Diagnostic yield of bacteriological tests and predictors of severe outcome in adult patients with COVID-19 presenting to the emergency department.

Background: Guidelines recommend maximal efforts to obtain blood and sputum cultures in patients with COVID-19, as bacterial coinfection is associated with worse outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the yield of bacteriological tests, including blood and sputum cultures, and the association of multiple biomarkers and the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) with clinical and microbiological outcomes in patients with COVID-19 presenting to the emergency department (ED).

Methods: This is a substudy of a large observational cohort study (PredictED study).

Mesenchymal stromal cells: a novel therapy for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?

COPD is characterised by tissue destruction and inflammation. Given the lack of curative treatments and the progressive nature of the disease, new treatments for COPD are highly relevant. In vitro cell culture and animal studies have demonstrated that mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have the capacity to modify immune responses and to enhance tissue repair.

Cigarette Smoke Modulates Repair and Innate Immunity following Injury to Airway Epithelial Cells.

Cigarette smoking is the main risk factor associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and contributes to COPD development and progression by causing epithelial injury and inflammation. Whereas it is known that cigarette smoke (CS) may affect the innate immune function of airway epithelial cells and epithelial repair, this has so far not been explored in an integrated design using mucociliary differentiated airway epithelial cells. In this study, we examined the effect of whole CS exposure on wound repair and the innate immune activity of mucociliary differentiated primary bronchial epithelial cells, upon injury induced by disruption of epithelial barrier integrity or by mechanical wounding.

Functional characterisation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells from COPD patients.

Autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs) are evaluated for clinical use in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, but it is unclear whether COPD affects BM-MSCs. To investigate this, BM-MSCs from nine COPD patients and nine non-COPD age-matched controls were compared with regard to immunophenotype, growth and differentiation potential, and migration capacity. Other functional assays included the response to pro-inflammatory stimuli and inducers of the nuclear factor (erythroid derived 2)-like 2 antioxidant response element (Nrf2-ARE) pathway, and effects on NCI-H292 airway epithelial cells.

A phase I study for intravenous autologous mesenchymal stromal cell administration to patients with severe emphysema.

Background: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) may reduce inflammation and promote tissue repair in pulmonary emphysema.

Aim: To study the safety and feasibility of bone marrow-derived autologous (BM-) MSC intravenous administration to patients with severe emphysema.

Design: A phase I, prospective open-label study registered at ClinicalTrials.