The hospital emigration to another region in the light of the environmental, social and governance model in Italy during the period 2004-2021.

The following article presents an analysis of the impact of the Environmental, Social and Governance-ESG determinants on Hospital Emigration to Another Region-HEAR in the Italian regions in the period 2004-2021. The data are analysed using Panel Data with Random Effects, Panel Data with Fixed Effects, Pooled Ordinary Least Squares-OLS, Weighted Least Squares-WLS, and Dynamic Panel at 1 Stage. Furthermore, to control endogeneity we also created instrumental variable models for each component of the ESG model. Results show that HEAR is negatively associated to the E, S and G component within the ESG model. The data were subjected to clustering with a k-Means algorithm optimized with the Silhouette coefficient. The optimal clustering with k=2 is compared to the sub-optimal cluster with k=3. The results suggest a negative relationship between the resident population and hospital emigration at regional level. Finally, a prediction is proposed with machine learning algorithms classified based on statistical performance. The results show that the Artificial Neural Network-ANN algorithm is the best predictor. The ANN predictions are critically analyzed in light of health economic policy directions.

Low-intensity rehabilitation in persistent post COVID-19 dyspnoea: the value of Spa health resort as appropriate setting.

Background: Post COVID-19 syndrome is a frequent disabling outcome, leading to a delay in social reintegration and return to working life. Study design: This was a prospective observational cohort study. The main objective was to explore the effectiveness of a Spa rehabilitation treatment on the improvement of post COVID-19 dyspnoea and fatigue, also analyzing the relationship between such symptoms. Additionally, it was assessed if different clinical characteristics could predispose patients in experiencing post COVID-19 symptoms or could influence the effectiveness of a Spa intervention. Methods: From July to November 2021, 187 post COVID-19 patients were enrolled in the study. All the patients complained persi-sting dyspnoea, whose impact on daily activities was assessed using the modified Medical Research Council dyspnoea scale. 144 patients (77.0%) reported also fatigue. The Spa treatment was started at least 3 months after COVID-19 acute phase. At the end of the treatment, patients were asked to rate the improvement in the dyspnoea and fatigue sensation. 118 patients also underwent the modified Borg Dyspnoea Scale for severity estimation of Exertion Dyspnoea and the Barthel index for severity estimation of Physical Limitation. Results: 165 out of 187 patients (88.2%) reported an improvement in dyspnoea, while 116 out 144 patients (80.6%) reported an improvement in both dyspnoea and fatigue. On a total of 118 subjects, a clinically significant improvement in the modified Borg Dyspnoea Scale (i.e. Delta Borg equal or more than -2.0 points) was reached by the 50.8% of patients, while a clinically significant improvement in the Barthel index (i.e. Delta Barthel equal or more than +10.0 points) was reached by the 51.7% of them. The 31.4% of patients reached a minimal clinically important improvement in both the modified Borg Dyspnoea Scale and the Barthel index. No risk factors were associated to a clinically impacting dyspnoea at entry, while a BMI>30 Kg/m2 was the main risk factor for chronic fatigue. Presence of respiratory comorbidities, obesity and severe acute COVID-19 (phenotype 4) configured risk factors for the lack of improvement of dyspnoea after the treatment, while no risk factors were associated to a lack of improvement for fatigue. Older age, obesity and comorbidities seemed to make more difficult to reach a clinically meaningful improvement in the modified Borg Dyspnoea Scale and the Barthel index after treatment. Female gender may imply more physical limitation at entry, while male patients seem to show less improvement in the Barthel index after treatment. Conclusions: Dyspnoea and fatigue were confirmed to be important post COVID-19 symptoms even in younger subjects of wor-king age and subjects with absent or modest pulmonary alterations at distance from acute COVID-19. A Spa health resort seems to be an effective "low-intensity" setting for a rehabilitation program of such patients. There is a strong relationship in terms of improvement between dyspnoea and fatigue, even if risk factors for their occurrence appear to be different. The improvement in exertion dyspnoea and physical limitation seemed to be less mutually related, probably due to a greater complexity in the asses-sment questionnaires. Some risk factors may predict a lack of improvement in symptoms after treatment.

