American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Nov 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyProcalcitonin Algorithm in Critically Ill Adults with Undifferentiated Infection or Suspected Sepsis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
The role of procalcitonin (PCT), a widely used sepsis biomarker, in critically ill patients with sepsis is undetermined. ⋯ In critically ill adults with undifferentiated infections, a PCT algorithm including 0.1 ng/ml cut-off did not achieve 25% reduction in duration of antibiotic treatment. Clinical trial registered with http://www.anzctr.org.au (ACTRN12610000809033).
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Nov 2014
α-Hemolysin Activity of Methicillin-Susceptible S. aureus Predicts Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia.
Colonization of lower airways by Staphylococcus aureus is a risk factor for the development of ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis (VAT) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). However, little is known about the virulence factors of methicillin-sensitive and -resistant S. aureus (MSSA and MRSA) that may influence host colonization and progression to VAT and VAP. ⋯ MSSA strains with strong blood agar hemolysis and high α-hemolysin activity are markers for VAP, but not VAT, and might be considered in differential diagnosis and initiation of therapy.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Nov 2014
Obstructive Sleep Apnea During REM Sleep and Hypertension: Results of the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with hypertension. ⋯ Our findings indicate that REM OSA is cross-sectionally and longitudinally associated with hypertension. This is clinically relevant because treatment of OSA is often limited to the first half of the sleep period leaving most of REM sleep untreated.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Nov 2014
Targeting MARCKS Phosphorylation Site Domain in Lung Cancer: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications.
Phosphorylation of myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (phospho-MARCKS) at the phosphorylation site domain (PSD) is crucial for mucus granule secretion and cell motility, but little is known concerning its function in lung cancer. ⋯ These results suggest a key role for MARCKS PSD in cancer disease and provide a unique strategy for inhibiting the activity of MARCKS PSD as a treatment for lung cancer.