Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis 2018 28;35(1):35-43. Epub 2018 Apr 28.

Allergy and Immunology Unit, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and irreversible interstitial lung disease whose diagnosis often requires surgical lung biopsies (SLB) in cases without consistent radiological findings. We previously published that the expression of the chemokine receptors CXCR3 and CCR4 on T cells is significantly different in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) of IPF patients from other interstitial lung diseases. The aim of the study was to evaluate cut-off values of CXCR3 and CCR4 receptors expressed on bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and peripheral blood (PB) T cells useful for a differential diagnosis. Read More

Cytometry B Clin Cytom 2020 Jun 1. Epub 2020 Jun 1.

Department of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Medlon BV, Enschede, The Netherlands.

Background: Flowcytometric analysis of lymphocytes and their subpopulations in bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL) can support the diagnosis of interstitial lung diseases. This analysis should be done within 4 hr after lavage due to rapid cell deterioration. We tested three methods in order to stabilize for at least 28 days the BAL cell populations to allow delayed flowcytometric analysis in order to facilitate external quality assurance (EQA). Read More

BMC Med Imaging 2020 05 24;20(1):56. Epub 2020 May 24.

Department of Radiology, China Resources & WISCO General Hospital, Wuhan, 430080, China.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly infectious disease caused by the new coronavirus. Previous studies have shown that the chest CT examination plays an important role in the diagnosis and monitoring of COVID-19. However, some patients with COVID-19 had low white blood cell counts and reduced lymphocyte ratios. Read More

Allergol Immunopathol (Madr) 2020 May 20. Epub 2020 May 20.

Unidad de Inmunología e Histocompatibilidad, Hospital Dr. Carlos G. Durand, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Background: Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) is characterized by an impaired antibody production and a higher susceptibility to encapsulated bacterial infections. Lung disease is considered to be the most important cause of morbidity and mortality.

Methods: We analyzed clinical, radiological and functional characteristics in 80 patients with CVID assisted in the Unidad Inmunologia e Histocompatibilidad at Durand Hospital from 1982 to 2018. Read More

Cardiovasc Pathol 2020 May 7;48:107233. Epub 2020 May 7.

Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, USA; Center for Advanced Cardiopulmonary Therapies and Transplantation, McGovern Medical School and Memorial Hermann Hospital-Texas Medical Center, Houston, Texas, USA.

This paper collates the pathological findings from initial published autopsy reports on 23 patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from 5 centers in the United States of America, including 3 cases from Houston, Texas. Findings confirm that COVID-19 is a systemic disease with major involvement of the lungs and heart. Acute COVID-19 pneumonia has features of a distinctive acute interstitial pneumonia with a diffuse alveolar damage component, coupled with microvascular involvement with intra- and extravascular fibrin deposition and intravascular trapping of neutrophils, and, frequently, with formation of microthombi in arterioles. Read More

Mult Scler Relat Disord 2020 May 6;42:102180. Epub 2020 May 6.

Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Therapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Background: Fingolimod is used for immune therapy in patients with multiple sclerosis. Long-term treatment is associated with a small increase in the risk of herpes virus reactivation and respiratory tract infections. Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) under Fingolimod treatment have not been described. Read More

Zhongguo Yi Xue Ke Xue Yuan Xue Bao 2020 Apr;42(2):202-208

Department of Radiology, PUMC Hospital,CAMS and PUMC,Beijing 100730,China.

To explore the chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) features in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) complicated with pulmonary involvement. Totally 161 patients with RA with lung involvement were collected from June 2014 to May 2018. The chest HRCT findings were retrospectively analyzed. Read More

Nature 2020 May 7. Epub 2020 May 7.

NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in China and has become a public health emergency of international concern. Because angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the cell entry receptor of SARS-CoV, we used transgenic mice bearing human ACE2 and infected with SARS-CoV-2 to study the pathogenicity of the virus. Weight loss and virus replication in lung were observed in hACE2 mice infected with SARS-CoV-2. Read More

Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets 2020 Apr 27. Epub 2020 Apr 27.

Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sensory Organs, University of Bari, School of Medicine, Bari. Italy.

Coronaviruses (CoVs) possess an enveloped, single, positive-stranded RNA genome which encodes for four membrane proteins, namely spike (S), envelope (E), membrane (M) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins 3-5 [1]. With regard to pathogenicity, S proteins are essential for viral entry into host cells [2, 3]. SARS-CoV binds to the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)2 which is present on nonimmune cells, such as respiratory and intestinal epithelial cells, endothelial cells, kidney cells (renal tubules) and cerebral neurons and immune cells, such as alveolar monocytes/macrophages [4-6]. Read More

Allergol Immunopathol (Madr) 2020 Apr 13. Epub 2020 Apr 13.

