explorative study on the use of omalizumab in patients suffering from interstitial cystitis bladder pain syndrome

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of omalizumab in the treatment of Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome (IC/BPS), evaluated by visual analogue score for pain and urgency- frequency, O'Leary-Sant IC symptom and problem index questionnaire, Pain Urgency Frequency questionnaire and Patient Global Assessment questionnaire. Four female patients with a diagnosis of IC/BPS were included in the study, with an age between 20 and 39 years. In the first patient the subjective final evaluation was of a marked improvement. The second patient had a moderate improvement of the subjective final evaluation. The third patient considered her overall clinical situation to have slightly improved after treatment. One 32-year-old patient, with multiple allergies, discontinued treatment after 3 months and could not complete the study due to side effects. Omalizumab was subcutaneously administered to patients with IC/PBS; it induced both a subjective and objective improvement of symptoms in 2 patients enrolled in the study

Increased keratin content detected by proteomic analysis of exhaled breath condensate from healthy persons who smoke

[No abstract available

Structural predictors of lung function decline in young smokers with normal spirometry

RATIONALE: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to tobacco smoking commonly presents when extensive lung damage has occurred.OBJECTIVES: We hypothesised that structural change would be detected early in the natural history of COPD and would relate to loss of lung function with time.METHODS: We recruited 431 current smokers (median age 39 years, 16 pack-years smoked) and recorded symptoms by the COPD Assessment Test (CAT), spirometry and quantitative thoracic CT (QCT) scans at study entry. These scans results were compared to 67 never smoking controls. 368 participants were followed every six months with measurement of post-bronchodilator spirometry for a median of 32 months. The rate of FEV 1 decline, adjusted for current smoking status, age and sex was related to the initial QCT appearances and symptoms, measured with the CAT. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: There were no material differences in demography or subjective CT appearances between the young smokers and controls, but 55.7% of the former had a CAT score above 10 and 24.2% reported chronic bronchitis. QCT assessments of Disease Probability-defined functional small airways disease, ground glass opacification, bronchovascular prominence and small blood vessel to total pulmonary vessel volume ratio were increased compared to controls and were all associated with a faster FEV 1 decline as was a higher CAT score. CONCLUSIONS: Radiologic abnormalities on CT are already established in young smokers with normal lung function and is associated with FEV 1 loss independently of the impact of symptoms. Structural abnormalities are present early in the natural history of COPD and are markers of disease progression. </p