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Systematic pulmonary embolism follow-up: why we should all do it! Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-14 Luke S. Howard, Laura C. Price
Extract For many years now, the pulmonary hypertension community has been trying to narrow down on the true incidence of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) following pulmonary embolism. The study by Durrington et al. [1] in this issue of the European Respiratory Journal undoubtedly gets us closer, suggesting a cumulative incidence of 2.1%; however, with 41% of the entire post-pulmonary
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Reply to: Insights on the ERS/ESTS statement on the management of pleural infection in adults Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-14 Eihab O. Bedawi, Najib M. Rahman
Extract We thank Y. Li and co-workers for their interest in the European Respiratory Society/European Society of Thoracic Surgeons statement on the management of pleural infection, recently published in the European Respiratory Journal [1]. Our interpretation of their correspondence is that they have misunderstood "IPC" to denote a standard chest drain or tube used, with a well-established evidence
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Insights on the ERS/ESTS statement on the management of pleural infection in adults Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-14 Yalun Li, Hao Zeng, Panwen Tian, Weimin Li
Extract We read with great interest the article by Bedawi et al. [1], recently published in the prestigious European Respiratory Journal, on the management of pleural infection in adults. We highly commend this work and here we wish to focus on the management of pleural infection with indwelling pleural catheters (IPC). The statement suggested that recurrent or chronic pleural infection created difficult
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Haemodynamic phenotypes of pulmonary hypertension associated with left heart disease: a moving target Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-14 Christian Gerges, David Montani, Marc Humbert, Irene M. Lang
Shifting haemodynamic definitions impact prevalence of CpcPH in PH associated with left heart disease. Diastolic pressure gradient ≥7 mmHg and pulmonary vascular resistance >5 WU predict pulmonary vascular disease similarly well.
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Core outcome measurement set for research and clinical practice in post-COVID-19 condition (long COVID) in children and young people: an international Delphi consensus study “PC-COS Children” Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-14 Nina Seylanova, Anastasia Chernyavskaya, Natalia Degtyareva, Aigun Mursalova, Ali Ajam, Lin Xiao, Khazhar Aktulaeva, Philipp Roshchin, Polina Bobkova, Olalekan Lee Aiyegbusi, Anbarasu Theodore Anbu, Christian Apfelbacher, Ali Akbar Asadi-Pooya, Liat Ashkenazi-Hoffnung, Caroline Brackel, Danilo Buonsenso, Wouter de Groote, Janet V. Diaz, Daniele Dona, Audrey Dunn Galvin, Jon Genuneit, Helen Goss, Sarah
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic substantially impacted different age groups, with children and young people not exempted. Many have experienced enduring health consequences. Presently, there is no consensus on the health outcomes to assess in children and young people with post-COVID-19 condition. Furthermore, it is unclear which measurement instruments are appropriate for use in research
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Systematic pulmonary embolism follow-up increases diagnostic rates of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension and identifies less severe disease: results from the ASPIRE Registry Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-14 Charlotte Durrington, Judith A. Hurdman, Charlie A. Elliot, Rhona Maclean, Joost Van Veen, Giorgia Saccullo, Duneesha De-Foneska, Andrew J. Swift, Rajaram Smitha, Catherine Hill, Steven Thomas, Krit Dwivedi, Samer Alabed, James M. Wild, Athanasios Charalampopoulos, Abdul Hameed, Alexander M.K. Rothman, Lisa Watson, Neil Hamilton, A.A. Roger Thompson, Robin Condliffe, David G. Kiely
Extract Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a condition in which thrombus, usually embolised from the veins of the pelvis or lower limbs, obstructs the pulmonary arterial vascular bed. The incidence of PE is estimated at 60–70 per 100 000 per year [1] with a 1-year mortality of 15% [2, 3]. In survivors, patency of the pulmonary vasculature is restored, in most patients, within the first few months [4]. However
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Socioeconomic disparities in European cystic fibrosis outcomes: time to close the gap Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-07 Edward F. McKone
Extract Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the most common autosomal recessive genetic conditions that causes progressive lung disease and premature death [1]. Median survival worldwide is estimated to be around 50 years, but there is variation between countries [2–4]. Reasons for this variation are complex, and include genetic factors such as cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)
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Some future directions for genome-wide association studies of preserved ratio impaired spirometry Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-07 Zhou Jin, Guangfa Wang
Extract We read with interest the paper by Higbee et al. [1] that was recently published in the European Respiratory Journal. They discovered 22 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm) through a two-stage sample population, four of which were associated with lung function, highlighting the usefulness of performing genome-wide association study
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Omics-based profiles and biomarkers of respiratory infections: are we there yet? Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-07 Jezreel Pantaleon Garcia, Scott E. Evans
Extract From the influenza pandemic of 1918–1919 to the most recent COVID-19 pandemic, respiratory infections remain a leading cause of mortality worldwide [1, 2]. Concurrently, the development of high-throughput omics technologies has revolutionised research about host responses to known and emerging respiratory pathogens [3], accelerating our understanding of highly prevalent pulmonary diseases [4]
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High altitude travelling with pulmonary arterial hypertension Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-07 Robert Naeije
Extract Altitude exposure is generally considered to be contraindicated in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), out of concern that (hypobaric) hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) might further increase pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and worsen right heart failure [1]. This notion is mentioned in the guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and European Respiratory Society
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Endotypic traits of supine position and supine-predominant obstructive sleep apnoea in Asian patients Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-07 Cheng, W.-J., Finnsson, E., Agustsson, J. S., Sands, S. A., Hang, L.-W.
