Search results for "Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine"
showing 10 items of 1498 documents
Increased interleukin 6 production by bronchoalveolar lavage cells in patients with active sarcoidosis
1993
Alveolitis of sarcoidosis is characterized by activated alveolar macrophages (AMs) and T cells. The mediators interleukin-1 (IL-1) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) released by AMs represent essential factors for the progression of the T cells in the cell cycle. The role of IL-1 in pulmonary sarcoidosis has previously been studied; however, the relevance of other mediators (i.e. IL-6) has not yet been evaluated. We measured the spontaneous and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced release of IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) by bronchoalveolar lavage cells (BAL) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) in 6 control subjects (group A) and in 15 patients with sarcoidosis, 10 with activ…
Tralokinumab did not demonstrate oral corticosteroid-sparing effects in severe asthma
2018
Long-term oral corticosteroid (OCS) use in patients with severe asthma is associated with significant adverse effects.This 40-week, randomised, double-blind trial evaluated the OCS-sparing potential of tralokinumab in patients with severe, uncontrolled asthma requiring maintenance OCS treatment plus inhaled corticosteroids/long-acting β2-agonists. Overall, 140 patients were randomised to tralokinumab 300 mg or placebo (n=70 in each group) administered subcutaneously every 2 weeks. The primary end-point was percentage change from baseline in average OCS dose at week 40, while maintaining asthma control. Secondary end-points included proportion of patients with a prescribed maintenance OCS do…
Switching from omalizumab to mepolizumab: real-life experience from Southern Italy.
2020
Background: Current availability of several biologic treatments for severe asthma makes it possible to choose the most appropriate for each patient. Sometimes a good percentage of patients with severe asthma may be eligible for biologics that target either the allergic phenotype or the eosinophilic one, but not all respond to that selected as first choice. The aim of our real-life study was to assess whether, for patients with severe eosinophilic allergic asthma, not previously controlled by the anti-IgE omalizumab, the shift to another biologic targeting interleukin-5, such as mepolizumab, may represent a good therapeutic choice. Methods: A total of 41 consecutive patients with severe, per…
Effects of allergen exposure on methacholine and AMP-induced air trapping in pollen-sensitive subjects
2011
Summary Background The effect of pro-inflammatory stimuli on bronchoconstrictor-induced air trapping has not been studied. Objective To determine the effect of natural allergen exposure, a pro-inflammatory stimulus, on methacholine- and adenosine 5′-monophospate (AMP)-induced air trapping. Methods Airway responsiveness to methacholine and AMP before and during the pollen season was obtained in 25 subjects with pollen allergy and in 10 healthy controls. The response was expressed by the sensitivity (PC 20 value) and by the slope and intercept of the FVC values recorded at each step of the challenge against the corresponding FEV 1 values. Results The slope and intercept FVC versus FEV 1 value…
Do asthmatic smokers benefit as much as non-smokers on budesonide/formoterol maintenance and reliever therapy? Results of an open label study
2012
SummaryBackgroundStudies with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in smoking asthmatics have mostly shown poorer treatment responses than in non-smoking asthmatics.MethodsEuroSMART, an open, randomised, 6-month study, compared budesonide/formoterol (Symbicort ® Turbuhaler®)hhNeither the Symbicort SMART posology nor the dry powder formulation, Turbuhaler, is currently approved in the US. maintenance and reliever therapy (Symbicort SMART®) at two maintenance doses of budesonide/formoterol (160/4.5 μg), 1 × 2 and 2 × 2, in patients with asthma who were symptomatic despite treatment with ICS ± long-acting β2-agonists. The 8424 randomised patients included 886 smokers (11%; aged <40 years or with a sm…
Bronchoconstriction induced by inhaled adenosine 5′-monophosphate in subjects with allergic rhinitis
2001
Adenosine and its related nucleotide, adenosine 5′-monophosphate (AMP) induce bronchoconstriction in asthmatics, probably caused by histamine release from airway mast cells. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of inhaled AMP on lung function in subjects with allergic rhinitis.A total of 52 adults (28 subjects with allergic rhinitis, 14 asthmatics and 10 healthy subjects) were challenged with increasing concentrations of AMP and methacholine. Airflow was assessed after each concentration and the response to each bronchoconstrictor agent was measured by the provocative concentration required to produce a 20% fall (PC20) in forced expired volume in one second (FEV1).All 14 …
Trends in mortality related to pulmonary embolism in the European Region, 2000-15: analysis of vital registration data from the WHO Mortality Database
2020
Summary Background European estimates of the burden imposed by pulmonary embolism are not available to this date. We aimed to assess pulmonary embolism-related mortality and time trends in the WHO European Region. Methods We analysed vital registration data from the WHO Mortality Database (2000–15) covering subregions of the WHO European Region: Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, Western Europe, and Central Asia. Deaths were considered pulmonary embolism-related if International Classification of Disease-10 code for acute pulmonary embolism (I26) or any code for deep or superficial vein thrombosis was listed as the primary cause of death. We used locally estimated scatterplot…
Diabetes mellitus prevalence and control in sleep-disordered breathing: The European Sleep Apnea Cohort (ESADA) study
2014
BACKGROUND: OSA is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity. A driver of this is metabolic dysfunction and in particular type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Prior studies identifying a link between OSA and T2DM have excluded subjects with undiagnosed T2DM, and there is a lack of population-level data on the interaction between OSA and glycemic control among patients with diabetes. We assessed the relationship between OSA severity and T2DM prevalence and control in a large multinational population.METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 6,616 participants in the European Sleep Apnea Cohort (ESADA) study, using multivariate regression analysis to assess T2DM prev…
Airway Responsiveness to Inhaled Acetaldehyde in Subjects with Allergic Rhinitis: Relationship to Methacholine Responsiveness
2002
<i>Background:</i> Asthmatic subjects have an exaggerated airway response to inhaled acetaldehyde, but no information is available on airway responsiveness to this bronchoconstrictor agent in subjects with allergic rhinitis. <i>Objective:</i> The aim of this study was to determine the effect of inhaled acetaldehyde on lung function in nonasthmatic subjects with allergic rhinitis. <i>Methods:</i> A total of 78 adults (43 subjects with allergic rhinitis, 16 asthmatics and 19 healthy subjects) were challenged with increased concentrations of acetaldehyde and methacholine. The response to each bronchoconstrictor agent was measured by the provocative concentra…
Exhaled Nitric Oxide and Bronchial Responsiveness to Adenosine 5′-Monophosphate in Subjects With Allergic Rhinitis
2002
Study objectives: To determine differences in exhaled nitric oxide (ENO) between subjects with allergic rhinitis with and without increased responsiveness to direct and indirect bronchoconstrictor agents. Study design: Cross-sectional study with the order of challenge tests randomized. Setting: Specialist allergy unit in a university hospital. Patients: Thirty-eight subjects without asthma with allergic rhinitis and 10 healthy nonatopic control subjects. Measurements and results: Participants were challenged with increasing concentrations of adenosine 5monophosphate (AMP) and methacholine. ENO was measured with the singleexhalation method. A positive response to both bronchoconstrictor agen…