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Autoantibodies to Plasminogen and Their Role in Tumor Diseases.

Autoantibodies to Plasminogen and Their Role in Tumor Diseases.

Bull Exp Biol Med. 2015 Feb 24;

Authors: Goufman EI, Yakovlev VN, Tikhonova NB, Aisina RB, Yarygin KN, Mukhametova LI, Gershkovich KB, Gulin DA

Abstract
Plasma level of IgG autoantibodies to plasminogen was measured by ELISA in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (n=25), prostatic cancer (n=17), lung cancer (n=15), and healthy volunteers (n=44). High levels of IgG to plasminogen were found in 2 (12%) of 17 healthy women, in 1 (3.6%) of 27 specimens in a healthy man, in 17 (68%) of 25 specimens in prostatic cancer, in 10 (59%) of 17 specimens in lung cancer, and in 5 (30%) of 15 specimens in benign prostatic hyperplasia. Comparison of plasma levels of anti-plasminogen IgG by affinity chromatography showed 3-fold higher levels in patients with prostatic cancer vs. healthy men.

PMID: 25708333 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Correlation between optic nerve involvement and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Correlation between optic nerve involvement and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Clin Ophthalmol. 2015;9:271-5

Authors: Mikaeili H, Yazdchi M, Solahaye Kahnamouii S, Sadeghi-Hokmabadi E, Mirnour R

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health problem worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the rate of optic neuropathy in COPD patients.
METHODS: Forty patients diagnosed with COPD and 60 healthy subjects as control group enrolled. After examination by a pulmonary subspecialist, patients were ranked by Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria, and patients with zero grades on GOLD criteria were excluded. Visual evoked potential by checkerboard (raster background) method with a frequency of 2 Hz were done for all participants. P-values less than 0.05 were considered as significant.
RESULTS: Fifty-five percent of COPD patients had visual evoked potential abnormalities. Mean P100 latency in both eyes was significantly longer in COPD patients. Average P100/N140 amplitude in both eyes were insignificantly higher in COPD.
CONCLUSION: Higher P100 latency in COPD patients shows demyelinating type of optic nerve involvement; however, further investigation in this area is needed.

PMID: 25709388 [PubMed]

Pulmonary Specialty Training to Improve Respiratory Health in Low and Middle Income Countries: Needs and Challenges.

Pulmonary Specialty Training to Improve Respiratory Health in Low and Middle Income Countries: Needs and Challenges.

Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2015 Feb 25;

Authors: Chakaya JM, Carter EJ, Hopewell PC

Abstract
It is estimated that 85% of the world's population lives in low and middle income countries. Although economic conditions are improving in these countries, health expenditures have not kept pace with the overall economic growth and health systems remain weak. These already inadequate systems are being further stressed by the epidemiologic transition that is taking place, characterized by a slow decrease in communicable diseases and an increase in noninfectious chronic diseases resulting in a "double burden" of infectious and noninfectious diseases. Respiratory diseases comprise the largest category of illness within this combined burden of disease. Although there are chronic respiratory disease programs of proven effectiveness appropriate for low and middle income countries, implementation has been greatly hampered by the lack of physicians who have special knowledge and skills in addressing the full spectrum of lung diseases. Thus, there is an urgent need to create training programs for specialists in respiratory diseases. Such programs should be developed and conducted by institutions in low and middle income countries and tailored to fit the prevailing circumstances of the country. Existing curriculum blueprints may be used to guide training program development with appropriate modifications. Academic institutions and professional societies in high-income countries may be called upon to provide technical assistance in developing and implementing training programs. In addition, to better define the burden of respiratory diseases and identify effective interventions, research, moved forward by persons committed and specialized in this area of health, will be essential.

PMID: 25714500 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Anti-inflammatory effects of atorvastatin treatment in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A controlled pilot study.

Observational studies have suggested that statins may have beneficial effects on outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. These effects may be mediated through an anti-inflammatory effect of statins.

The purpose of this pilot-study was to determine whether statins have an anti-inflammatory effect on the lungs of COPD patients.

We conducted randomized, controlled, parallel group pilot-study to compare the effects of atorvastatin (n=12) or placebo (n=6) on lung inflammation in patients with mild to moderate COPD. The primary endpoint was change in CD45+ cells expression measured by immunohistochemistry and changes in expression of genes measured using microarrays in lung biopsy (TBB) samples before and after 12 weeks of treatment with atorvastatin 40 mg/day. All subjects had spirometry, lung volumes, diffusing capacity of the lungsfor carbon monoxide (DLCO), St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), 6 minute walk distance (6MWD), serum lipids, hs-CRP, induced sputum (IS), bronchoscopy and TBB carried out at baseline and after treatment. TBB specimens were processed for histology, immunohistochemistry and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) profiling. Seventeen subjects completed the study.

There was a significant improvement in SGRQ with mean SGRQ decreased by 12 points after treatment with atorvastatin (P=0.012). Atorvastatin treatment produced a significant 34% reduction in sputum neutrophil count, and a 57% reduction in CD45+ cells in lung biopsies (expressed as integrated optical density -IOD; median IOD 62.51% before, 27.01% after atorvastatin treatment, P=0.008). In patients' lung tissue atorvastatin treatment produced downregulation of key genes involved in inflammatory processes, immune response, and leukocyte activation.

These data demonstrate the pulmonary anti-inflammatory effects of atorvastatin in COPD patients with the potential for beneficial clinical effects.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01748279.

DNA hypermethylation analysis in sputum for the diagnosis of lung cancer: training validation set approach.

Lung cancer has the highest mortality of all cancers. The aim of this study was to examine DNA hypermethylation in sputum and validate its diagnostic accuracy for lung cancer.

Methods:DNA hypermethylation of RASSF1A, APC, cytoglobin, 3OST2, PRDM14, FAM19A4 and PHACTR3 was analysed in sputum samples from symptomatic lung cancer patients and controls (learning set: 73 cases, 86 controls; validation set: 159 cases, 154 controls) by quantitative methylation-specific PCR.

Three statistical models were used: (i) cutoff based on Youden's J index, (ii) cutoff based on fixed specificity per marker of 96% and (iii) risk classification of post-test probabilities.

Results:In the learning set, approach (i) showed that RASSF1A was best able to distinguish cases from controls (sensitivity 42.5%, specificity 96.5%). RASSF1A, 3OST2 and PRDM14 combined demonstrated a sensitivity of 82.2% with a specificity of 66.3%. Approach (ii) yielded a combination rule of RASSF1A, 3OST2 and PHACTR3 (sensitivity 67.1%, specificity 89.5%). The risk model (approach iii) distributed the cases over all risk categories. All methods displayed similar and consistent results in the validation set.

Conclusions:Our findings underscore the impact of DNA methylation markers in symptomatic lung cancer diagnosis. RASSF1A is validated as diagnostic marker in lung cancer.British Journal of Cancer advance online publication, 26 February 2015; doi:10.1038/bjc.2014.636 www.bjcancer.com.

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