American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Nov 2015
Clinical and Immunological Factors in Emphysema Progression: 5-year Prospective LES-COPD Study.
Cross-sectional studies of T-cell responses to self-antigens correlate with baseline emphysema severity. ⋯ The rate of emphysema progression quantified by CT scans among ever-smokers was highly variable; clinical factors and biomarkers explained only some of the variability. Aggressive clinical care that targets active smokers with autoreactive T cells and low BMI may temporize progression of emphysema.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Nov 2015
Pulmonary Hypertension in Heart Failure: Epidemiology, Right Ventricular Function and Survival.
Patients with pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease (PH-LHD) and a diastolic pulmonary vascular pressure gradient ≥ 7 mm Hg, representing PH out of proportion to pulmonary arterial wedge pressure, have pulmonary vascular disease and increased mortality. Little information exists on this condition, recently labeled as "combined pre- and post-capillary PH" (Cpc-PH). ⋯ Cpc-PH is rare in chronic heart failure. Right ventricular-pulmonary vascular coupling is poor in Cpc-PH and could be one explanation for dismal outcomes.