Prognostic factors of virus-associated pneumonia other than COVID-19 in adults.

OBJECTIVE: To determine prognostic factors of virus-associated pneumonia other than coronavirus disease 2019. METHODS: We retrospectively studied patients suffering from virus-associated community-acquired pneumonia, and who were admitted to Saitama Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center from 2002 to 2020. Prognostic factors were analyzed by univariable and multivariable regression analysis of patient demographics, laboratory data, chest imaging, severity on admission, and initial treatment. PATIENTS: HIV-positive patients, those with non-resected lung cancer or receiving chemotherapy, and those with COVID-19 were excluded. Included were 363 patients diagnosed by nucleic acid amplification method, paired sera, and rapid diagnostic tests. RESULTS: A CURB-65 score of ≥3 was significant by univariable analysis for 60-day mortality but was nonsignificant by multivariable analysis. The poor prognostic factors that were significant by multivariable analysis (p < 0.05) included immunosuppressive state due to systemic corticosteroid or immunosuppressant administration, acute kidney injury on admission, and corticosteroid administration initiated within 5 days or 5 days to 2 weeks from onset. CONCLUSION: A CURB-65 score of ≥3, which is considered to indicate severe pneumonia, was of limited value for predicting mortality of virus-associated pneumonia. We showed patients' underlying diseases and complications to be independent factors of poor prognosis for 60-day mortality. Timing of the initiation of corticosteroid administration remains to be elucidated.

A Case of Overlap of Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis on Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis.

An 80-year-old woman who developed allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) was admitted to our institution in 2023 for an enlarged pulmonary mass lesion. She had developed ABPA in 2017, and corticosteroid therapy had improved the mucoid impaction of the bronchi. Because part of the lesion remained, increased doses of corticosteroid, antifungals, and biologics were administered, but the pulmonary lesion enlarged in 2022. Bronchoscopy showed necrotic tissue in the bronchial lumen, and bronchial washing fluid showed neutrophilic inflammation and fungal hyphae. We subsequently diagnosed her as having chronic pulmonary aspergillosis overlapping ABPA, and voriconazole was started that resulted in shrinkage of the nodules.

Curing Behavior of Sucrose with p-Toluenesulfonic Acid.

With respect to the fossil resources shortage, the development of bio-based wood adhesives is an important research topic in wood science. There has been research on using sucrose for bio-based adhesives. However, a high acid catalyst content and a high hot-pressing temperature are required when manufacturing particleboards. In this study, to explore the possibility of p-toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA) as a promising acid catalyst for sucrose-based adhesives, the curing behavior of sucrose with PTSA (Suc-PTSA) was clarified. The thermal analysis results showed that the thermal properties of sucrose decreased significantly with the addition of PTSA. Based on the results of the insoluble matter rate, the optimal mixture ratio and heating conditions were determined to be 95:5 and 180 °C for 10 min, respectively. According to the results of FT-IR, the heat-treated Suc-PTSA contained furan compounds. In the context of the dynamic viscoelasticity, the onset temperature at which the storage modulus (E') begins to rise was significantly lower than those of the other sucrose-based adhesives. PTSA has the potential to cure sucrose more efficiently and at lower temperatures than previous sucrose-based adhesives, making it a promising acid catalyst for sucrose.

Characteristics of pulmonary cryptococcosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: A high frequency of infections complicating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been reported due to the immunomodulatory effect of RA or to agents with immunosuppressive effects used in its treatment. We aimed to assess clinical and radiological characteristics of pulmonary cryptococcosis in patients with and without RA. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 52 patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis and divided them into two groups, those with RA and without RA, and compared clinical characteristics and radiological findings between them. RESULTS: Eleven (21.2%) of the 52 patients had RA. Median follow-up periods were 51.2 (range: 1.1-258.7) months for patients with RA and 19.1 (range: 0.63-246.9) months for patients without RA. Among the patients with RA, 81.8% were women, with a mean age of 68.1 years. Female sex and respiratory comorbidities were significantly more frequent in patients with RA than in patients without RA. Frequencies of concomitant cryptococcal meningitis and respiratory failure were not different between the groups. There were no significant differences in frequency of any radiological findings, locations and number between the two groups. Among patients with RA, all but one responded well to antifungal treatment. During the antifungal treatment course, one (9.1%) patient with RA died of cryptococcosis. Despite continuing antirheumatic drugs, no patients had recurrence of pulmonary cryptococcosis during follow-up. CONCLUSION: Other than some differences in background, there were no clinical, radiological or prognostic differences between the patients with and without RA with pulmonary cryptococcosis. The administration of antirheumatic therapy had no negative effect on the clinical course of antifungal treatment.

