American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Sep 2016
PM2.5 and Emergency Room Visits for Respiratory Illness: Effect Modification by Oxidative Potential.
Fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5; particulate matter 2.5 μm or less in diameter) is thought to contribute to acute respiratory morbidity in part through oxidative stress. ⋯ Between-city differences in glutathione-related oxidative potential may modify the impact of PM2.5 on acute respiratory illnesses at low PM2.5 concentrations. This may explain in part how small changes in ambient PM2.5 mass concentrations can contribute to acute respiratory morbidity in low-pollution environments.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Sep 2016
Pulmonary Abnormalities in Young, Light-use Waterpipe (Hookah) Smokers.
Waterpipes, also called hookahs, are currently used by millions of people worldwide. Despite the increasing use of waterpipe smoking, there is limited data on the health effects of waterpipe smoking and there are no federal regulations regarding its use. ⋯ Young, light-use, waterpipe-only smokers have a variety of abnormalities in multiple lung-related biological and clinical parameters, suggesting that even limited waterpipe use has broad consequences on human lung biology and health. We suggest that large epidemiological studies should be initiated to investigate the harmful effects of waterpipe smoking.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Sep 2016
Observational StudyLung Function Abnormalities in Smokers With Ischemic Heart Disease.
The aim of the ALICE (Airflow Limitation in Cardiac Diseases in Europe) study was to investigate the prevalence of airflow limitation in patients with ischemic heart disease and the effects on quality of life, healthcare use, and future health risk. ⋯ Airflow limitation compatible with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease affects almost one-third of patients with ischemic heart disease. Although airflow limitation is associated with additional morbidity and societal burden, it is largely undiagnosed and untreated. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT 01485159).
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Sep 2016
Genetic Determinants of Drug Resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Their Diagnostic Value.
The development of molecular diagnostics that detect both the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in clinical samples and drug resistance-conferring mutations promises to revolutionize patient care and interrupt transmission by ensuring early diagnosis. However, these tools require the identification of genetic determinants of resistance to the full range of antituberculosis drugs. ⋯ These data suggest that a comprehensive M. tuberculosis drug resistance diagnostic will need to allow for a high dimension of mutation detection. They also support the hypothesis that currently unknown genetic determinants, potentially discoverable by whole-genome sequencing, encode resistance to second-line tuberculosis drugs.