Acute cardiovascular effects of electronic cigarettes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Electronic cigarette (EC) is widely advertised as a safe alternative to traditional cigarette (TC). We aimed to investigate the cardiovascular effect of EC with/without nicotine compared with TC. We systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL for randomized controlled trials that compared the effect of different smoking modalities on cardiovascular function up to 1 October 2024.

Upadacitinib and Cardiovascular Adverse Events in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Upadacitinib, a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor used in rheumatoid arthritis treatment, has prompted safety concerns due to potential cardiovascular adverse events. However, current evidence does not provide a definitive conclusion.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive systematic review of the literature up until March 15, 2024, utilizing databases like PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL.

Phage therapy: breathing new tactics into lower respiratory tract infection treatments.

Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) present a significant global health burden, exacerbated by the rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The persistence and evolution of multidrug-resistant bacteria intensifies the urgency for alternative treatments. This review explores bacteriophage (phage) therapy as an innovative solution to combat bacterial LRTIs.

Interstitial Lung Disease as an Emerging Contributor to Mortality in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Population-Based Epidemiological Study.

Introduction: We aim to investigate the contribution of interstitial lung disease (ILD) to mortality in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Methods: We performed a comprehensive retrospective, population-based epidemiological study across the United States from 2001 to 2020, using the Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research database. Mortality data were classified according to the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision , with the codes J84 for ILD, K50 for Crohn's disease, and K51 for ulcerative colitis.

Proposing the potential of utilizing the CAT score for early detection of COPD in asymptomatic patients, shifting towards a patient-centered approach: A review.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) constitutes a significant public health challenge, with delayed diagnosis and underdiagnosis being pervasive issues. The United States Preventive Service Task Force recommends restricting COPD screening to symptomatic smokers, a focus that has exhibited limitations, leading to delayed diagnoses, and imposing a substantial burden on patients, their families, and the healthcare system. This paper explores an alternative approach, highlighting the potential utility of the COPD assessment test (CAT) score as a prescreening tool.

Risk of 30-Day All-Cause Readmission in Interstitial Lung Disease Patients after COVID-19: National-Level Data.

Hospital readmission within 30 days poses challenges for healthcare providers, policymakers, and patients because of its impact on care quality, costs, and outcomes. Patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) are particularly affected by readmission, which is associated with increased morbidity and mortality and reduced quality of life. Because small sample sizes have hindered previous studies, this study seeks to address this gap in knowledge by examining a large-scale dataset.

Acthar Gel Treatment for Patients with Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases: An Historical Perspective and Characterization of Clinical Evidence.

Acthar Gel (repository corticotropin injection) is a naturally sourced complex mixture of adrenocorticotropic hormone analogs and other pituitary peptides that is believed to have both steroidogenic and nonsteroidogenic immunomodulatory effects via activation of melanocortin receptors in various cells throughout the body. Since 1952, Acthar has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat a variety of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Since 2014, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals has conducted a large number of preclinical, clinical, and real-world-evidence studies of Acthar for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis and polymyositis, multiple sclerosis relapse, ophthalmic disorders, sarcoidosis, and nephrotic syndrome.

Sarcoidosis-associated pulmonary fibrosis: joining the dots.

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disorder of unknown aetiology. A minority of patients with sarcoidosis develop sarcoidosis-associated pulmonary fibrosis (SAPF), which may become progressive. Genetic profiles differ between patients with progressive and self-limiting disease.

Complete Genome Sequencing of a Novel Pseudomonas aeruginosa Phage, UF_RH5.

Here, we introduce UF_RH5, a novel lytic phage targeting clinically isolated Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It belongs to the morphology family, genus, with a 42,566-bp genome with a GC content of 53.60%, encoding 58 proteins.

Complete Genome Sequence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Phage UF_RH6, Isolated from Human Lung.

We report the genome sequence of a lytic phage named UF_RH6, which infects Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This phage was isolated from a respiratory secretion sample from a patient with pulmonary P. aeruginosa.

Complete Genome Sequencing of the Novel Pseudomonas aeruginosa Phage UF_RH1.

Here, we present the genome sequence of a novel Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteriophage called UF_RH1. This lytic phage has a genome size of 42,567 bp and is classified as a member of the family and the genus. UF_RH1 shares genetic similarities with phage vB_SmaS-DLP_2.

Results From a Phase 4, Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Repository Corticotropin Injection for the Treatment of Pulmonary Sarcoidosis.

Introduction: Long-term treatment of pulmonary sarcoidosis with glucocorticoids has been associated with toxicity and other adverse events, highlighting the need for alternative therapies. The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of repository corticotropin injection (RCI, Acthar Gel) in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis and to validate endpoints for use in future clinical trials.

Methods: In this multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, subjects received subcutaneous RCI (80 U) twice weekly or matching placebo through 24 weeks in a double-blind treatment phase, followed by an optional 24-week open-label extension.

Management of nontuberculous mycobacteria in lung transplant cases: an international Delphi study.

Rationale: Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) diseases are difficult-to-treat infections, especially in lung transplant (LTx) candidates. Currently, there is a paucity of recommendations on the management of NTM infections in LTx, focusing on complex (MAC), and .

Methods: Pulmonologists, infectious disease specialists, LTx surgeons and Delphi experts with expertise in NTM were recruited.

Management of Polydrug-Resistant Tuberculosis.

: There is a lack of information regarding the effective duration of treatment necessary to prevent the development of acquired resistance when fluoroquinolones (FQ), and/or pyrazinamide (Z) resistance has occurred in patients with polydrug-resistant tuberculosis and isoniazid resistance. The management of these kinds of patients should be carried out in experienced centers according to drug susceptibility test results, clinical status of the patient and the extensity of the disease. : We evaluated treatment regimens, treatment outcomes, and drug adverse effects in seven patients with polydrug-resistant tuberculosis, including those with Z and/or FQ resistance in a retrospective analysis : Regarding the patients with polydrug-resistant tuberculosis in addition to isoniazid (H) resistance, three had Z, two had FQ, and the remaining two had both Z and FQ resistance.

Biochemical and genomic identification of novel biomarkers in progressive sarcoidosis: HBEGF, eNAMPT, and ANG-2.

Background: Progressive pulmonary fibrosis is a serious complication in subjects with sarcoidosis. The absence of reliable, non-invasive biomarkers that detect early progression exacerbates the difficulty in predicting sarcoidosis severity. To potentially address this unmet need, we evaluated a panel of markers for an association with sarcoidosis progression (HBEGF, NAMPT, IL1-RA, IL-6, IL-8, ANG-2).

Predicting COVID-19 cases using SARS-CoV-2 RNA in air, surface swab and wastewater samples.

Genomic footprints of pathogens shed by infected individuals can be traced in environmental samples, which can serve as a noninvasive method of infectious disease surveillance. The research evaluates the efficacy of environmental monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in air, surface swabs and wastewater to predict COVID-19 cases. Using a prospective experimental design, air, surface swabs, and wastewater samples were collected from a college dormitory housing roughly 500 students from March to May 2021 at the University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL.

Association of County-degree Social Vulnerability with Chronic Respiratory Disease Mortality in the United States.

Chronic respiratory diseases, the third leading cause of death worldwide, have been associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and increased economic burden that make a profound impact on individuals and communities. However, limited research has delineated complex relationships between specific sociodemographic disparities and chronic respiratory disease outcomes among U.S.