Predictive factors for obstructive sleep apnea in adults with severe asthma receiving biologics: a single-center cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the prevalence and potential predictors of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in a cohort of adults with severe asthma. METHODS: From March 2021 to December 2021, this cross-sectional study enrolled patients with severe asthma receiving biologics, who were consecutively referred for sleep evaluation irrespective of sleep-related symptoms. Clinical and functional data, including three OSA screening instruments (GOAL, STOP-Bang, and NoSAS) were recorded. All participants underwent a portable sleep test (ApneaLink Air™). OSA diagnosis was based on the respiratory disturbance index ≥ 5.0/h and subclassified according to severity thresholds. Data were subjected to logistic regression tests to identify possible predictors for OSA. Discrimination was estimated from the area under the curve (AUC). RESULTS: Overall, 56 outpatients were included (80% females): 54% with any OSA, 13% with moderate-to-severe OSA, and 4% with severe OSA. In the multivariate analysis, no parameter emerged as an independent predictor for OSA: age (p = 0.080), body mass index (p = 0.060), loud snoring (p = 0.130), and hypertension (p = 0.848). No screening instrument was useful to predict any OSA: GOAL (AUC: 0.714; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.579-0.849), NoSAS (AUC: 0.645; 95% CI: 0.497-0.793), and STOP-Bang (AUC: 0.640; 95% CI: 0.493-0.788). Similarly, no screening tool was also useful for predicting moderate-to-severe OSA or severe OSA. CONCLUSION: Patients with evere asthma receiving biologics exhibit a high prevalence of OSA. However, no clinical, functional, or OSA screening instrument showed acceptable discriminatory ability to predict the presence of OSA in these patients with severe asthma.

Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Adults with Precapillary Pulmonary Hypertension: Prevalence and Predictors of Nocturnal Hypoxemia.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the frequency of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and predictors of the presence of nocturnal desaturation in adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. METHODS: Outpatients with a hemodynamic diagnosis of precapillary pulmonary hypertension who underwent portable polysomnography were evaluated. Diagnosis and severity of SDB were assessed using three well-established respiratory disturbance index (RDI) thresholds: 5.0/h, 15.0/h, and 30.0/h, while nocturnal hypoxemia was defined by the average oxygen saturation (SpO2) < 90%. Multiple linear regression analysis evaluated the potential relationships among explanatory variables with the dependent variable (average SpO2 values), with comparisons based on the standardized regression coefficient (ß). The R-squared (R2; coefficient of determination) was used to evaluate the goodness-of-fit measure for the linear regression model. RESULTS: Thirty-six adults were evaluated (69.4% females). The majority of the participants (75.0%) had SDB (26 with obstructive sleep apnea [OSA] and one with central sleep apnea [CSA]); while 50% of them had nocturnal hypoxemia. In the linear regression model (R2 = 0.391), the mean pulmonary artery pressure [mPAP] (ß - 0.668; p = 0.030) emerged as the only independent parameter of the average SpO2. CONCLUSION: Our study found that the majority of the participants had some type of SDB with a marked predominance of OSA over CSA, while half of them had nocturnal desaturation. Neither clinical and hemodynamic parameters nor the RDI was a predictor of nocturnal desaturation, except for mPAP measured during a right heart catheterization, which emerged as the only independent and significant predictor of average SpO2.

