Small Airway Dysfunction Impairs Quality of Life Among Smokers With No Airflow Limitation.

Introduction: Small airway dysfunction (SAD) caused by smoking contributes to the early onset of airflow limitation (AFL), although its impact on patients' perception of health is largely unknown. We aimed to evaluate the frequency of SAD in active smokers without AFL, and to compare health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of non-smokers, smokers without SAD, smokers with SAD, and smokers with AFL.

Methods: A total of 53 active smokers without AFL, 20 smokers with AFL, and 20 non-smokers completed the SF-36 and EuroQoL questionnaires and performed impulse oscillometry and spirometry.

Small airway dysfunction in smokers with stable ischemic heart disease.

Background: A higher prevalence of airflow limitation (AL) has been described in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD). Although small airway dysfunction (SAD) is an early feature of AL, there is little information about its occurrence in IHD patients. Our objective was to describe the prevalence of SAD in IHD patients, while comparing patient-related outcomes and future health risk among IHD patients with AL, SAD and normal lung function.

Clinical, operational and economic outcomes of point-of-care blood gas analysis in COPD patients.

Introduction: Arterial blood gas analysis is relevant in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) management. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the use of a blood gas analyzer in pulmonology departments improves the clinical, operational and economic outcomes when compared with clinical laboratory measurements.

Patients And Methods: It is an observational prospective study.

Lung volume reference values for women and men 65 to 85 years of age.

Rationale: In elderly subjects, static lung volumes are interpreted using prediction equations derived from primarily younger adult populations.

Objectives: To provide reference equations for static lung volumes for European adults 65 to 85 years of age and to compare the predicted values of this sample with those from other studies including middle-aged adults. We compare the lung volumes by plethysmography and helium dilution in elderly subjects.

[Prognostic value study of lung cancer molecular markers].

Background And Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic value of molecular markers (proteins) of different paths of lung cancer development in patients with non small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) in initial stages.

Material And Method: Observational, cohort study in patients with NSCLC that was initially treated surgically in our hospital between October 1993 and September 1997. Thirty-two proteins were selected.

Analysis of the molecular expression profile of non small cell lung carcinoma associated to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an independent risk factor to develop lung cancer but there are no different functional clusters of biomarkers between patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with or without COPD. To analyse protein expression, in order to find out whether samples of resected NSCLC from patients with COPD present a different molecular expression. Observational, cohort, concurrent study with sampling since treatment of disease in patients with NSCLC in initial stages (pIA-pIIB) treated surgically in our hospital between October 1993 and September 1997.