Elevated levels of arginase activity are related to inflammation in patients with COPD exacerbation.

INTRODUCTION: Within the pathogenesis of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) there are interactions between different inflammatory mediators that are enhanced during an exacerbation. Arginase is present in bronchial epithelial cells, endothelial, fibroblasts and alveolar macrophages, which make it a probable key enzyme in the regulation of inflammation and remodelling. We aimed to find a potential relationship between arginase activity, inflammatory mediators in COPD patients in stable phase and during exacerbations. METHODS: We performed a prospective, observational study of cases and controls, with 4 study groups (healthy controls, stable COPD, COPD during an exacerbation and COPD 3 months after exacerbation). We measured arginase, inflammation markers (IL-6, IL-8, TNF-∝, IFN-γ and C reactive protein), and mediators of immunity: neutrophils, monocytes, total TCD3 + lymphocytes (CD3ζ), CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells, NK cells. RESULTS: A total of 49 subjects were recruited, average age of 69.73 years (59.18% male). Arginase activity is elevated during an exacerbation of COPD, and this rise is related to an increase in IL-6 production. The levels of IL-6 and IL-8 remained elevated in patients with COPD at 3 months after hospital exacerbation. We did not find a clear relationship between arginase activity, immunity or with the degree of obstruction in COPD patients. CONCLUSIONS: Arginase activity is elevated during an exacerbation of COPD, and it could be related to an increase in the production of IL-6. Levels of IL-6, IL-8, and arginase activity remain elevated in patients with COPD at 3 months after hospital exacerbation. Arginase activity could contribute to the development of COPD.

Compassionate use of tocilizumab in severe SARS-CoV2 pneumonia.

INTRODUCTION: Tocilizumab (TCZ) is an interleukin-6 receptor antagonist, which has been used for the treatment of severe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia (SSP), which aims to ameliorate the cytokine release syndrome (CRS) induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, there are no consistent data about who might benefit most from it. METHODS: We administered TCZ on a compassionate-use basis to patients with SSP who were hospitalized (excluding intensive care and intubated cases) and who required oxygen support to have a saturation >93%. The primary endpoint was intubation or death after 24 h of its administration. Patients received at least one dose of 400 mg intravenous TCZ from March 8, 2020 to April 20, 2020. RESULTS: A total of 207 patients were studied and 186 analyzed. The mean age was 65 years and 68% were male patients. A coexisting condition was present in 68% of cases. Prognostic factors of death were older age, higher IL-6, d-dimer and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (HSCRP), lower total lymphocytes, and severe disease that requires additional oxygen support. The primary endpoint (intubation or death) was significantly worst (37% vs 13%, p < 0·001) in those receiving the drug when the oxygen support was high (FiO2 >0.5%). CONCLUSIONS: TCZ is well tolerated in patients with SSP, but it has a limited effect on the evolution of cases with high oxygen support needs.

Spontaneous Hemothorax in a Patient With von Recklinghausen's Disease.

Type I neurofibromatosis (NF-1) is a rare autosomal dominant disease. It can affect any organ system including vascular tissues. A 53 years old man, with a past medical history of NF-1, retinitis pigmentosa and hypertension attended to the emergency department for chest pain and palpitations and was discharged 2 days after acute coronary syndrome was ruled out. During this admission an echocardiogram was performed which showed a left ventricular hypertrophy with normal ejection fraction and a chest X-ray which revealed no pathologic images. No invasive procedures were preformed. Three days after discharge, he returned to our hospital for sudden onset of oppressive chest pain in the right arm, irradiated to the ipsilateral shoulder, chest and back. After several tests, a diagnosis of hemothorax was made. Hemoglobin levels declined during the first 2 days of admission from 12.1 to 9.6 g/dL, although the patient remained hemodynamic stable. An arteriography was performed, which showed the presence of bleeding from a branch of the right subclavian artery, which was selectively catheterized and embolized with coils. Afterwards, a video-assisted thoracoscopy was made, in order to drain the hemothorax and to carry out a visual review of the pleural cavity. The patient had a good clinical and radiologic progression and was discharged after few days. After a year of follow-up, the patient has remained clinically asymptomatic with no further episodes of active bleeding.

