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This page shows you the most recent publications within this specialty of the MedWorm directory. This is page number 12.

Performance of two Aspergillus IgG EIA assays compared with the precipitin test in chronic and allergic aspergillosis
Baxter CG, Denning DW, Jones AM, Todd A, Moore CB, Richardson MD
Source: The Aspergillus Website - articles - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Source Type: news

Second UK case of coronavirus
A second case of a new respiratory illness similar to the deadly Sars virus has been identified in the UK.
Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition - February 11, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Novel coronavirus infection – update
The United Kingdom (UK) has informed WHO of a confirmed case with infection of the novel coronavirus (NCoV). The case is a UK resident who developed symptoms of illness on 26 January 2013. Laboratory investigations on respiratory specimens have revealed both an Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 infection and a confirmed NCoV infection. He is hospitalized in intensive care unit.
Source: WHO Disease Outbreaks - February 11, 2013 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news

Novel coronavirus infection –update
The United Kingdom (UK) has informed WHO of a confirmed case with infection of the novel coronavirus (NCoV). The case is a UK resident who developed symptoms of illness on 26 January 2013. Laboratory investigations on respiratory specimens have revealed both an Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 infection and a confirmed NCoV infection. He is hospitalized in intensive care unit.
Source: WHO Disease Outbreaks - February 11, 2013 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news

UNMC Study Suggests Vitamin D Could Reduce Lung Inflammation In Asthma, COPD
In the first study of its kind, results of a University of Nebraska Medical Center research study suggest that vitamin D may be important for humans exposed to agricultural organic dust. In the study, researchers found a significant decrease in lung inflammation in mice exposed to hog barn dust that received high doses of vitamin D. Â� "We found that the relatively high vitamin D treatment group had significantly decreased lung inflammation. The mice still got inflammation but didn't get it as bad," said Jill Poole, M.D...
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - February 11, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Respiratory / Asthma Source Type: news

Interventions in Pulmonary Medicine
Source: Springer Medicine titles - February 11, 2013 Category: Databases & Libraries Tags: Pneumology/Respiratory System Source Type: news

Acknowledgement of Reviewers 2012
Research journals could not exist without the generous support from scientists willing to be peer reviewers. Respiratory Medicine gratefully acknowledges the time and effort contributed by the following experts, for refereeing the work of their fellow researchers during 2012.
Source: Respiratory Medicine CME - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Source Type: research

Whole-Heart Coronary MRA with 3D Affine Motion Correction Using 3D Image-Based Navigation.
CONCLUSION: We demonstrate that 3D-NAV and 3D affine correction can be used to acquire Cartesian whole-heart 3D coronary artery images with 100% scan efficiency with similar image quality as with the state-of-the-art gated and corrected method with approximately 50% scan efficiency. Magn Reson Med, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. PMID: 23400902 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Magnetic Resonance in Medicine - February 11, 2013 Category: Radiology Authors: Henningsson M, Prieto C, Chiribiri A, Vaillant G, Razavi R, Botnar RM Tags: Magn Reson Med Source Type: research

Mechanisms Of Acute Exacerbation Of Respiratory Symptoms In Copd
In the coming decades, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is expected to occur with increasing frequency, resulting in enormous health care expenditures and high mortality. Thus, COPD presents a challenge for clinicians and is a leading public health problem worldwide [1]. However, COPD is almost invariably associated with other chronic conditions, and is thus an important component of the epidemy of multimorbidity (due to aging, smoking, indoor and outdoor pollution, alcohol, inactivity, and other risk factors) that affects elderly patients [1].
Source: European Journal of Clinical Investigation - February 11, 2013 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Mihai Roca, Alessia Verduri, Lorenzo Corbetta, Enrico Clini, Leonardo M. Fabbri, Bianca Beghé Tags: Review Source Type: research

