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Rheumatoid arthritis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a bidirectional Mendelian randomisation study Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-04-22 Olivia C Leavy, Leticia Kawano-Dourado, Iain D Stewart, Jennifer K Quint, Joshua J Solomon, Raphael Borie, Bruno Crestani, Louise V Wain, Gisli Jenkins, Philippe Dieudé, Cosetta Minelli
Background A usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern of lung injury is a key feature of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and is also observed in up to 40% of individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD). The RA-UIP phenotype could result from either a causal relationship of RA on UIP or vice versa, or from a simple co-occurrence of RA and IPF due to
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Early life exposure to pollens and increased risks of childhood asthma: a prospective cohort study in Ontario children Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-18 Cristina Stanescu, Robert Talarico, Scott Weichenthal, Paul J. Villeneuve, Audrey Smargiassi, David M. Stieb, Teresa To, Christopher Hebbern, Eric Crighton, Éric Lavigne
Extract Asthma is a disease characterised by wheeze, cough and shortness of breath, and constitutes the most prevalent chronic disease among children [1]. Various phenotypes have been specifically identified in the paediatric population, and include early transient wheeze, current wheeze/asthma, and mild or moderate asthma [2]. Lifestyle behaviours, genetics, maternal and paternal factors, and environment
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ERJ Podcast April 2024: Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-18 European Respiratory Society
As part of the April issue, the European Respiratory Journal presents the latest in its series of podcasts. Chief Editor James Chalmers interviews Ritesh Agarwal (Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India) about the revised International Society for Human and Animal Mycology ABPA working group clinical practice guidelines for diagnosing
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“Therapeutic improvement of CFTR function and reversibility of bronchiectasis in cystic fibrosis.” M.O. Wielpütz and M.A. Mall. Eur Respir J 2024; 63: 2400234. Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-18 European Respiratory Society
In this article, the PRAGMA-CF scoring system was incorrectly referred to as the “PRAGA-CF scoring …
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Smoking cessation at lung cancer screening: joining (life-saving) dots Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-18 Keir E. Lewis
Extract We now know that lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography saves lives. We have known for more than 60 years that smoking cessation (SC) saves lives. Can we save even more lives by combining these two effective interventions? The work by Murray et al. [1], in this issue of the European Respiratory Journal, is a big stride to show that we can.
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Precision medicine in cystic fibrosis: predictive role of forskolin-induced swelling assay Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-18 Eva Furstova, Pavel Drevinek, Stepanka Novotna, Malgorzata Libik, Klara Benesova, Lucie Borek-Dohalska, Kristina Sakmarova, Martin Modrak, Milan Macek, Tereza Dousova
Extract People with cystic fibrosis (CF) carrying at least one copy of the F508del allele can benefit from a small molecule therapy referred to as cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators (CFTRm). The triple CFTRm combination elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ELX/TEZ/IVA) has been shown to markedly improve clinical outcomes such as the percentage of predicted forced expiratory
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Sputum colour as a simplified effective biomarker for clinical assessment of bronchiectasis Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-18 Rui-di Tang, Jun-qing Yue, Wei-jie Guan
Extract Bronchiectasis is a structural lung disease characterised by chronic airway inflammation due to various aetiologies, with a vicious circle of recurrent infections, chronic inflammation, impaired mucociliary clearance and structural damage that collectively result in clinical progression [1]. The most prominent clinical manifestations of bronchiectasis are chronic cough and mucopurulent sputum
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Impact of obesity progression or regression on the longitudinal assessment of fibrosing interstitial lung disease Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-18 Hadeel Alqurashi, Mathieu Marillier, Igor Neder-Serafini, Anne-Catherine Bernard, Onofre Moran-Mendoza, J. Alberto Neder
Extract Abnormalities in lung mechanics (restriction) and pulmonary gas exchange (hypoxaemia) may jointly conspire to elicit exertional dyspnoea and decrease exercise tolerance in patients with fibrosing interstitial lung disease (f-ILD) [1]. Obesity (body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg·m–2), a prevalent comorbidity of f-ILD [2], may negatively impact on "static" (e.g. total lung capacity (TLC)) and dynamic