Clinical course and findings of 14 patients with COVID-19 compared with 5 patients with conventional human coronavirus pneumonia.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify what future problems must be resolved and how clinical findings of SARS-CoV-2 infection differ from those of cHCoV infection. METHODS: Patients and Methods Clinical characteristics of 14 patients with laboratory-confirmed Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and 5 patients with cHCoV pneumonia admitted to our institution and treated up to March 8, 2020, were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: On admission, 10 patients had pneumonia, 5 of whom had pulmonary shadows detectable only via computed tomography (CT). During hospitalization, another patient with no pulmonary shadows on admission developed pneumonia. In total, 11 (78.6%) of the 14 patients developed pneumonia, indicating its high prevalence in COVID-19. During hospitalization, the patients' symptoms spontaneously relapsed and resolved, and gastrointestinal symptoms were frequently found. C-reactive protein values showed correlation with the patients' clinical courses. Ritonavir/lopinavir were administered to 5 patients whose respiratory conditions worsened during admission, all of whom improved. However, the pneumonia in the 6 other patients improved without antivirals. None of the 14 patients died, whereas 5 other patients with cHCoV pneumonia were in respiratory failure on admission, and one patient (20%) died. CONCLUSION: Both SARS-CoV-2 and cHCoV can cause severe pneumonia. Problems for future resolution include whether antiviral agents administered in cases of mild or moderate severity can reduce the number of severe cases, and whether antivirals administered in severe cases can reduce mortality.

Professional dietary coaching within a group chat using a smartphone application for weight loss: a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: To test the effectiveness of professional dietary coaching via group chat using a smartphone application (app) for weight loss. METHODS: This study was a 12-week, assessor-blind, parallel-group, waitlist-controlled randomized trial that included a 4-week follow-up period (trial registration, UMIN000025340). Data were collected between October 2016 and May 2017 and were analyzed between July 2017 and January 2018. Participants were 112 overweight, obese, or abdominally obese Japanese adults, aged 20 to 64 years, with at least one cardiometabolic risk factor. Participants were randomized to the coaching group (n=75) or control group (n=37), with a ratio of 2:1. The coaching group received a commercial weight loss program characterizing dietary coaching by a certified nutrition professional via group chat delivered on a smartphone app. Participants posted photos of every meal into the group chat, and the certified professional gave immediate direct feedback and encouragement. The primary outcome was an 8-week weight change. Secondary outcomes included 8-week changes in cardiometabolic risk factors. The frequency of meal photo uploads was recorded as a measure of adherence. RESULTS: Of the 112 randomized participants, 93 (83.0%) and 81 (72.3%) completed 8-week and 12-week visits, respectively. Intention-to-treat analysis demonstrated significantly larger 8-week weight loss in the coaching group (-1.4 kg; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -2.0, -0.8 kg) than that in the control group (-0.1 kg; 95% CI: -0.6, 0.4 kg). Significantly larger improvements in triglyceride and glycated hemoglobin A1c levels were also obtained in the coaching group. These benefits, except for the triglyceride level, were maintained until week 12. The frequent upload of meal photos was associated with a larger 8-week weight loss in a dose-response fashion (P-value for trend <0.001). CONCLUSION: This smartphone-delivered commercial weight loss program characterized as dietary coaching via group chat resulted in modest but significant weight loss. Facilitating participants' active involvement in the program is necessary to achieve greater health benefits.

