Respirology

Clinical and other features, as well as prognostic factors for survival, were examined in patients with rapidly progressive interstitial pneumonia. The disease entity included different histological patterns with diverse outcomes, and distinctions were not possible from baseline data. Histological diagnosis was the only significant prognostic determinant.

This study describes the clinical characteristics of patients with CPFE and compares these with patients with COPD. It should therefore be noteworthy that the prevalence of lung cancer might be high in CPFE patients.

Spinal cord-injured subjects were assessed during the acute admission for sleep-disordered breathing. Polysomnography demonstrated a high incidence of sleep apnoea that persisted during the acute phase. There was no correlation with respiratory function tests or measures of ventilatory control. Screening of this population is worthwhile although the clinical significance is uncertain.

Overnight oxyhaemoglobin desaturation is related to AMS. AMS can be debilitating and may require descent. Positive pressure ventilation during sleep at high altitude may prevent AMS and therefore be useful in people travelling to high altitude, who are known to suffer from AMS.

This study shows the risks and benefits of increasing the nocturnal oxygen flow in hypercapnic COPD patients undergoing LTOT, as recommended by some COPD treatment guidelines to avoid nocturnal desaturation.

Patients with CVID are at greater risk of developing lung complications than patients with XLA because of delayed diagnosis and possible immune dysregulation. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment reduces the incidence of pulmonary infections in both groups of patients. However, CVID patients are prone to progressive lung disease despite optimal immunoglobulin therapy.

This study investigated seasonal variation in the incidence of spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) among young adults aged 15–44 years, in order to identify possible associations with meteorological parameters in a subtropical Asian climate. Neither particular months nor seasons of the year were significantly associated with the incidence of SP.

PPARγ levels in asthma- and non-asthma-derived airway smooth muscle cells and PPARγ activation-induced cell proliferation were investigated. In the presence of FBS, PPARγ levels were higher in subconfluent asthma-derived cells but lower in confluent cells compared with non-asthma-derived. However, PPARγ activation did not alter cell proliferation.

The presence of productive cough was an independent risk factor for the development of COPD in Japanese men, particularly former smokers. Stage 0 disease, as defined in GOLD 2001 guidelines, is relevant for the identification of subjects at risk of developing COPD.

Clinical variables and laboratory data were compared to elucidate the risk factors associated with the development of ARDS among elderly patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The predictors for ARDS appeared to differ from the determinants of severity of CAP. ARDS developed less frequently among patients aged ≥85 years.

This article investigates a new acoustic device to assess the behaviour of the upper airway in patients with OSA. Currently there is no simple non-invasive method to perform such measurements. As such this paper describes the device in probing the patency of the airway during sleep and increasing the efficiency of diagnosing OSA.

The Embletta portable diagnostic system is highly sensitive and specific in quantifying the AHI and differentiating obstructive and supine events when compared against hospital-based PSG in patients with suspected OSAS. The simple device may be useful for screening and diagnostic purpose when access to PSG is limited.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has protective as well as injurious effects in ARDS/acute lung injury. The influence of VEGF was investigated in a model of stretch-induced apoptosis. High-amplitude mechanical stretch induced the secretion of VEGF. High VEGF concentrations may prevent stretch-induced apoptosis by restoring stretch-impaired phospatidylinositol-3 kinase signalling.

Levels of lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide and glutathione, as well as superoxide dismutase activity were evaluated in non-small cell lung cancer patients before and after chemotherapy. Oxidative stress was shown to influence treatment efficacy and survival of these patients.

The clinical significance of serum CA-125 measurements in patients with non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease has not been investigated. This study showed that serum CA-125 levels were elevated in some patients with NTM pulmonary disease. Further studies are needed to investigate the usefulness of serum CA-125 measurements in patients with NTM pulmonary disease.

Volume-assured non-invasive ventilation (NIV) theoretically guarantees minute ventilation with circuit leak compensation unlike other modes of NIV. Bench testing demonstrated that minute ventilation was maintained with varying lung compliance and resistance with minimal effect from circuit leak, confirming for the first time the core features of volume-assured NIV.