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Uptake and 4-week quit rates from an opt-out co-located smoking cessation service delivered alongside community-based low-dose computed tomography screening within the Yorkshire Lung Screening Trial Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-18 Rachael L. Murray, Panos Alexandris, David Baldwin, Kate Brain, John Britton, Philip A.J. Crosbie, Rhian Gabe, Sarah Lewis, Steve Parrott, Samantha L. Quaife, Hui Zhen Tam, Qi Wu, Rebecca Beeken, Harriet Copeland, Claire Eckert, Neil Hancock, Jason Lindop, Grace McCutchan, Catriona Marshall, Richard D. Neal, Suzanne Rogerson, Harriet D. Quinn Scoggins, Irene Simmonds, Rebecca Thorley, Matthew E. Callister
Extract Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening for lung cancer has been shown to reduce lung cancer-specific mortality in two large, randomised trials [1, 2], and implementation of screening is currently underway in many high- and middle-income countries [3]. Of those people responding to an invitation for lung cancer screening and subsequently eligible, between 30% and 50% are currently smoking
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Airway remodelling in asthma and the epithelium: on the edge of a new era Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-18 Gilda Varricchi, Christopher E. Brightling, Christopher Grainge, Bart N. Lambrecht, Pascal Chanez
Asthma is a chronic, heterogeneous disease of the airways, often characterised by structural changes known collectively as airway remodelling. In response to environmental insults, including pathogens, allergens and pollutants, the epithelium can initiate remodelling via an inflammatory cascade involving a variety of mediators that have downstream effects on both structural and immune cells. These
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Objective sputum colour assessment and clinical outcomes in bronchiectasis: data from the European Bronchiectasis Registry (EMBARC) Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-18 Stefano Aliberti, Felix C. Ringshausen, Raja Dhar, Charles S. Haworth, Michael R. Loebinger, Katerina Dimakou, Megan L. Crichton, Anthony De Soyza, Montse Vendrell, Pierre-Regis Burgel, Melissa McDonnell, Sabina Skrgat, Luis Maiz Carro, Andres de Roux, Oriol Sibila, Apostolos Bossios, Menno van der Eerden, Paula Kauppi, Robert Wilson, Branislava Milenkovic, Rosario Menendez, Marlene Murris, Sermin
Extract Bronchiectasis is a chronic inflammatory disease [1, 2]. Although it is recognised that bronchiectasis is composed of multiple phenotypes and endotypes, inflammation has classically been regarded as neutrophilic and patients with higher levels of neutrophilic inflammation have been shown to have worse clinical outcomes [3–5].
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“Efficacy and safety of ralinepag, a novel oral IP agonist, in PAH patients on mono or dual background therapy: results from a phase 2 randomised, parallel group, placebo-controlled trial.” F. Torres, H. Farber, A. Ristic, et al. Eur Respir J 2019; 54: 1901030. Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-18 European Respiratory Society
In table 1 of this article, the data relating …
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Environmental pollutants exposure-derived extracellular vesicles: crucial players in respiratory disorders Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-04-17 Haoran Shen, Rui Zheng, Mulong Du, David C Christiani
Background Individual exposure to environmental pollutants, as one of the most influential drivers of respiratory disorders, has received considerable attention due to its preventability and controllability. Considering that the extracellular vesicle (EV) was an emerging intercellular communication medium, recent studies have highlighted the crucial role of environmental pollutants derived EVs (EPE-EVs)
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Mildly elevated pulmonary vascular resistance and worsened survival in PH-ILD: an opportunity for earlier diagnosis and intervention? Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-05-01 Steven J Cassady, Bradley A Maron
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a feared complication of interstitial lung disease (ILD) owing to increased risk for hospitalisation and mortality among affected patients. The development of PH in ILD is attributed to several pathobiological mechanisms that often converge to remodel pulmonary arterioles including hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, increased oxidant
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Does ICS treatment increase the risk of pneumonia in asthma? Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-05-01 Christer Janson
Patients with asthma have an increased risk of being hospitalised for pneumonia. For example, in a study based on the Respiratory Health In Northern Europe data set, Ekbom et al found that adults with asthma had a more than three times higher risk (HR (3.35 (95% CI 1.97 to 5.02)) of hospitalisation for pneumonia than non-asthmatics.1 Kankaanranta et al also found a high incidence of pneumonia in people
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Impacts of sex and gender on severe asthma Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-05-01 Kimberley C W Wang, John D Blakey
For decades, the unwritten rule for asthma management was ‘Keep it Simple’, with clinicians largely trying to apply a one-size-fits-all stepwise approach to hundreds of millions of people across the globe. More recently, our broader understanding, increasing array of targeted therapies, and relatively stagnant outcomes have led to a greater acknowledgement of the complexity that needs to be addressed