Prenatal Diagnosis of a Large Epignathus Teratoma Using Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Ultrasound: Correlation With Pathological Findings.
We report a case of prenatal diagnosis of epignathus teratoma in the 30th week of pregnancy by two-dimensional ultrasonography. We focus on the importance of three-dimensional ultrasonography in rendering mode for demonstrating the spatial relationships of the tumor with the oral cavity and provide correlations between the ultrasound images and the anatomopathological findings. PMID: 23398485 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal - February 11, 2013 Category: ENT & OMF Authors: Takagi MM, Bussamra LC, Júnior EA, Drummond CL, Herbst SR, Nardozza LM, Moron AF, Aldrghi JM Tags: Cleft Palate Craniofac J Source Type: research

Guidelines for the Management of Respiratory Complications in Patients With Neuromuscular Disease.
PMID: 23410743 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Archivos de Bronconeumologia - February 11, 2013 Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Farrero E, Antón A, Egea CJ, Almaraz MJ, Masa JF, Utrabo I, Calle M, Verea H, Servera E, Jara L, Barrot E, Casolivé V Tags: Arch Bronconeumol Source Type: research

Respiratory sinus arrhythmia during sleep in children with upper airway obstruction.
In conclusion, night-time respiratory sinus arrhythmia in children is sleep stage dependent and normal during quiet sleep in children with relatively mild upper airway obstruction. PMID: 23398203 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Journal of Sleep Research - February 11, 2013 Category: Sleep Medicine Authors: Kabir MM, Kohler M, Pamula Y, Martin J, Kennedy D, Abbott D, Baumert M Tags: J Sleep Res Source Type: research

Role of the fission yeast cell integrity MAPK pathway in response to glucose limitation
Conclusions: Unknown upstream elements mediate Pck2-dependent signal transduction of glucose withdrawal to the cell integrity MAPK pathway. This signaling cascade reinforces the adaptive response of fission yeast to such nutritional stress by enhancing the activity of the SAPK pathway.
Source: BMC Microbiology - Latest articles - February 11, 2013 Category: Microbiology Authors: Marisa MadridJesús Fernández-ZapataLaura Sánchez-MirTeresa SotoAlejandro FrancoJero Vicente-SolerMariano GactoJosé Cansado Source Type: research

Lack of nasal carriage of novel coronavirus (HCoV‐EMC) in French Hajj pilgrims returning from the Hajj 2012, despite high rate of respiratory symptoms
Abstract A cohort of 154 French Hajj pilgrims participating in the 2012 Hajj were systematically sampled using nasal swab prior to returning to France and screened for the novel HCoV‐EMC coronavirus by two real‐time RT‐PCR assays. Despite a high rate of respiratory symptoms (83.4%) including 41.0% influenza like illness, no case of HCoV‐EMC infection was detected. Despite the fact that zoonotic transmission was suspected in the first few cases, recent family cluster in KSA hints that the virus might show at least limited spread from person to person, which justifies continuing epidemiological surveillance. © 2013 ...
Source: Clinical Microbiology and Infection - February 11, 2013 Category: Microbiology Authors: Philippe Gautret, Rémi Charrel, Khadidja Belhouchat, Tassadit Drali, Samir Benkouiten, Antoine Nougairede, Christine Zandotti, Ziad A Memish, Malak al Ma, Catherine Gaillard, Philippe Brouqui, Philippe Parola Tags: Research Note Source Type: research

Inactivation of the petE gene encoding plastocyanin causes different photosynthetic responses in cyanobacterium Synechocystis PCC 6803 under light‐dark photoperiod and continuous light conditions
Abstract Plastocyanin, encoded by the petE gene, can transfer electrons to photosystem I (PSI) and cytochrome c oxidase during photosynthetic and respiratory metabolism in cyanobacteria. We constructed a petE mutant of Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 and investigated its phenotypic properties under different light conditions. When cultured under continuous light, inactivation of petE accelerated the plastoquinone pool reoxidation, slowed the reoxidation rate of the primary quinone‐type acceptor, and decreased the connectivity factor between the individual photosystem II (PSII) photosynthetic units. Compared with the wi...
Source: FEMS Microbiology Letters - February 11, 2013 Category: Microbiology Authors: Xiao‐Qin Wang, Hai‐Bo Jiang, Rui Zhang, Bao‐Sheng Qiu Tags: Research Letter Source Type: research