Predictive tools for nocturnal respiratory failure in patients with moderate and severe OSAS.

PURPOSE: The impact of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in terms of mortality, morbidity, and quality of life has been well established. Phenotyping OSAS is essential in order to make the best therapeutic choice. A particular subset of patients with OSAS shows nocturnal respiratory failure, defined by a nighttime oxygen saturation <90% in more than 30% of the total sleep time (TST90). The aim of this study was to identify possible predictive factors for nighttime respiratory failure (NRF) in patients with OSAS. METHODS: In this retrospective study, patients with suspected OSAS who underwent a sleep study were enrolled. Of 116 patients with moderate/severe OSAS who met the inclusion criteria, 67 also had nocturnal respiratory failure. We compared clinical, anthropometric, and laboratory data in patients with OSAS vs. OSAS and nocturnal respiratory failure. RESULTS: Patients with OSAS and nocturnal respiratory failure were more frequently female, had a higher BMI, lower daytime oxygen partial pressure (PaO2) in arterial blood, higher Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI), and a lower number of sleep hours per night. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was more diagnosed in the group of patients with nocturnal respiratory failure. A lower number of total sleep hours, lower daytime PaO2, lower AHI, increased oxygen desaturation index (ODI), and the presence of a diagnosed COPD were all found to increase the risk of having nocturnal respiratory failure. CONCLUSION: COPD, AHI, ODI, daytime PaO2, and total sleep hours are the main predictors for NRF in patients with moderate and severe OSAS.

Mild/Moderate Asthma Network in Italy (MANI): a long-term observational study.

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of asthma in Italy is estimated to be around 4%; it affects approximately 2,000,000 citizens, and up to 80-90% of patients have mild-to-moderate asthma. Despite the clinical relevance of mild-to-moderate asthma, longitudinal observational data are very limited, including data on disease progression (worsening vs. improvement), the response to treatment, and prognosis. Studies are needed to develop long-term, observational, real-life research in large cohorts. The primary outcomes of this study will be based on prospective observation and the epidemiological evolution of mild and moderate asthma. Secondary outcomes will include patient-reported outcomes, treatments over time, disease-related functional and inflammatory patterns, and environmental and life-style influences. METHODS: This study, called the Mild/Moderate Asthma Network of Italy (MANI), is a research initiative launched by the Italian Respiratory Society and the Italian Society of Allergology, Asthma and Clinical Immunology. MANI is a cluster-based, real world, cross-sectional, prospective, observational cohort study that includes 20,000 patients with mild-to-moderate asthma. (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04796844). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Despite advances in asthma care, several research gaps remain to be addressed through clinical research. This study will add important new knowledge about long-term disease history, the transferability of clinical research results to daily practice, the efficacy of currently recommended strategies, and their impact on the burden and evolution of the disease. ABBREVIATIONS: MANI:Mild/Moderate Asthma Network of ItalySANI:Severe Asthma Network ItalyGINA:Global Initiative for AsthmaSABA:short acting ß2-agonistsICS:inhaled corticosteroidsCRF:Case Report Form.

Economic impact of implementing prescription of single-inhaler triple therapies versus current multiple-inhaler triple therapies for COPD in the Apulia Region.

BACKGROUND: The most impacting direct costs associated to COPD for the National Health Systems (NHS) are those related to accesses to the emergency room and hospital admissions, due to the onset of one or more COPD exacerbations. At the same time, severe COPD treatment, that often require a combination of medicaments, represents a substantial economic burden for the National Health Systems (NHS). This study aimed to evaluate the potential saving deriving from the implementation in the prescription of the two currently available single-inhaler triple therapies (SITTs) versus the currently used multiple-inhaler triple therapies (MITTs) in an eligible COPD population residing in the Apulia Region. METHODS: A budget impact model was developed hypothesizing the progressive replacement of the different MITTs on the reference market (Scenario A) with the pre-established SITTs, assuming a degree of penetration of 30%, 50% and 100% (Scenario B). Drug costs were based on prices published on the Official Gazette and therapy durations were based on prescribing information over the year 2019 (IQVIA™ prescription dataset). RESULTS: Our analysis showed that the extemporaneous MITT with the highest prevalence on the reference market was the inhaled corticosteroids/long-acting ß2-agonists (ICS/LABA) combination plus a long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA). This association of medicaments was paradoxically also the one associated to the highest expense value. The expanded use of a pre-established ICS/LAMA/LABA SITT was associated to a significant economic saving, ranging from a minimum of -€ 1,108,814 (SITT use: 30%) to a maximum of -€ 3,658,950 (SITT use: 100%). The cheapest pre-established SITT contained the fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol (FF/UMEC/VI) combination. CONCLUSION: A pre-fixed ICS/LAMA/LABA SITT is cost-saving, compared to the different currently used extemporaneous MITTs. Clinicians should consider the potential benefits of finding less expensive regimens while maintaining adequate efficacy in the prescriptive decision making process of COPD patients.

