In contrast to lung fibroblasts--no signs of senescence in skin fibroblasts of patients with emphysema.

Smoking is known to be linked to skin ageing and there is evidence for premature senescence of parenchymal lung fibroblasts in emphysema. To reveal whether the emphysema-related changes in cellular phenotype extend beyond the lung, we compared the proliferation characteristics of lung and skin fibroblasts between patients with and without emphysema. Parenchymal lung fibroblasts and skin fibroblasts from the upper torso (thus limiting sun exposure bias) were obtained from patients without, or with mild, or with moderate to severe emphysema undergoing lung surgery.

Extrapulmonary effects of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on physical activity: a cross-sectional study.

Rationale: Physical activity is reduced in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD has a systemic component that includes significant extrapulmonary effects that may contribute to its severity in individual patients.

Objectives: To investigate the association of extrapulmonary effects of the disease and its comorbidities with reduced physical activity in patients with COPD.

[New pharmacological options in the therapy of COPD].

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible, mostly progressive and associated with an abnormal inflammatory reaction. The course of this pulmonary disease is influenced by systemic inflammation and comorbidities. COPD is caused by inhaled gases and particles and therefore avoidance of inhalative smoking results in symptomatic relief and improvement of the course of the disease.

[Comorbidities of COPD].

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often associated with comorbidities. Cardiovascular diseases, weight loss, loss of fat free mass combined with muscle dysfunction, osteoporosis and depression are the main comorbidities in COPD. Cardiovascular comorbidities, weight loss and loss of fat free mass are predictors of mortality of patients with COPD.

[Pharmacological treatment of COPD and future of anti-inflammatory therapy].

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible. It is caused by chronic inflammation of the airways and the lung parenchyma. Symptomatic treatment is based on bronchodilatation, which leads to a reduction of hyperinflation and relief of dyspnea.

Severe rhabdomyolysis, acute renal failure and posterior encephalopathy after 'magic mushroom' abuse.

We report the case of a 25-year-old, hepatitis C-infected man, who presented with severe rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure, and later developed posterior encephalopathy with cortical blindness after the ingestion of magic mushrooms. Conventional respiratory and cardiovascular support including mechanical ventilation, continuous veno-venous hemodialysis and corticosteroids led to improvement and the patient recovered completely over the following months. Magic mushrooms are becoming increasingly fashionable among drug users, as they are believed to be more harmless than other hallucinogenic designer drugs.

Micro-CT of the human lung: imaging of alveoli and virtual endoscopy of an alveolar duct in a normal lung and in a lung with centrilobular emphysema--initial observations.

The appearance of human lung parenchyma at the structural level of alveoli was investigated by the use of micro-computed tomography (CT). Approval for use of autopsy lungs was given by the head of the pathology institute of the university, in accordance with the requirements of the State Ministry of Science and Arts and without the need for institutional review board approval. Two human lungs (one normal lung and one lung with centrilobular emphysema of a mild to moderate degree) were inflated and fixed with hot formalin vapor.

[Bronchioloalveolar carcinoma of the lung associated with a highly positive pANCA-titer and clinical signs of microscopic polyangiitis].

Autoimmune paraneoplastic processes are investigated in detail concerning the Lambert-Eaton-Myasthenic-Syndrome for bronchial carcinomas. For the cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis as a non-ANCA-associated vasculitis the paraneoplastic genesis is described. Litttle is known about ANCA-associated vasculitis as a paraneoplastic autoimmune phenomenon.