China’s Overuse of Antibiotics in Livestock May Threaten Human Health
Much higher levels of antibiotic-resistance genes found at pig farms in study
Source: Pulmonary Medicine News - Doctors Lounge - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: webmaster at doctorslounge.com Tags: Infections, Pharmacy, Pulmonology, Preventive Medicine, News, Source Type: news

Sputum mediator profiling and relationship to airway wall geometry imaging in severe asthma
Conclusions: We have demonstrated that sputum mediator profiling reveals a number of associations with airway geometry. Whether these findings reflect important biological phenotypes that might inform stratified medicine approaches requires further investigation.
Source: Respiratory Research - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Dhananjay DesaiSumit GuptaSalman SiddiquiAmisha SingapuriWilliam MonteiroJames EntwisleSudha VisvanathanHarsukh ParmarRadhika KajekarChristopher Brightling Source Type: research

Preliminary characterizations of a serum biomarker for sarcoidosis by comparative proteomic approach with tandem-mass spectrometry in ethnic Han Chinese patients
Conclusion: This is the first study to investigate serum protein markers in Chinese subjects with sarcoidosis. This study shows that the serum SAA expression profiles were different between the sarcoidosis and non-sarcoidosis groups. SAA may be a potential serum biomarker for ruling-out the diagnosis of sarcoidosis in Chinese subjects.
Source: Respiratory Research - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Yuan ZhangXianqiu ChenYang HuShanshan DuLi ShenYifan HeYuxuan ZhangXia ZhangHuiping LiRex Yung Source Type: research

Rapid-growth pneumatocele mimics massive pneumothorax in a HIV-positive patient
We present a rare fast-growing giant pneumatocele in a patient presenting with suspected pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) infection and bilateral pneumothoraces as a primary manifestation of AIDS (HIV viral loading test: 628 000 copies/ml). Tube thoracostomies were performed and complicated with enduring air leakage and subcutaneous emphysema. Follow-up chest x-rays showed an enlarging radiolucency over the left upper lung field that was interpreted as massive pneumothorax with passive lung atelectasis. Positive ventilation was also applied due to disease progression (The CD4+ T-lymphocyte count was 18/cu mm). Repeated ch...
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Hsieh, M.-S., Chen, C.-K., Wong, W.-W., Huang, C.-S. Tags: Images in Thorax, Journalology, Patients, Fungal lung diseases, Lung neoplasms, Drugs: infectious diseases, HIV/AIDS, Pneumonia (infectious disease), TB and other respiratory infections, Lung cancer (oncology), Screening (oncology), Lung cancer (respirato Source Type: research

A cavitating pulmonary lesion with eosinophilia
A middle-aged individual of Ethiopian origin attended the emergency department with haemoptysis. The patient had no other significant medical problems and had not travelled for several years. The patient drank moderately and did not smoke but later admitted to chewing khat (a narcotic leaf) frequently over the past 6 months. There were no significant findings on physical examination. Renal and liver function tests and C reactive protein were within normal limits, but a peripheral blood eosinophilia was noted (2.1x109/l). Serological tests for HIV, hepatitis B and C were negative. A poorly defined opacity was seen in t...
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: McGregor, A. C., Griffin, N., Breen, R. A., Newsholme, W. Tags: Emergency medicine, Journalology, Hemoptysis, Lung infection, Drugs: infectious diseases, HIV/AIDS, Pneumonia (infectious disease), TB and other respiratory infections, Pneumonia (respiratory medicine), Radiology (diagnostics), Ethics Chest clinic Source Type: research

A case of cough and breathlessness
GE: A 64-year-old man never smoker with a history of dyspnoea and cough was referred for a respiratory opinion. The cough was sporadic but progressive over a 9 month period. It was associated with unpredictable, brief nocturnal paroxysms of breathlessness. There were also coughing bouts associated with phonation and with meals but no sputum production, fever or weight loss. There was no significant past medical history and he was not taking any medication. Physical examination was unremarkable. IM: This gentleman presents with a chronic, non-productive cough and episodic breathlessness. The duration of his symptoms ma...
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Esterbrook, G., Molyneux, I., Clark, A. L., Morice, A. H. Tags: Lung neoplasms, Therapeutic trials, Lung cancer (oncology), Screening (oncology), Venous thromboembolism, Airway biology, Asthma, Lung cancer (respiratory medicine), Interstitial lung disease, Lung function, Pulmonary embolism, Radiology (diagnostics), He Source Type: research

