American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Jan 2016
Lung Clearance Index and Structural Lung Disease on Computed Tomography in Early Cystic Fibrosis.
The lung clearance index is a measure of ventilation distribution derived from the multiple-breath washout technique. It has been suggested as a surrogate for chest computed tomography to detect structural lung abnormalities in individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF); however, the associations between lung clearance index and early structural lung disease are unclear. ⋯ These data suggest that lung clearance index may be a useful surveillance tool to monitor structural lung disease in preschool and school-age children with CF. However, lung clearance index cannot replace chest computed tomography to screen for bronchiectasis in this population.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Jan 2016
Diagnostic Yield and Complications of Bronchoscopy for Peripheral Lung Lesions: Results of the AQuIRE Registry.
Advanced bronchoscopy techniques such as electromagnetic navigation (EMN) have been studied in clinical trials, but there are no randomized studies comparing EMN with standard bronchoscopy. ⋯ Peripheral TBNA improved diagnostic yield for peripheral lesions but was underused. The diagnostic yields of EMN and r-EBUS were lower than expected, even after adjustment.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Jan 2016
Polyfunctional T cell Responses Predict Protection from Cytomegalovirus After Lung Transplant.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV), which is one of the most common infections after lung transplantation, is associated with chronic lung allograft dysfunction and worse post-transplantation survival. Current approaches for at-risk patients include a fixed duration of antiviral prophylaxis despite the associated cost and side effects. ⋯ We identified and validated a specific T-cell polyfunctional response to CMV antigen stimulation that provides a clinically useful prediction of subsequent cytomegalovirus risk. This novel diagnostic approach could inform the optimal duration of individual prophylaxis.