scholarly journals Spatial Analysis of the Neighborhood Risk Factors for Respiratory Health in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT): Implications for Emergency Planning

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (17) ◽  
pp. 6396
Author(s):  
Sarah Davies ◽  
Paul Konings ◽  
Aparna Lal
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Socioeconomic Disadvantage ◽  
Chronic Obstructive ◽  
Australian Capital Territory ◽  
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽  
Australian Capital ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Emergency Response Planning ◽  
Hospital Emergency Departments

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) experienced the worst air quality in the world for several consecutive days following the 2019–2020 Australian bushfires. With a focus on asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), this retrospective study examined the neighborhood-level risk factors for these diseases from 2011 to 2013, including household distance to hospital emergency departments (ED) and general practices (GP) and area-level socioeconomic disadvantage and demographic characteristics at a high spatial resolution. Poisson and Geographically Weighted Poisson Regression (GWR) were compared to examine the need for spatially explicit models. GWR performed significantly better, with rates of both respiratory diseases positively associated with area-level socioeconomic disadvantage. Asthma rates were positively associated with increasing distance from a hospital. Increasing distance to GP was not associated with asthma or COPD rates. These results suggest that respiratory health improvements could be made by prioritizing areas of socioeconomic disadvantage. The ACT has a relatively high density of GP that is geographically well spaced. This distribution of GP could be leveraged to improve emergency response planning in the future.

scholarly journals Asthma, COPD and overlap syndrome: a longitudinal study in young European adults

2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 671-679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto de Marco ◽  
Alessandro Marcon ◽  
Andrea Rossi ◽  
Josep M. Antó ◽  
Isa Cerveri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Airflow Obstruction ◽  
Forced Expiratory Volume ◽  
Overlap Syndrome ◽  
Chronic Obstructive ◽  
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽  
Function Change ◽  
Shared Risk

We compared risk factors and clinical characteristics, 9-year lung function change and hospitalisation risk across subjects with the asthma–chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap syndrome (ACOS), asthma or COPD alone, or none of these diseases.Participants in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey in 1991–1993 (aged 20–44 years) and 1999–2001 were included. Chronic airflow obstruction was defined as pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/forced vital capacity<lower limit of normal on both occasions. Based on their history of respiratory symptoms, spirometry and risk factors, subjects were classified as having asthma alone (n=941), COPD alone (n=166), ACOS (n=218) and none of these (n=5659).Subjects with ACOS shared risk factors and clinical characteristics with subjects with asthma alone, but they had an earlier age of asthma onset. FEV1 change in the ACOS group (−25.9 mL·year−1) was similar to that in the asthma group (−25.3 mL·year−1), and lower (p<0.001) than in the COPD group (−37.3 mL·year−1). ACOS was associated with the highest hospitalisation rate.Among young adults aged 20–44 years, ACOS seems to represent a form of severe asthma, characterised by more frequent hospitalisations, and to be the result of early-onset asthma that has progressed to fixed airflow obstruction.

CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing Tool: A Promising Tool for Therapeutic Applications on Respiratory Diseases

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 333-346
Author(s):  
Sadiya Bi Shaikh ◽  
Yashodhar Prabhakar Bhandary
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Diseases ◽  
Gene Editing ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Chronic Obstructive ◽  
Therapeutic Tool ◽  
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Chronic Respiratory Diseases ◽  
Promising Tool

Respiratory diseases are one of the prime topics of concern in the current era due to improper diagnostics tools. Gene-editing therapy, like Clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats- associated nuclease 9 (CRISPR/Cas9), is gaining popularity in pulmonary research, opening up doors to invaluable insights on underlying mechanisms. CRISPR/Cas9 can be considered as a potential gene-editing tool with a scientific community that is helping in the advancement of knowledge in respiratory health and therapy. As an appealing therapeutic tool, we hereby explore the advanced research on the application of CRISPR/Cas9 tools in chronic respiratory diseases such as lung cancer, Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and cystic fibrosis (CF). We also address the urgent need to establish this gene-editing tool in various other lung diseases such as asthma, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The present review introduces CRISPR/Cas9 as a worthy application in targeting epithelial-mesenchymal transition and fibrinolytic system via editing specific genes. Thereby, based on the efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9, it can be considered as a promising therapeutic tool in respiratory health research.