Background Over half of all cases of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) are classified as supine-related OSA; however, the pathological endotype during supine position is not fully understood. This study aims to investigate the endotypic traits of supine-predominant OSA and explore the variations in endotypic traits between the supine and lateral positions. Methods We prospectively recruited 689 adult
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Neutrophil elastase-dependent cleavage of LTA4H alters its aminopeptidase activity in cystic fibrosis Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-07 Xin Xu, Jin-dong Li, Todd J. Green, Landon Wilson, Kristopher Genschmer, Derek Russell, J. Edwin Blalock, Amit Gaggar
Extract The enzyme leukotriene A4 hydrolase (LTA4H) is classically known for its epoxide hydrolase activity that converts leukotriene A4 (LTA4) to the neutrophil chemoattractant LTB4 [1]. In 2010, our group published a study in Science that demonstrated that during an influenza model of acute airway inflammation, LTA4H was released from cells to degrade proline-glycine-proline (PGP), a non-canonical
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Cystic fibrosis in Europe: improved lung function and longevity – reasons for cautious optimism, but challenges remain Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-07 Eitan Kerem, Annalisa Orenti, Arianna Adamoli, Elpis Hatziagorou, Lutz Naehrlich, Isabelle Sermet-Gaudelus
Background Prognosis and disease severity in cystic fibrosis (CF) are linked to declining lung function. To characterise lung function by the number of adults in countries with different levels of Gross National Income (GNI), data from the European Cystic Fibrosis Society Patient Registry were utilised. Methods Annual data including age, forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), anthropometry, genotype
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The effect of high altitude (2500 m) on incremental cycling exercise in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: a randomised controlled crossover trial Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-07 Julian Müller, Anna Titz, Simon R. Schneider, Meret Bauer, Laura Mayer, Lea Lüönd, Tanja Ulrich, Michael Furian, Aglaia Forrer, Esther I. Schwarz, Konrad E. Bloch, Mona Lichtblau, Silvia Ulrich
Background Our objective was to investigate the effect of a day-long exposure to high altitude on peak exercise capacity and safety in stable patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Methods In a randomised controlled crossover trial, stable patients with PAH or distal CTEPH without resting hypoxaemia at low altitude performed two
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Extensive acute and sustained changes to neutrophil proteomes post-SARS-CoV-2 infection Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-07 Merete B. Long, Andrew J.M. Howden, Holly R. Keir, Christina M. Rollings, Yan Hui Giam, Thomas Pembridge, Lilia Delgado, Hani Abo-Leyah, Amy F. Lloyd, Gabriel Sollberger, Rebecca Hull, Amy Gilmour, Chloe Hughes, Benjamin J.M. New, Diane Cassidy, Amelia Shoemark, Hollian Richardson, Angus I. Lamond, Doreen A. Cantrell, James D. Chalmers, Alejandro J. Brenes
Background Neutrophils are important in the pathophysiology of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but the molecular changes contributing to altered neutrophil phenotypes following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are not fully understood. We used quantitative mass spectrometry-based proteomics to explore neutrophil phenotypes immediately following acute SARS-CoV-2
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Reply to: Supporting the case for a targeted approach for elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor in people with cystic fibrosis with no F508del CFTR variant: further analysis for the French compassionate use programme Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-29 Pierre-Régis Burgel
Extract In their correspondence, M. Dooney and T. Saba propose further analysis of the recently published data originating from the French compassionate programme for elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) in people with cystic fibrosis (CF) and no F508del variant [1]. They suggest that ETI eligibility criteria should be based on the absence of "known to be unresponsive" variants rather than on the
