American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Nov 2012
Predictive value of recent QuantiFERON conversion for tuberculosis disease in adolescents.
Conversions and reversions occur with IFN-γ release assay (IGRA) serial testing, as with the tuberculin skin test (TST). Recent TST conversion is associated with an established risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) disease, but the risk associated with recent IGRA conversions is unknown. ⋯ Recent QFT conversion was indicative of an approximately eight fold higher risk of progression to TB disease (compared with nonconverters) within 2 years of conversion in a cohort of adolescents in a high-TB burden population.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Nov 2012
Inflammatory biomarkers and comorbidities in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have evidence of systemic inflammation that may be implicated in the development of comorbidities. ⋯ Simultaneously elevated levels of CRP, fibrinogen, and leukocyte count are associated with a two- to fourfold increased risk of major comorbidities in COPD. These biomarkers may be an additional tool for clinicians to conduct stratified management of comorbidities in COPD.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Nov 2012
Historical ArticleEvolution and revolution: the formation of today's American Thoracic Society, part 1.
The American Thoracic Society (ATS), the preeminent professional organization in the field of respiratory, critical care, and sleep medicine, is now 107 years old. For the most part, the Society's administrative and medical-scientific interests evolved in an orderly fashion, but two "revolutions" took place that should be remembered. What ultimately metamorphosed into the ATS in 1960 began in 1905 as the 34-member American Sanatorium Association, which in 1915 became the medical section of the National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis (NASPT). ⋯ The newcomers found a home in the ATS, but it was slow to fulfill their needs for scientific communication and administrative responsibility. The first revolution, the formation of Scientific Assemblies, got the job done quickly and well, as described in Part 1 of this perspective. The second revolution, separation from the American Lung Association, is described in Part 2.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Nov 2012
BLT1-dependent alveolar recruitment of CD4(+)CD25(+) Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells is important for resolution of acute lung injury.
Recent study has demonstrated that CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) present in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) contribute to the resolution of an experimental acute lung injury (ALI). However, the molecular mechanism underlying the alveolar recruitment of Treg remains unclear. ⋯ Our findings reveal a novel antiinflammatory role of BLT1 in the resolution of ALI by mediating the alveolar recruitment of Tregs, and indicate that therapies aimed at interrupting the LTB4-BLT1 pathway after ALI onset could be harmful to the resolution of ALI.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Nov 2012
Adenosine A(2B) receptor deficiency promotes host defenses against gram-negative bacterial pneumonia.
Activation of the adenosine A(2B) receptor (A(2B)R) promotes antiinflammatory effects in diverse biological settings, but the role of this receptor in antimicrobial host defense in the lung has not been established. Gram-negative bacillary pneumonia is a common and serious illness associated with high morbidity and mortality, the treatment of which is complicated by increasing rates of antibiotic resistance. ⋯ These data suggest that the absence of A(2B)R signaling enhances antimicrobial activity in gram-negative bacterial pneumonia.