Monitoring T-Cell Kinetics in the Early Recovery Period of Lung Transplantation Cases by Copy Number Levels of T-Cell Receptor Excision Circle.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Lung transplantation is a life-saving procedure for patients with end-stage lung diseases. T-Cell receptor excision circle (TREC) is circular DNA produced during T-cell receptor gene rearrangement in the thymus and indicates naive T-cell migration from the thymus. Therefore, its levels represent thymic T-cell output. Post-transplant lymphocyte kinetics correlate with graft tolerance. The aim of this study was to investigate T-lymphocyte kinetics in the early recovery period after lung transplantation. For this purpose, copy numbers of TREC were determined in patients with a lung transplant. In addition, TREC copy numbers were evaluated according to age, diagnosis and the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) of lung transplant patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Peripheral blood samples were taken from patients aged 23 to 59 years who underwent lung transplantation at the Thoracic Surgery Clinic, Kartal-Kosuyolu High Specialization Educational and Research Hospital. This study included peripheral blood samples from 11 lung transplant patients (comprising four with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, three with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, one with cystic fibrosis, one with silicosis and two with bronchiectasis; three females in total). Samples were taken at three different timepoints: Before transplant, and 24 hours and 7 days post transplant. TREC copy numbers were analyzed with real time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Post-transplant TREC numbers and density values were higher compared to pre-transplant values, although these differences were statistically insignificant. TREC copy numbers were found to be significantly higher in patients younger than 45 years compared to patients older than 45 years. At 24 hours after the transplant, the average TREC copy number/peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the cases with an FEV1 value of or below 50% was found to be statistically significantly higher than that of cases with an FEV1 value above 50% (p=0.046). There was no statistically significant difference in TREC copy numbers between male and female patients or by diagnostic group. CONCLUSION: TREC copy numbers can be evaluated as a prognostic marker for lung transplantation. There is a need for multicenter studies with more patients.

COVID-19 pneumonia following double-sleeve lobectomy for lung cancer.

Here, we report a 54-year-old man who underwent double-sleeve left upper lobectomy for lung cancer and his postoperative course was complicated with COVID-19 pneumonia. Five days after his discharge from hospital, he was re-admitted with mild fever and bilateral multiple ground glass opacities on his chest CT. PCR testing confirmed COVID-19 infection and he was treated according to policies established by our nation's health authority. He is still receiving adjuvant chemotherapy and remains well at 3 months after the operation.

Oki stent application in different indications: Six cases.

INTRODUCTION: We have used Oki stents for a number of different indications. After discovering that there are limited reports in the literature on these stents, we were motivated to share our experiences in Oki stenting. OBJECTIVES: While there is vast knowledge on double Y-stents, the Oki stent is a relatively recent development in pulmonology. Here, we demonstrate that stenting of the right secondary carina using an Oki stent should be considered for obstructions in this region. METHODS: We placed 13 mm × 10 mm × 9 mm Oki stents in six patients under general anesthesia via rigid bronchoscopy. RESULTS: Three cases were post-transplant patients with malacia, stenosis, and bronchopleural fistula. One case had an airway obstruction due to malignant disease, another case had a right aortic arc and aberrant left subclavian artery anomaly, and the final case had bronchopleural fistula. No serious complications were observed during stent placement. CONCLUSIONS: Oki stents can safely be used for many clinical conditions. Patients benefit greatly from stenting; however, two of our cases died due to infection, and one case died due to malignancy.

Full-Time ICU Staff in the Intensive Care Unit: Does It Improve the Outcome?

OBJECTIVES: Patients with various severities are cared for in the intensive care unit (ICU) by an experienced ICU physician. We aimed to assess whether there is any difference in intubated ICU patient management when undertaken by a 24-hour intensivist versus a periodic experienced specialist in the ICU. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective, cross-sectional, observational study was done in a tertiary teaching hospital ICU. Patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) were classified into: group 1, managed by an experienced ICU pulmonary specialist during night shifts in 2006-2007, and group 2, managed by an intensivist around the clock in 2011. Patients were excluded if they were <18 years old, tracheostomized, or transferred from another ICU. Patient demographics and ICU data (IMV duration, sedation doses and duration, weekend extubation, ICU severity score [APACHE II], length of ICU stay, and mortality) were recorded, and groups were compared. RESULTS: In group 1, 131 of 215 IMV patients were included in the study, and in group 2, 294 of 374 patients were included. The sedation infusion rate, duration of IMV, self-extubation rate, and lenght of stay (LOS) of ICU were significantly increased in group 1 compared with group 2 (72.5% vs. 40.8%, p<0.0001; 152 vs. 68 hours, p<0.001; 24.4% vs. 13.9%, p<0.006; 13 vs. 8 days, p<0.0001, respectively). The weekend extubation rate and APACHE II scores were significantly lower in group 1 compared with group 2 (7.1% vs. 25.3%, p<0.0001; 22 vs. 25, p<0.017, respectively). Mortality rates were similar in the two groups (35.9% vs. 37.4%, p=0.76). CONCLUSION: A 24-hour intensivist appears to be better for decreasing IMV duration and LOS in the ICU. These results may be useful to address decreasing morbidity and, as a result, cost of ICU stays by 24-hour intensivist coverage, especially for patients with IMV.