Division of Pediatric Allergy, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address:

Introduction And Objectives: Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is one of the most prevalent forms of primary immunodeficiency characterized by hypogammaglobinemia. Its heterogeneous clinical features include recurrent respiratory tract infections and other complications such as gastrointestinal, autoimmunity, and lymphoproliferative disorders. The aim of this article is to evaluate the general characteristics of CVID patients. Read More

J Vet Res 2020 Mar 14;64(1):85-94. Epub 2020 Feb 14.

Immunobiology and Pathogenesis Research Group, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tolima, Altos de Santa Helena, Ibagué, Colombia.

Introduction: Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease which is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus . Canids are the most important reservoir of the parasites; however, limited data are available on the species of prevalent in these animals and their impact on human health. The objective of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of leishmaniasis in dogs from an inter-Andean region of Colombia during July 2016-July 2017, and to describe the clinical and histopathological features of the disease. Read More

S Afr Med J 2019 Dec 5;109(11b):77-82. Epub 2019 Dec 5.

Health Systems Research Unit, South African Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa; HIV Prevention Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.

Over the past three decades, tremendous global progress in preventing and treating paediatric HIV infection has been achieved. This paper highlights the emerging health challenges of HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) children and the ageing population of children living with HIV (CLHIV), summarises programmatic opportunities for care, and highlights currently conducted research and remaining research priorities in high HIV-prevalence settings such as South Africa. Emerging health challenges amongst HEU children and CLHIV include preterm delivery, suboptimal growth, neurodevelopmental delay, mental health challenges, infectious disease morbidity and mortality, and acute and chronic respiratory illnesses including tuberculosis, pneumonia, bronchiectasis and lymphocytic interstitial pneumonitis. Read More

Am J Surg Pathol 2020 Mar 31. Epub 2020 Mar 31.

Department of Pathology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) and selective immunoglobulin A deficiency (IgAD) often cause chronic lung disease, but the pulmonary pathologic features of these systemic diseases are poorly recognized by pathologists. It has been claimed that CVID cases show a characteristic combination of noncaseating granulomas-lymphoid proliferations termed granulomatous-lymphocytic interstitial lung disease (GLILD). We present 34 surgical lung biopsy cases of CVID and 4 of IgAD. Read More

Fa Yi Xue Za Zhi 2020 Mar 25;36(2). Epub 2020 Mar 25.

Department of Forensic Pathology, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.

Abstract: Objective To retrospectively analyze the forensic and pathological postmortem examination and clinical data of children who died of viral pneumonia in identification of cause of death cases and to discuss the clinical characteristics and pathological features of viral pneumonia in children, in order to provide reference to pathological diagnosis of viral pneumonia in children caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 （SARS-CoV-2） infection. Methods In this study, postmortem examination data from the institute of 61 cases of children whose cause of death were identified as viral pneumonia in recent years were collected. The gender, age, clinical symptoms and pathological features were comparatively analyzed. Read More

Zhonghua Bing Li Xue Za Zhi 2020 May;49(5):411-417

Institute of Pathology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China.

To investigate the pathological characteristics and the clinical significance of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)-infected pneumonia (termed by WHO as coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19). Minimally invasive autopsies from lung, heart, kidney, spleen, bone marrow, liver, pancreas, stomach, intestine, thyroid and skin were performed on three patients died of novel coronavirus pneumonia in Chongqing, China. Hematoxylin and eosin staining (HE), transmission electron microcopy, and histochemical staining were performed to investigate the pathological changes of indicated organs or tissues. Read More

Clin Ter 2020 Mar-Apr;171(2):e161-e166

Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.

In patients with sarcoidosis, a lot of researches showed increased levels of the Th1 chemokine monokine induced by interferon (IFN)-γ (MIG) and its (C-X-C motif) receptor (CXCR)3 both in biopsy specimens and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). In BALF these levels were associated with CD4(+) and total lymphocytes. Positive CXCR3 ligands staining were found in the alveolar macrophages, and in the epithelioid and giant cells in the sarcoid lungs. Read More

J Cutan Pathol 2020 Mar 3. Epub 2020 Mar 3.

Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular parasites that naturally infect domestic and wild animals. Human microsporidiosis is an increasingly recognized multisystem opportunistic infection. The clinical manifestations are diverse with diarrhea being the most common presenting symptom. Read More

Arab J Gastroenterol 2020 Mar 27;21(1):62-64. Epub 2020 Feb 27.

