Search results for "Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine"

Alterations of the beneficial effect of deep inspiration in scleroderma: relationships between lung function and imaging.

2007

<i>Background:</i> It has been postulated that the beneficial effects of deep inspiration are dependent on the magnitude of airway distension by virtue of airway to parenchyma interdependence. <i>Objective:</i> This study was designed to examine whether the changes that occur in pulmonary fibrosis affect the beneficial effect of deep inspiration. <i>Methods:</i> Thirty-one subjects with scleroderma underwent lung volume and diffusion capacity assessment as well as high-resolution computed tomography. To assess the effect of deep inspiration, each subject underwent methacholine provocations in the absence of deep breaths. When the targeted change in lung f…

Attenuation by oralN-acetylcysteine of bleomycin-induced lung injury in rats

2001

Antioxidant therapy may be useful in diseases with impaired oxidant-antioxidant balance such as pulmonary fibrosis. This study examines the effect ofN-acetylcysteine (NAC) on bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in rats.NAC (3 mmol·kg−1; oral) was given daily from 1 week prior to a single intratracheal instillation of bleomycin (2.5 U·kg−1) or saline, until 14 days postinstillation.NAC partially decreased the augmented collagen deposition in bleomycin-exposed rats (hydroxyproline content was 4,354±386 and 3,416±326 µg·lung−1in vehicle-treated and NAC-treated rats, respectively; p<0.05). The histological assessment using a semiquantitative score showed less collagen deposition and inflammatory…

Hypoxia and myocardial remodeling in human cardiac allografts: a time-course study.

2009

Background: Cardiac allografts are known to develop myocardial fibrosis, which may be a cause of progressive cardiac dysfunction. Apart from the renin‐angiotensin and transforming growth factor- system, hypoxia has been proposed as an important player in the pathogenesis of fibrosis, but its significance remains unclear. This study examines the degree of myocardial fibrosis, cellular remodeling and hypoxic signaling over a time-course of 10 years after human cardiac allograft transplantation. Methods: Serial right ventricular biopsies of 57 patients were collected in 6-month intervals after cardiac transplant surgery for a total of 10 years to allow a retrospective longitudinal analysis. Ov…

Unusual Hydatid Cyst-Like Images Caused by Staphylococcus Lugdunensis Infective Endocarditis

2018

Correlates of mortality in elderly COPD patients: focus on health-related quality of life

2009

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The Saint George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) is widely used as a measure of health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with COPD. This study tested whether the SGRQ predicts the survival of patients with COPD. METHODS: The study recruited 238 patients with COPD who were participants in the multicentre Salute Respiratoria nell'Anziano (Sa.R.A.) study. Patients' sociodemographic, clinical and functional characteristics were assessed and the association between the SGRQ and mortality, corrected for potential confounders, was estimated. RESULTS: The mean age of study participants was 72.6 years. Over the 5-year observation period there were 88 deaths. After…

Safety of sublingual-swallow immunotherapy in children aged 3 to 7 years

2005

Background The minimum age to start specific immunotherapy with inhalant allergens in children has not been clearly established, and position papers discourage its use in children younger than 5 years. Objective To assess the safety of high-dose sublingual-swallow immunotherapy (SLIT) in a group of children younger than 5 years. Methods Sixty-five children (51 boys and 14 girls; age range, 38-80 months; mean ± SD age, 60 ± 10 years; median age, 60 months) were included in this observational study. They were treated with SLIT with a build-up phase of 11 days, culminating in a top dose of 300 IR (index of reactivity) and a maintenance phase of 300 IR 3 times a week. The allergens used were ho…

The independent role of prenatal and postnatal exposure to active and passive smoking on the development of early wheeze in children

2016

Maternal smoking during pregnancy increases childhood asthma risk, but health effects in children of nonsmoking mothers passively exposed to tobacco smoke during pregnancy are unclear. We examined the association of maternal passive smoking during pregnancy and wheeze in children aged ≤2 years.Individual data of 27 993 mother–child pairs from 15 European birth cohorts were combined in pooled analyses taking into consideration potential confounders.Children with maternal exposure to passive smoking during pregnancy and no other smoking exposure were more likely to develop wheeze up to the age of 2 years (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.03–1.20) compared with unexposed children. Risk of wheeze was further …

Respiratory syncytial virus infection in a Sicilian pediatric population: Risk factors, epidemiology, and severity

2008

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of hospitalization for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in young children worldwide. This study evaluated the epidemiological and clinical patterns of RSV infection in infants hospitalized for LRTIs in Sicily. Over a 7-month period (October 1, 2005 to April 30, 2006), all children 6 months old, with a gestational age (GA) of >36 weeks, with a birth weight of >2.50 g, with previous hospitalizations due to LRTI, with smokers in the household, and with a history of breast-feeding (p < 0.05 for each). RSV infection was associated with a higher likelihood to be admitted to neonatal intensive care units and to longer hospitalization…

Acetylcholine in isolated airways of rat, guinea pig, and human: species differences in role of airway mucosa

1996

Stored endogenous acetylcholine (ACh) and in vitro synthesis of [3H]ACh were measured in isolated, mucosa-intact and mucosa-denuded airways of rat, guinea pig, and humans. In addition, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity and ACh content were measured in freshly isolated airway mucosa as well as in cultured epithelial cells of rat tracheas. Rat tracheas stored 25 nmol/g ACh, whereas guinea pig tracheas and human bronchi contained only 2-3 nmol/g ACh. When incubated with [3H]choline, the isolated airways of rat, guinea pig, and human synthesized significant amounts of [3H]ACh. In guinea pig and human airways, removal of the mucosa affected neither stored ACh nor in vitro synthesis of […

Effect of one-year dextromethorphan/quinidine treatment on management of respiratory impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

2021

Abstract Treatment with Dextromethorphan/Quinidine (DM/Q) has demonstrated benefit on pseudobulbar affect and bulbar function in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The aim of this study was to assess whether DM/Q could provide long-term improvement in bulbar function and thereby prolong noninvasive respiratory management in ALS. Materials and methods This prospective, case-cohort study, recruited ALS patients with bulbar dysfunction. Subjects included were compared with cross-matched historical controls. Cases received DM/Q (20/10 mg twice daily) during one-year follow-up; bulbar dysfunction was evaluated with the Norris scale bulbar subscore (NBS) and bulbar subscale of AlSFRS-R (ALSFRSb…