Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0023890 (cirrhosis)
 42,195 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Various types of non-tuberculous mycobacteria can be the aetiologic factors of chronic lung infections especially in patients with underlying chronic lung diseases. The aim of this study is to present the cases of pulmonary mycobacterioses observed in Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases in the years 1995-2001. There were 23 patients, 12 men and 11 women in the age between 35-77 years, mean 56 years. 16 out of 23 patients had underlying respiratory problems, mainly healed tuberculosis (7) and COPD (6). Two additional patients suffered from other diseases with potential immunosuppression (leukopenia). In 5 patients no disease other than mycobacteriosis was found, but they were chronic smokers. In 19 cases cough and expectoration of purulent sputum lasting from several months to several years was observed. In 5 patients onset of disease was acute or subacute with high fever. Eight patients had haemoptysis. In chest X-ray pathological lesions including (18 cases) lung cirrhosis (10) and cavities (15) were found. In 4 cases disseminated bronchiectases with small nodules were the main radiologic feature. Mycobacteriosis was caused by M. kansasii in 11 cases, by M. intracellularae in 6, by M. xenopi in 5 and by M. scrofulaceum in 1 case.
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PMID:[Pulmonary mycobacterioses--frequency of occurrence, clinical spectrum and predisposing factors]. 1288 64

The Rainey Hospice House, South Carolina's first stand-alone inpatient facility opened in September 1998. During the year 2000, 220 inpatients were served in the house. Patients ranged in age from 23 to 107 years old (average age 73). Cancer was the most common hospice diagnosis, followed by congestive heart failure, cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease, dementia, cirrhosis, renal failure, and COPD. Thirty-three percent of patients were in the program less than ten days. Over 98 percent of deaths under hospice care were described as peaceful. During 2000, our outpatients and our inpatients were similar in age, insurance coverage, diagnoses, and time in the program. Inpatient hospice is highly valued by families and patients alike. It is especially useful for the following patients: those with uncontrolled symptoms, those with exhausted care givers, those with no caregivers, those who require total care, and those very close to death. The symptoms most likely to precipitate inpatient admission include pain, nausea, confusion, and agitation. Given the graying of South Carolina's population and the increase in outpatient hospice care, more areas of the state will need inpatient facilities in the future.
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PMID:Comfort always. The Rainey Hospice House: South Carolina's first inpatient hospice. 1450 98

Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) is a protein that prevents enzymes such as elastin from degrading normal host tissue. Individuals who are deficient in AAT (those with levels < 11 micromol/L) are at risk for developing such clinical manifestations as emphysema, cirrhosis, panniculitis, and anticytoplasmic neutrophilic antibody (C-ANCA)-positive vasculitis (Wegener's granulomatosis). Estimates suggest that 75 to 85% of those with severe deficiency of AAT will develop emphysema. Smoking appears to be the most important risk factor for the development of emphysema among AAT deficient persons. Severe deficiency of AAT also seems to be associated with a shorter lifespan. Among smokers, mild to moderate reductions in AAT levels may be associated with a more rapid decline in lung function. Diagnosis of AAT deficiency is made by measuring serum levels of AAT and, if reduced, an effort should then be made to identify the genetic abnormality responsible for the reduction. A recent evidence-based review has offered testing recommendations for AAT deficiency and includes the recommendation that all patients with COPD be tested for AAT deficiency. Augmentation with an intravenous form of purified pooled human plasma has been shown to increase the serum levels of AAT among deficient patients and its use appears to impact the rate of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV (1)) decline and overall survival; to date, no confirmatory, large, prospective, randomized trials are available.
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PMID:A review of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. 1608 34

