Increased expression of CCL4/MIP-1β in CD8+ cells and CD4+ cells in sarcoidosis.

Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease with an increased accumulation of T cells in lungs as a result of on-site proliferation and chemotaxis induced by chemokines. It has already been demonstrated that CCL3-5 levels were increased in BAL fluid of sarcoidosis patients. To analyze the expression of CCL3-5 chemokines by T-cell subtypes (CD4+, CD8+, Th1, Th2, Tc1 or Tc2) in the lungs of sarcoidosis patients, fifteen untreated sarcoidosis patients and eighteen control subjects were enrolled in this study. CD4+and CD8+cells were isolated from BAL fluid by positive magnetic selection. The expression of CCL3-5 and other cytokines in CD4+and CD8+cells were measured by flow cytometry. The percentage of CD4+or CD8+cells expressing CCL4 were significantly higher in sarcoidosis patients (22.3% and 58.1%) compared to those seen in healthy subjects (11.1% and 16.5%, P = 0.04 and P = 0.02, respectively). In addition, the expression of CCL3, CCL4 and CCL5 was significantly elevated in CD8+cells (8.9%, 58.1% and 2.1%) compared to CD4+cells (2.1%, 22.3% and 0.7%; P = 0.04, P = 0.009 and P = 0.04, respectively), whereas CCL4 was expressed by significantly more Tc1 than Th1 cells in sarcoidosis patients (P = 0.006). Our study shows the possible role of CD8+cells and CD4+cells in recruiting T cells to the site of inflammation in sarcoidosis through the release of CCL4, either alone or together with Th1/Tc1-associated cytokines

Fluticasone furoate and vilanterol for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Introduction: Current national and international guidelines for the management of patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) recommend the use of inhaled long-acting bronchodilators, inhaled glucocorticoids and their combinations for maintenance treatment of moderate to severe stable COPD. Areas covered: The role of fluticasone furoate (FF) and vilanterol (VI) once daily combination therapy for the regular treatment of patients with stable COPD is discussed in this review. Expert commentary: The regular treatment of moderate to severe stable COPD with once daily FF/VI combination therapy is effective, as seen in in several large placebo-controlled clinical trials involving many thousands of patients. FF/VI improved lung function, decreased respiratory symptoms and deceased the number of COPD exacerbations, including COPD-related hospitalizations. FF/VI combination therapy has also been approved for this indication in most countries. The use of this combination therapy may significantly decrease the economic costs for some National Health Services

Agroclimatic zoning for eucalyptus in the state of Paraná and the new scenarios defined by global climate change.

Brazil is a country with one the largest areas of forest plantations in the world. The state of Paraná (PR) has the largest area of designated plantations in the country. The main cultivated species belong to the genus Eucalyptus. In this work, the areas of better favorability for planting the main species of commercial value eucalyptus were defined. Additionally, changes may also occur in these zones in the coming decades, due to global climate change. For this purpose, future scenarios were elaborated using a stochastic time series simulation software, to assess the possible changes of the climate and indicate potential consequences regarding the changes of eucalyptus plantation zones. The results show that there will be an increase in areas favorable to the commercial plantations of E. grandis and E. urograndis, species cultivated in the Cfa climate zone (subtropical zones). For E. benthamii, a species cultivated mostly in the Cfb climate zone (temperate zones), there will be a reduction of suitable areas for commercial plantations in Paraná, with displacement to areas located to the south and at higher altitudes, where edaphic limitations may occur

Indicadores biofísicos de sistemas agroflorestais.

Palestra

High resolution computed tomography quantitation of emphysema is correlated with selected lung function values in stable COPD.

