Automatic quantitative computed tomography measurement of longitudinal lung volume loss in interstitial lung diseases

Objectives To compare the lung CT volume (CTvol) and pulmonary function tests in an interstitial lung disease (ILD) population. Then to evaluate the CTvol loss between idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and non-IPF and explore a prognostic value of annual CTvol loss in IPF. Methods We conducted in an expert center a retrospective study between 2005 and 2018 on consecutive patients with ILD. CTvol was measured automatically using commercial software based on a deep learning algorithm. In the first group, Spearman correlation coefficients (r) between forced vital capacity (FVC), total lung capacity (TLC), and CTvol were calculated. In a second group, annual CTvol loss was calculated using linear regression analysis and compared with the Mann–Whitney test. In a last group of IPF patients, annual CTvol loss was calculated between baseline and 1-year CTs for investigating with the Youden index a prognostic value of major adverse event at 3 years. Univariate and log-rank tests were calculated. Results In total, 560 patients (4610 CTs) were analyzed. For 1171 CTs, CTvol was correlated with FVC (r: 0.86) and TLC (r: 0.84) (p < 0.0001). In 408 patients (3332 CT), median annual CTvol loss was 155.7 mL in IPF versus 50.7 mL in non-IPF (p < 0.0001) over 5.03 years. In 73 IPF patients, a relative annual CTvol loss of 7.9% was associated with major adverse events (log-rank, p < 0.0001) in univariate analysis (p < 0.001). Conclusions Automated lung CT volume may be an alternative or a complementary biomarker to pulmonary function tests for the assessment of lung volume loss in ILD. Key Points • There is a good correlation between lung CT volume and forced vital capacity, as well as for with total lung capacity measurements (r of 0.86 and 0.84 respectively, p < 0.0001). • Median annual CT volume loss is significantly higher in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis than in patients with other fibrotic interstitial lung diseases (155.7 versus 50.7 mL, p < 0.0001). • In idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a relative annual CT volume loss higher than 9.4% is associated with a significantly reduced mean survival time at 2.0 years versus 2.8 years (log-rank, p < 0.0001).

Respiratory symptoms and radiologic findings in post-acute COVID-19 syndrome

RationaleThe characteristics of patients with respiratory complaints and/or lung radiologic abnormalities after hospitalisation for COVID-19 are unknown. The objectives were to determine their characteristics and the relationships between dyspnoea, radiologic abnormalities and functional impairment.MethodsIn the COMEBAC cohort study, 478 hospital survivors were evaluated by telephone 4 months after hospital discharge, and 177 who had been hospitalised in an intensive care unit (ICU) or presented relevant symptoms underwent an ambulatory evaluation. New-onset dyspnoea and cough were evaluated, and the results of pulmonary function tests, high-resolution computed tomography of the chest were collected.ResultsAmong the 478 patients, 78 (16.3%) reported new-onset dyspnoea, and 23 (4.8%) new-onset cough. The patients with new-onset dyspnoea were younger (56.1±12.3 versus 61.9±16.6 years), had more severe COVID-19 (ICU admission 56.4% versus 24.5%) and more frequent pulmonary embolism (18.0% versus 6.8%) (all p≤0.001) than patients without dyspnoea. Among the patients reassessed at the ambulatory care visit, the prevalence of fibrotic lung lesions was 19.3%, with extent <25% in 97% of the patients. The patients with fibrotic lesions were older (61±11 versus 56±14 years, p=0.03), more frequently managed in ICU (87.9 versus 47.4%, p<0.001), had lower total lung capacity (74.1±13.7 versus 84.9±14.8%pred, p<0.001) and diffusing lung capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) (73.3±17.9 versus 89.7±22.8%pred, p<0.001). The combination of new-onset dyspnoea, fibrotic lesions and DLCO <70%pred was observed in 8/478 patients.ConclusionsNew-onset dyspnoea and mild fibrotic lesions were frequent at 4 months, but the association of new-onset dyspnoea, fibrotic lesions and low DLCO was rare.

Metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, and Covid 19: A possible correlation

: Age and comorbidities are key indicators of hospital admission, serious illness, and mortality in COVID-19 patients. Patients with age-related comorbidities, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, NAFLD, obesity, and metabolic syndrome, are more likely to require hospitalization and suffer severe sickness of COVID-19. Patients with Alzheimer’s disease and risk factors associated with dementia may also be more vulnerable to serious COVID-19 infection. Peripheral inflammation, including in patients who recover from illness, may promote the course of neurodegenerative disorders through neuroinflammatory pathways The aim of this study is to examine the impact of COVID-19 on immunity in patients with age-related diseases such as metabolic syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease and also to hypothesize the possible correlation between metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, and COVID-19. Identifying the mechanisms that explain the complicated interaction between metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, COVID-19, inflammation, and immunity could be crucial to designing effective pharmacological therapies and procedures. This study adds to our basic information about the new coronavirus by synthesizing current knowledge of these linkages. To reduce inflammation and enhance immunity, patients should acquire good lifestyle practices. Walking, breathing exercises, and a nutritious diet all help in improving lung capacity and immunity. Future research into novel therapeutics for patients with metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, and COVID-19 inflammation and immunology is encouraged by this paper.

The Effects of Fruit-Derived Polyphenols on Cognition and Lung Function in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Polyphenols are plant derived nutrients that influence oxidative stress and inflammation and therefore may have positive benefits on cognition and lung function. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of fruit derived polyphenol intakes on cognition and lung capacity in healthy adults. In August 2020 and October 2021, Medline and Google Scholar were used to search for relevant studies examining the effects of fruit derived polyphenol intakes on cognition and/or lung function in healthy adults (<70 years old). Fourteen studies related to cognition (409 healthy subjects) and seven lung/respiratory studies (20 788 subjects) were used for the systematic review using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The meta-analysis (using six cognition and three lung function studies) indicated a protective effect on lung function from dietary intakes of fruit-derived polyphenols. Neither a benefit nor decrement from fruit-derived polyphenol intakes were detected for cognition. Human intervention trials examining the effects of polyphenol supplementation on lung function in healthy adults are scarce and intervention studies are warranted. More conclusive results are needed to provide recommendations for polyphenol supplementation to support aspects of cognition.

Progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease: prevalence and clinical outcome

Background The progressive fibrosing (PF) phenotype of interstitial lung disease (ILD) is characterised by worsening respiratory symptoms, lung function, and extent of fibrosis on high-resolution computed tomography. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and clinical outcomes of PF-ILD in a real-world cohort and assess the prognostic significance of the PF-ILD diagnostic criteria. Methods Clinical data of patients with fibrosing ILD other than idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) consecutively diagnosed at a single centre were retrospectively reviewed. A PF phenotype was defined based on the criteria used in the INBUILD trial. Results The median follow-up duration was 62.7 months. Of the total of 396 patients, the mean age was 58.1 years, 39.9% were men, and rheumatoid arthritis-ILD was the most common (42.4%). A PF phenotype was identified in 135 patients (34.1%). The PF-ILD group showed lower forced vital capacity and total lung capacity (TLC) than the non-PF-ILD group. The PF-ILD group also showed poorer survival (median survival, 91.2 months vs. not reached; P < 0.001) than the non-PF-ILD group. In multivariable Cox analysis adjusted for age, DLCO, HRCT pattern, and specific diagnosis, PF phenotype was independent prognostic factor (hazard ratio, 3.053; P < 0.001) in patients with fibrosing ILD. Each criterion of PF-ILD showed similar survival outcomes. Conclusions Our results showed that approximately 34% of patients with non-IPF fibrosing ILD showed a progressive phenotype and a poor outcome similar to that of IPF, regardless of the diagnostic criteria used.

CLINICAL AND FUNCTIONAL DISORDERS OF CARDIORESPIRATORY SYSTEM IN PATIENTS WITH COVID-19

The goal of the paper is to range information about early and delayed clinical and functional disorders of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems after COVID-19. The review focuses on clinical and functional diagnostic methods (laboratory, instrumental and radiation) of disorders of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems in patients after COVID-19. At the moment, enough data has been accumulated confirming early and aftereffect of COVID-19. The need for further rehabilitation may be caused by the presence and severity of clinical and functional disorders of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Key words: coronavirus disease (COVID-19), impaired respiratory function and diffusion lung capacity, acute myocardial injury, electrical myocardium instability. Цель – систематизировать сведения о ранних и отсроченных клинико-функциональных нарушениях дыхательной и сердечно-сосудистой систем после перенесенной коронавирусной инфекции. В обзоре основное внимание уделено клинико-функциональным методам диагностики (лабораторным, инструментальным и лучевым) нарушений сердечно-сосудистой и дыхательной систем у пациентов, перенесших COVID-19. На данный момент накоплено достаточно данных, подтверждающих наличие ранних и отсроченных последствий новой коронавирусной инфекции. Необходимость дальнейшей реабилитации может быть обусловлена наличием и тяжестью клинико-функциональных нарушений со стороны органов дыхания и сердечно-сосудистой системы. Ключевые слова: новая коронавирусная инфекция (COVID-19), нарушения функции внешнего дыхания и диффузионной способности легких, острое повреждение миокарда, электрическая нестабильность миокарда.

