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
The effect of Aspergillus fumigatus infection on vitamin D receptor expression in cystic fibrosis.
Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) in cystic fibrosis (CF) is increasingly recognized. Although allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) leads to deterioration of pulmonary function, the effect of A. fumigatus colonization in the absence of ABPA remains unclear. ⋯ This study provides a rationale for the therapeutic effect of itraconazole and implied that the therapeutic potential of vitamin D supplementation in preventing ABPA is only feasible with concurrent elimination of A. fumigatus to permit VDR expression and its positive functional consequences.
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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
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
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.