Clinical course of mild-to-moderate idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis during therapy with pirfenidone: Results of the non-interventional study AERplus.

Introduction: Pirfenidone was the first anti-fibrotic drug approved in Europe in 2011 for the treatment of mild-to-moderate idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Objectives: To investigate the clinical course of mild-to-moderate idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in pirfenidone-treated patients in a real-world setting.

Methods: The non-interventional study was conducted at 18 sites in Germany from 6/2014-12/2016.

The immunostimulatory activity of sea spray aerosols: bacteria and endotoxins activate TLR4, TLR2/6, NF-κB and IRF in human cells.

Frequent exposure to sea spray aerosols (SSA) containing marine microorganisms and bioactive compounds may influence human health. However, little is known about potential immunostimulation by SSA exposure. This study focuses on the effects of marine bacteria and endotoxins in SSA on several receptors and transcription factors known to play a key role in the human innate immune system.

Solitary fibrous tumours of the pleura: do we need a different perspective on malignancy?

Objectives: Solitary fibrous tumours of the pleura (SFTP) are historically considered to be benign soft tissue neoplasms. However, a clinical relevant number of these neoplasms have malignant histological features. The objective of this study was to evaluate the percentage of SFTP presenting unfavourable clinical behaviour in order to predict negative long-term outcome.

At second glance: The importance of strict quality control - A case study on microplastic in the Southern Ocean key species Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba.

The stomach content of 60 krill specimens from the Southern Ocean were analyzed for the presence of microplastic (MP), by testing different sample volumes, extraction approaches, and applying hyperspectral imaging Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (μFTIR). Strict quality control was applied on the generated results. A high load of residual materials in pooled samples hampered the analysis and avoided a reliable determination of putative MP particles.

Development and Update of Guideline-based Quality Indicators in Lung Cancer.

Background: In 2022, an update of the German lung cancer guideline, first published in 2010 and revised in 2018, was released. This article aims to show the process of updating, developing, and implementing guideline-based quality indicators (QI) into the certification system for lung cancer centers (LCC).

Methods: A multidisciplinary and interprofessional working group revised the guideline QIs from 2018 using the strong recommendations of the guideline update, a systematic review for QIs, and the results of the implemented QIs from LCC.