Respirology最新文献

Background and objective: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exhibits diverse patterns of disease progression, due to underlying disease activity. We hypothesized that changes in static hyperinflation or KCO % predicted would reveal subgroups with disease progression unidentified by preestablished markers (FEV₁, SGRQ, exacerbation history) and associated with unique baseline biomarker profiles. We explored 18-month measures of disease progression associated with 18-54-month mortality, including changes in hyperinflation parameters and transfer factor, in a large German COPD cohort.

Methods: Analysing data of 1364 patients from the German observational COSYCONET-cohort, disease progression and improvement patterns were assessed for their impact on mortality via Cox hazard regression models. Association of biomarkers and COPD Assessment test items with phenotypes of disease progression or improvement were evaluated using logistic regression and random forest models.

Results: Increased risk of 18-54-month mortality was linked to decrease in KCO % predicted (7.5% increments) and FEV₁ (20 mL increments), increase in RV/TLC (2% increments) and SGRQ (≥6 points), and an exacerbation grade of 2 at 18 months. Decrease in KCO % predicted ≥7.5% and an increase of RV/TLC ≥2% were the most frequent measures of 18-month disease progression occurring in ~52% and ~46% of patients, respectively. IL-6 and CRP thresholds exhibited significant associations with medium- and long-term disease measures.

Conclusion: In a multicentric cohort of COPD, new markers of current disease activity predicted mid-term mortality and could not be anticipated by baseline biomarkers.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant global health threat with high mortality and efforts to meet WHO End TB Strategy milestones are off-track. It has become clear that TB is not a dichotomous infection with latent and active forms but presents along a disease spectrum. Subclinical TB plays a larger role in transmission than previously thought. Aerosol studies have shown that undiagnosed TB patients, even with paucibacillary disease, can be highly infectious and significantly contribute to TB spread. Encouraging clinical results have been seen with the M72/AS01_E vaccine. If preliminary results can be confirmed in ongoing larger trials, modelling shows the vaccine can positively impact the epidemic. TB preventive therapy (TPT), especially for high-risk groups like people living with HIV and household contacts of drug-resistant TB patients, has shown efficacy but implementation is resource intensive. Treatment options for infectious patients have grown rapidly. New shorter, all-oral treatment regimens represent a breakthrough, but progress is threatened by rising resistance to bedaquiline. Many new chemical entities are entering clinical trials and raise hopes for all-new regimens that could overcome rising resistance rates to conventional agents. More research is needed on the management of complex cases, such as central nervous system TB and severe HIV-associated TB. Post-TB lung disease (PTLD) is an under-recognised but growing concern, affecting millions of survivors with lasting respiratory impairment and increased mortality. Continued investment in development of TB vaccines and therapeutics, treatment shortening, and management of TB sequelae is critical to combat this ongoing public health challenge.

Background and objective: The impact of lifetime body mass index (BMI) trajectories on adult lung function abnormalities has not been investigated previously. We investigated associations of BMI trajectories from childhood to mid-adulthood with lung function deficits and COPD in mid-adulthood.

Methods: Five BMI trajectories (n = 4194) from age 5 to 43 were identified in the Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study. Lung function outcomes were defined using spirometry at 45 and 53 years. Associations between these BMI trajectories and lung function outcomes were investigated using multivariable regression.

Results: Compared to the average BMI trajectory, the child's average-increasing BMI trajectory was associated with greater FVC decline from 45 to 53 years (β = -178 mL; 95% CI -300.6, -55.4), lower FRC, ERV and higher TLco at 45 years, lower FVC (-227 mL; -345.3, -109.1) and higher TLco at 53 years. The High BMI trajectory was also associated with lower FRC, ERV and higher TLco at 45 years, while spirometric restriction (OR = 6.9; 2.3, 21.1) and higher TLco at 53 years. The low BMI trajectory was associated with an obstructive picture: lower FEV₁ (-124 mL; -196.4, -51.4) and FVC (-91 mL; -173.4, -7.7), and FEV₁/FVC (-1.2%; -2.2, -0.1) and higher ERV and lower TLco at 45 and 53 years. A similar pattern was found at 53 years. No associations were observed with spirometrically defined COPD.

Conclusion: Our findings revealed contrasting lung function abnormalities were associated with high, subsequently increasing, and low BMI trajectories. These results emphasise the importance of tracking changes in BMI over time and the need to maintain an average BMI trajectory (BMI-Z-score 0 at each time point) throughout life.