Although asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) are distinct airway diseases characterized by chronic inflammation, in some cases distinguishing between them is puzzling. For example, chronic smoking l...Although asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) are distinct airway diseases characterized by chronic inflammation, in some cases distinguishing between them is puzzling. For example, chronic smoking leads asthmatic inflammation to a differentiated pattern resembling the COPD inflammation, and in some cases to fixed obstruction as in COPD, and on the other hand, few COPD patients may present with airway reversibility. ACOS is the condition sharing features encountered both in asthma and COPD. Asthma-COPD overlap syndrome(ACOS) represents a diagnostic challenge in the clinical practice, since there is lack of specific indicators to distinguish it from asthma or COPD, and moreover, genetic risk factors, underlying pathology and molecular pathways, clinical characteristics, therapeutic interventions, response to treatment and prognosis are poorly described. The management of ACOS is recommended to be individualized and should target on the maximum effectiveness with the least side effects. Combination therapy with ICS/LABA or LAMA, or newly developed specific anti-eosinophil therapies and treatments specifically targeting neutrophils might be of relevance in the management of ACOS, but studies are needed in order to assess the response and prognosis. Based on the current knowledge about ACOS thus far, it would be recommended that we approached chronic obstructive airway disease rather by describing than by classifying the disease; this would allow us to have a picture that better describes the disease and to implement an individualized therapeutic approach, according to the custom phenotype. Nevertheless, more studies are needed in order to clarify several important issues with regard to ACOS, such as the genetic risk factors for developing ACOS, the links between genotype and phenotype, the molecular pathways and underlying mechanisms of ACOS, the identification of possible specific biomarkers for diagnosis and targeted treatment, the optimal therapeutic interventions, and finally, the prognosis of ACOS.展开更多
<b>Background:</span></b><span style="font-family:""><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> Tidal expiratory flow limitation (tEFL) is defined as absence of increase...<b>Background:</span></b><span style="font-family:""><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> Tidal expiratory flow limitation (tEFL) is defined as absence of increase in air flow during forced expiration compared to tidal breathing and is related to dyspnea at rest and minimal exertion in patients with chronic airflow limitation (CAL). Tidal EFL has not been expressed as a continuous variable (0% - 100%) in previous analyses. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Objective:</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> To relate the magnitude of tEFL to spirometric values and Modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) score and Asthma Control Test (ACT). </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Methods:</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> Tidal EFL was computed as percent of the tidal volume (0% - 100%) spanned (intersected) by the forced expiratory-volume curve. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Results: </span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Of 353 patients screened, 192 (114 M, 78 F) patients (136 with COPD, 56 with asthma) had CAL. Overall characteristics: (mean ± SD) age 59 ± 11 years, BMI 28 ± 7, FVC (% pred) 85 ± 20, FEV1 (% pred) 66 ± 21, FEV1/FVC 55% ± 10%, RV (% pred) 147 ± 42. Tidal EFL in patients with tEFL was 53% ± 39%. Using univariate analysis, strongest correlations were between tEFL and FVC and between tEFL and RV in patients with BMI < 30 kg/m</span><sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;">2</span></sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. In patients with nonreversible CAL, tEFL was positively associated with increasing MMRC, negatively with spirometric measurements, and positively with RV/TLC. In asthmatics, ACT scores were higher in patients with mean BMI ≥ 28 kg/m</span><sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;">2</span></sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> (p < 0.00014) and RV/TLC values > 40% (p < 0.03). </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Conclusions:</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> Dyspnea is strongly associated with tEFL and lung function, particularly in patients with nonreversible CAL. Air trapping and </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">BMI contribute to tEFL.展开更多
The pulmonary diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide(D_LCO)was measuredin 50 normal subjects,50 patients with emphysema and 31 with asthma.The results sh-owed that the D_LCO value of the asthma group was markedly high...The pulmonary diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide(D_LCO)was measuredin 50 normal subjects,50 patients with emphysema and 31 with asthma.The results sh-owed that the D_LCO value of the asthma group was markedly higher than that of thehealthy group,while the D_LCO/pr% and KCO values of the asthma group were similarto those of the healthy group.The values of D_LCO,D_LCO/pr% and KCO in the emphy-sema group were very significantly lower than those in the asthma and healthy groups.Our study suggests that the measurement of D_LCO is onc of the useful pulmonary func-tion tests in differentiation of emphysema from asthma.The mechanism ofdiffcrcnt D_LCOvalues between emphysema and asthma is discussed.The D_LCO values in patients withmild to severe emphysema gradually decreased with the severity of emphysema.The KCOvalues between the mild emphysema and healthy groups were dramatically different.Thisis helpful in the early diagnosis of emphysma as combined with other clinical data.展开更多
