Hydrolytic and chromatographic studies on the PEGylation of dextranase from Penicillium sp.

AbstractDextranases catalyze the hydrolysis of the α-l,6-glucosidic bond of the polysaccharide dextran. Dextranases have been isolated from bacteria, yeast and fungi. Purified dextranase enzyme from Penicillium sp. was PEGylated (polyethylene glycol modification) with mPEG (5000Da) and showed an increase in the dextranase protein molecular weight as estimated by Superose 12 (23ml) column and this increment in the molecular weight is directly proportional to mPEG (5000Da) concentration until a complete dextranase enzyme PEGylation (disappearance of dextranase peak). The residual activity of partially PEGylated dextranase (mPEG 5000 of 5.8mg/ml) was 33.8% and for the completely PEGylated dextranase (mPEG 5000 of 29mg/ml) it was 25.75%. Dextranase PEGylated with mPEG (30,000Da) showed a little PEGylation at mPEG concentration of 5.8mg/ml but at a concentration of 29mg/ml several PEGylated peaks were produced with a difference in dextranase activity toward dextran T500, retardation in the activity with the increasing in the molecular weight was clearly appeared with Sephadex G75 but for Sephadex G200 a little retardation than Sephadex G75 has been appeared

Factors associated with good self-rated health and quality of life in subjects with self-reported COPD

Background: Recent guidelines for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) state that COPD is both preventable and treatable. To gain a more positive outlook on the disease it is interesting to investigate factors associated with good, self-rated health and quality of life in subjects with self-reported COPD in the population. Methods: In a cross-sectional study design, postal survey questionnaires were sent to a stratified, random population in Sweden in 2004 and 2008. The prevalence of subjects (40–84 years) who reported having COPD was 2.1% in 2004 and 2.7% in 2008. Data were analyzed for 1475 subjects. Regression models were used to analyze the associations between health measures (general health status, the General Health Questionnaire, the EuroQol five-dimension questionnaire) and influencing factors. Results: The most important factor associated with good, self-rated health and quality of life was level of physical activity. Odds ratios for general health varied from 2.4 to 7.7 depending on degree of physical activity, where subjects with the highest physical activity level reported the best health and also highest quality of life. Social support and absence of economic problems almost doubled the odds ratios for better health and quality of life. Conclusions: In this population-based public health survey, better self-rated health status and quality of life in subjects with self-reported COPD was associated with higher levels of physical activity, social support, and absence of economic problems. The findings indicated that of possible factors that could be influenced, promoting physical activity and strengthening social support are important in maintaining or improving the health and quality of life in subjects with COPD. Severity of the disease as a possible confounding effect should be investigated in future population studies

Observational studies assessing the pharmacological treatment of obstructive lung disease : strengths, challenges and considerations for study design

Acknowledgements: Editorial support under the direction of the authors was provided by Richard Knight, CMC Connect, McCann Health Medical Communications, and funded by AstraZeneca in accordance with Good Publication Practice guidelines. The first draft of the manuscript was written in three sections by J. Vestbo, C. Janson and D. Price. Editorial support specifically for D. Price was provided by Antony Hardjojo of the Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore. J. Vestbo is supported by the NIHR Manchester BRC.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Nutritional status, dietary energy intake and the risk of exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

SummaryLoss of body weight, as a result of imbalance between increased energy demand and/or reduced dietary intake, is a common problem in patients with COPD. The aim of this investigation was to examine the relationship between nutritional intake, change in body weight and the risk of exacerbation in patients with COPD.The study comprised 41 patients who were hospitalised because of an exacerbation of COPD. The follow-up period was 12 months. Weight, height and lung function were measured at baseline. At the 12-month follow-up, weight change and current weight were assessed by an interview and nutritional intake was recorded in a food diary for 7 days. An acute exacerbation was defined as having been admitted to hospital and/or making an emergency visit to hospital, due to COPD during the follow-up period.At baseline, 24% of the patients were underweight (body mass index (BMI)<20kg/m2), 46% were of normal weight (BMI 20–25kg/m2) and 29% were overweight (BMI>25kg/m2). Energy intake was lower than the calculated energy demand for all groups. During the follow-up period, 24 of the 41 patients had an exacerbation. A low BMI at inclusion and weight loss during the follow-up period were independent risk factors for having an exacerbation (P=0.003 and 0.006, respectively).We conclude that, in patients who are hospitalised because of COPD, underweight and weight loss during the follow-up period are related to a higher risk of having new exacerbations

