Publications by authors named "Ancochea J"
Article Synopsis
- The COVID-19 pandemic led to a 68.5% increase in respiratory disease deaths in Spain in 2020, prompting a study on respiratory mortality from 2019 to 2022, focusing on COVID-19 and other related conditions.
- The analysis utilized mortality data from the Spanish National Institute of Statistics, examining 102 causes of death and employing logistic regression to identify factors associated with mortality.
- In 2022, respiratory diseases accounted for 21.1% of all deaths in Spain, with notable factors such as male gender, older age, and urban residency linked to higher mortality rates, despite a decrease in COVID-19-related deaths.
Self-reported occupational exposure was previously associated with COPD in the Spanish population. This study aimed to analyse the relationship between occupational exposure to various chemical and biological agents, COPD, emphysema, and the bronchial wall area, which was determined by lung computed tomography (CT) in 226 individuals with COPD and 300 individuals without COPD. Lifetime occupational exposures were assessed using the ALOHA(+) job exposure matrix, and CT and spirometry were also performed.
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- * Researchers analyzed 296 participants, with a majority having OSA, using carotid ultrasonography to measure common carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and identify atheromatous plaques as indicators of atherosclerosis.
- * Findings indicate that higher ΔHR is significantly linked to increased CIMT in OSA patients, suggesting ΔHR may serve as a useful biomarker for cardiovascular disease risk in this population.
Article Synopsis
- - Long-COVID (LC) is defined by lingering symptoms for over 3 months post-COVID-19 infection, potentially caused by immune system dysregulation and chronic inflammation.
- - The study identifies specific CD4 T cell subpopulations in COVID-19 recovery and reveals that certain CCR6-expressing T cells are reduced in LC patients, while others increase.
- - LC patients demonstrate lower levels of IFN-γ-secreting CD8 T cells when exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein, highlighting the importance of CCR6 in understanding LC's underlying mechanisms.
Introduction: Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare disease that affects women almost exclusively. We aimed to determine the psychological profile in patients with LAM, and their potential association with sociodemographic and clinical features, and to know their role in coping with the disease.
Material And Methods: Cross-sectional and descriptive study in collaboration with the Spanish Association of LAM (AELAM).
Article Synopsis
- The ANTES B+ study evaluates whether adding an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) to a combination of long-acting beta agonist (LABA) and long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) improves clinical control in GOLD B COPD patients who are still symptomatic despite current treatment.
- It will involve 1028 patients who will either continue their current LABA/LAMA regimen or switch to a new triple therapy for a year, measuring outcomes like clinical control, exacerbation rates, and lung function.
- The study is significant as it is the first to test this approach in a specific COPD patient group and to use a composite index to measure primary outcomes, with results expected by early 2026.
Background And Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact in population health worldwide, and particularly in people with pre-existing chronic diseases. Early risk identification and stratification is essential to reduce the impact of future outbreaks of pandemic potential. This study aimed to comprehensively examine factors associated with COVID-19 mortality across the pandemic waves in Spain.
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- The study focuses on validating the 'HowRwe' Patient-Reported Experience Measure (PREM) for Spanish-speaking respiratory patients using home respiratory treatments (HRT).
- A total of 228 adult respiratory patients participated, showing high reliability and good fit in the pre- and post-intervention analyses, while also indicating some correlation between the measure and quality of life.
- Patient feedback on the 'HowRwe' questionnaire was largely positive, with 85.6% finding it useful and preferring paper, app, or email for responses.
Increased recruitment of transitional and non-classical monocytes in the lung during SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with COVID-19 severity. However, whether specific innate sensors mediate the activation or differentiation of monocytes in response to different SARS-CoV-2 proteins remain poorly characterized. Here, we show that SARS-CoV-2 Spike 1 but not nucleoprotein induce differentiation of monocytes into transitional or non-classical subsets from both peripheral blood and COVID-19 bronchoalveolar lavage samples in a NFκB-dependent manner, but this process does not require inflammasome activation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBeneficial effect of temporary methotrexate interruption on B and T cell responses upon SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis.
NPJ Vaccines
January 2024
Article Synopsis
- A study evaluated the immune response of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients to COVID-19 vaccines after stopping methotrexate (MTX) treatment for 1 or 2 weeks compared to those who continued MTX.
- Patients who paused MTX showed higher levels of antibodies and a stronger T-cell response, particularly in the group that withdrew for 2 weeks.
- Importantly, stopping MTX did not lead to increased flare-ups of RA or PsA, suggesting that a temporary withdrawal could enhance vaccine effectiveness without risking disease stability.
