Silica-associated systemic lupus erythematosus with lupus nephritis and lupus pneumonitis: A case report and a systematic review of the literature.

Introduction: Several epidemiological studies have shown that silica exposure triggers the onset of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); however, the clinical characteristics of silica-associated SLE have not been well studied.

Patient Concerns: A 67-year-old man with silicosis visited a primary hospital because of a fever and cough. His respiratory condition worsened, regardless of antibiotic medication, and he was referred to our hospital.

A rare case of chest wall tuberculosis: Tuberculous scapulothoracic bursitis.

Chest wall tuberculosis is a relatively rare extrapulmonary tuberculosis, and is often difficult to diagnose and treat because of the lack of symptoms. The scapulothoracic joint is a special joint that does not have a joint capsule, cartilage, or synovial membrane but consists of muscle and bursa. Tuberculosis infection of the scapulothoracic joint is an extremely rare musculoskeletal tuberculosis of the chest wall.

Nintedanib can be used safely and effectively for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with predicted forced vital capacity ≤ 50%: A multi-center retrospective analysis.

Background: Nintedanib is a multi-kinase inhibitor approved for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF); however, its efficacy and safety for patients with IPF and restricted pulmonary function remain unclear. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of nintedanib for patients with IPF and forced vital capacity (FVC) ≤ 50%.

Methods: This was a multi-center retrospective study performed by the Okayama Respiratory Disease Study Group.

Rebiopsy with Thoracoscopy under Local Anesthesia for the Detection of EGFR T790M Mutation.

A 70-year-old woman underwent right upper lobectomy for adenocarcinoma of the lung (pT1bN2M0 stage IIIA). Five years after the surgery, lymph node recurrence was detected. Gefitinib was administered because epidermal growth factor (EGFR) exon 19 deletion mutation was detected in the previously resected surgical specimen.

Adenocarcinoma of the Lung Acquiring Resistance to Afatinib by Transformation to Small Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report.

A 65-year-old woman visited our hospital due to right chest pain and dyspnea on exertion. Chest radiography revealed decreased permeability of the right lung. Computed tomography demonstrated a huge mass in the right upper lobe and right pleural effusion.

Esophagobronchial Fistula in a Patient with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lung: A Case Report.

A 73-year-old man was referred to our hospital after a 2-week history of bloody sputum and cough. Computed tomography (CT) images of the chest showed a mass grouped with mediastinal lymph nodes, and bronchoscopy showed a projecting mass in the right main bronchus. After a transbronchial biopsy, the patient was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma (T4N2M0 stage IIIB).

Angiosarcoma of the thoracic wall responded well to nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel: A case report.

An 81-year-old woman visited a local clinic due to chest pain and a skin induration on the right precordia. She had a history of right breast cancer, and she had undergone a mastectomy and radiation therapy 10 years prior. Computed tomography (CT) imaging of the chest demonstrated a lobular mass that involved the right anterior thoracic wall and partially extruded from the thoracic cavity into the subcutaneous tissue.

Lymphoproliferative disorder in pleural effusion in a subject with past asbestos exposure.

Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that presents as serous effusions without detectable masses or organomegaly. Here we report a case of PEL-like lymphoma in a patient with past asbestos exposure. A 65-year-old man was referred to our hospital due to dyspnea upon exertion.

Brain metastases in malignant pleural mesothelioma.

The brain is a rare site of metastasis in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), and its clinical features and prognosis remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence, prognosis, and risk factors for brain metastases (BM) in MPM patients. Between July 1993 and October 2014, 150 patients with histologically proven MPM were included in this retrospective study.

Pilot Analysis of Asbestos-induced Diffuse Pleural Thickening with Respiratory Compromise.

We investigated the clinical features of asbestos-induced diffuse pleural thickening (DPT) with severe respiratory compromise. We conducted a retrospective study of consecutive subjects with asbestos-induced DPT. Medical data such as initial symptoms, radiological findings, respiratory function test results, and clinical course were collected and analyzed.