Long-term pulmonary rehabilitation progressively reduces hospitalizations and mortality in patients with severe COPD: a 5-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is recognized as a multidisciplinary intervention designed to reduce symptoms, improve functional status, and prevent acute exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). AIM: This study was aimed at evaluating the effects of a long-term PR program on the hospitalization rate and mortality of patients with severe and very severe COPD. DESIGN: Longitudinal, prospective study. SETTING: Pulmonary rehabilitation program at our institution. POPULATION: A cohort of 195 patients undergoing a PR program was followed up for 5 years. They were divided into three groups: control (PR<3 months), partial adherence (PR>6 and ≤18 months) and adherence (PR=24 months). METHODS: This was a prospective study where All patients were evaluated every 6 months (D0, D6, D12, D18 and D24, and mapped annually concerning hospitalizations and mortality). Data were analyzed by medians and interquartile ranges, and Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric comparative tests were applied. Comparisons of time to first admission and time to death were made using the Kaplan-Meier estimators, and the factors associated with these outcomes were modeled using semi-parametric Cox models. RESULTS: The results demonstrated a significant reduction in the rate of hospitalization and mortality. The protective effect seems to be dependent on the lengths of stay of patients in the PR program. CONCLUSIONS: A multi-disciplinary, long-term PR program with individually tailored 96-week supervised interventions, reduces hospitalization rates and mortality in patients with severe and very severe COPD in a 5-year follow-up period. This protective effect on hospitalization and mortality is obtained from at least 18 months of intervention. Patients who stay longer in the PR program appear to experience a longer protective effect at the end of treatment. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: This long-term PR program for patients with severe and very severe COPD produced progressively favorable clinical effects, thus reducing the frequency of hospitalizations and mortality in this population.

Predicting Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Patients with Insomnia: A Comparative Study with Four Screening Instruments.

PURPOSE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and insomnia are very prevalent disorders, especially in sleep-lab setting, and insomnia may be the presenting complaint of OSA. Here, we aimed to validate No-Apnea as screening tool for OSA in patients with self-reported insomnia complaints and to compare its performance with other models. METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved evaluation of No-Apnea as well as STOP-Bang, NoSAS and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) in subjects with insomnia being evaluated with full in-lab polysomnography. Discrimination was assessed by area under the curve (AUC), while predictive parameters were calculated by contingency tables. OSA severity was classified based on the apnea/hypopnea index: ≥ 5.0/h as any OSA (OSA≥5), ≥ 15.0/h as moderate/severe OSA (OSA≥15), and ≥ 30.0/h as severe OSA (OSA≥30). RESULTS: Overall, 2591 patients with a clinical diagnosis of insomnia were included. Diagnosis of OSA≥5, OSA≥15, and OSA≥30 was of 76.3%, 53.1%, and 32.6%, respectively. At all levels of OSA severity, No-Apnea had sensitivity ranging from 84.5 to 94.1% and specificity ranging from 58.2 to 35.1%. For screening of OSA≥5, OSA≥15, and OSA≥30, discriminatory ability (AUC) of No-Apnea was: 0.790 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.770-0.810], 0.758 (95% CI 0.740-0.777), and 0.753 (95% CI 0.734-0.772), respectively. Based on AUCs, No-Apnea, STOP-Bang, and NoSAS performed similar at all levels of OSA severity. The ESS did not present satisfactory discrimination as OSA screening model. CONCLUSIONS: In a large sample of patients with insomnia, No-Apnea, STOP-Bang, and NoSAS, but not ESS, enable satisfactory and similar discrimination at all levels of OSA severity.

Comparative performance of screening instruments for obstructive sleep apnea in morbidly obese patients referred to a sleep laboratory: a prospective cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is very common occurrence among morbidly obese patients. Our main objectives were to validate the No-Apnea, a 2-item screening tool, in morbidly obese patients and compare its performance with three other instruments: STOP-Bang questionnaire, NoSAS score, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis of morbidly obese patients (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 35.0 kg/m2) grouped into two independent samples: bariatric surgery patients (BS) and non-bariatric surgery patients (NBS). All patients underwent overnight polysomnography. Discriminatory ability was assessed by area under the curve (AUC). OSA severity was defined by apnea/hypopnea index cut-off points: ≥ 5.0/h (OSA≥5), ≥ 15.0/h (OSA≥15), and ≥ 30.0/h (OSA≥30). RESULTS: A total of 1017 subjects (40.4% in BS cohort and 59.6% in NBS cohort) were evaluated. In the BS cohort, No-Apnea had similar discrimination to STOP-Bang and NoSAS for predicting OSA≥5 (p = 0.979 and p = 0.358, respectively), OSA≥15 (p = 0.158 and p = 0.399, respectively), and OSA≥30 (p = 0.388 and p = 0.903, respectively). In the NBS cohort, No-Apnea had similar discrimination to STOP-Bang and NoSAS for predicting OSA≥5 (p = 0.528 and p = 0.428, respectively), OSA≥15 (p = 0.825 and p = 0.108, respectively), and OSA≥30 (p = 0.458 and p = 0.186, respectively). Moreover, No-Apnea performed significantly better than ESS in both BS and NBS cohorts (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: No-Apnea is a useful and practical tool for screening of OSA in morbidly obese patients, with non-inferior performance to STOP-Bang questionnaire and NoSAS score.

Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide Measurements and Screening of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in a Sleep-Laboratory Setting: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PURPOSE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common condition characterized by repetitive collapse of the upper airways and intermittent oxygen desaturation, which may lead to airway inflammation. Here, we explored whether fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels provide a non-invasive screening tool of OSA. METHODS: Over a 3-month period, FeNO levels were measured in consecutive non-smoking patients referred for a sleep laboratory. All patients underwent full polysomnography. OSA severity was classified based on the apnea/hypopnea index: ≥ 5.0/h as any OSA, ≥ 15.0/h as moderate/severe OSA, and ≥ 30.0/h as severe OSA. FeNO was measured by a portable device (NIOX-MINO®; Aerocrine AB, Solna, Sweden) and expressed as parts per billion (ppb). Discrimination by area under the curve (AUC) and binary logistic regression were performed. RESULTS: A total of 229 subjects were evaluated. Mean FeNO values were similar among subjects without OSA or with OSA: 16.9 ± 10.6 ppb versus 20.2 ± 14.5 ppb, p = 0.221; respectively. FeNO was not an inclusionary parameter to predict any OSA, moderate/severe OSA, and severe OSA: odds ratio (OR) 1.023 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.986-1.062); OR 1.012 (95% CI: 0.991-1.034); and OR 0.999 (95% CI: 0.980-1.018), respectively. The AUC values for FeNO in the diagnosis of any OSA, moderate/severe OSA, and severe OSA showed no discriminatory properties: AUC: 0.567 (95% CI: 0.464-0.670), AUC: 0.541 (95% CI: 0.465-0.618), and AUC: 0.535 (95% CI: 0.459-0.610); respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In a sleep-lab setting, our findings suggest that FeNO measurements are inconsequential in the screening of OSA in adults.

Simplifying the Screening of Obstructive Sleep Apnea With a 2-Item Model, No-Apnea: A Cross-Sectional Study.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate a practical model for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) screening in adults based on objectively assessed criteria, and then compare it with two widely used tools, namely STOP-BANG and NoSAS. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of an existing database of consecutive outpatients who were referred for polysomnography for suspected sleep-disordered breathing by their primary care physicians. Area under the curve (AUC) and 2 × 2 contingency tables were employed to obtain the performance of the new instrument. RESULTS: A total of 4,072 subjects were randomly allocated into two independent cohorts: one for derivation (n = 2,037) and one for validation (n = 2,035). A mnemonic model, named No-Apnea, with two variables (neck circumference and age) was developed (total score: 0-9 points). We used the cutoff ≥ 3 to classify patients at high risk of having OSA. OSA severity was categorized by apnea-hypopnea index (AHI): any OSA (AHI 5 ≥ events/h; OSA-5), moderate/ severe OSA (AHI 15 ≥ events/h; OSA-15); and severe OSA (AHI 30 ≥ events/h; OSA-30). In the derivation cohort, the AUCs for screening of OSA-5, OSA-15, and OSA-30 were: 0.784, 0.758, and 0.754; respectively. The rate of subjects correctly screened was 78.1%, 68.8%, and 54.4%, respectively for OSA-5, OSA-15, and OSA-30. Subsequently, the model was validated confirming its reproducibility. In both cohorts, No-Apnea discrimination was similar to STOP-BANG or NoSAS. CONCLUSIONS: The No-Apnea, a 2-item model, appears to be a useful and practical tool for OSA screening, mainly when limited resources constrain referral evaluation. Despite its simplicity when compared to previously validated tools (STOP-BANG and NoSAS), the instrument exhibits similar performance characteristics.

