Microvascular alterations of the ocular surface and retina in connective tissue disease-related interstitial lung disease

AIM:To examine the disparities in macular retinal vascular density between individuals with connective tissue disease-related interstitial lung disease(CTD-ILD)and healthy controls(HCs)by optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA)and to investigate the changes in microvascular density in abnormal eyes.METHODS:For a retrospective case-control study,a total of 16 patients(32 eyes)diagnosed with CTD-ILD were selected as the ILD group.The 16 healthy volunteers with 32 eyes,matched in terms of age and sex with the patients,were recruited as control group.The macular retina’s superficial retinal layer(SRL)and deep retinal layer(DRL)were examined and scanned using OCTA in each individual eye.The densities of retinal microvascular(MIR),macrovascular(MAR),and total microvascular(TMI)were calculated and compared.Changes in retinal vascular density in the macular region were analyzed using three different segmentation methods:central annuli segmentation method(C1-C6),hemispheric segmentation method[uperior right(SR),superior left(SL),inferior left(IL),and inferior right(IR)],and Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study(ETDRS)methods[superior(S),inferior(I),left(L),and right(R)].The data were analyzed using Version 9.0 of GraphPad prism and Pearson analysis.RESULTS:The OCTA data demonstrated a statistically significant difference(P<0.05)in macular retinal microvessel density between the two groups.Specifically,in the SRL and DRL analyses,the ILD group exhibited significantly lower surface density of MIR and TMI compared to the HCs group(P<0.05).Furthermore,using the hemispheric segmentation method,the ILD group showed notable reductions in SL,SR,and IL in the superficial retina(P<0.05),as well as marked decreases in SL and IR in the deep retina(P<0.05).Similarly,when employing the ETDRS method,the ILD group displayed substantial drops in superficial retinal S and I(P<0.05),along with notable reductions in deep retinal L,I,and R(P<0.05).In the central annuli segmentation method,the ILD group exhibited a significant decrease in the superficial retinal C2-4 region(P<0.05),whereas the deep retina showed a notable reduction in the C3-5 region(P<0.05).Additionally,there was an observed higher positive likelihood ratio in the superficial SR region and deep MIR.Furthermore,there was a negative correlation between conjunctival vascular density and both deep and superficial retinal TMI(P<0.001).CONCLUSION:Patients with CTD-ILD exhibits a significantly higher conjunctival vascular density compared to the HCs group.Conversely,their fundus retinal microvascular density is significantly lower.Furthermore,CTD-ILD patients display notably lower superficial and deep retinal vascular density in comparison to the HCs group.The inverse correlation between conjunctival vascular density and both superficial and deep retinal TMI suggests that detecting subtle changes in ocular microcirculation could potentially serve as an early diagnostic indicator for connective tissue diseases,thereby enhancing disease management.

Clinical evolution of antisynthetase syndrome-associated interstitial lung disease after COVID-19 in a man with Klinefelter syndrome:A case report

BACKGROUND This study presents a case of rapidly developing respiratory failure due to antisynthetase syndrome(AS)following coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)in a 33-year-old man diagnosed with Klinefelter syndrome(KS).CASE SUMMARY A 33-year-old man with a diagnosis of KS was admitted to the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine of a tertiary hospital in China for fever and shortness of breath 2 wk after the onset of COVID-19.Computed tomography of both lungs revealed diffuse multiple patchy heightened shadows in both lungs,accompanied by signs of partial bronchial inflation.Metagenomic next-generation sequencing of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid suggested absence of pathogen.A biopsy specimen revealed organizing pneumonia with alveolar septal thickening.Additionally,extensive auto-antibody tests showed strong positivity for anti-SSA,anti-SSB,anti-Jo-1,and anti-Ro-52.Following multidisciplinary discussions,the patient received a final diagnosis of AS,leading to rapidly progressing respiratory failure.CONCLUSION This study underscores the clinical progression of AS-associated interstitial lung disease subsequent to viral infections such as COVID-19 in patients diagnosed with KS.

