American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Jul 2015
ReviewUnderstanding the Short and Long-term Respiratory Outcomes of Prematurity and Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia.
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic respiratory disease associated with premature birth that primarily affects infants born at less than 28 weeks' gestational age. BPD is the most common serious complication experienced by premature infants, with more than 8,000 newly diagnosed infants annually in the United States alone. ⋯ We undertook a comprehensive review of the published literature to analyze and consolidate current knowledge of the effects of BPD that are recognized at specific stages of life, including infancy, childhood, and adulthood. In this review, we discuss both the short-term and long-term respiratory outcomes of individuals diagnosed as infants with the disease and highlight the gaps in knowledge needed to improve early and lifelong management of these patients.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Jul 2015
Longitudinal Forced Vital Capacity Monitoring as a Prognostic Adjunct after Lung Transplantation.
After lung transplantation, spirometric values are routinely followed to assess graft function. FEV1 is used to characterize chronic allograft dysfunction, whereas the course of FVC change has been less acknowledged and rarely used. ⋯ FVC decline from its post-transplant baseline provides valuable prognostic information. Concurrent FEV1 and FVC decline identifies patients with fulminant, rapid deterioration and is the strongest clinical predictor of poor survival. Subsequent FVC decline in patients with an initial isolated FEV1 decline identifies disease progression and portends poor prognosis.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Jul 2015
Increased Mutagen Sensitivity and DNA Damage in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a serious lung condition characterized by vascular remodeling in the precapillary pulmonary arterioles. We and others have demonstrated chromosomal abnormalities and increased DNA damage in PAH lung vascular cells, but their timing and role in disease pathogenesis is unknown. ⋯ Levels of baseline and mutagen-induced DNA damage are intrinsically higher in PAH cells. Similar results in PBMC from unaffected relatives suggest this may be a genetically determined trait that predates disease onset and may act as a risk factor contributing to lung vascular remodeling following endothelial cell injury. Further studies are required to fully characterize mutagen sensitivity, which could have important implications for clinical management.