Chest
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The pathogenesis of chronic lung disorders is poorly understood but is often thought to arise because of repeated injuries derived from exposure to exogenous or endogenous stress factors. Protein-misfolding events have been observed in a variety of genetic and nongenetic chronic lung disorders and may contribute to both the initiation and the progression of lung disease through endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR). ⋯ Although the UPR is thought to be a molecular mechanism involved in the repair and restoration of protein homeostasis or "proteostasis," prolonged activation of the UPR may lead to compromised cellular functions, cellular transformation, or cell death. Here, we review literature that associates protein-misfolding events with ER stress and UPR activation and discuss how this basic molecular repair mechanism may contribute to the initiation and progression of various genetic and nongenetic chronic lung diseases.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Sex, race, and the development of acute lung injury.
Prior studies suggest that mortality differs by sex and race in patients who develop acute lung injury (ALI). Whether differences in presentation account for these disparities remains unclear. We sought to determine whether sexual and racial differences exist in the rate of ALI development and ALI-related mortality after accounting for differences in clinical presentations. ⋯ Sex and race differences exist in the clinical presentation of patients at risk of developing ALI. After accounting for differences in presentation, there was no sex difference in ALI development and outcome. Black patients were less likely to develop ALI despite increased severity of illness on presentation.
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In 2008, lung cancer replaced liver cancer as the number one cause of death among people with malignant tumors in China. The registered lung cancer mortality rate increased by 464.84% in the past 3 decades, which imposes an enormous burden on patients, health-care professionals, and society. We performed a systematic review of the published data on lung cancer in China between 1990 and 2011 to analyze the incidence and mortality rates, economic burden, and risk factors of cancer and the effectiveness of interventions. ⋯ Continuous efforts should be concentrated on education of the general public regarding lung cancer to increase prevention and early detection. Specific interventions need to be implemented to reduce smoking rates and environmental risk factors. Standardized treatment protocols should be adapted in China.