More skilled clinical management of COVID-19 patients modified mortality in an intermediate respiratory intensive care unit in Italy.

BACKGROUND: Some studies investigated epidemiological and clinical features of laboratory-confirmed patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) the virus causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but limited attention has been paid to the follow-up of hospitalized patients on the basis of clinical setting and the expertise of clinical management. METHODS: In the present single-centered, retrospective, observational study, we reported findings from 87 consecutive laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients with moderate-to-severe acute respiratory syndrome hospitalized in an intermediate Respiratory Intensive Care Unit (RICU), subdividing the patients in two groups according to the admission date (before and after March 29, 2020). RESULTS: With improved skills in the clinical management of COVID-19, we observed a significant lower mortality in the T2 group compared with the T1 group and a significantly difference in terms of mortality among the patients transferred in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) from our intermediate RICU (100% in T1 group vs. 33.3% in T2 group). The average length of stay in intermediate RICU of ICU-transferred patients who survived in T1 and T2 was significantly longer than those who died (who died 3.3 ± 2.8 days vs. who survived 6.4 ± 3.3 days). T CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggested that an intermediate level of hospital care may have the potential to modify survival in COVID-19 patients, particularly in the present phase of a more skilled clinical management of the pandemic.

Noninvasive respiratory support outside the intensive care unit for acute respiratory failure related to coronavirus-19 disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Noninvasive respiratory support (NIRS) has been diffusely employed outside the intensive care unit (ICU) to face the high request of ventilatory support due to the massive influx of patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) caused by coronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19). We sought to summarize the evidence on clinically relevant outcomes in COVID-19 patients supported by NIV outside the ICU. METHODS: We searched PUBMED®, EMBASE®, and the Cochrane Controlled Clinical trials register, along with medRxiv and bioRxiv repositories for pre-prints, for observational studies and randomized controlled trials, from inception to the end of February 2021. Two authors independently selected the investigations according to the following criteria: (1) observational study or randomized clinical trials enrolling ≥ 50 hospitalized patients undergoing NIRS outside the ICU, (2) laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, and (3) at least the intra-hospital mortality reported. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analysis guidelines were followed. Data extraction was independently performed by two authors to assess: investigation features, demographics and clinical characteristics, treatments employed, NIRS regulations, and clinical outcomes. Methodological index for nonrandomized studies tool was applied to determine the quality of the enrolled studies. The primary outcome was to assess the overall intra-hospital mortality of patients under NIRS outside the ICU. The secondary outcomes included the proportions intra-hospital mortalities of patients who underwent invasive mechanical ventilation following NIRS failure and of those with 'do-not-intubate' (DNI) orders. RESULTS: Seventeen investigations (14 peer-reviewed and 3 pre-prints) were included with a low risk of bias and a high heterogeneity, for a total of 3377 patients. The overall intra-hospital mortality of patients receiving NIRS outside the ICU was 36% [30-41%]. 26% [21-30%] of the patients failed NIRS and required intubation, with an intra-hospital mortality rising to 45% [36-54%]. 23% [15-32%] of the patients received DNI orders with an intra-hospital mortality of 72% [65-78%]. Oxygenation on admission was the main source of between-study heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS: During COVID-19 outbreak, delivering NIRS outside the ICU revealed as a feasible strategy to cope with the massive demand of ventilatory assistance. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO, https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ , CRD42020224788, December 11, 2020.

