Clinical characteristics and biomarkers analysis of asthma inflammatory phenotypes.

Aim: Asthma inflammatory phenotypes facilitate treatment, their clinical characteristics and biomarkers were analyzed. Materials & methods: A total of 176 asthmatics were divided into eosinophilic asthma (EA), neutrophilic asthma (NA), paucigranulocytic asthma and mixed-granulocytic asthma by induced sputum. Results: EA, NA and paucigranulocytic asthma patients were 65 (36.9%), 31 (17.6%) and 75 (42.6%). Sputum IL-5 and IL-13, blood IL-13, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) were related to EA, the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were 0.790, 0.846, 0.828, 0.830, combined FeNO with blood IL-13 was 0.872. Sputum and blood IL-8, blood IL-17 were related to NA, their area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.939, 0.844, 0.821, combined blood IL-8 with IL-17 was 0.882. Conclusion: Blood IL-13 and FeNO, blood IL-8 and IL-17 were alternative biomarkers of EA and NA, respectively.

[Survey of macrolide resistance in Mycoplasma pneumoniae in adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia in Beijing, China].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the tendency of macrolide resistance in Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients in Beijing. METHODS: Adult CAP patients of ≥ 18 yrs were enrolled in 3 medical centers in Beijing , China. Throat swab samples were taken from all the patients to perform the culture of M. pneumoniae . All the isolated M. pneumoniae strains were subjected to susceptibility evaluation for 6 agents, including macrolides such as erythromycin and azithromycin. In strains showing macrolide resistance, the 23S rRNA gene was analyzed. RESULTS: A total 53 strains of M. pneumoniae were isolated from 321 enrolled patients. Thirty-eight of the isolated strains (71.7%) were resistant to erythromycin and 32 of them (60.4%) were resistant to azithromycin. Six strains with moderate or low level of erythromycin-resistance were still susceptible to azithromycin. No fluoroquinolone-resistant or tetracycline-resistant strains were observed in our study. Point transition of A2063G in the 23S ribosomal RNA gene was the main reason for the high prevalence of macrolide resistance. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of macrolide resistance in M. pneumoniae is very high in adult CAP patients in Beijing. Studies are needed to clarify the clinical meaning of prevalence of macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae in adults CAP patients.

[A clinical analysis of 7 cases of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA). METHODS: The clinical presentations, serologic results, chest radiology, pathological results and treatment of 7 patients with ABPA in Chinese PLA General Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: There were 4 males and 3 females, with a mean age of (33 ± 16) years. Before the diagnosis of ABPA, 6 cases had been misdiagnosed as bronchial asthma, 3 as pulmonary infection, 2 as tuberculosis and 1 as bronchiectasis. The main clinical manifestations included cough (n = 6), sputum production (n = 5), hemoptysis (n = 4), wheeze (n = 3), dyspnea(n = 3) and fever(n = 2). All cases had increased total serum IgE levels (median 3040 U/ml) and peripheral blood eosinophil count (median 0.19). Six of them showed increased peripheral eosinophil count median 1.84 × 10(9)/L, and skin test positive for Aspergillus antigen. Five of them had increased serum IgE antibodies specific to A. fumigatus (22 ± 15) kU/L, and 4 had increased serum IgG antibodies specific to A. fumigatus (108 ± 96) mg/L. The chest CT scan findings included transient or fixed pulmonary opacities, central bronchiectasis and finger-in-glove opacities. Five patients were treated with corticosteroids combined with antifungal therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical features of ABPA include a history of asthma, elevation of the total serum IgE levels, presence of aspergillus IgE antibodies, peripheral eosinophilia, and transient or fixed pulmonary opacities and central bronchiectasis. Patients with asthma complicated with bronchiectasis should be routinely screened for Aspergillus skin test, and measurement of total serum IgE levels and chest CT scan are useful for confirmation of the diagnosis of ABPA. Oral glucocorticoids and anti-fungal drugs are effective in treatment of ABPA. Regular follow-up is needed for prevention of recurrence.