Search results for "respiratory function tests"
showing 10 items of 126 documents
Early effects of fluoro-edenite: correlation between IL-18 serum levels and pleural and parenchymal abnormalities.
2016
Fluoro-edenite (FE) is a natural mineral asbestos-like fibrous species first isolated in Biancavilla, Sicily. In order to clarify potential involvement of IL-18 in the pathogenesis of FE-induced chest abnormalities, we analyzed IL-18 serum levels in FE-exposed workers (FEEW) and correlated them with pleural and parenchymal abnormalities. A total of 21 FEEWs, residing in Biancavilla for >30 years, with a working seniority of 17 ± 6.1 years were examined. High-resolution computed tomography scans revealed low grade of fibrosis in 8 (38%) FEEWs, and pleural plaques (PPs) in 13 (62%) FEEWs. The mean IL-18 level was 203.13 ± 90.43 pg/ml. Pearson correlation showed a significant association (…
Impact of elosulfase alfa in patients with morquio A syndrome who have limited ambulation: An open-label, phase 2 study.
2017
Efficacy and safety of elosulfase alfa enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) were assessed in an open-label, phase 2, multi-national study in Morquio A patients aged ≥5 years unable to walk ≥30 meters in the 6-min walk test. Patients received elosulfase alfa 2.0 mg/kg/week intravenously for 48 weeks. Efficacy measures were functional dexterity, pinch/grip strength, mobility in a modified timed 25-foot walk, pain, quality of life, respiratory function, and urine keratan sulfate (KS). Safety/tolerability was also assessed. Fifteen patients received elosulfase alfa, three patients discontinued ERT due to adverse events (two were grade 3 drug-related adverse events, the other was not drug-related), …
IL-17A-associated IKK-α signaling induced TSLP production in epithelial cells of COPD patients.
2018
Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a cytokine expressed in the epithelium, involved in the pathogenesis of chronic disease. IL-17A regulates airway inflammation, oxidative stress, and reduction of steroid sensitivity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). TSLP and IL-17A were measured in induced sputum supernatants (ISs) from healthy controls (HC), healthy smokers (HS), and COPD patients by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Human bronchial epithelial cell line (16HBE) and normal bronchial epithelial cells were stimulated with rhIL-17A or ISs from COPD patients to evaluate TSLP protein and mRNA expression. The effects of the depletion of IL-17A in ISs, an anticholinergic drug,…
Asthmatics with high levels of serum surfactant protein D have more severe disease.
2016
Pulmonary surfactant is a mixture of lipids and surfactant-specific proteins that covers the alveolar surface, as well as the terminal conducting airways, lowering the surface tension at the air–liquid interface during breathing. The involvement of pulmonary surfactant in the pathophysiology of asthma has been suggested. An interesting working hypothesis is that the surface tension of the peripheral airways is altered in asthma, because the inflammatory process affects the structure and function of surfactant, leading to excessive airway narrowing and features of air trapping. We explored whether serum levels of surfactant protein D (SP-D) in asthmatics are related to the severity of the di…
Interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis: current and future treatment.
2017
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) has the highest fatality rate among connective tissue diseases and is characterized by vascular damage, inflammation and fibrosis of the skin and various internal organs. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) frequently complicates SSc and can be a debilitating disorder with a poor prognosis. ILD is the most frequent cause of death in SSc, and the management of SScâILD patients is a great challenge. Early detection of pulmonary involvement based on a recent decline of lung function tests and on the extent of lung involvement at high-resolution computed tomography is critical for the best management of these patients. This article summarizes classification, pathogenesis,…
Impact of Urinary Incontinence on Physical Function and Respiratory Muscle Strength in Incontinent Women : A Comparative Study between Urinary Incont…
2022
Patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) may be afraid to increase intra-abdominal pressure to avoid incontinence. This could lead to weak expiratory muscles. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between respiratory muscle strength, physical function, and SUI in patients with SUI. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Physical Medicine and Functional Rehabilitation Department. Thirty-one incontinent women (IG) and twenty-nine women in a control group (CG) were enrolled in this study. Anthropometric data, respiratory muscle strength (maximal inspiratory pressure; maximal expiratory pressure), SUI (Urogenital Distress Inventory-6; Incontinence Impact Question…
A New Evaluation of Emergency Methods for Artificial Ventilation
1968
SUMMARY The effect of artificial ventilation by the exhaled-air methods (mouth-to-nose and mouth-to-mouth) and chest-pressure-arm-lift methods (Ho-ward-Thomsen, Silvester-Brosch, Holger Nielsen) was investigated in 11 anaesthetised apnoeic volunteers. The efficiency of these methods was assessed by the changes in arterial PO2, O2 saturation, PCO2 and pH. It could be shown that the exhaled-air methods ensured normal PO2 and O2 saturation in all cases, while the ventilation by the manual methods was insufficient. Even though normal oxygenation was achieved by the manual methods in some cases, others were extremely hypoventilated, with critically low O2 tensions. pH and CO2 tensions did not ch…
Type B Niemann-Pick Disease: Findings at Chest Radiography, Thin-Section CT, and Pulmonary Function Testing
2005
To evaluate findings at radiography, computed tomography (CT), and pulmonary function testing in patients with type B Niemann-Pick disease.The study was approved by the institutional review board or ethics committee at each study site and was compliant with HIPAA at the U.S. site. Written informed consent was obtained from each patient or guardian and minor assent was obtained from all children before any study-related procedures. Pulmonary involvement in 53 patients (27 male and 26 female patients; age range, 7-65 years; mean age, 23.3 years) with type B Niemann-Pick disease was evaluated with imaging and pulmonary function tests. All patients underwent chest radiography and thin-section C…
Focal airtrapping at expiratory high-resolution CT: comparison with pulmonary function tests
2000
This study was undertaken to determine prevalence, extent, and severity of focal airtrapping at expiratory high-resolution CT, and to compare focal airtrapping with age, gender, pulmonary function tests, and blood gas analysis. Two-hundred seventeen patients with and without pulmonary disease underwent paired inspiratory/expiratory high-resolution CT. Six scan pairs with corresponding scan levels were visually assessed for focal – not diffuse – airtrapping using a four-point scale. Pulmonary function tests and blood gas analysis were available for correlation in all patients (mean interval 5 days). Focal airtrapping with lower lung predominance was observed in 80 % of patients. Twenty-six o…
HRCT and scleroderma: semiquantitative evaluation of lung damage and functional abnormalities.
2007
This study sought to validate the Warrick score in the assessment of lung involvement in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and correlate the results with functional abnormalities. In addition, we propose the use of high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) indices of alveolitis and fibrosis to discriminate between different stages of the disease.Thirty-one patients with SSc (16 with the diffuse form and 15 with the limited form) underwent functional and HRCT evaluations of the lung. The semiquantitative evaluation of radiological involvement, as proposed by Warrick, provides a score for each lesion based on the severity and the extent of the pulmonary damage. In addition to the total score, indices…