Search results for "inflammation"
showing 10 items of 2662 documents
Airway inflammation in healthy smokers
2012
Cigarette smoking is a risk factor associated with lung cancer and many other neoplasms of various organs, coronary artery disease and numerous vascular disorders, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and other types of lung diseases [13]. Much work has been done on the in vitro and ex vivo carcinogenetic effects of tobacco smoking while the effects of smoking on innate and adaptive immune function have been studied to a lesser degree. Recent data suggests that cigarette smoke alters the functions of the immune system and increases susceptibility to viral and bacterial infections [4-6]. In the respiratory system along the last years many studies have depicted the changes induced by …
The murine bronchopulmonary microcirculation in hapten-induced inflammation
2006
ObjectiveThe clinical observation of central bronchial artery hypertrophy in chronic lung inflammation suggests the possibility that the bronchial circulation may also participate in adaptive responses in peripheral lung inflammation.MethodsTo investigate the potential role of the bronchial microcirculation in peripheral lung inflammation, we developed a murine model of lung inflammation using the intratracheal instillation of the peptide-hapten trinitrophenol in presensitized mice.ResultsClinical parameters indicated a peak inflammatory response at 96 hours. Similarly, gross and microscopic evidence of inflammation was observed 96 hours after antigen instillation. Using a forced oscillatio…
Aclidinium inhibits cigarette smoke-induced lung fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition.
2012
Cigarette smoking contributes to lung remodelling in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). As part of this remodelling, peribronchiolar fibrosis is observed in the small airways of COPD patients and contributes to airway obstruction. Fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition is a key step in peribronchiolar fibrosis formation. This in vitro study examined the effect of cigarette smoke on bronchial fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition, and whether aclidinium bromide inhibits this process. Human bronchial fibroblasts were incubated with aclidinium bromide (10 −9 –10 −7 M) and exposed to cigarette smoke extract. Collagen type I and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression were measured …
Bronchial responsiveness and airway inflammation in trained subjects
2008
We read with interest the paper by Shaaban and coworkers1 on the protective effect of physical activity against bronchial hyperreactivity (BHR) in the general population. The authors suggest that a beneficial effect of deep inspirations during exercise could account for the lower prevalence of BHR in physically active subjects compared with sedentary subjects, while the accompanying editorial2 favours an “anti-inflammatory” effect of exercise as the most plausible explanation. We have studied lung function and airway cell biology …
Alternative mechanisms for tiotropium
2009
Tiotropium is commonly used in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Although largely considered to be a long-acting bronchodilator, its demonstrated efficacy in reducing the frequency of exacerbations and preliminary evidence from early studies indicating that it might slow the rate of decline in lung function suggested mechanisms of action in addition to simple bronchodilation. This hypothesis was examined in the recently published UPLIFT study and, although spirometric and other clinical benefits of tiotropium treatment extended to four years, the rate of decline in lung function did not appear to be reduced by the addition of tiotropium in this study. This article summ…
Diagnóstico y tratamiento de las bronquiectasias
2008
Bronchiectasis is the end result of several different diseases that share principles of management. The clinical course usually involves chronic bronchial infection and inflammation, which are associated with progression. The cause of bronchiectasis should always be investigated, particularly when it can be treated. We recommend evaluating etiology, symptoms, bronchial colonization and infection, respiratory function, inflammation, structural damage, nutritional status, and quality of life in order to assess severity and to monitor clinical course. Care should be supervised by specialized units, at least in cases of chronic bronchial infection, recurrent exacerbations, or when there is a ca…
Effects of inhaled corticosteroids in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
2011
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been described as a heterogeneous multifactorial disorder associated with an abnormal inflammatory response of the peripheral airways and with variable morphologic, physiologic and clinical phenotypes. This notion of the disease is actually poorly supported by data, and there are substantial discrepancies and a weak correlation between inflammation, structural damage, functional impairment and degree of clinical symptoms. This problem is compounded by a poor understanding of the complexity and intricacies on the inflammatory pathways in COPD. Despite the evidence for efficacy of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) on selected clinical endpoints in …
Advances in asthma pathophysiology: stepping forward from the Maurizio Vignola experience
2015
Maurizio Vignola was a superb and innovative researcher, who wrote seminal papers on the biology of airway epithelium in asthma. Inflammation and remodelling were the main topics of his research, mostly conducted in biopsy specimens from patients with asthma of variable severity, encompassing the entire spectrum of the disease from mild to severe asthma. His observations contributed to define the biology of asthma as we know it today, and opened the way to the personalised treatment of asthma. His group has successfully continued to investigate the biology and clinical aspects of bronchial asthma, with major interest in the clinical use of biomarkers to monitor disease activity, and in the …
Metabolic aspects of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.
2009
Insulin resistance is often associated with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) and could contribute to cardiovascular risk in OSAS. Sleep loss and intermittent hypoxia could contribute to the pathogenesis of the metabolic alterations associated with obesity, a common feature of OSAS. The biology of the adipocyte is being increasingly studied, and it has been found that hypoxia negatively affects adipocyte function. In November 2007, the European Respiratory Society and two EU COST Actions (Cardiovascular risk in OSAS (B26) and Adipose tissue and the metabolic syndrome (BM0602)), held a Research Seminar in Du¨sseldorf, Germany, to discuss the following: 1) the effects of hypoxia on glu…
Measurement of exhaled nitric oxide: Comparison of different analysers
2010
Background and objective: Exhaled nitric oxide (NO) is used as a surrogate marker to monitor eosinophilic airway inflammation, assist in diagnosis, and support treatment decisions for asthma patients. The aim of this study was to compare five NO analysers: Medisoft (M), Aerocrine Niox (N), Aerocrine Niox flex (NF), Aerocrino Niox mino (NM) and EcoMedics (E). Methods: In 85 subjects (25 asthma patients, 25 COPD patients, 35 healthy volunteers; median age 36.5 years, range 23–79, 47% female), three NO measurements per individual were performed, using each analyser according to the American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society guidelines. Subjects evaluated the devices on the basis …