Lung
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Retracted Publication
Protein-protein interaction network analysis in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The aim of this study was to investigate the gene expression profile of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and non-COPD patients. ⋯ Comprehensive analysis of the gene expression profile for COPD versus control reveals helveticoside, disulfiram, and lanatoside C as potential molecular targets in COPD. This evidence provides a new breakthrough in the medical treatment of patients with COPD.
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Lung cancer is currently one of the most common malignant diseases and is responsible for substantial mortality worldwide. Compared with never smokers, former smokers remain at relatively high risk for lung cancer, accounting for approximately half of all newly diagnosed cases in the US. Screening offers former smokers the best opportunity to reduce their risk of advanced stage lung cancer and there is now evidence that annual screening using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) is effective in preventing mortality. ⋯ Former smokers may be invited for screening; however, if fewer long-term current smokers and more former smokers with long quit duration elect to attend, this could have very adverse effects on cost and screening test parameters. To illustrate this point, we present three possible screening scenarios with lung cancer prevalence ranging from between 0.62 and 5.0 %. In summary, cost-effectiveness of lung cancer screening may be improved if linked to successful smoking cessation programs and if better approaches are developed to reach very high-risk patients, e.g., long-term current smokers or others based on more accurate risk prediction models.
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Multicenter Study
Serum biomarkers in patients with mesothelioma and pleural plaques and healthy subjects exposed to naturally occurring asbestos.
This study investigated the diagnostic accuracy of the serum biomarkers osteopontin and mesothelin in discriminating mesothelioma patients from those with other, benign conditions and whether levels of the biomarkers differed in subjects who had inhaled naturally occurring asbestos compared with a non-exposed control group. ⋯ The combination of serum osteopontin and mesothelin levels can help to distinguish mesothelioma from benign asbestos-related diseases and asbestos-exposed subjects.
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In this case, we describe a patient with a history of recurrent pneumothorax. Based on CT-thorax and histopathology of the lung tissue, the Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome was suspected and confirmed after genetic testing. Recognizing this syndrome by pulmonologists and radiologists is very important, because the risk on developing of renal cell cancer is high.
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Recent advances in our understanding of voltage-gated sodium channels (NaVs) lead to the rational hypothesis that drugs capable of selective blockade of NaV subtypes may be a safe and effective strategy for the treatment of unwanted cough. Among the nine NaV subtypes (NaV1.1-NaV1.9), the afferent nerves involved in initiating cough, in common with nociceptive neurons in the somatosensory system, express mainly NaV1.7, NaV1.8, and NaV1.9. Although knowledge about the effect of selectively blocking these channels on the cough reflex is limited, their biophysical properties indicate that each may contribute to the hypertussive and allotussive state that typifies subacute and chronic nonproductive cough.