Inflammatory mediators in nasal secretions of patients with nasal polyposis with and without aspirin sensitivity.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare the levels of inflammatory mediators in nasal secretions in patients with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) and in those with nasal polyposis (NP) without aspirin-sensitivity and to correlate nasal fluid mediator concentrations with clinical parameters of the disease. METHODS: A total of 30 patients with AERD, 30 chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with NP patients without aspirin sensitivity (CRSwNP), and 30 control subjects without inflammation of the nasal mucosa (C), selected for surgical treatment entered the study. The total nasal symptom score (TNSS), endoscopic score (ES), and Lund-Mackay score (LMS), were evaluated. The concentrations of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), tryptase, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), substance P and Clara cell protein 16 (CC16) were determined in nasal secretions. RESULTS: Higher concentrations of ECP, tryptase, and HSP70 were measured in the AERD patients than in the CRSwNP patients and the C group (p < .001; p < .001, respectively for all mediators). However, levels of CC16 were higher in the C group than in the AERD and CRSwNP groups (p < .001; p < .001, respectively). A positive correlation between the TNSS and CC16 and a negative one between CC16 and tryptase levels were found in the C group. The CRSwNP group showed positive correlations between ECP, HSP70, and tryptase and negative correlations between substance P, ES, and LMS, as well as between CC16 and tryptase levels. In the AERD group, we found a positive correlation between HSP70 and ECP levels and a negative correlation between the TNSS and CC16 concentration. CONCLUSION: The obtained results indicate the increased production of mediators of eosinophil and mast cell function, and the decreased production of biomarker of respiratory epithelial function in AERD patients. Clinical and biochemical parameters correlate in different ways in the AERD and CRSwNP patients.

Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction and non-specific airway hyperreactivity in patients suffering from bronchial asthma.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Physical activity is a common stimulus of asthmatic symptoms manifestation. Airway hyperreactivity is a predisposing cause of exercise induced bronchial obstruction, diagnosed by histamine inhalation. The aim of this study was to determine the relation between the amounts of histamine needed to induce non-specific airway hyperreactivity and exercise-induced bronchial obstruction. METHODS: This randomized cross-over study included 160 male patients (age 19-27 years) suffering from bronchial asthma who showed positive results as the reaction after the histamine bronchial provocation test. Histamine concentrations were in a range of 0.03 to 4 mg/mL. Each patient participated in the exercise stress test conducted on a conveyor belt. The results of the exercise stress test were considered positive if the FEV1 level dropped by at least 15% from its initial value, 5-10 minutes after the test. RESULTS: All the patients showed positive results as the reaction after the histamine bronchial provocation test, while 50 of them showed positive results after the exercise-induced stress test. There was a statistically highly significant difference in administrated histamine concentrations between the group of patients that had positive results on exercise stress test and those who did not (1 mg/mL vs 0.5 mg/mL; U = 1678; p < 0.01). Also, there was a statistically significant difference concerning the frequency of the positive results regarding histamine concentration after induced stress test (chi2 = 10.885; p = 0.001). Among the patients with positive results, there was a statistically highly significant number of patients with bronchial obstruction induced by less than 2 mg/mL of histamine (p < 0.01). A statistically significant relation between the amount of histamine needed to induce bronchial obstruction and the results of the exercise stress test (p < 0.01) was also observed after the testing. CONCLUSION: In the group of patients with positive results after the exercise-induced stress test, there were significantly more patients with positive results to non-specific bronchial provocation test with lower histamine concentrations. Histamine concentrations needed to induce non-specific hyperreactivity of asthmatic airway were shown to be related to the reactivity to physical effort.

[K-ras mutation predictive significance in platinum based chemotherapeutic protocols in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer].

BACKGROUND/AIM: K-ras oncogene is mutated in about 20% of lung cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictive significance for therapeutic response of K-ras mutations in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. METHODS: Bronchial aspirate samples were assessed prior to platinum-based chemotherapy start in 39 patients with stage IIIb or IV NSCLC. K-ras mutations at codons 12 and 13 were analyzed by single strand conformation polymorphisam (SSCP) and allele specific oligonucleozide hybridisation of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the patient's DNA present in bronchial aspirate. After two cycles of chemotherapy the patients were subjected to response evaluation. RESULTS: Of 39 patients 10 (25.5%) demonstrated K-ras mutations, while 29 (74.4%) patients had not. There were no significant differences between these two groups of patients with respect to baseline patient caracteristics. Partial response to the therapy had 16 (41%), no changes 14 (36%), and progressive disease 9 (23%) patients. There was a tendency to higher response rate for patients without K-ras mutations versus those with mutations, but not statistically significant (p = 0.14). CONCLUSION: There was no significant predictive value for therapeutic response of K-ras mutations for advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

[Lung involvement in systemic connective tissue diseases].

BACKGROUND/AIM: Systemic connective tissue diseases (SCTD) are chronic inflammatory autoimmune disorders of unknown cause that can involve different organs and systems. Their course and prognosis are different. All of them can, more or less, involve the respiratory sistem. The aim of this study was to find out the frequency of respiratory simptoms, lung function disorders, radiography and high-resolution computerized tomography (HRCT) abnormalities, and their correlation with the duration of the disease and the applied treatment. METHODS: In 47 non-randomised consecutive patients standard chest radiography, HRCT, and lung function tests were done. RESULTS: Hypoxemia was present in nine of the patients with respiratory simptoms (20%). In all of them chest radiography was normal. In five of these patients lung fibrosis was established using HRCT. Half of all the patients with SCTD had simptoms of lung involment. Lung function tests disorders of various degrees were found in 40% of the patients. The outcome and the degree of lung functin disorders were neither in correlation with the duration of SCTD nor with therapy used (p > 0.05 Spearmans Ro). CONCLUSION: Pulmonary fibrosis occures in about 10% of the patients with SCTD, and possibly not due to the applied treatment regimens. Hypoxemia could be a sing of existing pulmonary fibrosis in the absence of disorders on standard chest radiography.