Effect of erdosteine on the rate and duration of COPD exacerbations: the RESTORE study.

Oxidative stress contributes to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations and antioxidants can decrease exacerbation rates, although we lack data about the effect of such drugs on exacerbation duration.The RESTORE (Reducing Exacerbations and Symptoms by Treatment with ORal Erdosteine in COPD) study was a prospective randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, enrolling patients aged 40-80 years with Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stage II/III. Patients received erdosteine 300 mg twice daily or placebo added to usual COPD therapy for 12 months.

Survey on attitudes of Italian pediatricians toward cough.

Context: Children's cough is a daily concern for most pediatricians. The management of both acute and chronic cough requires a systematic and comprehensive approach. Despite the approved protocols for management, the pediatric assessment of cough and the corresponding prescribing attitude frequently do not fit these protocols, which can be affected by parental suggestions - sometimes substantially.

Galectin-3: an early predictive biomarker of modulation of airway remodeling in patients with severe asthma treated with omalizumab for 36 months.

Background: Bronchial asthma is a heterogeneous disease characterized by three cardinal features: chronic inflammation, variable airflow obstruction, and airway hyperresponsiveness. Asthma has traditionally been defined using nonspecific clinical and physiologic variables that encompass multiple phenotypes and are treated with nonspecific anti-inflammatory therapies. Based on the modulation of airway remodeling after 12 months of anti-immunoglobulin E (IgE) treatment, we identified two phenotypes (omalizumab responder, OR; and non-omalizumab responder, NOR) and performed morphometric analysis of bronchial biopsy specimens.

Cost of persistent asthma in Italy.

Background: Asthma is a common disease of the airways with a significant burden for the society and for patients' quality of life. The Social Impact of Respiratory Integrated Outcomes (SIRIO) study estimated a mean cost of 1,177.40 € per patient/year in Italy, in 2007.

Cough: impact, beliefs, and expectations from a national survey.

Background: Cough is one of the most common discomforts affecting general population, which can disrupt subjects' quality of life due to its physical, social, and psychological effects. Aim of the study was to investigate the impact of cough and related beliefs of general population.

Methods: A cross-sectional telephone survey was carried out by means of a specific, validated questionnaire on a representative sample of Italian general population.

Erdosteine reduces the exercise-induced oxidative stress in patients with severe COPD: Results of a placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Erdosteine (ER), a multimechanism, mucoactive agent with anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, has been shown to improve lung function, decrease plasma reactive oxygen species (ROS), and 8-isoprostane levels in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Aim: To assess vs. placebo the effect of ER on the exercise-induced oxidative stress by measuring and comparing the release of pro-inflammatory mediators in severe COPD patients.

Fluticasone furoate/Vilanterol 92/22 μg once-a-day vs Beclomethasone dipropionate/ Formoterol 100/6 μg b.i.d.: a 12-week cost analysis in mild-to-moderate asthma.

Background: Asthma is a disease with high cost for the National Health Service. Two of the most recent LABA/ICS combinations for persistent bronchial asthma are Beclomethasone dipropionate/Formoterol (B/F) delivered via the Nexthaler device and Fluticasone furoate/Vilanterol (F/V) delivered via the Ellipta device. No comparison has been carried out yet in terms of cost analysis in asthma, to our knowledge.

The BODECOST Index (BCI): a composite index for assessing the impact of COPD in real life.

Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a progressive condition which is characterized by a dramatic socio-economic impact. Several indices were extensively investigated in order to asses the mortality risk in COPD, but the utilization of health care resources was never included in calculations. The aim of this study was to assess the predictive value of annual cost of care on COPD mortality at three years, and to develop a comprehensive index for easy calculation of mortality risk in real life.

Prevalence of different comorbidities in COPD patients by gender and GOLD stage.

Background: Several comorbidities frequently affect COPD progression. Aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of main comorbidities by gender and disease severity in a cohort of COPD patients referring for the first time to a specialist institution.

Methods: The study was a non-interventional, cross-sectional investigation carried out via automatic and anonymous selection from the institutional data base over the period 2012-2015.

Efficacy of erdosteine 900 versus 600 mg/day in reducing oxidative stress in patients with COPD exacerbations: Results of a double blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) are associated with increased airway and systemic inflammation. There is evidence that erdosteine accelerates recovery from AECOPD by reducing airway inflammation.

Aim: To investigate the dose-dependent antioxidant/anti-inflammatory activity of erdosteine in COPD patients.

Cognitive dysfunction in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with or without Long-Term Oxygen Therapy (LTOT).

Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a progressive respiratory condition which can lead to comorbidities of variable severity, cognitive dysfunction included. The role of supplemental oxygen in preventing COPD-induced cognitive deterioration is still debated, but only episodically investigated. The aim of this study was to compare the cognitive pattern of hypoxemic COPD subjects treated with long-term oxygen (LTOT) to that of patients of comparable severity assuming oxygen on irregular basis, and to normal reference values.