Search results for "RESPIRATORY SYSTEM"
showing 10 items of 1829 documents
Muscarinic Control of Histamine Release from Airways
2000
Isolated human bronchi and rat tracheae were incubated in organ baths to measure histamine release. The calcium ionophore A23187, 3 micromol/L in rat trachea and 10 micromol/L in human bronchi, stimulated histamine release by 145 +/- 50% (n = 6) and 270 +/- 48% (n = 7) above the prestimulation level, respectively. Acetylcholine (100 pmol/L; human bronchi) or oxotremorine (1, 100, 10,000 nmol/L; rat trachea) did not affect the spontaneous histamine release. In rat tracheae neither acetylcholine nor oxotremorine inhibited A23187-evoked histamine release, whereas 100 pmol/L acetylcholine significantly suppressed the evoked histamine release in human bronchi by 86%. For receptor characterizatio…
Blood eosinophils and treatment response in hospitalized exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A case-control study
2015
Background: In outpatients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), blood eosinophilia is considered as a biomarker of response to systemic corticosteroid therapy. However, little is known on whether blood eosinophilia is also predictive of positive clinical outcome in severe acute exacerbations of COPD requiring hospitalization. We hypothesized that blood eosinophil-positive severe acute exacerbations of COPD differ from eosinophil-negative ones in terms of response to therapy and clinical outcomes. Methods: To test our experimental hypothesis, we retrospectively analyzed medical records of patients with COPD admitted to our ward because of severe exacerbation, over a two-year pe…
Asthma and influenza vaccination in elderly hospitalized patients: Matched case-control study in Spain
2017
Influenza infection is an exacerbating factor for asthma, and its prevention is critical in managing asthmatic patients. We investigated the effect of influenza vaccination on asthmatic and non-asthmatic patients hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed influenza in Spain.We made a matched case-control study to assess the frequency of hospitalization for influenza in people aged ≥65 years. Hospitalized patients with unplanned hospital admissions were recruited from 20 hospitals representing seven Spanish regions. Cases were defined as those hospitalized due to a laboratory-confirmed influenza infection and controls were matched by age, sex, and hospital. Data were obtained from clinical recor…
GOLD 2017 treatment pathways in ‘real life’: An analysis of the DACCORD observational study
2017
Abstract Introduction The 2017 update to the Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) strategy document includes recommendations for treatment intensification or step-down in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), although recognises that limited supporting information is available. DACCORD is an ongoing observational, non-interventional study, recruiting patients following COPD maintenance treatment change or initiation, a subset of whom were receiving a long-acting β2-agonist (LABA) plus a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) fixed-dose combination (FDC) on entry. Since there were no requirements in terms of prior medication (and no washout before commencing LABA/L…
Long-term general and cardiovascular safety of tiotropium/olodaterol in patients with moderate to very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
2016
Abstract Background Long-term safety, particularly cardiovascular safety, is of special interest in maintenance treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with long-acting β 2 -agonists and long-acting muscarinic antagonists, given potential cardiovascular effects. Methods Two 52-week Phase III trials (TONADO ® ) investigated tiotropium/olodaterol (5/5 and 2.5/5 μg) versus tiotropium 2.5, 5 μg and olodaterol 5 μg. In a pre-specified safety analysis, investigator-reported treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs), electrocardiogram and laboratory data were pooled. All serious AE (SAE) reports were reviewed by an independent Adjudication Committee, which assessed whether deaths, …
Patterns of Inflammatory Responses in Large and Small Airways in Smokers with and without Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
2010
<i>Background:</i> Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by progressive and irreversible airway obstruction. Smoking causes persistent inflammation in lung tissue. However, differences in inflammatory responses between the large and small airways have not been systematically explored among smokers with and without COPD. <i>Objectives:</i> The aim of our research was to characterise the expression and localisation of NF-ĸBp65 and histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) as well as inflammatory cell (macrophages, lymphocytes, neutrophils) distribution in large and small airways, in nonsmokers and in smokers with and without COPD. <i>Methods:</i>…
Determinants of CAT (COPD Assessment Test) scores in a population of patients with COPD in central and Eastern Europe: The POPE study
2019
Abstract Background The COPD Assessment Test (CAT) has been proposed to help guide therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is important to understand the distribution of scores in different COPD populations and their determinants. Methods The POPE study is an international, observational cross-sectional study of COPD subjects in 11 Central and Eastern European countries aimed at characterizing COPD phenotypes. Here we report the analysis of CAT scores with the objective of identifying their determinants, evaluating symptom load and investigating the distribution of scores among the participating countries. Additionally, we investigated the discrepancies between the CAT a…
Targeting quality of life in asthmatic children: The MyTEP pilot randomized trial
2019
Abstract Background Quality of life (QoL) is an important outcome in the management of children with asthma. Mobile Health (m-Health) and Therapeutic Education Programs (TEPs) are increasingly recognized as essential components of pediatric asthma management to improve disease outcomes. Objective To evaluate the effect of an education program (MyTherapeutic Education Program, MyTEP) that couples multidisciplinary TEP intervention with an m-Health Program (mHP) in improving QoL in asthmatic children. Methods This single-center study employed a nonblinded randomized clinical trial design. Italian-speaking children (6–11 years) with mild-moderate asthma were eligible for participation. Partici…
Genuair® Usability Test: Results of a National Public Survey of the Elderly
2016
Proper use of inhaler devices may be problematic in elderly patients due to age-related difficulties. A survey was administered to elderly patients to investigate the usability of the Genuair® device and patients' subjective viewpoint on the device. A representative sample of the Italian population aged ≥ 65 years was completed with a pre-defined sample of 89 patients with hand arthritis/arthrosis. Of 526 respondents, 88 were not self-sufficient. Only the replies of the 438 self-sufficient respondents were analyzed. A total of 107 participants (24%) reported having respiratory diseases, and 81 of these (76%) were users of inhaler devices. After the first test, the device was considered “pra…
Quality standards for the management of bronchiectasis in Italy: A national audit
2016
Although historically considered a neglected disease, bronchiectasis has become a disease of renewed interest over recent decades in light of an increase in prevalence and a substantial burden on healthcare systems. In 2010, the British Thoracic Society (BTS) published guidelines on the management of bronchiectasis in adults, along with specific quality standards. To date, these represent the only quality standards available in Europe. These have been tested over a number of years in the UK with progressive improvements in the standard of care. No national guidelines are available in Italy and no indications on which guideline should be followed have been given by the Italian Society of Res…