This paper aims to review the association between gut microbiota and respiratory system diseases, and explore their potential mechanisms and clinical significance. Gut microbiota, as an important microbial ecosystem i...This paper aims to review the association between gut microbiota and respiratory system diseases, and explore their potential mechanisms and clinical significance. Gut microbiota, as an important microbial ecosystem in the human body, has profound effects on host health. Recent studies have shown that the imbalance of gut microbiota is closely related to the occurrence and development of respiratory system diseases, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pneumonia. We comprehensively analyzed the current research progress and found that gut microbiota may affect respiratory system diseases through various pathways, including immune regulation, inflammatory responses, and airway mucus secretion. Additionally, environmental factors, lifestyle, and dietary habits are also closely related to gut microbiota and respiratory system health. Understanding the relationship between gut microbiota and respiratory system diseases not only helps to reveal the mechanisms of disease occurrence but also provides a theoretical basis for the development of new treatment strategies. Future research should focus on exploring the types and functions of gut microbiota, conducting clinical trials based on this, investigating the effects of gut microbiota modulation on the treatment and prevention of respiratory system diseases, and providing new directions for personalized medicine.展开更多
Background Bronchial asthma （BA） and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） are both inflammatory airway diseases with different characteristics. However, there are many patients who suffer from both BA and ...Background Bronchial asthma （BA） and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） are both inflammatory airway diseases with different characteristics. However, there are many patients who suffer from both BA and COPD. This study was to evaluate changes of inflammatory airway features and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal （HPA） axis function in asthmatic rats combined with COPD. Methods Brown Norway （BN） rats were used to model These three models were compared and evaluated with the inflammatory airway diseases of BA, COPD and COPD＋BA. respect to clinical symptoms, pulmonary histopathology, airway hyperresponsiveness （AHR）, inflammatory cytokines and HPA axis function. Results The inflammatory airway features and HPA axis function in rats in the COPD＋BA model group were greatly influenced. Rats in this model group showed features of the inflammatory diseases BA and COPD. The expression of inflammatory cytokines in this model group might be up or downregulated when both disease processes are present. The levels of corticotrophin releasing hormone mRNA and corticosterone in this model group were both significantly decreased than those in the control group （P 〈0.05）. Conclusions BN rat can be used as an animal model of COPD＋BA. By evaluating this animal model we found that the features of inflammation in rats in this model group seem to be exaggerated. The HPA axis functions in rats in this model group have been disturbed or impaired, which is prominent at the hypothalamic level.展开更多
Significant links between allergic rhinitis and asthma have been reported, and the united airway disease hypothesis is supported by numerous findings in epidemiologic, physiologic, pathologic, and immunologic studies....Significant links between allergic rhinitis and asthma have been reported, and the united airway disease hypothesis is supported by numerous findings in epidemiologic, physiologic, pathologic, and immunologic studies. The impact of allergic rhinitis on asthma has been established. On the other hand, the relationship between chronic rhinosinusitis and lung diseases has been under investigation. Chronic rhinosinusitis is a common disease, and the high prevalence of chronic rhinosinusitis in some kinds of lung diseases has been reported. Recent studies suggest that the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis has beneficial effects in the management of asthma. Here, we present an overview of the current research on the relationship between chronic rhinosinusitis and lower airway diseases including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, diffuse panbronchiolitis, primary ciliary dyskinesia, idiopathic bronchiectasis, and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.展开更多
Objective： Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） are representative chronic inflammatory airway diseases responsible for a considerable burden of disease. In this article, we reviewed the relation...Objective： Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） are representative chronic inflammatory airway diseases responsible for a considerable burden of disease. In this article, we reviewed the relationship between neutrophil extracellular traps （NETs） and chronic inflammatory airway diseases. Data Sources： Articles published up to January 1, 2017, were selected from the PubMed, Ovid Medline, Embase databases, with the keywords of＂asthma＂ or ＂pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive＂, ＂neutrophils＂ and ＂extracellular traps.＇＂ Study Selection： Articles were obtained and reviewed to analyze the role of NETs in asthma and COPD. Results： NETs are composed of extracellular DNA, histones, and granular proteins, which are released from activated neutrophils. Multiple studies have indicated that there are a large amount of NETs in the airways of asthmatics and COPD patients. NETs can engulf and kill invading pathogens in the host. However, disordered regulation of NET lbrmation has shown to be involved in the development of asthma and COPD. An overabundance of NETs in the airways or lung tissue could cause varying degrees of damage to lung tissues by inducing the death of human epithelial and endothelial cells, and thus resulting in impairing pulmonary function and accelerating the progress of the disease. Conclusions： Excessive NETs accumulate in the airways of asthmatics and COPD patients. Although NETs play an essential role in the innate immune system against infection, excessive components of NETs can cause lung tissue damage and accelerate disease progression in asthmatics and COPD patients. These findings suggest that administration of NETs could be a novel approach to treat asthma and COPD. Mechanism studies, clinical practice, and strategies to regulate neutrophil activation or directly interrupt NET thnction in asthmatics and COPD patients are desperately needed.展开更多