The safety of beta-blocker use in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with respiratory failure in the intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: The safety of beta-blockers as a heart rate-limiting drug (HRLD) in patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) due to chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) has not been properly assessed in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting. This study aims to compare the use of beta-blocker drugs relative to non-beta-blocker ones in COPD patients with ARF due to heart rate-limiting with respect to length of ICU stay and mortality. METHODS: We performed a retrospective (January 2011-December 2012) case-control study in a level III ICU in a teaching hospital. It was carried out in a closed ICU by the same intensivists. All COPD patients with ARF who were treated with beta-blockers (case group) and non-beta-blocker HRLDs (control group) were included. Their demographics, reason for HRLD, cause of ARF, comorbidities, ICU data including acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE II) score, type of ventilation, heart rate, and lengths of ICU and hospital stays were collected. The mortality rates in the ICU, the hospital, and over 30 days were also recorded. RESULTS: We enrolled 188 patients (46 female, n = 74 and n = 114 for the case and control groups, respectively). Reasons for HRLD (case and control group, respectively) were atrial fibrillation (AF, 23% and 50%), and supraventricular tachycardia (SVT, 41.9% and 54.4%). Patients' characteristics, APACHE II score, heart rate, duration and type of ventilation, and median length of ICU-hospital stay were similar between the groups. The mortality outcomes in the ICU, hospital, and 30 days after discharge in the case and control groups were 17.6% versus 15.8% (p > 0.75); 18.9% versus 19.3% (p > 0.95) and 20% versus 11% (p > 0.47), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that beta-blocker use for heart rate control in COPD patients with ARF is associated with similar ICU stay length and mortality compared with COPD patients treated with other HRLDs.

The 6-minute walk test in chronic respiratory failure: does observed or predicted walk distance better reflect patient functional status?

BACKGROUND: Acquiring 6-min walk test (6MWT) data from patients undergoing noninvasive mechanical ventilation due to chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure is limited. We aimed to assess whether the actual 6-min walk distance (6MWD) or the percent predicted 6MWD is a better reflection of the respiratory function of patients using home noninvasive ventilation (NIV) due to chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional observational study. The 6MWT was performed in subjects using home NIV. Diagnoses were grouped as COPD, obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS), kyphoscoliosis, and parenchymal lung disease. Sex, age, and body mass index (BMI) were used to calculate ideal 6MWD. Male: 1,140 m - (5.61 × BMI) - (6.94 × age), and subtract 153 m for the lower limit of normal. Female: 1,017 m - (6.24 × BMI) - (5.83 × age), and subtract 139 m for the lower limit of normal. The 6MWD and percent-of-predicted 6MWD were compared relative to arterial blood gas, spirometry values, and diagnosis. RESULTS: The 6MWT was performed in 144 subjects, median (IQR) age 62 y (55-71 y). The male/female ratio, median (IQR) 6MWD, and percent-of-predicted 6MWD values were: COPD 32/6, 316 m (226-390 m), and 59.4% (42.5-68.9%); OHS 24/28, 303 m (240-362 m), and 73.0% (63.0-82.0%); kyphoscoliosis 16/7, 420 m (318-462 m), and 70.5% (56.0-75.2%); and parenchymal lung disease 19/12, 333 m (273-372 m), and 67.1% (46.7-74.7%). The correlation of percent-of-predicted 6MWD with spirometry and arterial blood gas values were better than with the actual 6MWD. CONCLUSIONS: The percent-of-predicted 6MWD was better correlated with respiratory function than actual 6MWD for subjects using home NIV due to chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure with COPD, OHS, kyphoscoliosis, and parenchymal lung disease.

C-reactive protein as a predictor of mortality in patients affected with severe sepsis in intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: Severe sepsis is a primary cause of morbidity and mortality in the intensive care unit (ICU). Numerous biomarkers have been assessed to predict outcome and CRP is widely used. However, the relevance for mortality risk of the CRP level and the day when it is measured have not been well studied. We aimed to assess whether initial and/or third dayCRP values are as good predictors of mortality in ICU patients with severe sepsis as other well-known complex predictors of mortality, i.e., SOFA scores. METHODS: An observational cohort study was performed in a 20-bed respiratory ICU in a chest disease center. Patients with severe sepsis due to respiratory disease were enrolled in the study. SOFA scores, CRP values on admission and on the third day of hospital stay, and mortality rate were recorded. ROC curves for SOFA scores and CRP values were calculated. RESULTS: The study included 314 ICU patients with sepsis admitted between January 2009 and March 2010. The mortality rate was 14.2% (n = 45). The area under the curve (AUC) for CRP values and SOFA scores on admission and on the 3rd day in ICU were calculated as 0.57 (CI: 0.48-0.66); 0.72 (CI: 0.63-0.80); 0.72 (CI: 0.64-0.81); and 0.76 (CI: 0.67-0.86), respectively. Sepsis due to nosocomial infection, a CRP value > 100 mg/L and higher SOFA scores on 3rd day, were found to be risk factors for mortality (odds ratio [OR]: 3.76, confidence interval [CI]: 1.68-8.40, p < 0.001, OR: 2.70, CI: 1.41-2.01, p < 0.013, and OR: 1.68, CI: 1.41-2.01, p < 0.0001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of sepsis related mortality appears to be increased when the 3rd day CRP value is greater than 100 mg/dL. Thus, CRP appears to be as valuable a predictor of mortality as the SOFA score.