Red cell distribution width: A new parameter for predicting the risk of exacerbation in COPD patients.

BACKGROUND: Red cell distribution width (RDW) is a numerical measurement of the size variability of erythrocytes and is routinely reported as a component of complete blood count in the differential diagnosis of anemia. In recent years, researchers have reported high mortality and poor prognosis associated with higher RDW in populations with cardiovascular disease, cancer, pneumonia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of the study is to evaluate the role of RDW in predicting the risk of COPD exacerbations and the impact of symptoms. METHODS: We designed an observational retrospective study based on patients hospitalized for acute exacerbation of COPD, between January 2015 and December 2018. RESULTS: We included 169 patients, 120 at GOLD four stage. RDW was significantly higher in COPD patients vs controls (P = .014). We found a positive correlation with c-reactive protein (r  = 0.375, P < .01), COPD assessment test (CAT) Score (R2 = 0.658, sy.x = 2.226; P < .01), number of exacerbations (R2=0.289; sy.x = 0.86; P = .002), and GOLD score (r = 0.30; P = .05). In ROC curve analysis, the area under the curve of RDW for the identification of frequent exacerbator was 1.0 (95% confidence interval, 1.0-1.0; P < .0001). CONCLUSION: Our data show that elevated RDW may be a useful tool in predicting the risk of exacerbation in COPD patients and may be a good indicator of the impact of symptoms.

Home-based unsupervised pulmonary rehabilitation program improves the respiratory disability in systemic sclerosis patients with dyspnea: an observational prospective study.

Dyspnea is a common symptom in Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) that considerably decreases patients' quality of life (QoL). Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) mitigates dyspnea impact on daily activities. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect on respiratory disability of home-based PR in SSc patients with dyspnea. In this observational prospective monocentric study, we screened all dyspneic SSc consecutive patients attending the Rheumatological day hospital in the University hospital of Parma from January 2019 and June 2019. The aim of our study was to understand if a PR unsupervised home-based program could improve respiratory disability in this specific population. Dyspnea was evaluated with the self-administered questionnaires modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) and  Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ).Patients also filled in Short Form 36 (SF36) and the Modified-Health Assessment Questionnaire for SSc (HAQ-MOD). Health Professionals assessed and trained the patients and collected data before PR and at the end of the program. PR consisted in 5 weekly unsupervised sessions for 8 weeks. Wilcoxon test for paired data evaluated the changes after PR. p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. 46 SSc patients were included (43 female). Only 31 (29 female) performed PR as planned (Adherent Group-AG) while the others gave up within the first week (Non-Adherent Group-NAG). All SGRQ domains (Symptoms: from 30 to 18; p=0.0055; Activity: from 47 to 35, p=0.23; Impact from 29 to 25, p=0.044) and SGRQ total score (from 35 to 29; p=0.022) improved in AG. SGRQ scores did not change in NAG as well as SF36 and HAQ-MOD in both groups. The home-based PR program dramatically decreased the effect, frequency and severity of respiratory symptoms. Conversely, it slightly changed the activities causing breathlessness and dyspnea-related social functioning disturbances. PR appears to be a useful tool in treatment strategies aiming to achieve a QoL improvement in SSc patients.

Cognitive and motor reaction times in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: A study based on computerized measures.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) is mainly associated with executive dysfunction. Although delayed reaction times (RTs) in patients with OSAS have been reported, sensitivity of processing speed has not been adequately assessed. This study suggests sensitive and reliable measures to clarify whether different components of information processing speed, i.e. cognitive and motor responses, are equally impaired in OSAS. Thirty-three patients with OSAS were compared with thirty healthy controls. The MoCA test was administered to assess participants' global neuropsychological profile. Cognitive and motor reaction times were measured using a detector panel which allows to distinguish between stimulus encoding, decision processing, and selection of the appropriate motor response. Logistic regression models highlighted both MoCA test and motor RTs as the best predictors differentiating patients from healthy participants. Results support the hypothesis of a slight decline in the cognitive profile of patients with OSAS and identify significant slowing down in the motor component of responses. It could be hypothesized that slower motor responsiveness is the cause of the global cognitive profile of these patients. With aging, motor movements and RTs usually become impaired and hypoxia might accelerate the aging process by compromising first of all the motor component of RTs.

Continuous positive airways pressure and uvulopalatopharyngoplasty improves pulmonary hypertension in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea.

