Influence of COPD systemic environment on the myogenic function of muscle precursor cells in vitro.

Background: Loss of muscle mass and function are well-recognized systemic manifestations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Acute exacerbations, in turn, significantly contribute to upgrade these systemic comorbidities. Involvement of myogenic precursors in muscle mass maintenance and recovery is poorly understood.

[Could Inspiratory Muscle Function Be an Equivalent of Lung Hyperinflation in COPD Patients?].

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the respiratory disease that causes the greatest morbidity and mortality worldwide. Lung function parameters and systemic manifestations have been defined as prognostic factors; however, they have limitations. The aim of this study was to analyze whether inspiratory muscle strength could reflect lung hyperinflation, and therefore serve as a prognostic factor in COPD patients.

Incidence of pulmonary embolism in patients with non-invasive respiratory support during COVID-19 outbreak.

While the incidence of thrombotic complications in critically ill patients is very high, in patients under non-invasive respiratory support (NIS) is still unknown. The specific incidence of thrombotic events in each of the clinical scenarios within the broad spectrum of severity of COVID-19, is not clearly established, and this has not allowed the implementation of thromboprophylaxis or anticoagulation for routine care in COVID-19. Patients admitted in a semi-critical unit treated initially with NIS, especially Continuous-Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), were included in the study.

Deficient muscle regeneration potential in sarcopenic COPD patients: Role of satellite cells.

Sarcopenia is a major comorbidity in chronic obstructive pulmonary (COPD). Whether deficient muscle repair mechanisms and regeneration exist in the vastus lateralis (VL) of sarcopenic COPD remains debatable. In the VL of control subjects and severe COPD patients with/without sarcopenia, satellite cells (SCs) were identified (immunofluorescence, specific antibodies, anti-Pax-7, and anti-Myf-5): activated (Pax-7+/Myf-5+), quiescent/regenerative potential (Pax-7+/Myf-5-), and total SCs, nuclear activation (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling [TUNEL]), and muscle fiber type (morphometry and slow- and fast-twitch, and hybrid fibers), muscle damage (hematoxylin-eosin staining), muscle regeneration markers (Pax-7, Myf-5, myogenin, and MyoD), and myostatin levels were identified.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress and unfolded protein response in diaphragm muscle dysfunction of patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Respiratory muscle dysfunction is common in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Chronic contractile activity induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and unfolded protein response (UPR) in animals (animals and humans). We hypothesized that the respiratory muscle dysfunction associated with COPD may upregulate ER stress and UPR expression in diaphragm of stable patients with different degrees of airway obstruction and normal body composition.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress and unfolded protein response profile in quadriceps of sarcopenic patients with respiratory diseases.

Impaired muscle strength and mass (sarcopenia) are common in patients with respiratory cachexia, namely chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and in lung cancer (LC)-cachexia. Misfolded/unfolded proteins in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) induce the compensatory unfolded protein response (UPR). Expression of ER stress and UPR markers may be differentially upregulated in vastus lateralis (VL) of patients with respiratory sarcopenia associated with either a chronic condition (COPD) or subacute (LC)-cachexia.

Differences in micro-RNA expression profile between vastus lateralis samples and myotubes in COPD cachexia.

Quadriceps muscle weakness and wasting are common comorbidities in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Micro-RNA expression upregulation may favor muscle mass growth and differentiation. We hypothesized that the profile of muscle-enriched micro-RNAs in cultured myotubes differs between patients with COPD of a wide range of body composition and healthy controls and that expression levels of those micro-RNAs from patients with COPD and controls differ between in vivo and in vitro conditions.

Effect of blood glucose level on standardized uptake value (SUV) in F- FDG PET-scan: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 20,807 individual SUV measurements.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of pre-scan blood glucose levels (BGL) on standardized uptake value (SUV) in F-FDG-PET scan.

Methods: A literature review was performed in the MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane library databases. Multivariate regression analysis was performed on individual datum to investigate the correlation of BGL with SUV and SUV adjusting for sex, age, body mass index (BMI), diabetes mellitus diagnosis, F-FDG injected dose, and time interval.

Bispectral index in hypercapnic encephalopathy associated with COPD exacerbation: a pilot study.

Background: Hypercapnic encephalopathy is relatively frequent in severe exacerbations of COPD (ECOPDs), with its intensity usually being evaluated through clinical scales. Bispectral index (BIS) is a relatively new technique, based on the analysis of the electroencephalographic signal, which provides a good approximation to the level of consciousness, having already been validated in anesthesia.

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the utility of BIS in the assessment of the intensity of hypercapnic encephalopathy in ECOPD patients.

Right Ventricular Response During Exercise in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Aim: Right ventricular (RV) pump function is of essential clinical and prognostic importance in a variety of heart and lung diseases. While the evaluation of RV performance at rest has been implemented in the clinical setting, it is unknown whether this assessment during exercise may provide additional benefit. With this aim, we evaluated the exercise-induced pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP) increase during exercise in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as an expression of RV contractile reserve.

Muscle glucose metabolism in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.

Introduction: Muscle dysfunction is one of the most extensively studied manifestations of COPD. Metabolic changes in muscle are difficult to study in vivo, due to the lack of non-invasive techniques. Our aim was to evaluate metabolic activity simultaneously in various muscle groups in COPD patients.