Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0034067 (emphysema)
 11,506 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The authors review the recent changes observed in the indications for lung transplantation. Several classical contra-indications have been alleviated or even cancelled. Chronic infection presenting as cystic fibrosis has become one of the first indications for lung replacement. Respirator-dependent patients are at an operative risk comparable to the overall results. Long-term corticosteroid therapy and pleural adhesions are no longer formal contraindications but should be approached with extreme caution. In recent years, single lung transplantation has been extended to diseases, such as emphysema and pulmonary hypertension, which were formerly indications for double-lung or heart-lung transplantation. The reasons for this include donor shortage and the better 1-year survival following single lung transplantation. The most recent development is paediatric lung transplantation. The legitimacy of redo transplantation is controversial.
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PMID:[Lung transplantation. Contraindications and new indications]. 851 Oct 81

Chlamydia pneumoniae has been detected in atherosclerotic plaques by various means. Chlamydiae are able to cause persistent infections. Serologically elevated antibody titers are found in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In atherosclerosis and pulmonary emphysema, inflammatory reactions can be seen by means of light microscopy. Specimens from patients with obliterative arteriosclerosis undergoing thrombendarteriectomy and with advanced emphysema undergoing lung volume reduction surgery were examined using scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy, and using immunofluorescence with monoclonal antibodies and antiserum against chlamydiae. SEM shows spherical bodies (SBs) with a diameter from 0.3 microm to 0.6 microm on the surface of the alveoli and bronchioles, as well as in atherosclerotic plaques. In atherosclerosis and emphysema, SBs reveal a double membrane, adherence to collagen fibers, tissue destruction, as well as intracellular and interstitial localization in TEM. They show in parts a densely packed central structure. SBs are seen both in alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency emphysema and smoker's emphysema. Using immunofluorescence microscopy, spots are seen in corresponding distributions to the SBs. Morphological findings are typical for aberrant chlamydiae seen in persistent infections. Chronic infection and bacterial colonization associated with progressive disease seems to be relevant not only in atherosclerosis but also in pulmonary emphysema.
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PMID:The role of chlamydia in the pathogenesis of pulmonary emphysema. Electron microscopy and immunofluorescence reveal corresponding findings as in atherosclerosis. 1099 81

Smoking is the major risk factor for the development of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), but epidemiological data suggest that other etiological factors may also be involved. Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn) is an established cause of acute and chronic upper and lower respiratory tract infections. Data obtained from in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that Cpn infection can be involved in the development of both small airways disease and emphysema, the two major components of COPD. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible association between chronic Cpn infection and COPD. The study population was comprised of 199 consecutive patients who underwent bronchoscopy due to longstanding airway symptoms and for whom spirometry and serum samples for serology were available. Acute and convalescent sera were analysed for specific IgG and IgA Cpn antibodies using microimmunofluorescence. Chronic Cpn infection, defined as persistent elevated titres of IgA > or = 1/64, was present in 85 patients. Chronic infection was associated with smoking and higher age, but no gender difference was observed. Thirty patients had COPD, defined as FEV1/FVC < 70% without any features of asthma. Patients with COPD were older than those without, and there was no association with gender in this group. A statistically significant association, remaining after correction for smoking, was observed between chronic Cpn infection and COPD, and there was a trend for decreasing lung function with increasing antibody titres. The results suggest that chronic Cpn infection may be an independent risk factor for the development of COPD.
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PMID:Chronic Chlamydia pneumoniae infection is a risk factor for the development of COPD. 1567 44

CF lung disease is characterized by a chronic and non-resolving activation of the innate immune system with excessive release of chemokines/cytokines including IL-8 and persistent infiltration of immune cells, mainly neutrophils, into the airways. Chronic infection and impaired immune response eventually lead to pulmonary damage characterized by bronchiectasis, emphysema, and lung fibrosis. As a complete knowledge of the pathways responsible for the exaggerated inflammatory response in CF lung disease is lacking, understanding these pathways could reveal new therapeutic targets, and lead to novel treatments. Therefore, there is a strong rationale for the identification of mechanisms and pathways underlying the exaggerated inflammatory response in CF lung disease. This article reviews the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of CF lung disease, with a focus on the dysregulated signaling involved in the overexpression of chemokine IL-8 and excessive recruitment of neutrophils in CF airways. The findings suggest that targeting the exaggerated IL-8/IL-8 receptor (mainly CXCR2) signaling pathway in immune cells (especially neutrophils) may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for CF lung disease.
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PMID:Dysregulated Chemokine Signaling in Cystic Fibrosis Lung Disease: A Potential Therapeutic Target. 2664 71