The International Family Study of Nonsyndromic Orofacial Clefts: Design and Methods.

Background: The majority of research to understand the risk factors of nonsyndromic orofacial clefts (NSOFCs) has been conducted in high-income populations. Although patients with NSOFCs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are at the highest risk of not receiving care, global health infrastructure allows innovative partnerships to explore the etiologic mechanisms of cleft and targets for prevention unique to these populations.

Methods: The International Family Study (IFS) is an ongoing case-control study with supplemental parental trio data designed to examine genetic, environmental, lifestyle, and sociodemographic risk factors for NSOFCs in 8 LMICs (through August 2020).

Effect of preinspiratory maneuver on the single-breath DLCO.

We have observed in some patients with pulmonary disease and normal subjects that the difference between two successive measurements for single-breath DLCO amounted to 10%. By scrutinizing data from these subjects, we observed that they spontaneously changed their preinspiratory maneuver just before inhaling the test gas mixture. The purpose of the present work is to assess the influence of five different preinspiratory maneuvers on DLCO.

Acute effect of molsidomine on pulmonary circulation of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Chronic obstructive lung diseases (COLD) are very often complicated by pulmonary arterial hypertension and right heart failure. Several drugs including nitrates have been used to counteract this type of hypertension. Molsidomine (M) is a recent nitrates-like drug acting for a longer time than the classical nitrates.

Effect of molsidomine on the lung diffusing capacity of normal men.

Molsidomine (M) is a new antianginal drug which induces a peripheral venous pooling and decreases pulmonary artery and pulmonary venous pressures. The purpose of our study is to assess whether M influences the filling of the pulmonary capillary bed as estimated by the single-breath lung diffusing capacity (DLCO). DLCO was measured before and 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 minutes after sublingual administration of 2 mg molsidomine in six healthy men examined in sitting and supine positions.

Hysteresis of the alveolar capillary membrane in normal subjects.

Weibel and associates (Respir. Physiol. 18: 285-308, 1973), using morphometric techniques, demonstrated in the rat that changes in lung volume related to inflation and deflation caused a hysteretic variation in alveolar capillary membrane which is locally pleated at low pulmonary volume, unfolds during inflation but does not immediately refold during deflation, possibly enhancing the CO diffusion throughout the membrane.