RESUMO
The widespread use of marijuana in the context of increasing legalization has both short- and long-term health implications. Although various modes of marijuana use-smoked, vaped, or ingested-may lead to a wide scope of potential systemic effects, we focus here on inhalational use of marijuana as the most common mode with the lung as the organ that is most directly exposed to its effects. Smoked marijuana has been associated with symptoms of chronic bronchitis and histopathologic changes in airway epithelium, but without consistent evidence of long-term decline in pulmonary function. Its role in immunomodulation, both for risk of infection and protection against a hyperinflammatory host response to infection, has been suggested in animal models and in vitro without conclusive extrapolation to humans. Marijuana smoke contains carcinogens like those found in tobacco, raising concern about its role in lung cancer, but evidence is mixed and made challenging by concurrent tobacco use. Vaping may offer a potential degree of harm reduction when compared with smoking marijuana with reduction of exposure to several toxins, including carbon monoxide, and reduction in chronic respiratory symptoms. However, these potential benefits are counterbalanced by risks including vaping-associated lung injury, potentially more intense drug exposure, and other yet not well-understood toxicities. As more states legalize marijuana and the federal government considers changing this from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance, we anticipate an increase in prospective medical studies concerning the risks related to marijuana use. This review is based on currently available data concerning the impact of inhaled marijuana on lung health.
RESUMO
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is the first-line treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Although the gold standard for the treatment of OSA, CPAP may not be the optimal modality to treat more complex sleep disordered breathing such as Cheyne-Stokes respirations, opioid-induced central apnea, and complex sleep disordered breathing related to chronic hypoventilation syndromes (obesity-hypoventilation syndrome, restrictive thoracic disease due to neuromuscular or thoracic cage disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Newer generation auto-adjusting PAP devices are increasingly being used to treat OSA. Advanced positive airway pressure modalities have been developed in an effort to improve treatment of the more complex sleep disordered breathing syndromes including automated servo ventilation and volume-targeted pressure-limited ventilation. This article is intended to provide the clinician reader with a description of newer PAP modalities, a review of evidence-supported indications for use, as well as to provide a framework for managing patients with advanced positive airway pressure therapy.
Assuntos
Respiração com Pressão Positiva/métodos , Síndromes da Apneia do Sono/terapia , Apneia Obstrutiva do Sono/terapia , Respiração de Cheyne-Stokes/terapia , Pressão Positiva Contínua nas Vias Aéreas/métodos , Humanos , Síndromes da Apneia do Sono/fisiopatologia , Apneia Obstrutiva do Sono/fisiopatologiaRESUMO
Ovarian cancer (OC) is highly lethal due to late detection and frequent recurrence. Initial treatments, comprising surgery and chemotherapy, lead to disease remission but are invariably associated with subsequent relapse. The identification of novel therapies and an improved understanding of the molecular and cellular characteristics of OC are urgently needed. Here, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of primary tumor cells and their microenvironment from 16 chemonaive and 10 recurrent OC patient samples. Profiling OC tumor biomarkers allowed for the identification of potential molecular targets for developing immunotherapies, while profiling the microenvironment yielded insights into its cellular composition and property changes between chemonaive and recurrent samples. Notably, we identified CD1d as a biomarker of the OC microenvironment and demonstrated its targeting by invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells. Overall, our study presents a comprehensive immuno-profiling of OC tumor and microenvironment during disease progression, guiding the development of immunotherapies for OC treatment, especially for recurrent disease.
RESUMO
A 34-year-old woman presented with her third episode of acute-onset right-sided chest pain and dyspnea. She had two prior similar occurrences of right-sided sharp, pleuritic chest pain with radiation to the back and dyspnea. Chest radiographs during these presentations revealed a small apical right-sided pneumothorax that was managed conservatively with high-flow oxygen. All three presentations were associated with vigorous exercise and the first day of her menses. She denied cough, hemoptysis, fever, smoking history, airplane travel, scuba diving, or trauma during these presentations. The patient has been trying to conceive for the past year but has been unsuccessful because of uterine fibroids but no history of endometriosis.
Assuntos
Dor no Peito/etiologia , Dispneia/etiologia , Endometriose/complicações , Pneumotórax/etiologia , Neoplasias Torácicas/complicações , Adulto , Biópsia , Dor no Peito/diagnóstico , Doença Crônica , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Dispneia/diagnóstico , Endometriose/diagnóstico , Feminino , Humanos , Pneumotórax/diagnóstico , Radiografia Torácica , Neoplasias Torácicas/diagnósticoRESUMO
A healthy 55-year-old man without known medical problems presented for a routine physical examination and was found to have an abnormal ECG. He denied chest pain, dyspnea, palpitations, dizziness, or syncopal episodes. He also denied orthopnea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, and lower-extremity edema. His exercise capacity had been excellent. He was a lifelong nonsmoker and never had lung problems.
Assuntos
Cardiopatias Congênitas/diagnóstico , Pulmão/anormalidades , Síndrome de Cimitarra/diagnóstico , Eletrocardiografia , Cardiopatias Congênitas/diagnóstico por imagem , Humanos , Pulmão/diagnóstico por imagem , Angiografia por Ressonância Magnética , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Radiografia Torácica , Síndrome de Cimitarra/diagnóstico por imagem , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios XRESUMO
Attenuation of muscle wasting has been reported with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) use in cachectic states. Pathways mediating muscle proteolysis with severe short-term nutritional deprivation (ND)±EPA were evaluated, including diaphragm fiber-specific cross-sectional areas, mRNA (real-time PCR) and protein expression (Western blot). Rats were divided into three groups: (1) free-eating controls, (2) ND and (3) ND+EPA. ND significantly influenced multiple proteolytic pathways. EPA significantly reduced mRNA abundances for most genes to control levels with ND. However, discordant muscle protein expression of many genes was noted with the use of EPA, as protein levels failed to fall. EPA had no impact on diaphragm muscle atrophy, despite the impressive mRNA and some protein results. We conclude that EPA does not attenuate diaphragm muscle atrophy with severe levels of ND. Postulated mechanisms include reduction in muscle protein synthesis and persistent ongoing stimuli for proteolysis. Our study provides unique data on proteolytic signals with ND and has important implications for future studies using EPA.