Statin therapy in patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the leading cause of death from infection in developed countries. There is evidence of an association between improved survival from infection and statin use. The possible beneficial effects of statins are complicated by the common use of macrolide antibiotics for pneumonia, with current guidance suggesting that concurrent macrolide and statin use is contraindicated.

Lipoxin A promotes lung epithelial repair whilst inhibiting fibroblast proliferation.

Therapy that promotes epithelial repair whilst protecting against fibroproliferation is critical for restoring lung function in acute and chronic respiratory diseases. Primary human alveolar type II cells were used to model the effects of lipoxin A upon wound repair, proliferation, apoptosis and transdifferention. Effects of lipoxin A upon primary human lung fibroblast proliferation, collagen production, and myofibroblast differentiation were also assessed.

Vitamin D Deficiency in Human and Murine Sepsis.

Objectives: Vitamin D deficiency has been implicated as a pathogenic factor in sepsis and ICU mortality but causality of these associations has not been demonstrated. To determine whether sepsis and severe sepsis are associated with vitamin D deficiency and to determine whether vitamin D deficiency influences the severity of sepsis.

Design, Setting, And Patients: Sixty-one patients with sepsis and severe sepsis from two large U.

Vitamin D deficiency contributes directly to the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Rationale: Vitamin D deficiency has been implicated as a pathogenic factor in sepsis and intensive therapy unit mortality but has not been assessed as a risk factor for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Causality of these associations has never been demonstrated.

Objectives: To determine if ARDS is associated with vitamin D deficiency in a clinical setting and to determine if vitamin D deficiency in experimental models of ARDS influences its severity.

Simvastatin to modify neutrophil function in older patients with septic pneumonia (SNOOPI): study protocol for a randomised placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is considered the leading cause of death from infectious disease in developed countries, while complications of CAP - sepsis being the most common and challenging - increase the risk of mortality. During the progression of sepsis, a state of neutrophil 'paralysis' develops resulting in the impairment of neutrophil anti-microbial functions including: chemotaxis, production of reactive oxygen species, and formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Mechanisms underlying defective neutrophil function remain elusive although NET formation has been implicated in the immunosuppression and increased rates of sepsis observed in neonates.

Vitamin D to prevent acute lung injury following oesophagectomy (VINDALOO): study protocol for a randomised placebo controlled trial.

Background: Acute lung injury occurs in approximately 25% to 30% of subjects undergoing oesophagectomy. Experimental studies suggest that treatment with vitamin D may prevent the development of acute lung injury by decreasing inflammatory cytokine release, enhancing lung epithelial repair and protecting alveolar capillary barrier function.

Methods/design: The 'Vitamin D to prevent lung injury following oesophagectomy trial' is a multi-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.