Publications by authors named "Kontakiotis T"
Background: The aim of this present study was to determine serum biomarker levels and their correlation with respiratory function and the clinical course of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
Materials And Methods: This study included 72 IPF patients, according to the ATS/ERS criteria, in whom antifibrotic treatment was initiated. Blood samples were taken, and serum biomarkers, such as KL-6, SP-D, CCL18, CXCL13, VEGF-A, IL-8, IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2, IGFBP-7 and ICAM-1 were measured using ELISA methodology.
Background: The aim of the present study was the application of the latest phenotype recommendations in Greek patients, in order to identify specific clinical, imaging and spirometric characteristics, at initial diagnosis of sarcoidosis, related to disease phenotypes.
Methods: Our cohort included 147 patients coming from Northern Greece, recruited from the Outpatient Sarcoidosis Clinic, of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The observation period was 5 years.
BALF and BLOOD NK- cells in different stages of pulmonary sarcoidosis.
Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis
January 2022
Background And Objective: Data on natural killer (NK)- and natural killer T (NKT)- like cells in the immunopathogenesis of sarcoidosis remain limited. The aim was to assess NK- and NKT-like cells across different stages in bronchoalveolar lavage (BALF) versus peripheral blood (PB) in comparison to controls.
Methods: Forty four patients (32 women and 12 men, mean age 46.
Article Synopsis
- A study conducted in Greece from February to May 2020 analyzed hospitalized COVID-19 patients, revealing that most subjects were male (65.7%) with an average age of 60, predominantly non-smokers (57.2%).
- The majority received a standard treatment regimen including hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, with an average hospital stay of 10 days; 13.3% required intubation and 4.2% died.
- The findings highlighted that higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (NLR) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were linked to more severe disease, suggesting these markers may help predict disease progression and inform treatment decisions.
Article Synopsis
- * A study in Greece analyzed data from 3,615 COPD patients, focusing on 65 different medical variables, to see how well GOLD's recommendations were being followed in real clinical settings.
- * Results showed that most patients were in group B of the ABCD classification, but adherence to GOLD’s guidelines was unclear, especially for those in group A, highlighting a need for better compliance among healthcare providers.
Article Synopsis
- Cardiovascular disease is a significant health issue in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and endothelial dysfunction may play a key role in this relationship.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis analyzed 19 studies, revealing that patients with COPD have markedly worse endothelial function compared to healthy controls.
- The findings highlight the need for future research to further investigate how endothelial dysfunction contributes to the risk of cardiovascular disease in COPD patients.
Background: The Human Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious respiratory disorder that may result in acute respiratory distress syndrome. The aim of this review was to investigate the incidence and type of respiratory function abnormalities during the follow-up of patients who recovered from COVID-19.
Methods: A systematic search of MEDLINE was conducted, utilising various term combinations.
Introduction: During the first COVID-19 wave, a considerable decline in hospital admissions was observed worldwide.
Aim: This retrospective cohort study aimed to assess if there were any changes in the number of patients hospitalized for respiratory diseases in Greece during the first CO-VID-19 wave.
Methods: In the present study, we evaluated respiratory disease hospitalization rates across 9 tertiary hospitals in Greece during the study period (March-April 2020) and the corresponding period of the 2 previous years (2018-2019) that served as the control periods.
Background: Greece is one of the few countries in the European Union/European Economic Area, which do not report tuberculosis (TB) treatment outcome. This study aimed to assess treatment outcomes and identify possible intervening factors in patients with TB in Thessaloniki, Greece, over the period 2012-2017.
Methods: All patients diagnosed with TB -excluding rifampicin-resistant/multidrug-resistant (RR/MDR)-TB- during 2015-2017 were included in the study.
Introduction: Lung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer incidence, yet, in Greece, country-level registry-based data are limited. We have thus investigated the epidemiology of lung cancer and its trends in the George Papanikolaou Hospital, Northern Greece over 18 years (2000-2018).