文摘Although asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) are distinct airway diseases characterized by chronic inflammation, in some cases distinguishing between them is puzzling. For example, chronic smoking leads asthmatic inflammation to a differentiated pattern resembling the COPD inflammation, and in some cases to fixed obstruction as in COPD, and on the other hand, few COPD patients may present with airway reversibility. ACOS is the condition sharing features encountered both in asthma and COPD. Asthma-COPD overlap syndrome(ACOS) represents a diagnostic challenge in the clinical practice, since there is lack of specific indicators to distinguish it from asthma or COPD, and moreover, genetic risk factors, underlying pathology and molecular pathways, clinical characteristics, therapeutic interventions, response to treatment and prognosis are poorly described. The management of ACOS is recommended to be individualized and should target on the maximum effectiveness with the least side effects. Combination therapy with ICS/LABA or LAMA, or newly developed specific anti-eosinophil therapies and treatments specifically targeting neutrophils might be of relevance in the management of ACOS, but studies are needed in order to assess the response and prognosis. Based on the current knowledge about ACOS thus far, it would be recommended that we approached chronic obstructive airway disease rather by describing than by classifying the disease; this would allow us to have a picture that better describes the disease and to implement an individualized therapeutic approach, according to the custom phenotype. Nevertheless, more studies are needed in order to clarify several important issues with regard to ACOS, such as the genetic risk factors for developing ACOS, the links between genotype and phenotype, the molecular pathways and underlying mechanisms of ACOS, the identification of possible specific biomarkers for diagnosis and targeted treatment, the optimal therapeutic interventions, and finally, the prognosis of ACOS.
文摘<b>Background:</span></b><span style="font-family:""><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> Tidal expiratory flow limitation (tEFL) is defined as absence of increase in air flow during forced expiration compared to tidal breathing and is related to dyspnea at rest and minimal exertion in patients with chronic airflow limitation (CAL). Tidal EFL has not been expressed as a continuous variable (0% - 100%) in previous analyses. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Objective:</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> To relate the magnitude of tEFL to spirometric values and Modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) score and Asthma Control Test (ACT). </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Methods:</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> Tidal EFL was computed as percent of the tidal volume (0% - 100%) spanned (intersected) by the forced expiratory-volume curve. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Results: </span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Of 353 patients screened, 192 (114 M, 78 F) patients (136 with COPD, 56 with asthma) had CAL. Overall characteristics: (mean ± SD) age 59 ± 11 years, BMI 28 ± 7, FVC (% pred) 85 ± 20, FEV1 (% pred) 66 ± 21, FEV1/FVC 55% ± 10%, RV (% pred) 147 ± 42. Tidal EFL in patients with tEFL was 53% ± 39%. Using univariate analysis, strongest correlations were between tEFL and FVC and between tEFL and RV in patients with BMI < 30 kg/m</span><sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;">2</span></sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. In patients with nonreversible CAL, tEFL was positively associated with increasing MMRC, negatively with spirometric measurements, and positively with RV/TLC. In asthmatics, ACT scores were higher in patients with mean BMI ≥ 28 kg/m</span><sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;">2</span></sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> (p < 0.00014) and RV/TLC values > 40% (p < 0.03). </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Conclusions:</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> Dyspnea is strongly associated with tEFL and lung function, particularly in patients with nonreversible CAL. Air trapping and </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">BMI contribute to tEFL.
文摘The pulmonary diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide(D_LCO)was measuredin 50 normal subjects,50 patients with emphysema and 31 with asthma.The results sh-owed that the D_LCO value of the asthma group was markedly higher than that of thehealthy group,while the D_LCO/pr% and KCO values of the asthma group were similarto those of the healthy group.The values of D_LCO,D_LCO/pr% and KCO in the emphy-sema group were very significantly lower than those in the asthma and healthy groups.Our study suggests that the measurement of D_LCO is onc of the useful pulmonary func-tion tests in differentiation of emphysema from asthma.The mechanism ofdiffcrcnt D_LCOvalues between emphysema and asthma is discussed.The D_LCO values in patients withmild to severe emphysema gradually decreased with the severity of emphysema.The KCOvalues between the mild emphysema and healthy groups were dramatically different.Thisis helpful in the early diagnosis of emphysma as combined with other clinical data.
