To develop a brief, reliable screening questionnaire for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for use in primary care settings.
We developed a COPD Screening Questionnaire (COPD-SQ) using ...data collected from 19,800 subjects aged ≥40 years obtained from an epidemiological study of COPD in China in 2002 (Phase I). A stepwise logistic regression method was adopted for item reduction and scoring. We then assessed the COPD-SQ through a cross-sectional study (Phase II) among 3231 subjects aged ≥40 years.
The final COPD-SQ consisted of seven items: age, smoking pack-years, body mass index, cough, dyspnoea, family history of respiratory diseases and exposure to biomass smoke from cooking. Using the questionnaire to screen for COPD in Phase II, we obtained high classification accuracy with an area under the curve of 0.812 (95%CI 0.786-0.838). The sensitivity, specificity and correct classification rates for COPD diagnosis were respectively 60.6%, 85.2% and 82.7% at a cut-off score of 16.
The COPD-SQ can be used in first-level screening for COPD.
The prognostic role of the red blood cell distribution width (RDW) on an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is incompletely understood.
To investigate the effect of ...the RDW on in-hospital and 1-year mortality after an AECOPD.
For 442 AECOPD patients, the RDW was measured and clinical characteristics, comorbidities and laboratory measurements were recorded. The RDW that discriminated survivors and non-survivors was determined using a receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve. The risk factors for in-hospital and 1-year mortality were identified through logistic regression analysis and Cox regression analysis, respectively.
Of 442 study patients, 31 died, and 411 survived while in hospital. The area under the ROC curve for RDW for in-hospital death was 0.726 (95%CI 0.631-0.822), with sensitivity of 0.71 and specificity of 0.64 for a cut-off point of 13.75%. An RDW ≥13.75% was a risk factor for in-hospital mortality (relative risk 4.30, 95%CI 1.98-9.58;
< 0.001). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that an RDW ≥13.75% was an independent risk factor for death at 1 year (univariate analysis, hazard ration HR 2.33, 95%CI 1.55-3.51; multivariate analysis, HR 1.64, 95%CI 1.08-2.50).
The RDW was a strong and independent risk factor for in-hospital and 1-year death for AECOPD patients.
Ba1−xLaxSnO3 compounds were prepared by a conventional solid-state reaction method and their structural, electrical and optical properties were analyzed in this work. X-ray diffraction investigations ...revealed that La substitution in BaSnO3 led to the increase of cubic lattice parameters, whereas secondary phase appeared at x=0.1 or above. Evidences of the Sn4+ state and oxygen vacancies were clearly observed in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The semiconductor behavior in temperature-dependent resistivity was found to obey the variable-range hopping conduction mechanism. With the help of absorption spectra, smaller band-gap energy and larger Urbach tail energy were observed in Ba0.93La0.07SnO3, as compared with Ba0.97La0.03SnO3, which was discussed in the frame of the role of structural disorder.
Increasing COPD awareness Zielinski, J; Bednarek, M; Górecka, D ...
European respiratory journal/The European respiratory journal,
04/2006, Letnik:
27, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Early diagnosis and smoking cessation are the only available methods to stop the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of ...early detection of airflow limitation (AL) in a population with high risk for COPD, using spirometric screening. Smokers aged 40 yrs with a smoking history of 10 pack-yrs were invited to visit a local outpatient chest clinic for simple spirometry (forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC)). Smoking history was recorded, followed by smoking cessation advice relating the results of spirometry to the smoking behaviour. Subjects who did not fulfil the above criteria (younger and/or nonsmokers) were also screened. A total 110,355 subjects were investigated; they were aged 53.5+/-11.5 yrs and 58.2% were males. Of the total amount of subjects, 64% were current smokers, 25.1% were former smokers and 10.9% were lifelong nonsmokers. Spirometry tests were within normal values for 70.3%, and 20.3% showed signs of AL: this was mild in 7.6%, moderate in 6.7% and severe in 5.9%. The remaining 8.3% of subjects presented with a restrictive pattern of ventilatory impairment. Airflow limitation was found in 23% of smokers aged 40 yrs with a history of 10 pack-yrs. This study concluded that large-scale voluntary spirometry screening of the population with high risk for COPD detects a large number of subjects with AL.
To evaluate the incidence of immune checkpoint inhibitor-based combination therapy-induced liver damage in patients with primary liver cancer.
Clinical data of 65 hospitalized cases of primary liver ...cancer treated with programmed cell death-1 its ligand programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) antibody in the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 1, 2018 to March 31, 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The degree of liver injury before and after treatment was assessed according to CTCAE v5.0. Patients were grouped according to gender, age, presence or absence of cirrhosis, baseline Child-Pugh score, BCLC stage, and treatment regimen to compare the incidence of liver injury under different conditions. The χ (2) test or rank-sum test was used for comparison among multiple groups.
46 cases (70.77%) had liver damage of any grade according to the CTCAE V5.0 criteria during the treatment and observation period. All 6 cases who received standar
To observe the effect of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) on the Smad signaling pathway in rat distal pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), and to explore the role of the transient ...receptor potential ion channel (TRPC) protein 1 and 6(TRPC1, 6) in rat distal PASMCs.
