Search results for "RESPIRATORY SYSTEM"
showing 10 items of 1829 documents
Functional and Prognostic Implications of the Main Pulmonary ArteryDiameter to Aorta Diameter Ratio from Chest Computed Tomography inKorean COPD Pati…
2016
Background The ratio of the diameter of the main pulmonary artery (mPA) to the diameter of the aorta (Ao) on chest computed tomography is associated with diverse clinical conditions. Herein, we determined the functional and prognostic implications of the mPA/Ao ratio in Korean chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Methods The study population comprised 226 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients from the Korean Obstructive Lung Disease cohort who underwent chest computed tomography. We analyzed the relationships between the clinical characteristics, including pulmonary function, echocardiography findings, St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire, 6-minute walking (6MW)…
Efficacy of a House Dust Mite Sublingual Allergen Immunotherapy Tablet in Adults With Allergic Asthma: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
2016
Importance The house dust mite (HDM) sublingual allergen immunotherapy (SLIT) tablet is a potential novel treatment option for HDM allergy–related asthma. Objectives To evaluate the efficacy and adverse events of the HDM SLIT tablet vs placebo for asthma exacerbations during an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) reduction period. Design, Settings, and Participants Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial conducted between August 2011 and April 2013 in 109 European trial sites. The trial included 834 adults with HDM allergy–related asthma not well controlled by ICS or combination products, and with HDM allergy–related rhinitis. Key exclusion criteria were FEV 1 less than 70% of predicted…
Role of epithelium in agonist-induced contractile responses of guinea-pig trachealis: influence of the surface through which drug enters the tissue.
1990
1. A method has been used in guinea-pig isolated tracheal rings to achieve selective drug entry from the adventitial or mucosal surface. A study has been made of the effects of epithelium removal on responses to spasmogens entering the tissue solely from the adventitial or the mucosal surface. 2. Cumulative concentration-response curves for KCl (1 to 100 mM), acetylcholine (0.1 microM to 10 mM) and histamine (1 microM to 1 mM) were constructed in intact and epithelium-denuded tracheal rings in circumstances where drug entry was unrestricted or restricted to the adventitial or mucosal surface. 3. Epithelium removal did not alter the responsiveness or sensitivity of tracheal rings to KCl eith…
Cross-species transcriptomic analysis elucidates constitutive aryl hydrocarbon receptor activity
2014
Background Research on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) has largely focused on variations in toxic outcomes resulting from its activation by halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons. But the AHR also plays key roles in regulating pathways critical for development, and after decades of research the mechanisms underlying physiological regulation by the AHR remain poorly characterized. Previous studies identified several core genes that respond to xenobiotic AHR ligands across a broad range of species and tissues. However, only limited inferences have been made regarding its role in regulating constitutive gene activity, i.e. in the absence of exogenous ligands. To address this, we profiled transc…
Disease awareness in patients with COPD: measurement and extent
2018
Ilaria Baiardini,1 Paola Rogliani,2 Pierachille Santus,3 Angelo G Corsico,4 Marco Contoli,5 Nicola Scichilone,6 Fabiano Di Marco,7 Patrizia Lessi,8 Carla Scognamillo,8 Giorgia Molinengo,9 Fabio Ferri,10 Vincenzo Patella,11 Giuseppe Fiorentino,12 Mauro Carone,13 Fulvio Braido14 1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy; 2Respiratory Unit, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy; 3Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (DIBIC), University of Milan, Milan, Italy; 4Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; 5Department of Medical Sciences, University of F…
Non-invasive markers of airway inflammation and remodeling in childhood asthma
2009
To evaluate the relationship between pro-inflammatory and pro-remodeling mediators and severity and control of asthma in children, the levels of IL-8, MMP-9, TIMP-1 in induced sputum supernatants, the number of sputum eosinophils, as well as FeNO, were investigated in 35 asthmatic children, 12 with intermittent (IA) and 23 with moderate asthma (MA), and 9 controls (C). The patients with asthma were followed for 1 yr and sputum was obtained twice during the follow-up. Biomarker levels were correlated with the number of exacerbations. We found that IL-8, MMP-9, TIMP-1 and the numbers of eosinophils in induced sputum, as well as FeNO, were increased in children with IA and MA in comparison to …
Sensitization to dust mite defines different phenotypes of asthma: A multicenter study
2017
Background Indoor allergens are risk factors for asthma: Thus, the characterization of indoor air quality is important for studying environment–health relationships in children. In particular, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus is the dominant allergen for asthma. We cross-sectionally investigated the relationships among respiratory symptoms and function, airway inflammation, allergen sensitization, and indoor allergen concentration. Methods One hundred and thirty-two children aging 10-14 years and living in a Southern Mediterranean area were evaluated by parental questionnaires. Spirometry, exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), skin prick tests, total, and specific serum IgE analyses were performed alo…
Multiscale Decomposition of Cardiovascular and Cardiorespiratory Information Transfer under General Anesthesia∗
2018
The analysis of short-term cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory regulation during altered conscious states, such as those induced by anesthesia, requires to employ time series analysis methods able to deal with the multivariate and multiscale nature of the observed dynamics. To meet this requirement, the present study exploits the extension to multiscale analysis of recently proposed information decomposition methods which allow to quantify, from short realizations, the amounts of joint, unique, redundant and synergistic information transferred within multivariate time series. These methods were applied to the spontaneous variability of heart period (HP), systolic arterial pressure (SAP) an…
Protective role of nuclear factor of activated T cells 2 in CD8+ long-lived memory T cells in an allergy model
2007
Background The transcriptional regulation of cytokines released and controlled by memory T cells is not well understood. Defective IFN-γ production in allergic asthma correlates in human beings with the risk of wheezing in childhood. Objective To understand the role of the transcription factor nuclear factor of activated T cells 2 (NFATc2) in memory and effector T cells in the airways in experimental allergic asthma. Methods We used murine models of allergic asthma and adoptive cell transfer of fluorescence-activated sorted cells in a disease model. Results Mice lacking NFATc2 developed an increase in airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), remodeling, and serum IgE levels on ovalbumin sensitizat…
Mild-stretch mechanical ventilation upregulates toll-like receptor 2 and sensitizes the lung to bacterial lipopeptide.
2011
Introduction Mechanical ventilation (MV) could prime the lung toward an inflammatory response if exposed to another insult such as bacterial invasion. The underlying mechanisms are not so far clear. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) allow the host to recognize selectively bacterial pathogens and in turn to trigger an immune response. We therefore hypothesized that MV modulates TLR2 expression and in turn modifies responsiveness to agonists such as bacterial lipopeptide (BLP). Method Both in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted. First, TLR2 expression and protein were measured in the A549 pulmonary epithelial cell line submitted to 8-hour cyclic stretch (20% elongation; 20/minute rate). Aft…