Pulmonology Commons^™

Inotropic Score And Vasoactive Inotropic Score As Predictors Of Outcomes In Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: A Single Center Retrospective Study, Srirupa Hari Gopal, Cynthia L Toy, Morcos Hanna, Betul Yilmaz Furtun, Joseph L Hagan, Ahmed A Nassr, Caraciolo J Fernandes, Sundeep Keswani, Sharada H Gowda

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Neonates with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) have varying degrees of pulmonary hypoplasia, pulmonary hypertension (PH) and cardiac dysfunction. These neonates frequently require vasoactive support and are at high risk for mortality and morbidity, including prolonged ventilator support, need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), prolonged length of stay, and need for tracheostomy. However, identifying which infants are at increased risk can be challenging. In this study, we sought to investigate the utility of the inotropic score (IS) and vasoactive inotropic score (VIS) as tools to predict significant clinical outcomes and overall survival in patients with CDH. Additionally, we evaluated the …

Diagnostic Accuracy Of Different Cut-Off Values Of Adenosine Deaminase Levels In Tuberculous Pleural Effusion, Kiran Iqbal Masood, Shayan Shahid, Kauser Jabeen, Joveria Farooqi, Sabeika Raza Kerawala, Muhammad Irfan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Objective: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of different cut-off values of pleural fluid adenosine deaminase levels as a diagnostic method for tuberculous pleural effusion.
Method: The prospective study was conducted from 2014 to 2016 at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised pleural fluid samples of adult patients with and without tuberculosis which were tested for adenosine deaminase levels, and divided into tuberculosis group A and non-tuberculosis group B. Sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value and positive predictive value were calculated using different cut-offs. Data was analysed using IBM SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 21.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, …

Case Report: Selexipag In Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension: Initiation, Transition, And Titration, Jenna M Faircloth, Neelam D Bhatt, Corey A Chartan, Ryan D Coleman, Natalie Villafranco, Fadel E Ruiz, Raysa Morales-Demori, Elise Whalen, Erin Ely, Rozmeen Fombin, Nidhy P Varghese

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Selexipag, a selective prostacyclin receptor agonist, is approved for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension in WHO Group 1 adult patients. Compared to parenteral prostacyclin formulations, selexipag offers a significant improvement in patient’s and caregiver’s quality of life because of its oral formulation, frequency of administration, and mechanism of action. Although experience in the pediatric population is limited and selexipag is not FDA-approved for use in the pediatric pulmonary hypertension population, many US pediatric centers are expanding the use of this therapy to this younger population. We report our institution's experience in the use of selexipag to treat pulmonary hypertension in children …

Respiratory Function Changes As Early Signs Of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Mario Polverino, Simone Sampaolo, Antonio Capuozzo, Marco Fasolino, Michele Aliberti, Ersilia Satta, Carlo Santoriello, James Peter Orengo, Francesca Polverino

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The current diagnostic criteria for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may remain unsatisfactory for months or years in the early disease. Pulmonary assessment has never been considered useful in the early diagnosis of ALS, and studies of pulmonary function in this patient category are lacking.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess the pulmonary function in subjects with unspecific symptoms of ALS in whom an ALS diagnosis cannot be reached based on the current available guidelines.

METHODS: We performed pulmonary function tests, arterial gas analysis, maximal inspiratory (MIP) and expiratory (MEP) pressure, and respiratory drive (P0.1) assessment in …

Myeloid-Associated Differentiation Marker Is Associated With Type 2 Asthma And Is Upregulated By Human Rhinovirus Infection, Sasipa Tanyaratsrisakul, Alane Blythe C Dy, Francesca Polverino, Mari Numata, Julie G Ledford

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Human rhinoviruses are known to predispose infants to asthma development during childhood and are often associated with exacerbations in asthma patients. MYADM epithelial expression has been shown to associate with asthma severity. The goal of this study was to determine if MYADM expression patterns were altered in asthma and/or rhinovirus infection and if increased MYADM expression is associated with increased asthma-associated factors.

METHODS: Utilizing H1HeLa cells and differentiated primary human airway epithelial cells (AECs), we measured the expression of MYADM and inflammatory genes by qRT-PCR in the presence or absence of RV-1B infection or poly I:C treatment and with …

Lower Respiratory Illnesses In Childhood Are Associated With The Presence Of Air Trapping In Early Adulthood, Francesca Polverino, Debra A Stern, Eric M Snyder, Courtney Wheatley-Guy, Surya P Bhatt, Fernando D Martinez, Stefano Guerra, Wayne J Morgan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Several factors occurring in early life, including lower respiratory tract illnesses (LRIs), are involved in determining lung structure and function in adulthood, but the effects of these factors on lung development remain largely unknown. Hereby, we evaluated the parameters from computed tomography (CT) scans performed at the age of 26 years in 39 subjects from the birth cohort of the Tucson Children's Respiratory Study (TCRS) in order to determine the relationship between early childhood factors and lung structural changes in young adult life. We found that participants with LRIs in childhood had increased air trapping at the age of 26 …

Cc16 Drives Vla-2-Dependent Splunc1 Expression, Natalie Iannuzo, Holly Welfley, Nicholas C Li, Michael D L Johnson, Joselyn Rojas-Quintero, Francesca Polverino, Stefano Guerra, Xingnan Li, Darren A Cusanovich, Paul R Langlais, Julie G Ledford

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

RATIONALE: CC16 (Club Cell Secretory Protein) is a protein produced by club cells and other non-ciliated epithelial cells within the lungs. CC16 has been shown to protect against the development of obstructive lung diseases and attenuate pulmonary pathogen burden. Despite recent advances in understanding CC16 effects in circulation, the biological mechanisms of CC16 in pulmonary epithelial responses have not been elucidated.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine if CC16 deficiency impairs epithelial-driven host responses and identify novel receptors expressed within the pulmonary epithelium through which CC16 imparts activity.

