International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2011
Asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or both? Diagnostic labeling and spirometry in primary care patients aged 40 years or more.
To describe symptoms and lung function in patients registered with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in primary care and to examine how spirometry findings fit with general practitioners' (GPs) diagnoses. ⋯ The ability of GPs to differentiate between asthma and COPD seems to have considerably improved during the last decade, probably due to the dissemination of spirometry and guidelines for COPD diagnosis. A diagnosis of COPD that cannot be confirmed by spirometry represents a challenge in clinical practice, in particular when a restrictive pattern on spirometry is found.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2011
ReviewNontypeable Haemophilus influenzae in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is predicted to become the third leading cause of death in the world by 2020. It is characterized by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible. The airflow limitation is usually progressive and associated with an abnormal inflammatory response of the lungs to noxious particles and gases, most commonly cigarette smoke. ⋯ One possible explanation is that bacterial colonization of smoke-damaged airways, most commonly with nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi), perpetuates airway injury and inflammation. Furthermore, COPD has also been identified as an independent risk factor for lung cancer irrespective of concomitant cigarette smoke exposure. In this article, we review the role of NTHi in airway inflammation that may lead to COPD progression and lung cancer promotion.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2011
Multicenter StudyValue of procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, and neopterin in exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The identification of biological markers in order to assess different aspects of COPD is an area of growing interest. The objective of this study was to investigate whether levels of procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and neopterin in COPD patients could be useful in identifying the etiological origin of the exacerbation and assessing its prognosis. ⋯ According to our results, biomarker levels vary depending on the clinical status. However, the identification of the etiology of infectious exacerbation by means of circulating biomarkers is encouraging, but its main disadvantage is the absence of a microbiological gold standard, to definitively demonstrate their value. High biomarker levels during an exacerbation episode correlate with the short-term prognosis, and therefore their measurement can be useful for COPD management.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2011
Use of cluster analysis to describe desaturator phenotypes in COPD: correlations between pulmonary function tests and nocturnal oxygen desaturation.
Significant heterogeneity of clinical presentation and disease progression exists within chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1)) inadequately describes this heterogeneity, a clear alternative has not emerged. This article discusses and refines the concept of phenotyping desaturators in COPD and shows a possible pattern which could be used as a framework for future research. ⋯ A more focused definition makes possible a classification of patients into two distinct subgroups for both clinical and research purposes. Establishing a common language for future research will facilitate our understanding and management of such diseases. Even if different treatment strategies have different outcomes for these groups, we will have confirmation, or otherwise, of the clinical value of cluster analysis. This knowledge could lead to pharmacological treatment and other interventions directed to specific phenotypic groups.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2011
Long-term azithromycin therapy in patients with severe COPD and repeated exacerbations.
The aim of this study was to determine whether long-term intermittent azithromycin therapy reduces the frequency of exacerbation in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). ⋯ Long-term azithromycin is well tolerated and associated with significant reductions in AECOPD, hospitalizations, and length of hospital stay in patients with severe COPD.