American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Aug 2015
An Official American Thoracic Society Research Statement: A Research Framework for Pulmonary Nodule Evaluation and Management.
Pulmonary nodules are frequently detected during diagnostic chest imaging and as a result of lung cancer screening. Current guidelines for their evaluation are largely based on low-quality evidence, and patients and clinicians could benefit from more research in this area. ⋯ This statement may help researchers to develop impactful and innovative research projects and enable funders to better judge research proposals. We hope that it will accelerate the pace and increase the efficiency of discovery to improve the quality of care for patients with pulmonary nodules.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Aug 2015
Mycobacteria-specific Cytokine Responses Detect TB Infection and Distinguish Latent from Active TB.
Current immunodiagnostic tests for tuberculosis (TB), including the tuberculin skin test and IFN-γ release assay (IGRA), have significant limitations, which include their inability to distinguish between latent TB infection (LTBI) and active TB, a distinction critical for clinical management. ⋯ We identified several mycobacteria-specific cytokine biomarkers with the potential to be exploited for immunodiagnosis. Incorporation of these biomarkers into future immunodiagnostic assays for TB could result in substantial gains in sensitivity and allow the distinction between LTBI and active TB based on a blood test alone.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Aug 2015
FK506-binding Protein 10 is a Potential Novel Drug Target for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.
Increased abundance and stiffness of the extracellular matrix, in particular collagens, is a hallmark of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). FK506-binding protein 10 (FKBP10) is a collagen chaperone, mutations of which have been indicated in the reduction of extracellular matrix stiffness (e.g., in osteogenesis imperfecta). ⋯ FKBP10 might be a novel drug target for IPF.