Follow-up pulmonary function of COVID-19 patients 4 months after hospital discharge

The end of the acute period of COVID-19 does not mean complete recovery. Observation of patients in the post-COVID-19 period showed that a significant number of people experience shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle weakness, sleep disorders, cough, palpitations, so the term post-COVID-19 syndrome was coined. The examination to identify the causes of complaints of COVID-19 convalescents should include lung function assessment.The aim of the study was to assess the dynamics of lung function 4 months after hospitalization for COVID-19.Methods. 31 patients (26 males, the median age was 49 years) underwent traditional pulmonary function tests (PFTs) (spirometry, body plethysmography, test of diffusing lung capacity) and impulse oscillometry (IOS). Results. During the 1st visit, the average PFTs and IOS parameters were within the normal range in the whole group, apart from the diffusing lung capacity (DLCO), which was reduced mildly (on the border with moderate) in 77% of patients. During the 2nd visit, which was conducted on average 102 days after the 1st one, 58% of patients demonstrated abnormal lung diffusion capacity. The second assessment revealed a statistically significant increase in the slow and forced vital capacity (VC and FVC), the forced exhalation volume in 1 second (FEV1), total lung capacity (TLC), DLCO, and a decrease in the ratio of FEV1/FVC and the residual lung volume to TLC ratio.Conclusion. Post-COVID-19 patients show a statistically significant improvement of their lung function 4 months after hospital discharge. A systematic follow-up is essential for such patients to detect lung function abnormalities and correct them.

Persistent eosinophilia and associated organ involvement in Thai patients with systemic sclerosis: Data from the Siriraj scleroderma cohort

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the prevalence of persistent eosinophilia and associated organ complications in Thai patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Patients and methods: This post-hoc study included 107 adult patients (23 males, 84 females; mean age: 50.4±11.6 years; range, 18 to 79 years) diagnosed with SSc between November 2013 and June 2017. Eosinophilia was defined as an absolute eosinophil count of >500/μL or a percentage count of >7%. Eosinophil levels collected at every visit over one year were categorized as persistently high (PH), persistently low (PL), high-to-low (HL), low-to-high (LH), or variable levels (VL). The study compared variables between PH and non-PH (PL+HL+LH+VL) groups. The patients with baseline eosinophilia were also identified and compared with the non-eosinophilia group. Results: The median disease duration was 3.2 years. Of the patients, 79.4% had diffuse cutaneous SSc and 76.7% had anti-Scl-70 positivity. A total of 11.2%, 66.4%, 1.9%, 8.4%, and 12.1% of the patients were categorized into the PH, PL, HL, LH, and VL groups, respectively. Compared to non-PH groups, the PH group had a higher prevalence of anti-centromere antibody (ACA), higher baseline percent predicted total lung capacity, and lower baseline C-reactive protein and creatine phosphokinase (p<0.05 for all). The ACA positivity (odds ratio [OR]: 18.5; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.64-208.46) was associated with PH. The patients with baseline eosinophilia (17.8%) had a higher prevalence of non-specific interstitial pneumonia with periodic eosinophilia at the time of diagnosis (100% vs. 6.5%, p<0.0001; OR: 4.667; 95% CI: 1.712-12.724). Conclusion: The PH was seldom (11%) in patients with SSc compared to periodic eosinophilia, which was more prevalent (18%). It may be related to ACA positivity and better pulmonary outcomes, whereas periodic eosinophilia may involve interstitial lung disease.

Preliminary Study: Immediate Effect of the Slow Deep Breathing Exercise and Sustained Maximal Inspiration with Volume-Oriented Incentive Spirometry on the Diffusing Lung Capacity in Healthy Young Participants

Slow-deep breathing exercise (SDBE) while using a volume-oriented type of incentive spirometry (VIS) device (SDBE/VIS) is one of the techniques in chest physical therapy designed to improve lung volume and oxygenation. However, the immediate effect of SDBE/VIS paired with a sustained maximal inspiration (SMI) on diffusing lung capacity (DLC), has not been documented. This preliminary study aimed to evaluate the immediate effect of SDBE/VIS paired with the SMI technique on DLC in healthy participants. Twenty healthy sedentary adults (11 males and 9 females) aged 20 to 23 years were recruited into this cross-over study and randomly assigned to one of 2 ordered groups; SDBE/VIS paired with SMI followed by SDBE/VIS alone or SDBE/VIS alone followed by SDBE/VIS with SMI. During each of the 2-testing sessions, the participants performed 3 sets of 5 SDBE/VIS trials which were controlled by ensuring that each participant reached their maximal vital capacity; derived from their pulmonary function test. The DLC for carbon monoxide (DLCO), alveolar volume (VA), and total lung capacity (TLC) was assessed prior to (baseline) and after each of the 5 experimental trials. A 3-min rest period was given between each set of 5 trials and 1 week between testing sessions. The results demonstrated that SDBE/VIS paired with the SMI technique significantly increased both the DLCO (mL/min/mmHg and %) and VA (L and %) when compared to the baseline values. Whereas, SDBE/VIS without using the SMI technique did not alter the DLCO, VA or the DLCO/VA. However, both SDBE/VIS with and without the SMI technique showed a significant increase the TLC (L and %), with the TLC from SDBE/VIS paired with SMI was significantly higher than when the SDBE /VIS was performed without using the SMI technique. Thus, it appears that performing SDBE/VIS exercised paired with the SMI technique has a significant and positive effect on DLC.