OBJECTIVE: Data are sparse regarding the prevalence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) patients without COPD and clinically manifest cardiac diseases and the role of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) in normalizing this parameter. PATIENTS/METHODS: We studied 75 consecutive OSA patients, 55 of them men, using transthoracic echocardiography. A mild PH [pulmonary artery pressure (PAPs) 38.2 ± 6.8] was found in 25 subjects (prevalence 33%). These patients were divided into two groups: group 1A (n = 17), those treated with CPAP, and group 1B (n = 8), those who have the indication for a UPPP. We scheduled a follow-up at 3, 6 and 9 months. During follow-up, we performed echocardiography, measurement of anthropometric parameters (BMI, neck and waist-hip circumference), and of biochemical parameters (uric acid, fasting glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides) and blood pressure. RESULTS: Patients with PH had a higher BMI: 32 ± 6 versus 29 ± 4 (p < 0.001) and NC: 39.8 ± 4.76 versus 37.14 ± 3.49 (p = 0.003), were predominantly men (72%) and older: 64 ± 20 versus 55 ± 16 (p = 0.025) and had a significantly higher value of uric acid: 7.91 ± 2.35 versus 6.56 ± 1.31 (p = 0.003). We found a positive correlation between PH and BMI (r = 0.456; p < 0.001) and between uric acidic and PH (r = 0.636; p < 0.001). PAPs significantly changed, from 39.8 ± 4.1 to 27.1 ± 4, to 25.2 ± 3.1 and to 22.2 ± 3 mmHg (CI 95%; 15.09-20.11; p < 0.001) in group 1A and from 39.5 ± 5.1 to 23.4 ± 3.2, to 23.0 ± 3.1 and to 21.9 ± 2.9 mmHg (CI 95%; 13.15-22.05; p < 0.001) in group 1B (difference between the groups p = 0.12). CONCLUSIONS: PH was frequent in OSA patients and normalized after 6 months with both CPAP and UPPP. A similar trend was noted in diastolic blood pressure.

Clinical highlights from the 2013 ERS Congress in Barcelona.

This article reviews a selection of scientific presentations in the area of clinical problems, which were presented at the 2013 European Respiratory Society Annual Congress in Barcelona, Spain. This article discusses the most relevant topics of interest in the field of clinical respiratory medicine, including breakthrough reports and studies of particular interest to the healthcare professionals. Topics are presented and discussed in the context of the most up-to-date literature, including basic science and translational research. In particular, the reviewed topics deal with the areas of complex chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma (even in the primary care setting), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (pathogenesis and therapy), advances in functional chest imaging, interventional pulmonology, pulmonary rehabilitation and chronic care.

Implementation of the Care Bundle for the Management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with/without Heart Failure.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often part of a more complex cardiopulmonary disease, especially in older patients. The differential diagnosis of the acute exacerbation of COPD and/or heart failure (HF) in emergency settings is challenging due to their frequent coexistence and symptom overlap. Both conditions have a detrimental impact on each other's prognosis, leading to increased mortality rates. The timely diagnosis and treatment of COPD and coexisting factors like left ventricular overload or HF in inpatient and outpatient care can improve prognosis, quality of life, and long-term outcomes, helping to avoid exacerbations and hospitalization, which increase future exacerbation risk. This work aims to address existing gaps, providing management recommendations for COPD with/without HF, particularly when both conditions coexist. During virtual meetings, a panel of experts (the authors) discussed and reached a consensus on the differential and paired diagnosis of COPD and HF, providing suggestions for risk stratification, accurate diagnosis, and appropriate therapy for inpatients and outpatients. They emphasize that when COPD and HF are concomitant, both conditions should receive adequate treatment and that recommended HF treatments are not contraindicated in COPD and have favorable effects. Accurate diagnosis and therapy is crucial for effective treatment, reducing hospital readmissions and associated costs. The management considerations discussed in this study can potentially be extended to address other cardiopulmonary challenges frequently encountered by COPD patients.

Long-term inhaled corticosteroid treatment in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, and a recent hospitalised exacerbation: The ICSLIFE pragmatic, randomised controlled study.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) frequently have cardiovascular comorbidities, increasing the risk of hospitalised COPD exacerbations (H-ECOPDs) or death. This pragmatic study examined the effects of adding an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) to long-acting bronchodilator(s) (LABDs) in patients with COPD and cardiac comorbidities who had a recent H-ECOPD. METHODS: Patients >60 years of age with COPD and ≥1 cardiac comorbidity, within 6 months after discharge following an H-ECOPD, were randomised to receive LABD(s) with or without ICS, and were followed for 1 year. The primary outcome was the time to first rehospitalisation and/or all-cause death. RESULTS: The planned number of patients was not recruited (803/1032), limiting the strength of the conclusions. In the intention-to-treat population, 89/403 patients (22.1 %) were rehospitalised or died in the LABD group (probability 0.257 [95 % confidence interval 0.206, 0.318]), vs 85/400 (21.3 %) in the LABD+ICS group (0.249 [0.198, 0.310]), with no difference between groups in time-to-event (hazard ratio 1.116 [0.827, 1.504]; p = 0.473). All-cause and cardiovascular mortality were lower in patients receiving LABD(s)+ICS, with relative reductions of 19.7 % and 27.4 %, respectively (9.8 % vs 12.2 % and 4.5 % vs 6.2 %), although the groups were not formally statistically compared for these endpoints. Fewer patients had adverse events in the LABD+ICS group (43.0 % vs 50.4 %; p = 0.013), with 4.9 % vs 5.4 % reporting pneumonia adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest addition of ICS to LABDs did not reduce the time-to-combined rehospitalisation/death, although it decreased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. ICS use was not associated with an increased risk of adverse events, particularly pneumonia.