scholarly journals A Retrospective Study on Amoxicillin Susceptibility in Severe Haemophilus influenzae Pneumonia

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Pierre Danneels ◽  
Maria Concetta Postorino ◽  
Alessio Strazzulla ◽  
Nabil Belfeki ◽  
Aurelia Pitch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Haemophilus Influenzae ◽  
Severe Pneumonia ◽  
Chronic Obstructive ◽  
Ventilator Associated Pneumonia ◽  
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽  
Amoxicillin Clavulanic Acid ◽  
Evolution Of Resistance ◽  
Resistant Strains ◽  
Over Time

Introduction. Treatment of Haemophilus influenzae (Hi) pneumonia is on concern because resistance to amoxicillin is largely diffused. This study describes the evolution of resistance to amoxicillin and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (AMC) in Hi isolates and characteristics of patients with Hi severe pneumonia. Methods. A monocentric retrospective observational study including patients from 2008 to 2017 with severe pneumonia hospitalized in ICU. Evolution of amoxicillin and AMC susceptibility was showed. Characteristics of patients with Hi pneumonia were compared to characteristics of patients with Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp) pneumonia, as reference. Risk factors for amoxicillin resistance in Hi were investigated. Results. Overall, 113 patients with Hi and 132 with Sp pneumonia were included. The percentages of AMC resistance among Hi strains decreased over the years (from 10% in 2008-2009 to 0% in 2016-2017) while resistance to amoxicillin remained stable at 20%. Also, percentages of Sp resistant strains for amoxicillin decreased over years (from 25% to 3%). Patients with Hi pneumonia experienced higher prevalence of bronchitis (18% vs. 8%, p=0.02, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (43% vs. 30% p=0.03), HAP (18% vs. 7%, p=0.01, ventilator-associated pneumonia (27% vs. 17%, p=0.04, and longer duration of mechanical ventilation (8 days vs. 6 days, p=0.04) than patients with Sp pneumonia. Patients with Sp pneumonia had more frequently local complications than patients with Hi pneumonia (17% vs. 7%, p=0.03). De-escalation of antibiotics was more frequent in patients with Sp than in patients with Hi (67% vs. 53%, p=0.03). No risk factors were associated with amoxicillin resistance among patients with Hi pneumonia. Conclusions. Amoxicillin resistance was stable over time, but no risk factors were detected. AMC resistance was extremely low, suggesting that AMC could be used for empiric treatment of Hi pneumonia, as well as other molecules, namely, cephalosporins. Patients with Hi pneumonia had more pulmonary comorbidities and severe diseases than patients with Sp pneumonia.

scholarly journals Newborn DNA-methylation, childhood lung function, and the risks of asthma and COPD across the life course

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 1801795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herman T. den Dekker ◽  
Kimberley Burrows ◽  
Janine F. Felix ◽  
Lucas A. Salas ◽  
Ivana Nedeljkovic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Lung Function ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Cord Blood ◽  
Childhood Asthma ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Forced Expiratory Volume ◽  
Chronic Obstructive ◽  
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽  
The Life Course

RationaleWe aimed to identify differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in cord blood DNA associated with childhood lung function, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) across the life course.MethodsWe meta-analysed epigenome-wide data of 1688 children from five cohorts to identify cord blood DMRs and their annotated genes, in relation to forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio and forced expiratory flow at 75% of FVC at ages 7–13 years. Identified DMRs were explored for associations with childhood asthma, adult lung function and COPD, gene expression and involvement in biological processes.ResultsWe identified 59 DMRs associated with childhood lung function, of which 18 were associated with childhood asthma and nine with COPD in adulthood. Genes annotated to the top 10 identified DMRs were HOXA5, PAOX, LINC00602, ABCA7, PER3, CLCA1, VENTX, NUDT12, PTPRN2 and TCL1A. Differential gene expression in blood was observed for 32 DMRs in childhood and 18 in adulthood. Genes related with 16 identified DMRs were associated with respiratory developmental or pathogenic pathways.InterpretationOur findings suggest that the epigenetic status of the newborn affects respiratory health and disease across the life course.

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