Performance of the TB-LAMP diagnostic assay in reference laboratories: Results from a multicentre study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of TB-LAMP, a manual molecular tuberculosis (TB) detection method, and provide comparison to the Xpert MTB/RIF assay. METHODS: In a large multicentre study, two sputum samples were collected from participants with TB symptoms in reference laboratories in Peru, South Africa, Brazil, and Vietnam. Each sample was tested with TB-LAMP. The reference standard consisted of four direct smears, four cultures, and clinical and radiological findings. Individuals negative on conventional tests were followed up after 8 weeks. The Xpert MTB/RIF assay was performed on fresh or frozen samples as a molecular test comparison. RESULTS: A total of 1036 adults with suspected TB were enrolled. Among 375 culture-confirmed TB cases with 750 sputum samples, TB-LAMP detected 75.6% (95% confidence interval (CI) 71.8-79.4%), including 97.9% (95% CI 96.4-99.4%) of smear-positive TB samples and 46.6% (95% CI 40.6-52.7%) of smear-negative TB samples. Specificity in 477 culture-negative participants not treated for TB (954 sputum samples) was 98.7% (95% CI 97.9-99.6%). TB-LAMP test results were indeterminate in 0.3% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: TB-LAMP detects nearly all smear-positive and half of smear-negative TB cases and has a high specificity when performed in reference laboratories. Performance was similar to the Xpert MTB/RIF assay.

The cursed duet today: Tuberculosis and HIV-coinfection.

The tuberculosis (TB) and HIV syndemic continues to rage and are a major public health concern worldwide. This deadly association raises complexity and represent a significant barrier towards TB elimination. TB continues to be the leading cause of death amongst HIV-infected people. This paper reports the challenges that lay ahead and outlines some of the current and future strategies that may be able to address this co-epidemic efficiently. Improved diagnostics, cheaper and more effective drugs, shorter treatment regimens for both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant TB are discussed. Also, special topics on drug interactions, TB-IRIS and TB relapse are also described. Notwithstanding the defeats and meagre investments, diagnosis and management of the two diseases have seen significant and unexpected improvements of late. On the HIV side, expansion of ART coverage, development of new updated guidelines aimed at the universal treatment of those infected, and the increasing availability of newer, more efficacious and less toxic drugs are an essential element to controlling the two epidemics. On the TB side, diagnosis of MDR-TB is becoming easier and faster thanks to the new PCR-based technologies, new anti-TB drugs active against both sensitive and resistant strains (i.e. bedaquiline and delamanid) have been developed and a few more are in the pipeline, new regimens (cheaper, shorter and/or more effective) have been introduced (such as the "Bangladesh regimen") or are being tested for MDR-TB and drug-sensitive-TB. However, still more resources will be required to implement an integrated approach, install new diagnostic tests, and develop simpler and shorter treatment regimens.

Transcriptomic Biomarkers for Tuberculosis: Evaluation of DOCK9. EPHA4, and NPC2 mRNA Expression in Peripheral Blood.

Lately, much effort has been made to find mRNA biomarkers for tuberculosis (TB) disease/infection with microarray-based approaches. In a pilot investigation, through RNA sequencing technology, we observed a prominent modulation of DOCK9, EPHA4, and NPC2 mRNA abundance in the blood of TB patients. To corroborate these findings, independent validations were performed in cohorts from different areas. Gene expression levels in blood were evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR (Brazil, n = 129) or reanalysis of public microarray data (UK: n = 96; South Africa: n = 51; Germany: n = 26; and UK/France: n = 63). In the Brazilian cohort, significant modulation of all target-genes was observed comparing TB vs. healthy recent close TB contacts (rCt). With a 92% specificity, NPC2 mRNA high expression (NPC2high) showed the highest sensitivity (85%, 95% CI 65%-96%; area under the ROC curve [AUROC] = 0.88), followed by EPHA4 (53%, 95% CI 33%-73%, AUROC = 0.73) and DOCK9 (19%, 95% CI 7%-40%; AUROC = 0.66). All the other reanalyzed cohorts corroborated the potential of NPC2high as a biomarker for TB (sensitivity: 82-100%; specificity: 94-97%). An NPC2high profile was also observed in 60% (29/48) of the tuberculin skin test positive rCt, and additional follow-up evaluation revealed changes in the expression levels of NPC2 during the different stages of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, suggesting that further studies are needed to evaluate modulation of this gene during latent TB and/or progression to active disease. Considering its high specificity, our data indicate, for the first time, that NPC2high might serve as an accurate single-gene biomarker for TB.