Correlation Analysis Between Changes of D-Dimer Level and Rheumatoid Arthritis Complicated with Interstitial Lung Disease

Objective:To explore the correlation between the change of D-dimer level and rheumatoid arthritis complicated with interstitial lung disease.Methods:From January 2022 to February 2024,20 rheumatoid arthritis patients complicated with interstitial lung disease(interstitial lung disease group),20 rheumatoid arthritis patients without interstitial lung disease(without interstitial lung disease group),and 20 healthy people(control group)in Xijing Hospital were selected for this study.The fasting venous blood of the three groups of subjects was collected and their D-dimer,C-reactive protein(CRP),rheumatoid factor(RF),and erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR)were detected.Subsequently,the correlation between each index and rheumatoid arthritis complicated with interstitial lung disease was analyzed.Results:The D-dimer level of the interstitial lung disease group was significantly higher than the other two groups(P<0.05).The D-dimer level of the group without interstitial lung disease was significantly higher than the control group(P<0.05).CRP levels in the interstitial lung disease group and the group without interstitial lung disease were significantly higher than those of the control group(P<0.05).The ESR and RF levels of the interstitial lung disease group were significantly higher than the other two groups(P<0.05).The levels of ESR and RF levels of the group without interstitial lung disease were significantly higher than the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:D-dimer levels of rheumatoid arthritis patients are higher than those of healthy individuals,and those complicated with interstitial lung disease present even higher levels.This finding shows that there is a correlation between D-dimer levels and rheumatoid arthritis with interstitial lung disease,which may facilitate the evaluation and diagnosis of this disease.

Effect of N-Acetylcysteine Combined with Lung Rehabilitation Therapy on Exercise Endurance and Quality of Life of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis-Related Interstitial Lung Disease

Objective:To explore the effect of N-acetylcysteine combined with lung rehabilitation therapy on exercise endurance and quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis-related interstitial lung disease(RA-ILD).Methods:Fifty-six patients with RA-ILD admitted to Xijing Hospital from May 2022 to January 2024 were randomly divided into two groups:a non-rehabilitation group and a pulmonary rehabilitation group,with 28 patients in each group.Both groups received routine treatment.Additionally,the non-rehabilitation group received N-acetylcysteine treatment,while the lung rehabilitation group received lung rehabilitation treatment in addition to N-acetylcysteine.The improvement in exercise endurance and dyspnea between the two groups after treatment was compared and the quality of life of the patients was observed.Results:After treatment,the exercise endurance score in the lung rehabilitation group(335.67±45.29)was higher than that in the non-rehabilitation group(P<0.05).The dyspnea score in the lung rehabilitation group(0.72±0.16)was lower than that in the non-rehabilitation group(P<0.05).Additionally,FVC(3.18±0.58 L),FEV1(2.28±0.56 L),FEV1/FVC(69.69±5.56),and DLCO(60.53±5.92 mL/mmHg/min)were higher in the lung rehabilitation group compared to the non-rehabilitation group after treatment(P<0.05).Conclusion:Lung rehabilitation therapy combined with N-acetylcysteine treatment can effectively improve dyspnea symptoms,lung function,and exercise endurance in patients with RA-ILD.This approach helps to improve patient’s quality of life and is beneficial for their prognosis.

Nodular Pulmonary Amyloidosis with Interstitial Lung Disease—Case Report and Literature Review

