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Introduction: Pidotimod, a synthetic dipeptide molecule with biological and immunological activities, is used to reduce the number of exacerbations or pneumonitis in patients with inflammatory diseases. In the present study, we investigated whether Pidotimod modifies the metabolomic pathways measured in the exhaled breath condensate (EBC) of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectatic patients (NCFB). Materials and Methods: We analyzed 40 adult patients affected by NCFB. They were randomly selected to receive Pidotimod 800 mg b/d for 21 consecutive days (3 weeks) per month for 6 months (20 patients, V1 group) or no drug (20 patients, V0 group), with a 1:1 criterion and then followed as outpatients. Results: EBC samples were collected from all patients at baseline and after 6 months. They were investigated by combined nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and multivariate statistical analysis to uncover metabolic differences between EBC from NCFB patients before and after therapy with Pidotimod. Pulmonary function test and pulmonary exacerbations were analyzed at baseline and at the end of Pidotimod therapy. The EBC metabolites were all identified, and through statistical evaluation, we were able to discriminate the two samples' classes, with acetate, acetoin, lactate, and citrate as statistically significant discriminatory metabolites. The model vas validated by using a blind set of 20 NCFB samples, not included in the primary analysis. No differences were observed in PFT after 6 months. At the end of the study, there was a significant decrease of exacerbation rate in V1 group as compared with V0 group, with a substantial reduction of the number of mild or severe exacerbations (p < 0.001). Discussion: Pidotimod modifies the respiratory metabolic phenotype ("metabotype") of NCFB patients and reduces the number of exacerbations.
RESUMO
Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis (PAM) is a rare disorder of unknown etiology affecting people at any age. It is characterized by multiple and microscopic calcium deposits diffusely localized within the alveoli. Thorax high-resolution computed tomography is considered the gold standard for PAM imaging. Herein we report for the first time the use of trans-thoracic ultrasound (TUS) examination in a young severely obese PAM female patient, diagnosed at the age of 10, and referred to our clinic for re-staging purposes at the age of 36. Unlike expected, no reverberation or additional artifacts were appreciated on TUS examination despite the severity of the interstitial/alveolar involvement seen on conventional CT imaging. To date, no ring-down or comet-tail artifacts were detected. The only TUS finding was an increased thickness and irregular profile, more evident in the dorsal lower lung regions, of the hyper-echoic pleural line. TUS has recently aroused increasing interest among clinicians and radiologists as a useful noninvasive diagnostic tool for studying pleuro-pulmonary diseases, including interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). The peculiarity of our case is represented by the discrepancy between TUS and CT findings. Further efforts to address the usefulness and US patterns in diffuse ILDs, with the inclusion of rare disorders, are needed.