American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · May 2021
Factors Associated with Persistence of Severe Asthma from Late Adolescence to Early Adulthood.
Asthma severity in children generally starts mild but may progress and stay severe for unknown reasons. ⋯ Lung function and maternal smoking during pregnancy were significant predictors of severe asthma from late adolescence to early adulthood. Interventions to preserve lung function early may prevent disease progression.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · May 2021
Cigarette Smoke Directly Promotes Pulmonary Arterial Remodeling and Kv7.4 Channel Dysfunction.
Rationale: Cigarette smoke is considered the chief leading cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Its impact on the progressive deterioration of airways has been extensively studied, but its direct effects on the pulmonary vasculature are less known. Objectives: To prove that pulmonary arterial remodeling in patients with COPD is not just a consequence of alveolar hypoxia but also due to the direct effects of cigarette smoke on the pulmonary vascular bed. ⋯ Most importantly, the levels of this channel were diminished in the lungs of smoke-exposed mice, smokers, and patients with COPD. Conclusions: Cigarette smoke directly contributes to pulmonary arterial remodeling through increased cell senescence, as well as vascular tone alterations because of diminished levels and function in the Kv7.4 channel. Strategies targeting these pathways may lead to novel therapies for COPD.