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“Age-related changes in plasma biomarkers and their association with mortality in COVID-19.” E.H.A. Michels, B. Appelman, J. de Brabander, et al. Eur Respir J 2023; 62: 2300011. Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-29 European Respiratory Society
While drafting a follow-up manuscript to this article – in which the mediation analysis will be validated using data from a randomised controlled trial – the authors noted an error in the research article as originally published in the European Respiratory Journal . The error pertains to the spline model used in calculating the odds ratio for age-related mortality, as illustrated in figures 2b and
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Interalveolar pore morphology in (pre-)COPD stages and associations with small airways Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-29 Stijn E. Verleden, Therese S. Lapperre, Annemiek Snoeckx, Wen Wen, Suresh K. Yogeswaran, Geert M. Verleden, Veronique Verplancke, Reinier R.L. Wener, Senada Koljenovic, Dieter J.E. Peeters, Jeroen M.H. Hendriks
Extract COPD is nowadays considered to be a heterogeneous lung condition characterised by chronic respiratory symptoms caused by airway and/or alveolar abnormalities causing persistent airflow obstruction. This airflow obstruction is defined by a post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) to forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio lower than 0.7. However, the recent 2023 Global Initiative
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Lung transcriptome of e-cigarette users reveals changes related to chronic lung disease Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-29 Kidane, B., Kahnamoui, S., Srinathan, S., Liu, R., Tan, L., Morris, M., Shawyer, A., Halayko, A. J., Pascoe, C. D.
Extract Approximately one in 10 adolescents use e-cigarette devices, with 25% of these reporting daily use [1]. Most youth who vape have never used traditional cigarettes, creating an emerging epidemic of nicotine addiction fuelled by use of e-cigarettes [2]. Public perception is that e-cigarettes are less harmful than traditional cigarettes, a belief that may be fuelled, in part, by a handful of tobacco
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Supporting the case for a targeted approach for elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor in people with cystic fibrosis with no F508del CFTR variant: further analysis for the French compassionate use programme Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-29 Dooney, M., Saba, T.
Extract We have read with great interest the work of Burgel et al. [1] and applaud them for their innovative use of elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) in combination with ivacaftor (IVA) in people with significant cystic fibrosis (CF) respiratory disease who were carriers of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) variants that did not meet eligibility criteria for funded treatment
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ERJ Podcast February 2024: Beetroot juice and cardiovascular risk in COPD Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-29 European Respiratory Society
As part of the February issue, the European Respiratory Journal presents the latest in its series of podcasts. Deputy Chief Editor Don Sin interviews Nick Hopkinson about his study that shows consumption of nitrate-rich beetroot juice reduces cardiovascular risk factors in people living with COPD.
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Unravelling the “frequent exacerbator” phenotype in cystic fibrosis Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-22 Raya Cohen, Michal Shteinberg
Extract Exacerbations of chronic airway disease are well-described phenomena across diseases, including bronchiectasis (BE), whether secondary to cystic fibrosis (CF) or not. Exacerbations are frequent in CF and BE: in recent registries, 20% of children and 70% of adults with CF [1] and 75% of adults with BE [2] experienced at least one exacerbation in the previous year. In most diseases, the diagnosis
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Understanding the clinical implications of the "non-classical" microbiome in chronic lung disease: a viewpoint Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-22 Taylor, S. L., Crabbe, A., Hoffman, L. R., Chalmers, J. D., Rogers, G. B.
