Comprehensive comorbidity assessment for the ECOPD: a long-term multi-centre retrospective study.

Background: Exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (ECOPD) results in severe adverse outcomes and mortality. It is often associated with increased local and systemic inflammation. However, individual susceptibility to exacerbations remains largely unknown.

REALizing and improving management of stable COPD in China: results of a multicentre, prospective, observational study (REAL).

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) management in China is far from adequate; underdiagnosis and undertreatment are major barriers to optimal care and improved patient outcomes.

Objective: To generate reliable information on COPD management, outcomes, treatment patterns and adherence, and disease knowledge in China in a real-world setting.

Design: A 52-week multicentre, prospective, observational study.

Exacerbation in patients with stable COPD in China: analysis of a prospective, 52-week, nationwide, observational cohort study (REAL).

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) management in China is inadequate and there is a need to improve care and outcomes for patients nationwide.

Objectives: The REAL study was designed to generate reliable information on COPD management from a representative sample of Chinese patients with COPD. Here, we present study outcomes related to acute exacerbations.

Treatment patterns in patients with stable COPD in China: analysis of a prospective, 52-week, nationwide, observational cohort study (REAL).

Background: Underdiagnosis and undertreatment pose major barriers to optimal management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in China.

Objective: The REAL trial was performed to generate reliable information on real-world COPD management, outcomes and risk factors among Chinese patients. Here, we present study outcomes related to COPD management.

Severity distribution and treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in China: baseline results of an observational study.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) receives low awareness and is undertreated in China. Understanding the burden and treatment of COPD across the nation is important for improving quality of care for this disease. This study aims to reveal the current situation of COPD severity distribution and management across China.

Current situation of asthma-COPD overlap in Chinese patients older than 40 years with airflow limitation: a multicenter, cross-sectional, non-interventional study.

Background And Aims: Asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap (ACO) is poorly recognized in China. Our study determined the distribution of ACO and its clinical characteristics among patients (aged ⩾40 years) with airflow limitation at Chinese tertiary hospitals.

Methods: This cross-sectional, non-interventional study (NCT02600221), conducted between December 2015 and October 2016 in 20 Tier-3 Chinese hospitals, included patients aged ⩾40 years with post-bronchodilator (BD) FEV/FVC <0.

Clinical features of pulmonary mucormycosis in patients with different immune status.

Background: Pulmonary mucormycosis (PM) is a relatively rare but often fatal and rapidly progressive disease. Most studies of PM are case reports or case series with limited numbers of patients, and focus on immunocompromised patients. We investigated the clinical manifestations, imaging features, treatment, and outcomes of patients with PM with a focus on the difference in clinical manifestations between patients with different immune status.

REALizing and improving management of stable COPD in China: a multi-center, prospective, observational study to realize the current situation of COPD patients in China (REAL) - rationale, study design, and protocol.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fifth leading cause of death in China with a reported prevalence of 8.2% people aged ≥40 years. It is recommended that Chinese physicians follow Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) and national guidelines, yet many patients with COPD in China remain undiagnosed.

Chronic bronchitis is associated with severe exacerbation and prolonged recovery period in Chinese patients with COPD: a multicenter cross-sectional study.

Background: Chronic bronchitis (CB) is closely associated with the frequency and severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation. However, little is known about the impact of CB on COPD exacerbations, severe and non-severe, and on recovery from an exacerbation.

Methods: We conducted a nation-wide multicenter cross-sectional survey in China between September 2007 and December 2008.

Perception of circadian variation of symptoms in Chinese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Although, the variable pattern of asthmatic symptoms is well recognized, little is known about the respiratory symptoms variability in patients of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The present study evaluated the variability of the respiratory symptoms in a day and their influence on the daily activities in a cohort of Chinese COPD patients.

Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted in 11 medical centers of China.

Pulmonary hypertension associated with combined fibrosing mediastinitis and bronchial anthracofibrosis: A retrospective analysis in a single Chinese hospital.

Introduction: Both fibrosing mediastinitis (FM) and bronchial anthracofibrosis (BAF) are unique diseases. The combined appearance of FM and BAF is extremely rare.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features of patients with coexisting FM and BAF.

Anomalous systemic arterial supply of pulmonary sequestration in adult patients.

Objectives: This study described the characteristics of the systemic arterial supply of pulmonary sequestration (PS) in an attempt to better distinguish PS from other acquired lesions.

Methods: We identified 25 patients hospitalized at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital during January 2013 to December 2015 with the assistance of medical catalogers. Twenty-three patients with a definite diagnosis of "pulmonary sequestration" clinically or pathologically were included in the study.

Current situation of asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) in Chinese patients older than 40 years with airflow limitation: rationale and design for a multicenter, cross-sectional trial (study protocol).

