Genome-wide MicroRNA Expression Profiles in COPD: Early Predictors for Cancer Development.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) significantly increases the risk of developing cancer. Biomarker studies frequently follow a case-control set-up in which patients diagnosed with a disease are compared to controls. Longitudinal cohort studies such as the COPD-centered German COPD and SYstemic consequences-COmorbidities NETwork (COSYCONET) study provide the patient and biomaterial base for discovering predictive molecular markers.

Persistence of de novo donor specific HLA-Antibodies after lung transplantation: a potential marker of decreased patient survival.

The impact of de novo donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies (DSA) on outcomes in lung transplantation is still a matter of debate. We hypothesize that differentiating DSA by persistent and transient appearance may offer an additional risk assessment. The clinical relevance of HLA-antibodies was investigated prospectively in 72 recipients with a median follow-up period of 21 months.

Greenness and job-related chronic stress in young adults: a prospective cohort study in Germany.

Objectives: We aimed to prospectively study the association between normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) as a measure of greenness around homes and occupational stress.

Setting: A population-based cohort in Munich and Dresden cities was followed from age 16-18 years to age 20-23 years (n=1632).

Participants: At baseline, all participants attended high-school while at follow-up some had started working and others studying at university.

Uric acid, lung function, physical capacity and exacerbation frequency in patients with COPD: a multi-dimensional approach.

Background: Recent investigations showed single associations between uric acid levels, functional parameters, exacerbations and mortality in COPD patients. The aim of this study was to describe the role of uric acid within the network of multiple relationships between function, exacerbation and comorbidities.

Methods: We used baseline data from the German COPD cohort COSYCONET which were evaluated by standard multiple regression analyses as well as path analysis to quantify the network of relations between parameters, particularly uric acid.

Quality of life assessment in interstitial lung diseases:a comparison of the disease-specific K-BILD with the generic EQ-5D-5L.

Background: Patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILD) have impaired health-related quality of life (HRQL). Little is known about the applicability of the disease-specific King's Brief Interstitial Lung Disease questionnaire (K-BILD) and the generic EQ-5D-5L in a German setting.

Methods: We assessed disease-specific (K-BILD) and generic HRQL (EQ-5D experience based value set (EBVS) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS)) in 229 patients with different ILD subtypes in a longitudinal observational study (HILDA).

Relationship of spirometric, body plethysmographic, and diffusing capacity parameters to emphysema scores derived from CT scans.

Phenotyping of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with computed tomography (CT) is used to distinguish between emphysema- and airway-dominated type. The phenotype is reflected in correlations with lung function measures. Among these, the relative value of body plethysmography has not been quantified.

Associations between comorbidities, their treatment and survival in patients with interstitial lung diseases - a claims data analysis.

Background: Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are associated with a high burden of disease. However, data on the prognostic impact of comorbidities and comorbidity-related pharmaceutical treatments in patients with various ILDs remain sparse.

Methods: Using longitudinal claims data from a German Statutory Health Insurance Fund, we assessed comorbidity in ILD subtypes and associated drug treatments.

Handgrip strength is associated with improved spirometry in adolescents.

Introduction: Pulmonary rehabilitation, including aerobic exercise and strength training, improves function, such as spirometric indices, in lung disease. However, we found spirometry did not correlate with physical activity (PA) in healthy adolescents (Smith ERJ: 42(4), 2016). To address whether muscle strength did, we measured these adolescents' handgrip strength and correlated it with spirometry.

Association between air pollution and rhinitis incidence in two European cohorts.

Background: The association between air pollution and rhinitis is not well established.

Aim: The aim of this longitudinal analysis was to study the association between modeled air pollution at the subjects' home addresses and self-reported incidence of rhinitis.

Methods: We used data from 1533 adults from two multicentre cohorts' studies (EGEA and ECRHS).

Airway obstruction and lung hyperinflation in COPD are linked to an impaired left ventricular diastolic filling.

Aims: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cardiovascular diseases are thought to be linked through various factors. We aimed to assess the relationship between airway obstruction, lung hyperinflation and diastolic filling in COPD.

Methods: The study population was a subset of the COPD cohort COSYCONET.

Cost-effectiveness of alternative smoking cessation scenarios in Spain: results from the EQUIPTMOD.

Aims: To assess the cost-effectiveness of alternative smoking cessation scenarios from the perspective of the Spanish National Health Service (NHS).

Design: We used the European study on Quantifying Utility of Investment in Protection from Tobacco model (EQUIPTMOD), a Markov-based state transition economic model, to estimate the return on investment (ROI) of: (a) the current provision of smoking cessation services (brief physician advice and printed self-helped material + smoking ban and tobacco duty at current levels); and (b) four alternative scenarios to complement the current provision: coverage of proactive telephone calls; nicotine replacement therapy (mono and combo) [prescription nicotine replacement therapy (Rx NRT)]; varenicline (standard duration); or bupropion. A rate of 3% was used to discount life-time costs and benefits.

Estimates of costs for modelling return on investment from smoking cessation interventions.

Background And Aims: Modelling return on investment (ROI) from smoking cessation interventions requires estimates of their costs and benefits. This paper describes a standardized method developed to source both economic costs of tobacco smoking and costs of implementing cessation interventions for a Europe-wide ROI model [European study on Quantifying Utility of Investment in Protection from Tobacco model (EQUIPTMOD)].

Design: Focused search of administrative and published data.

Acute health effects of desktop 3D printing (fused deposition modeling) using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and polylactic acid materials: An experimental exposure study in human volunteers.

