American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Feb 2013
Multicenter StudyAssociation of large-airway lymphocytic bronchitis with bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome.
Lung transplantation offers great promise for otherwise terminal lung diseases, but the development of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) continues to limit survival. Although acute rejection and lymphocytic bronchiolitis have been identified as risk factors for the development of BOS, it is unclear whether large-airway lymphocytic inflammation conveys the same risk. ⋯ These results support a multicenter study to evaluate endoscopic biopsies for the identification of patients at increased risk for BOS. The association of endobronchial lymphocytic inflammation and BOS may have mechanistic implications.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Feb 2013
Perigranuloma localization and abnormal maturation of B cells: emerging key players in sarcoidosis?
Recent observations of abnormal immunoglobulin responses and case reports describing successful B-cell ablative therapy suggest involvement of B cells in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis. ⋯ The large B-cell infiltrates in granulomatous tissue and increased molecular signs of antibody maturation are indicative of direct involvement of B cells in local inflammatory processes in patients with sarcoidosis. Moreover, CD27(-)IgA(+) B cells could be a marker for treatment with TNF-α blockers. These findings of B cells as emerging key players provide a rationale for a systematic study on B-cell ablative therapy in patients with sarcoidosis.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Feb 2013
Multicenter StudySix-minute-walk test in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: minimal clinically important difference for death or hospitalization.
Outcomes other than spirometry are required to assess nonbronchodilator therapies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Estimates of the minimal clinically important difference for the 6-minute-walk distance (6MWD) have been derived from narrow cohorts using nonblinded intervention. ⋯ A reduction in the 6MWD of 30 m or more is associated with increased risk of death but not hospitalization due to exacerbation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and represents a clinically significant minimally important difference.