The integrin receptor beta subunit mediates airway remodeling and hyperresponsiveness in allergen exposed mice.

Background: Fibroblast differentiation to a myofibroblast phenotype is a feature of airway remodeling in asthma. Lung fibroblasts express the integrin receptor αβ and fibronectin induces myofibroblast differentiation via this receptor.

Objectives: To investigate the role of the β7 integrin receptor subunit and αβ integrin complex in airway remodeling and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in a murine model of chronic allergen exposure.

Epidemiology and Healthcare Service Utilization among Adults with Chronic Cough.

Chronic cough (CC) is a prevalent yet underexplored medical condition, with limited real-world data regarding its healthcare burden. This study investigates the epidemiology, associated comorbidities, and healthcare service utilization among patients with CC. In this retrospective cohort study, adult patients with at least 3 physician diagnoses of cough over a period spanning a minimum of 8 weeks and a maximum of 12 months anytime between 2009 and 2018, were defined as patients with CC (PwCC).

Is there a role for lung or bronchial biopsies for the diagnosis of mycobacterial pulmonary disease in patients with bronchiectasis?

Background: Workup of bronchiectasis patients mandates microbiological characterization often being sought via Bronchoscopy. However, whether to perform bronchial or lung biopsies, is unknown, especially for the diagnosis of NTM pulmonary disease. We aimed to assess the current practice and yield of the different bronchoscopic procedures in this setting.

Patient Characteristics and Telemedicine Use in the US, 2022.

Importance: Telemedicine use was common during the COVID-19 pandemic, expanding many patients' approaches to accessing health care. Of concern is whether telemedicine access was poorer among higher-needs and disadvantaged populations.

Objective: To assess patient characteristics associated with telemedicine use and telemedicine mode and describe telemedicine visit experiences by telemedicine mode.

Prevalence and Clinical Implications of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Isolation and Infection among Patients with Bronchiectasis in the Jerusalem Area.

Background: Bronchiectasis is an obstructive chronic lung disease characterized by structural changes in large and small airways, namely permanent widening of bronchial lumen resulting in chronic inflammation and infection. Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are environmental mycobacteria that may cause human infection or colonization with over 150 species identified to date. Bronchiectasis with NTM colonization or infection is often encountered but with varying prevalence and unknown clinical or prognostic significance.

Delayed and Forgone Health Care Among Adults With Limited English Proficiency During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) have long faced barriers in navigating the health care system. More information is needed to understand whether their care was limited further during the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: To assess the impact of English proficiency on delayed and forgone health care during the early COVID-19 pandemic.

Differences in Telemedicine, Emergency Department, and Hospital Utilization Among Nonelderly Adults with Limited English Proficiency Post-COVID-19 Pandemic: a Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Background: The unprecedented use of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity to examine its uptake among individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP).

Objective: To assess telemedicine use among nonelderly adults with LEP and the association between use of telehealth and emergency department (ED) and hospital visits.

Design: Cross-sectional study using the National Health Interview Survey (July 2020-December 2021) PARTICIPANTS: Adults (18-64 years), with LEP (N=1488) or English proficiency (EP) (N=25,873) MAIN MEASURES: Telemedicine, ED visits, and hospital visits in the past 12 months.

How Accurate Is the Diagnosis of "Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease" in Patients Hospitalized with an Acute Exacerbation?

: COPD diagnosis requires relevant symptoms and an FEV1/FVC ratio of <0.7 post-bronchodilator on spirometry. Patients are frequently labeled as COPD based on clinical presentation and admitted to the hospital with this diagnosis even though spirometry is either not available or has never been performed.

Single-inhaler triple therapy fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol versus dual therapy in current and former smokers with COPD: IMPACT trial post hoc analysis.

Background: Smoking is the major risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In IMPACT, single-inhaler fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol (FF/UMEC/VI) triple therapy significantly reduced moderate/severe exacerbation rates and improved lung function and health status versus FF/VI or UMEC/VI in COPD patients. This post hoc analysis investigated trial outcomes by smoking status.

Characteristics of High-Need, High-Cost Patients : A "Best-Fit" Framework Synthesis.

Background: Accurately identifying high-need, high-cost (HNHC) patients to reduce their preventable or modifiable health care use for their chronic conditions is a priority and a challenge for U.S. policymakers, health care delivery systems, and payers.

