International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2017
A Belgian survey on the diagnosis of asthma-COPD overlap syndrome.
Patients with chronic airway disease may present features of both asthma and COPD, commonly referred to as asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS). Recommendations on their diagnosis are diffuse and inconsistent. This survey aimed to identify consensus on criteria for diagnosing ACOS. ⋯ Specific criteria were identified that may guide physicians to a more uniform diagnostic approach for ACOS in COPD or asthma patients. These criteria are largely similar to those used to prescribe inhaled corticosteroids in COPD.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2017
MiR-344b-1-3p targets TLR2 and negatively regulates TLR2 signaling pathway.
COPD is an abnormal inflammatory response characterized by decreased expression of TLR2 in patients, which is suggested to induce invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play important roles in the pathogenesis of human respiratory system disorders. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the miRNAs involved in the regulation of TLR2 signaling in COPD. ⋯ Findings outlined in this study suggest that miR-344b-1-3p was an effective modulator of TLR2 gene, which can be employed as a promising therapeutic and preventive target of IPA in COPD patients.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2017
Review Meta AnalysisEfficacy of long-term noninvasive positive pressure ventilation in stable hypercapnic COPD patients with respiratory failure: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
The efficacy of long-term noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) in stable hypercapnic COPD patients with respiratory failure remains unclear. The aim of this meta-analysis was to critically assess the efficacy of long-term NPPV on mortality, acute exacerbation, exercise capacity, symptoms and significant physiological parameters (lung function, respiratory muscle function and gas exchange). ⋯ The results indicate that long-term NPPV decreases the PaCO2 of stable hypercapnic COPD patients with respiratory failure and improves mortality with the aim of reducing PaCO2.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2017
Review Meta AnalysisOccupational COPD and job exposure matrices: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
The association between occupational exposure and COPD reported previously has mostly been derived from studies relying on self-reported exposure to vapors, gases, dust, or fumes (VGDF), which could be subjective and prone to biases. The aim of this study was to assess the strength of association between exposure and COPD from studies that derived exposure by job exposure matrices (JEMs). ⋯ Our findings highlight the need to interpret previous studies with caution as self-reported exposure to VGDF may have overestimated the risk of occupational COPD.