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Unravelling the obesity–asthma connection in childhood and adolescence: does body shape matter? Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-05-01 Ann D Morgan
Given the concurrent worldwide epidemics of childhood obesity and asthma, it is perhaps not surprising that the two have been inextricably linked in the minds of many. Indeed, there is good evidence to suggest that adiposity in childhood is associated with an increased risk of developing asthma.1 2 Several longitudinal studies conducted in population-based cohorts have demonstrated that childhood obesity
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Use of inhaled corticosteroids and the risk of hospitalisation for pneumonia in children with asthma: a nationwide cohort study Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-05-01 Karl-Hermann Sielinou Kamgang, Samuel Arthur Rhedin, Catarina Almqvist, Viktor Wintzell
Background The potential association between the use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and the risk of pneumonia among adults is disputed and paediatric-specific evidence is scarce. Aim To assess the potential association between ICS, use and the risk of hospitalisation for pneumonia among children (age 2–17 years) with asthma. Methods This was a cohort study based on nationwide data from routine clinical
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Impact of sex on severe asthma: a cross-sectional retrospective analysis of UK primary and specialist care Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-05-01 Lola Loewenthal, John Busby, Ronald McDowell, Thomas Brown, Hassan Burhan, Rekha Chaudhuri, Paddy Dennison, James William Dodd, Simon Doe, Shoaib Faruqi, Robin Gore, Elfatih Idris, David Joshua Jackson, Mitesh Patel, Thomas Pantin, Ian Pavord, Paul E Pfeffer, David B Price, Hitasha Rupani, Salman Siddiqui, Liam G Heaney, Andrew Menzies-Gow
Introduction After puberty, females are more likely to develop asthma and in a more severe form than males. The associations between asthma and sex are complex with multiple intrinsic and external factors. Aim To evaluate the sex differences in the characteristics and treatment of patients with severe asthma (SA) in a real-world setting. Methods Demographic, clinical and treatment characteristics for
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Greenhouse gas emissions associated with suboptimal asthma care in the UK: the SABINA healthCARe-Based envirONmental cost of treatment (CARBON) study Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-05-01 Alexander J K Wilkinson, Ekaterina Maslova, Christer Janson, Vasanth Radhakrishnan, Jennifer K Quint, Nigel Budgen, Trung N Tran, Yang Xu, Andrew Menzies-Gow, John P Bell
Background Poorly controlled asthma is associated with increased morbidity and healthcare resource utilisation (HCRU). Therefore, to quantify the environmental impact of asthma care, this retrospective, cohort, healthCARe-Based envirONmental cost of treatment (CARBON) study estimated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the UK associated with the management of well-controlled versus poorly controlled
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Mild elevation of pulmonary vascular resistance predicts mortality regardless of mean pulmonary artery pressure in mild interstitial lung disease Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-05-01 Tomonori Sato, Taiki Furukawa, Ryo Teramachi, Jun Fukihara, Yasuhiko Yamano, Toshiki Yokoyama, Toshiaki Matsuda, Kensuke Kataoka, Tomoki Kimura, Koji Sakamoto, Makoto Ishii, Yasuhiro Kondoh
Background Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is defined by elevated mean pulmonary arterial pressure (MPAP), and elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) reflects pulmonary vascular abnormalities. The clinical significance of non-severe PH in patients with various interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) has not been fully elucidated. We aimed to investigate the clinical significance of MPAP and PVR for mortality
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Prognostic factors for survival in unresectable stage III EGFR mutation-positive lung adenocarcinoma: impact of pre-CCRT PET-CT Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-05-01 Wei-Chun Lin, Wan-Ming Chen, Ben-Chang Shia, Szu-Yuan Wu
Purpose To assess the survival impact of pre-concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) staging with positron emission tomography-CT (PET-CT) in patients with unresectable epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive adenocarcinoma. Methods Patients with unresectable stage IIIA–IIIC EGFR mutation-positive adenocarcinoma undergoing definitive CCRT were divided into two groups: those who received
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Do pulmonary rehabilitation programmes improve outcomes in patients with COPD posthospital discharge for exacerbation: a systematic review and meta-analysis Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-05-01 Alex R Jenkins, Chris Burtin, Pat G Camp, Peter Lindenauer, Brian Carlin, Jennifer A Alison, Carolyn Rochester, Anne E Holland