Diabetes Mellitus is Associated with Increased Death Rates Among HIV-Infected Patients in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major cause of morbidity worldwide and a known factor leading to increased risk of death, especially in conjunction with other risk factors. In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of DM among HIV-infected patients and its association with overall mortality. All HIV-infected patients 18 years or older who were followed in the Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas (INI) cohort from January 1991 to December 2011 were included. Time-updated covariables included DM status, calendar year, combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), and CD4 cell counts. Fixed demographic covariables included gender and age at entry. Poisson models were used to calculate mortality rate ratios (RR) with robust variances. Among the 4,871 patients included, 1,192 (24.4%) died (mortality rate = 4.72/100 person-years [PY]; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.46-5.00). Death rates were significantly higher among those presenting with DM compared with those who did not (6.16/100 vs. 4.61/100 PY, respectively. p = 0.001). In the final model, DM was significantly associated with mortality (RR = 1.74; 95% CI = 1.57-1.94; p < 0.001). When the analysis was restricted to those on cART or the period post-1996, the association between DM and mortality was even stronger (RR = 2.17; 95% CI = 1.91-2.46; p < 0.001 and RR = 1.95; 95% CI = 1.75-2.18; p < 0.001, respectively). Among the major groups of cause of deaths (CODs), the proportion of AIDS-related conditions in patients with DM was lower (74.27% vs. 58.93%, respectively; p < 0.001); whereas in non-AIDS-related conditions, nonimmunodeficiency-related causes (22.44% vs. 34.82%, respectively; p = 0.004) were more common in patients with DM. In conclusion, DM was associated with increased mortality rates even after controlling for HIV-related variables associated to this outcome. Differences in the underlying CODs were identified, reinforcing the necessity to assess and treat comorbidities such as DM in HIV-infected patients.

A screening system for smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis using artificial neural networks.

OBJECTIVES: Molecular tests show low sensitivity for smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). A screening and risk assessment system for smear-negative PTB using artificial neural networks (ANNs) based on patient signs and symptoms is proposed. METHODS: The prognostic and risk assessment models exploit a multilayer perceptron (MLP) and inspired adaptive resonance theory (iART) network. Model development considered data from 136 patients with suspected smear-negative PTB in a general hospital. RESULTS: MLP showed higher sensitivity (100%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 78-100%) than the other techniques, such as support vector machine (SVM) linear (86%; 95% CI 60-96%), multivariate logistic regression (MLR) (79%; 95% CI 53-93%), and classification and regression tree (CART) (71%; 95% CI 45-88%). MLR showed a slightly higher specificity (85%; 95% CI 59-96%) than MLP (80%; 95% CI 54-93%), SVM linear (75%, 95% CI 49-90%), and CART (65%; 95% CI 39-84%). In terms of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), the MLP model exhibited a higher value (0.918, 95% CI 0.824-1.000) than the SVM linear (0.796, 95% CI 0.651-0.970) and MLR (0.782, 95% CI 0.663-0.960) models. The significant signs and symptoms identified in risk groups are coherent with clinical practice. CONCLUSIONS: In settings with a high prevalence of smear-negative PTB, the system can be useful for screening and also to aid clinical practice in expediting complementary tests for higher risk patients.