Prognostic significance of the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Objectives: Chronic inflammation plays a key role in the pathogenesis of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) as a result of asbestos exposure. Several inflammation-based prognostic scores including the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) reportedly predict survival in many malignancies, while the role of LMR in MPM remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical value of LMR and to compare the prognostic value of these inflammation-based scores in predicting overall survival (OS) in MPM.

Endobronchial T-cell lymphoma in a patient with chronic pyothorax.

We report a very rare case of primary endobronchial peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) not otherwise specified (NOS), which presented as an endobronchial tumor obstructing the main airway. An 81-year-old man was referred to our hospital for a 1-month history of productive cough and wheeze. Computed tomography revealed chronic pyothorax with calcified foci in the right lung and a mass inside the bronchus intermedius.

Effect of a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonist on experimental emphysema and asthma combined with emphysema.

The incidence of overlapping bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has increased in recent years. Cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs) play an important role in asthma, and the type 1 CysLT receptor (CysLT1R) is expressed by many inflammatory cells. We evaluated the effect of montelukast, a CysLT1R antagonist, on mouse models of asthma, porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE)-induced emphysema, and asthma combined with emphysema.

Hyaluronic acid in the pleural fluid of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Background: We retrospectively analyzed hyaluronic acid (HA) concentrations in pleural fluid and evaluated its utility for the differential diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM).

Methods: Pleural fluid HA concentrations were measured in 334 patients, including 50, 48, 85, 18, 86, 6, and 41 patients with MPM, benign asbestos pleurisy (BAP), lung cancer (LC), other malignant conditions (OMCs), infectious pleuritis (IP), collagen disease (CD), and other conditions, respectively.

Results: The median (range) HA concentrations in pleural fluid were 78,700 (7920-2,630,000)ng/ml in the MPM group, 35,950 (900-152,000)ng/ml in the BAP group, 19,500 (2270-120,000)ng/ml in the LC group, 14,200 (900-101,000)ng/ml in the OMC group, 23,000 (900-230,000)ng/ml in the IP group, 24,600 (9550-80,800)ng/ml in the CD group, and 8140 (900-67,800)ng/ml in the other diseases group.

Inhibition of neutrophil elastase attenuates airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation in a mouse model of secondary allergen challenge: neutrophil elastase inhibition attenuates allergic airway responses.

Background: Chronic asthma is often associated with neutrophilic infiltration in the airways. Neutrophils contain elastase, a potent secretagogue in the airways, nonetheless the role for neutrophil elastase as well as neutrophilic inflammation in allergen-induced airway responses is not well defined. In this study, we have investigated the impact of neutrophil elastase inhibition on the development of allergic airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in previously sensitized and challenged mice.

Brain abscess mimicking lung cancer metastases; a case report.

A 76-year-old woman came to us because of staggering, fever, dysarthria, and appetite loss. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain revealed multiple masses with surrounding edema. Chest X-ray and computed tomography demonstrated a mass-like lesion in the left lung and left pleural effusion.

Bilateral Pleural Effusions as an Initial Presentation in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome.

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by sicca symptoms. Interstitial pulmonary fibrosis and tracheobronchial sicca are the most common symptoms of pulmonary involvement in primary SjS, and they are rarely accompanied by serositis such as pleuritis or pericarditis. We report a case of SS presenting initially with bilateral pleural effusions.

Successful treatment with pemetrexed, Carboplatin, and bevacizumab for platinum-resistant adenocarcinoma of the lung.

WE PRESENT TWO CASES OF RELAPSED ADENOCARCINOMA OF THE LUNG: a 50-year-old male and a 67-year-old male. Both patients had previously been treated with platinum-containing systemic chemotherapy. In both cases, significant clinical efficacy was demonstrated with combination chemotherapy consisting of pemetrexed, carboplatin, and bevacizumab as salvage treatment.

Requirement for chemokine receptor 5 in the development of allergen-induced airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation.

Chemokine receptor (CCR) 5 is expressed on dendritic cells, macrophages, CD8 cells, memory CD4 T cells, and stromal cells, and is frequently used as a marker of T helper type 1 cells. Interventions that abrogate CCR5 or interfere with its ligand binding have been shown to alter T helper type 2-induced inflammatory responses. The role of CCR5 on allergic airway responses is not defined.