The European respiratory journal : official journal of the European Society for Clinical Respiratory Physiology
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Idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (IIPs) are histopathologically classified into several types, including usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP), nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) and cryptogenic organising pneumonia (COP). We investigated whether periostin, a matrix protein, could be used as a biomarker to assess histopathological types of IIPs. We performed immunohistochemical analyses in each histopathological type of IIP, examined serum levels of periostin in IIP patients and analysed the relationship between serum levels of periostin and the pulmonary functions in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). ⋯ Furthermore, periostin levels in IPF patients were inversely correlated with their pulmonary functions. Thus, we have found that periostin is a novel component of fibrosis in IIP. Periostin may be a potential biomarker to distinguish IIP with fibrosis.
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Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) has been used to study regional ventilation distribution in neonatal and paediatric lung disease; however, little information has been obtained in healthy newborns and infants. Data on regional ventilation distribution and regional filling characteristics were obtained using EIT in the neonatal period, at 3 and 6 months of age, in spontaneously breathing infants during non-rapid eye movement sleep. Regional ventilation distribution was described using regional end-expiratory and end-inspiratory impedance amplitudes, and geometric centre of ventilation. ⋯ Regional impedance amplitudes increased with age but regional ventilation distribution remained unchanged in all infants at any age, with the dependent (posterior) lung always better ventilated. Regional filling characteristics showed that the dependent lung filled during inspiration before the nondependent lung during all follow-up measurements. Regional ventilation distribution and regional filling characteristics remained unchanged over the first 6 months of life, and the results obtained on regional ventilation distribution are very similar to those in adult subjects.
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Review Meta Analysis
Radial probe endobronchial ultrasound for the diagnosis of peripheral lung cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Improved diagnostic sensitivity of bronchsocopy for the investigation of peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs) with the use of radial probe endobroncial ultrasound (EBUS) has been reported, although diagnostic performance varies considerably. A systematic review of published literature evaluating radial probe EBUS accuracy was performed to determine point sensitivity and specificity, and to construct a summary receiver-operating characteristic curve. Sub-group analysis and linear regression was used to identify possible sources of study heterogeneity. 16 studies with 1,420 patients fulfilled inclusion criteria. ⋯ EBUS is a safe and relatively accurate tool in the investigation of PPLs. Diagnostic sensitivity of EBUS may be influenced by the prevalence of malignancy in the patient cohort being examined and lesion size. Further methodologically rigorous studies on well-defined patient populations are required to evaluate the generalisability of our results.