How should I interpret an interferon gamma release assay result for tuberculosis infection?
Conclusions and impact Current and planned clinical research will fill the gaps in the evidence-base, narrowing the areas of uncertainty and informing future policy. Translational research into next-generation IGRAs and new T cell-based diagnostic platforms will likely overcome the limitations of current IGRAs in the near future.
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Abubakar, I., Stagg, H. R., Whitworth, H., Lalvani, A. Tags: Epidemiologic studies Chest clinic Source Type: research

Letter in response to: Stark P et al Amoxycillin-clavulanate for chronic wet cough in children: cautious interpretation of study findings warranted
We thank Stark and colleagues1 for comments on our paper and their interest in our recent randomised controlled trial (RCT) of amoxycillin-clavulanate compared with placebo for children with chronic wet cough,2 which as they state are a ‘group of patients that often present paediatricians with a management dilemma’ and which ‘represents a valuable contribution to the literature’. We feel it is important to clarify a few points raised. First, the criteria used for defining chronic cough in children (>3 weeks) was at the time of the study commencement the definition of chronic childhood cough....
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Marchant, J., Petsky, H., Chang, A. B. Tags: PostScript Source Type: research

Amoxycillin-clavulanate for chronic wet cough in children: cautious interpretation of study findings warranted
We read with interest the recent paper by Marchant et al comparing amoxicillin-clavunate to placebo for the treatment of chronic wet cough in children.1 The authors should be commended for attempting a randomised controlled clinical trial in this group of patients that often present paediatricians with a management dilemma. Nevertheless, we have significant concerns regarding several aspects of the study methodology, analysis and interpretation and feel that the authors have overstated their conclusions. We therefore urge caution in interpretation of the study findings. First, the definition of chronic cough used in the st...
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Stark, P., Heenan, R., Orsani, F., Jachno, K., Connell, T. G. Tags: PostScript Source Type: research

Authors' response
We have read with great interest the comments by Dr Persson1 on our recent paper in Thorax,2 in which we showed that clinical control of asthma associated significantly with lower numbers of activated eosinophils in the bronchial wall, yet only weakly with sputum eosinophils. As the number of eosinophils in biopsies did not associate with clinical control of asthma, we speculated that activation of eosinophils (measured as eosinophil protein X (EXP)-immunopositive pixels per area) in bronchial biopsies reflects the level of disease control better than the number of eosinophils itself.2 As lysis of activated eosinophils and...
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Fattahi, F., Volbeda, F., Broekema, M., Lodewijk, M. E., Hylkema, M. N., Reddel, H. K., Timens, W., Postma, D. S., ten Hacken, N. H. T. Tags: PostScript Source Type: research

Primary lysis/necrosis of eosinophils and clinical control of asthma
I read with interest the demonstration by Volbeda et al1 that clinical asthma control associates significantly with ‘lower activated eosinophil numbers in the bronchial wall, yet only weakly with sputum eosinophils’. I was particularly intrigued by the online supplemental information1: ‘EPX staining showed widely spread distribution of eosinophilic granules, not necessarily in close proximity to EPX+ cells. Therefore, degranulation of eosinophils was determined by quantification of the EPX immunopositive area by computer-assisted image analysis’. This statement suggests to me that the wall eosinophi...
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Persson, C. Tags: PostScript Source Type: research

Author's response: understanding the natural progression in %FEV1 decline in patients with cystic fibrosis: a longitudinal study
We thank Professor Miller for his comments1 regarding our paper,2 in which we outline a novel approach to modelling repeated lung function measures in people with cystic fibrosis (CF) over long follow-up periods. We agree that it would be interesting to apply our methodology using alternative methods of expressing lung function across the age range, and reiterate that our approach can be usefully applied to any clinical outcome measured repeatedly over extended periods. While the merits of different approaches are appreciated, we chose to model forced expiratory volume in 1 s as a percentage of predicted (%FEV1) for a numb...
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Taylor-Robinson, D., Whitehead, M., Diderichsen, F., Olesen, H. V., Pressler, T., Smyth, R., Diggle, P. Tags: PostScript Source Type: research

