Long‐term oxygen treatment need is less frequent in eosinophilic COPD patients

IntroductionEosinophilic airway inflammation is a recognized inflammatory pattern in subgroups of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, there are still conflicting results between various studies concerning the effect of eosinophils in COPD patients. Our aim with this study was to evaluate eosinophilic inflammation and its relation to the clinical characteristics in a group of COPD patients.MethodsStable COPD patients with FEV₁% predicted < 50 or with ≥ 1 exacerbation leading to hospital admission or ≥2 moderate or severe exacerbation history were consecutively enrolled from outpatient clinics.ResultsWe included 90 male COPD patients, with a mean age of 63.3 ± 9.2. Mean FEV₁% predicted was 35.9 ± 11.3. Eosinophilic inflammation (eosinophil percentage ≥2%) was evident in 54 (60%) of the patients. Participants with eosinophilic inflammation were significantly older and had better FEV₁ predicted % values. Eosinophilic COPD patients were characterized with better quality of life and fewer symptoms. COPD patients with noneosinophilic inflammation used supplemental long‐term oxygen therapy (LTOT) more frequently compared to patients with eosinophilic inflammation (36.1% vs. 14.8%, p = 0.01). Eosinophilic inflammation is associated with less dyspnea severity measured by mMRC (OR: 0.542 95% CI: 0.342–0.859, p = 0.009) and less LTOT use (OR: 0.334 95% CI: 0.115–0.968, p = 0.04) regardless of age, severity of airflow limitation, and having frequent exacerbation phenotype.ConclusionOur study supports the growing evidence for a potential role of eosinophilic inflammation phenotype in COPD with distinctive clinical characteristics. Eosinophilic inflammation is inversely associated with dyspnea severity measured by mMRC and LTOT use independently from age, total number of exacerbations, St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) total score and FEV₁% predicted.     

The Impact of Mitral Stenosis on Left Atrial Function Assessed by Two‐Dimensional Speckle Tracking Echocardiography

Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of mitral stenosis (MS) on left atrial (LA) function using two‐dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2DSTE). Methods and Results: The study subjects consisted of 52 patients with asymptomatic MS and 52 control subjects. LA function was assessed using prototype speckle tracking software and manual tracking method. Maximal LA volume (LAVmax) and minimal LA volume (LAVmin) and LA volume before atrial contraction (LAVpre‐a) were measured. Using these volumes, LA reservoir, conduit and booster pump fuction parameters were calculated. Indexed LAVmax, LAVmin, and LAVpre‐a measurements via speckle tracking were highly correlated with manual tracing methods in both groups. Expansion index (67.8 ± 36.4 vs. 148.3 ± 44.2), diastolic emptying index (37.7 ± 12.9 vs. 58.0 ± 8.5), passive emptying (37.3 ± 14.1 vs. 70.4 ± 10.4) and passive emptying index (13.3 ± 6.3 vs. 41.3 ± 10.6) were decreased significantly in MS patients (P < 0.001). In contrast active emptying index (62.6 ± 4.1 vs. 29.5 ± 10.1) increased in MS group (P < 0.001) while active emptying (28.1 ± 13.0 vs. 28.3 ± 6.9) remained same among both groups. Conclusions: This is the first study relating LA volumes and function assessed by 2DSTE to MS. 2D speckle tracking analysis of LA volume is relatively easy and provides more detailed information regarding the changes in LA volumes during the cardiac cycle.     

The role of feed regulating peptides on weight loss in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis

PurposeMalnutrition is a prominent feature of tuberculosis (TB). The aim of our study was to explore the function of plasma regulatory proteins in pulmonary TB and to investigate the relationship between these parameters and loss of body weight.MethodsPlasma levels of fasting insulin, leptin, ghrelin, adiponectin and orexin-A were measured in 23 pulmonary TB patients, 39 patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis, 22 patients with different diffuse interstitial lung diseases and 21 healthy patients serving as controls.ResultPlasma leptin (p < 0.001) and orexin-A (p < 0.01) levels were significantly decreased in TB patients compared with those of the other study subjects. TB patients also had higher levels of plasma ghrelin compared with those of the other study subjects, while sarcoidosis patients had higher plasma adiponectin levels than the other study subjects. Glucose levels were similar in all groups, yet, insulin and Homeostasis Model of Assessment—Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) levels were significantly higher in the TB group compared to the other study groups. There was no correlation between leptin, ghrelin, adiponectin and orexin-A and other parameters.ConclusionsThese data suggest that leptin and orexin-A levels have effects on weight loss in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. Particularly, leptin may play a role in the early immune response to pulmonary TB and prolonged inflammation may further suppress leptin production. Measurement of HOMA-IR can indeed be used as a marker for the risk of activated TB. Further clinical studies are needed to better understand the role of feed regulating proteins in pulmonary tuberculosis.     

A comparison of low-dose and normal-dose gadobutrol in MR renography and renal angiography.

OBJECTIVE: It has been advocated that a reduced injection volume with highly concentrated (1 M) contrast material can produce a sharper bolus peak and an increased intravascular first-pass gadolinium concentration when compared with the use of a lower concentration (0.5 M). A higher concentration would also cause a reduction in dose. The purpose of our study was to test the use of a low dose (0.05 mmol/kg) of gadobutrol in magnetic resonance renography and angiography and compare the findings with a dose of 0.1 mmol/kg. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One-hundred-thirty-four patients referred for magnetic resonance angiography for suspected renovascular disease participated in the study. Contrast enhanced MR renography and angiography were performed after administration of a bolus of 0.1 mmol/kg or 0.05 mmol/kg gadobutrol in randomized patients. The relative signal intensity-time curves of the aorta, peripheral cortex and parenchyma, were obtained. Two radiologists evaluated the angiographic images and evaluated the quality of angiography. RESULTS: The signal intensity with a low dose of gadobutrol was significantly lower in early phases, in the peripheral cortex (for 36, 54, 72 and 90 seconds), the parenchyma (for 36, 54, 72 seconds) and the aorta (for 18, 36, 54, 72 seconds). The decreases in the early phase obtained with a low dose of gadobutrol caused blunter time intensity curves. The difference in the quality scores of the readers for the angiographic images for the use of the two different doses was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: A lower dose of gadobutrol can be used for MR renal angiography, but for MR renography the normal dose should be used.