-
Annals of Clinical Microbiology and... Mar 2022Olsenella uli is anaerobic or microaerophilic bacteria, commonly found in oral cavity or gastrointestinal tract, which has not been reported to be associated with lower...
BACKGROUND
Olsenella uli is anaerobic or microaerophilic bacteria, commonly found in oral cavity or gastrointestinal tract, which has not been reported to be associated with lower respiratory tract infection. Herein, we report the first case of Olsenella uli infection in the lung.
CASE PRESENTATION
A 70-year-old male farmer with no history of other respiratory tract diseases developed a cough with bloody sputum three times a day without obvious causes or other concomitant symptoms. After a period of treatment with empirical antibiotic, his condition did not improve. The computed tomography (CT) and lung biopsy results indicated bilateral pneumonia, and Olsenella uli was identified by micromorphology, sequence analysis and mass spectrometry analysis recovered from sputum. Ceftazidime, a third generation cephalosporin was used for the treatment, and the patient recovered after 10 days.
CONCLUSIONS
Our report suggests a causative role of gingival bacteria in the pathogenesis of pneumonia, thus early diagnosis and prompt antibiotic therapy may play a role in the treatment of Olsenella uli induced pneumonia.
Topics: Actinobacteria; Aged; Humans; Lung; Male; Pneumonia, Bacterial; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
PubMed: 35232448
DOI: 10.1186/s12941-022-00499-2 -
Respiratory Research Apr 2023Honeycombing is a histological pattern consistent with Usual Interstitial Pneumonia (UIP). Honeycombing refers to cystic airways located at sites of dense fibrosis with...
Honeycombing is a histological pattern consistent with Usual Interstitial Pneumonia (UIP). Honeycombing refers to cystic airways located at sites of dense fibrosis with marked mucus accumulation. Utilizing laser capture microdissection coupled mass spectrometry (LCM-MS), we interrogated the fibrotic honeycomb airway cells and fibrotic uninvolved airway cells (distant from honeycomb airways and morphologically intact) in specimens from 10 patients with UIP. Non-fibrotic airway cell specimens from 6 patients served as controls. Furthermore, we performed LCM-MS on the mucus plugs found in 6 patients with UIP and 6 patients with mucinous adenocarcinoma. The mass spectrometry data were subject to both qualitative and quantitative analysis and validated by immunohistochemistry. Surprisingly, fibrotic uninvolved airway cells share a similar protein profile to honeycomb airway cells, showing deregulation of the slit and roundabout receptor (Slit and Robo) pathway as the strongest category. We find that (BPI) fold-containing family B member 1 (BPIFB1) is the most significantly increased secretome-associated protein in UIP, whereas Mucin-5AC (MUC5AC) is the most significantly increased in mucinous adenocarcinoma. We conclude that fibrotic uninvolved airway cells share pathological features with fibrotic honeycomb airway cells. In addition, fibrotic honeycomb airway cells are enriched in mucin biogenesis proteins with a marked derangement in proteins essential for ciliogenesis. This unbiased spatial proteomic approach generates novel and testable hypotheses to decipher fibrosis progression.
Topics: Humans; Proteome; Proteomics; Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis; Lung
PubMed: 37005656
DOI: 10.1186/s12931-023-02400-x -
European Heart Journal. Acute... Oct 2021Lung ultrasound (LUS) relies on detecting artefacts, including A-lines and B-lines, when assessing dyspnoeic patients. A-lines are horizontal artefacts and characterize...
AIMS
Lung ultrasound (LUS) relies on detecting artefacts, including A-lines and B-lines, when assessing dyspnoeic patients. A-lines are horizontal artefacts and characterize normal lung, whereas multiple vertical B-lines are associated with increased lung density. We sought to assess the prevalence of A-lines and B-lines in patients with acute heart failure (AHF) and examine their clinical correlates and their relationship with outcomes.
METHODS AND RESULTS
In a prospective cohort study of adults with AHF, eight-zone LUS and echocardiography were performed early during the hospitalization and pre-discharge at an imaging depth of 18 cm. A- and B-lines were analysed separately off-line, blinded to clinical and outcome data. Of 164 patients [median age 71 years, 61% men, mean ejection fraction (EF) 40%], the sum of A-lines at baseline ranged from 0 to 19 and B-line number from 0 to 36. One hundred and fifty-six patients (95%) had co-existing A-lines and B-lines at baseline. Lower body mass index and lower chest wall thickness were associated with a higher number of A-lines (P trend < 0.001 for both). In contrast to B-lines, there was no significant change in the number of A-lines from baseline to discharge (median 6 vs. 5, P = 0.80). While B-lines were associated with 90-day HF readmission or death, A-lines were not [HR 1.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11-2.51 vs. HR 0.97, 95% CI 0.65-1.43].
