Patterns of lung disease in a "normal" smoking population: are emphysema and airflow obstruction found together?

Study Objectives: We determined whether emphysema demonstrated on high-resolution CT (HRCT) scanning in apparently well smokers is associated with airflow obstruction.

Interventions: Lung function testing and limited HRCT scanning.

Design: Lung function measurements and scans were analyzed independently of each other.

Bronchial responsiveness to beta-adrenergic stimulation and enhanced beta-blockade in asthma.

Objective: Beta-adrenergic blocking drugs have no effect on the airways of normal subjects but in asthma even small doses may cause severe deterioration. A seemingly obvious explanation for this abnormal sensitivity is that asthmatic airways, but not normal airways, are tonically dilated by the sympatho-adrenal system. However, studies suggest that sympatho-adrenal activity is normal in asthma, as is bronchial sensitivity to beta-agonists.

Purification and N-terminal amino acid sequence of sheep neutrophil cathepsin G and elastase.

Sheep cathepsin G (CG) and neutrophil elastase (NE) were isolated from a crude leukocyte membrane preparation by elastin-Sepharose 4B and CM-Sepharose 4B chromatography, followed by native preparative PAGE. The N-termini of CG and NE were sequenced to 24 and 20 residues, showing 96 and 85% identity with human CG and NE, respectively. During SDS-PAGE, sheep CG and NE migrated parallel to human CG and NE and have apparent molecular masses of 28 and 26 kDa, respectively.

Endogenous cortisol and lung damage in a predominantly smoking population.

We examined the association of endogenous corticosteroid status with lung structure and function in a cross-sectional and longitudinal study in response to a recent finding of a relationship between plasma cortisol and rate of annual decline in airway function. We recruited 74 cigarette-smoking and 20 never-smoking volunteers 35 to 65 yr of age after publicity in local media. Exclusion criteria were FEV1 < 1.