Pneumonia and changes in small lung airways

Respiratory management during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is complex. Assessment of lung mechanics might support a patient-tailored ventilatory strategy. We report, for the first time, the use of the forced oscillation technique (FOT) to evaluate lung function during neonatal ECMO to improve the individualization of respiratory support. The patient was a formerly preterm infant at a corrected age of 40 weeks (gestational age 32 weeks) undergoing veno-arterial ECMO for refractory respiratory failure secondary to influenza A (H1N1) pneumonia...

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a progressive autoimmune disease of the liver causing destruction of intrahepatic bile ducts, associated with lymphocytic and granulomatous inflammation. PBC has been associated with many extrahepatic manifestations including interstitial lung disease. However, comprehensive pulmonary histopathology in PBC has not been well documented. Sixteen PBC patients who underwent lung biopsies were identified from surgical pathology files in three institutions. Histopathologic review was performed...

RATIONALE: IgG4-related disease is a rare and novel disease entity that tends to involve multiple organs. The pulmonary manifestation of this disease is highly variable and may mimic lung cancer, pneumonia, interstitial lung disease (ILD), sarcoidosis, and so forth. Small airway disease is rarely reported in IgG4-related lung disease (IgG4-RLD). In the current study, we describe a rare case of IgG4-RLD with patterns of ILD and bronchiolitis. PATIENT CONCERN: A 43-year-old man had chronic cough and dyspnea on exertion for 4 years...

Studies focused on the pathological-radiological correlation of human Mycoplasma (M) pneumoniae pneumonia have rarely been reported. Therefore, we extensively reviewed the literature regarding pathological and radiological studies of Mycoplasma pneumonia, and compared findings between open lung biopsy specimen and computed tomography (CT). Major three correlations were summarized. (1) Peribronchial and perivascular cuffing characterized by mononuclear cells infiltration was correlated with bronchovascular bundles thickening on CT, which was the most common finding of this pneumonia...

OBJECTIVE: To establish a mouse model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and associated pulmonary hypertension (COPD-PH) induced by nose-only cigarette smoking exposure plus airway lipopolysaccharide (LPS) inhalation. METHODS: There were 24 male C57B6 mice divided into a control group and a model group at random. The model group was given LPS by intranasal inhalation on day 1 and day 14 and exposed to the cigarette smoke in a nose-only exposure system, while the control group was given physiological saline and exposed to normal air...

The relationship between Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infection and asthma has rarely been explored through examination of airway reactivity. The aim of this study was to determine airway reactivity changes after MP infection in children. First, 106 children were divided into four groups according to the existence of MP infection and/or asthma. Then children with only MP belonged to the MP group; children who had both MP infection and asthma belonged to the MP+A group; children with asthma but not MP infection belonged to the non-MP+A group; normal children were classified as normal control (NC) group...

INTRODUCTION: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) have well defined immunomodulatory properties including the suppression of lymphocyte proliferation and inhibition of dendritic cell (DC) maturation involving both cell contact and soluble factors. These properties have made MSC attractive candidates for cellular therapy. However, the mechanism underlying these characteristics remains unclear. This study sought to investigate the mechanisms by which MSC induce a regulatory environment. METHOD: Allogeneic bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells were cultured with T cells or dendritic cells in the presence or absence of gamma secretase inhibitor to block Notch receptor signalling...

OBJECTIVE: To establish a new method for detecting the bronchus responsible for pulmonary air leakage by injecting methylene blue saline and to evaluate its efficacy and safety in cases with intractable pneumothorax and bronchial fistula. METHODS: From January 2006 to October 2013, a total of 19 cases of intractable spontaneous pneumothorax and 8 cases of bronchial fistula were recruited in the study at the Fourth Hospital affiliated to Hebei Medical University...

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening critical illness, characterised by qualitative and quantitative surfactant compositional changes associated with premature airway collapse, gas-exchange abnormalities and acute hypoxic respiratory failure. The underlying mechanisms for this dysregulation in surfactant metabolisms are not fully explored. Lack of therapeutic benefits from clinical trials, highlight the importance of detailed in-vivo analysis and characterisation of ARDS patients according to patterns of surfactant synthesis and metabolism...

Several low weight molecules have often been implicated in the induction of occupational asthma. Glyphosate, a small molecule herbicide, is widely used in the world. There is a controversy regarding a role of glyphosate in developing asthma and rhinitis among farmers, the mechanism of which is unexplored. The aim of this study was to explore the mechanisms of glyphosate induced pulmonary pathology by utilizing murine models and real environmental samples. C57BL/6, TLR4-/-, and IL-13-/- mice inhaled extracts of glyphosate-rich air samples collected on farms during spraying of herbicides or inhaled different doses of glyphosate and ovalbumin...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by long periods of stable symptoms, but exacerbations occur, which result in a permanent worsening of symptoms. Previous studies have shown a link between bacterial colonization of the lower airways of COPD sufferers and an increase in exacerbation frequency. One of the most frequent bacterial colonizers is Streptococcus pneumoniae. To mimic this aspect of COPD, a murine model of low-level pneumococcal colonization in the lung has been developed, in which S...

