American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Dec 2012
Clinical TrialGenome-wide association analysis of blood biomarkers in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
A genome-wide association study (GWAS) for circulating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) biomarkers could identify genetic determinants of biomarker levels and COPD susceptibility. ⋯ Distant genetic loci and biomarker-coding genes affect circulating levels of COPD-related pneumoproteins. A subset of these protein quantitative trait loci may influence their gene expression in the lung and/or COPD susceptibility. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT 00292552).
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Dec 2012
Genotype MTBDRsl line probe assay shortens time to diagnosis of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in a high-throughput diagnostic laboratory.
Conventional culture-based drug susceptibility testing (DST) for the second-line antituberculosis drugs is slow, leading to diagnostic delay with associated exacerbation of transmission, amplification of resistance, and increased mortality. ⋯ The GenoType MTBDRsl LPA is a rapid and reliable DST that can be easily incorporated into the diagnostic algorithm. This assay significantly improved diagnostic yield (P < 0.001) while simultaneously decreasing diagnostic delay for reporting second-line DST. The rapid dissemination of second-line DST results will guide initiation of appropriate treatment, thereby reducing transmission and improving treatment outcome.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Dec 2012
Systemic steroid exposure is associated with differential methylation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Systemic glucocorticoids are used therapeutically to treat a variety of medical conditions. Epigenetic processes such as DNA methylation may reflect exposure to glucocorticoids and may be involved in mediating the responses and side effects associated with these medications. ⋯ Our analyses suggest that systemic steroid use is associated with site-specific differential methylation throughout the genome. Differentially methylated CpG sites were found in biologically plausible and previously unsuspected pathways; these genes and pathways may be relevant in the development of novel targeted therapies.