Eosinophilia and fractional exhaled nitric oxide levels in chronic obstructive lung disease.

INTRODUCTION: COPD is a heterogeneous disorder with varied phenotypes. We aimed to determine the prevalence of asthma history, peripheral eosinophilia and elevated FeNO levels along with the diagnostic utility of peripheral eosinophilia in identifying airway eosinophilic inflammation. METHODS: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data were analysed for the study period 2007-2010. Subjects aged ≥40 years with postbronchodilator FEV1/FVC ratio <0.70 were included. Receiver operator curve analysis was performed for sensitivity analysis. A p value of <0.001 is considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 3 110 617 weighted COPD cases were identified; predominantly male (64.4%) and non-Hispanic whites (86.1%). Among our COPD subjects, 14.6% had a history of doctor diagnosed asthma, highest among females and other race Americans. The overall prevalence of peripheral eosinophilia is 36%, 38.3% among COPD subjects with asthma history, and 35.6% among COPD without asthma history. The overall prevalence of elevated FeNO ≥25 ppb is 14.3%; 28.7% among COPD subjects with asthma history and 13.0% among COPD without asthma history. DISCUSSION: The prevalence of FeNO levels ≥25 ppb and peripheral eosinophilia was significantly higher among COPD subjects with asthma compared with COPD without asthma history. Not all COPD subjects with peripheral eosinophilia and elevated FeNO levels have a reported history of asthma. Our study supports clinically phenotyping COPD subjects with eosinophilic inflammation be independent of their asthma history and peripheral eosinophilia can be used as a surrogate marker in resource-limited settings.

Rapid response to mycophenolate mofetil in combination with romiplostim in a case of severe refractory immune thrombocytopenia post COVID-19 vaccination.

Vaccine mediated immune mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP) is exceedingly rare. We present a case of a young female who developed severe refractory ITP with multiple bleeding sites post second dose of COVID-19 vaccination. She was treated with a combination of romiplostim and mycophenolate mofetil that resulted in rapid platelet count recovery.

Challenges in Medicine: The Odyssey of a Patient with Isolated IgG4-Related Eosinophilic Angiocentric Fibrosis Presenting as a Locally Destructive Sinonasal Mass.

Eosinophilic angiocentric fibrosis (EAF) is an exceeding rare clinical entity and is considered a part of the spectrum of IgG4-related disease (IgG4RD). We hereby present such an unusual case of a 60-year-old female who presented to us with recurrent sinonasal mass, after a decade long haul of multiple clinical evaluations, biopsies, and debulking surgery without a definitive diagnosis. Over this period, the mass eroded through the ethmoid cells along with nasal septal destruction leading to saddle nose deformity, extended superiorly through the cribriform plates to right frontal lobe, and compressed the optic nerve leading to visual loss. Although initial biopsy was negative, repeat biopsy was performed owing to high clinical suspicion due to all the classic histopathological findings compatible with the diagnosis of eosinophilic angiocentric fibrosis IgG4-related disease (EAF-IgG4RD). Steroids are the recommended first-line therapy; however, our case was resistant to steroids needing rituximab to halt the disease progression. Our case interestingly also had T-cell clonality and isolated isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 enzyme mutation on next-generation sequencing, suggesting a possible role of novel molecular-targeted therapies in this rare disease. This case highlights the clinical challenges physicians face towards diagnosing and treating EAF-IgG4RD, emphasizing the need for high clinical suspicion and the possible role of targeted therapies for this rare disease.

Uremia Preventing Osmotic Demyelination Syndrome Despite Rapid Hyponatremia Correction.

Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte abnormality encountered both in the inpatient and outpatient clinical settings in the United States. Rapid correction leads to a deranged cerebral osmotic gradient causing osmotic demyelination syndrome. Coexisting azotemia is considered to be protective against osmotic demyelination syndrome owing to its counteractive effect on osmolarity change that occurs with rapid hyponatremia correction. In this article, we report the case of a 37-year-old male who presented with altered mentation, acute azotemia, and severe electrolyte derangements, with serum blood urea nitrogen 160 mg/dL, creatinine 8.4 mg/dL, sodium 107 mEq/L, potassium 6.1 mEq/L, bicarbonate 7 mEq/L, and anion gap of 33. Given refractory hyperkalemia with electrocardiogram changes, emergent dialysis was performed. Despite our efforts to avoid rapid correction, serum sodium was corrected to 124 mEq/L and blood urea nitrogen decreased to 87 mg/dL at the end of the 5-hour dialysis session. Fortunately, hospital course and 4-week post-discharge clinic follow-ups were uncomplicated with no neurological sequela confirmed by neurological examination and magnetic resonance imaging.

Potential Racial Disparities Using Current Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines.

RATIONALE: The current age threshold for lung cancer screening targets individuals beginning at age 55. These guidelines were developed based on results from the National Lung Cancer Screening Trial where only 4.4% of the enrollees were African American, when they represent 12.3% of US population. African Americans were also found to have higher incidence and younger onset of lung cancer. We hypothesized that implementation of screening at age 55 would not detect a substantial fraction of early onset lung cancer cases in African American population. OBJECTIVES: We used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program data to determine the frequency of early-onset lung cancers and to assess the stage at diagnosis in a biracial sample. METHODS: Microscopically confirmed lung cancer (primary site code C 34) cases were identified using SEER 18 registry (2004-2014). Early-onset cancers were defined as cancers diagnosed in persons aged 45 to 54 years. Cases were stratified by race and age groups. Comparisons were evaluated with chi-square tests. RESULTS: 468,403 lung cancers were diagnosed during this period. Nearly 9% of all lung cancers were early onset, with increased frequency in African Americans vs. Whites, 14.2 vs. 8.2%, p < 0.05. Age-adjusted incidence rates were significantly higher in African Americans with highest percent difference noted for age group 50-54. African Americans were more likely to be diagnosed at advanced stages of lung cancer compared to Whites. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the current age threshold for lung cancer screening may potentially miss a considerable number of lung cancer cases in African Americans. Further studies are needed to determine the appropriateness of screening age criteria for African Americans.

Prevalence of Pulmonary Embolism Among Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Discharges: A Decade of Analysis of the National Hospital Discharge Survey.

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a life threatening preventable medical condition involving sudden occlusion of arteries within the lungs. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an inflammatory disorder and therefore independently poses a risk of PE. We aimed to determine the association of SLE and PE using National Hospital Discharge Survey data, a national representative sample of hospital discharges throughout the United States. METHODS: Retrospective population-based analysis was done using National Hospital Discharge Survey data for the period 2001 to 2010. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) coding was used to identify SLE (ICD-9 code 710.0) and PE (ICD-9 codes 415.11, 415.12, 415.13, and 415.19) mentioned in any of the discharge diagnosis. Patients 15 years or older were included in the study. Regression analysis was done including hyperlipidemia, heart failure, lower-limb injury or surgery, hypertension, diabetes cerebrovascular disease, and cancer. RESULTS: Our regression analysis demonstrated a significant association between SLE and PE, which was independent of sex, race, age, and associated comorbidities (odds ratio [OR], 2.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.99-2.16). Of included comorbidities, primary hypercoagulable disorder has the highest odds of association with PE (OR, 15.37; 95% CI, 15.22-15.51) followed by African American race compared with whites (OR, 1.08, 95% 1.08-1.09), and presence of at least 1 of the comorbidities (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.06-1.06). African American SLE cases have the higher prevalence of PE in all age groups, with the exception of persons 35 to 44 years old. CONCLUSIONS: Significant association exists between SLE and PE regardless of sex, race, age, and associated comorbidities. Females had an overall higher prevalence of SLE-related PE (1.67%) compared with males (1.29%). Stratified according to sex, race, and age groups, the association is highest for females, blacks, and age group 35 to 44 years, respectively.