The number and significance of airway eosinophils in stable COPD is controversial. Aims of this study were to evaluate airway inflammation in patients with stable COPD compared with other groups, and to examine the correlations between inflammatory markers and functional indices of airway obstruction. Cellular analysis and evaluation of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) levels in induced sputum were made in 46 subjects (10 patients with clinically stable COPD, 15 patients with asthma, 11 asymptomatic smokers, and 10 healthy control subjects). As expected, eosinophils were significantly (p < 0.01) higher in patients with asthma (22.2%) than in other groups (COPD, 0.7%; smokers, 0.2%; control subjects, 0.2%), and neutrophils were significantly (p < 0.01) higher in patients with COPD (77.5%) than in the other groups (asthma, 26.7%; smokers, 33.1%; control subjects, 35.9%). However, eosinophils were also increased in patients with COPD, as compared with healthy controls (p < 0.05). Sputum ECP levels were significantly and similarly higher in both asthma and COPD groups than in the other two groups (p < 0.01). In patients with COPD and asymptomatic smokers, considered as a whole, good correlations were found between eosinophils and ECP, on the one hand, and between FEV(1) and the FEV(1)/FVC ratio, on the other. Our data suggest that eosinophils may be involved in the airway inflammation of COPD.

SUMMARY BackgroundMeasurement of portal inflow and portal-systemic shunt using cholate clearances could be useful in monitoring patients with liver disease.

Patients recovering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may not return to a baseline functional status and to baseline levels of healthcare needs after discharge from acute care hospitals. Since the long-term outcomes of COVID-19 can be more severe in patients with underlying cardiorespiratory diseases, we aimed at verifying the impact of a preexisting cardiorespiratory comorbidity on multidisciplinary rehabilitation in post-COVID-19 patients. We enrolled 95 consecutive patients referring to the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Unit of Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri Spa SB, IRCCS of Telese Terme, Benevento, Italy after being discharged from the COVID-19 acute care ward and after recovering from acute COVID-19 pneumonia. Forty-nine of them were not suffering from underlying comorbidities, while 46 had a preexisting cardiorespiratory disease. Rehabilitation induced statistically significant improvements in respiratory function, blood gases and the ability to exercise both in patients without any preexisting comorbidities and in those with an underlying cardiorespiratory disease. Response to the rehabilitation cycle tended to be greater in those without preexisting comorbidities, but DLco%-predicted was the only parameter that showed a significant greater improvement when compared to the response in the group of patients with underlying cardiorespiratory comorbidity. This study suggests that multidisciplinary rehabilitation may be useful in post-COVID-19 patients regardless of the presence of preexisting cardiorespiratory comorbidities.

COPD is associated with an increased burden of atherosclerotic disease. Systemic inflammation and oxidative stress play key roles in this association. COPD patients with airway bacterial colonization, as compared to patients without airway colonization, generally present more frequent exacerbations and higher levels of both airway and systemic inflammation. This COPD subgroup should be considered at particularly increased risk of developing cardiovascular complications and receive more attention concerning diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research.

BACKGROUND: Patients with kyphoscoliosis and severe respiratory impairment frequently experience reduction in exercise tolerance, limitation in daily life activities, and deterioration in health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) as an add-on treatment to long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) was shown to improve symptoms and HRQOL in these patients. Pulmonary rehabilitation can increase exercise capacity and HRQOL in patients with COPD, but its role in patients with restrictive thoracic disease, such as kyphoscoliosis, is uncertain. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of combining pulmonary rehabilitation with LTOT and NIV treatments on arterial blood gases and the 6-min walk test (6MWT) in a homogeneous group of subjects with kyphoscoliosis. METHODS: Twenty-three subjects with kyphoscoliosis and respiratory failure who were being treated with both LTOT and NIV and who had been referred to a pulmonary rehabilitation program were retrospectively analyzed. Eighteen subjects were included, and there was no control group. Pulmonary rehabilitation involved educational and physical training sessions and was carried out daily for 4 -6 weeks. Exercise intensity was personalized based on individual tolerance, physiologic parameters, or physiotherapist judgment. RESULTS: Upon completion of pulmonary rehabilitation, a significant improvement in 6-min walk distance was observed (P ‫؍‬ .04). The dyspnea score at the end of the 6MWT improved as well, although the improvement did not reach statistical significance (P ‫؍‬ .06). These changes were not confirmed at a 12-month follow-up visit. No significant effects of pulmonary rehabilitation on arterial blood gases were observed. CONCLUSIONS: A combined intervention including a tailored pulmonary rehabilitation program together with LTOT and NIV seems to be of short-term benefit in subjects with kyphoscoliosis and severe respiratory impairment.