A Phase 2 Randomized Trial of a Rifapentine plus Moxifloxacin-Based Regimen for Treatment of Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: The combination of rifapentine and moxifloxacin administered daily with other anti-tuberculosis drugs is highly active in mouse models of tuberculosis chemotherapy. The objective of this phase 2 clinical trial was to determine the bactericidal activity, safety, and tolerability of a regimen comprised of rifapentine, moxifloxacin, isoniazid, and pyrazinamide administered daily during the first 8 weeks of pulmonary tuberculosis treatment. METHODS: Adults with sputum smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis were randomized to receive either rifapentine (approximately 7.5 mg/kg) plus moxifloxacin (investigational arm), or rifampin (approximately 10 mg/kg) plus ethambutol (control) daily for 8 weeks, along with isoniazid and pyrazinamide. The primary endpoint was sputum culture status at completion of 8 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: 121 participants (56% of accrual target) were enrolled. At completion of 8 weeks of treatment, negative cultures using Löwenstein-Jensen (LJ) medium occurred in 47/60 (78%) participants in the investigational arm vs. 43/51 (84%, p = 0.47) in the control arm; negative cultures using liquid medium occurred in 37/47 (79%) in the investigational arm vs. 27/41 (66%, p = 0.23) in the control arm. Time to stable culture conversion was shorter for the investigational arm vs. the control arm using liquid culture medium (p = 0.03), but there was no difference using LJ medium. Median rifapentine area under the concentration-time curve (AUC0-24) was 313 mcg*h/mL, similar to recent studies of rifapentine dosed at 450-600 mg daily. Median moxifloxacin AUC0-24 was 28.0 mcg*h/mL, much lower than in trials where rifapentine was given only intermittently with moxifloxacin. The proportion of participants discontinuing assigned treatment for reasons other than microbiological ineligibility was higher in the investigational arm vs. the control arm (11/62 [18%] vs. 3/59 [5%], p = 0.04) although the proportions of grade 3 or higher adverse events were similar (5/62 [8%] in the investigational arm vs. 6/59 [10%, p = 0.76] in the control arm). CONCLUSION: For intensive phase daily tuberculosis treatment in combination with isoniazid and pyrazinamide, a regimen containing moxifloxacin plus low dose rifapentine was at least as bactericidal as the control regimen containing ethambutol plus standard dose rifampin. TRIAL REGISTRATION: www.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00728507.

Development of two artificial neural network models to support the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in hospitalized patients in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) remains a worldwide public health problem. Diagnostic algorithms to identify the best combination of diagnostic tests for PTB in each setting are needed for resource optimization. We developed one artificial neural network model for classification (multilayer perceptron-MLP) and another risk group assignment (self-organizing map-SOM) for PTB in hospitalized patients in a high complexity hospital in Rio de Janeiro City, using clinical and radiologic data collected from 315 presumed PTB cases admitted to isolation rooms from March 2003 to December 2004 (TB prevalence = 21.5 %). The MLP model included 7 variables-radiologic classification, age, gender, cough, night sweats, weight loss and anorexia. The sensitivity of the MLP model was 96.0 % (95 % CI ±2.0), the specificity was 89.0 % (95 % CI ±2.0), the positive predictive value was 72.5 % (95 % CI ±3.5) and the negative predictive value was 98.5 % (95 % CI ±0.5). The variable with the highest discriminative power was the radiologic classification. The high negative predictive value found in the MLP model suggests that the use of this model at the moment of hospital admission is safe. SOM model was able to correctly assign high-, medium- and low-risk groups to patients. If prospective validation in other series is confirmed, these models can become a tool for decision-making in tertiary health facilities in countries with limited resources.

Clinical and therapeutic features of pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial disease, Brazil, 1993-2011.

To identify clinical and therapeutic features of pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial (PNTM) disease, we conducted a retrospective analysis of patients referred to the Brazilian reference center, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who received a diagnosis of PNTM during 1993­2011 with at least 1 respiratory culture positive for NTM. Associated conditions included bronchiectasis (21.8%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (20.7%), cardiovascular disease (15.5%), AIDS (9.8%), diabetes (9.8%), and hepatitis C (4.6%).Two patients had Hansen disease; 1 had Marfan syndrome. Four mycobacterial species comprised 85.6% of NTM infections: Mycobacterium kansasii, 59 cases (33.9%); M. avium complex, 53 (30.4%); M. abscessus, 23 (13.2%); and M. fortuitum, 14 (8.0%). A total of 42 (24.1%) cases were associated with rapidly growing mycobacteria. In countries with a high prevalence of tuberculosis, PNTM is likely misdiagnosed as tuberculosis, thus showing the need for improved capacity to diagnose mycobacterial disease as well as greater awareness of PNTM disease prevalence.