Distal pulmonary arteries were isolated from adult male Wistar rats(n=6, 280-300 g). The endothelium-denuded pulmonary artery tissue was digested using Collagenase and PASMCs were cultured. Activation of BMP4 signaling pathway in Smad was detected by Western blotting. Western blotting was used for the measurement of protein to determine the involvement of BMP4/BMPRⅡ signaling in BMP4-inducd TRPC1 and TRPC6 protein expression, and Smad signaling was inhibited by the specific BMPRⅡ small interfering RNA (BMPRⅡSiRNA).
Rapid phosphorylation of Smad1/5/8 was seen after 15 min of stimulation with BMP4, which was reduced with time. The BMPR Ⅱ proteins was effectively down-regulated in the PASMCs after transfection with BMPRⅡ SiRNA, and the ph
Chromosome abnormalities, Y-chromosome microdeletions, and androgen receptor gene CAG and GGN repeat polymorphisms in infertile Chinese men featuring severe oligospermia and azoospermia were ...analyzed. Ninety-six fertile men and 189 non-obstructive infertile men, including 125 patients with azoospermia and 64 with severe oligozoospermia, were studied. Seventeen infertile men (9.0%) carried a chromosome abnormality. Twenty (10.6%) carried a Y-chromosome microdeletion. In the remainder of the patients and controls, GGN and CAG repeats were sequenced. Short GGN repeats (n < 23) appeared to be associated with defective spermatogenesis, with the number of GGN repeats strongly correlated with sperm counts. No significant difference in CAG repeats was found between patients and controls, nor were CAG repeats correlated with sperm counts. However, for CAG repeats ranging between 24 and 25, there was a >2.5-fold risk (OR = 2.539, 95%CI = 1.206-5.344, P < 0.05) of severe oligospermia and azoospermia. Our results confirmed the significant role of chromosome abnormalities, Y-chromosome microdeletions, and GGN repeats in Chinese male infertility.
The non-recombining portion of the Y-chromosome contains numerous polymorphisms; therefore, it is now the most informative haplotyping system with wide-ranging applications. Idiopathic azoospermia ...and oligospermia are among the most important causes of male infertility. Different haplogroups may have different genetic backgrounds, which may be either susceptible or unsusceptible to idiopathic azoospermia or oligospermia. This study investigated the possible association between Y-chromosome haplogroup distribution and susceptibility to spermatogenic impairment. Peripheral blood was collected from 193 men with normozoospermia, 193 men with idiopathic azoospermia and 105 men with idiopathic oligospermia. All of the subjects underwent karyotyping, azoospermia factor (AZF) deletion analysis by 15 AZF-specific sequence-tagged sites and Y-chromosome haplotype analysis by 17 binary markers. Excluding men with AZF deletions and abnormal karyotypes, the remainder of these 3 groups was named Group i, Group ii, and Group iii, respectively. The comparisons of 17 Y-haplogroup distributions between Group i and Group ii, Group iii or Group ii + iii were performed with the SPSS V.18.0 software. Significantly different Y-haplogroup distributions were observed between Group i and Group ii in N1* (P = 0.002), between Group i and Group iii in F*, K*, P*, and O3* (P = 0.002, 0.001, 0.004, and 0.007, respectively), and between Group i and Group ii + iii in K*, N1* and O3* (P = 0.008, 0.012, and 0.009, respectively). These results suggest that Y-chromosome haplogroups play a role in spermatogenic impairment.
To investigate mites in the dust of air‐conditioner filters (MACF) in China, a total of 652 dust samples were collected from six cities: Guangzhou (n = 129), Nanchang (n = 127), Shanghai (n = 113), ...Xian (n = 93), Beijing (n = 93), and Shenyang (n = 79). Tarsonemus granarius was the most dominant species (87.2%). Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae only represented 7.0 and 3.0% of total mites, respectively. With latitude increasing, both mite occurrence rate (P < 0.001) and density (mites/g dust) (P < 0.001) were significantly decreasing. Multivariate regression analysis suggested that the annual average temperature and minimum temperature in different cities had dominant influences on MACF density. The logistic regression analysis revealed that the presence of MACF was positively associated with air‐conditioner age, utilization time and power. Wall and window type air‐conditioner had higher risk of finding MACF than the floor type air‐conditioner. As far as the cleaning interval time of ACF was concerned, higher risk ratio and the highest density of MACF were found in the time stage of >3, ≤12 months. It was also suggested that house type could influence the presence of MACF. A negative association between the house floor and the MACF prevalence was found as well.
Practical Implications
Mites present in the dust of air‐conditioner filters are potential indoor threat to asthma and allergy sufferers. In this study, we find that the storage mite Tarsonemus granarius is the predominant species of mites in the dust of air‐conditioner filters (MACF). Thus, the possible clinical importance of T. granarius should cause more our attentions in the future. The abundance and distribution of MACF are also found significantly varied in different climatic regions of China. When we try to assess the possible risk of MACF, more attentions should be focused on subtropical region than temperate region. The influence analysis of environmental characteristics on the prevalence of MACF will shed light on the establishment of mite control strategy and the design of mite defense air‐conditioner.
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