Physician-Patient Concordance in Pharmacological Management of Patients with COPD.

A retrospective analysis of a cross-sectional, multicenter survey was conducted in United States (US) medical practices to evaluate the concordance between patients with COPD and their physicians on disease-specific characteristics. Associations between patient and disease-related characteristics with monotherapy, dual therapy, or triple therapy prescribed as COPD maintenance regimens were also examined. Eligible physicians completed patient record forms (PRFs) for up to 6 consecutive patients with COPD.

Use and abuse of topical corticosteroids in infections of the skin and related structures.

Topical corticosteroids have improved the management of many inflammatory skin diseases, such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. However, these medications are associated with certain adverse effects that are potentially serious. The potent anti-inflammatory actions of these drugs increase susceptibility to bacterial and fungal infections, and therefore may preclude them from use when infection is the known cause of the disease.

TNF-alpha disruption of lung endothelial integrity: reduced integrin mediated adhesion to fibronectin.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) causes an increase in transendothelial protein permeability of confluent monolayers of calf pulmonary artery endothelial (CPAE) cells, and the addition of plasma fibronectin (pFn) to the culture medium can attenuate this increase in permeability. We determined if reduced integrin function had a role in decreased endothelial cell adhesion to immobilized Fn after exposure of the endothelial monolayers to TNF-alpha. TNF-alpha also causes a reorganization of the subendothelial Fn rich matrix and a significant loss in RGD-dependent adhesion of TNF-alpha treated CPAE cells to pFn coated surfaces.