Can pulse transit time be useful for detecting hypertension in patients in a sleep unit?

INTRODUCTION: Pulse transit time (PTT) is the time that a pulse wave takes to travel between two different arterial points, and may be useful in estimating blood pressure. This noninvasive technique, which does not add any cost to the procedure, offers the advantage of avoiding 'arousals' during sleep measurement as occurs with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). We aim to confirm the usefulness of PTT for the detection of hypertension, and to study the correlation between both measurements. METHODS: Prospective observational study in a multidisciplinary sleep unit. We recruited 30consecutive patients attending a sleep clinic and ran a baseline polysomnography followed by an ABPM the following day. Average systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) by PTT were calculated and compared with ABMP results. In accordance with international guidelines, patients with mean nocturnal ABMP ≥ 120/70 mmHg were diagnosed as having arterial hypertension. RESULTS: Mean age of 60years; 66% male, 80% suffered from sleep apnoea (OSAS). Taking the ABPM as the reference technique, we found that the diagnostic sensitivity of PTT is 85% with a specificity of 88% in the case of SBP, with a positive predictive value of 85% and negative predictive value of 88%. By studying the relationship between mean SBP measured by ABPM and PTT, we found a linear correlation coefficient (R) of 0.88, showing a distribution of all subjects with a difference of between ±15mmHg between tests. There is also a positive correlation between mean DBP measured for the two tests, with a weaker linear correlation. CONCLUSIONS: Pulse transit time shows a strong correlation with blood pressure (measured by ABPM). PTT provides continuous, non-invasive, cuffless blood pressure monitoring free of additional cost and could be an alternative for screening hypertension.

[Pulmonary paragonimiasis]. / Paragonimiasis pulmonar.

Paragonimiasis is a food-borne zoonosis caused by a trematode of the genus Paragonimus(1,2). Infestation is rare in Spain, but the influx of people from endemic areas should make us keep this condition in the differential diagnosis of our patients(2,5). We report the case a patient from Ecuador and resident in Spain for 7 years with active pulmonary tuberculosis on arrival in Spain and later diagnosed with of pulmonary paragonimiasis due to persistent haemoptysis. The diagnosis was established by surgical lung specimen showing granulomas containing parasite eggs and the macroscopic view of the fluke within a lung cavity. Initial tuberculosis treatment and current treatment with praziquantel controlled both conditions.

¿Puede ser el tiempo de tránsito de pulso útil para detectar hipertensión arterial en pacientes remitidos a la unidad de sueño? / Can Pulse Transit Time Be Useful for Detecting Hypertension in Patients in a Sleep Unit?

Introducción: La relación causal entre el síndrome de apneas e hipopneas de sueño (SAHS) y la hipertensión arterial (HTA) es un hecho establecido en la literatura. El tiempo de tránsito de pulso (PTT) representa el tiempo que tarda el pulso en viajar entre 2 puntos arteriales diferentes, y puede ser útil en la estimación de la presión arterial (PA). Con este estudio se pretende valorar la utilidad del PTT en la estimación de la PA, ya que además de ser una técnica no invasiva y exenta de coste adicional, ofrece la ventaja de evitar arousals, como sucede con la monitorización ambulatoria de la PA (MAPA). Métodos: Estudio prospectivo y observacional realizado en una unidad multidisciplinar de sueño con la colaboración del servicio de Nefrología. Se reclutaron 30 pacientes consecutivos que acuden a consulta de sueño por sospecha de SAHS a los que se les realiza una polisomnografía (PSG) basal seguida de MAPA al día siguiente. Se calcula la PA sistólica (PAS) y la diastólica (PAD) media por PTT en la PSG y se compara con los resultados de la MAPA. Se diagnosticaron como pacientes con hipertensión arterial aquellos con cifras medias de MAPA durante la noche iguales o superiores a 120/70 mmHg, siguiendo normativas internacionales. Resultados: Edad media de 60 años (66% varones). El 80% eran SAHS (36% SAHS grave). La validez diagnóstica de HTA del PTT con respecto a la MAPA considerada como técnica de referencia fue: sensibilidad, 85%; especificidad, 88%; valor predictivo positivo, 85%, y valor predictivo negativo, 88%. El coeficiente de correlación lineal (R) entre la PAS media medida por MAPA durante la noche (desde las 24:00 h del día siguiente hasta las 6:00 h) y por PTT fue de 0,88, con un coeficiente de correlación intraclase de 0,88 (intervalo de confianza: 0,76-0,94), observándose una distribución de todos los sujetos entre ± 15 mmHg de diferencia entre las pruebas. Conclusiones: Existe una correlación positiva entre el PTT y la MAPA en la HTA sistólica. El PTT podría ser una alternativa capaz de ofrecer una medición continua y no invasiva de cribado de HTA no conocida o mal controlada

