Search results for "respiratory tract"
showing 10 items of 1170 documents
Detection of lung cancer in exhaled breath with an electronic nose using support vector machine analysis
2017
Lung cancer is one of the most common malignancies and has a low 5-year survival rate. There are no cheap, simple and widely available screening methods for the early diagnostics of lung cancer. The aim of this study was to determine whether analysis of exhaled breath with an artificial olfactory sensor using support vector analysis can differentiate patients with lung cancer from healthy individuals and patients with other lung diseases, regardless of the stage of lung cancer and the most common comorbidities. Patients with histologically or cytologically verified lung cancer, healthy volunteers and patients with other lung diseases (e.g. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthm…
Prospective evaluation of current asthma control using ACQ and ACT compared with GINA criteria
2011
Background The goal of asthma treatment is to achieve and maintain current best control and reduce future risk of exacerbations and long-term morbidity. Objective To prospectively compare current asthma control as defined by ACQ (asthma control questionnaire) and ACT (asthma control test) criteria with the GINA (Global Initiative for Asthma) classification in treated patients in a real-life setting. Methods In 150 adult patients (48% male, age 46.3 ± 14.4 years., forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV 1 ], 2.3 ± 0.9 L or 78.5 ± 21.8% pred.), asthma control was evaluated using the GINA classification as the "true" and ACQ-7, ACQ-5, and ACT as "predictor" criteria. The relationship between…
Measurement of Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide: Comparison of Three Different Analysers
2019
<b><i>Background:</i></b> Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a surrogate marker for airway inflammation, supporting the diagnostic pathway and treatment decisions for asthma patients. <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> Aim of this study was to compare the new analyser Vivatmo pro (Bosch, BV) with NIOX VERO (Circassia, CN) and CLD (Ecomedics, EC). <b><i>Methods:</i></b> In 100 asthmatics (median 53 years [range 20–87], 62% female, 86% on inhaled corticosteroids [mean 1,300 μg beclomethasone dipropionate or equivalent], 35% treated with biologics) 2 FeNO measurements per device were performed. Additionally, the success rate…
Do childhood respiratory infections continue to influence adult respiratory morbidity?
2008
The aim of the present study was to examine the influence of childhood respiratory infections on adult respiratory health. In 1992-1994, the European Community Respiratory Health Survey recruited community based samples of 20-44-yr-old people from 48 centres in 22 countries. Study participants completed questionnaires and underwent lung function testing. On average, 8.9 yrs later, 29 centres re-investigated their samples using similar methods. Mixed effects models comprising an estimate for the random variation between centres were used to evaluate the relevant associations. In total, 9,175 patients participated in both studies, of whom 10.9% reported serious respiratory infections (SRI) be…
Is Health-Related Quality of Life Associated with Upper and Lower Airway Inflammation in Asthmatics?
2013
Background.Allergic diseases impair health-related quality of life (HR-QoL). However, the relationship between airway inflammation and HR-QoL in patients with asthma and rhinitis has not been fully investigated. We explored whether the inflammation of upper and lower airways is associated with HR-QoL.Methods.Twenty-two mild allergic asthmatics with concomitant rhinitis (10 males, 38 ± 17 years) were recruited. The Rhinasthma was used to identify HR-QoL, and the Asthma Control Test (ACT) was used to assess asthma control. Subjects underwent lung function and exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) test, collection of exhaled breath condensate (EBC), and nasal wash.Results.The Rhinasthma Global Summary sc…
CD4-mediated regulatory T-cell activation inhibits the development of disease in a humanized mouse model of allergic airway disease
2012
Background Based on their potency to control allergic diseases, regulatory T (Treg) cells represent a promising target for novel strategies to interfere with allergic airway inflammation. We have previously demonstrated that stimulation of the CD4 molecule on human Treg cells activates their suppressive activity in vitro and in vivo . Objective We sought to determine the effect of CD4-mediated Treg-cell activation on pulmonary inflammation in a humanized mouse model of allergic airway inflammation. Methods PBMCs obtained from donors allergic to birch pollen or from healthy donors were injected into NOD-severe combined immunodeficiency γc −/− mice, followed by allergen airway challenges and …
Specific IgE against Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins: an independent risk factor for asthma.
2012
The role of IgE in patients with severe asthma is not fully understood.We sought to investigate whether IgE to Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins might be relevant to disease severity in adult asthmatic patients.Specific IgE antibody concentrations in serum against enterotoxins, grass pollen (GP), and house dust mite allergens and total IgE levels were measured in adult cohorts of 69 control subjects, 152 patients with nonsevere asthma, and 166 patients with severe asthma. Severe asthma was defined as inadequately controlled disease despite high-dose inhaled corticosteroids plus at least 2 other controller therapies, including oral steroids.Enterotoxin IgE positivity was significantly great…
Effects of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) on bacteria and mucosa of the upper aerodigestive tract.
2019
Abstract Objective Ear, nose and throat infections are among the most common reasons for absence from work. They are usually caused by various bacteria like Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) can effectively eliminate even multi-resistant bacteria and has no cytotoxic or mutagenic effects on the mucosa when applied for less than 60 s. Aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of CAP on common ENT bacteria and on the mucosa of the upper aerodigestive tract. Methods The bactericidal effects of CAP against the bacteria most commonly causing ENT infections were investigated using the colony-forming…
Blood pressure changes after automatic and fixed CPAP in obstructive sleep apnea. Relationship with nocturnal sympathetic activity.
2011
Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) by continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) usually causes a reduction in blood pressure (BP), but several factors may interfere with its effects. In addition, although a high sympathetic activity is considered a major contributor to increased BP in OSA, a relationship between changes in BP and in sympathetic nervous system activity after OSA treatment is uncertain. This study was undertaken to assess if, in OSA subjects under no pharmacologic treatment, treatment by CPAP applied at variable levels by an automatic device (APAP) may be followed by a BP reduction, and if that treatment is associated with parallel changes in BP and catecholamine exc…
Nitric oxide metabolites and erythrocyte deformability in a group of subjects with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
2014
Our aim was to evaluate nitric oxide metabolites (nitrite and nitrate), expressed as NOx, and erythrocyte deformability, expressed as elongation index, in a group of subjects with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). We enrolled 48 subjects (36 men and 12 women; mean age 50.3 ± 14.68 yrs) with OSAS diagnosed after a 1-night cardiorespiratory sleep study. OSAS severity was assessed evaluating the apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) and subjects were subdivided in two subgroups: Low (L = AHI 30). NOx was examined converting nitrate into nitrite with a nitrate reductase and then assessing nitrite with spectrophotometry after the addition of Griess reagent. The elongation index was obtained using th…