Introduction Previous systematic reviews have provided heterogeneous and differing estimates for the efficacy of pulmonary rehabilitation following exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this review was to examine the efficacy of pulmonary rehabilitation programmes initiated within 3 weeks of hospital discharge following an exacerbation of COPD. Methods An update
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Body composition and respiratory outcomes in children: a population-based prospective cohort study Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-05-01 Tong Wu, Susana Santos, Hugo G Quezada‐Pinedo, Meike W. Vernooij, Vincent W.V. Jaddoe, Stefan Klein, Liesbeth Duijts, Edwin H.G. Oei
Background Body composition might influence lung function and asthma in children, but its longitudinal relations are unclear. We aimed to identify critical periods for body composition changes during childhood and adolescence in relation to respiratory outcomes in adolescents. Methods In a population-based prospective cohort study, we measured body mass index, fat mass index (FMI), lean mass index
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Impact of post-COVID-19 condition on health status and activities of daily living: the PRIME post-COVID study Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-05-01 Maarten Van Herck, Demi M E Pagen, Céline J A van Bilsen, Stephanie Brinkhues, Kevin Konings, Casper D J den Heijer, Suhreta Mujakovic, Henriëtte L G ter Waarbeek, Chris Burtin, Daisy J A Janssen, Christian J P A Hoebe, Martijn A Spruit, Nicole H T M Dukers-Muijrers
Objective To assess health and activities of daily living (ADL) in SARS-CoV-2-positive adults with and without post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) and compare this with negative tested individuals. Furthermore, different PCC case definitions were compared with SARS-CoV-2-negative individuals. Methods All adults tested PCR positive for SARS-CoV-2 at the Public Health Service South Limburg (Netherlands) between
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Serum cytokine biosignatures for identification of tuberculosis among HIV-positive inpatients Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-05-01 Huihua Zhang, LingHua Li, YanXia Liu, Wei Xiao, RuiYao Xu, MengRu Lu, WenBiao Hao, YuChi Gao, Xiaoping Tang, Youchao Dai
Background Serum cytokines correlate with tuberculosis (TB) progression and are predictors of TB recurrence in people living with HIV. We investigated whether serum cytokine biosignatures could diagnose TB among HIV-positive inpatients. Methods We recruited HIV-positive inpatients with symptoms of TB and measured serum levels of inflammation biomarkers including IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, tumour necrosis
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Improved pulmonary function and exercise tolerance despite persistent pulmonary fibrosis over 1 year after severe COVID-19 infection Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-05-01 Claire F McGroder, Mary M Salvatore, Belinda M D'Souza, Eric A Hoffman, Matthew R Baldwin, Christine Kim Garcia
We conducted a prospective single-centre cohort study of 104 multi-ethnic severe COVID-19 survivors from the first wave of the pandemic 15 months after hospitalisation. Of those who were assessed at 4 and 15 months, improvement of ground glass opacities correlated with worsened fibrotic reticulations. Despite a high prevalence of fibrotic patterns (64%), pulmonary function, grip strength, 6 min walk
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Development of respiratory care guidelines for Duchenne muscular dystrophy in the UK: key recommendations for clinical practice Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-05-01 Anne-Marie Childs, Catherine Turner, Ronan Astin, Stephen Bianchi, John Bourke, Vicki Cunningham, Lisa Edel, Christopher Edwards, Phillippa Farrant, Jane Heraghty, Meredith James, Charlotte Massey, Ben Messer, Jassi Michel Sodhi, Patrick Brian Murphy, Marianela Schiava, Ajit Thomas, Federica Trucco, Michela Guglieri
Significant inconsistencies in respiratory care provision for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) are reported across different specialist neuromuscular centres in the UK. The absence of robust clinical evidence and expert consensus is a barrier to the implementation of care recommendations in public healthcare systems as is the need to increase awareness of key aspects of care for those living with
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Journal club Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-05-01 Beenish Iqbal
Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a common problem in advanced malignancies and causes debilitating breathlessness leading to poor quality of life. There are two treatment options available to ‘definitively’ manage MPE which include chest drain with talc pleurodesis and indwelling pleural catheters (IPCs). Although both treatments have been in use for a long time, there has been limited research
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Correction: RAGE-induced ILC2 expansion in acute lung injury due to haemorrhagic shock Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-05-01 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Thoracic Society
Zhang K, Jin Y, Lai D, et al . RAGE-induced ILC2 expansion in acute lung injury due to haemorrhagic shock. Thorax 2020;75:209–19. In the original version of this article, some H&E images in …