Introduction: The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of occupational exposure on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and respiratory symptoms in the general Spanish population.
Methods: This was a study nested in the Spanish EPISCAN II cross-sectional epidemiological study that included participants who had completed a structured questionnaire on their occupational history, a questionnaire on respiratory symptoms, and forced spirometry. The data were analyzed using Chi-square and Student's t tests and adjusted models of multiple linear regression and logistic regression.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the connection between SARS-CoV-2 viral load (viremia) and genetic variations (SNPs) linked to the severity of COVID-19 in a group of hospitalized patients at University Hospital La Princesa.
- Out of 340 patients analyzed, only 37.1% had positive viremia, with specific SNPs (like rs2071746 and rs78958998) associated with a higher risk of viremia, while others (like rs11052877 and rs33980500) were linked to a lower risk.
- The findings suggest that certain genetic variants contribute to differences in SARS-CoV-2 viremia among individuals, highlighting the
Introduction: There is still uncertainty about which aspects of cigarette smoking influence the risk of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to estimate the COPD risk as related to duration of use, intensity of use, lifetime tobacco consumption, age of smoking initiation and years of abstinence.
Methods: We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study based on data from the EPISCAN-II study (n=9092).
Introduction: We previously reported an increase in respiratory mortality in 2020 in Spain after COVID-19. It is unclear if this rise is sustained in the longer-term. We aimed to determine whether respiratory mortality in 2021 in Spain returned to pre-pandemic levels.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: An association of ABO blood group and COVID-19 remains controversial.
Methods: Following STROBE guidance for observational research, we explored the distribution of ABO blood group in patients hospitalized for acute COVID-19 and in those with Long COVID. Contingency tables were made and risk factors were explored using crude and adjusted Mantle-Haentzel odds ratios (OR and 95% CI).
Purpose: ATLAS ASMA described the psychosocial impact of asthma on patients' daily life from patients' perspectives (in terms of impaired personal and intimate relationships, sleep quality, leisure time, daily activities, and others) in Spain. Secondary objective includes description of time since diagnosis, expectations, and satisfaction of patients about disease, treatment and medical assistance received, adherence to treatment, perceived control of asthma, and health-related quality of life.
Patients And Methods: This was a cross-sectional, observational study, based on a self-administered online survey for adult patients (≥18 years) with asthma.
Background: Little is known about whether the overlap syndrome (OS) combining features of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome increases the risk of stroke associated with COPD itself.
Methods: We prospectively studied 74 COPD patients and 32 subjects without lung disease. Spirometry and cardiorespiratory polygraphy were used to assess the pulmonary function of the study population and ultrasound measurements of intima media thickness (IMT) as well as the volume of plaques in both carotid arteries were also evaluated.
Plitidepsin in adult patients with COVID-19 requiring hospital admission: A long-term follow-up analysis.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol
March 2023
Introduction: The APLICOV-PC study assessed the safety and preliminary efficacy of plitidepsin in hospitalized adult patients with COVID-19. In this follow-up study (E-APLICOV), the incidence of post-COVID-19 morbidity was evaluated and any long-term complications were characterized.
Methods: Between January 18 and March 16, 2022, 34 of the 45 adult patients who received therapy with plitidepsin in the APLICOV-PC study were enrolled in E-APLICOV (median time from plitidepsin first dose to E-APLICOV enrollment, 16.
Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is commonly diagnosed when the airflow limitation is well established and symptomatic. We aimed to identify individuals at risk of developing COPD according to the concept of pre-COPD and compare their clinical characteristics with 1) those who have developed the disease at a young age, and 2) the overall population with and without COPD.
Methods: The EPISCAN II study is a cross-sectional, population-based study that aims to investigate the prevalence of COPD in Spain in subjects ≥40 years of age.
Background: Population distribution of reduced diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) in smokers and main consequences are not properly recognised. The objectives of this study were to describe the prevalence of reduced DLCO in a population-based sample of current and former smoker subjects without airflow limitation and to describe its morphological, functional and clinical implications.
Methods: A sample of 405 subjects aged 40 years or older with postbronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity (FVC) >0.
Badkground: Physical capacity (PC) and daily physical activity (PA) are two crucial factors in the clinical course of COPD, although they do not always maintain a close relationship. The objectives were to evaluate the frequency of PC-PA dissociation in patients with COPD and subjects without airflow limitation (AL) and to identify its risk factors.
Methods: A sample of 319 COPD patients and 399 subjects without AL was consecutively obtained from a population-based sample of 9092 subjects evaluated in the EPISCAN II study.