American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Feb 2015
Fibrocytes Contribute to Inflammation and Fibrosis in Chronic Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis Through Paracrine Effects.
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) represents a lung inflammation provoked by exposure to a variety of antigens. Chronic HP may evolve to lung fibrosis. Bone marrow-derived fibrocytes migrate to injured tissues and contribute to fibrogenesis, but their role in HP is unknown. ⋯ These findings demonstrate that high levels of fibrocytes are present in the peripheral blood of patients with chronic HP and that these cells infiltrate the HP lungs. Fibrocytes may participate in the pathogenesis of HP, amplifying the inflammatory and fibrotic response by paracrine signaling inducing the secretion of a variety of proinflammatory and profibrotic molecules.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Feb 2015
Historical ArticleTuberculosis in Russia. Its history and its status today.
The history of the Russian tuberculosis (TB) program, dating from the second part of the 19th century until today, is presented, and its achievements and failures are analyzed. The epidemiology of TB is described, and the effects of the TB program initiatives are described and analyzed. Multidrug-resistant TB and HIV coinfection represent severe threats to TB control effectiveness in Russia. New TB control strategies in the present-day epidemiological climate call for important shifts in TB facilities' networking, diagnosis, and treatment approaches.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Feb 2015
ReviewThe Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Immune Contexture: a Major Determinant of Tumor Characteristics and Patient Outcome.
Solid tumors, beyond mere accumulation of cancer cells, form a complex ecosystem consisting of normal epithelial cells, fibroblasts, blood and lymphatic vessels, structural components, and infiltrating hematopoietic cells including myeloid and lymphoid elements that impact tumor growth, tumor spreading, and clinical outcome. The composition of the immune microenvironment is diverse, including various populations of T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, natural killer cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, neutrophils, or macrophages. ⋯ In lung cancer, which is the deadliest type of cancer, and particularly in non-small cell lung cancer, its most prevalent form, reports have described some of the interactions between the tumor and the host. These data, in addition to articles on various types of tumors, provide a greater understanding of the tumor-host microenvironment interaction and stimulate the development of prognostic and predictive biomarkers, the identification of novel target antigens for therapeutic intervention, and the implementation of tools for long-term management of patients with cancer.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Feb 2015
Survival of Stage IV Lung Cancer Patients with Diabetes Treated with Metformin.
Prior studies have shown an anticancer effect of metformin in patients with breast and colorectal cancer. It is unclear, however, whether metformin has a mortality benefit in lung cancer. ⋯ Metformin is associated with improved survival among patients with diabetes with stage IV NSCLC, suggesting a potential anticancer effect. Further research should evaluate plausible biologic mechanisms and test the effect of metformin in prospective clinical trials.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Feb 2015
Macrophage and Cancer Cell Crosstalk via CCR2 and CX3CR1 is a Fundamental Mechanism Driving Lung Cancer.
Recent studies indicate that tumor-associated macrophages (MΦ) with an M2 phenotype can influence cancer progression and metastasis, but the regulatory pathways remain poorly characterized. ⋯ Tumor-associated MΦ play a central role in lung cancer growth and metastasis, with bidirectional cross-talk between MΦ and cancer cells via CCR2 and CX3CR1 signaling as a central underlying mechanism. These findings suggest that the therapeutic strategy of blocking CCR2 and CX3CR1 may prove beneficial for halting lung cancer progression.