Publications by authors named "M van den Berge"
As cholinergic innervation is a major contributor to increased vagal tone and mucus secretion, inhaled long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA) are a pillar for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. By blocking the muscarinic receptors expressed in the lung, LAMA improve lung function and reduce exacerbations in asthma patients who remained poorly controlled despite treatment with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β2 agonists. Asthma guidelines recommend LAMA as a third controller to be added on before the initiation of biologicals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHomologous recombination (HR) is a universally conserved mechanism of DNA strand exchange between homologous sequences, driven in bacteria by the RecA recombinase. HR is key for the maintenance of bacterial genomes via replication fork restart and DNA repair, as well as for their plasticity via the widespread mechanism of natural transformation. Transformation involves the capture and internalization of exogenous DNA in the form of single strands, followed by HR-mediated chromosomal integration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be influenced by genetic factors and may stem from reduced lung growth during childhood, leading to lower lung function throughout life.
- A polygenic risk score (PRS) was calculated using data from a large genome-wide association study and tested for its correlation with lung function in individuals aged 4-50 from multiple research cohorts.
- Results indicated that higher PRS scores were associated with significantly lower lung function, measured by key indicators, starting from childhood and continuing into adulthood, regardless of smoking, sex, or asthma diagnosis.
Article Synopsis
- * A multicenter trial in France will test a simulation-based training program for pediatric cardiology trainees to enhance their communication skills during diagnostic counseling.
- * The study will evaluate improvements in communication, empathy, and anxiety levels using video assessments, comparing outcomes between those who underwent simulation training and a control group.
Introduction: Lung hyperinflation, a key contributor to dyspnea in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), can be quantified via chest computed tomography (CT). Establishing reference equations for lobar volumes and total lung volume (TLV) can aid in evaluating lobar hyperinflation, especially for targeted lung volume reduction therapies.
Methods: The Imaging in Lifelines study (ImaLife) comprises 11,729 participants aged 45 and above with analyzed inspiratory low-dose thoracic CT scans.