Integrated multiomics analysis to infer COVID-19 biological insights.

Three years after the pandemic, we still have an imprecise comprehension of the pathogen landscape and we are left with an urgent need for early detection methods and effective therapy for severe COVID-19 patients. The implications of infection go beyond pulmonary damage since the virus hijacks the host's cellular machinery and consumes its resources. Here, we profiled the plasma proteome and metabolome of a cohort of 57 control and severe COVID-19 cases using high-resolution mass spectrometry.

Ultrasound assessment of upper airway dilator muscle contraction during transcutaneous electrical stimulation in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea.

Background: Electrical current can be used to stimulate upper airway dilator muscles to treat obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Ultrasound devices are widely available and may be used to detect contraction of the upper airway dilator muscles assessing the functionality of electrical stimulation (ES) used for this treatment.

Methods: In a physiological sub-study of a randomised controlled trial, patients with OSA underwent ultrasound examination to assess contraction of the upper airway dilator muscles in response to transcutaneous ES.

Apnoea-hypopnoea-index comparing the 2007 and 2012 American Academy of Sleep Medicine criteria in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/obstructive sleep apnoea overlap syndrome.

Background: In 2007 and 2012, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) updated their scoring criteria for nocturnal respiratory events. We hypothesised that this could have led to changes in the apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)/obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) overlap syndrome.

Methods: In a retrospective study, polysomnographic (PSG) recordings of 34 patients with COPD/OSA overlap syndrome were independently analysed using the AASM criteria from 2007 (AASM) and 2012 (AASM).

Serum interleukin-6 in systemic sclerosis and its correlation with disease parameters and cardiopulmonary involvement.

Objective: To assess serum interleukin-6 (IL-6)level in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and its correlations with European Scleroderma Study Group activity score (EUSTAR), Scleroderma Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ), disability index and cardiopulmonary involvement.

Methods: Twenty SSc patients and 10 matched healthy controls were included. Serum IL-6 was measured in patients and controls.

High sensitivity C-reactive protein: its correlation with sputum cell counts in bronchial asthma.

Background: Two major acute-phase proteins were identified in human, C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A. There are 3 types of C-reactive protein assays: conventional C-reactive protein, high sensitivity C-reactive protein and cardiac C-reactive protein. High sensitivity C-reactive protein assays can detect minor inflammatory changes that could be missed by other indices of inflammation.