Data harmonisation for information fusion in digital healthcare: A state-of-the-art systematic review, meta-analysis and future research directions.

Removing the bias and variance of multicentre data has always been a challenge in large scale digital healthcare studies, which requires the ability to integrate clinical features extracted from data acquired by different scanners and protocols to improve stability and robustness. Previous studies have described various computational approaches to fuse single modality multicentre datasets. However, these surveys rarely focused on evaluation metrics and lacked a checklist for computational data harmonisation studies.

Plasma sRAGE levels strongly associate with centrilobular emphysema assessed by HRCT scans.

Background: There is a strong need for biomarkers to better characterize individuals with COPD and to take into account the heterogeneity of COPD. The blood protein sRAGE has been put forward as promising biomarker for COPD in general and emphysema in particular. Here, we measured plasma sRAGE levels using quantitative LC-MS and assessed whether the plasma sRAGE levels associate with (changes in) lung function, radiological emphysema parameters, and radiological subtypes of emphysema.

HRCT characteristics of severe emphysema patients: Interobserver variability among expert readers and comparison with quantitative software.

Purpose: For a successful bronchoscopic lung volume reduction coil treatment it is important to place the coils in the most emphysematous lobes. Therefore assessment of the lobe with greatest destruction is essential. Our aims were to investigate the level of agreement among expert reviewers of HRCT-scans in emphysema patients and the comparison with QCT (quantitative computed tomography) software.

Fleischner Society Visual Emphysema CT Patterns Help Predict Progression of Emphysema in Current and Former Smokers: Results from the COPDGene Study.

Background The correlation between visual emphysema patterns and subsequent progression of disease may provide a way to enrich a study population for treatment trials of emphysema. Purpose To evaluate the potential relationship between emphysema visual subtypes and progression of emphysema and gas trapping. Materials and Methods Current and former smokers with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) enrolled in the prospective Genetic Epidemiology of COPD (COPDGene) study (ClinicalTrials.

Progression of Emphysema and Small Airways Disease in Cigarette Smokers.

Background: Little is known about factors associated with emphysema progression in cigarette smokers. We evaluated factors associated with change in emphysema and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV) in participants with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: This retrospective study included individuals participating in the COPD Genetic Epidemiology study who completed the 5-year follow-up, including inspiratory and expiratory computed tomography (CT) and spirometry.