BMC pulmonary medicine
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Jan 2009
Protective effect of geranylgeranylacetone, an inducer of heat shock protein 70, against drug-induced lung injury/fibrosis in an animal model.
To determine whether oral administration of geranylgeranylacetone (GGA), a nontoxic anti-ulcer drug that is an inducer of heat shock protein (HSP) 70, protects against drug-induced lung injury/fibrosis in vivo. ⋯ GGA had a protective effect on drug-induced lung injury/fibrosis. Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs such as methotrexate, which are indispensable for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, often cause interstitial lung diseases, an adverse event that currently cannot be prevented. Clinical use of GGA for drug-induced pulmonary fibrosis might be considered in the future.
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Aug 2008
Hyponatremia and hospital outcomes among patients with pneumonia: a retrospective cohort study.
Community-acquired (CAP) and nosocomial pneumonias contribute substantially to morbidity and hospital resource utilization. Hyponatremia, occurring in >1/4 of patients with CAP, is associated with greater disease severity and worsened outcomes. ⋯ Hyponatremia is common among hospitalized patients with pneumonia and is associated with worsened clinical and economic outcomes. Studies in this large population are needed to explore whether prompt correction of [Na+] may impact these outcomes.
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Aug 2008
Hospital acquired pneumonia with high-risk bacteria is associated with increased pulmonary matrix metalloproteinase activity.
Neutrophil products like matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), involved in bacterial defence mechanisms, possibly induce lung damage and are elevated locally during hospital- acquired pneumonia (HAP). In HAP the virulence of bacterial species is known to be different. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of high-risk bacteria like S. aureus and pseudomonas species on pulmonary MMP concentration in human pneumonia. ⋯ Pulmonary MMP concentrations and MMP activity are elevated in patients with HAP. This effect is most pronounced in patients with high-risk bacteria. Artificial ventilation may play an additional role in protease activation.
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Jan 2008
Effect of a 14-day course of systemic corticosteroids on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-axis in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
As supra-physiological intake of corticosteroids is a well known risk factor for the development of adrenal insufficiency, we investigated the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis during a 14-day course of systemic corticosteroids in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using clinical and laboratory measures. ⋯ Immediate and prolonged suppression of the HPA axis is a common finding in otherwise asymptomatic patients undergoing systemic steroid treatment for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and can reliably be assessed with the low-dose ACTH test.
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BMC pulmonary medicine · Jan 2008
Comparative StudyPredictors of diagnostic yield in bronchoscopy: a retrospective cohort study comparing different combinations of sampling techniques.
The reported diagnostic yield from bronchoscopies in patients with lung cancer varies greatly. The optimal combination of sampling techniques has not been finally established. The objectives of this study were to find the predictors of diagnostic yield in bronchoscopy and to evaluate different combinations of sampling techniques. ⋯ In patients with malignant lung disease, visible lesions and larger tumor size were significant predictors of higher diagnostic yield, after adjustment for sex, age, distance from carina, side and lobe. The combined diagnostic yield of biopsy and TBNA was significant higher than with either technique alone.