Polysaccharide 23 valent pneumococcal vaccine commercially available from 1983 includes 23 serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae, representing near 90% of strains involved in invasive pneumococcal disease in immune competent adults. Vaccine confers protection against invasive pneumococcal disease. Immunization is recommended in adults over 65 years old, in patients affected by chronic diseases (cardiopathies, COPD, nephropathies, diabetes mellitus, hepatic cirrhosis, chronic breakage in brain-blood barrier, functional or anatomical asplenia, alcoholism), in immunocompromised hosts, including HIV infection, chemotherapy treatment and hematological malignancies. Influenza vaccine is prepared with particulated antigens, including two influenza A strains and one influenza B strain, selected according to influenza epidemiological worldwide surveillance the year before. On account of continuous antigenic changes (drifts), it is necessary to modify the vaccine antigen's composition yearly. Cost/effectiveness evaluation has confirmed the efficacy of influenza vaccine in reducing morbidity and mortality associated to influenza epidemic and health economical resources involved in patient care. Besides, clinical trials have confirmed that immunization reduces the risk of acquiring pneumonia, of hospitalization and death in elderly people during the influenza epidemic, when vaccine antigenic composition is similar to the circulating strains. Vaccination is recommended annually in healthy adults over 65 years old, in patients with chronic diseases (cardiopathies, COPD, nephropathies, diabetes mellitus, hepatic cirrhosis, chronic breakage of blood-brain barrier, functional or anatomical asplenia, alcoholism). It is also recommended in women who will be in the second or third trimester of pregnancy during the influenza season, in immunocompromised hosts, in institutionalized patients (geriatrics), health care workers, and travelers to geographical areas that are affected by the influenza epidemic.
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PMID:[Prevention of community-acquired pneumonia in adults]. 1616 21

It has been suggested that neuroleptic medication may decrease cancer risk. We compared cancer risks in a population-based cohort study of 25,264 users (>or=2 prescriptions) of neuroleptic medications in the county of North Jutland, Denmark, during 1989-2002, with that of county residents who did not receive such prescriptions. Statistical analyses were based on age-standardisation and Poisson regression analysis, adjusting for age, calendar period, COPD, liver cirrhosis or alcoholism, use of NSAID, and, for breast cancer, additionally for use of hormone therapy, age at first birth, and number of children. Use of neuroleptic medications was associated with a decreased risk for rectal cancer in both women and men (adjusted IRRs of 0.61 (95% confidence interval, 0.41-0.91) and 0.82 (0.56-1.19), respectively) and for colon cancer in female users (0.78; 0.62-0.98). Some risk reduction was seen for prostate cancer (0.87; 0.69-1.08), but breast cancer risk was close to unity (0.93; 0.74-1.17). Overall, treatment with neuroleptic medications was not related to a reduced risk of cancer, but for cancers of the rectum, colon and prostate there were suggestive decreases in risk.
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PMID:Cancer risk among users of neuroleptic medication: a population-based cohort study. 1692 36

The archetypal status of alpha(1)-antitrypsin in biology and medicine grew from the finding, thirty years ago, by Carl-Bertil Laurell, of the association of its deficiency with emphysema. In biology, alpha(1)-antitrypsin now provides the model for both the structure and the remarkable mechanism of the serpin protease inhibitors that control the key proteolytic pathways of the body. In medicine, the plasma deficiency of alpha(1)-antitrypsin has drawn attention to protease-antiprotease imbalance as a contributory cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. But even more significantly, the finding that the common genetic deficiency of alpha(1)-antitrypsin was also associated with the development of liver cirrhosis introduced the new entity of the conformational diseases. The proposal that the same general mechanism was responsible for the best known of the conformational diseases, the common late-onset dementias, was controversial. It was vindicated however by the recent finding that a mutation, which results in the liver aggregation of alpha(1)-antitrypsin, also results in a typical late-onset dementia when it occurs in a brain-specific homologue of alpha(1)-antitrypsin. The extensive development of such diverse fields of studies, each based on alpha(1)-antitrypsin, is a measure of the encouragement Laurell gave to younger colleagues in the field. It also reflects the great advantage of linked contributions from clinical as well as basic sciences. Time after time, scientific controversies and deadlocks have been solved by landmark clinical cases, which have revealed unexpected findings and insights, within and beyond the fields of study.
COPD 2004 Apr
PMID:What we owe to alpha(1)-antitrypsin and to Carl-Bertil Laurell. 1699 40

Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is the one of the complication of liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension, irrespective of etiology, age and sex. It has also been observed in non cirrhotic portal hypertension and in acute hepatic conditions. Presence of hypoxemia or abnormal alveolar arterial oxygen tension with intrapulmonary vasodilation in liver cirrhosis is termed as HPS. Contrast echocardiogram is the better screening tool to demonstrate intrapulmonary shunt. Clinicians should be aware of other common chronic pulmonary and cardiac comorbid conditions, in particular COPD, tuberculosis, bronchial asthma and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, etc. which may coexist with HPS. There is no specific clinical finding to diagnose but digital clubbing, cyanosis, dyspnoea, platypnoea, and spider naevi are more common among cirrhosis with HPS. The presence of HPS independently worsens prognosis of cirrhosis. Even though number of mechanisms have been proposed to explain arterial hypoxemia in HPS, role of nitric oxide is the major one along with cytokines. Liver transplantation is the choice of treatment though mortality is comparatively high. There is no still effective recommended medical therapy to reverse this condition and anti cytokine/ nitric oxide inhibitors, etc are under preliminary stage.
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PMID:Hepatopulmonary syndrome - past to present. 1778 38

alpha1-Antitrypsin is the prototypical member of the serine proteinase inhibitor or serpin superfamily of proteins. The family includes alpha1-antichymotrypsin, C1 inhibitor, antithrombin and neuroserpin, which are all linked by a common molecular structure and the same suicidal mechanism for inhibiting their target enzymes. Point mutations result in an aberrant conformational transition and the formation of polymers that are retained within the cell of synthesis. The intracellular accumulation of polymers of mutant alpha1-antitrypsin and neuroserpin results in a toxic gain-of-function phenotype associated with cirrhosis and dementia respectively. The lack of important inhibitors results in overactivity of proteolytic cascades and diseases such as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) (alpha1-antitrypsin and alpha1-antichymotrypsin), thrombosis (antithrombin) and angio-oedema (C1 inhibitor). We have grouped these conditions that share the same underlying disease mechanism together as the serpinopathies. In the present review, the molecular and pathophysiological basis of alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency and other serpinopathies are considered, and we show how understanding this unusual mechanism of disease has resulted in the development of novel therapeutic strategies.
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PMID:alpha1-Antitrypsin deficiency, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the serpinopathies. 1942 46

Every year, chronic illnesses result in significant costs, disability and deaths. Efforts to understand the causes, treatments and management possibilities for chronic illnesses are ongoing. Some chronic conditions, including addictions, obesity, mental health circumstances, COPD and cirrhosis, have been identified as health conditions with social and interpersonal etiologies. Recent research documents that these conditions are related to adverse early life experience; treatment and prevention of these chronic conditions remains challenging. Concurrent research investigating forgiveness interventions has been reported in the counseling therapy literature, which may have enormous personal and public health impact.
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PMID:Forgiveness therapy: a clinical intervention for chronic disease. 2017 85

Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) is a clinical marker of biliary disease, but is also of importance in anti-oxidant metabolic pathways and, consequently, is a potential biomarker of oxidative stress in COPD. Serum GGT is increased in alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) but this could reflect a hepatic, systemic or pulmonary origin. We aimed to investigate the relationship between serum GGT, lung disease, liver disease and mortality in subjects with AATD. Serum GGT was measured at the baseline assessment in 334 PiZ subjects from the UK AATD registry, and related to static lung function, chronic bronchitis, sputum purulence, history of acute exacerbations, smoking status, mortality, alcohol consumption, cirrhosis and serum markers of liver disease. GGT correlated with airflow obstruction and was associated with chronic bronchitis. GGT levels were higher in current smokers compared with ex-smokers and never smokers, and in non-survivors compared with survivors. Although GGT related to alcohol consumption and established liver disease, it was independently related to FEV(1), mortality, smoking history and male gender. In conclusion, although serum GGT reflects the presence of liver disease it is independently associated with airflow obstruction and mortality. Further studies are needed to establish the role of GGT in oxidative lung injury, and its use as a potential biomarker in chronic inflammatory lung disease.
COPD 2010 Apr
PMID:Studies of gamma-glutamyl transferase in alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. 2039 13


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