Amyloidosis is a rare spectrum of disease which involves deposition of misfolded extracellular proteins (amyloids) in various body organs leading to progressive organ dysfunction. Clinical presentation can be variable depending on the organ involved and type of protein. Amyloidosis can be classified based on quantity, type, and location of these proteins. Amyloid light-chain amyloidosis develops in the bone marrow, producing abnormal forms of light-chain proteins, which cannot be broken down. These proteins transform into amyloid fibrils and form amyloid deposits in different organs. Pulmonary amyloidosis is uncommonly diagnosed since it is rarely symptomatic. Diagnosis of pulmonary amyloidosis is usually made in the setting of systemic amyloidosis;however, it may present as localised pulmonary disease. Localized pulmonary Amyloidosis can present as nodular, cystic, or tracheobronchial amyloidosis. Depending on the degree of the interstitial involvement, it may affect alveolar gas exchange and cause respiratory symptoms. This is a case of a 47-year-old female with background history of interstitial lung disease presenting with progressive shortness of breath. Computed tomography scan revealed bilateral pulmonary nodules. The patient was referred to our thoracic surgery team with the suspicion of bronchogenic malignancy with metastasis. Diagnostic video assisted wedge resection was performed for this patient, and histology confirmed pulmonary amyloidosis of nodular type. Amyloid deposition simulates both inflammatory and neoplastic conditions. Definitive diagnosis requires biopsy confirmation therefore early detection and commencing the patient on appropriate treatment pathway may help in symptomatic relief and better outcome.

Mechanism prediction of Astragalus mongholicus Bunge and Angelica sinensis Diels in treating interstitial lung disease based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

Objective:To investigate the mechanism by which Astragalus mongholicus Bunge(AM),and Angelica sinensis Diels(AS)act in interstitial lung disease(ILD)based on computational prediction.Methods:We screened the ingredients of AM and AS in PubMed,the Web of Science,China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI)Databases,etc.Then obtained the potential effective components.By sharing the same molecular with ILD,we got the possible target genes for ILD treatment and constructed components–targets–disease network with Cytoscape software.The CTD(Comparative Toxicogenomics Database)database was used for GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of these target genes.Results:59 active ingredients that can be druggable were chosen from AM,67 active ingredients were chosen from AS.77 overlapping target genes for AM and ILD and 36 overlapping target genes for AS and ILD were acquired.The hub targets of AM were PTGS2,PTGS1,CDK2,MAOA,ESR1,TOP2A,GSK3B,ESR2,PPARG,NOS2,The hub targets of AS were PTGS2,GABRA1,PTGS1,CHRM1,SLC6A2,ADRA1B,ADRAIA,ADRB2,CHRM3,GABRA2,CHRM2.Quercetin,kaempferol,daidzein,pavilion,7-Hydroxycoumarin,and 5-Hydroxycoumarin were the main active ingredients which have more effective targets.Prediction of the protein-protein interaction network showed PTGS2,GSK3B,PPARG,etc.,were the important predicted targets.The enriched KEGG pathways,including the Immune System,Metabolism of lipids and lipoproteins,Cytokine Signaling in the Immune system,Generic Transcription Pathway,The interleukin pathway,Metabolism of proteins,PI3K-Akt signaling pathway,Metabolic pathways,Innate Immune System,Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction,Metabolism,GPCR downstream signaling,Amine ligand-binding receptors,Class A/1,Calcium signaling pathway.Molecular docking showed that quercetin,kaempferol,daidzein,pavilion,7-Hydroxycoumarin,5-Hydroxycoumarin had good binding activities with PTGS2 and GSK3B,which mainly mediated PI3K/Akt and other important signaling pathways in the pathogenesis of ILD.Conclusion:The components in AS and AM share some common targets,such as PTGS2.AM and AS may ameliorate ILD through the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway which is mediated by GSK3B.PTGS2,PPARG may also be vital target genes in the treatment of ILD with AM and AS.

Expert Consensus on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Anticancer Drug-Induced Interstitial Lung Disease

Drug-induced interstitial lung disease(DILD)is the most common pulmonary adverse event of anticancer drugs.In recent years,the incidence of anticancer DILD has gradually increased with the rapid development of novel anticancer agents.Due to the diverse clinical manifestations and the lack of specific diagnostic criteria,DILD is difficult to diagnose and may even become fatal if not treated properly.Herein,a multidisciplinary group of experts from oncology,respiratory,imaging,pharmacology,pathology,and radiology departments in China has reached the“expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of anticancer DILD”after several rounds of a comprehensive investigation.This consensus aims to improve the awareness of clinicians and provide recommendations for the early screening,diagnosis,and treatment of anticancer DILD.This consensus also emphasizes the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration while managing DILD.

