American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Jun 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialPredictors of COPD Exacerbation Reduction in Response to Daily Azithromycin Therapy.
Daily azithromycin decreases acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), but long-term side effects are unknown. ⋯ Azithromycin is most effective in preventing AECOPD requiring both antibiotic and steroid treatment. Adjusting for confounders, we saw no difference in efficacy by sex, history of chronic bronchitis, oxygen use, or concomitant COPD therapy. Greater efficacy was seen in older patients and milder Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stages. We found little evidence of treatment effect among current smokers. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT0011986 and NCT00325897).
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Jun 2014
Letter Randomized Controlled TrialTreatment of group I pulmonary arterial hypertension with carvedilol is safe.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Jun 2014
ReviewInvestigating the role of NOD-Like Receptors in Bacterial Lung Infection.
Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are a persistent and pervasive public health problem worldwide. Pneumonia and other LRTIs will be among the leading causes of death in adults, and pneumonia is the single largest cause of death in children. LRTIs are also an important cause of acute lung injury and acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. ⋯ The lung contains NLR-expressing immune cells such as leukocytes and nonimmune cells such as epithelial cells that are in constant and close contact with invading microbes. This pulmonary perspective addresses our current understanding of the structure and function of NLR family members, highlighting advances and gaps in knowledge, with a specific focus on immune responses in the respiratory tract during bacterial infection. Further advances in exploring cellular and molecular responses to bacterial pathogens are critical to develop improved strategies to treat and prevent devastating infectious diseases of the lung.