CONCLUSIONS
A-lines and B-lines on LUS co-exist in the vast majority of hospitalized patients with AHF. In contrast to B-lines, A-lines were not associated with adverse outcomes.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Female; Heart Failure; Humans; Lung; Male; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Pulmonary Edema; Ultrasonography
PubMed: 34160009
DOI: 10.1093/ehjacc/zuab046 -
Disease Models & Mechanisms Jan 2022Alterations in metabolic pathways were recently recognized as potential underlying drivers of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), translating into novel therapeutic...
Alterations in metabolic pathways were recently recognized as potential underlying drivers of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), translating into novel therapeutic targets. However, knowledge of metabolic and lipid regulation in fibrotic lungs is limited. To comprehensively characterize metabolic perturbations in the bleomycin mouse model of IPF, we analyzed the metabolome and lipidome by mass spectrometry. We identified increased tissue turnover and repair, evident by enhanced breakdown of proteins, nucleic acids and lipids and extracellular matrix turnover. Energy production was upregulated, including glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, glutaminolysis, lactate production and fatty acid oxidation. Higher eicosanoid synthesis indicated inflammatory processes. Because the risk of IPF increases with age, we investigated how age influences metabolomic and lipidomic changes in the bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis model. Surprisingly, except for cytidine, we did not detect any significantly differential metabolites or lipids between old and young bleomycin-treated lungs. Together, we identified metabolomic and lipidomic changes in fibrosis that reflect higher energy demand, proliferation, tissue remodeling, collagen deposition and inflammation, which might serve to improve diagnostic and therapeutic options for fibrotic lung diseases in the future.
Topics: Animals; Bleomycin; Fibrosis; Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis; Lipidomics; Lung; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL
PubMed: 34845494
DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049105 -
Prognostic Role of Pulmonary Function in Patients With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction.Journal of the American Heart... Apr 2022Background Both ventilatory abnormalities and pulmonary hypertension (PH) are frequently observed in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. We aim...
Background Both ventilatory abnormalities and pulmonary hypertension (PH) are frequently observed in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. We aim to investigate the association between ventilatory abnormalities and PH in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, as well as their prognostic impacts. Methods and Results A total of 440 ambulatory patients (age, 66.2±15.8 years; 77% men) with left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40% who underwent comprehensive echocardiography and spirometry were enrolled. Total lung capacity, forced vital capacity, and forced expiratory volume in the first second were obtained. Pulmonary arterial systolic pressure was estimated. PH was defined as a pulmonary arterial systolic pressure of >50 mm Hg. The primary end point was all-cause mortality at 5 years. Patients with PH had significantly reduced total lung capacity, forced vital capacity, and forced expiratory volume in the first second. During a median follow-up of 25.9 months, there were 111 deaths. After accounting for age, sex, body mass index, renal function, smoking, left ventricular ejection fraction, and functional capacity, total lung capacity (hazard ratio [HR] per 1 SD, 0.66; 95% CI per 1 SD, 0.46-0.96), forced vital capacity (HR per 1 SD, 0.64; 95% CI per 1 SD, 0.48-0.84), and forced expiratory volume in the first second (HR per 1 SD, 0.72; 95% CI per 1 SD, 0.53-0.98) were all significantly correlated with mortality in patients without PH. Kaplan-Meier curve demonstrated impaired pulmonary function, defined as forced expiratory volume in the first second ≤58% of predicted or forced vital capacity ≤65% of predicted, was associated with higher mortality in patients without PH (HR, 2.85; 95% CI, 1.66-4.89), but not in patients with PH (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.61-1.82). Conclusions Ventilatory abnormality was more prevalent in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction with PH than those without. However, such ventilatory defects were related to long-term survival only in patients without PH, regardless of their functional status.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Female; Heart Failure; Humans; Lung; Male; Middle Aged; Prognosis; Stroke Volume; Ventricular Function, Left
