Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) in common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) patients: a study from Iran.

INTRODUCTION: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a prevalent complication in patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) and is often related to other characteristics such as bronchiectasis and autoimmunity. Because the term ILD encompasses a variety of acute and chronic pulmonary conditions, diagnosis is usually based on imaging features. Histopathology is less available. This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the ILD in patients with CVID. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, sixty CVID patients who referred to the pulmonology and immunodeficiency clinics of Mofid Children's Hospital between 2013 and 2022 were included. The diagnosis of ILD were based on transbronchial lung biopsy (TBB) or clinical and radiological symptoms. The prevalence of ILD in CVID patients was determined. Also, the CVID patients with and without ILD were compared in terms of demographic characteristics, clinical, laboratory and radiologic findings. RESULTS: Among all patients, ten patients had ILD (16.6%). In terms of laboratory parameters, there was a significant difference between platelets in the two groups of CVID patients with and without ILD, and the level of platelets was higher in the group of patients with ILD. Moreover, in terms of clinical symptoms, pneumonia, diarrhea and hepatomegaly were significantly different between the two groups and were statistically higher in the group of patients with ILD (P < 0.05). Autoimmunity and malignancy were not significantly different in two groups. There was a significant difference in, hyperinflation between the two groups of CVID patients with and without ILD, and the frequency of, hyperinflation was higher in the patients without ILD (P = 0.040). CONCLUSION: Understanding the pathogenesis of ILD plays an essential role in revealing non-infectious pulmonary complications that occur in CVID patients. Increasing efforts to understand ILD not only shed light on its hidden pathogenesis and clinical features, but also enhance our understanding of CVID in a broader sense.

Pulmonary Involvement in Neuromuscular Diseases: A Review.

Neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) affect muscle function directly or indirectly by affecting nerves or neuromuscular junctions. One of the leading causes of death in patients with NMD is respiratory muscle weakness (RMW). Respiratory involvement in patients with NMD can manifest widely, from mild failure that may initially affect only sleep to severe failure that can be life-threatening. Care approaches include arranged and precise clinical follow-ups of signs of sleep-disordered breathing, daytime hypoventilation, coughing, and swallowing disturbances. This manuscript will review the mechanisms and abnormalities of respiratory function in patients with NMD and help optimize NMD management.

Correlation between the severity and type of acne lesions with serum zinc levels in patients with acne vulgaris.

Acne vulgaris is the most common cutaneous disorder affecting adolescents and young adults. Some studies have reported an association between serum zinc levels and acne vulgaris. We aimed to evaluate the serum zinc level in patients with acne vulgaris and compare it with healthy controls. One hundred patients with acne vulgaris and 100 healthy controls were referred to our clinic. Acne severity was classified according to Global Acne Grading System (GAGS). Atomic absorption spectrophotometry was used to measure serum zinc levels. Mean serum level of zinc in acne patients and controls was 81.31 ± 17.63 µg/dl and 82.63 ± 17.49 µg/dl, respectively. Although the mean serum zinc level was lower in acne group, it was not statistically significant (P = 0.598). There was a correlation between serum zinc levels with severity and type of acne lesions. The results of our study suggest that zinc levels may be related to the severity and type of acne lesions in patients with acne vulgaris. Relative decrease of serum zinc level in acne patients suggests a role for zinc in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris.