Prediction of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in a large Greek population.

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the predictive value of anthropometric measurements and self-reported symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in a large number of not yet diagnosed or treated patients. Commonly used clinical indices were used to derive a prediction formula that could identify patients at low and high risk for OSAS.

Methods: Two thousand six hundred ninety patients with suspected OSAS were enrolled.

Altered surfactant protein-A expression in type II pneumocytes in COPD.

Background: Pulmonary surfactant protein A (SP-A) is a lectin, with multiple functions that contribute to innate host defense and the regulation of the inflammatory process in the lung. In normal conditions, SP-A seems to protect against the effects of smoking. However, studies in smokers with or without COPD are limited.