The functional assessment of patients with pulmonary multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) remains an important public health problem worldwide, as its residual lesions result in functional and quality of life impairments. Few studies have investigated multiple-drug-resistant pulmonary TB (MDR-TB), and the literature regarding the functional parameters of this group of patients is scarce. Functional characterization may point to the need for post-treatment intervention measures that optimize the quality of life in patients with MDR-TB. Thus, this study sought to analyze the respiratory function, functional capacity, and quality of life of patients who were treated for MDR pulmonary TB. METHODS: This study investigated a cross-sectional cohort of MDR-TB patients who underwent drug treatment for at least 18 months. Patients who had associated diseases (human immunodeficiency virus [HIV], severe heart disease, and hypertension) or disabilities that prevented them from walking were excluded. The subjects underwent the following assessments: forced spirometry, a chest radiograph, the 6-min walk test, a bioelectrical impedance analysis, maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures, and a health-related quality of life questionnaire. RESULTS: Eighteen patients who met the eligibility criteria were enrolled. Spirometric evaluation showed that 78% of the subjects had abnormal patterns. The maximal respiratory pressures were significantly decreased in all subjects, despite the fact that their nutritional status was within the normal range. The distance completed in the 6-min walk test was less than expected in 72% of the subjects. All of the subjects who were evaluated had residual lesions, and 78% reported a worsening in their quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion MDR-TB cured subjects exhibit impaired respiratory function and a mildly reduced functional capacity and quality of life, suggesting that a portion of these patients may require a pulmonary rehabilitation approach.

Relationship between anaerobic cycling tests and mountain bike cross-country performance.

Despite its apparent relevance, there is no evidence supporting the importance of anaerobic metabolism in Olympic crosscountry mountain biking (XCO). The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between XCO race time and performance indicators of anaerobic power. Ten XCO riders (age: 28 ± 5 years; weight: 68.7 ± 7.7 kg; height: 177.9 ± 7.4 cm; estimated body fat: 5.7 ± 2.8%; estimated ·VO2max: 68.4 ± 5.7 ml·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹) participating in the Lagos Mountain Bike Championship (Brazil) completed 2 separate testing sessions before the race. In the first session, after anthropometric assessments were performed, the cyclists completed a single 30-second Wingate (WIN) test and an intermittent tests consisting of 5 × 30-second WIN tests (50% of the single WIN load) with 30 seconds of recovery between trials. In the second session, the riders performed a maximal incremental test. A significant correlation was found between race time and maximal power on the 5× WIN test (r = -0.79, IC(95%) -0.94 to -0.32, p = 0.006) and the mean average power on the 5× WIN test normalized by body mass (r = -0.63, IC(95%) -0.90 to -0.01, p = 0.048). The finding of the study supports the use of anaerobic tests for assessing mountain bikers participating in XCO competitions and suggests that anaerobic power is an important determinant of performance.

Abordagem diagnóstica da tuberculose pulmonar / Diagnostic Approach to Pulmonary Tuberculosis

A presente revisão teve como objetivo apresentar abordagens atuais para o diagnóstico da tuberculose pulmonar em adultos. Novos métodos de cultivo de Mycobacterium tuberculosis e novos testes de biologia molecular foram disponibilizados nos últimos anos. Quanto mais precocemente for realizado o diagnóstico da tuberculose pulmonar, menores serão a morbidade e a mortalidade associadas a ela, como também mais rápida será a interrupção da cadeia de transmissão da doença. Assim, testes rápidos e validados, ao serem incorporados ao diagnóstico da tuberculose pulmonar, poderão ser úteis para o seu controle

This review aims to present current approaches to the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in adults. In recent years, new methods of Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture have become available, as have new molecular biology methods of tuberculosis screening. Earlier diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis results in lower associated morbidity and mortality, as well as earlier interruption of the chain of transmission. Therefore, the incorporation of rapid, validated tests into the diagnostic process could be useful for controlling the disease

