Association of IL-33 in modeling type-2 airway inflammation and pulmonary emphysema in mice.

We developed pulmonary emphysema and a type 2 airway inflammation overlap mouse model. The bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) interleukin 13 (IL-13), IL-4, and IL-5 levels in the overlap model were higher than in the pulmonary emphysema model and lower than in the type 2 airway inflammation model, but IL-33 level in the lung was higher than in other models. IL-33 and interferon-γ (IFNγ) in lungs may control the severity of a type 2 airway inflammation in lung.

Efficacy and safety of inhaled N-acetylcysteine in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: A prospective, single-arm study.

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive lung disease with few treatment options. The efficacy of N-acetylcysteine in patients with IPF remains controversial. The aim of this research was to investigate the efficacy of inhaled N-acetylcysteine. METHODS: This study was designed as a single-center, single-arm, prospective clinical trial. Each patient who had IPF received 352.4mg of inhaled N-acetylcysteine twice daily. RESULTS: In total, 28 patients were enrolled. The mean values of the respiratory function parameters at the initiation of therapy were as follows: forced vital capacity (FVC), 2.27L and %FVC, 76.2%. The mean change in FVC during 26 weeks prior to the inhaled N-acetylcysteine therapy was -170mL, a significant decrease (p=0.019). The mean change in FVC during 26 weeks after the initiation of inhaled N-acetylcysteine therapy was -70mL (p=0.06). When the patients were classified into two groups according to the degree of decline in FVC (≥100mL vs. <100mL) during the 26-week period prior to the initiation of therapy, inhaled N-acetylcysteine showed a greater efficacy in attenuating FVC decline in the ≥100-mL group than in the <100-mL group. CONCLUSIONS: Inhaled N-acetylcysteine therapy was effective in patients with mild-to-moderate IPF and was more beneficial in patients who had greater declines in FVC before the initiation of therapy. (UMIN title: Efficacy and safety of inhaled N-acetylcysteine in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, UMIN000016706, 2015/03/04.).

Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 for stable and acute phases of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

The levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) have been reported to increase in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. However, the utility of sICAM-1 has not been reported in detail. The aim of this study was to investigate whether sICAM-1 was a useful biomarker for stable idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and early phase of acute exacerbation of IPF. The patients who were diagnosed with IPF between 2013 and 2015 were enrolled. The levels of sICAM-1 and other interstitial pneumonia markers were measured. In this study, 30 patients with stable IPF and 11 patients with acute exacerbation of IPF were collected. Mean sICAM-1 levels were 434 ± 139 ng/mL for the stable phase of IPF, 645 ± 247 ng/mL for early phase of acute exacerbation of IPF, 534 ± 223 ng/mL for connective tissue disease-associated interstitial pneumonia, 221 ± 42 for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and 150 ± 32 ng/mL in healthy volunteers. For the stable phase of IPF, sICAM-1 levels correlated with Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) (r value: 0.41; p value: 0.036). Mean sICAM-1 levels were significantly higher in patients with early phase of acute exacerbation of IPF than with stable phase of IPF (p = 0.0199). Multiple logistic analyses indicated that the predictors for early phase of acute exacerbation of IPF were only sICAM-1 and C-reactive protein (odds ratio: 1.0093; 1.6069). In patients with stable IPF, sICAM-1 levels correlated with KL-6; sICAM-1 might be a predictive indicator for prognosis. In the early phase of acute exacerbation of IPF, sICAM-1 might be more useful for diagnosis than other interstitial pneumonia markers.

Kinetics of c-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A protein (SAA) in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), as presented with biologic half-life times.

Context: In management of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), excellent biomarkers for inflammation would be helpful in our practice. Objectives: Kinetics of c-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) was characterized, using their biologic half-life times. Materials and methods: Time course of CRP and SAA levels in the successfully treated 36 CAP patients were investigated and their half-life times were determined and compared. Results & Discussions: SAA and CRP declined in an exponential mean and the biologic half-life times of SAA levels was 34.9 ± 28.7 h, significantly shorter than that of CRP, 46.4 ± 21.7 h (p = 0.0014). Conclusion: The kinetic evidence, presented as biologic half-life times of CRP and SAA, helps us make a clinical assessment of CAP patients.