American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Dec 2011
Randomized Controlled TrialEvolution of dyspnea during exercise in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: impact of critical volume constraints.
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) primarily describe their exertional dyspnea using descriptors alluding to increased effort or work of breathing and unsatisfied inspiration or inspiratory difficulty. ⋯ Regardless of the exercise test protocol, the inflection (or plateau) in the Vt response marked the point where dyspnea intensity rose abruptly and there was a transition in the dominant qualitative descriptor choice from "work and effort" to "unsatisfied inspiration." Intensity and quality of dyspnea evolve separately and are strongly influenced by mechanical constraints on Vt expansion during exercise in COPD.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Dec 2011
Relationship between serum vitamin D, disease severity, and airway remodeling in children with asthma.
Little is known about vitamin D status and its effect on asthma pathophysiology in children with severe, therapy-resistant asthma (STRA). ⋯ Lower vitamin D levels in children with STRA were associated with increased ASM mass and worse asthma control and lung function. The link between vitamin D, airway structure, and function suggests vitamin D supplementation may be useful in pediatric STRA.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Dec 2011
Telomere dysfunction causes sustained inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with chronic inflammation of unknown pathogenesis. ⋯ Telomere dysfunction and premature P-EC senescence are major processes perpetuating lung inflammation in COPD.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Dec 2011
Long-term ambient fine particulate matter air pollution and lung cancer in a large cohort of never-smokers.
There is compelling evidence that acute and chronic exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM(2.5)) air pollution increases cardiopulmonary mortality. However, the role of PM(2.5) in the etiology of lung cancer is less clear, particularly at concentrations that prevail in developed countries and in never-smokers. ⋯ The present findings strengthen the evidence that ambient concentrations of PM(2.5) measured in recent decades are associated with small but measurable increases in lung cancer mortality.