Internal Medicine Department, Military Hospital of Tunis, 1008 Montfleury, Tunisia; Auto Immunity Research Unit UR17DN02, Tunisia; University of Tunis El Manar, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunisia.

Gastric sarcoidosis is clinically manifest in less than 1% of patients with systemic disease. Stomach is the most commonly involved site. Clinical signs are non-specific. Read More

Radiol Bras 2019 Nov-Dec;52(6):410-411

A.C.Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

Pediatr Pulmonol 2020 Apr 10;55(4):909-917. Epub 2020 Feb 10.

Hauner Children's Hospital and KUBUS Research Center, University of Munich, Munich, Germany.

Objectives: Pediatric lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia (LIP) and follicular bronchiolitis (FB) are poorly characterized lymphoproliferative disorders. We present and quantify demographics, radiological and histopathologic patterns, treatments and their responses, and outcomes in non-HIV-infected children with LIP and FB.

Methods: This structured registry-based study included a retrospective chart review, blinded analysis of imaging studies and lung biopsies, genetic testing, and evaluation of treatments and outcomes. Read More

Surg Pathol Clin 2020 Mar;13(1):141-163

Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Avenue, Room M565, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. Electronic address:

Cystic diseases of the lung encompass a fairly broad variety of different diseases with causes including genetic abnormalities, smoking-related problems, developmental disorders, malignant neoplasms, and inflammatory processes. In addition, there are several diagnoses that closely resemble cystic lung disease, including cavitary diseases, cystic bronchiectasis, emphysema, and cystic changes in fibrosing interstitial lung disease. This article provides a review of cystic lung disease and its gross and histologic mimics. Read More

Am J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2019 15;9(6):296-308. Epub 2019 Dec 15.

Department of Nuclear Medicine, St. Antonius Hospital Nieuwegein, The Netherlands.

Recent studies on immune-mediated inflammatory lung diseases show encouraging treatment results with rituximab, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against CD20-expressing B lymphocytes. The present pilot study aimed to explore the possibility to image CD20-expression in the lungs as future early predictor of treatment response. We describe a series of 10 patients with therapy refractory interstitial pneumonitis who were treated with rituximab (1000 mg at day 0 and day 14) and underwent PET/CT after the administration of [Zr]Zr--suc-DFO-rituximab abbreviated as [Zr]Zr-rituximab. Read More

Virchows Arch 2020 Jan 23. Epub 2020 Jan 23.

Cardiovascular Pathology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua Medical School, Via A. Gabelli, 61 35121, Padova, Italy.

Sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) is a major cause of death in infants < 1 year of age. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a SUID still unexplained after post-mortem examination. In 2014, a protocol of post-mortem investigation was introduced to assess both the prevalence and the etiopathogenesis of SUID. Read More

Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2020 Apr 15;318(4):L631-L643. Epub 2020 Jan 15.

Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is an interstitial lung disease that may progress to fibrosis and significant risk of death. HP develops following repeated exposures to inhaled environmental antigens; however, only a fraction of the exposed population develops the disease, suggesting that host genetics contribute to disease susceptibility. We used the BXD family of mice with the (SR) model of HP to investigate the role of genetics in susceptibility to HP. Read More

Thorac Cancer 2020 Feb 6;11(2):470-474. Epub 2020 Jan 6.

Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.

The association between gut microbiota and the lung immune system has been attracting increasing interest. Here, we report a case of pancreatic cancer in which the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor vildagliptin induced unusual manifestations of interstitial pneumonia, possibly under the influence of Lactobacillus paraplantarum probiotic supplementation. Chest computed tomography and positron emission tomography showed multiple ground-glass nodules (GGNs) mimicking metastatic lung cancer. Read More

Int J Hematol 2020 May 1;111(5):719-723. Epub 2020 Jan 1.

Department of Hematology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

It is well known that the second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor dasatinib evokes an immunological reaction as an off-target effect and induces large granular lymphocytes (LGLs) expansion in 30% of patients. However, LGLs expansion in nilotinib-treated patients is rare. We report the case of a 65-year-old patient with Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who showed LGLs expansion during nilotinib treatment. Read More

Case Rep Pulmonol 2019 9;2019:9572790. Epub 2019 Dec 9.