PubMed: 35289186
DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.121.023422 -
Carbohydrate Research Jul 2021The viral infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 has increased the mortality rate and engaged several adverse effects on the affected individuals. Currently available antiviral... (Review)
Review
The viral infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 has increased the mortality rate and engaged several adverse effects on the affected individuals. Currently available antiviral drugs have found to be unsuccessful in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. The demand for efficient antiviral drugs has created a huge burden on physicians and health workers. Plasma therapy seems to be less accomplishable due to insufficient donors to donate plasma and low recovery rate from viral infection. Repurposing of antivirals has been evolved as a suitable strategy in the current treatment and preventive measures. The concept of drug repurposing represents new experimental approaches for effective therapeutic benefits. Besides, SARS-CoV-2 exhibits several complications such as lung damage, blood clot formation, respiratory illness and organ failures in most of the patients. Based on the accumulation of data, sulfated marine polysaccharides have exerted successful inhibition of virus entry, attachment and replication with known or unknown possible mechanisms against deadly animal and human viruses so far. Since the virus entry into the host cells is the key process, the prevention of such entry mechanism makes any antiviral strategy effective. Enveloped viruses are more sensitive to polyanions than non-enveloped viruses. Besides, the viral infection caused by RNA virus types embarks severe oxidative stress in the human body that leads to malfunction of tissues and organs. In this context, polysaccharides play a very significant role in providing shielding effect against the virus due to their polyanionic rich features and a molecular weight that hinders their reactive surface glycoproteins. Significantly the functional groups especially sulfate, sulfate pattern and addition, uronic acids, monosaccharides, glycosidic linkage and high molecular weight have greater influence in the antiviral activity. Moreover, they are very good antioxidants that can reduce the free radical generation and provokes intracellular antioxidant enzymes. Additionally, polysaccharides enable a host-virus immune response, activate phagocytosis and stimulate interferon systems. Therefore, polysaccharides can be used as candidate drugs, adjuvants in vaccines or combination with other antivirals, antioxidants and immune-activating nutritional supplements and antiviral materials in healthcare products to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Topics: Anticoagulants; Antiviral Agents; Blood Platelets; COVID-19; Humans; Immunologic Factors; Lung; Phaeophyceae; Polysaccharides; Pulmonary Embolism; Respiratory Insufficiency; Rhodophyta; SARS-CoV-2; Sulfuric Acid Esters; Virus Attachment; Virus Internalization; COVID-19 Drug Treatment
PubMed: 34015720
DOI: 10.1016/j.carres.2021.108326 -
Biomolecules Apr 2022Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a major component of the extracellular matrix. It is synthesized by hyaluronan synthases (HAS) into high-molecular-weight chains (HMW-HA) that... (Review)
Review
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a major component of the extracellular matrix. It is synthesized by hyaluronan synthases (HAS) into high-molecular-weight chains (HMW-HA) that exhibit anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory functions. In damaged, infected, and/or inflamed tissues, HMW-HA are degraded by hyaluronidases (HYAL) or reactive oxygen species (ROS) to give rise to low-molecular-weight HAs (LMW-HAs) that are potent pro-inflammatory molecules. Therefore, the size of HA regulates the balance of anti- or pro-inflammatory functions. The activities of HA depend also on its interactions with hyaladherins. HA synthesis, degradation, and activities through HA/receptors interactions define the hyaluronasome. In this review, a short overview of the role of high and low-molecular-weight HA polymers in the lungs is provided. The involvement of LMW-HA in pulmonary innate immunity via the activation of neutrophils, macrophages, dendritic cells, and epithelial cells is described to highlight LMW-HA as a therapeutic target in inflammatory respiratory diseases. Finally, the possibilities to counter LMW-HA's deleterious effects in the lungs are discussed.
Topics: Hyaluronan Receptors; Hyaluronic Acid; Immunity, Innate; Lung; Molecular Weight
PubMed: 35625586
DOI: 10.3390/biom12050658 -
Journal of Visualized Experiments : JoVE Feb 2021Measurements of the specificity and affinity of antigen-antibody interactions are critically important for medical and research applications. In this protocol, we...