Relationships between Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome and cardiovascular risk in a naïve population of southern Italy.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a worldwide increasing syndrome, which, by promoting endothelial dysfunction, contributes to extend the cardiovascular risk. We evaluated the cardiovascular risk in a group of OSA patients. METHODS: A total of 185 OSA subjects (19 normal weight, 57 overweight, 109 obese), who entered the Ambulatory of Sleep Disorders of the Institute of Respiratory Diseases of the University of Bari, during 1 year, were enrolled in the study. We assessed anthropometric features, polysomnographic findings, cardiovascular risk factors, smoking habit, Pulmonary Function Test, Arterial Blood Gas Analysis, Epworth Questionnaire, and Charlson Co-morbidities Index (CCI). Subjects were divided into three groups, according to their BMI: individuals with BMI ≥30 kg/m2 (Group 1 n = 109, mean age 61 ± 1; 74.3% men), individuals with BMI ranging from 25.0 to 29.9 kg/m2 defined as overweight subjects (Group 2 n = 57, mean age 58.8 ± 1.4; 77% men), and subjects with a BMI ranging from 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2 defined as normal weight subjects (Group 3 n = 19, mean age 54.2 ± 2.3; 64,2% men). RESULTS: In the whole population, the percentage cardiovascular risk was weakly related with BMI (r = 0.33; P < .001), but not with AHI. The cardiovascular risk was strictly related to the obesity (P < .00002), while the Epworth Questionnaire score and the Charlson Co-morbidity Index were respectively statistically higher in the group of obese individuals (P = .004, P = .0002) than in the other two sub-groups. When AHI values were stratified in tertiles, the percentage cardiovascular risk did not vary with increasing AHI values (Figure 2). CONCLUSIONS: Further studies are required to investigate the pivotal role of inflammation resulting from obesity, and underlying increased cardiovascular risk in OSA patients.

Treatment response according to small airways disease status: The effects of high-strength extrafine pMDI beclomethasone dipropionate/formoterol fumarate in fixed dose combination in moderate uncontrolled asthmatic patients.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation in small airways is particularly clinically active in severe asthma but they still continue to be ignored as considered silent. Recently, the Atlantis study reports small airways involvement in 91% of the asthma population. Therefore in the era of phenotype driven therapy, the aim of this study was to verify if high-strength extrafine ICS/LABA in fixed dose increases clinical efficacy in moderate asthmatic patients with small airways dysfunction and it could be proposed as phenotype driven therapy. METHODS: In this prospective, non-interventional, real-life pilot study we enrolled 37 consecutive patients with moderate asthma who were uncontrolled despite GINA step 3 treatment. All subjects at enrollment were divided in two groups according to the presence of small airways dysfunction:1) small airways phenotype (SAP) group: smokers (≥10 packs/die), ex-smokers (>20 packs/year) with air trapping (FVC <80% - VR >100% - FEF 25-75%<60%); 2) non-small airways phenotype (NSAP) group: non-smokers, without air trapping (FVC ≥80% - VR ≤ 100% - FEF 25-75%≥60%). We later proceeded in both groups with a step up in therapy with high-strength extrafine pMDI beclomethasone dipropionate/formoterol fumarate (BDP/FF) (200/6 µg) in fixed dose to achieve a better control and followed patients for 6 months. RESULTS: Treatment with extrafine BDP/FF(200/6 µg) in SAP group showed a more significant improvement of FEF25-75%, FVC, RV, and a reduction of alveolar inflammatory markers such as FENO350 and alveolar exhaled pH compared with NSAP patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary results support the use of high-strength extrafine pMDI BDP/FF (200/6 µg) as phenotype driven treatment directed to small airways dysfunction demonstrating an increase of clinical efficacy in moderate asthmatics with SAP.

Hemoptysis due to a large endobronchial mass successful regression after the use of high flow nasal cannula.

In recent years, high flow nasal cannula is being increasingly used. Most studies showed positive results when used in hypoxaemic respiratory failure. Its use in a patient with a large endobronchial mass has not yet being described. We report a patient who presented with hemoptysis and hypoxaemic respiratory failure second to a large mass obstructing the right main bronchus. High flow oxygen via nasal cannula was initiated with a quick improvement of the hemoptysis and the oxygen saturation. Thus, allowing the patient to be rapidly stabilized.

