Occupational Exposures, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Tomographic Findings in the Spanish Population.

Self-reported occupational exposure was previously associated with COPD in the Spanish population. This study aimed to analyse the relationship between occupational exposure to various chemical and biological agents, COPD, emphysema, and the bronchial wall area, which was determined by lung computed tomography (CT) in 226 individuals with COPD and 300 individuals without COPD. Lifetime occupational exposures were assessed using the ALOHA(+) job exposure matrix, and CT and spirometry were also performed.

Association between occupational exposure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory symptoms in the Spanish population.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of occupational exposure on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and respiratory symptoms in the general Spanish population.

Methods: This was a study nested in the Spanish EPISCAN II cross-sectional epidemiological study that included participants who had completed a structured questionnaire on their occupational history, a questionnaire on respiratory symptoms, and forced spirometry. The data were analyzed using Chi-square and Student's t tests and adjusted models of multiple linear regression and logistic regression.

Correction: Deficient pulmonary IFN-β expression in COPD patients.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Deficient pulmonary IFN-β expression in COPD patients.

COPD patients are prone to acute infectious exacerbations that impair their quality of life and hamper prognosis. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the in situ IFN-β response in the lungs of stable COPD and non-COPD patients. Lung samples from 70 subjects (9 control never smokers, 19 control smokers without COPD, 21 patients with moderate COPD and 21 patients with very severe COPD) were studied for the expression of IFN-β, its main transcription factor, IRF-7, and two products of its autocrine function, namely RIG-I and MDA-5, by immunohistochemical techniques and quantitative real-time PCR.

Recommendations for the Diagnosis and Management of Asbestos-Related Pleural and Pulmonary Disease.

Asbestos is the term used for a set of mineral silicates that tend to break up into fibers. Its use has been associated with numerous diseases affecting the lung and pleura in particular, all of which are characterized by their long period of latency. Asbestos, moreover, has been recognized by the WHO as a Group IA carcinogen since 1987 and its use was banned in Spain in 2002.

Cellular transplants in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients: an observational study.

Background Aims: Cytotherapy is a promising option for neurodegenerative disease treatment. Because of the fatal prognosis and imperative need for effective treatment, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients request this therapy before its effectiveness has been verified. The increase in clinics offering cytotherapies but providing little scientific information has prompted considerable medical tourism.