Measurements of the specificity and affinity of antigen-antibody interactions are critically important for medical and research applications. In this protocol, we describe the implementation of a new single-molecule technique, mass photometry (MP), for this purpose. MP is a label- and immobilization-free technique that detects and quantifies molecular masses and populations of antibodies and antigen-antibody complexes on a single-molecule level. MP analyzes the antigen-antibody sample within minutes, allowing for the precise determination of the binding affinity and simultaneously providing information on the stoichiometry and the oligomeric state of the proteins. This is a simple and straightforward technique that requires only picomole quantities of protein and no expensive consumables. The same procedure can be used to study protein-protein binding for proteins with a molecular mass larger than 50 kDa. For multivalent protein interactions, the affinities of multiple binding sites can be obtained in a single measurement. However, the single-molecule mode of measurement and the lack of labeling imposes some experimental limitations. This method gives the best results when applied to measurements of sub-micromolar interaction affinities, antigens with a molecular mass of 20 kDa or larger, and relatively pure protein samples. We also describe the procedure for performing the required fitting and calculation steps using basic data analysis software.
Topics: Antibodies; Antibody Affinity; Antigen-Antibody Complex; Humans; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Molecular Weight; Normal Distribution; Photometry; Protein Binding; Software; Thrombin
PubMed: 33616097
DOI: 10.3791/61784 -
BMC Pulmonary Medicine May 2022Primary pulmonary invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma is a rare and distinct subtype of lung adenocarcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Primary pulmonary invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma is a rare and distinct subtype of lung adenocarcinoma.
CASE PRESENTATION
A 72-year-old woman presented with productive cough for two months and fever for six days. Chest computed tomography (CT) showed a mass in the left lower lobe. Sputum culture tested negative for bacteria, but the sequence of Actinomyces meyeri was detected by metagenomic next generation sequencing from the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. It was considered a pathogenic bacterium as the normalized number of DNA sequencing reads was 10 times higher than the normal level. The patient's symptoms alleviated quickly, and the chest CT lesion shrank to a third of the original size following treatment with penicillin for two months. However, a repeat chest CT performed after four months of treatment revealed that the lesion had expanded. Positron emission tomography/CT revealed that fluorodeoxyglucose metabolism was increased in the mass with surrounding ground glass density of the left lower lobe. Furthermore, CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy was performed, and hematoxylin-eosin staining showed columnar tumor cells with abundant mucin in the cytoplasm with a basal nucleus. Finally, the patient was diagnosed with pulmonary invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma and agreed to undergo a thoracoscopic surgery.
CONCLUSIONS
Pulmonary invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma is a subset of lung adenocarcinoma with low incidence rate. The clinical features and CT findings are non-specific. A histopathological diagnosis is of fundamental importance in preventing misdiagnosis.
Topics: Actinomycosis; Adenocarcinoma of Lung; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous; Aged; Female; Humans; Lung; Lung Diseases; Lung Neoplasms
PubMed: 35524297
DOI: 10.1186/s12890-022-01971-7 -
Computational and Mathematical Methods... 2022The clinical data of six patients with primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma treated in Zhejiang Taizhou Hospital of Taizhou Enze Medical Center (Group)... (Review)
Review
METHODS
The clinical data of six patients with primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma treated in Zhejiang Taizhou Hospital of Taizhou Enze Medical Center (Group) from May 2014 to December 2018 were summarized and analyzed. Combined with the relevant literature, the primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma was analyzed retrospectively.
RESULTS
The main manifestations of six patients were respiratory symptoms, and cough was the most common. The imaging features of six patients were mainly round-like high-density mass shadow or nodule shadow. All patients were diagnosed by pathology. Microscopically, the cancer cells were nested, with large nuclei and vacuoles and abundant lymphocyte infiltration in the tumor stroma. The positive rates of EBER, p63, CK5/6, and Ki-67 were high, and TTF-1 was negative. Five patients received surgical treatment. One patient developed brain metastasis 12 months after operation and received craniocerebral radiotherapy. The other patients did not receive radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and one patient did not receive treatment. After follow-up, four patients survived so far, the longest survival time was 82 months, one patient lost follow-up, and one patient died of lung metastasis 24 months after operation.
CONCLUSION
Primary pulmonary lymphoepitheliomatoid-like carcinoma is a rare lung malignant tumor, whose pathogenesis is related to Epstein-Barr virus infection. The clinical manifestations are nonspecific, but with unique pathological characteristics. Surgical resection is the proper treatment for early-stage patients, and comprehensive treatment with surgery as the main treatment is suitable for late-stage patients. The prognosis is good.
Topics: Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections; Herpesvirus 4, Human; Humans; Lung; Lung Neoplasms; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 35529269
DOI: 10.1155/2022/1086697