed. IL‐6 levels in the …
Telomere Length in Circulating Leukocytes is Associated with Lung Function and Disease
2014
Several clinical studies suggest the involvement of premature ageing processes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Using an epidemiological approach, we studied whether accelerated ageing indicated by telomere length, a marker of biological age, is associated with COPD and asthma, and whether intrinsic age-related processes contribute to the interindividual variability of lung function. Our meta-analysis of 14 studies included 934 COPD cases with 15 846 controls defined according to the Global Lungs Initiative (GLI) criteria (or 1189 COPD cases according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria), 2834 asthma cases with 28 195 controls, and s…
When kidneys and lungs suffer together
2018
A significant interaction between kidneys and lungs has been shown in physiological and pathological conditions. The two organs can both be targets of the same systemic disease (eg., some vasculitides). Moreover, loss of normal function of either of them can induce direct and indirect dysregulation of the other one. Subjects suffering from COPD may have systemic inflammation, hypoxemia, endothelial dysfunction, increased sympathetic activation and increased aortic stiffness. As well as the exposure to nicotine, all the foresaid factors can induce a microvascular damage, albuminuria, and a worsening of renal function. Renal failure in COPD can be unrecognized since elderly and frail patients…
Silicon Nanowire Sensors Enable Diagnosis of Patients via Exhaled Breath
2016
Two of the biggest challenges in medicine today are the need to detect diseases in a noninvasive manner and to differentiate between patients using a single diagnostic tool. The current study targets these two challenges by developing a molecularly modified silicon nanowire field effect transistor (SiNW FET) and showing its use in the detection and classification of many disease breathprints (lung cancer, gastric cancer, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). The fabricated SiNW FETs are characterized and optimized based on a training set that correlate their sensitivity and selectivity toward volatile organic compounds (VOCs) linked with the various disease breathprints. The b…
Non-neuronal cholinergic system contributes to corticosteroid resistance in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients
2016
Background: Inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) with long-acting beta-2 agonists is a well-documented combination therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) based on its additive anti-inflammatory properties. By contrast, the recommendation of ICS in combination with long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) is not evidence-based. In this study, neutrophils obtained from COPD patients were used to compare the anti-inflammatory effects of aclidinium bromide (a long-acting muscarinic antagonist) with corticosteroids and their potential additive effect. Methods: Human sputum and blood neutrophils were isolated from healthy individuals ( n = 37), patients with stable COPD ( n = 52) and th…
Effects of different physical therapy programs on perceived health status in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: a …
2017
To evaluate the repercussion of different physical therapy interventions on the perceived health status of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients during acute exacerbation.Randomized controlled trial. Patients were assigned to: control group (standard medical treatment), controlled breathing + range of motion exercises group or Resistance exercises group. Perceived health status was assessed at baseline and discharge using the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) questionnaire. Clinical profile of patients was evaluated at baseline for descriptive purposes.Ninety patients were randomized into the groups. Perceived health status improved significantly in all groups. Significant differences were…
Aging and disability affect misdiagnosis of COPD in elderly asthmatics: the SARA study
2003
STUDY OBJECTIVES: This study investigated to what extent a diagnosis of COPD is erroneously made or the disease remains unrecognized in elderly asthmatic patients, and identified factors leading to misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis of asthma in such patients. DESIGN: A multicenter study involving 24 Italian pulmonary or geriatric institutions. PATIENTS: One hundred twenty-eight asthmatic patients (98 women, 76.6%) aged 73 +/- 6.4 years (mean +/- SD) were selected from the cohort of the Salute Respiratoria nell'Anziano (respiratory health in the elderly) study. METHODS: All patients underwent a clinical evaluation that included clinical history and spirometry with a bronchodilator test. A diag…
From Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) Guidelines to Current Clinical Practice
2006
Background: The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines have been promulgated to improve the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD). Objective: To evaluate the extent to which the current therapeutic approach to COPD conforms to GOLD guidelines. Methods: This was a multicentre observational study of elderly COPD patients enrolled for acute care in general medicine or geriatric wards in tertiary hospitals in Italy in April 2002. Our series consisted of 471 patients >64 years of age consecutively admitted for acute exacerbations of COPD to wards participating in the study. Data describing drugs used prior to exacerbation and prescribed at …
C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) as inflammation markers in elderly patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmona…
2010
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) might represent a less expensive alternative to C-reactive protein (CRP) as a marker of systemic inflammation in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We tried to verify this hypothesis in 223 consecutive outpatients aged 65 years or more with stable COPD enrolled in a multicenter observational study. Patients were grouped according to normal/increased ESR/CRP values and groups were compared with regard to clinical and laboratory characteristics. Correlations between CRP, ESR and selected variables of interest were assessed by Spearman's ζ-test and multivariate linear regression analysis. CRP was weakly and inversely correlated with the fo…