Exhaled breath profiling by electronic nose enabled discrimination of allergic rhinitis and extrinsic asthma.

AIM: To assess whether an e-nose could discriminate between subjects affected by allergic rhinitis with and without concomitant extrinsic asthma, as well as from healthy controls, in terms of exhaled VOC-profile. METHODS: Fourteen patients with Extrinsic Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis (AAR), 14 patients with Allergic Rhinitis without asthma (AR) and 14 healthy controls (HC) participated in a cross-sectional study. Exhaled breath was collected by a standardized method and sampled by an e-nose (Cyranose 320). Raw data were reduced by Principal component analysis and analyzed by canonical discriminant analysis. Cross-validation accuracy (CVA) and Receiver Operating Characteristic(ROC)-curves were calculated. External validation in newly recruited patients (7 AAR, 7 AR and 7 HC) was tested using the previous training model. RESULTS: Breathprints of patients with AR clustered from those with AAR (CVA = 85.7%), as well as HC (CVA = 82.1%). Breathprints from AAR were also separated from those of HC (CVA = 75.0%). External validation confirmed the above findings. CONCLUSIONS: An e-nose can discriminate exhaled breath from subjects with allergic rhinitis with and without extrinsic asthma, which represent two different diseases with partly overlapping features. This supports the view of using breath profiling to diagnose asthma also in patients with allergic rhinitis.

A survey of fungal microbiota in airways of healthy volunteer subjects from Puglia (Apulia), Italy.

BACKGROUND: The human respiratory tract represents the major portal of entry for numerous microorganisms, primarily those occurring as airborne particles such as viral and bacterial entities, or fungal spores. Microorganism characteristics coupled with the local host immune response will determine whether they will be cleared or adhere and colonize the airways leading to acute or chronic pulmonary disease. Like bacteria, fungi can cause severe lung diseases, but their infection rates are much lower. The lung microbiota is commonly sampled using relatively invasive bronchoscopic procedures. Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) collection offers a potentially less invasive alternative for lung microbiota sampling. This study tries to determine the composition of fungal communities in a cohort of healthy adult volunteer subjects from Puglia (Apulia), Italy. METHODS: Fungi diversity in 27 EBC samples collected from Italian adult volunteers was investigated using conventional microbiological culturing and DNA sequencing approach. RESULTS: Ten tested subjects (37,03%) turned out to present fungi in the EBC. We observed complex fungal communities, in which more than 10% of the isolated species are represented by Aspergillus sydowii (14,8%) and Cladosporium spp (11,11%). Three subjects that showed fungal presence in EBC have been diagnosed with a respiratory disease. CONCLUSIONS: We present a survey of an important scientific field in its early stages that is fungal contamination of airways of healthy subjects in a small geographic area. Furthermore, we interpreted our results to highlight the potential role of fungi in the context of respiratory diseases.

Electronic Nose Technology in Respiratory Diseases.

Electronic noses (e-noses) are based on arrays of different sensor types that respond to specific features of an odorant molecule, mostly volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Differently from gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, e-noses can distinguish VOCs spectrum by pattern recognition. E-nose technology has successfully been used in commercial applications, including military, environmental, and food industry. Human-exhaled breath contains a mixture of over 3000 VOCs, which offers the postulate that e-nose technology can have medical applications. Based on the above hypothesis, an increasing number of studies have shown that breath profiling by e-nose could play a role in the diagnosis and/or screening of various respiratory and systemic diseases. The aim of the present study was to review the principal literature on the application of e-nose technology in respiratory diseases.