Extract In the late 1990s, molecular microbial system analytics started to be adapted and applied to chronic lung disease [1, 2]. These approaches revealed microbial diversity in respiratory samples that included many bacterial species more usually associated with the oropharynx (box 1 and figure 1). While contamination of samples by oropharyngeal microbes might account for a portion of these taxa
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European Respiratory Society statement on novel nicotine and tobacco products, their role in tobacco control and “harm reduction” Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-22 Daniel Tzu-Hsuan Chen, Jonathan Grigg, Filippos T. Filippidis
Extract A growing number of new tobacco and nicotine products have emerged in recent years and are especially popular among adolescents and young adults. These are collectively known as "novel and emerging nicotine and tobacco products" [1, 2], and include electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches.
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Associations of combined phenotypic ageing and genetic risk with incidence of chronic respiratory diseases in the UK Biobank: a prospective cohort study Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-22 Wang, T., Duan, W., Jia, X., Huang, X., Liu, Y., Meng, F., Ni, C.
Background Accelerated biological ageing has been associated with an increased risk of several chronic respiratory diseases. However, the associations between phenotypic age, a new biological age indicator based on clinical chemistry biomarkers, and common chronic respiratory diseases have not been evaluated. Methods We analysed data from 308 592 participants at baseline in the UK Biobank. The phenotypic
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Travel-acquired paediatric tuberculosis in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada, 2002–2018 Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-22 Mohsin Ali, Melanie El Hafid, Daniel S. Farrar, Haifa Kourdi, Elizabeth Rea, Valerie Waters, Ray Lam, Shaun K. Morris, Ian Kitai
Extract In most low-burden settings, travel data is not routinely collected for tuberculosis (TB) case-notification and the quantitative contribution of travel to paediatric TB disease burden is unknown. The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) regional TB programme serves the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Ontario, Canada, is closely integrated with GTA public health units, and manages most paediatric
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Diminished airway host innate response in people with cystic fibrosis who experience frequent pulmonary exacerbations Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-22 Claire J. Houston, Aya Alkhatib, Gísli G. Einarsson, Michael M. Tunney, Clifford C. Taggart, Damian G. Downey
Rationale Pulmonary exacerbations are clinically impactful events that accelerate cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease progression. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying an increased frequency of pulmonary exacerbations have not been explored. Objectives To compare host immune response during intravenous antibiotic treatment of pulmonary exacerbations in people with CF who have a history of frequent
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Dyspnoea in acutely ill mechanically ventilated adult patients: an ERS/ESICM statement Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-22 Alexandre Demoule, Maxens Decavele, Massimo Antonelli, Luigi Camporota, Fekri Abroug, Dan Adler, Elie Azoulay, Metin Basoglu, Margaret Campbell, Giacomo Grasselli, Margaret Herridge, Miriam J. Johnson, Lionel Naccache, Paolo Navalesi, Paolo Pelosi, Richard Schwartzstein, Clare Williams, Wolfram Windisch, Leo Heunks, Thomas Similowski
This statement outlines a review of the literature and current practice concerning the prevalence, clinical significance, diagnosis and management of dyspnoea in critically ill, mechanically ventilated adult patients. It covers the definition, pathophysiology, epidemiology, short- and middle-term impact, detection and quantification, and prevention and treatment of dyspnoea. It represents a collaboration
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Indwelling pleural catheters or chest drains for managing malignant pleural effusions: a distinction without a difference? Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-08 Udit Chaddha, José M. Porcel, Septimiu D. Murgu
Extract In patients with symptomatic malignant pleural effusion (MPE), definitive effusion management is traditionally achieved by either indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) placement or by attempting chemical pleurodesis (instilling graded talc slurry through a chest drain or insufflating talc during a thoracoscopy) [1]. The goal of these interventions has been symptom palliation (usually dyspnoea and
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Fibroblast heterogeneity in pulmonary fibrosis: a new target for therapeutics development? Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-08 Konstantin Tsoyi, Ivan O. Rosas