This study evaluated acute toxicity and pulmonary injury in rats at 3, 6 and 24 h after an inhalation exposure to aerosolized O-ethyl S-[2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl] methylphosphonothioate (VX). Anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats (250-300 g) were incubated with a glass endotracheal tube and exposed to saline or VX (171, 343 and 514 mg×min/m³ or 0.2, 0.5 and 0.8 LCt₅₀, respectively) for 10 min. VX was delivered by a small animal ventilator at a volume of 2.5 ml × 70 breaths/minute. All VX-exposed animals experienced a significant loss in percentage body weight at 3, 6, and 24 h post-exposure...

BACKGROUND: The differentiation of TH17 cells, which promote pulmonary inflammation, requires the cooperation of a network of transcription factors. OBJECTIVES: We sought to define the role of Etv5, an Ets-family transcription factor, in TH17 cell development and function. METHODS: TH17 development was examined in primary mouse T cells wherein Etv5 expression was altered by retroviral transduction, small interfering RNA targeting a specific gene, and mice with a conditional deletion of Etv5 in T cells...

Whilst the literature continues to report on advances in the use of post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT), particularly in relation to post-mortem angiography, there are few papers published that address the diagnostic problems related to post-mortem changes in the lungs and ventilation. We present a development of previous methods to achieve ventilated PMCT (VPMCT). We successfully introduced a supraglottic airway in 17/18 cases without causing overt damage, despite rigor mortis. Using a clinical portable ventilator, we delivered continuous positive airway pressure to mimic clinical breath-hold inspiratory scans...

BACKGROUND: Pneumonia is an inflammatory lung disease and it is the greatest cause of deaths in children younger than five years of age worldwide. Chest physiotherapy is widely used in the treatment of pneumonia because it can help to eliminate inflammatory exudates and tracheobronchial secretions, remove airway obstructions, reduce airway resistance, enhance gas exchange and reduce the work of breathing. Thus, chest physiotherapy may contribute to patient recovery as an adjuvant treatment even though its indication remains controversial...

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the small airways, with airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and inflammation as hallmarks. Recent studies suggest a role for arginase in asthma pathogenesis, possibly because arginine is the substrate for both arginase and NO synthase and because NO modulates bronchial tone and inflammation. Our objective was to investigate the importance of increased pulmonary arginase 1 expression on methacholine-induced AHR and lung inflammation in a mouse model of allergic asthma...

BACKGROUND: Cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease is associated with diverse bacteria chronically infecting the airways. Slow-growing, antibiotic-resistant mutants of Staphylococcus aureus known as small-colony variants (SCVs) have been isolated from respiratory secretions from European adults and children with CF lung disease using specific but infrequently used culture techniques. Staphylococcus aureus SCVs can be selected either by exposure to specific antibiotics or by growth with another CF pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Using the evidence published over the last 2 years, this review discusses the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of HIV-related pulmonary infections other than mycobacterial disease. RECENT FINDINGS: Longstanding, vertically acquired and apparently stable HIV infection is associated with significant and symptomatic small airways disease in African adolescents. The use of population-based pneumococcal vaccination in children is changing the severity and serotypes associated with HIV-related pneumococcal disease...

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical features of types 3 and 7 adenovirus pneumonia in children and compare the difference between two types. METHODS: A total of 47 patients with adenovirus pneumonia at our hospital from January 2009 to June 2011 were reviewed. According to the serological types, they were divided into two groups: type 3 (n = 19) and type 7 (n = 28). Two groups were analyzed statistically with regards to age, gender, clinical presentation, critical scores, laboratory examinations, radiographic findings, lung function changes, complications and prognosis respectively...

BACKGROUND: Both chronic hypoxia and allergic inflammation induce vascular remodeling in the lung, but only chronic hypoxia appears to cause PH. We investigate the nature of the vascular remodeling and the expression and role of hypoxia-induced mitogenic factor (HIMF/FIZZ1/RELMα) in explaining this differential response. METHODS: We induced pulmonary vascular remodeling through either chronic hypoxia or antigen sensitization and challenge. Mice were evaluated for markers of PH and pulmonary vascular remodeling throughout the lung vascular bed as well as HIMF expression and genomic analysis of whole lung...