ABSTRACT
SETTING: Emphysema without airway obstruction or airway obstruction without emphysema are often detected clinically, although they are commonly co-existent. We therefore tested the hypothesis that non-obstructive emphysema and pure airway obstruction have unique features. METHODS: A case-control observation study was undertaken retrospectively in a patient cohort at a single centre. Among 2662 subjects who underwent chest computed tomography and pulmonary function tests, we enrolled 90 patients with non-obstructive emphysema, 119 with pure airway obstruction, 81 with obstructive emphysema and 2031 subjects as normal controls. The features of the four groups were analysed and compared. RESULTS: Higher serum homocysteine (13.4 ± 7.4 vs. 11.6 ± 4.6 mol/l), higher rate of osteoporosis (15.8% vs. 4.5%), higher leukocyte count, higher male ratio, lower serum albumin and lower body mass index were observed in subjects with non-obstructive emphysema than in controls (P < 0.05). In multiple logistic regression analysis of groups without airway obstruction, osteoporosis, hyperhomocysteinaemia, hypoalbuminaemia and higher leukocyte count were independent factors associated with non-obstructive emphysema (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Hyperhomocysteinaemia, hypoalbuminaemia, osteoporosis and higher leukocyte count were independent predictors of non-obstructive emphysema.
Subject(s)
Airway Obstruction/diagnosis , Lung , Pulmonary Emphysema/diagnosis , Adult , Aged , Airway Obstruction/diagnostic imaging , Airway Obstruction/epidemiology , Airway Obstruction/physiopathology , Biomarkers/blood , Body Mass Index , Female , Homocysteine/blood , Humans , Hyperhomocysteinemia/blood , Hyperhomocysteinemia/diagnosis , Hyperhomocysteinemia/epidemiology , Hypoalbuminemia/blood , Hypoalbuminemia/diagnosis , Hypoalbuminemia/epidemiology , Leukocyte Count , Logistic Models , Lung/diagnostic imaging , Lung/physiopathology , Male , Middle Aged , Multivariate Analysis , Odds Ratio , Osteoporosis/diagnosis , Osteoporosis/epidemiology , Pulmonary Emphysema/diagnostic imaging , Pulmonary Emphysema/epidemiology , Pulmonary Emphysema/physiopathology , Republic of Korea/epidemiology , Respiratory Function Tests , Retrospective Studies , Risk Factors , Serum Albumin/analysis , Serum Albumin, Human , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
KR 31372 is a benzopyran derivative. Both [3H]thymidine incorporation and migrations (chemotactic and wound-edge) of cultured smooth muscle cells (SMCs) were greatly stimulated by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL). These effects were significantly suppressed by KR 31372 (10(7) - 10(6) M) and PDGF-BB antibody (10(8) - 10(6) M). Preincubation with KR 31372 led to a decrease in the synthesis of PDGF-BB-like immunoreactivity (PDGF-BB-LI) that had been stimulated by oxidized LDL. Otherwise, KR 31372 and probucol strongly inhibited the production of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) caused by the incubation of LDL with Cu2+ ion, and significantly reduced the intracellular oxidative stress when stimulated with H,O2. Taken together, it is suggested that KR 31372 may inhibit the oxidized LDL-stimulated syntheses of DNA and PDGF-BB, and migration of the SMCs, in part, via the antioxidant activity.
