Clinical and microbiological characteristics and inflammatory profile during an exacerbation of COPD due to biomass exposure. A comparison with COPD due to tobacco exposure.

Background: Patients with biomass exposure-related COPD (BE-COPD) is a prevalent disease in developing countries and requires a detailed study of its clinical and inflammatory characteristics, specifying interventions that may differ from tobacco exposure-related COPD (TE-COPD). The objective was to describe clinical characteristics, biomarkers of inflammation, T-helper cells, and microbiological agents during a COPD exacerbation in BE-COPD in comparison with TE-COPD.

Methods: A prospective observational study in patients with moderate or severe exacerbation was recruited either in the emergency room or the COPD clinic.

Clinical characteristics of asthmatic patients with influenza-like illness and risk of severe exacerbations in Mexico.

Background: Patients with chronic inflammatory lung diseases, such as asthma, are at higher risk for influenza-like illness (ILI) complications. Viral infections are known to trigger asthma exacerbations, but a thorough description of the clinical characteristics of ILI-associated asthma exacerbations and the role of viruses as a risk factor for severe exacerbation (SE) in ILI has not been published yet.

Objective: To investigate risk factors for SE in patients with ILI and asthma.