BACKGROUND: The literature shows conflicting results when high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scores of emphysema were correlated with different indices of airflow obstruction. OBJECTIVES: We correlated HRCT scores of emphysema with different indices of airflow obstruction. METHODS: We performed HRCT of the chest in 59 patients, all smokers or ex-smokers, with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease of different severity [GOLD stages I-IV; mean age \ub1 SD 67.8 \ub1 7.3 years; pack/years 51.0 \ub1 34.6; percent predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)% predicted) 52.3 \ub1 17.6; post-bronchodilator FEV(1)% predicted 56.5 \ub1 19.1; FEV(1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio 50.8 \ub1 10.2; post-bronchodilator FEV(1)/FVC ratio 51.6 \ub1 11.0; percent diffusion lung capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO%) 59.2 \ub1 21.1; DLCO/percent alveolar volume (VA%) 54.5 \ub1 18.2; percent residual volume 163.0 \ub1 35.6; percent total lung capacity (TLC%) 113.2 \ub1 15; residual volume/TLC 1.44 \ub1 0.2]. All patients were in stable phase. RESULTS: The mean \ub1 SD visual emphysema score in all patients was 25.6 \ub1 25.4%. There was a weak but significant correlation between the percentage of pulmonary emphysema and numbers of pack/years (R = +0.31, p = 0.024). The percentage of emphysema was inversely correlated with the FEV(1)/FVC ratio before and after bronchodilator use (R = -0.44, p = 0.002, and R = -0.39, p = 0.005), DLCO% (R = -0.64, p = 0.0003) and DLCO/VA% (R = -0.68, p < 0.0001). A weak positive correlation was also found with TLC% (R = +0.28, p = 0.048). When patients with documented emphysema were considered separately, the best significant correlation observed was between DLCO/VA% and HRCT scan score (p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease of varying severity, the presence of pulmonary emphysema is best represented by the impaired gas exchange capability of the respiratory system

Photoelectrochemical Valorization of Biomass Derivatives with Hematite Photoanodes Modified by Cocatalysts

The solar-driven oxidation of biomass to valuable chemicals is rising as a promising anodic reaction in photoelectrochemical cells, replacing the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction and improving the added value of the energy conversion process. Herein, the photooxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural into furan dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is performed in basic aqueous environment (borate buffer, pH 9.2), with the addition of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) as redox mediator. Because of its good stability, cost-effectiveness, and nontoxicity, titanium-modified hematite (Ti:Fe2O3) photoanodes are investigated to this aim, and their performance is tuned by engineering the semiconductor surface with a thin layer of Co-based cocatalysts, i.e., cobalt iron oxide (CoFeO x ) and cobalt phosphate (CoPi). Interestingly, the electrode modified with CoPi shows improved efficiency and selectivity toward the final product FDCA The source of this enhancement is correlated to the effect of the cocatalyst on the charge carrier dynamics, which is investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and intensity-modulated photocurrent spectroscopy analysis. In addition, the results of the latter are interpreted through a novel approach called Lasso distribution of relaxation time, revealing that CoPi cocatalyst is effective in the suppression of the recombination processes and in the enhancement of direct hole transfer to TEMPO

Distribuição espacial de Grevillea robusta em plantações de café.

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Role of the mucins in pathogenesis of COPD: implications for therapy.

Introduction: Evidence accumulated in the last decade has started to reveal the enormous complexity in the expression, interactions and functions of the large number of different mucins present in the different compartments of the human lower airways. This occurs both in normal subjects and in COPD patients in different clinical phases and stages of severity.Areas covered: We review the known physiological mechanisms that regulate mucin production in human lower airways of normal subjects, the changes in mucin synthesis/secretion in COPD patients and the clinical efficacy of drugs that modulate mucin synthesis/secretion.Expert opinion: It is evident that the old simplistic concept that mucus hypersecretion in COPD patients is associated with negative clinical outcomes is not valid and that the therapeutic potential of 'mucolytic drugs' is under-appreciated due to the complexity of the associated molecular network(s). Likewise, our current knowledge of the effects of the drugs already available on the market that target mucin synthesis/secretion/structure in the lower airways is extremely limited and often indirect and more well-controlled clinical trials are needed in this area