Increased frequency of the restless legs syndrome in adults with cystic fibrosis.

Background: Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) may suffer from iron deficiency which is a known risk factor for the restless legs syndrome (RLS), however, its prevalence has not yet been investigated in these subjects.

Patients And Methods: Adult out-patients with CF (n = 39) and healthy volunteers (n = 32) were recruited for this study. A diagnosis of RLS was made based on the diagnostic criteria established by the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG).

Neutrophil elastase cleaves epithelial cadherin in acutely injured lung epithelium.

Background: In acutely injured lungs, massively recruited polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) secrete abnormally neutrophil elastase (NE). Active NE creates a localized proteolytic environment where various host molecules are degraded leading to impairment of tissue homeostasis. Among the hallmarks of neutrophil-rich pathologies is a disrupted epithelium characterized by the loss of cell-cell adhesion and integrity.

Erratum to "Practical guidelines: lung transplantation in patients with cystic fibrosis".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2014/621342.].

Ultrasound of the pleurae and lungs.

The value of ultrasound techniques in examination of the pleurae and lungs has been underestimated over recent decades. One explanation for this is the assumption that the ventilated lungs and the bones of the rib cage constitute impermeable obstacles to ultrasound. However, a variety of pathologies of the chest wall, pleurae and lungs result in altered tissue composition, providing substantially increased access and visibility for ultrasound examination.