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Toxic metals and lung health: silent poisons? Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-04-10 Seif O Shaheen
Lady Astor: ‘Sir, if you were my husband , I would put arsenic in your tea!’ Churchill: ‘If I were your husband , I would drink it!’ This apocryphal joke is a reminder that arsenic is a potentially fatal poison. The phrase ‘mad as a hatter’ stems from the historical use of mercury by hatmakers, which could have neurotoxic consequences. Ironically, both these metals were also used therapeutically in
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New path for understanding mucociliary clearance Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-04-10 Timothy E Corcoran
The mucociliary clearance (MC) system is a vital host defence in the lungs and upper airways. Airway mucus traps inhaled bacteria, viruses, fungi and toxins. Underneath the mucus, airway cilia beat synchronously within a thin, watery periciliary liquid layer, propelling the overlying mucus layer towards the mouth. MC is dependent on ciliary structure and function and the composition and hydration of
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Pulmonary artery-pulmonary artery collaterals in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-04-10 Sugang Gong, Huiting Li, Lan Wang
A 66-year-old woman was diagnosed with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), with selective angiography revealing direct collaterals between the A9 and A10 pulmonary artery branches (figure 1A, figure 2 and figure 3A; online supplemental Video 1 and online supplemental Video 2). Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) of A9 revealed pronounced stenosis and lumen irregularities. Peripheral
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Heteroresistance in tuberculosis: are we missing drug-resistant bacteria hiding in plain sight? Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-04-10 Mirae Park, Giovanni Satta, Pranabashis Haldar
Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) remains the dominant cause of death from a bacterial infectious disease.1 Sustained global efforts to meet the ambitious elimination targets of WHO’s END-TB strategy have had a limited impact so far. This reflects the complex and multifaceted challenge posed, with multidrug resistant (MDR)-TB representing a significant and growing problem
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Extensive airway remodelling in severe COPD imparts resiliency to environmental stressors Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-04-04 Moumita Ghosh, Eszter K Vladar
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a highly prevalent chronic lung disease that is expected to become the third most common cause of death globally by 2030.1 It is characterised by extensive, detrimental structural and functional changes termed ‘remodelling’ in the airway epithelium in response to noxious inhaled contaminants. Cigarette smoke is traditionally considered the chief culprit
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MAC attack: MSCs and macrophages join forces against chronic lung infection Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-04-04 Hazel Dunbar, Ian James Hawthorne, Karen English
Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) possess several characteristics that make them attractive as a potential adjunct therapy for acute and chronic infectious diseases. MSCs are well known for their impressive immunomodulatory,1 2 pro-repair effects1 3 and clinical safety profile,4 5 however, the efficacy of MSCs in controlling bacterial infections, at least directly, remains unclear.6 Mycobacterium avium
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Unravelling the neutrophil enigma: a new insight into RSV-induced bronchiolitis in infants Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-04-04 Frances Susanna Grudzinska, Aaron Scott
In this issue of Thorax , Robinson et al describe a novel in vitro model of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection to assess neonatal and adult neutrophil responses.1 The focus was on observing neutrophil migration across RSV-infected differentiated human nasal airway epithelial cells (AECs) in a basolateral to apical direction—mimicking the progression to the airway lumen. RSV is a leading cause
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Ablation for lung cancer: hot or cold intervention Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-04-04 Pallav L Shah
Over the past two decades, there has been a notable shift in the natural history and epidemiology of lung cancer. Previously there was a greater preponderance of central lung tumours with a squamous cell pathology, over time there appears to be a shift towards more peripheral lung tumours which more commonly have an adenocarcinoma cell type. The rate of squamous cell lung cancer in men in 2000 was
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Response from the authors: As-needed ICS/formoterol or as-needed SABA in mild asthma? Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-04 Alberto Papi, Diogenes S. Ferreira, Thomy Tonia, Florence Schleich
Extract We thank J.A. Krishnan and R. Buhl for their commentary on our document "European Respiratory Society short guidelines for the use of as-needed ICS/formoterol in mild asthma", which was published in this journal in October 2023 [1]. We appreciate their willingness in building trust in the guideline development process.