Association between the Lung Immune Prognostic Index and mortality in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy-associated interstitial lung disease

Objective:To explore the association between the Lung Immune Prognostic Index(LIPI)and 1-year all-cause mortality in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy related interstitial lung disease(IIM-ILD).Methods:Patients who were diagnosed with IIM-ILD at West China Hospital,Sichuan University from January 2008 to December 2021 were retrospectively included and categorized into three groups based on LIPI.Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were conducted to explore potential association between the LIPI and patients'mortality.Results:A total of 1116 patients were screened,and 830 were included in this study.The multivariable Cox analysis showed that,compared with patients with poor LIPI,the hazard ratio(HR)for all-cause 1-year mortality was 0.22(95%CI 0.05-0.93,P=0.04)for patients in the good LIPI group(LDH<250 IU/L and dNLR<3).After excluding patients lost to follow-up within one year,a similar result was found for LIPI(HR 0.20,95%CI 0.05-0.86;P=0.03).Conclusions:Good LIPI was independently associated with decreased risk of all-cause 1-year mortality in patients with IIM-ILD.This easy-to-obtain index might be served as a potential marker for assessing the prognosis of IIM-ILD.

Acute exacerbation of interstitial lung disease in the intensive care unit:Principles of diagnostic evaluation and management

Interstitial lung disease(ILD)is typically managed on an outpatient basis.Critical care physicians manage patients with ILD in the setting of an acute exacerbation(ILD flare)causing severe hypoxia.The principles of management of acute exacerbation of ILD are different from those used to manage patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome from sepsis,etc.Selected patients may be candidates for aggressive measures like extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and lung transplantation,while almost all patients will benefit from early palliative care.This review focused on the types of ILD,diagnosis,and management pathways for this challenging condition.

Mechanism prediction of Astragalus mongholicus Bunge and Angelica sinensis Diels in treating interstitial lung disease based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

Objective:To investigate the mechanism by which Astragalus mongholicus Bunge(AM),and Angelica sinensis Diels(AS)act in interstitial lung disease(ILD)based on computational prediction.Methods:We screened the ingredients of AM and AS in PubMed,the Web of Science,China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI)Databases,etc.Then obtained the potential effective components.By sharing the same molecular with ILD,we got the possible target genes for ILD treatment and constructed components–targets–disease network with Cytoscape software.The CTD(Comparative Toxicogenomics Database)database was used for GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of these target genes.Results:59 active ingredients that can be druggable were chosen from AM,67 active ingredients were chosen from AS.77 overlapping target genes for AM and ILD and 36 overlapping target genes for AS and ILD were acquired.The hub targets of AM were PTGS2,PTGS1,CDK2,MAOA,ESR1,TOP2A,GSK3B,ESR2,PPARG,NOS2,The hub targets of AS were PTGS2,GABRA1,PTGS1,CHRM1,SLC6A2,ADRA1B,ADRAIA,ADRB2,CHRM3,GABRA2,CHRM2.Quercetin,kaempferol,daidzein,pavilion,7-Hydroxycoumarin,and 5-Hydroxycoumarin were the main active ingredients which have more effective targets.Prediction of the protein-protein interaction network showed PTGS2,GSK3B,PPARG,etc.,were the important predicted targets.The enriched KEGG pathways,including the Immune System,Metabolism of lipids and lipoproteins,Cytokine Signaling in the Immune system,Generic Transcription Pathway,The interleukin pathway,Metabolism of proteins,PI3K-Akt signaling pathway,Metabolic pathways,Innate Immune System,Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction,Metabolism,GPCR downstream signaling,Amine ligand-binding receptors,Class A/1,Calcium signaling pathway.Molecular docking showed that quercetin,kaempferol,daidzein,pavilion,7-Hydroxycoumarin,5-Hydroxycoumarin had good binding activities with PTGS2 and GSK3B,which mainly mediated PI3K/Akt and other important signaling pathways in the pathogenesis of ILD.Conclusion:The components in AS and AM share some common targets,such as PTGS2.AM and AS may ameliorate ILD through the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway which is mediated by GSK3B.PTGS2,PPARG may also be vital target genes in the treatment of ILD with AM and AS.

Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis–associated lung disease: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND Lung damage in systemic juvenile arthritis(sJIA)is one of the contemporary topics in pediatric rheumatology.Several previous studies showed the severe course and fatal outcomes in some patients.The information about interstitial lung disease(ILD)in the sJIA is scarce and limited to a total of 100 cases.AIM To describe the features of sJIA patients with ILD in detail.METHODS In the present retrospective cohort study,information about 5 patients less than 18-years-old with sJIA and ILD were included.The diagnosis of sJIA was made according to the current 2004 and new provisional International League of Associations for Rheumatology criteria 2019.ILD was diagnosed with chest computed tomography with the exclusion of other possible reasons for concurrent lung involvement.Macrophage activation syndrome(MAS)was diagnosed with HLH-2004 and 2016 EULAR/ACR/PRINTO Classification Criteria and hScores were calculated during the lung involvement.RESULTS The onset age of sJIA ranged from 1 year to 10 years.The time interval before ILD ranged from 1 mo to 3 years.The disease course was characterized by the prevalence of the systemic features above articular involvement,intensive rash(100%),persistent and very active MAS(hScore range:194-220)with transaminitis(100%),and respiratory symptoms(100%).Only 3 patients(60%)developed a clubbing phenomenon.All patients(100%)had pleural effusion and 4 patients(80%)had pericardial effusion at the disease onset.Two patients(40%)developed pulmonary arterial hypertension.Infusion-related reactions to tocilizumab were observed in 3(60%)of the patients.One patient with trisomy 21 had a fatal disease course.Half of the remaining patients had sJIA remission and 2 patients had improvement.Lung disease improved in 3 patients(75%),but 1 of them had initial deterioration of lung involvement.One patient who has not achieved the sJIA remission had the progressed course of ILD.No cases of hyper-eosinophilia were noted.Four patients(80%)received canakinumab and one(20%)tocilizumab at the last follow-up visit.CONCLUSION ILD is a severe life-threatening complication of sJIA that may affect children of different ages with different time intervals since the disease onset.Extensive rash,serositis(especially pleuritis),full-blown MAS with transaminitis,lymphopenia,trisomy 21,eosinophilia,and biologic infusion reaction are the main predictors of ILD.The following studies are needed to find the predictors,pathogenesis,and treatment options,for preventing and treating the ILD in sJIA patients.

Acute exacerbation of interstitial lung disease in the intensive care unit

Acute exacerbations of interstitial lung disease(AE-ILD)represent an acute,frequent and often highly morbid event in the disease course of ILD patients.Admission in the intensive care unit(ICU)is very common and the need for mechanical ventilation arises early.While non-invasive ventilation has shown promise in staving off intubation in selected patients,it is unclear whether mechanical ventilation can alter the exacerbation course unless it is a bridge to lung transplantation.Risk stratification using clinical and radiographic findings,and early palliative care involvement,are important in ICU care.In this review,we discuss many of the pathophysiological aspects of AE-ILD and raise the hypothesis that ventilation strategies used in acute respiratory distress syndrome might be implemented in AE-ILD.We present possible decision-making and management algorithms that can be used by the intensivist when caring for these patients.