Background: Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are the frequently occurring chronic airway diseases, and the overlapping syndrome observed in the majority of patients has been recently defined as asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung (GOLD, 2014) and Global initiative for Asthma (GINA, 2015). The proportion, features, and clinical practice of ACOS still remain elusive in China. We are conducting this multicenter, cross-sectional, observational study (NCT02600221) to investigate the distributions of chronic obstructive diseases in patients >40 years of age with chronic airflow limitation in China along with determination of the main clinical practice and features of these diseases.

mTOR Overactivation and Compromised Autophagy in the Pathogenesis of Pulmonary Fibrosis.

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway in pulmonary fibrosis was investigated in cell and animal models. mTOR overactivation in alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) was achieved in the conditional and inducible Tsc1 knock-down mice SPC-rtTA/TetO-Cre/Tsc1(fx/+) (STT). Doxycycline caused Tsc1 knock-down and consequently mTOR activation in AECs for the STT mice.

[Present status of medical treatment for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease based upon different severity classifications].

Objective: To survey the present status of medical treatment for Chinese outpatients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) based upon the guidelines for diagnosing and treating COPD (2007 Revised Edition and 2013 Revised Edition) and explore the impact of new guideline on treatment regimens.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at 11 participating hospitals. Stable COPD patients were consecutively recruited from outpatient clinics in China between September 2007 and December 2008 and categorized into the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) I-IV classification and A-D groups according to the Chinese guidelines for diagnosing and treating COPD (2007 Revised Edition and 2013 Revised Edition).

[Smoking cessation among rural populations in Beijing].

Objective: To survey the smoking cessation among rural populations in Beijing.

Methods: One natural village in Beijing suburb was sampled and all the 1901 villagers were surveyed by face-to-face interview to collect information on smoking status and smoking cessation. The potential factors related with smoking prevalence and smoking cessation were analzyed.

Expert consensus on acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the People's Republic of China.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common disease that severely threatens human health. Acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) is a major cause of disease progression and death, and causes huge medical expenditures. This consensus statement represents a description of clinical features of AECOPD in the People's Republic of China and a set of recommendations.

Tsc1 deficiency-mediated mTOR hyperactivation in vascular endothelial cells causes angiogenesis defects and embryonic lethality.

This is a study on the role of tuberous sclerosis complex1 (TSC1) mutation and mTOR activation in endothelial cells during angiogenic and embryonic development. Past studies had shown that Tsc1/Tsc2 mutant genes lead to overactivation of mTOR in the regulating pathways in developing fetus. We used conditional Cre-loxp gene knockout approach to delete Tsc1 in mice's endothelial cells in our experimental models.

[Clinical characteristic analysis of 96 cases of hypersensitivity pneumonitis].

Objective: To improve understanding of the clinical characteristics and diagnosis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data, including clinical symptoms, laboratory tests, exposure, pulmonary function tests, chest CT imaging and cytological classification of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) of 96 patients with HP from Jan 2001 to Jun 2011 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital. We divided the patients into 2 groups: a pathologically-confirmed group and a clinically-suspected group.

The role of vascular endothelial growth factor-D in diagnosis of lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM).

Background: Definite diagnosis of lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) depends on either transbronchial lung biopsy or video-assisted thoracic surgery, unless there is a history of chylothorax, kidney angiomyolipoma (AML), or tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Vascular endothelial growth factor-D (VEGF-D) was recently considered as a novel diagnostic marker for LAM. Herein, we evaluated diagnostic value of serum VEGF-D in LAM patients.

SPC-Cre-ERT2 transgenic mouse for temporal gene deletion in alveolar epithelial cells.

Although several Cre-loxP-based gene knockout mouse models have been generated for the study of gene function in alveolar epithelia in the lung, their applications are still limited. In this study, we developed a SPC-Cre-ER(T2) mouse model, in which a tamoxifen-inducible Cre recombinase (Cre-ER(T2)) is under the control of the human surfactant protein C (SPC) promoter. The specificity and efficiency of Cre-ER(T2) activity was first evaluated by crossing SPC-Cre-ER(T2) mouse with ROSA26R mouse, a β-galactosidase reporter strain.

Comparative study of patients in correct usage of and preference for the Swinghaler and Turbuhaler multidose inhalers.

Objective: Current dry powder inhalers (DPIs), introduced to overcome problems associated with pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDIs), possess not only difficulties originating from their designs but also other barriers that prevent their correct usage. The authors of this study investigated the ease and correctness of use of Swinghaler, a new device in the form of multidose DPI, as well as the preference of the study participants for either a Swinghaler or a Turbuhaler.

Methods: A total of 260 patients from Korea, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand were prospectively recruited.