Post-capillary hypertension resulting from mitral regurgitation is typically considered a contraindication for single lung transplantation due to heightened risks of primary graft dysfunction. This case report highlights a 66-year-old COPD patient with severe mitral regurgitation who was deemed ineligible for surgical mitral replacement. As an alternative, transcatheter mitral valve replacement was successfully performed, resulting in the normalization of pulmonary artery pressures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The airway epithelium (AE) fulfils multiple functions to maintain pulmonary homeostasis, among which ensuring adequate barrier function, cell differentiation and polarization, and actively transporting immunoglobulin A (IgA), the predominant mucosal immunoglobulin in the airway lumen, via the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR). Morphological changes of the airways have been reported in ARDS, while their detailed features, impact for mucosal immunity, and causative mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to assess epithelial alterations in the distal airways of patients with ARDS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a devastating and irreversible lung disease, causes structural and functional defects in the bronchial epithelium, the (ir)reversibility of which remains unexplored in vitro. This study aimed to investigate the persistence of COPD-related epithelial defects in long-term airway epithelial cultures derived from non-smokers, smokers, and COPD patients. Barrier function, polarity, cell commitment, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and inflammation were evaluated and compared with native epithelium characteristics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRev Mal Respir
February 2022
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a lethal respiratory disease characterized by the excessive deposition of extracellular matrix in the alveolar zones. The bronchiolar epithelium has been implicated in the development of this disease and is capable of secreting IgA into the airway lumen thanks to its expression of the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor. Several elements indicate a dysregulation of this system, such as raised serum IgA levels in IPF patients and the pro-fibrotic effect of IgA on several key cell types.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2), the entry receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is expressed in type 2 alveolar epithelial cells (AT2) that may play key roles in postinjury repair. An imbalance between ACE2 and ACE has also been hypothesized to contribute to lung injury. To characterize the expression and distribution of ACE2 and ACE and to compare AT2 with endothelial cell expression in coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-related or -unrelated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInteractions between the lung epithelium and the immune system involve a tight regulation to prevent inappropriate reactions and have been connected to several pulmonary diseases. Although the distal lung epithelium and local immunity have been implicated in the pathogenesis and disease course of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), consequences of their abnormal interplay remain less well known. Recent data suggests a two-way process, as illustrated by the influence of epithelial-derived periplakin on the immune landscape or the effect of macrophage-derived IL-17B on epithelial cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVitamin D toxicity is associated with accidental overdoses due to manufacturing or intake errors and its secondary hypercalcemia can result in severe morbidity. Although patients with cystic fibrosis are potentially at increased risk for this intoxication as prescription of vitamin D preparations is a common practice in this population, the frequency of such events is currently unknown. We performed a retrospective analysis of all the files of cystic fibrosis patients followed at the Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc over a 10-year period, recording 25(OH)- and 1,25(OH)vitamin D levels as well as demographic data, lung function tests, Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection and results from pharmacological analysis of magistral liposoluble vitamins preparations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: Monogenic pulmonary fibrosis related to telomerase mutations is characterized by a large spectrum of clinical presentations. The disease may affect several organs including bone marrow, liver and skin. This case illustrates some of the most salient features of telomere-related Interstitial Lung Disease(ILD).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn many cases knee osteoarthritis leads to total knee replacement surgery (TKR) even if the lateral compartment is not involved. More recently, a bicompartmental knee replacement system (BKR) (Journey Deuce, Smith & Nephew Inc., Memphis, TN, USA) has been developed that only replaces the medial tibiofemoral and the patellofemoral compartments, thus preserving both cruciate ligaments with its associated benefits.
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