Cardiac impact of inhaled therapy in the largest randomised placebo-controlled trial in COPD history

SUMMIT supports the efficiency and cardiovascular safety of LABA and ICS in COPD patients at cardiovascular risk http://ow.ly/p6Is300ffoc

Sex differences in reported and objectively measured sleep in COPD.

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked Files. This article is open access.The aim was to assess and compare reported sleep disturbances and objectively measured sleep in men and women with COPD compared with controls and also explore sex differences.A total of 96 patients with COPD and 90 age- and sex-matched controls answered a sleep questionnaire, underwent ambulatory polysomnography, a post-bronchodilatory spirometry, and blood sampling.Of the patients with COPD, 51% reported sleep disturbances as compared with 31% in controls (P=0.008). Sleep disturbances were significantly more prevalent in males with COPD compared with controls, whereas there was no significant difference in females. The use of hypnotics was more common among patients with COPD compared with controls, both in men (15% vs 0%, P=0.009) and women (36% vs 16%, P=0.03). The men with COPD had significantly longer recorded sleep latency than the male control group (23 vs 9.3 minutes, P<0.001), while no corresponding difference was found in women. In men with COPD, those with reported sleep disturbances had lower forced vital capacity, higher C-reactive protein, myeloperoxidase, and higher prevalence of chronic bronchitis.The COPD was associated with impaired sleep in men while the association was less clear in women. This was also confirmed by recorded longer sleep latency in male subjects with COPD compared with controls.Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation Swedish Association against Heart and Lung Disease

Interrelationships between body mass index, total IgE, and blood eosinophils count in healthy subjects

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The influence of individual characteristics and non-respiratory diseases on blood eosinophil count

Funding information Stiftelsen för Strategisk Forskning; Hjärt‐Lungfonden; Swedish Foundation for StrategicResearch; the Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors would like to thank the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, for providing the NHANES 2005–2016 data. This work was funded by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, and the Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Differential effect of cigarette smoke exposure on exhaled nitric oxide and blood eosinophils in healthy and asthmatic individuals

Background: Tobacco smoking affects both the fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and blood eosinophil (B-Eos) count, two clinically useful biomarkers in respiratory disease that represent local and systemic type-2 inflammation, respectively. Objective: We aimed to study the influence of objectively measured smoke exposure on FeNO and B-Eos in a large population of subjects with and without asthma. Methods: We utilized the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 2007–2012 and included 10 669 subjects aged 6–80 years: 9869 controls and 800 asthmatics. Controls were defined as having no respiratory disease, no hay fever in the past year, and B-Eos count ≤0.3 × 109 l−1. Asthma was defined as self-reported current asthma and at least one episode of wheezing or an asthma attack in the past year, but no emphysema or chronic bronchitis. Tobacco use was collected via questionnaires and serum cotinine was measured with mass spectrometry. Results: Increasing cotinine levels were associated with a progressive reduction in FeNO in both controls and asthmatics. FeNO remained significantly higher in asthmatics than controls except in the highest cotinine decile, equivalent to an average reported consumption of 13 cigarettes/day. B-Eos count increased with cotinine in controls, but was unchanging in asthmatics. Interestingly, B-Eos count was significantly higher in presently non-exposed (cotinine below detection limit) former smokers than never smokers. Conclusion: Smoke exposure decreases FeNO and increases B-Eos count. These effects should be considered in the development of normalized values and their interpretation in clinical practice. The persistence of elevated B-Eos in former smokers warrants further studies.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Nocturnal sweating--a common symptom of obstructive sleep apnoea: the Icelandic sleep apnoea cohort.

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked Files. This article is open access.To estimate the prevalence and characteristics of frequent nocturnal sweating in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) patients compared with the general population and evaluate the possible changes with positive airway pressure (PAP) treatment. Nocturnal sweating can be very bothersome to the patient and bed partner