American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Sep 2014
Long-term Effects of Traffic Particles on Lung Function Decline in the Elderly.
Few studies have been performed on air pollution effects on lung function in the elderly, a vulnerable population with low reserve capacity, and even fewer have looked at changes in the rate of lung function decline. ⋯ Our results support adverse effects of long-term exposure to traffic particles on lung function level and rate of decline in the elderly and suggest that functionally significant differences in health and risk of disability occur below the annual Environmental Protection Agency National Air Quality Standards.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Sep 2014
Blockade of the Programmed Death-1 Pathway Restores Sarcoidosis CD4+ T Cells Proliferative Capacity.
Effective therapeutic interventions for chronic, idiopathic lung diseases remain elusive. Normalized T-cell function is an important contributor to spontaneous resolution of pulmonary sarcoidosis. Up-regulation of inhibitor receptors, such as programmed death-1 (PD-1) and its ligand, PD-L1, are important inhibitors of T-cell function. ⋯ Analogous to the effects in other chronic lung diseases, these findings demonstrate that the PD-1 pathway is an important contributor to sarcoidosis CD4(+) T-cell proliferative capacity and clinical outcome. Blockade of the PD-1 pathway may be a viable therapeutic target to optimize clinical outcomes.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Sep 2014
Clinical TrialEvaluation of CPAP Therapy on Renin-angiotensin System Activity in Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been associated with kidney function loss, which may be related to changes in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). ⋯ CPAP therapy was associated with improved renal hemodynamics and down-regulation of renal RAS activity, suggesting a potential therapeutic benefit for kidney function.