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Hines Christiansen posted an update 2 weeks ago
Th2/Th1 mix pathological pathway may be seen as a common set of low eosinophilic phenotype in severe allergic asthma. This may affect omalizumab treatment response. In our study, we aimed to investigate whether eosinophil count (EOS) and percentage (EOS%), eosinophil lymphocyte ratio (ELR) and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) may predict omalizumab treatment.
Patients who received omalizumab treatment at least for one year in our allergy clinic were screened retrospectively. Baseline hemogram parameters, pre- and post-treatment emergency admissions, annual attacks requiring steroid use, hospitalizations, spirometric changes, and asthma control tests (ACT) were recorded. According the global efficacy assessment (phisician’s GETE) scale patients was recorded as responder and nonresponder. By looking at EOS, EOS%, ELR and NLR distributions in these groups, the role of these parameters in representation of the treatment efficacy was investigated.
The study was carried out with 83 patients, 77.1% of whom weR is correlated with treatment response and giving hope to be easier way to reach.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common lung disease characterized by airflow restriction and systemic inflammation. Netrin-1 is a protein mainly produced in the central nervous system and has proven anti-inflammatory activity. The aim of this study was to determine netrin-1 level and its relationship with comorbidities in patients with acute exacerbation of COPD.
The study included 232 patients aged over 40 years who were divided into 3 groups Group 1 ex-smokers (≥ 20 pack-years) with COPD hospitalized for COPD exacerbation (n= 142), Group 2 current-smokers (≥ 20 pack-years) without COPD (n= 30), Group 3 a control group comprising healthy non-smokers (n= 60). Plasma netrin-1 levels were measured using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit.
There were significant differences in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC, C-reactive protein (CRP), and plasma netrin-1 levels between patients with acute exacerbation of COPD and current smokers without COPD, healthy controls (p= 0.001 for all). Netrin-1 levels at discharge were lower in COPD patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) compared to nondiabetic COPD patients (p= 0.01). Weak correlation was observed between netrin-1 level at admission and FEV1, FVC, partial pressure of oxygen, and CRP levels (r= 0.394, p= 0.01; r= -0.366, p= 0.01; r= -0.19, p= 0.05; r= 0.306, p= 0.01). Netrin-1 level at admission was also moderately correlated with smoking history (pack-years) (r= 0.579, p= 0.01).
Netrin-1 was elevated in acute exacerbation of COPD and may be an important element in inflammatory balance. Patients with both COPD and DM were found to have lower netrin-1 levels at discharge after resolution of the acute exacerbation.
Netrin-1 was elevated in acute exacerbation of COPD and may be an important element in inflammatory balance. selleck products Patients with both COPD and DM were found to have lower netrin-1 levels at discharge after resolution of the acute exacerbation.
Our study aimed to evaluate the relationship between pneumonia, air pollution (sulfur dioxide [SO2] and particulate matter [PM10]) and meteorological data (atmospheric pressure, amount of rainfall, temperature, rate of humidity, sunshine duration and wind velocity).
Our study included 822 of the 826 patients who were admitted to the emergency service of our hospital between August 2016 and July 2017 and who were diagnosed with pneumonia. Four patients whose information was not available were excluded from the study. The data for the patients were obtained retrospectively from the hospital information system and patient emergency files. The meteorological data were obtained from the website of the Ministry of the Environment and Urbanization and from the Directorate General of Meteorology of our city. Daily meteorological data (SO2, PM10, air pressure, temperature, humidity, wind speed and sunshine duration) were compared with the number of daily patients admitted to the emergency department and diagnosed asures may decrease the frequency of pneumonia and the mortality rates related to pneumonia.
The patients in the intensive care unit have a higher risk of infections because of the poor general condition of these patients and the frequent application of invasive procedures with longer hospitalization length. Also, this group of patients tend to have resistant infections due to empirically widespread and uncontrolled use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Hence, data are needed to determine appropriate empirical antibiotic therapy in intensive care patients. In this study, it was aimed to assess the distribution of microorganisms and antibiotic resistance profile from the samples taken from the patients in the intensive care unit.
Patients who were hospitalized in Ankara University Faculty of Medicine Chest Diseases Intensive Care Unit for more than 24 hours between December 2016 and December 2017 were included in our study. Demographic characteristics, comorbid diseases, clinical findings, results of sputum, tracheal aspirate, blood, urine, gaita and pus culture samples and antibiotic susceptibility with prolonged hospitalization and mortality.
Airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR) is a characteristic feature of asthma. The aim of this study was to compare the impulse oscillometry (IOS) and spirometry to methacholine for AHR detection among individuals with clinically hyper-reactive airway disease suggestive of bronchial asthma and baseline spirometry were normal.
Adults with symptoms suggestive of AHR and normal baseline spirometry test were selected. The short protocol of methacholine challenge test (MCT) was performed for all subjects using IOS and spirometry simultaneously. The primary endpoint was to compare the methacholine dosage causing a 20% drop in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), with methacholine dosage that causing 40% increasing the baseline respiratory resistance at 5 hertz (R5), as measured by IOS.
A total of 235 participants were analyzed, 184 (78.2%) had positive test results with R5, while 81 (34.4%) had positive MCT results with FEV1.The sensitivity and specificity of MCT with R5were 87.3%, 64.6%, and MCT with FEV1 were 39.