Introduction: Pulse transit time (PTT) is the time that a pulse wave takes to travel between two different arterial points, and may be useful in estimating blood pressure. This noninvasive technique, which does not add any cost to the procedure, offers the advantage of avoiding ‘arousals’ during sleep measurement as it occurs with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). We aim to confirm the usefulness of PTT for the detection of hypertension, and to study the correlation between both the measurements. Methods: Prospective observational study in a multidisciplinary sleep unit. We recruited 30 consecutive patients attending a sleep clinic and ran a baseline polysomnography followed by an ABPM the following day. Average systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) by PTT were calculated and compared with ABMP results. In accordance with international guidelines, patients with mean nocturnal ABMP≥120/70 mmHg were diagnosed as having arterial hypertension. Results: Mean age was of 60 years; 66% were male, of whom 80% suffered from sleep apnoea (OSAS). Taking the ABPM as the reference technique, we found that the diagnostic sensitivity of PTT is 85% with a specificity of 88% in the case of SBP, with a positive predictive value of 85% and negative predictive value of 88%. By studying the relationship between mean SBP measured by ABPM and PTT, we found a linear correlation coefficient (R) of 0.88, showing a distribution of all subjects with a difference of ±15 mmHg between the tests. There is also a positive correlation between mean DBP measured for the two tests and with a weaker linear correlation. Conclusions: Pulse transit time shows a strong correlation with blood pressure (measured by ABPM). PTT provides continuous, non-invasive, cuffless blood pressure monitoring free of additional cost and could be an alternative for screening hypertension

Paragonimiasis pulmonar / Pulmonary Paragonimiasis

La paragonimiasis es una zoonosis de transmisión alimentaria causada por un trematodo del género Paragonimus1,2. Se trata de infestación excepcional en España, pero la afluencia de personas originarias de áreas endémicas debe hacernos tener presente esta entidad en el diagnóstico diferencial de nuestros pacientes2,5.Presentamos el caso de un paciente natural de Ecuador y residente en España desde hace 7 años con tuberculosis pulmonar activa a su llegada a España y posterior diagnóstico de paragonimiasis pulmonar a raíz de hemoptisis persistente. El diagnóstico se estableció por muestra quirúrgica pulmonar, objetivando granulomas, englobando los huevos del parásito, así como la visualización macroscópica del trematodo dentro de una cavidad. El tratamiento antituberculoso inicialmente y con prazicuantel en la actualidad controló ambas entidades(AU)

Paragonimiasis is a food-borne zoonosis caused by a trematode of the genus Paragonimus1,2. Infestation is rare in Spain, but the influx of people from endemic areas should make us keep this condition in the differential diagnosis of our patients2,5.We report the case a patient from Ecuador and resident in Spain for 7years with active pulmonary tuberculosis on arrival in Spain and later diagnosed with of pulmonary paragonimiasis due to persistent haemoptysis. The diagnosis was established by surgical lung specimen showing granulomas containing parasite eggs and the macroscopic view of the fluke within a lung cavity. Initial tuberculosis treatment and current treatment with praziquantel controlled both conditions(AU)