Publications by authors named "Lai-Jian Cen"

Background: Exacerbations are implicated in bronchiectasis and COPD, which frequently co-exist [COPD-Bronchiectasis association (CBA)]. We aimed to determine the bacterial and viral spectrum at stable-state and exacerbation onset of CBA, and their association with exacerbations and clinical outcomes of CBA as compared with bronchiectasis.

Methods: We prospectively collected spontaneous sputum from adults with CBA, bronchiectasis with (BO) and without airflow obstruction (BNO) for bacterial culture and viral detection at stable-state and exacerbations.

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Background: Despite the high prevalence of co-existing bronchiectasis and asthma (asthma-bronchiectasis overlap syndrome [ABOS]), little is known regarding the dominant pathogens and clinical correlates.

Objective: To investigate the bacteria and viruses which differentially dominate in ABOS (including its subtypes) compared with bronchiectasis alone, and determine their relevance with bronchiectasis severity and exacerbations.

Methods: This was a prospective observational cohort study conducted between March 2017 and August 2023.

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The prevalence and clinical correlates of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in bronchiectasis are not entirely clear. We aimed to profile the ARGs in sputum from adults with bronchiectasis, and explore the association with airway microbiome and disease severity and subtypes. In this longitudinal study, we prospectively collected 118 sputum samples from stable and exacerbation visits of 82 bronchiectasis patients and 19 healthy subjects.

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Upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) is common in humans. We sought to profile sputum pathogen spectrum and impact of URTI on acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis (AE). Between March 2017 and December 2021, we prospectively collected sputum from adults with bronchiectasis.

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Background: Motile ciliary disorder (MCD) has been implicated in chronic inflammatory airway diseases such as asthma and COPD.

Research Question: What are the characteristics of MCD of the nasal epithelium and its association with disease severity and inflammatory endotypes in adults with bronchiectasis?

Study Design And Methods: In this observational study, we recruited 167 patients with bronchiectasis and 39 healthy control participants who underwent brushing of the nasal epithelium. A subgroup of patients underwent bronchoscopy for bronchial epithelium sampling (n = 13), elective surgery for bronchial epithelium biopsy (n = 18), and blood sampling for next-generation sequencing (n = 37).

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Accumulating evidence has confirmed that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a risk factor for development of severe pathological changes in the peripheral lungs of patients with COVID-19. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Because bronchiolar club cells are crucial for maintaining small airway homeostasis, we sought to explore whether the altered susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection of the club cells might have contributed to the severe COVID-19 pneumonia in COPD patients.

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Whether accelerated aging, reflected by sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) expression, is implicated in bronchiectasis remains largely unknown. We sought to determine the patterns of SIRT1 and other aging markers in systemic circulation and airways and their expression levels associated with bronchiectasis severity and exacerbation. We enrolled 132 patients with bronchiectasis and 50 healthy subjects in a prospective cohort study to profile aging markers in systemic circulation and recruited 36 patients with bronchiectasis and 32 disease controls (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or tumors) in a cross-sectional study to profile aging markers in bronchial epithelium of both large-to-medium and small airways.

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Background/aim: Accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) is a major cause of diabetes mellitus (DM) skin complications. Methylglyoxal (MGO), a reactive dicarbonyl compound, is a crucial intermediate of AGEs generation. N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), an active ingredient of some medicines, can induce endogenous GSH and hydrogen sulfide generation, and set off a condensation reaction with MGO.

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