Autoantibodies of IgM and IgG classes show differences in recognition of multiple autoantigens in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Autoimmunity occurs in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We describe an antigen microarray for detecting serum autoantibodies (AAbs) to determine how IgM, as well as IgG, AAbs distinguish patients with COPD from controls with a history of smoking without COPD. All COPD patients' sera contained elevated levels of AAbs to some of 30 autoantigens.

Multiple Circulating Cytokines Are Coelevated in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Inflammatory biomarkers, including cytokines, are associated with COPD, but the association of particular circulating cytokines with systemic pathology remains equivocal. To investigate this, we developed a protein microarray system to detect multiple cytokines in small volumes of serum. Fourteen cytokines were measured in serum from never-smokers, ex-smokers, current smokers, and COPD patients (GOLD stages 1-3).

Circulating desmosine levels do not predict emphysema progression but are associated with cardiovascular risk and mortality in COPD.

Elastin degradation is a key feature of emphysema and may have a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Circulating desmosine is a specific biomarker of elastin degradation. We investigated the association between plasma desmosine (pDES) and emphysema severity/progression, coronary artery calcium score (CACS) and mortality.

Traditional and emerging indicators of cardiovascular risk in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

With the increased cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality in subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), there is a priority to identify those patients at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Stable patients with COPD (n = 185) and controls with a smoking history (n = 106) underwent aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV), blood pressure (BP) and skin autofluorescence (AF) at clinical stability. Blood was sent for fasting lipids, soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) and CV risk prediction scores were calculated.

Exome-wide analysis of rare coding variation identifies novel associations with COPD and airflow limitation in MOCS3, IFIT3 and SERPINA12.

Background: Several regions of the genome have shown to be associated with COPD in genome-wide association studies of common variants.

Objective: To determine rare and potentially functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with the risk of COPD and severity of airflow limitation.

Methods: 3226 current or former smokers of European ancestry with lung function measures indicative of Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2 COPD or worse were genotyped using an exome array.

Role of the Timed Up and Go Test in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Purpose: The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test is a measure of functional mobility. It is a short test and requires minimal space. We determined the potential role of TUG test as a measure of function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and compared with controls.

Cardiovascular and inflammatory effects of simvastatin therapy in patients with COPD: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: There is excess cardiovascular mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Aortic stiffness, an independent predictor of cardiovascular risk, and systemic and airway inflammation are increased in patients with the disease. Statins modulate aortic stiffness and have anti-inflammatory properties.

Bath Salts Abuse Leading to New-Onset Psychosis and Potential for Violence.

Background: Bath salts have recently emerged as a popular designer drug of abuse causing significant hazardous effects on mental health and physical health, resulting in public health legislation making its usage illegal in the United States.

Objective: To educate mental health providers on the effects of the new designer drug bath salts, including its potential to cause psychosis and violence in patients.

Method: This is a case report on a 40-year-old male with no past psychiatric history who presented with new-onset psychosis and increased risk for violence after ingesting bath salts.

Target renal damage: the microvascular associations of increased aortic stiffness in patients with COPD.

Background: Although renal impairment has been described in COPD, there is opportunity to evaluate further to determine nature and consider optimal management. Increased aortic stiffness, as seen in COPD, leads to reduced buffering of pulsatile flow. We hypothesised that urinary albumin creatinine ratio (UACR) would reflect glomerular damage related to aortic stiffness.

Amniotic membrane in the surgical management of acute toxic epidermal necrolysis.

Objective: To report a new surgical technique to manage severe acute toxic epidermal necrolysis.

Design: Two interventional case reports.

Participants: Two patients.