Association between C-reactive protein and carotid plaque in mild-to-moderate idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

An association between C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and carotid plaque has never been investigated in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The aim of this study was to evaluate the extent of carotid atherosclerosis in mild-to-moderate IPF and to assess its relationship to serum CRP. This observational retrospective case-control study included 60 consecutive IPF patients (73.

Older Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Male Patients Are at a Higher Risk of Nintedanib Dose Reduction.

Background: Two pharmaceutical agents have been approved for treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF): pirfenidone and nintedanib.

Objectives: We investigated the need of dose reduction in consecutive patients treated with nintedanib in relation to gender and body max index, comparing the population over and under 80 years of age.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of all consecutive IPF patients treated with nintedanib for at least 3 months.

Early left atrial dysfunction in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients without chronic right heart failure.

No data are actually available regarding the left atrial (LA) functional assessment by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) in early-stage idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The primary end-point of our study was to assess whether global LA peak strain (GLAPS), measured by 2D-STE analysis, may detect early alterations in LA function in IPF patients without right heart failure (RHF). Between September 2017 and January 2019, 50 consecutive IPF patients (73.

Pharmacological assessment of the onset of action of aclidinium and glycopyrronium versus tiotropium in COPD patients and human isolated bronchi.

Preclinical studies suggested that aclidinium and glycopyrronium might have a faster onset of action than tiotropium. In this study we assessed the onset of action of aclidinium and glycopyrronium versus tiotropium, all administered at the approved clinical doses, in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and in human isolated bronchi by using different concentrations. Sixteen COPD patients inhaled single doses of aclidinium 400µg, glycopyrronium 50μg and tiotropium 18µg and FEV1 was measured to assess their onset of action.

The clinical use of regenerative therapy in COPD.

Regenerative or stem cell therapy is an emerging field of treatment based on stimulation of endogenous resident stem cells or administration of exogenous stem cells to treat diseases or injury and to replace malfunctioning or damaged tissues. Current evidence suggests that in the lung, these cells may participate in tissue homeostasis and regeneration after injury. Animal and human studies have demonstrated that tissue-specific stem cells and bone marrow-derived cells contribute to lung tissue regeneration and protection, and thus administration of exogenous stem/progenitor cells or humoral factors responsible for the activation of endogenous stem/progenitor cells may be a potent next-generation therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.