No abstract

Ratios of urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine to urinary creatinine (8-OHdG/creatinine) have been considered as a good biological indicator of DNA oxidation. Urinary 8-OHdG/ creatinine levels of lung cancer patients were evaluated by enzyme-linked iramunosorbent assay using a monoclonal antibody N45.1 during radiotherapy and chemotherapy. An increase in urinary 8-OHdG/creatinine was found in non-small-cell carcinoma (non-SCC) patients during the course of radiotherapy. SCC patients showed higher levels of urinary 8-OHdG/creatinine than the controls. Furthermore, SCC patients with complete or partial response to the chemotherapy showed a significant decrease in urinary 8-OHdG/creatinine while patients with no change or progressive disease showed an increase.

Finland, like many other western countries, has experienced profound structural changes during the post-war period: urbanisation, increasing education, smaller family size, improved hygiene for food and household water, and prophylaxis and eVective care of many potentially dangerous infectious diseases. Many of these factors have been associated with the increased risk for asthma and allergies 1 which has also been found in Finland.

Background In all societies, the burden and cost of allergic and chronic respiratory diseases are increasing rapidly. Most economies are struggling to deliver modern health care effectively. There is a need to support the transformation of the health care system into integrated care with organizational health literacy. Main body As an example for chronic disease care, MASK (Mobile Airways Sentinel NetworK), a new project of the ARIA (Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma) initiative, and POLLAR (Impact of Air POLLution on Asthma and Rhinitis, EIT Health), in collaboration with professional and patient organizations in the field of allergy and airway diseases, are proposing real-life ICPs centred around the patient with rhinitis, and using mHealth to monitor environmental exposure. Three aspects of care pathways are being developed: (i) Patient participation, health literacy and self-care through technology-assisted “patient activation”, (ii) Implementation of care pathways by pharmacists and (iii) Next-generation guidelines assessing the recommendations of GRADE guidelines in rhinitis and asthma using real-world evidence (RWE) obtained through mobile technology. The EU and global political agendas are of great importance in supporting the digital transformation of health and care, and MASK has been recognized by DG Santé as a Good Practice in the field of digitally-enabled, integrated, person-centred care. Conclusion In 20 years, ARIA has considerably evolved from the first multimorbidity guideline in respiratory diseases to the digital transformation of health and care with a strong political involvement.

Large differences in COVID‐19 death rates exist between countries and between regions of the same country. Some very low death rate countries such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe or the Balkans have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods. Although biases exist when examining ecological studies, fermented vegetables or cabbage were associated with low death rates in European countries. SARS‐CoV‐2 binds to its receptor, the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). As a result of SARS‐Cov‐2 binding, ACE2 downregulation enhances the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT 1 R) axis associated with oxidative stress. This leads to insulin resistanceas well as lung and endothelial damage, two severe outcomes of COVID‐19. The nuclear factor (erythroid‐derived 2)‐like 2 (Nrf2) is the most potent antioxidant in humans and can block the AT 1 R axis. Cabbage contains precursors of sulforaphane, the most active natural activator of Nrf2. Fermented vegetables contain many lactobacilli, which are also potent Nrf2 activators. Three examples are given: Kimchi in Korea, westernized foods and the slum paradox. It is proposed that fermented cabbage is a proof‐of‐concept of dietary manipulations that may enhance Nrf2‐associated antioxidant effects helpful in mitigating COVID‐19 severity.