The Prognostic Role of Obstructive Sleep Apnea at the Onset of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive loss of central and peripheral motor neurons. Some studies have found discordant data in the presence of sleep apnea in ALS patients. An obstructive component also occurs with upper airways hypotonia and muscle weakness that may result in an excessive reduction of airway lumen, leading to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The aim of this study was to assess the role of obstructive apneic events at disease onset in the ALS prognosis. METHODS: A longitudinal retrospective study was conducted on 42 clinically diagnosed ALS patients. The study population was divided into 2 groups according to their obstructive apnea/hypopnea index (AHIo): group 1 consisted of 20 patients with an AHIo ≥5 and group 2 consisted of 22 patients with an AHIo <5. Both groups were compared with regard to demographic, polygraphic, and respiratory function parameters as well as ALS characteristics (bulbar onset, time between onset and first check-up, time between diagnosis and first check-up, time between first check-up and death or tracheostomy). RESULTS: The mean survival in ALS patients with an AHIo ≥5 was significantly shorter than in ALS without OSA (p = 0.0237). The sniff nasal inspiratory pressure test was significantly correlated with AHIo, time of oxyhemoglobin saturation below 90% and the oxyhemoglobin desaturation index (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights the importance of an early diagnosis of OSA in ALS patients, allowing the identification of ALS patients with an OSA phenotype (AHIo ≥5), who are characterized by a worse prognosis.

Evaluation of endothelial function and cardiovascular risk in non-obese patients with slight degree of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Recently, it has been clearly described an independent relationship between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and cardiovascular risk, with underlying mechanisms also including endothelial dysfunction. We enrolled 32 consecutive non-obese patients (mean age of 39.5±11.5 years), of which 16 with mild OSAS and 16 snoring without OSAS. Mild OSAS is defined by an AHI index between 5 and 15. We have investigated if whether there was a relationship between mild OSAS, endothelial function and carotid intima-media thickness (C-IMT). The population was divided into two groups: Group 1 (16 simple snorer patients with an average age of 39.4±12.1 years) and Group 2 (16 subjects with mild OSAS with an average age of 39.6±11.2 years). Each group underwent cardiovascular investigation including measurement of flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery and C-IMT. Both groups comprised non-obese subjects. Patients with mild OSAS had serum total cholesterol values statistically significantly higher than simple snores patients (178.6±24.9 vs 159.2±25.3; p=0.038). OSAS patients had also a trend towards higher values of maximum C-IMT compared to simple snorer patients (0.70±0.15 vs 0.65±0.16), although below the level of significance. Between the two groups, no difference was found for FMD values. The present results on mild OSAS strengthen the importance of a diagnosis of OSAS as soon as possible, in order to encourage all primary prevention interventions to correct risk factors responsible for disease progression and the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases, not excluding the use of therapies of non-invasive ventilation even in the early stages of the disease.

Echocardiographic findings and plasma endothelin-1 levels in obese patients with and without obstructive sleep apnea.

OBJECTIVE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity are increasingly prevalent worldwide. Both promote endothelial dysfunction contributing to systemic and pulmonary hypertension over time. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) plays a pivotal role in the development of pulmonary hypertension (PH). The aim of the present study was to assess the association between plasma ET-1 and echocardiographic findings in obese individuals with and without OSA, as well as in non-obese patients with OSA. METHODS: Ninety-seven subjects (56 males) were enrolled in the study. All subjects underwent the following tests: venous endothelin-1 levels, pulmonary function testing, and arterial blood gas analysis. All patients except controls underwent transthoracic echocardiography and portable testing for sleep-disordered breathing. RESULTS: Plasma ET-1 levels were significantly higher in obese patients, both with and without OSA (respectively, n = 30 (mean value, 268.06 ± 49.56 pg/ml) and n = 32 (mean value, 263.12 ± 65.26 pg/ml)), compared with non-obese patients with OSA or to healthy controls (respectively, n = 20 (mean value, 149.8 ± 23.09 pg/ml) and n = 15 (mean value, 152.3 ± 27.64 pg/ml); p < 0.0001). Pulmonary artery pressure (PAPs) in obese patients with OSA were significantly higher than in obese patients without OSA (p < 0.0001), while there was no statistical difference between PAPs of obese patients without OSA, compared with the group of non-obese OSA patients. Plasma ET-1 levels significantly correlated with systolic PAPs in obese patients both with and without OSA (respectively, n = 30, r = 0.385, p = 0.03567; n = 32, r = 0.3497, p = 0.0497). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that endothelin levels are more strongly associated with weight than the presence of sleep-disordered breathing, but pulmonary artery hypertension is associated with both weight and OSA.