3D printers are increasingly run at home. Nanoparticle emissions from those printers have been reported, which raises the question whether adverse health effects from ultrafine particles (UFP) can be elicited by 3D printers. We exposed 26 healthy adults in a single-blinded, randomized, cross-over design to emissions of a desktop 3D printer using fused deposition modeling (FDM) for 1 hour (high UFP-emitting acrylonitrile butadiene styrene [ABS] vs low-emitting polylactic acid [PLA]).

Compatibility of medication with PRISCUS criteria and identification of drug interactions in a large cohort of patients with COPD.

Patients with COPD are often of advanced age and have a high number of medications due to their lung disease and comorbidities. Thus they are at risk for unwanted effects from drugs, either due to age or due to interactions between drugs. These issues are not clarified.

The revised GOLD 2017 COPD categorization in relation to comorbidities.

Introduction: The COPD classification proposed by the Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease was recently revised, and the A to D grouping is now based on symptoms and exacerbations only. Potential associations with comorbidities have not been assessed so far. Thus the aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between the revised (2017) GOLD groups A-D and major comorbidities.

Association of generic health-related quality of life (EQ-5D dimensions) and inactivity with lung function in lung-healthy German adults: results from the KORA studies F4L and Age.

Purpose: Among patients with lung disease, decreased lung function is associated with lower health-related quality of life. However, whether this association is detectable within the physiological variability of respiratory function in lung-healthy populations is unknown. We analyzed the association of each EQ-5D-3L dimension (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression) and self-reported physical inactivity with spirometric indices in lung-healthy adults.

Heterogeneous pattern of differences in respiratory parameters between elderly with either good or poor FEV.

Background: The relationship of spirometric values to other respiratory and functional parameters in advanced age is not well studied. We assessed this relationship in elderly subjects with either good or poor spirometric parameters to reveal whether different domains of lung function show comparable differences between the two groups.

Methods: Among subjects of the population-based KORA-Age cohort (n = 935, 65-90y; 51% male) two groups were selected from either the lower (LED; n = 51) or the upper (UED; n = 72) end of the FEV distribution.

Cost-effectiveness of possible future smoking cessation strategies in Hungary: results from the EQUIPTMOD.

Aims: To evaluate potential health and economic returns from implementing smoking cessation interventions in Hungary.

Methods: The EQUIPTMOD, a Markov-based economic model, was used to assess the cost-effectiveness of three implementation scenarios: (a) introducing a social marketing campaign; (b) doubling the reach of existing group-based behavioural support therapies and proactive telephone support; and (c) a combination of the two scenarios. All three scenarios were compared with current practice.

Clinical workflow optimization to improve 4DCT reconstruction for Toshiba Aquilion CT scanners.

Respiratory motion remains a source of major uncertainties in radiotherapy. Respiratory correlated computed tomography (referred to as 4DCT) serves as one way of reducing breathing artifacts in 3D-CTs and allows the investigation of tumor motion over time. The quality of the 4DCT images depends on the data acquisition scheme, which in turn is dependent on the vendor.

An approach to the asthma-protective farm effect by geocoding: Good farms and better farms.

Background: The highly consistent association of growing up on a farm with a reduced asthma risk has so far been attributed to direct farm exposure. In contrast, geographic determinants of the larger environment have never been assessed. In this study, the effects of proximity to farms and environmental variables in relation to the residential address on asthma and atopy were assessed.

Leisure-time vigorous physical activity is associated with better lung function: the prospective ECRHS study.

Objective: We assessed associations between physical activity and lung function, and its decline, in the prospective population-based European Community Respiratory Health Survey cohort.

Methods: FEV and FVC were measured in 3912 participants at 27-57 years and 39-67 years (mean time between examinations=11.1 years).

Association of physical activity with lung function in lung-healthy German adults: results from the KORA FF4 study.

Background: In lung disease, physical activity (PA) yields beneficial health effects, but its association with the function of healthy lungs has rarely been studied. We investigated the association of accelerometer-based PA with spirometric indices, maximal inspiratory mouth pressure (PI) and lung diffusion capacity in lung-healthy adults.

Methods: In total, 341 apparently lung-healthy participants from the population-based KORA (Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg) FF4 cohort study (45% male, aged 48-68 years, 47% never smokers) completed lung function testing and wore ActiGraph accelerometers over a one week period at the hip.

The contribution of symptoms and comorbidities to the economic impact of COPD: an analysis of the German COSYCONET cohort.

Background: Although patients with COPD often have various comorbidities and symptoms, limited data are available on the contribution of these aspects to health care costs. This study analyzes the association of frequent comorbidities and common symptoms with the annual direct and indirect costs of patients with COPD.

Methods: Self-reported information on 33 potential comorbidities and symptoms (dyspnea, cough, and sputum) of 2,139 participants from the baseline examination of the German COPD cohort COSYCONET was used.

The neonatal window of opportunity-early priming for life.

The concept of the neonatal window of opportunity assigns the early postnatal period a critical role for lifelong host-microbial and immune homeostasis. It is supported by epidemiological evidence that links postnatal environmental exposure with disease susceptibility and mechanisms in the neonate host that facilitate the postnatal transposition, establish a stable microbiome, and promote immune maturation. During the conference on “The neonatal window of opportunity – early priming for life,” postnatal micro-biome and immune maturation, epidemiological evidence, and fundamental mechanisms were discussed to identify new targets for future preventive and interventional measures.