Respiratory medicine
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Respiratory medicine · Apr 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyStrength training increases maximum working capacity in patients with COPD--randomized clinical trial comparing three training modalities.
Skeletal muscle dysfunction contributes to exercise limitation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Strength training increases muscle strength and muscle mass, but there is an ongoing debate on the additional effect concerning the exercise capacity. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of three different exercise modalities in patients with COPD including endurance training (ET), progressive strength training (ST) and the combination of strength training and endurance training (CT). ⋯ Progressive strength training alone increases not only muscle strength and quality of life, but also exercise capacity in patients with COPD, which may have implications in prescription of training modality. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT01091623.
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Respiratory medicine · Apr 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyAZD9668, a neutrophil elastase inhibitor, plus ongoing budesonide/formoterol in patients with COPD.
Neutrophil elastase (NE) is implicated in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). AZD9668 is a reversible and selective inhibitor of NE, well tolerated at doses of 60 mg bid during Phase I/IIa development. ⋯ Three months' treatment with AZD9668 did not improve lung function, respiratory signs and symptoms or SGRQ-C score when added to budesonide/formoterol maintenance therapy in patients with COPD. In the absence of definitive biomarkers of short-term disease progression, further research is needed to determine the optimal duration of studies to evaluate NE inhibitors as disease-modifying agents.
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Respiratory medicine · Apr 2012
Ethnic and racial differences in the presence of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis at death.
In studies of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), whites makeup the vast majority of subjects. Whether ethnic/racial differences in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis occur in the general population is unknown. ⋯ From 1989 to 2007, black decedents were less-and Hispanics were more-likely than whites to die of/with IPF. Research is needed to determine if genetic differences between ethnic/racial groups explain these findings.
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Respiratory medicine · Apr 2012
Lung capillary blood volume and membrane diffusion in idiopathic interstitial pneumonia.
Diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) is a good marker of disease severity in patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP). The combined diffusing capacity of nitric oxide (DLNO) and DLCO determines the two components of diffusion: membrane conductance (Dm, CO) and pulmonary capillary blood volume (Vc). ⋯ Our main results indicate that Dm, CO and Vc contribute almost equally to DLCO reduction in IIP. Dm, CO and Vc are related to functional indicators of disease severity and to sPAP in agreement with the concept of vascular involvement in IIP.
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Respiratory medicine · Apr 2012
S100A9 in BALF is a candidate biomarker of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a specific form of chronic, progressive fibrosing interstitial pneumonia of unknown cause, and the prognosis remains poor. On the other hand, other fibrotic interstitial pneumonias such as idiopathic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (I-NSIP) and collagen vascular disease-associated interstitial pneumonia (CVD-IP) resemble IPF, but they respond to therapy and the prognosis is better. We searched for biomarkers to distinguish IPF from other fibrotic interstitial pneumonias and investigated whether S100A9 could be useful for discriminating types of fibrotic interstitial pneumonia based on our preliminary proteomic findings. ⋯ S100A9 in BALF might serve as a candidate biomarker to discriminate between IPF and other fibrotic interstitial pneumonias.