METHODS: We utilized mass spectrometry and quantitative proteomics to investigate how CC16 deficiency …

Integrative Metabolomics And Transcriptomics Analysis Reveals Novel Therapeutic Vulnerabilities In Lung Cancer, Jose Thaiparambil, Jianrong Dong, Sandra L Grimm, Dimuthu Perera, Chandra Shekar R Ambati, Vasanta Putluri, Matthew J Robertson, Tajhal D Patel, Brandon Mistretta, Preethi H Gunaratne, Min P Kim, Jason T Yustein, Nagireddy Putluri, Cristian Coarfa, Randa El-Zein

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) comprises the majority (~85%) of all lung tumors, with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) being the most frequently diagnosed histological subtypes. Multi-modal omics profiling has been carried out in NSCLC, but no studies have yet reported a unique metabolite-related gene signature and altered metabolic pathways associated with LUAD and LUSC.

METHODS: We integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics to analyze 30 human lung tumors and adjacent noncancerous tissues. Differential co-expression was used to identify modules of metabolites that were altered between normal and tumor.

RESULTS: We identified unique metabolite-related gene signatures specific for …

Alveolar Macrophages In Lung Cancer: Opportunities Challenges, Cheng-Yen Chang, Dominique Armstrong, David B Corry, Farrah Kheradmand

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are critical components of the innate defense mechanism in the lung. Nestled tightly within the alveoli, AMs, derived from the yolk-sac or bone marrow, can phagocytose foreign particles, defend the host against pathogens, recycle surfactant, and promptly respond to inhaled noxious stimuli. The behavior of AMs is tightly dependent on the environmental cues whereby infection, chronic inflammation, and associated metabolic changes can repolarize their effector functions in the lungs. Several factors within the tumor microenvironment can re-educate AMs, resulting in tumor growth, and reducing immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) efficacy in patients treated for non-small cell lung cancer …

Suspected Interstitial Lung Disease In Copdgene Study, Jonathan A Rose, Aravind A Menon, Takuya Hino, Akinori Hata, Mizuki Nishino, David A Lynch, Ivan O Rosas, Souheil El-Chemaly, Benjamin A Raby, Samuel Y Ash, Bina Choi, George R Washko, Edwin K Silverman, Michael H Cho, Hiroto Hatabu, Rachel K Putman, Gary M Hunninghake

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Rationale

Although interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA), specific patterns of incidentally-detected abnormal density on computed tomography, have been associated with abnormal lung function and increased mortality, it is unclear if a subset with incidental interstitial lung disease (ILD) accounts for these adverse consequences.

Objectives

To define the prevalence and risk factors of suspected ILD and assess outcomes.

Methods

Suspected ILD was evaluated in the COPDGene (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Genetic Epidemiology) study, defined as ILA and at least one additional criterion: definite fibrosis on computed tomography, FVC less than 80% predicted, or DL_CO less than 70% predicted. Multivariable linear, longitudinal, …

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis: Circulating Levels Of Fgf23 And Pulmonary Diffusion, Anthony J Esposito, Jewel Imani, Shikshya Shrestha, Shefali Bagwe, Anthony M Lamattina, Marina Vivero, Hilary J Goldberg, Ivan O Rosas, Elizabeth P Henske, Souheil Y El-Chemaly

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare, destructive disease of the lungs with a limited number of determinants of disease activity, which are a critical need for clinical trials. FGF23 has been implicated in several chronic pulmonary diseases. We aimed to determine the association between serum FGF23 levels and pulmonary function in a cohort of patients with LAM.

METHODS: This was a descriptive single-center study in which subjects with LAM and controls with unreported lung disease were recruited. Serum FGF23 levels were measured in all subjects. Clinical data, including pulmonary function testing, were retrospectively obtained from electronic medical records of LAM …

A Rare Case Of Isolated Thoracic Al-Amyloidoma Causing Complete Atelectasis Of The Right Lung, Smruti Rath, Nicholas Joseph Dcunha, Neel Bhan, Bettye Cox, Muhammad Adrish

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Tumoral amyloidosis, or amyloidoma, is a benign, but rare form of amyloidosis that has been reported with a favorable prognosis following surgical resection in some case reports. We present a case of acute on chronic respiratory failure secondary to extensive growth of a thoracic amyloidoma causing atelectasis of the right lung. Our case patient had greater morbidity due to late presentation and extensive disease at diagnosis, precluding any surgical intervention. Radiation therapy and medical management were unsuccessful in reducing disease burden. Early diagnosis and detection are pivotal to improving survival in patients with isolated thoracic amyloidoma.

Innate Immune Cell Dysfunction And Systemic Inflammation In Children With Chronic Liver Diseases Undergoing Transplantation, Krupa R Mysore, Sunil Kannanganat, Jeremy M Schraw, Philip J Lupo, John A Goss, Kenneth D R Setchell, Farrah Kheradmand, Xian C Li, Benjamin L Shneider

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Advanced liver diseases (ALD) can affect immune function and compromise host defense against infections. In this study, we examined the phenotypic and functional alterations in circulating monocyte and dendritic cells (DCs) in children with ALD undergoing liver transplantation (LT). Children were stratified into 2 clusters, C1 (mild) and C2 (severe), on the basis of laboratory parameters of ALD and compared with healthy pediatric controls. Children in C2 had a significant reduction in frequencies of nonclassical monocytes and myeloid DCs. Children in C2 displayed monocyte and DC dysfunction, characterized by lower human leucocyte antigen DR expression and reduced interleukin 12 production, …