Interstitial lung disease and diabetes

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disease and its prevalence has beensteadily increasing all over the world. DM and its associated micro andmacrovascular complications result in significant morbidity and mortality. Themicrovascular complications are usually manifested as retinopathy, neuropathy,nephropathy and macrovascular complications generally affect the cardiovascularsystem. In addition to these complications, DM also affects the lungs because of itsrich vascularity and abundance in connective tissue (collagen and elastin). DMhas been found to cause microvascular complications and proliferation ofextracellular connective tissue in the lungs, leading to decline in lung function in arestrictive pattern. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) includes a diverse group ofdisease conditions characterized by different degrees of inflammation and fibrosisin the pulmonary parenchyma. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is one of thecommon type of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia with a high mortality rate. IPFis characterized by chronic progressive fibrosis leading to progressive respiratoryfailure. In this review we focus on lung as the target organ in DM and theassociation of DM and ILD with special emphasis on IPF.

Reliability and validity of Chinese version of a tool to assess the quality of life in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in patients with interstitial lung disease

Objective:This paper aims to determine the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of a tool that assesses the quality of life in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(cATAQ-IPF)in patients with interstitial lung disease(ILD).Methods:We used the process of scale introduction to establish cATAQ-IPF.The content validity of the scale was evaluated by six experts.A total of 92 patients with ILD completed the cATAQ-IPF,St.George's respiratory questionnaire(SGRQ),and The Medical Research Council dyspnoea scale at the baseline,and 15 patients completed cATAQ-IPF at the follow-up period 2 weeks later.Thus,yielding data were used to assess various psychometric properties of cATAQ-IPE Intraclass correlation coefficient(ICC),Cronbach'sαcoefficient,content validity index(CVI),item-level CVI(I-CVI),Pearson's coefficients,criterion-relation validity,and known-group validity were used for data analysis.Results:The cATAQ-IPF showed excellent test-retest reliability(ICC=0.95),except for the therapy domain(Cronbach'sα=0.60)and acceptable internal consistency(Cronbach'sα=0.96 for the total).The scale-level CVI was 0.80,and the I-CVI was in the range of 0.78-1.00.The total cATAQ-IPF score was strongly correlated with the SGRQ total score(r=0.71,P<0.01).The cATAQ-IPF score of patients with ILD was 250.74±47.39,and that of patients with IPF was 287.90±22.56.Patients with IPF possessed considerable impairments in health-related quality of life according to the cATAQ-IPF score(t=4.94,P<0.01).Conclusions:The cATAQ-IPF is a reliable and valid instrument for the evaluation of quality of life of Chinese patients with various forms of ILD.

Vedolizumab-associated diffuse interstitial lung disease in patients with ulcerative colitis:A case report

BACKGROUND Vedolizumab,a newer class of integrin antagonist biological agents,has been applied to treat patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease(CD)and ulcerative colitis(UC),especially for patients who are refractory to traditional therapies and tumor necrosis factor antagonists.However,some rare but lifethreatening adverse effects warrant pharmacovigilance.We describe the first fatal case of vedolizumab-associated severe diffuse interstitial lung disease in China.CASE SUMMARY We present a case of new-onset diffuse parenchymal lung disease developing under treatment with vedolizumab in a patient with UC.After two doses of vedolizumab,he developed persistent fever and progressively worsening dyspnea.Extensive workups,including bronchoalveolar lavage,transbronchial lung biopsy and metagenomic next-generation sequencing,identified no infectious causes,and other potential causes(such as tumors and cardiogenic pulmonary edema)were also excluded.As a result,a diagnosis of vedolizumabrelated interstitial lung disease was established.Unfortunately,although corticosteroids and empiric antibiotics were administered,the patient eventually died of respiratory failure.CONCLUSION Vedolizumab-related interstitial lung disease in patients with UC is rare but potentially lethal.Gastroenterologists and pulmonologists should be aware of vedolizumab-related adverse drug reactions.