CT-diagnosed emphysema and prognosis of chronic airflow obstruction: a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: CT-diagnosed emphysema is associated with poor prognosis in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Its clinical impacts on prognoses of asthma with chronic airflow obstruction (CAO) are not well known. We sought to compare mortalities and prognostic factors in COPD and asthma with CAO by the presence or absence of CT-diagnosed emphysema. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Referral centre hospital for respiratory disease. PARTICIPANTS: 1272 patients aged over 40 years with CAO (January 2000 to December 2011). CAO was defined as a forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity <0.7 after bronchodilator use throughout the observation period. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Overall mortality served as the primary endpoint. We compared mortalities and prognostic factors of COPD and asthma subgroups with or without emphysema. Secondary endpoints were the prevalence of COPD and asthma in patients with CAO. RESULTS: Overall, diagnoses included COPD with emphysema in 517 (40.6%) patients, COPD without emphysema in 104 (8.2%) patients, asthma with emphysema in 178 (13.9%) patients, asthma without emphysema in 169 (13.3%) patients, other respiratory diseases (RD) with emphysema in 128 (10.1%) patients, and other RD without emphysema in 176 (13.8%) patients. Patients with asthma without emphysema had the best prognosis followed by those with asthma with emphysema, COPD without emphysema and COPD with emphysema. Each subgroup had distinct prognostic factors. Presence of emphysema was an independent risk factor for de novo lung cancer among patients with CAO. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with asthma with CAO have a better prognosis than patients with COPD. The presence of CT-diagnosed emphysema predicts poor prognosis in COPD and asthma with CAO.

Changes in the airway lumen and surrounding parenchyma in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine changes in the airway lumen and parenchyma in relation to lung function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) compared with controls. METHODS: We studied 70 patients with COPD and 15 normal subjects. Using reconstructed computed tomography (CT) images, we traced the bronchial trees and reconstructed 3 cm circle images around the airways exactly perpendicular to the airway axis at the peripheral, middle, and central zones of the bronchi. We measured the number of airways and vessels, the airway inner diameter, and the area of emphysema in the circles, and analyzed the relationship of these image parameters to lung function. RESULTS: Reduced airway numbers and increased upper lobe emphysema were observed even in early spirometric stages in patients with COPD compared with controls. Other findings included decreased airway inner diameter in advanced spirometric stages. The numbers of peripheral zone bronchi, the extent of the middle zone emphysematous area, and the mean airway inner diameter of the airways were the best predictors of spirometric parameters. A portion of the airways in patients with COPD showed a loss of airway patency at middle or central zone bronchi predominantly in the late spirometric stages. Lumen-obliterated bronchial trees could be traced into emphysematous areas showing air trapping. CONCLUSION: Compared with controls, our CT observations in patients with COPD showed that airway lumen and lung parenchyma changes along airways differed by spirometric stage, and these changes were associated with decreased lung function. A portion of CT-identified emphysema in patients with COPD appeared to be due to lumen-obliterated airways in the bronchial tree.

[Individual draining vein of intralobar pulmonary sequestration].

We analyzed the routes of draining veins in 7 cases of intralobar pulmonary sequestration (ILS) and 6 cases of bronchial atresia (BA) by multidetector CT and on 3D reconstructed images. In 2 cases of ILS with systemic venous drainage and 4 of 5 cases with pulmonary venous drainage, the primary veins penetrated the abnormal lungs. In another case, the main vein bypassed the border of the lung, but a small number of branches joined from the normal lung. In all cases of BA, draining veins distributed outside the abnormal lung. The finding that ILS has its own draining veins supports the theory of its congenital origin from an accessory lung bud.

The effect of emphysema on lung function and survival in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In this study the prevalence, lung function and prognosis of IPF combined with emphysema were evaluated. METHODS: Consecutive patients with usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), with or without emphysema, were assessed retrospectively. The area of fibrosis in the base of the lungs was assessed by HRCT as minimal (<2 cm from the subpleura), moderate (>or=2 cm from the subpleura, <1/3 of the area of the base of the lungs) or severe (>or=1/3 of the area of the base of the lungs). RESULTS: Among 660 patients with UIP on HRCT, 221 showed upper-lobe emphysema. Pulmonary function results for patients with UIP and UIP/emphysema, respectively, were: FVC, 71.8% and 87.1%; FEV1%, 86.7% and 87.9%; and DL(CO), 74.3% and 65.2% of predicted. The relationship between FVC, the extent of fibrosis and survival was investigated in 362 patients with records of pulmonary function tests and no lung cancer at the time of entry into the study. Although the extent of fibrosis was similar between the groups, 71.3% of UIP patients met the lung volume criteria for IPF (FVC <80% of predicted), whereas only 26.5% of UIP/emphysema patients met the lung volume criteria for IPF. Median survival was 7.5 years in the UIP group and 8.5 years in the UIP/emphysema group. CONCLUSIONS: Emphysema was a common finding in patients with UIP. Patients with UIP and emphysema had greater lung volumes and better survival compared with those with UIP alone.