Minerva medica
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third cause of death worldwide, presenting poor long-term outcomes and chronic disability. COPD is a condition with a wide spectrum of clinical presentations because its pathophysiological determinants relate to tobacco smoke, genetic factors, alteration of several metabolic pathways, and oxidative stress. Consequently, patients present different phenotypes even with comparable degrees of airflow limitation. ⋯ The metabolomic profiling of biological samples contains the small molecules produced during biological processes and their identification and quantification help in the diagnosis, comprehension of disease outcome and treatment response. Exhaled breath condensate (EBC), plasma and serum are biofluids readily available, with negligible invasiveness, and, therefore, suitable for metabolomics investigations. In this paper, we describe the latest advances on metabolomic profiling of EBC, plasma and serum in COPD patients.
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THIS is the first time that a bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NL-ratio) has been demonstrated in sarcoidosis and chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (cHP) than in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients. ⋯ This is the first time that a lower NL-ratio has been demonstrated in sarcoidosis and cHP than in IPF patients. The present preliminary report indicates a relationship between BAL NL-ratio and lung function parameters in patients with IPF: this ratio may help to optimize management of IPF patients and to improve follow-up and outcome.
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A meta-analysis was carried out to systematically evaluate the effects of liraglutide on waist circumference, BMI, weight, insulin resistance (IR), Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH), and Luteinizing hormone (LH) levels in obese women with polycystic ovarian syndromes (PCOS). ⋯ For women with PCOS, BMI, weight, and waist circumference were significantly decreased after 12~24 weeks of treatment with liraglutide monotherapy and add-on therapy. Insulin resistance might be improved with the use of liraglutide. Nevertheless, large scale randomized control trials should be carried out to elucidate the long-term outcome in improving the insulin sensitivity of liraglutide treatment.