文摘This paper aims to review the association between gut microbiota and respiratory system diseases, and explore their potential mechanisms and clinical significance. Gut microbiota, as an important microbial ecosystem in the human body, has profound effects on host health. Recent studies have shown that the imbalance of gut microbiota is closely related to the occurrence and development of respiratory system diseases, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pneumonia. We comprehensively analyzed the current research progress and found that gut microbiota may affect respiratory system diseases through various pathways, including immune regulation, inflammatory responses, and airway mucus secretion. Additionally, environmental factors, lifestyle, and dietary habits are also closely related to gut microbiota and respiratory system health. Understanding the relationship between gut microbiota and respiratory system diseases not only helps to reveal the mechanisms of disease occurrence but also provides a theoretical basis for the development of new treatment strategies. Future research should focus on exploring the types and functions of gut microbiota, conducting clinical trials based on this, investigating the effects of gut microbiota modulation on the treatment and prevention of respiratory system diseases, and providing new directions for personalized medicine.
文摘Background Bronchial asthma （BA） and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） are both inflammatory airway diseases with different characteristics. However, there are many patients who suffer from both BA and COPD. This study was to evaluate changes of inflammatory airway features and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal （HPA） axis function in asthmatic rats combined with COPD. Methods Brown Norway （BN） rats were used to model These three models were compared and evaluated with the inflammatory airway diseases of BA, COPD and COPD＋BA. respect to clinical symptoms, pulmonary histopathology, airway hyperresponsiveness （AHR）, inflammatory cytokines and HPA axis function. Results The inflammatory airway features and HPA axis function in rats in the COPD＋BA model group were greatly influenced. Rats in this model group showed features of the inflammatory diseases BA and COPD. The expression of inflammatory cytokines in this model group might be up or downregulated when both disease processes are present. The levels of corticotrophin releasing hormone mRNA and corticosterone in this model group were both significantly decreased than those in the control group （P 〈0.05）. Conclusions BN rat can be used as an animal model of COPD＋BA. By evaluating this animal model we found that the features of inflammation in rats in this model group seem to be exaggerated. The HPA axis functions in rats in this model group have been disturbed or impaired, which is prominent at the hypothalamic level.
基金Supported by JSPS KAKENHI(Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research),No.25462642
文摘Significant links between allergic rhinitis and asthma have been reported, and the united airway disease hypothesis is supported by numerous findings in epidemiologic, physiologic, pathologic, and immunologic studies. The impact of allergic rhinitis on asthma has been established. On the other hand, the relationship between chronic rhinosinusitis and lung diseases has been under investigation. Chronic rhinosinusitis is a common disease, and the high prevalence of chronic rhinosinusitis in some kinds of lung diseases has been reported. Recent studies suggest that the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis has beneficial effects in the management of asthma. Here, we present an overview of the current research on the relationship between chronic rhinosinusitis and lower airway diseases including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, diffuse panbronchiolitis, primary ciliary dyskinesia, idiopathic bronchiectasis, and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.
文摘Objective： Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） are representative chronic inflammatory airway diseases responsible for a considerable burden of disease. In this article, we reviewed the relationship between neutrophil extracellular traps （NETs） and chronic inflammatory airway diseases. Data Sources： Articles published up to January 1, 2017, were selected from the PubMed, Ovid Medline, Embase databases, with the keywords of＂asthma＂ or ＂pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive＂, ＂neutrophils＂ and ＂extracellular traps.＇＂ Study Selection： Articles were obtained and reviewed to analyze the role of NETs in asthma and COPD. Results： NETs are composed of extracellular DNA, histones, and granular proteins, which are released from activated neutrophils. Multiple studies have indicated that there are a large amount of NETs in the airways of asthmatics and COPD patients. NETs can engulf and kill invading pathogens in the host. However, disordered regulation of NET lbrmation has shown to be involved in the development of asthma and COPD. An overabundance of NETs in the airways or lung tissue could cause varying degrees of damage to lung tissues by inducing the death of human epithelial and endothelial cells, and thus resulting in impairing pulmonary function and accelerating the progress of the disease. Conclusions： Excessive NETs accumulate in the airways of asthmatics and COPD patients. Although NETs play an essential role in the innate immune system against infection, excessive components of NETs can cause lung tissue damage and accelerate disease progression in asthmatics and COPD patients. These findings suggest that administration of NETs could be a novel approach to treat asthma and COPD. Mechanism studies, clinical practice, and strategies to regulate neutrophil activation or directly interrupt NET thnction in asthmatics and COPD patients are desperately needed.
