Skeletal Myosteatosis is Associated with Systemic Inflammation and a Loss of Muscle Bioenergetics in Stable COPD.

Background: Common features among patients with more advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are systemic inflammation and a loss of both muscle mass and normal muscle composition. In the present study, we investigated COPD subjects to better understand how thigh muscle fat infiltration (MFI) and energy metabolism relate to each other and to clinical features of COPD with emphasis on systemic inflammation.

Methods: Thirty-two Caucasians with stable COPD were investigated using questionnaires, lung function tests, blood analysis and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for analysis of body- and thigh muscle composition.

Erlotinib treatment induces cytochrome P450 3A activity in non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Aims: Erlotinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor used in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer highly metabolized by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A. Hence, CYP3A4 activity might be a useful predictor of erlotinib pharmacokinetics in personalized medicine. The effect of erlotinib on CYP3A activity was therefore studied in non-small cell lung cancer patients.

The influence of disease severity and lifestyle factors on the peak annual 25(OH)D value of COPD patients.

Background: The prevalence of individuals deficient in vitamin D (defined as a serum level of the stable metabolite 25(OH)D <50 nmol/L) is increasing in countries with low annual ultraviolet (UV) radiation and among individuals unable to perform outdoor activities, for example, COPD patients.

Objective: To assess the role of vitamin D deficiency, independently of seasonal variation, the peak annual value of 25(OH)D was measured in subjects with advanced COPD ± long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) and lung healthy control subjects. A method to grade the individual annual UV light exposure was designed and tested.

Oxidant-induced autophagy and ferritin degradation contribute to epithelial-mesenchymal transition through lysosomal iron.

Purpose: Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 triggers epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through autophagy, which is partly driven by reactive oxygen species (ROS). The aim of this study was to determine whether leaking lysosomes and enhanced degradation of H-ferritin could be involved in EMT and whether it could be possible to prevent EMT by iron chelation targeting of the lysosome.

Materials And Methods: EMT, H-ferritin, and autophagy were evaluated in TGF-β1-stimulated A549 human lung epithelial cells cultured in vitro using Western blotting, with the additional morphological assessment of EMT.

Factors associated with experience of fatigue, and functional limitations due to fatigue in patients with stable COPD.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the influence of selected physiological, psychological and situational factors on experience of fatigue, and functional limitations due to fatigue in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: In total 101 patients with COPD and 34 control patients were assessed for experience of fatigue, functional limitation due to fatigue (Fatigue Impact Scale), physiological [lung function, 6-minute walk distance (6MWD), body mass index (BMI), dyspnoea, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), surfactant protein D], psychological (anxiety, depression, insomnia), situational variables (age, sex, smoking, living alone, education), and quality of life.

Results: Fatigue was more common in patients with COPD than in control patients (72% versus 56%, p < 0.

Experience of fatigue, and its relationship to physical capacity and disease severity in men and women with COPD.

Introduction: Several differences have been reported in the clinical characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) between men and women. Differences have been found in the association between respiratory symptoms and lung function, and in the factors associated with dyspnea. This raises the question of whether there are differences between the sexes in the relationship between fatigue, the second most prevalent symptom, and the variables of physical capacity and disease severity.

Quantitative lung SPECT applied on simulated early COPD and humans with advanced COPD.

Background: Reduced ventilation in lung regions affected by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), reflected as inhomogeneities in the single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) lung image, is correlated to disease advancement. An analysis method for measuring these inhomogeneities is proposed in this work. The first aim was to develop a quantitative analysis method that could discriminate between Monte Carlo simulated normal and COPD lung SPECT images.

Deep venous thrombosis: a new task for primary health care. A randomised economic study of outpatient and inpatient treatment.

Objective: A health economic evaluation of two alternative treatment settings, inpatient care and outpatient care, for acute deep venous thrombosis.

Design: A randomised multicentre trial in a defined population in regular clinical practice.

Setting: Hospitals and related health care centres in the Jönköping county council in Sweden.