FEV1 decline in cystic fibrosis
I read the paper by Taylor-Robinson et al1 with interest with regard to modelling the decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). The authors have made the assumption that expressing spirometry results as a per cent of predicted (PP) is a valid way to use lung function over a wide age range. Young adult patients with cystic fibrosis die with absolute FEV1 values just as low as those found in older patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), so PP is not likely to be a valid methodology. When young CF patients were transplanted on the basis of an adult-derive...
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Miller, M. Tags: PostScript Source Type: research

Follow-up of the Finnish Asthma Programme 2000-2010: reduction of hospital burden needs risk group rethinking
The Finnish Asthma Programme 1994–2004 focused on early intervention and disease control, thereby resulting in a significant reduction of asthma morbidity. During the follow-up period from 2000 to 2010, the number of hospital days continued to fall by 54%. Patients ≥65 years, especially women, accounted for 39% of the hospital days, and they need attention if the hospital burden is to be reduced further.
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Kauppi, P., Linna, M., Martikainen, J., Makela, M. J., Haahtela, T. Tags: PostScript Source Type: research

The yield of different pleural fluid volumes for Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture
We prospectively compared the culture yields of two pleural fluid volumes (5 and 100 ml) inoculated in liquid culture medium in 77 patients of whom 58 (75.3%) were diagnosed with pleural tuberculosis. The overall fluid culture yield was high (60.3% of cases with pleural tuberculosis). The larger volume had a faster time to positivity (329 vs 376 h, p=0.055) but its yield was not significantly higher (53.5% vs 50%; p=0.75). HIV-positive patients were more likely to have positive cultures (78.9% vs 51.5%; p=0.002).
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: von Groote-Bidlingmaier, F., Koegelenberg, C. F., Bolliger, C. T., Chung, P. K., Rautenbach, C., Wasserman, E., Bernasconi, M., Friedrich, S. O., Diacon, A. H. Tags: PostScript Source Type: research

BCG protects against tuberculosis irrespective of HIV status: a matched case-control study in Mwanza, Tanzania
While BCG vaccine protects against severe tuberculosis (TB) in children, its effect against adult TB is questionable. Furthermore, it is not known if HIV co-infection modifies the effect of BCG. Among 352 pairs of Tanzanian TB cases and matched controls, the BCG scar was associated with a reduced risk of TB (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.2 to 0.7, p=0.005), irrespective of HIV status (interaction, p=0.623). BCG vaccination considerably reduced the risk of TB, both among individuals with and without HIV infection.
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Faurholt-Jepsen, D., Range, N., PrayGod, G., Jeremiah, K., Faurholt-Jepsen, M., Aabye, M. G., Grewal, H. M. S., Changalucha, J., Witte, D. R., Andersen, A. B., Friis, H. Tags: PostScript Source Type: research

Advances in tuberculosis 2011-2012
Renewed global interest and funding for tuberculosis (TB) has led to increased research and publications, with several recent advances. The increased incidence of drug resistant TB and emergence of multidrug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) TB globally has strengthened the need for improved rapid diagnostics and better treatment regimens. The HIV and TB epidemics have further impacted on TB research, necessitating the development of better preventive and treatment strategies. Important recent strides in adult TB include more widespread validation of molecular techniques and advances in therapeutics, inc...
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Zar, H. J., Udwadia, Z. F. Tags: Reviews Source Type: research

Review of the British Thoracic Society Winter Meeting 2012, 5 to 7 December, London, UK
This review highlights new developments in scientific and clinical research presented at the British Thoracic Society Winter Scientific Meeting held from 5 to 7 December 2012. Although a wide spectrum of respiratory research was presented at the meeting the content of the review focuses specifically on the key themes of pleural disease, interstitial lung disease and future therapies in respiratory medicine. Advances in clinical and translational respiratory research presented in the major symposia and spoken sessions related to these areas are summarised. Additional sessions covering lifestyle dilemmas in the context of re...
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Bayes, H. K., Church, A. C., Fisher, A. J., on behalf of the BTS Science and Research Committee Tags: Reviews Source Type: research

