OBJECTIVE The nervous system is the major target of the toxic effect of manganese (Mn) and its compounds in welding fumes. In humans, inhalation is the most frequent route of Mn access, therefore, the respiratory tract and lungs are usually involved in the process of translocation of inhaled noxius agent by blood to the brain. This study was performed to assess whether it is possible to use neu...

BACKGROUND Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous disease characterized by multiple subtypes and variable disease progression. Blood biomarkers have been variably associated with subtype, severity, and disease progression. Just as combined clinical variables are more highly predictive of outcomes than individual clinical variables, we hypothesized that multiple biomarke...

BACKGROUND Despite advances in HIV treatment, bacterial pneumonia continues to cause considerable morbidity and mortality in patients with HIV infection. Studies of biomarker associations with bacterial pneumonia risk in treated HIV-infected patients do not currently exist. METHODS We performed a nested, matched, case-control study among participants randomized to continuous combination antir...

BACKGROUND The new concept of mini-extracorporeal circulation (MECC) for coronary artery bypass grafts (MCABG) consists of minimal priming volume, a heparin-coated closed circuit, a centrifugal pump, active drainage, blood cardioplegia and a cell-saving device. The potential organ protective effect of this technique during CABG is unknown. Initial clinical outcomes, oxidative stress, alveolar s...

Repeated injury of the airway epithelium caused by hyperpnoea of poorly conditioned air has been proposed as a key factor in the pathogenesis of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) in athletes. In animals, the short-acting β2-agonist terbutaline has been shown to reduce dry airflow-induced bronchoconstriction and the associated shedding of airway epithelial cells. Our aim was to test the...

BACKGROUND Preventing ventilator-associated lung injury (VALI) has become pivotal in mechanical ventilation of patients with acute lung injury (ALI) or its more severe form, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In the present study we investigated whether plasma levels of lung-specific biological markers can be used to evaluate lung injury in patients with ALI/ARDS and patients without l...

BACKGROUND Identification of serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) biomarkers may facilitate diagnosis and prognostication in various lung disorders. OBJECTIVE Serum and BALF levels of surfactant protein A (SP-A), surfactant protein D (SP-D), Clara cell protein 16 (CC16), S100 protein, trefoil factor 3 (TFF3), and prostatic secretory protein 94 (PSP94) were evaluated in 94 consecutive...

Ozone in ambient air may cause various effects on human health, including decreased lung function, asthma exacerbation, and even premature mortality. These effects have been evidenced using various clinical indicators that, although sensitive, do not specifically evaluate the O(3)-increased lung epithelium permeability. In the present study, we assessed the acute effects of ambient O(3) on the ...