Respiratory - CPAP Masks and Interfaces

Background There are limited data about the range of diseases, natural history, age-appropriate end-points and optimal care for children with pulmonary hypertension (PH), including the need for developing high-quality patient registries of children with diverse forms of PH to enhance care and research. Our objective was to characterise the distribution and clinical features of diseases associated with paediatric PH, including natural history, evaluation, therapeutic interventions and outcomes, as defined by the World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension (WSPH) classification. Methods 1475 patients were enrolled into a multisite registry across the Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension Network (PPHNet), comprised of eight interdisciplinary PH programmes. Results WSPH Groups 1 (pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)) and 3 (lung or hypoxia-related PH) were the most common primary class...

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Although mesenchymal stromal (stem) cell (MSC) administration attenuates sepsis-induced lung injury in pre-clinical models, the mechanism(s) of action and host immune system contributions to its therapeutic effects remain elusive. We show that treatment with MSCs decreased expression of host-derived microRNA (miR)-193b-5p and increased expression of its target gene, the tight junctional protein occludin (Ocln), in lungs from septic mice. Mutating the Ocln 3 untranslated region miR-193b-5p binding sequence impaired binding to Ocln mRNA. Inhibition of miR-193b-5p in human primary pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells prevents tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-induced decrease in Ocln gene and protein expression and loss of barrier function. MSC-conditioned media mitigated TNF-induced miR-193b-5p upregulation and Ocln downregulation in vitro . When administered in vivo , MSC-conditioned m...

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Background Recent World Health Organization guidance on drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment de-prioritised injectable agents, in use for decades, and endorsed all-oral longer regimens. However, questions remain about the role of the injectable agent, particularly in the context of regimens using new and repurposed drugs. We compared the effectiveness of an injectable-containing regimen to that of an all-oral regimen among patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis who received bedaquiline and/or delamanid as part of their multidrug regimen. Methods Patients with a positive baseline culture were included. 6-month culture conversion was defined as two consecutive negative cultures collected >15 days apart. We derived predicted probabilities of culture conversion and relative risk using marginal standardisation methods. Results Culture conversion was observed in 83.8% (5...

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Introduction Host lipids play important roles in tuberculosis (TB) pathogenesis. Whether host lipids at TB treatment initiation (baseline) affect subsequent treatment outcomes has not been well characterised. We used unbiased lipidomics to study the prospective association of host lipids with TB treatment failure. Methods A case–control study (n=192), nested within a prospective cohort study, was used to investigate the association of baseline plasma lipids with TB treatment failure among adults with pulmonary TB. Cases (n=46) were defined as TB treatment failure, while controls (n=146) were those without failure. Complex lipids and inflammatory lipid mediators were measured using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry techniques. Adjusted least-square regression was used to assess differences in groups. In addition, machine learning identified lipids with highest area unde...

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Background The clinical context for using blood eosinophil (EOS) counts as treatment–response biomarkers in asthma and COPD requires better understanding of EOS distributions and ranges. We describe EOS distributions and ranges published in asthma, COPD, control (non-asthma/COPD) and general populations. Methods We conducted a comprehensive literature review and meta-analysis of observational studies (January 2008 to November 2018) that included EOS counts in asthma, severe asthma, COPD, control and general populations. Excluded studies had total sample sizes <200, EOS as inclusion criterion, hospitalised population only and exclusively paediatric participants. Results Overall, 91 eligible studies were identified, most had total-population-level data available: asthma (39 studies), severe asthma (12 studies), COPD (23 studies), control (seven studies) and general popu...

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Background Reduction in glucocorticoid exposure is the primary benefit of new biologic treatments in severe asthma, but there is currently no evidence that reduction in glucocorticoid exposure corresponds to a proportionate reduction in associated toxicity. Objectives To use the validated Glucocorticoid Toxicity Index (GTI) to assess change in glucocorticoid toxicity after 12 months treatment with mepolizumab, and compare toxicity change to glucocorticoid reduction and change in patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Methods A longitudinal, real-world prospective cohort of 101 consecutive patients with severe asthma commenced on mepolizumab in a specialist UK regional severe asthma clinic. GTI toxicity assessment, cumulative glucocorticoid exposure and PROMs were recorded on commencing mepolizumab (V1), and after 12 months treatment (V2). Results There was si...

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Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is a relatively new construct, first reported in the early 20th century, despite major aetiological factors (farming, bird husbandry) having been part of human activities for millennia. Initial confirmed HP reports included exposure to farming and forestry (1932) and bird exposure (1965), much more recently than is often assumed. Later changes in occupational and living practices have led to HP associated with isocyanates, machine coolants, indoor mould, hot tubs and other exposures. Evolution of our pathological understanding of interstitial lung disease in general, wider computed tomography utilisation and advances in immunology and genomics have shaped our modern conceptualisation of HP. Examining historical accounts of HP and its causative factors not only considers when the first cases were recognised, but also explores why the disease emerged at s...

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