Methods: We analyzed all the cases reported in the Bronchoscopy Unit of the Hospital for the period 2000-2018.
Article Synopsis
- The study examined the immediate effects of vaping one e-cigarette on lung function and airway inflammation in asthmatic patients.
- Twenty-five stable moderate asthmatic smokers and twenty-five healthy smokers were tested for pulmonary function and inflammation before and after vaping.
- Results showed decreased lung function (like FEV1/FVC ratio) and increased inflammatory markers in asthmatic patients, indicating that vaping negatively affects their condition.
The detection of asthma and rhinitis in furniture workers exposed to chemicals in the area of Thessaloniki Greece and the determination of the most useful tests for diagnosing the above occupational diseases. Eighty-three workers (76 men), 35 exposed to chemicals (CW), 23 to wood dust (WW), and 25 office workers (OW), serving as controls, filled in a specialized European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) questionnaire for asthma and were submitted to clinical evaluation, spirometry, bronchodilation test, PEF computer algorithm OASYS-2, FeNO, skin prick tests (SPTs), rhinomanometry and methacholine inhalation challenge. Working conditions and protective measurements were also recorded.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Νeuroendocrine tumors of the lungs are rare arising in the thymus and gastro-entero-pancreatic tract and belonging to foregut of neuroendocrine tumors. The aim of the present prospective study was to estimate the potential impact of single-photon emission computed tomography somatostatin receptor scintigraphy using 99mTc-Tektrotyd on diagnosis, treatment response, and prognosis in patients with neuroendocrine tumors of the lungs.
Methods: Thirty-six patients with neuroendocrine tumors of the lungs were evaluated by using 99mTc-HYNIC-TOC scintigraphy.
Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the Th2/Th17 pathway in asthmatic patients and also the relationship to asthma severity and biomarkers of inflammation.
Methods: 90 asthmatic patients, 51 patients with severe, 39 patients with mild asthma and 98 healthy controls were included. Skin prick tests, blood eosinophils, total serum IgE and exhaled FeNO were evaluated.
Paraneoplastic syndromes are defined as a combination of clinical disorders associated with malignant diseases that are caused by the secretion of various substances by the tumor without, however, being caused by the direct growth and infiltration of the primary tumor, or due to the development of distant metastases. Despite the fact that lung cancer represents the number one cause of death from cancer worldwide, the new methods of treatment increase patient survival and the incidence of paraneoplastic syndromes. The most important ones of these are humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy, syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone, hyponatremia of malignancy, ectopic Cushing's syndrome, carcinoid syndrome, and hypoglycemia and are usually a poor prognostic marker.
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- New PD-1 inhibitors have improved survival rates for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but not all patients benefit.
- This study evaluated biomarkers like interferon-gamma and various interleukins in blood to predict patient response to immunotherapy and overall survival.
- Results showed that higher levels of specific cytokines at diagnosis and after treatment correlate with better responses to the therapy and longer survival, helping to identify patients who might benefit most from anti-PD-1 inhibitors.
Background: Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) are chronic and restrictive lung diseases with poor survival and quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of sleep disorders in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and sarcoidosis and to assess patients' quality of life in relation to these disorders.
Methods: Forty patients, 19 with IPF, and 21 with sarcoidosis stage II/III were included.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer share a common etiological factor (cigarette smoking) and usually coexist in everyday clinical practice. The prevalence of COPD among newly diagnosed patients with lung cancer sometimes exceeds 50%. COPD is an independent risk factor (2-4 times higher than non-COPD subjects) for lung cancer development.
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- This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of two bronchial challenge tests, mannitol and methacholine, in diagnosing asthma and examining their relationship with patients' clinical status, atopy, and inflammation markers.
- Eighty-eight asthma-symptomatic patients underwent both tests, with results indicating significant diagnostic value for both; however, some patients had negative results for both tests.
- While both tests were found to be equally effective for asthma diagnosis, mannitol showed slightly better specificity compared to methacholine.