Multum non multa: airway distensibility by forced oscillations.

Airway distensibility although appears to be unaffected by airway smooth muscle tone probably related to airway remodelling, after bronchodilator treatment is significantly increased in subjects with asthma. We assessed airway distensibity and its first moment derivative in two patients with mild intermittent asthma and normal spirometry. The increase in airway distensibility after bronchodilation measured at the tidal volume range during quiet breathing by forced oscillations was not accompanied by a change in its first moment, while the latter showed a significant increase in a second patient after anti-inflammatory treatment.

Increased pulse wave velocity and arterial hypertension in young patients with thoracic aortic endografts.

Background: Hypertension after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is a medical complication not widely investigated. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that TEVAR in young patients suffering from thoracic aortic transection alters pulse wave velocity (PWV) and reflected wave velocity and induces arterial hypertension.

Methods: The data concerning 11 young patients (all men with a mean age of 26.

Prediction of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in a large Greek population.

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the predictive value of anthropometric measurements and self-reported symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in a large number of not yet diagnosed or treated patients. Commonly used clinical indices were used to derive a prediction formula that could identify patients at low and high risk for OSAS.

Methods: Two thousand six hundred ninety patients with suspected OSAS were enrolled.

C-reactive protein evolution in obstructive sleep apnoea patients under CPAP therapy.

Background: C-reactive protein (CRP) is recognized as a potential factor implicated in atherogenesis and associated cardiovascular morbidity. The aim of our study was to assess the CRP evolution during 1-year follow-up period in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) patients under CPAP treatment.

Methods: Five hundred and twenty-eight patients with newly diagnosed moderate to severe OSA were included.

Utility of formulas predicting the optimal nasal continuous positive airway pressure in a Greek population.

Background: There have been reports that optimal CPAP pressure can be predicted from a previously derived formula, with the Hoffstein formula being the most accurate and accepted in the literature so far. However, the validation of this predictive model has not been applied in different clinical settings. Our aim was to compare both the Hoffstein prediction formula and a newly derived formula to the CPAP pressure setting assessed during a formal CPAP titration study.

How common is sleep-disordered breathing in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis?

Background And Aim: The frequency of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) remains controversial. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of OSAHS in newly diagnosed IPF patients and to identify possible correlations with body mass index and pulmonary function testing parameters.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-four newly diagnosed IPF patients were included.

Unilateral lymphocytic pleuritis as a manifestation of familial Mediterranean fever.

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive disease affecting predominantly populations surrounding the Mediterranean basin. It is the most prevalent hereditary periodic fever syndrome characterized mainly by recurrent and short attacks of fever and serositis (pleuritis, arthritis, peritonitis). Unilateral polymorphonuclear exudative pleuritis associated with fever has been reported as the solitary manifestation of the first FMF attack, in < 10% of patients.

Drug-induced pulmonary toxicity in a patient treated with mesalazine and azathioprine for ulcerative colitis.

We report a case of an 18-yr-old male with high-grade persistent fever, productive cough, malaise, diarrhea and associated abnormal findings on chest radiography. The patient suffered from ulcerative colitis receiving mesalazine and azathioprine. After a further and scrutinized work-up the diagnosis of drug-induced pulmonary toxicity was made.

Pulmonary sarcoidosis associated with psoriasis vulgaris: coincidental occurrence or causal association? Case report.

Background: Sarcoidosis is rarely associated with a distinct disease. One disease infrequently associated with sarcoidosis is psoriasis.

Case Presentation: This case study describes a 38-year-old male, who presented with chest pain, high-grade fever, arthralgias and a skin rash accompanied by bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy on his chest radiograph.

Use of interrupter technique in assessment of bronchial responsiveness in normal subjects.

Background: A number of subjects, especially the very young and the elderly, are unable to cooperate and to perform forced expiratory manoeuvres in the evaluation of bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR). The objective of our study was to investigate the use of the interrupter technique as a method to measure the response to provocation and to compare it with the conventional PD20 FEV1.

Methods: We studied 170 normal subjects, 100 male and 70 female (mean +/- SD age, 38 +/- 8.

Reduced intracellular Mg concentrations in patients with acute asthma.

Study Objectives: To determine the intracellular and extracellular Mg concentrations in patients with acute asthma and their correlation with parameters expressing the disease severity.

Patients: Thirty patients with acute asthma (FEV(1), 56% predicted [SD, 14.5]), 20 patients with stable asthma (FEV(1), 97% predicted [SD, 10]), and 20 healthy subjects (FEV(1), 97% predicted [SD, 8]).