How can autoantibodies predict the long-term outcome of patients with interstitial lung disease? Results from a retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate whether positive serum autoantibodies (AAbs) have any impact on survival and time evolution of radiological findings and pulmonary function indices in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD).

Patients And Methods: Ninety four patients with regular clinical, functional and high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) imaging follow-up for at least 12 consecutive months and complete testing for a panel of AAbs most commonly associated with ILD were enrolled in this retrospective two-center study. Eligible patients were divided into two groups based on the presence [ILD/AAb(+)] (n = 69) or absence [ILD/AAb(-)] (n = 25) of positive serum AAbs.

Respiratory and lower limb muscle function in interstitial lung disease.

Growing evidence suggests that respiratory and limb muscle function may be impaired in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). Importantly, muscle dysfunction could promote dyspnoea, fatigue and functional limitation all of which are cardinal features of ILD. This article examines the risk factors for skeletal muscle dysfunction in ILD, reviews the current evidence on overall respiratory and limb muscle function and focuses on the occurrence and implications of skeletal muscle dysfunction in ILD.

Innate immunity alterations in idiopathic interstitial pneumonias and rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung diseases.

Background: This is a prospective cohort study elucidating innate immunity in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP), rheumatoid arthritis-associated usual interstitial pneumonia (RA-UIP) and RA-associated non specific interstitial pneumonia (RA-NSIP).

Methods: 23 IPF subjects, 9 COP subjects, 5 RA-UIP subjects, 8 RA-NSIP subjects were enrolled. 10 subjects were excluded.

A prospective study on bacterial and atypical etiology of acute exacerbation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Aim: The bacterial and atypical etiology of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was investigated and the diagnostic techniques used were compared among 92 hospitalized patients.

Materials & Methods: Sputum specimens were investigated using culture and PCR, serological status evaluation was performed and the inflammatory profile was associated with the microbiological results.

Results & Conclusion: The majority of the patients (65.

A case of tracheal hamartoma resected with loop electrocautery.

The authors report on the case of a 67-year-old man with longstanding breathlessness, which was eventually attributed to a fixed mass in the upper third of the trachea causing upper airway obstruction. The lesion was amenable to loop electrocautery resection via flexible bronchoscopy that led to prompt resolution of patient symptoms. Biopsy was consistent with tracheal hamartoma, an exceedingly rare benign tracheal tumor.

Decreased apoptotic rate of alveolar macrophages of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Introduction. Increased apoptosis of epithelial cells and decreased apoptosis of myofibroblasts are involved in the pathogenesis of IPF. The apoptotic profile of alveolar macrophages (AMs) in IPF is unclear.

Prognostic value of C-reactive protein in parapneumonic effusions.

Background And Objective: Parapneumonic effusions (PPE) that require drainage are referred to as complicated parapneumonic effusions (CPPE). Following resolution of these effusions, residual pleural thickening (RPT) may persist. We hypothesize that the concentrations of CRP in pleural fluid (CRP(pf)) and serum (CRP(ser)) can be used to identify CPPE and to predict RPT.

Cryptogenic and secondary organizing pneumonia: clinical presentation, radiographic findings, treatment response, and prognosis.

Background: Organizing pneumonia (OP) is a distinct clinical and pathologic entity. This condition can be cryptogenic (COP) or secondary to other known causes (secondary OP). In the present study, we reviewed the features associated with COP and secondary OP in patients from two teaching hospitals.

Acute exacerbations of interstitial lung diseases.

Purpose Of Review: This review aims to highlight recent advances in pathogenesis, clinical presentation and treatment of interstitial lung diseases (ILDs).

Recent Findings: Acute exacerbation is increasingly recognized as a major complication in the course of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. It is precipitated by a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic factors.

Organizing pneumonia.

Organizing pneumonia (OP) is a histologic term characterized by patchy filling of alveoli and bronchioles by loose plugs of connective tissue. OP may be an incidental finding in lung biopsy specimens or may be found nearby areas of lung involved by other diseases. On other occasions, OP may be the primary cause for pulmonary dysfunction and/or pulmonary symptoms.

The impact on community acquired pneumonia empirical therapy of diagnostic bronchoscopic techniques.

The aim of the present study was to examine the modification of initial empirical treatment based on the microbiological results of bronchoscopic techniques after comparing the diagnostic yield of protected specimen brush (PSB) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in the immunocompetent patient with community acquired pneumonia (CAP) with results obtained from conventional sputum cultures. 88 patients with presumptive diagnosis of CAP necessitating hospitalization were prospectively studied. Fibreoptic bronchoscopy with quantitative PSB and BAL cultures for common pathogens, mycobacteria and fungi was performed.

Terminal diffuse alveolar damage in relation to interstitial pneumonias. An autopsy study.

Acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis/cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis (IPF/CFA) are rare and typically terminal events, but their relationship to underlying patterns of idiopathic interstitial pneumonias is unknown. We reviewed autopsy material from patients who died of diffuse alveolar damage in the clinical setting of pulmonary fibrosis, both idiopathic and with background fibrosing alveolitis with connective tissue disorders (FA-CTDs), and compared them with cases of acute interstitial pneumonia. Of 15 patients with acute exacerbations of IPF/CFA (n = 12) or FA-CTD (n = 3), 12 had a background pattern of usual interstitial pneumonia and 3 had fibrotic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia.

Histopathologic subsets of fibrosing alveolitis in patients with systemic sclerosis and their relationship to outcome.

Fibrosing alveolitis associated with systemic sclerosis (FASSc) has a better prognosis than idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. In view of recent reports that idiopathic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) has a better prognosis than idiopathic usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP), we classified histologic appearances of surgical lung biopsies performed in 80 patients with FASSc. NSIP (n = 62, 77.