Extract Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic interstitial lung disease with unknown aetiology [1]. The prevalence of this devastating disease continues to increase, affecting approximately 500 per 100 000 adults over the age of 65 years in the USA, and leading to rising rates of hospital admissions and deaths [2–5]. Two therapies for IPF approved by the US Food and Drug Administration,
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Sfrp1 inhibits lung fibroblast invasion during transition to injury-induced myofibroblasts Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-08 Mayr, C. H., Sengupta, A., Asgharpour, S., Ansari, M., Pestoni, J. C., Ogar, P., Angelidis, I., Liontos, A., Rodriguez-Castillo, J. A., Lang, N. J., Strunz, M., Porras-Gonzalez, D., Gerckens, M., De Sadeleer, L. J., Oehrle, B., Viteri-Alvarez, V., Fernandez, I. E., Tallquist, M., Irmler, M., Beckers, J., Eickelberg, O., Stoleriu, G. M., Behr, J., Kneidinger, N., Wuyts, W. A., Wasnick, R. M., Yildirim
Background Fibroblast-to-myofibroblast conversion is a major driver of tissue remodelling in organ fibrosis. Distinct lineages of fibroblasts support homeostatic tissue niche functions, yet their specific activation states and phenotypic trajectories during injury and repair have remained unclear. Methods We combined spatial transcriptomics, multiplexed immunostainings, longitudinal single-cell RNA-sequencing
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The impact of outpatient versus inpatient management on health-related quality of life outcomes for patients with malignant pleural effusion: the OPTIMUM randomised clinical trial Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-08 Parthipan Sivakumar, Deirdre B. Fitzgerald, Hugh Ip, Deepak Rao, Alex West, Farinaz Noorzad, Deirdre Wallace, Mohamed Haris, Benjamin Prudon, Gihan Hettiarachchi, Deepak Jayaram, James Goldring, Nick Maskell, Jayne Holme, Neel Sharma, Iyad Ismail, Owais Kadwani, Sanchez Simpson, Catherine A. Read, Xiaohui Sun, Abdel Douiri, Y.C. Gary Lee, Liju Ahmed
Background The principal aim of malignant pleural effusion (MPE) management is to improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and symptoms. Methods In this open-label randomised controlled trial, patients with symptomatic MPE were randomly assigned to either indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) insertion with the option of talc pleurodesis or chest drain and talc pleurodesis. The primary end-point
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Nintedanib and symptoms of fibrotic lung disease: a glimmer of hope for patients living with pulmonary fibrosis Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Anna J. Podolanczuk, Kerri I. Aronson
Extract Patients diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis face progressive loss of lung function and debilitating symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough and fatigue. Historically, clinical trials of novel therapies for pulmonary fibrosis have focused on slowing disease progression, as defined by a decline in forced vital capacity (FVC). Landmark studies such as ASCEND, CAPACITY and INPULSIS paved the
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Reply to: ERS/ATS spirometry interpretation standards: a gap in grading severity of airflow obstruction Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Sanja Stanojevic, David A. Kaminsky, Martin R. Miller, Bruce Thompson
Extract S.P. Bhatt and co-workers raise an important point with respect to how airflow obstruction and severity of impairment are defined in the updated European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society (ERS/ATS) pulmonary function testing interpretation standard [1]. There is general consensus that airflow obstruction is defined as an impaired forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1)
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TARGETing the utility of CT-guided pleural biopsy facilitated by PET-CT imaging Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Uffe Bodtger, José M. Porcel
Extract Malignancy is the most common cause of exudative pleural effusions [1, 2]. About 40% of patients with lung cancer, which is the predominant aetiology of malignant pleurisy [3], develop pleural effusions during the course of their illness [4]. In addition, approximately 90% of pleural mesotheliomas exhibit a unilateral pleural effusion on computed tomography (CT) [5]. Pleural fluid cytological
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“ERS/ESTS/ESTRO/ESR/ESTI/EFOMP statement on management of incidental findings from low dose CT screening for lung cancer.” E.L. O'Dowd, I. Tietzova, E. Bartlett, et al. Eur Respir J 2023; 62: 2300533. Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 European Respiratory Society
One of the author names was presented incorrectly …
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"Every beet you take": lowering systolic blood pressure and improving vascular function/exercise capacity via the dietary nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway in patients with COPD Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Webb, A. J.