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FEV1Q: what (even) is normal lung function? Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-04 Arafa Aboelhassan, John R. Hurst
Extract People come in different shapes and sizes, and so do their lungs. This seemingly trivial observation raises significant problems when it comes to defining the presence and severity of lung function impairment using spirometry – a fundamental test in respiratory physiology. A common approach is to make a lung function measurement such as forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), and to compare
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Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema syndrome: the age of majority Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-04 Vincent Cottin
Extract Described in 1990, the combination of pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema is associated with a distinctive physiological profile, with preserved lung volumes and airflow, and severely altered diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) [1]. Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) was individualised as a syndrome in 2005 in a series of 61 patients [2], which drew attention to its main
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Dysfunctional breathing after COVID-19: recognition and ramifications Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-04 Adam Gaffney
Extract Protracted breathlessness in the wake of a COVID-19 infection is the consequence not of one disease process but many. COVID-19 pneumonia can severely damage lung architecture, with resultant long-term reductions in respiratory function, gas exchange and exercise capacity: a pattern of injury few respiratory physicians would fail to recognise. A more diagnostically challenging presentation can
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Availability of paediatric dispersible fixed-dose combinations of tuberculosis drugs in Spain Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-04 Antoni Noguera-Julian, Cristina Latre, Ángeles Flores
Extract We read with interest the viewpoint on tuberculosis (TB) elimination recently published in the European Respiratory Journal [1]. The correct treatment of children is essential to ensure future TB-free generations [2, 3]. The paediatric dispersible fixed-dose combination tablets (pFDC) of first-line anti-TB drugs were first made available in 2015, are World Health Organization (WHO)-prequalified
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Revised ISHAM-ABPA working group clinical practice guidelines for diagnosing, classifying and treating allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis/mycoses Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-04 Ritesh Agarwal, Inderpaul Singh Sehgal, Valliappan Muthu, David W. Denning, Arunaloke Chakrabarti, Kathirvel Soundappan, Mandeep Garg, Shivaprakash M. Rudramurthy, Sahajal Dhooria, Darius Armstrong-James, Koichiro Asano, Jean-Pierre Gangneux, Sanjay H. Chotirmall, Helmut J.F. Salzer, James D. Chalmers, Cendrine Godet, Marcus Joest, Iain Page, Parameswaran Nair, P. Arjun, Raja Dhar, Kana Ram Jat, Geethu
Background The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM) working group proposed recommendations for managing allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) a decade ago. There is a need to update these recommendations due to advances in diagnostics and therapeutics. Methods An international expert group was convened to develop guidelines for managing ABPA (caused by Aspergillus spp
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As-needed ICS/formoterol or as-needed SABA in mild asthma? Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-04 Jerry A. Krishnan, Roland Buhl
Extract The majority of people with asthma are believed to have "mild" asthma [1]. The term "mild asthma" is usually used to define patients with infrequent or easily relieved respiratory symptoms. However, patients with mild asthma can have severe exacerbations, which, in rare cases, lead to death. The bronchodilatory effects of inhaled short-acting β2-agonists (SABAs) help to provide rapid respiratory
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Multi-biobank summary data Mendelian randomisation does not support a causal effect of IL-6 signalling on risk of pulmonary arterial hypertension Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-04 Woolf, B., Perry, J. A., Hong, C. C., Wilkins, M. R., Toshner, M., Gill, D., Burgess, S., Rhodes, C. J.
Extract Interleukin (IL)-6 has been linked with the pathobiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). IL-6 plasma levels are elevated in PAH patients and closely linked to survival [1]. Both increased IL-6 activity and gene knockout influence the development of, and resistance to, pulmonary hypertension in animal models [2–4]. IL-6 can repress expression of BMPR2, a gene key in PAH risk [5].