BCG-specific IgG-secreting peripheral plasmablasts as a potential biomarker of active tuberculosis in HIV negative and HIV positive patients
Conclusions These results suggest that BCG-specific IgG-secreting peripheral plasmablasts could be successfully used as a host-specific biomarker to improve diagnosis of active TB, particularly in people who are HIV positive, and facilitate administration of effective treatment to patients. Elevated IgG responses were associated with impaired peripheral T-cell responses, including reduced T-cell numbers and low M tuberculosis-specific IFN production.
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Ashenafi, S., Aderaye, G., Zewdie, M., Raqib, R., Bekele, A., Magalhaes, I., Lema, B., Habtamu, M., Rekha, R. S., Aseffa, G., Maeurer, M., Aseffa, A., Svensson, M., Andersson, J., Brighenti, S. Tags: Open access, Editor's choice, Drugs: infectious diseases, HIV/AIDS Tuberculosis Source Type: research

Lower prevalence of tuberculosis infection in BCG vaccinees: a cross-sectional study in adult prison inmates
Conclusions Our results suggest that BCG vaccine seems to have a protective effect in adults decades after vaccination according to the number of recent infections (QFT-IT ≥0.7 IU/ml). This finding has important implications for national policy of BCG vaccination. Further prospective cohort studies on the protective effect of BCG vaccination against TB infection in adults are warranted.
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Chan, P.-C., Yang, C.-H., Chang, L.-Y., Wang, K.-F., Kuo, Y.-C., Lin, C.-J., Lee, S.-W., Hsueh, P.-R., Fang, C.-T., Huang, L.-M. Tags: Epidemiologic studies, Drugs: infectious diseases, Vaccination / immunisation, Screening (epidemiology), Ethics, Screening (public health) Tuberculosis Source Type: research

New treatments for Tuberculosis
Diacon et al report a promising advance in both the future management of tuberculosis (TB) and the future design of drug trials in this field.1 The authors undertook a prospective, randomised study in uncomplicated, treatment naive patients with smear-positive pulmonary TB in South Africa. The study assessed the early bactericidal activity (EBA) of novel combinations of new and existing drugs, but avoiding rifampicin and isoniazid, over the first 14 days of treatment, using the novel outcome measure of daily fall in colony forming units (CFUs) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis per millilitres of sputum. This approach has ...
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Ricketts, W. M. Tags: Miscellaneous Source Type: research

Chronic respiratory disease, inhaled corticosteroids and risk of non-tuberculous mycobacteriosis
Conclusion Chronic respiratory disease, particularly COPD treated with ICS therapy, is a strong risk factor for NTM pulmonary disease.
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Andrejak, C., Nielsen, R., Thomsen, V. O., Duhaut, P., Sorensen, H. T., Thomsen, R. W. Tags: Epidemiologic studies, Pneumonia (infectious disease), TB and other respiratory infections, Asthma, Interstitial lung disease, Drugs: respiratory system, Pneumonia (respiratory medicine), Occupational and environmental medicine Tuberculosis Source Type: research

Modelling the cost-effectiveness of strategies to prevent tuberculosis in child contacts in a high-burden setting
Conclusion Screening for M tuberculosis infection and provision of IPT in young children is a highly cost-effective intervention. Screening without testing for M tuberculosis infection is the most cost-effective strategy in 0–2-year-old children and the preferred strategy in 3–5-year-old children. Lack of testing capacity should therefore not be a barrier to IPT delivery. These findings highlight the cost effectiveness of contact tracing and IPT delivery in young children exposed to TB in high-burden countries.
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Mandalakas, A. M., Hesseling, A. C., Gie, R. P., Schaaf, H. S., Marais, B. J., Sinanovic, E. Tags: Health policy, Drugs: infectious diseases, Child health, Screening (epidemiology), Health service research, Screening (public health) Tuberculosis Source Type: research