Characteristics and Prognosis of Microscopic Polyangiitis Patients with Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage and Interstitial Lung Disease

Objective To evaluate the clinical characteristics and prognostic predictors of patients with diffuse alveolar hemorrhage(DAH)and/or interstitial lung disease(ILD)secondary to microscopic polyangiitis(MPA)in a Chinese general hospital.Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of MPA patients admitted to internal medicine departments between the year 2002 and 2012.The patients were divided into the ILD,DAH,DAH combined with ILD(DAHILD),and no pulmonary involvement(NPI)groups according to pulmonary involvement patterns.The clinical characteristics at diagnosis were analyzed.The risk factors associated with short-term death and long-term death were identified with Logistic regression and Cox analysis.Results Of 193 newly diagnosed MPA patients,181 patients were enrolled in the research,of which 19 had DAH alone,96 had ILD alone,18 had DAH and DAH concurrently,and 48 had NPI.The median of serum creatine level in the DAH group was 449μmol/L,significantly higher than that in the ILD group(123μmol/L,Nemenyi=-35.215,P=0.045)and DAHILD group(359μmol/L,Nemenyi=-43.609,P=0.007).The median follow-up time was 67(range:1-199)months.Patients in the ILD group were older than those in the DAH group(median:69 years vs.57 years,Nemenyi=43.853,P=0.005).The patients with both DAH and ILD had combined features of the two subtypes,and the highest mortality(72.2%at the end of follow-up).The elevated white blood cell count was a risk factor for short-term death(OR=1.103,95%CI:1.008-1.207,P=0.032 for one month;OR=1.103,95%CI:1.026-1.186,P=0.008 for one year).Old age(HR=1.044,95%CI:1.023-1.066,P<0.001),cardiovascular system involvement(HR=2.093,95%CI:1.195-3.665,P=0.010),poor renal function(HR=1.001,95%CI:1.000-1.002,P=0.032)were risk factors for long-term death.Pulmonary infections(38/54)were the leading causes of death,especially for the patients with ILD.Besides,49 patients suffered from pulmonary infections in the first year after diagnosis.Conclusions MPA patients who presented with different pulmonary involvement patterns have completely different clinical features.These subtypes probably have different pathogenesis and should be studied separately.

EFFECTS OF ALVEOLAR MACROPHAGE CONDITIONED MEDIA FROM INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASE PATIENTS ON THE PROCOLLAGEN mRNA EXPRESSION IN HUMAN LUNG FIBROBLASTS

Progressive inflammation and fibrosis are the central processes in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. It is believed that macrophages in areas of chronically inflamed lung play a key role in fibrotic response. Therefore, we investigated the effects of alveolar macrophage (AmΦ) conditioned media from interstitial lung disease (ILD) patients on lung fibroblast proliferation and procollagen mRNA expression. After stimulating with AmΦ conditioned media from ILD patients, the fibroblast proliferation increased 71. 4 % compared with the control, but for media from bronchial carcinoma (BC) patients, it just increased 14. 3%. There is a significant difference between the two groups (P<0. 05). The procollagen a1 (Ⅰ) mRNA in fibroblasts stimulated with AmΦ conditioned media from ILD patients was increased 21. 3 %, and a1 ( Ⅲ) was 37. 2% higher than control (P<0.05). It increased 6. 8% and 12. 8% for media from BC patients respectively, but there was no difference when compared to the control. We considered that AmΦ from ILD patients might be in an activated state and could release some growth factors to stimulate fibroblast proliferation and promote collagen DNA expression.

Interstitial lung disease induced by the roots of Achyranthes japonica Nakai:Three case reports

BACKGROUND The roots of Achyranthes japonica Nakai(AJN),called“Useul-puli,”has been traditionally used to control pain and improve dysfunction in osteoarthritis patients in South Korea.CASE SUMMARY We described 3 patients diagnosed with herbal medicine induced interstitial lung disease after consuming boiled the roots of AJN.They were referred to our hospital because of the modified Medical Research Council grade 4 dyspnea.Chest computed tomography showed bilateral ground-glass opacities with patchy consolidation.After treatment with systemic glucocorticoid therapy and discontinuation of the roots of AJN,their symptoms improved,and almost all ground-glass opacities and patchy consolidations on chest radiography and chest computed tomography resolved.CONCLUSION We present three cases of interstitial lung disease induced by the roots of AJN.