Interventions to Improve Outcomes for High-Need, High-Cost Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Chronic disease patients who are the greatest users of healthcare services are often referred to as high-need, high-cost (HNHC). Payers, providers, and policymakers in the United States are interested in identifying interventions that can modify or reduce preventable healthcare use among these patients, without adversely impacting their quality of care and health. We systematically reviewed the evidence on the effectiveness of complex interventions designed to change the healthcare of HNHC patients, modifying cost and utilization, as well as clinical/functional, and social risk factor outcomes.

Unpacking complex interventions that manage care for high-need, high-cost patients: a realist review.

Objective: Payers, providers and policymakers in the USA are interested in developing interventions that reduce preventable or modifiable healthcare use among high-need, high-cost (HNHC) patients. This study seeks to describe how and why complex interventions for HNHC patients lead to more appropriate use of healthcare services.

Design: A realist review which develops programme theories from causal explanations generated and articulated through the creation of context-mechanism-outcome configurations.

Lung Regeneration by Transplantation of Allogeneic Lung Progenitors Using a Safer Conditioning Regimen and Clinical-grade Reagents.

Over the last decades, several studies demonstrated the possibility of lung regeneration through transplantation of various lung progenitor populations. Recently, we showed in mice that fetal or adult lung progenitors could potentially provide donor cells for transplantation, provided that the lung stem cell niche in the recipient is vacated of endogenous lung progenitors by adequate conditioning. Accordingly, marked lung regeneration could be attained following i.

Screening for Eating Disorders in Adolescents and Adults: Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force.

Importance: Eating disorders are associated with adverse health and social outcomes.

Objective: To review the evidence on screening for eating disorders in adolescents and adults to inform the US Preventive Services Task Force.

Data Sources: MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, and trial registries through December 19, 2020; surveillance through January 1, 2022.

Residual symptoms, lung function, and imaging findings in patients recovering from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Symptoms following acute COVID-19 infection are common, but their relationship to initial COVID-19 severity is unclear. We hypothesize that residual symptoms are related to disease severity, and severe acute COVID-19 infection is more likely to cause residual pulmonary damage. This study aims to evaluate symptoms, lung function, and abnormal imaging within 3 months following COVID-19 infection, and to determine whether they are related to initial disease severity.

Predictors of malignant lymph node involvement in patients with mediastinal lymphadenopathy and previous cancer: A cohort study.

Background: Mediastinal lymphadenopathy is a common finding in follow-up after diagnosis of malignancy, and may represent recurrence of malignancy, or benign processes such as sarcoidosis. CT and PET-CT are commonly used, despite limited ability to discriminate between benign and malignant disease, and although EBUS-guided bronchoscopy is often performed, it is relatively invasive and may not always be safe in high-risk patients. Clinical and radiological predictors for cancer recurrence could therefore be of value.

The nitroxide/antioxidant 3-carbamoyl proxyl attenuates disease severity in murine models of severe asthma.

Asthma is characterized by airway inflammation, hyper-responsiveness, symptoms of dyspnea, wheezing and coughing. In most patients, asthma is well controlled using inhaled corticosteroids and bronchodilators. A minority of patients with asthma develop severe disease, which is frequently only partially responsive or even resistant to treatment with corticosteroids.

Possible association between SP-C mutations and lung cancer: Two case reports and review of literature.

Surfactant protein C (SP-C) is one of four surfactant proteins produced by type II pneumocytes. Mutations in surfactant protein A are strongly associated with development of lung cancer. Mutations in the SP-C gene are rare and are associated with interstitial lung disease in the pediatric age group.

3-Carbamoyl-proxyl nitroxide radicals attenuate bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal interstitial lung disease with a poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Oxidative and nitrosative stress is implicated as one of the main pathogenic pathways in IPF. The rationale for the use of antioxidants to treat lung fibrosis is appealing, however to date a consistent beneficial effect for such an approach has not been observed.

Waterpipe smoking: a review of pulmonary and health effects.

Waterpipe smoking is an old form of tobacco smoking, originating in Persia and the Middle East. The popularity of the waterpipe is increasing worldwide, particularly among young adults, and there are widespread misconceptions regarding its negative health effects. The inhaled smoke of the waterpipe contain several toxic and hazardous materials including nicotine, tar, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals, all of which are proven to be related to lung diseases and cancer.