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Pulmonary vascular phenotype identified in patients with GDF2 (BMP9) or BMP10 variants: an international multicentre study Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-04 Julien Grynblat, Harm Jan Bogaard, Mélanie Eyries, Olivier Meyrignac, Laurent Savale, Xavier Jaïs, Maria-Rosa Ghigna, Lucas Celant, Lilian Meijboom, Arjan C. Houweling, Marilyne Levy, Fabrice Antigny, Ari Chaouat, Vincent Cottin, Christophe Guignabert, Florence Coulet, Olivier Sitbon, Damien Bonnet, Marc Humbert, David Montani
Background Bone morphogenetic proteins 9 and 10 (BMP9 and BMP10), encoded by GDF2 and BMP10, respectively, play a pivotal role in pulmonary vascular regulation. GDF2 variants have been reported in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). However, the phenotype of GDF2 and BMP10 carriers remains largely unexplored. Methods We report the characteristics
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FEV1Q: a race-neutral approach to assessing lung function Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-04 Balasubramanian, A., Wise, R. A., Stanojevic, S., Miller, M. R., McCormack, M. C.
Background Forced expiratory volume in 1 s quotient (FEV1Q) is a simple approach to spirometry interpretation that compares measured lung function to a lower boundary. This study evaluated how well FEV1Q predicts survival compared with current interpretation methods and whether race impacts FEV1Q. Methods White and Black adults with complete spirometry and mortality data from the National Health and
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The airway epithelium: an orchestrator of inflammation, a key structural barrier and a therapeutic target in severe asthma Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-04 Russell, R. J., Boulet, L.-P., Brightling, C. E., Pavord, I. D., Porsbjerg, C., Dorscheid, D., Sverrild, A.
Asthma is a disease of heterogeneous pathology, typically characterised by excessive inflammatory and bronchoconstrictor responses to the environment. The clinical expression of the disease is a consequence of the interaction between environmental factors and host factors over time, including genetic susceptibility, immune dysregulation and airway remodelling. As a critical interface between the host
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Mortality surrogates in combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-04 An Zhao, Eyjolfur Gudmundsson, Nesrin Mogulkoc, Coline van Moorsel, Tamera J. Corte, Pardeep Vasudev, Chiara Romei, Robert Chapman, Tim J.M. Wallis, Emma Denneny, Tinne Goos, Recep Savas, Asia Ahmed, Christopher J. Brereton, Hendrik W. van Es, Helen Jo, Annalisa De Liperi, Mark Duncan, Katarina Pontoppidan, Laurens J. De Sadeleer, Frouke van Beek, Joseph Barnett, Gary Cross, Alex Procter, Marcel Veltkamp
Extract Emphysema is a common pulmonary finding on computed tomography (CT) imaging of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients [1]. The term combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) describes a potential clinical endotype characterised by the coexistence of upper-lobe-predominant emphysema, lower-lobe-predominant fibrosis and relative preservation of forced vital capacity (FVC) in the
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To progress or not to progress: new insights into the evolution of pleuropulmonary blastomas come from studying lung cysts in adolescents and adults with DICER1-related tumour predisposition Thorax (IF 10.0) Pub Date : 2024-03-28 Eric Santoni-Rugiu
Almost all cases of pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB), the most common lung malignancy in childhood, are related to biallelic pathogenic variants in DICER1, a gene encoding an RNase III involved in the biogenesis of micro-RNAs, organogenesis and tumor suppression.1 2 Over 70% of patients with PPB are affected by the pleiotropic DICER1 -related tumour susceptibility syndrome caused by heterozygous germline
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Lung MRI identifies potentially treatable subtypes of long COVID Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-28 Alejandro P. Comellas, Sean B. Fain
Extract The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected millions and left an indelible mark on global health. Although many patients have recovered from acute severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, 21–50% continue to experience persistent symptoms beyond their initial infection [1, 2]. This wide range in estimate depends on variables such as patient demographics
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Therapeutic improvement of CFTR function and reversibility of bronchiectasis in cystic fibrosis Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-28 Mark O. Wielpütz, Marcus A. Mall
Extract By rule of thumb, the diameter of intrapulmonary subsegmental bronchi is increased if larger than the adjacent pulmonary artery at cross-sectional imaging such as computed tomography (CT), coining the definition of bronchiectasis. This definition, however, is limited by the fact that the artery itself is subject to diameter changes in airways and vascular pulmonary diseases, which also affect
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“Asthma and incident coronary heart disease: an observational and Mendelian randomisation study.” C.A. Valencia-Hernández, F. Del Greco M, V. Sundaram, et al. Eur Respir J 2023; 62: 2301788. Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-28 European Respiratory Society
In this article, the protocol number for …
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Cluster analysis to identify long COVID phenotypes using 129Xe magnetic resonance imaging: a multicentre evaluation Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-28 Eddy, R. L., Mummy, D., Zhang, S., Dai, H., Bechtel, A., Schmidt, A., Frizzell, B., Gerayeli, F. V., Leipsic, J. A., Leung, J. M., Driehuys, B., Que, L. G., Castro, M., Sin, D. D., Niedbalski, P. J.
