Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta1), which is implicated in the pathogenesis of fibrotic diseases such as interstitial fibrosis, may be associated with subglottic stenosis. To study this hypothesis, we measured TGF-beta1 expression sequentially in 28 rats after posterior cricoid injury, using both standard immunohistochemistry and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. In addition, an osmotic pump infused TGF-beta1 in 18 rats, normal saline solution in 9 rats, and neutralizing antibodies in 9 rats. Specimens were stained for fibronectin and procollagen at 1, 7, and 21 days and underwent optical density analysis. In the injured airway, TGF-beta1 expression peaked at 1 day and returned to baseline by 21 days. The TGF-beta1 infusion led to an increase in the expression of extracellular matrix proteins relative to controls. In contrast, neutralizing antibodies led to a decrease in extracellular matrix protein expression. These findings suggest that TGF-beta1 may possibly play a role in the pathogenesis of subglottic stenosis.

Background-Chronic ethanol abuse in humans is known to independently increase the incidence of and mortality due to acute lung injury in at-risk individuals. However, the mechanisms by which ethanol affects lung cells remain incompletely elucidated. In earlier work, we reported that ethanol increased the expression in lung fibroblasts of fibronectin, a matrix glycoprotein implicated in lung injury and repair. This effect was blocked by α-bungarotoxin, a neurotoxin that binds certain nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) thereby implicating nAChRs in this process. Here, we examine the identity of these receptors.

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Purpose: The aim of this survey was to gather data about the incidence of various sleep disorders, particularly sleep apnea, in subjects with IPF who participated in a regional patient-oriented seminar on this condition. We hypothesized that the frequency of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and psychiatric sleep disorders would be disproportionately high in the IPF population. Methods:The project was a one-time survey administered to stable patients with IPF and their family members from the South eastern USA who participated in the "Living with IPF" public seminar at the Emory University campus. The survey used a validated questionnaire, i.e., Sleep Disorders Questionnaire (SDQ), to detect presence of Sleep Apnea (SA) and selected sleep disorders -Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), Psychiatric Sleep Disorders (PSY) and narcolepsy (NAR). The questionnaire was administered to all participants (with and without IPF), in a confidential manner. The findings were used to determine if there were differences in the incidence of SA and other sleep disorders between individuals with IPF and those without the disease.Results: A total of 52 people agreed to participate in the study. One subject was excluded due to unclear IPF status. The median SDQ raw scores in IPF patients for SA, RLS, PSY and NAR were 28.7, 27.1, 26.2 and 26.5, respectively; overall, they were not statistically different in IPF patients versus control subjects. However, as validated in other studies, patients with history of OSA had significantly higher SDQ-SA scores. Conclusions:The present study aimed to investigate cross-sectionally the incidence of self-reported sleep conditions in patients with IPF versus healthy family member controls. Overall, we did not find a disproportionately higher incidence of sleep disorders in the IPF population. This may be explained by inherent methodological limitations and the small sample size.

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