Effect of continuous positive airway pressure on fluid absorption among patients with pleural effusion due to tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) remains as an important public health problem worldwide. The most common type is pulmonary TB, and the most prevalent form of extra-pulmonary disease among HIV-negative patients is pleural disease. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on fluid absorption among patients with pleural effusion due to TB. METHODS: Twenty patients were randomized into two groups. The interventional group (n=10) received CPAP three times a week during the initial four weeks of anti-TB treatment, and the control group (n=10) received anti-TB drugs only. The primary endpoint was the volume of pleural fluid after four weeks of treatment. Both groups were submitted to thoracic computed tomography using three-dimensional image reconstruction. The Mann-Whitney test for independent samples and the Wilcoxon paired samples test were used for statistical analysis. The normal distribution samples were analyzed using the unpaired t test. RESULTS: The reduction of pleural effusion volume was significantly greater in the intervention group (83.5%+/-SD 3.6) than in the control group (36.9%+/-SD 2.9; p<0.001), and the final dyspnea index was lower in the Intervention group than in the control group (p=0.002). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that CPAP during the first month of TB treatment accelerates the absorption of pleural effusion, however, additional studies are needed to confirm these findings and evaluate the impact of CPAP on pleural sequelae after the end of anti-TB treatment. Article registered in the Clinical Trials under the number NCT00560521.

Effect of continuous positive airway pressure on fluid absorption among patients with pleural effusion due to tuberculosis / Efeito da pressão positiva nas vias aéreas sobre a absorção do derrame pleural em pacientes devido à tuberculose

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) remains as an important public health problem worldwide. The most common type is pulmonary TB, and the most prevalent form of extra-pulmonary disease among HIV-negative patients is pleural disease. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on fluid absorption among patients with pleural effusion due to TB. METHODS: Twenty patients were randomized into two groups. The interventional group (n=10) received CPAP three times a week during the initial four weeks of anti-TB treatment, and the control group (n=10) received anti-TB drugs only. The primary endpoint was the volume of pleural fluid after four weeks of treatment. Both groups were submitted to thoracic computed tomography using three-dimensional image reconstruction. The Mann-Whitney test for independent samples and the Wilcoxon paired samples test were used for statistical analysis. The normal distribution samples were analyzed using the unpaired t test. RESULTS: The reduction of pleural effusion volume was significantly greater in the intervention group (83.5 percent±SD 3.6) than in the control group (36.9 percent±SD 2.9; p<0.001), and the final dyspnea index was lower in the Intervention group than in the control group (p=0.002). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that CPAP during the first month of TB treatment accelerates the absorption of pleural effusion, however, additional studies are needed to confirm these findings and evaluate the impact of CPAP on pleural sequelae after the end of anti-TB treatment.

CONTEXTUALIZAÇÃO: A tuberculose (TB) permanece como um importante problema de saúde pública no mundo. A forma mais comum de apresentação é a pulmonar e, em pacientes soronegativos, a forma de doença extrapulmonar mais prevalente é a pleural. OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar o efeito da pressão positiva contínua em vias aéreas (CPAP) na absorção do derrame pleural em pacientes com tuberculose. MÉTODOS: Vinte pacientes foram randomizados em dois grupos. O grupo intervenção (n=10) recebeu CPAP três vezes por semana durante as quatro primeiras semanas do tratamento anti-TB, e o grupo controle (n=10) recebeu somente droga anti-TB. O ponto final de avaliação foi o volume de líquido pleural após quatro semanas de tratamento. Ambos os grupos foram submetidos à tomografia computadorizada, usando a reconstrução tridimensional (3D) da imagem. A análise estatística foi realizada por meio do teste de Mann-Whitney para amostras independentes e Wilcoxon para amostras pareadas, e as que apresentaram distribuição normal foram analisadas por meio do teste t de Student não pareado. RESULTADOS: A redução do volume de derrame pleural foi significativamente maior no grupo intervenção (83,5 por cento±DP 3,6) que no grupo controle (36,9 por cento±DP 2,9) (p<0,001), e o índice de dispnéia final foi menor no grupo CPAP que no grupo controle (p=0,002). CONCLUSÃO: Tais achados indicam que a CPAP, durante o primeiro mês de tratamento anti-TB, acelera a absorção do derrame pleural, no entanto estudos adicionais são necessários para confirmar estes achados e avaliar o impacto da CPAP na sequela pleural após o término do tratamento anti-TB.