Chest
-
Endothelial dysfunction can develop in the context of both obesity and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children. However, the potential interactions between OSA and obesity have not been defined. ⋯ Both obesity and OSA can independently increase the risk for endothelial dysfunction, and the concurrent presence of both markedly increases such risk. Although the mechanisms underlying endothelial dysfunction remain unclear, a potential role for MRP8/14 as an inflammatory biomarker of endothelial dysfunction is suggested.
-
Comparative Study
Optical differentiation between malignant and benign lymphadenopathy by grey scale texture analysis of endobronchial ultrasound convex probe images.
Morphologic and sonographic features of endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) convex probe images are helpful in predicting metastatic lymph nodes. Grey scale texture analysis is a well-established methodology that has been applied to ultrasound images in other fields of medicine. The aim of this study was to determine if this methodology could differentiate between benign and malignant lymphadenopathy of EBUS images. ⋯ Grey scale texture analysis of EBUS convex probe images can be used to differentiate malignant and benign lymphadenopathy. Preliminary results are comparable to FDG-PET-CT scan.
-
Obesity and asthma both cause breathlessness, and there is a risk of misdiagnosis of asthma in patients who are obese. Impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and increased BMI increase physician attendance rates, increasing this risk. We explored the possibility of misdiagnosis and the relationship between BMI, HRQoL, and other traditional measures of asthma severity in subjects who were obese with a doctor's diagnosis of asthma. ⋯ We found evidence of misdiagnosis of asthma in subjects who were obese. The BMI in subjects who were obese and had asthma negatively correlates with the HRQoL, which may relate to the diagnostic uncertainty and requires further exploration.
-
Comparative Study
Gene expression profiling in the lungs of patients with pulmonary hypertension associated with pulmonary fibrosis.
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a severe condition with poor outcome. It is unknown whether patients with PF with associated PH (APH) represent a distinct phenotype of the disease. We hypothesized that the lung tissue gene expression pattern of patients with APH has a characteristic profile when compared with patients with PF without APH. We sought to determine if different gene expression signatures in PF could be determined based on pulmonary arterial pressures (PAPs) and to provide new insights into the pathobiology of APH. ⋯ Gene expression profiles distinguish PF phenotypes with and without APH. This observation can have important implications for future trials.