Extract 15 years ago in the European Respiratory Journal, Mannino et al. [1] presented their report identifying an increased risk of developing hypertension in patients with COPD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stage 3/4) of 1.6-fold, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) of 2.4-fold. Thus, hypertension prevalence in COPD is high: 35–55% [2]. Hypertension/high
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Reconciling the past and considering the future of pulmonary function test interpretation Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Anh Tuan Dinh-Xuan, Brian L. Graham, Bruce Thompson, Martin R. Miller, Sanja Stanojevic
Extract In 2023, the American Thoracic Society (ATS) published a research statement that called for the discontinuation of race- or ethnicity-based interpretation of pulmonary function tests [1]. After decades of recommendations to use specific reference equations developed for people of different ancestral origins [2–4], many people in the respiratory community, especially outside of the USA, are
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Staring us in the face: resumption of CPAP therapy Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Simon A. Joosten, Pedro R. Genta
Extract Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment is the mainstay treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). The treatment offers significant benefits, including improvements in cognition, mood [1] and metabolic outcomes [2]. However, CPAP prescription is vexed by the issue of poor compliance, with approximately 34% of patients no longer using the treatment effectively after 6 months [3]
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ERS/ATS spirometry interpretation standards: a gap in grading severity of airflow obstruction Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Surya P. Bhatt, Sandeep Bodduluri, Arie Nakhmani
Extract The European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society (ERS/ATS) technical standard on interpretive strategies for routine lung function tests made several major changes in how to interpret spirometry [1]. For the classification of severity, the recommendation is to use z-scores based on age, height and sex. The recommended three-level system would deem a z-score >–1.645 as normal, z-scores
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PET-CT-guided versus CT-guided biopsy in suspected malignant pleural thickening: a randomised trial Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Duneesha de Fonseka, David T. Arnold, Helena J.M. Smartt, Lucy Culliford, Louise Stadon, Emma Tucker, Anna Morley, Natalie Zahan-Evans, Anna C. Bibby, Geraldine Lynch, Eleanor Mishra, Shahul Khan, Mohammed Haris, Henry Steer, Leon Lewis, Alina Ionescu, John Harvey, Kevin Blyth, Najib M. Rahman, Anthony E. Edey, Chris A. Rogers, Nick A. Maskell
Extract Pleural malignancy represents either metastases from another primary site (often lung, breast or ovarian) or primary pleural malignancy from pleural mesothelioma [1]. Pleural malignancy, especially pleural mesothelioma, can be challenging to diagnose due to the patchy distribution of heterogenous tumour across the pleural surface [2]. Pleural biopsy via image guidance or thoracoscopy has a
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CPAP resumption after a first termination and impact on all-cause mortality in France Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Jean-Louis Pépin, Renaud Tamisier, Adam V. Benjafield, Pierre Rinder, Florent Lavergne, Anne Josseran, Paul Sinel-Boucher, Peter A. Cistulli, Atul Malhotra, Pierre Hornus, Sébastien Bailly
Extract Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is the most common form of sleep disordered breathing, affecting nearly one billion individuals aged 30–69 years worldwide [1]. OSA is characterised by recurrent complete or partial pharyngeal collapse during sleep, resulting in intermittent hypoxia, intrathoracic pressure swings and arousal from sleep [2, 3]. Symptoms occurring as a direct consequence of OSA
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Effects of nintedanib on symptoms in patients with progressive pulmonary fibrosis Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Marlies Wijsenbeek, Jeffrey J. Swigris, Yoshikazu Inoue, Michael Kreuter, Toby M. Maher, Takafumi Suda, Michael Baldwin, Heiko Mueller, Klaus B. Rohr, Kevin R. Flaherty
Background Dyspnoea and cough can have a profound impact on the lives of patients with pulmonary fibrosis. We investigated the effects of nintedanib on the symptoms and impact of pulmonary fibrosis in patients with progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) in the INBUILD trial using the Living with Pulmonary Fibrosis (L-PF) questionnaire. Methods Patients had a fibrosing interstitial lung disease (ILD)
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Oral nitrate supplementation improves cardiovascular risk markers in COPD: ON-BC, a randomised controlled trial Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Ali M. Alasmari, Abdullah S. Alsulayyim, Saeed M. Alghamdi, Keir E.J. Philip, Sara C. Buttery, Winston A.S. Banya, Michael I. Polkey, Paul C. Armstrong, Matthew J. Rickman, Timothy D. Warner, Jane A. Mitchell, Nicholas S. Hopkinson
Background Short-term studies suggest that dietary nitrate (NO3–) supplementation may improve the cardiovascular risk profile, lowering blood pressure (BP) and enhancing endothelial function. It is not clear if these beneficial effects are sustained and whether they apply in people with COPD, who have a worse cardiovascular profile than those without COPD. Nitrate-rich beetroot juice (NR-BRJ) is a
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List of European Respiratory Journal peer reviewers 2023 Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-25 European Respiratory Society
Extract The European Respiratory Journal is voluntarily reviewed. We are most grateful for the hard work and dedication of all those who reviewed articles for the ERJ in 2023.