Atrial flutter regression in HIV-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension after treatment with bosentan.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare condition characterized by an increase in pulmonary arterial resistance leading to right heart failure and death. Arrhythmias are a growing problem in PAH; therefore, maintenance of sinus rhythm is considered to be an important treatment aim in these patients. We described the case of a 46-year-old woman with HIV-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension  who developed atrial flutter. After treatment with bosentan, it was observed a significant improvement in clinical and haemodynamic parameters. In addition, the AFL, which had previously persisted to both antiarrhythmic drug therapy and electrical stimulation, and had recurred after transthoracic electrical cardioversion, disappeared  in absence of any antiarrhythmic drug. Though the precise factors responsible for supraventricular arrhythmogenesis are still largely obscure, it is likely that initiation and maintenance of AFL may depend on all the conditions that can lead to increase in right atrial pressure, size, and wall stress, such as PAH. In our case, bosentan reduced both mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) value and right heart chambers pressures. Therefore, it is conceivable that with the anatomical substrate needed for the maintenance of AFL being disappeared, sinus rhythm was restored.

Correlation between inflammatory markers of atherosclerosis and carotid intima-media thickness in Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a sleep-related breathing disorder associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases and atherosclerosis. Systemic inflammation plays an important role in the development of cardiovascular complications in OSA patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and inflammatory markers plasma levels in OSA patients. We enrolled 80 OSA patients and 40 controls matched for age and body mass index (BMI). The presence and severity of sleep apnea was determined by in-laboratory portable monitoring (PM). Demographic data, blood pressure, heart rate, and cIMT were measured. High-sensitive C-Reactive Protein (hsCRP), interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and pentraxin (PTX)-3 serum concentrations were detected. cIMT was higher in OSA patients than controls (0.89 ± 0.13 mm vs. 0.65 ± 0.1 mm, p < 0.01). Moderate-severe OSA patients (0.95 ± 0.09 mm) had significantly increased cIMT than mild OSA (0.76 ± 0.1 mm; p < 0.01) and control (0.65 ± 0.1 mm; p < 0.01). hsCRP, IL-6, TNF-α, and PTX-3 in patients with OSA (1.67 ± 0.66 mg/L, 2.86 ± 1.39 pg/mL, 20.09 ± 5.39 pg/mL, 2.1 ± 0.59 ng/mL, respectively) were significantly higher than in controls (1.08 ± 0.53 mg/L, p < 0.01; 1.5 ± 0.67 pg/mL, p < 0.01; 12.53 ± 3.48 pg/mL, p < 0.01; 1.45 ± 0.41 ng/mL, p < 0.01, respectively). Carotid IMT was significantly correlated to CRP (r = 0.44; p < 0.01), IL-6 (r = 0.42; p < 0.01), TNF-α (r = 0.53; p < 0.01), and PTX-3 (r = 0.49; p < 0.01). OSA patients showed increased cIMT, CRP, IL-6, TNF-α, and PTX-3 levels. Inflammatory markers levels are correlated to cIMT in OSA patients.

Titration effectiveness of two autoadjustable continuous positive airway pressure devices driven by different algorithms in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Nocturnal application of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the standard treatment for patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Determination of the therapeutic pressure (CPAP titration) is usually performed by a technician in the sleep laboratory during attended polysomnography. One possible alternative to manual titration is automated titration. Indeed, during the last 15 years, devices have been developed that deliver autoadjustable CPAP (A-CPAP). The aim of the present study was to compare the titration effectiveness of two A-CPAP devices using different flow-based algorithms in patients with OSA. METHODS: This is a randomized study; 79 subjects underwent two consecutive unattended home A-CPAP titration nights with two different devices (Autoset Resmed; Remstar Auto Respironics); during the third and the fourth night, patients underwent portable monitoring in the sleep laboratory during fixed CPAP at the A-CPAP recommended pressure. RESULTS: Bland Altman plots showed good agreement between the recommended median and maximal pressure levels obtained with the two devices. A significant improvement was observed in all the sleep parameters by both A-CPAP machines to a similar degree. CONCLUSIONS: It was observed that the two A-CPAP devices using different algorithms are equally effective in initial titration of CPAP.