Chest
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Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) is an underdiagnosed syndrome in which individuals have variable degrees of pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema. Patients with CPFE have high morbidity, including poor exercise tolerance and increased development of comorbidities. CPFE mortality also seems to outpace that of lone emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis. A major limitation to rigorous, large-scale studies of CPFE has been the lack of a precise definition for this syndrome. A 2022 American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society/Japanese Respiratory Society/Latin American Thoracic Association Research Statement called attention to fundamental gaps in our understanding of CPFE and highlighted the potential use of quantitative imaging techniques to better define CPFE. ⋯ This review is structured into three primary themes, starting with early imaging studies, then evaluating the use of quantitative methods and imaging-based thresholds, both in large population studies and single-center cohorts to define CPFE and assess patient outcomes. It concludes by discussing current challenges and how to focus our efforts so that quantitative imaging methods can effectively address the most pressing clinical dilemmas in CPFE.
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Multiple biomarkers are equivalent to clinical pulmonary arterial hypertension survival risk models.
Risk assessment in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is fundamental to guiding treatment and improved outcomes. Clinical models are excellent at identifying high-risk patients, but leave uncertainty amongst moderate-risk patients. ⋯ A multibiomarker model alone was equivalent to current PAH clinical mortality risk prediction models and improved performance when combined and added to NT-proBNP. Clinical risk scores offer excellent predictive models, but require multiple tests; adding blood biomarkers to models can improve prediction or can enable more frequent, noninvasive monitoring of risk in PAH to support therapeutic decision-making.
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Multiple listing (ML) is a practice used to increase the potential for transplant but is controversial due to concerns that it disproportionately benefits patients with greater access to health care resources. ⋯ ML is an uncommon practice with disparities existing between ML and SL patients based on several factors including social deprivation. ML patients are more likely to be transplanted, but only if they have ML status early in their transplant candidacy. With changing allocation guidelines, it is yet to be seen how ML will change with the implementation of continuous distribution.
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American Indian populations have experienced marked disparities in respiratory disease burden. Extracellular vesicle-encapsulated microRNAs (EV-miRNAs) are a novel class of biomarkers that may improve recognition of lung damage in indigenous populations in the United States. ⋯ Circulating EV-miRNAs are novel mechanistic biomarkers of respiratory health and may facilitate the early detection and treatment of lung damage in American Indian populations that have been disproportionately affected by chronic lung diseases.
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COPD primarily impairs expiratory flow due to progressive airflow obstruction and reduced lung elasticity. Increasing evidence underlines the importance of inspiratory flow as a biomarker for selecting inhaler devices and providing ancillary aerodynamic information. ⋯ This study showed that the longitudinal changes in FIFmax are associated with clinical outcomes in patients with COPD. Patients with increased FIFmax experienced a lower rate of severe exacerbations and a slower decline in lung function. These findings suggest the potential benefits of optimizing inspiratory flow in COPD management, although further studies are needed to confirm these observations due to potential confounding factors.