Meta-analysis of clinical efficacy and safety of kidney Tonifying therapy in the treatment of interstitial lung disease

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of kidney tonifying therapy in the treatment of Interstitial Lung Disease(ILD).Methods:We searched Wanfang Data,CNKI,CBM,VIP,Pub Med,EMBASE,Web of science and Cochrane Library for Randomized Controlled Trials(RCTs)of kidney tonifying therapy in the treatment of ILD.The retrieval time was from the establishment of the database to December 15,2020.Rev man 5.3 software was used to analyze and summarize the collected literature,and the methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated by the bias risk assessment scale of Cochrane Collaboration Network.Results:A total of 15 articles with 1045 patients were included.The results of meta-analysis showed that compared with the control group treated with conventional western medicine alone,kidney tonifying therapy or combined with conventional western medicine was beneficial to improve the clinical total effective rate[RR=1.33(95%CI 1.24-1.43),P<0.00001].At the same time,compared with the control group treated with routine western medicine,kidney tonifying therapy or combined with routine western medicine can improve cough and wheezing symptoms of patients[MD=-0.62(95%CI-0.78~-0.46),P<0.00001]and MD=-0.79(95%CI-0.18~-0.49),P<0.00001].However,there was no significant improvement in 6-minute walk test and lung function(DLCO%)(P>0.05);only one study reported 7 patients with adverse reactions,but after corresponding treatment,the symptoms were significantly relieved.The analysis of the characteristics of intervention measures in the treatment group showed that there were a total of 80 traditional Chinese medicines involved,of which Shu Dihuang appeared the most frequently,and the tonic drugs were used the most.The two meridians of the lung and kidney appear most frequently.Among the four qi and five flavors,warm and sweet medicines have the highest frequency.Conclusion:Adopting kidney-tonifying method or combined with conventional Western medicine treatment can improve the total clinical effectiveness of patients.Adopting kidney-tonifying method or combined with conventional Western medicine treatment to improve symptoms such as coughing and wheezing.No serious adverse reactions have been reported,and the safety is reliable.Due to the low quality of the included literature,the results of this study need to be verified by high-quality,large sample randomized controlled trials.

Treatment of refractory anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 anbibody-positive dermatomyositis complicated by rapidly progressing interstitial pulmonary disease:Two case reports

BACKGROUND Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 antibody-positive(anti-MDA5 Ab+)dermatomyositis complicated with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease(anti-MDA5 Ab+DM-RP-ILD)has an unclear underlying mechanism with no recommended unified treatment plan.Herein,one of the cases that we report(Case 2)was successfully treated with tocilizumab despite having lung infection.CASE SUMMARY Case 1 was a 30-year-old woman who was admitted due to recurrent rash for 5 mo,fever and cough for 1 mo,and chest tightness for 3 d.She was diagnosed with non-myopathic dermatomyositis(anti-MDA5 Ab+)and interstitial pneumonia,and was treated with the combination of hormone therapy and cyclophosphamide followed by oral tacrolimus.Case 2 was a 31-year-old man admitted due to systemic rash accompanied by muscle weakness of limbs for more than 1 mo,and chest tightness and dry cough for 4 d.He was diagnosed with dermatomyositis(anti-MDA5 Ab+)and acute interstitial pneumonia with Pneumocystis jirovecii and Aspergillus fumigatus infections and was treated with hormone therapy(without cyclophosphamide)and the combination of tocilizumab and tacrolimus.The condition of both patients eventually improved and they were discharged and showed clinically stable condition at the latest follow-up.CONCLUSION Tocilizumab could be a salvage treatment for patients with anti-MDA5 Ab+DMRP-ILD who are refractory to intensive immunosuppression.