COPD
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The use of oral and inhaled corticosteroids is associated with increases in the risk of infection, especially pneumonia. The risk of sepsis with corticosteroid treatment in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been little studied, however. We assessed whether the use of inhaled and oral corticosteroids in COPD is associated with an increase in the risk of sepsis. ⋯ The increase in risk remains for around 5 months after the oral corticosteroid exposure. Among patients treated for COPD, the risk of sepsis is not increased with inhaled corticosteroids, even at high doses, while the risk is increased with oral corticosteroids. This risk should be considered when treating exacerbations of COPD.
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The purpose of this study was to determine whether expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) protein in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is consistent in humans and animal models of COPD and to investigate the role of this protein in lung epithelial cells. CTGF in lung epithelial cells of ex-smokers with COPD was compared with ex-smokers without COPD by immunofluorescence. A total of twenty C57Bl/6 mice and sixteen non-human primates (NHPs) were exposed to cigarette smoke (CS) for 4 weeks. ⋯ Both CTGF and p16 protein expression in lung epithelia are positively associated with the severity of COPD in ex-smokers. These findings show that CTGF is consistently expressed in epithelial cells of COPD lungs. By accelerating lung epithelial senescence, CTGF may block regeneration relative to epithelial cell loss and lead to emphysema.