Association of and with pulmonary sarcoidosis in Greek population.

Background: In sarcoidosis, the direction and intensity of immunological reactions involved in disease pathophysiology is affected by variation in the genes coding for effector and regulatory molecules with immune functions. This study, therefore, investigates polymorphic variants in genes involved in inflammation, immune reactions, and granuloma formation in context of their plausible association with sarcoidosis, with specific focus on Greek population.

Methods: A total of 18 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped in Greek patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis ( = 103) and in healthy Greek control subjects ( = 100) using multiplexed MassARRAY (MassARRAY ®) iPLEX assay based on MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

Subjective and Objective Outcomes in Patients With COPD After Pulmonary Rehabilitation - The Impact of Comorbidities.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous disease with multiple systemic manifestations and comorbidities, which contribute independently to its total morbidity and mortality. Pulmonary rehabilitation is an evidence-based intervention that is indicated for COPD patients who remain symptomatic, despite optimal pharmacological therapy. Although it is well documented in pure COPD, the role of pulmonary rehabilitation is uncertain in coexisting comorbidities.