Selected clinical highlights from the 2012 ERS congress in Vienna.

This article reviews a selection of scientific presentations at the 2012 European Respiratory Society Annual Congress in Vienna, Austria. The best abstracts from the groups of the Clinical Assembly (Clinical Problems, Rehabilitation and Chronic Care, Imaging, Interventional Pulmonology, Diffuse Parenchymal Lung Disease, and General Practice and Primary Care) are presented and discussed in the context of the most up-to-date literature. The reviewed topics especially deal with the areas of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (acute exacerbations, comorbidities, prognosis and rehabilitation), the diagnosis and management of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis, endobronchial techniques in emphysema, functional imaging and issues in respiratory medicine relevant for the primary care setting, including aspects related to end-of-life care and palliation.

[Osteoporosis associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other respiratory diseases]. / Osteoporosi associata a broncopneumopatia cronica ostruttiva e ad altre patologie respiratorie.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and osteoporosis are associated because of common risk factors. In addition, COPD enhance systemic inflammation, vitamin D deficiency, and above all the use of systemic steroids induce bone destruction. Early prevention and treatment of osteoporosis is useful in COPD and in other chronic lung diseases.

First report on clinical and radiological features of COVID-19 pneumonitis in a Caucasian population: Factors predicting fibrotic evolution.

BACKGROUND: At the end of February, the Lombardy region (Northern Italy) was involved in the pandemic spread of the new COVID-19. We here summarize the clinical and radiological characteristics of 90 confirmed cases and analyze their role in predicting the evolution of fibrosis. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical and radiological data of 90 patients with COVID-19 pneumonitis. All subjects underwent an HRCT study on the day of admission and eight weeks later, and were treated with lopinavir + ritonavir (Kaletra) 400/100 mg two times a day or darunavir + ritonavir two times a day, and Hydroxychloroquine 200 mg two times a day. Pulmonary fibrosis was defined according to the Fleischner Society glossary of terms for thoracic imaging. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients developed pulmonary fibrosis (25.5%): 15 were males, whose mean age was 75 ± 15. The majority were active smokers (60.8%) and had comorbidities (78.2%), above all, hypertension (47.8%), and diabetes (34.7%). Interestingly, in our series of cases, the "reversed halo sign" is frequent (63%) and seems to be a typical COVID-19 pneumonitis pattern. The patients showing fibrosis had a higher grade of systemic inflammation (ESR and PCR) and appeared to have bone marrow inhibition with a significant reduction in platelets, leukocytes, and hemoglobin. CONCLUSIONS: To conclude, our data showed that the reversed halo sign associated with a ground-glass pattern may be a typical HRCT pattern of COVID-19 pneumonitis. The evolution to pulmonary fibrosis is frequent in older males and patients with comorbidities and bone marrow involvement.

Coronavirus disease 2019 infection in patients with recent cardiac surgery: does chronic anticoagulant therapy have a protective effect?

AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical course of COVID-19 in patients who had recently undergone a cardiac procedure and were inpatients in a cardiac rehabilitation department. METHODS: All patients hospitalized from 1 February to 15 March 2020 were included in the study (n = 35; 16 men; mean age 78 years). The overall population was divided into two groups: group 1 included 10 patients who presented with a clinical picture of COVID-19 infection and were isolated, and group 2 included 25 patients who were COVID-19-negative. In group 1, nine patients were on chronic oral anticoagulant therapy and one patient was on acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and clopidogrel. A chest computed tomography scan revealed interstitial pneumonia in all 10 patients. RESULTS: During hospitalization, COVID-19 patients received azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine in addition to their ongoing therapy. Only the patient on ASA with clopidogrel therapy was transferred to the ICU for mechanical ventilation because of worsening respiratory failure, and subsequently died from cardiorespiratory arrest. All other patients on chronic anticoagulant therapy recovered and were discharged. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that COVID-19 patients on chronic anticoagulant therapy may have a more favorable and less complicated clinical course. Further prospective studies are warranted to confirm this preliminary observation.

A "Crazy Paving" Pattern on CT Scan in a Patient Treated with Pembrolizumab.

