American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Feb 2013
Multicenter StudyAssociation of large-airway lymphocytic bronchitis with bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome.
Lung transplantation offers great promise for otherwise terminal lung diseases, but the development of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) continues to limit survival. Although acute rejection and lymphocytic bronchiolitis have been identified as risk factors for the development of BOS, it is unclear whether large-airway lymphocytic inflammation conveys the same risk. ⋯ These results support a multicenter study to evaluate endoscopic biopsies for the identification of patients at increased risk for BOS. The association of endobronchial lymphocytic inflammation and BOS may have mechanistic implications.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Feb 2013
Multicenter StudySix-minute-walk test in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: minimal clinically important difference for death or hospitalization.
Outcomes other than spirometry are required to assess nonbronchodilator therapies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Estimates of the minimal clinically important difference for the 6-minute-walk distance (6MWD) have been derived from narrow cohorts using nonblinded intervention. ⋯ A reduction in the 6MWD of 30 m or more is associated with increased risk of death but not hospitalization due to exacerbation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and represents a clinically significant minimally important difference.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Feb 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialInterferon-γ ELISPOT as a biomarker of treatment efficacy in latent tuberculosis infection: a clinical trial.
Biomarkers that can be used to evaluate new interventions against latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and predict reactivation TB disease are urgently required. ⋯ In contacts with LTBI, INH therapy plays no role in observed decreases in Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen-specific T-cell responses over time. IFN-γ ELISPOT is probably not a useful biomarker of treatment efficacy in LTBI. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT 00130325).