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Gathering real-world compassionate data to expand eligibility for elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor in people with cystic fibrosis with N1303K or other rare CFTR variants: a viewpoint Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-25 Pierre-Régis Burgel, Isabelle Sermet-Gaudelus, Emmanuelle Girodon, Reem Kanaan, Jean Le Bihan, Natascha Remus, Bruno Ravoninjatovo, Dominique Grenet, Michele Porzio, Véronique Houdouin, Laurence Le Clainche-Viala, Isabelle Durieu, Raphaele Nove-Josserand, Jeanne Languepin, Bérangère Coltey, Anne Guillaumot, Camille Audousset, Raphaël Chiron, Laurence Weiss, Isabelle Fajac, Jennifer Da Silva, Clémence
Extract Elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) was approved in 2019 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and in 2020 by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for people with cystic fibrosis (CF). It is a combination of small molecules that bind to the defective cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein, thus allowing the rescue of CFTR structure and function [1].
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Clinical challenges in applying the new lung function test interpretive strategies: navigating pitfalls and possible solutions Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-25 Josuel Ora, Paola Rogliani
Extract The European Respiratory Society (ERS)/American Thoracic Society (ATS) recently released updated interpretive strategies for routine pulmonary function tests (PFTs) [1] building upon their previous standardisation document [2]. Although some authors have already discussed the advantages and drawbacks of these new strategies [3], there remain several unclear points that require to be clarified
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Organoid-guided synergistic treatment of minimal function CFTR mutations with CFTR modulators, roflumilast and simvastatin: a personalised approach Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-25 Sacha Spelier, Karin de Winter-de Groot, Natascha Keijzer-Nieuwenhuijze, Yves Liem, Kors van der Ent, Jeffrey Beekman, Lieke S. Kamphuis
Extract Highly effective cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein-targeting modulator therapies (HEMTs) facilitate strong clinical improvements in a large proportion of people with cystic fibrosis (CF) [1, 2]. More specifically, the European Medicines Agency and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved combination of the CFTR modulators elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor
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ERS technical standard: Global Lung Function Initiative reference values for exhaled nitric oxide fraction (FENO50) Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-25 Högman, M., Bowerman, C., Chavez, L., Dressel, H., Malinovschi, A., Radtke, T., Stanojevic, S., Steenbruggen, I., Turner, S., Dinh-Xuan, A. T., on behalf of the Global Lung Function Initiative FENO Task Force
Background Elevated exhaled nitric oxide fraction at a flow rate of 50 mL·s–1 (FENO50) is an important indicator of T-helper 2-driven airway inflammation and may aid clinicians in the diagnosis and monitoring of asthma. This study aimed to derive Global Lung Function Initiative reference equations and the upper limit of normal for FENO50. Methods Available individual FENO50 data were collated and harmonised
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List of European Respiratory Journal peer reviewers 2023 Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-25
The pleural lining of the thorax regulates local immunity, inflammation and repair. A variety of conditions, both benign and malignant, including pleural mesothelioma, can affect this tissue. A lack of knowledge concerning the mesothelial and stromal cells comprising the pleura has hampered the development of targeted therapies. Here, we present the first comprehensive single-cell transcriptomic atlas
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Reply: A suggested classification of disease behaviour and treatment response in sarcoidosis trials Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Sahajal Dhooria, Inderpaul Singh Sehgal, Ritesh Agarwal
Extract We thank F. Jeny and co-workers for their interest in the SARCORT study [1]. They have raised some pertinent issues that allow us to explain specific aspects of our trial with greater clarity. We conceived this trial in early 2017; therefore, the design reflects contemporary knowledge and opinion.
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Early-life airway microbiome and childhood asthma development Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Zhaozhong Zhu
Extract Asthma is the most common chronic respiratory disease among children, with approximately 10–15% of children affected in the world [1]. Epidemiological research has identified many risk factors for childhood asthma, including genetic factors [2–7], respiratory infections [8–10], personal and family history of allergic diseases [11], and environmental (e.g. air pollution, respiratory viruses)
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Reply: Telomere length and immunosuppression in non-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis interstitial lung disease Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Zhang, D., Adegunsoye, A., Oldham, J. M., Wolters, P. J., Garcia, C. K., Newton, C. A.
