American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Nov 2012
Disparities in access to lung transplantation for patients with cystic fibrosis by socioeconomic status.
Although previous studies suggest that access to care for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) does not vary appreciably by socioeconomic status (SES), disparities with respect to access to lung transplantation for patients with CF are largely unknown. ⋯ In this nationally representative study of adult patients with CF, multiple indicators of low SES were associated with higher odds of not being accepted for lung transplant.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Nov 2012
CD14(+)S100A9(+) monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells and their clinical relevance in non-small cell lung cancer.
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogeneous family of myeloid cells that suppress T-cell immunity in tumor-bearing hosts. Their clinical relevance remains unclear. ⋯ CD14(+)S100A9(+) inflammatory monocytes in patients with NSCLC are a distinct subset of MDSCs, which suppress T cells by arginase, iNOS, and the IL-13/IL-4Rα axis. The amount of these inflammatory monocytes is associated with poor response to chemotherapy. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT 01204307).
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Nov 2012
The alveolar epithelium determines susceptibility to lung fibrosis in Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome.
Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS) is a family of recessive disorders of intracellular trafficking defects that are associated with highly penetrant pulmonary fibrosis. Naturally occurring HPS mice reliably model important features of the human disease, including constitutive alveolar macrophage activation and susceptibility to profibrotic stimuli. ⋯ We conclude that pulmonary fibrosis in naturally occurring HPS mice is driven by intracellular trafficking defects that lower the threshold for pulmonary epithelial apoptosis. Our findings demonstrate a pivotal role for the alveolar epithelium in the maintenance of alveolar homeostasis and regulation of alveolar macrophage activation.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Nov 2012
Multicenter StudyMaternal smoking in pregnancy and asthma in preschool children: a pooled analysis of eight birth cohorts.
Although epidemiological studies suggest that exposure to maternal smoking during fetal and early life increases the risk of childhood wheezing and asthma, previous studies were not able to differentiate the effects of prenatal from postnatal exposure. ⋯ Maternal smoking during pregnancy appears to increase the risk of wheeze and asthma among children who are not exposed to maternal smoking after birth.