Single-step QuantiFERON screening of adult contacts: a prospective cohort study of tuberculosis risk
Conclusions QFT based single-step contact screening is effective in young adults.
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Haldar, P., Thuraisingam, H., Patel, H., Pereira, N., Free, R. C., Entwisle, J., Wiselka, M., Hoskyns, E. W., Monk, P., Barer, M. R., Woltmann, G. Tags: Epidemiologic studies, Child health, Screening (epidemiology), Screening (public health) Tuberculosis Source Type: research

Community-based evaluation of immigrant tuberculosis screening using interferon {gamma} release assays and tuberculin skin testing: observational study and economic analysis
Conclusions UK immigrant screening could cost-effectively and safely eliminate mandatory CXR on arrival by emphasising systematic screening for LTBI with single-step IGRA. Intermediate incidence thresholds balance the need to identify as many imported LTBIs as possible against limited service capacity.
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Pareek, M., Bond, M., Shorey, J., Seneviratne, S., Guy, M., White, P., Lalvani, A., Kon, O. M. Tags: Radiology (diagnostics), Screening (epidemiology), Screening (public health) Tuberculosis Source Type: research

Ethnicity and mycobacterial lineage as determinants of tuberculosis disease phenotype
Conclusions Ethnicity is a powerful determinant of clinical TB phenotype independently of mycobacterial lineage and the role of ethnicity-associated factors in pathogenesis warrants investigation.
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Pareek, M., Evans, J., Innes, J., Smith, G., Hingley-Wilson, S., Lougheed, K. E., Sridhar, S., Dedicoat, M., Hawkey, P., Lalvani, A. Tags: Tuberculosis Source Type: research

Association of diabetes and tuberculosis: impact on treatment and post-treatment outcomes
Conclusions Given the growing epidemic of DM worldwide, it is necessary to add DM prevention and control strategies to TB control programmes and vice versa and to evaluate their effectiveness. The concurrence of both diseases potentially carries a risk of global spreading, with serious implications for TB control and the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Jimenez-Corona, M. E., Cruz-Hervert, L. P., Garcia-Garcia, L., Ferreyra-Reyes, L., Delgado-Sanchez, G., Bobadilla-del-Valle, M., Canizales-Quintero, S., Ferreira-Guerrero, E., Baez-Saldana, R., Tellez-Vazquez, N., Montero-Campos, R., Mongua-Rodriguez, N., Tags: Open access, TB and other respiratory infections, Tuberculosis, Radiology (diagnostics) Source Type: research

Risk of tuberculosis following HIV seroconversion in high-income countries
Conclusions TB risk increases with duration of HIV infection in the absence of cART. Following cART initiation, TB incidence rates were lower than levels immediately following seroconversion. Implementation of current recommendations to prevent TB in early HIV infection could be beneficial.
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Lodi, S., del Amo, J., d'Arminio Monforte, A., Abgrall, S., Sabin, C., Morrison, C., Furrer, H., Muga, R., Porter, K., Girardi, E., on behalf of the CASCADE collaboration in EuroCoord Tags: Drugs: infectious diseases, HIV/AIDS Tuberculosis Source Type: research

Tuberculosis immunodiagnosis: delving below the surface
It is one hundred and thirty years since Franz Ziehl and Friedrich Neelsen developed the rapid stain for acid-fast bacilli;1 2 accurate point-of-care diagnosis of active tuberculosis (TB) remains a major unmet clinical need. With the sensitivity of the Ziehl–Neelsen stain in sputum less than 50% and more than 20% of TB cases negative on both acid-fast stain and culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, there has long been a yawning gap in the diagnostic toolkit for TB. New rapid molecular methods have recently improved detection of M tuberculosis nucleic acids in sputum providing diagnostic sensitivity that is much hig...
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Lalvani, A., Connell, D. W. Tags: Editorials Source Type: research

