Peripheral depletion of NK cells and imbalance of the Treg/Th17 axis in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients

The immune response plays an unsettled role in the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the contribution of inflammation being controversial as well. Emerging novel T cell sub-populations including regulatory T lymphocytes (Treg) and interleukin (IL)-17 secreting T helper cells (Th17) may exert antithetical actions in this scenario. Phenotype and frequency of circulating immune cell subsets were assessed by multi-parametric flow cytometry in 29 clinically stable IPF patients and 17 healthy controls. The interplay between Treg lymphocytes expressing transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and Th17 cells was also investigated. Proportion and absolute number of natural killer (NK) cells were significantly reduced in IPF patients in comparison with controls (p90%) expressed TGF-β upon stimulation. Interestingly, the frequency of Th17 cells was significantly compromised in IPF patients (p=0.000) leading to an increased TGF-β/IL-17 ratio (4.2±2.3 vs 0.5±0.3 in controls, p=0.000). Depletion of NK and Th17 cells along with a not compromised Treg compartment delineate the existence of an "immune profile" that argue against the recent hypothesis of IPF as an autoimmune disease. Our findings along with the imbalance of the Treg/Th17 axis more closely suggest these immune perturbations to be similar to those observed in cancer. Clinical relevance, limitations and perspectives for future research are discussed. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd

Improving patient safety after rigid bronchoscopy in adults: laryngeal mask airway versus face mask – a pilot study

Fulvio Nisi,1 Antonio Galzerano,1 Gaetano Cicchitto,2 Francesco Puma,3 Vito Aldo Peduto1 1Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Therapy Centre, 2Department of Pneumology and Respiratory Medicine, 3Department of Thoracic Surgery, AO Santa Maria della Misericordia, Perugia, Italy Background: There are still no clear guidelines in the literature on per procedural bronchoscopic management for anesthesiologists, and few relevant datasets are available. To obtain rapid recovery from anesthesia, it is often necessary to keep patients in the recovery room for several hours until they become clinically stable. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) enables better respiratory and hemodynamic recovery than the oxygen face mask (FM) in patients undergoing rigid bronchoscopy. Methods: Twenty-one patients undergoing elective bronchoscopy of the upper airway were randomized to ventilation assistance with FM or LMA after a rigid bronchoscopy procedure under general anesthesia. The primary endpoint was duration of post-surgical recovery and the secondary endpoints were postoperative hemodynamic and respiratory parameters. Assessment of the study endpoints was performed by an intensive care specialist blinded to the method of ventilation used. The statistical analysis was performed using the Fisher’s Exact test for nominal data and the Student's t-test for continuous data. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in post-procedural time between the two groups (P=0.972). The recovery parameters were significantly better in the LMA group than in the FM group, with significantly fewer desaturation, hypotensive, and bradycardic events (P<0.05). Conclusion: We conclude that the LMA may be safer and more comfortable than the FM in patients undergoing rigid bronchoscopy. Keywords: face mask, laryngeal mask airway, anesthesiology, rigid bronchoscopy, safety&nbsp

Comorbidities, Cardiovascular Therapies, and COVID-19 Mortality: A Nationwide, Italian Observational Study (ItaliCO)

Background: Italy has one of the world\u2019s oldest populations, and suffered one the highest death tolls from Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) worldwide. Older people with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and in particular hypertension, are at higher risk of hospitalization and death for COVID-19. Whether hypertensionmedicationsmay increase the risk for death in older COVID 19 inpatients at the highest risk for the disease is currently unknown. Methods: Data from 5,625 COVID-19 inpatients were manually extracted from medical charts from 61 hospitals across Italy. From the initial 5,625 patients, 3,179 were included in the study as they were either discharged or deceased at the time of the data analysis. Primary outcome was inpatient death or recovery. Mixed effects logistic regression models were adjusted for sex, age, and number of comorbidities, with a random effect for site. Results: A large proportion of participating inpatients were 65 years old (58%), male (68%), non-smokers (93%) with comorbidities (66%). Each additional comorbidity increased the risk of death by 35% [adjOR = 1.35 (1.2, 1.5) p < 0.001]. Use of ACE inhibitors, ARBs, beta-blockers or Ca-antagonists was not associated with significantly increased risk of death. There was a marginal negative association between ARB use and death, and a marginal positive association between diuretic use and death. Conclusions: This Italian nationwide observational study of COVID-19 inpatients, the majority of which 65 years old, indicates that there is a linear direct relationship between the number of comorbidities and the risk of death. Among CVDs, hypertension and pre-existing cardiomyopathy were significantly associated with risk of death. The use of hypertension medications reported to be safe in younger cohorts, do not contribute significantly to increased COVID-19 related deaths in an older population that suffered one of the highest death tolls worldwide