Persons With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and High Levels of Activation Improved Their Physical Activity Skills After an Educational Session.

Background: Daily physical activity is part of the self-management of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and didactic information sessions may be insufficient for the provision of these skills. Prior activation can determine sensitivity to these sessions. We evaluated whether the activation in patients with COPD, as measured by the Patient Activation Measure (PAM)-13 questionnaire, determined their responses to an educational group session on physical activity (PA), which were measured with actigraphy by the number of steps/day.

Autoimmune findings in patients with silicosis in Spain.

Background: Occupational exposure to silica is related to autoimmune diseases and features of autoimmunity, mainly autoantibodies. The study objectives were to estimate the prevalence of silicosis with associated autoimmune findings or diagnosed autoimmune diseases in Spain, and to assess the clinical and functional characteristics of affected patients.

Methods: This is a multicentre prospective study in patients diagnosed with silicosis.

Value of increased soluble suppressor tumorigenicity biomarker 2 (sST2) on admission as an indicator of severity in patients with COVID-19.

Background: Soluble suppressor of tumorigenicity-2 (sST2) is a biomarker for heart failure and pulmonary injury. We hypothesize that sST2 could help predict severity of SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Methods: sST2 was analyzed in patients consecutively admitted for SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia.

Silica crystals activate toll-like receptors and inflammasomes to promote local and systemic immune responses in zebrafish.

Silica crystals are potent activators of the inflammasome that cause a fibrotic lung disease, called silicosis, with no effective treatment available. We report here that injection of silica crystals into the hindbrain ventricle of zebrafish embryos led to the initiation of local and systemic immune responses driven through both Toll-like receptors (TLR)- and inflammasome-dependent signaling pathways, followed by induction of pro-fibrotic markers. Genetic and pharmacological analysis revealed that the Nlrp3 inflammasome regulated silica crystal-induced inflammation and pyroptotic cell death, but not emergency myelopoiesis.

CA 15-3 prognostic biomarker in SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia.

The severity of lung involvement is the main prognostic factor in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Carbohydrate antigen 15-3 (CA 15-3), a marker of lung damage and fibrosis, could help predict the prognosis of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. This was a retrospective and observational study.

Factors Associated with Depression in COPD: A Multicenter Study.

Introduction: Depression is a prevalent comorbidity in COPD and has an impact on the prognosis of these patients, thereby making it important to study the factors associated with depression in patients with COPD.

Method: A multicenter, observational and cross-sectional study was conducted to study the factors associated with depression in patients with COPD measured by the hospital anxiety and depression (HAD) questionnaire. We analyzed anthropometric variables and the number of exacerbations in the previous year and calculated the 6-min walking test and the body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise (BODE) index.

Factors associated with high healthcare resource utilisation among COPD patients.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) places a huge economic burden on healthcare systems, especially patients with frequent exacerbations and co-morbidities.

Objectives: To identify factors associated with high utilisation of healthcare resources in a population of patients with COPD.

Method: We conducted an observational, cross-sectional, multicentre study with the aim of identifying the factors associated with high resource utilisation among patients with COPD.

Inhaled corticosteroids in asthmatic children: are they as safe in infants and preschoolers as in older children? A review.

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the cornerstone of asthma management both in adults and in children. There are some adverse effects related to the use of these drugs in all ages. Those adverse effects can be local or systemic.