BACKGROUND: Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligand, PD-L1, have shown great promise in clinical practice and have been incorporated into standard management of NSCLC. Pneumonitis is a serious autoimmune toxicity associated with the use of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. METHODS: We described the case of a 73-year-old woman with no history of smoking developing exertional dyspnea four months after taking Pembrolizumab. RESULTS: High resolution contrast CT scan (HRCT) presented a unilateral "crazy paving" pattern, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) an important lymphocytosis (20% of total cell count). The patient reached clinical stability after the administration of systemic steroids (2mg\Kg\die) and was discharged with long term oxygen therapy. DISCUSSION: Pulmonary toxicity is frequent when using PD-1 inhibitors, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality, often leading to the discontinuation of therapy. Clinical presentation is usually protean and HRCT pattern is nonspecific. This is the first case presenting a "crazy paving" pattern associated with BAL lymphocytosis. CONCLUSION: Oncologists, pulmonologists, radiologists and general practitioners have to consider PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitor pneumonitis as a potentially disabling and fatal event.

Subclinical Nasal and Lung Lymphocytosis in Ulcerative Colitis.

BACKGROUND: Extraintestinal manifestations are common in ulcerative colitis (UC). Data regarding pulmonary and nasal mucosa involvement are sparse. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate, by using induced sputum (IS) and nasal cytology (NC), the cytological pattern of the lung and nose in patients with UC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled 15 consecutive subjects from the outpatient department with a recent diagnosis of UC. On the same day of enrollment, we performed a global spirometry, including a lung diffusing capacity test, IS analysis, and evaluation of NC. RESULTS: IS analysis showed an increase in lymphocytes in UC patients when compared to those of controls (2.8 ± 0.9 vs. 0.2 ± 0.4%; p < 0.01). NC showed a similar increase in lymphocytes (12.5 ± 5.30 vs. 3.5 ± 4.0%; p < 0.01). We found a positive correlation between lymphocyte counts in IS and NC (r = 0.775; p < 0.001) and between lymphocytes in IS and NC and grade of intestinal inflammation (r = 0.603, p = 0.015; r = 0.60, p = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrated that UC patients may have a subclinical nasal and lung lymphocytosis.

Global cognitive profile and different components of reaction times in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: Effects of continuous positive airway pressure over time.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) has been recurrently associated with cognitive and psychomotor impairments. However, the occurrence and possible reversibility of these deficits are still extremely controversial, also as a result of different methodologies adopted used by scholars. The aim of the present study was to compare over time the global cognitive profile of patients with OSAS undergoing the continuous positive airway pressure treatment (CPAP; N=23) with that of patients with OSAS who were not (N=10). A group of healthy participants (N=30) was also included. This study adopted a specific methodological approach allowing the researchers to distinguish between the cognitive and the motor component of reaction times (RTs). After baseline assessment, the same tests were administered after three and six months. No significant differences emerged between groups at each time point. On the other hand, the analysis of cognitive score trajectory over time revealed differences between groups. While healthy controls and OSAS patients undergoing CPAP showed increased MoCA test scores after three months, patients not undergoing CPAP improved their scores only after six months. In addition, patients treated with CPAP also showed significantly faster psychomotor response in motor RTs over time. Results seem to conceivably support a global cognitive vulnerability of non-treated OSAS patients. Conversely, the RT response of treated patients can be increased over time by CPAP, at least in the motor component of RTs. Therefore, our study suggests that CPAP may play an important role by slowing down the negative effects of OSAS, and by fostering sufficient cognitive functioning and adequate psychomotor speed.

Lung Manifestations of IgG4-related Disease. A multifaceted disorder. Presentation of two cases and short review of the literature.

Immunoglobulin (Ig) G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a recently described systemic inflammatory disease associated with elevated circulating levels of IgG4. IgG4-RD may affect one or more organs and lesions can present synchronously or metachronously in different organs. Pulmonary involvement of IgG4-related disease includes airway, lung parenchyma, pleura and mediastinum. In this article, we report two cases of IgG4-RD to show the multifaceted manifestations of this disease in the lungs. (Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis 2018; 35: 74-80).

Obstructive sleep apnea and its controversial effects on cognition.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is a sleep disorder that may affect many brain functions. We are interested in the cognitive consequences of the condition with regard to the quality of life of individuals with this disorder. A debate is still underway as to whether cognitive difficulties caused by obstructive sleep apnea actually induce a "pseudodementia" pattern. This work provides a brief overview of the main controversies currently surrounding this issue. We report findings and opinions on structural and cognitive brain changes in individuals affected by obstructive sleep apnea by highlighting the involvement of executive functions and the possible reversibility of signs following-treatment with continuous positive airway pressure. Much research has been done on this issue but, to the best of our knowledge, a review of the present state of the literature evaluating different points of view has not yet been carried out.