Extract We thank J.A. Mackintosh and D.C. Chambers for their thoughtful discussions following our work detailing the pharmacogenetic interaction between telomere shortening and immunosuppression leading to harm in patients with non-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis interstitial lung disease (ILD) patients [1]. Our findings suggest that shared genetic vulnerability to pulmonary fibrosis from telomere attrition
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Telomere length and immunosuppression in non-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis interstitial lung disease Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 John A. Mackintosh, Daniel C. Chambers
Extract We write to congratulate Zhang et al. [1] on another fascinating manuscript which expands the narrative on telomeres and their relevance to fibrotic interstitial lung disease (ILD). Yet again, telomere length is shown to be fundamental to a person's outcome and their response to treatment, albeit an adverse response to immunosuppression, mirroring the authors’ previous post hoc analysis of
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Reshaping the fabric of health: a call for improving the respiratory health of textile workers in low- and middle-income countries Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Adhikari, T. B., Sigsgaard, T., Kallestrup, P., Kurmi, O.
Extract The textile industry is an important contributor to the economies of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) [1]. Over the past two decades, textile and garment production has markedly shifted towards LMICs with lower labour and production costs, more accessibility to raw materials, such as cotton, and fewer stringent regulatory measures than high-income countries (HICs) [2]. As a result,
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In sarcoidosis trials, time also matters Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Jeny, F., Nunes, H., Valeyre, D.
Extract Sarcoidosis is a complex and heterogeneous disease for which there are very few prospective and randomised trials available. We read the article by Dhooria et al. [1] with great interest, as it addresses significant important questions not (or rarely) reached until now. First, it compares two treatment regimens with different glucocorticoid dosages. Second, it focuses on a significant number
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Treatment of dyspnoea Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Nausherwan K. Burki
Extract Perhaps the most common symptom in clinical medicine is dyspnoea. The multitude of conditions which are associated with dyspnoea – pulmonary, cardiac and others – are well known. However, no direct treatment modality for dyspnoea has been established and treatment is aimed at the underlying condition. This is in contrast to other sensations such as pain, where direct treatment with analgesics
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A cluster randomised controlled trial to reduce respiratory effects of cotton dust exposure among textile workers: the MultiTex RCT study Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Asaad Ahmed Nafees, Asad Allana, Muhammad Masood Kadir, James Potts, Cosetta Minelli, Sean Semple, Sara De Matteis, Peter Burney, Paul Cullinan
Background We determined the effectiveness of an intervention to reduce cotton dust-related respiratory symptoms and improve lung function of textile workers. Methods We undertook a cluster randomised controlled trial at 38 textile mills in Karachi, Pakistan. The intervention comprised: training in occupational health for workers and managers, formation of workplace committees to promote a health and
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Bacterial colonisation of the airway in neonates and risk of asthma and allergy until age 18 years Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Rikke Bjersand Sunde, Jonathan Thorsen, Min Kim, Ann-Marie Malby Schoos, Jakob Stokholm, Klaus Bønnelykke, Hans Bisgaard, Bo Chawes
Extract Asthma is believed to originate in early life [1–3]. Earlier prospective cohort studies have shown that the airway and gut microbiome plays an important role in the risk of childhood asthma [3–9]. In the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood (COPSAC2000) birth cohort, neonatal airway colonisation (at 1 month) with Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and/or Moraxella
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Sensory interventions to relieve dyspnoea in critically ill mechanically ventilated patients Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Côme Bureau, Marie-Cécile Niérat, Maxens Decavèle, Isabelle Rivals, Laurence Dangers, Alexandra Beurton, Sara Virolle, Robin Deleris, Julie Delemazure, Julien Mayaux, Capucine Morélot-Panzini, Martin Dres, Thomas Similowski, Alexandre Demoule
Background In critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation, dyspnoea is frequent, severe and associated with an increased risk of neuropsychological sequelae. We evaluated the efficacy of sensory interventions targeting the brain rather than the respiratory system to relieve dyspnoea in mechanically ventilated patients. Methods Patients receiving mechanical ventilation for ≥48 h and reporting