Background Long COVID impacts ~10% of people diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), yet the pathophysiology driving ongoing symptoms is poorly understood. We hypothesised that 129Xe magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could identify unique pulmonary phenotypic subgroups of long COVID. Therefore, we evaluated ventilation and gas exchange measurements with cluster analysis to generate imaging-based
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Reversal of cylindrical bronchial dilatations in a subset of adults with cystic fibrosis treated with elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-28 Paul Cazier, Guillaume Chassagnon, Théo Dhote, Jennifer Da Silva, Reem Kanaan, Isabelle Honoré, Nicolas Carlier, Marie-Pierre Revel, Emma Canniff, Clémence Martin, Pierre-Régis Burgel
Background This study sought to evaluate the impact of elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) on lung structural abnormalities in adults with cystic fibrosis (awCF) with a specific focus on the reversal of bronchial dilatations. Methods Chest computed tomography (CT) scans performed prior to and 12 months after initiation of ETI were visually reviewed for possible reversal of bronchial dilatations
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ERS/EBMT clinical practice guidelines on treatment of pulmonary chronic graft-versus-host disease in adults Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-28 Saskia Bos, John Murray, Monia Marchetti, Guang-Shing Cheng, Anne Bergeron, Daniel Wolff, Clare Sander, Akshay Sharma, Sherif M. Badawy, Zinaida Peric, Agnieszka Piekarska, Joseph Pidala, Kavita Raj, Olaf Penack, Samar Kulkarni, Molly Beestrum, Andrea Linke, Matthew Rutter, Courtney Coleman, Thomy Tonia, Hélène Schoemans, Daiana Stolz, Robin Vos
Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) is a common complication after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, characterised by a broad disease spectrum that can affect virtually any organ. Although pulmonary cGvHD is a less common manifestation, it is of great concern due to its severity and poor prognosis. Optimal management of patients with pulmonary cGvHD is complicated and no standardised
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Pulmonary phase contrast CT imaging: a novel setup at the Italian synchrotron for the study of fresh lungs at human scale Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-28 Dullin, C., Wagner, W. L., Confalonieri, M., Tromba, G.
Extract High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) remains the current gold standard for detailed morphological assessment of the human lung, but is intrinsically limited in spatial resolution to about 0.5 mm, because an increase in spatial resolution is accompanied by a significant increase in the required radiation dose.
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ERJ Podcast March 2024: Long COVID Eur. Respir. J. (IF 24.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-28 European Respiratory Society
As part of the March issue, the European Respiratory Journal presents the latest in its series of podcasts. Deputy Chief Editor Don Sin interviews Associate Editor Joan Soriano about long COVID, which is the subject of a series of articles in the March and April issues of the ERJ.
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Image-Assısted Pleural Needle Biopsy or Medical Thoracoscopy: Which Method for Which Patient? – A Randomızed Controlled Trial Chest (IF 9.6) Pub Date : 2024-03-28 Muzaffer Metintas MD, Guntulu Ak MD PhD, Huseyin Yildirim MD, Emine Dundar MD, Nevin Aydin MD, Sinan Erginel MD, Fusun Alatas MD, Senay Yilmaz MD, Selma Metintas MD PhD
Image-guided or assisted needle biopsies and the increasing use of medical thoracoscopy (MT) have increased the diagnostic accuracy of pleural diseases significantly. However, no consensus exists regarding which patients with pleural effusion should undergo MT and which patients should undergo image-guided or assisted needle biopsy as the first procedure to ensure greater diagnostic accuracy. Which