The association of diabetes and tuberculosis: impact on treatment and post-treatment outcomes
One woe doth tread upon another's heel, So fast they follow. William Shakespeare. Hamlet. Act 1V Scene V11 We are approaching a day and age where the terms communicable and non-communicable diseases are taking on a new meaning. In the epidemiology and global public health space we track the top five causes of death to measure how well we are doing in combating illness.1 The idea that tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes mellitus (DM) share a synergistic relationship has been creating a growing stir around the world. This is so in the developed world where non-communicable diseases remain the leading cause of death and the develo...
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Sanghani, R. N., Udwadia, Z. F. Tags: Epidemiologic studies, Drugs: infectious diseases Editorials Source Type: research

Further evidence supporting programmatic screening for, and treatment of latent TB Infection (LTBI) in new entrants to the UK from high TB prevalence countries
A systematic comparison of tuberculosis (TB) cases and rates between the USA and E&W (England and Wales), shows diametrically opposed trends. Between 1993 and 2010 in the USA, active TB cases fell from 25 107 to 11 182,1 a fall of 55%. By contrast in E&W, notified TB cases rose from 5104 in 19932 3 to 7901 in 2010,4 an increase of 55%. Case management is not the explanation for the difference, as both countries use rifampicin and isoniazid based 6-month short course chemotherapy, with high completion rates, 92.7% for the USA1 and 83.6% of survivors in E&W.4 Equally, different BCG policies do not accou...
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Ormerod, L. P. Tags: Drugs: infectious diseases, Child health, Screening (epidemiology), Screening (public health) Editorials Source Type: research

Highlights from this issue
Whatever we may have once optimistically thought, TB remains with death, taxes and political chicanery as being inevitable, unavoidable and deeply unpleasant. It shows every sign of weathering the storm of potent anti-tuberculous medications and superb randomised controlled trials to emerge in ever-increasingly drug-resistant forms, potentially turning the clock back to the 1930s. This edition of Thorax, coinciding with world TB day, is themed to recognise the ongoing sinister successes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, unarguably the most successful human pathogen of all time. IGRA testing and high risk populations We, being...
Source: Thorax - February 11, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Bush, A., Pavord, I. Tags: Airwaves Source Type: research

[Original Article] Respiratory Muscle Tension as Symptom Generator in Individuals With High Anxiety Sensitivity
Conclusions Respiratory muscle tension may contribute to the respiratory sensations experienced by panic-prone individuals. Theories and treatments for panic disorder should consider this potential source of symptoms.
Source: Psychosomatic Medicine - February 11, 2013 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Ritz, T., Meuret, A. E., Bhaskara, L., Petersen, S. Tags: Anxiety, Pulmonary Original Article Source Type: research

Nonconvulsive seizures after subarachnoid hemorrhage: Multimodal detection and outcomes
Abstract Objective.Seizures have been implicated as a cause of secondary brain injury, but the systemic and cerebral physiologic effects of seizures after acute brain injury are poorly understood. Methods.We analyzed intracortical EEG and multimodality physiological recordings in 48 comatose subarachnoid hemorrhage patients to better characterize the physiological response to seizures after acute brain injury. Results.Intracortical seizures were seen in 38% of patients and 8% had surface seizures. Intracortical seizures were accompanied by elevated heart rate (P=0.001), blood pressure (P<0.001), and respiratory rate (P&...
Source: Annals of Neurology - February 11, 2013 Category: Neurology Authors: Jan Claassen, Adler Perotte, David Albers, Samantha Kleinberg, J. Michael Schmidt, Bin Tu, Neeraj Badjatia, Hector Lantigua, Lawrence J. Hirsch, Stephan A. Mayer, E. Sander Connolly, George Hripcsak Tags: Research Article Source Type: research

Respiratory sinus arrhythmia during sleep in children with upper airway obstruction
In conclusion, night‐time respiratory sinus arrhythmia in children is sleep stage dependent and normal during quiet sleep in children with relatively mild upper airway obstruction.
Source: Journal of Sleep Research - February 11, 2013 Category: Neurology Authors: Muammar M. Kabir, Mark Kohler, Yvonne Pamula, James Martin, Declan Kennedy, Derek Abbott, Mathias Baumert Tags: Regular Research Paper Source Type: research