Central Chest Clinic, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Bird related hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is becoming more common than other forms of HP around the world. We present two cases of HP, associated with exposure to visiting birds which had nested within their homes in semi urban areas of Colombo, Sri Lanka. A 65-year-old female (case 1) and a 61-year-old male (case 2) presented to the chest clinic complaining of gradually progressive and persistent chronic dry cough and dyspnoea during the year 2018. Read More

Int J Rheum Dis 2020 Mar 19;23(3):448-453. Epub 2019 Dec 19.

Rheumatology Unit, Anna Meyer Children's Hospital, Florence, Italy.

Background: Granulomatous diseases are a heterogeneous group of conditions characterized by an inflammatory infiltrate with a core of macrophages, epithelioid, giant cells and a corona of fibroblasts and lymphocytes. They are associated with a wide range of disorders such as mycobacterial and fungal infections, neoplasms, immunodeficiencies and systemic inflammatory disorders as sarcoidosis.

Case Report: We report the case of a previously healthy 9-year-old male child who presented with persistent cough, diffuse lymphadenopathy, enlargement of liver and spleen and protracted fever. Read More

BMC Endocr Disord 2019 Dec 19;19(1):143. Epub 2019 Dec 19.

Department of Endocrinology, the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China.

Background: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease that mainly affects children, but this disease is significantly rarer in patients who are older than 15 years. In this disease, any organ can be involved. The skeleton, skin and lung are commonly affected, and isolated hypothalamic-pituitary (HP) involvement is relatively rare. Read More

EXCLI J 2019 11;18:1062-1070. Epub 2019 Nov 11.

Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Nephrology, Yamagata University Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan.

When examining patients with acute inflammatory respiratory diseases, it is difficult to distinguish between infectious pneumonia and interstitial pneumonia and predict patient prognosis at the beginning of treatment. In this study, we assessed whether endothelial selectin (E-selectin) predicts the outcome of patients with acute inflammatory respiratory diseases. We measured E-selectin serum levels in 101 patients who were admitted to our respiratory care unit between January 2013 and December 2013 because of acute inflammatory respiratory diseases that were eventually diagnosed as interstitial pneumonia (n = 38) and lower respiratory tract infection (n = 63). Read More

Pediatr Pulmonol 2020 02 13;55(2):292-299. Epub 2019 Dec 13.

Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran.

Background: Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is the most prevalent symptomatic primary immunodeficiency disorder characterized by infectious and noninfectious complications. Bronchiectasis continues to be a common respiratory problem and therapeutic challenge in CVID. The aim of this study is to estimate the overall prevalence of bronchiectasis and its associated phenotype in patients with CVID. Read More

J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 2019 Dec;29(6):470-471

Pediatrics Clinic, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.

Curr Med Chem 2019 Nov 28. Epub 2019 Nov 28.

Laboratory for Medical Microbiology and Immunology, St Antonius Hospital Nieuwegein. Netherlands.

Autoantibiodies against aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are found in patients suffering from a wide range of autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. Recent data indicate that these antibodies are directed against splice-variants of synthetase genes, the so-called catalytic nulls. Latter molecules have cytokine-like functions and are involved in regulation of the activation of lymphocytes, monocytes and granulocytes. Read More

Front Med (Lausanne) 2019 23;6:238. Epub 2019 Oct 23.

Department of Rheumatology, Blackrock Clinic, Dublin, Ireland.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a type of inflammatory arthritis that affects ~1% of the general population. Although arthritis is the cardinal symptom, many extra-articular manifestations can occur. Lung involvement and particularly interstitial lung disease (ILD) is among the most common. Read More

World J Surg Oncol 2019 Nov 9;17(1):184. Epub 2019 Nov 9.

Department of Oral and Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Spitalstrasse 21, CH-4031, Basel, Switzerland.

Background: Traumatic ulcerative granuloma with stromal eosinophilia (TUGSE) is a rare self-limiting condition of the oral mucosa. The lesion manifests as an isolated ulcer that can be either asymptomatic or associated with mild to severe pain, and in most cases, it affects the tongue. TUGSE lesions may mimic malignancy such as squamous cell carcinoma, CD30 positive lymphoproliferative disorder, or infectious diseases such as primary syphilis, tuberculosis, or Epstein-Barr virus mucocutaneous ulcer. Read More

Anticancer Res 2019 Nov;39(11):6231-6240

Department of Allergy, Osaka Habikino Medical Center, Osaka, Japan.

Background/aim: The present study aimed to prospectively examine the usefulness of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) release (IGR) as a biomarker in non-small-cell lung cancer patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment (ICI-Tx).

Patients And Methods: IGR was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at four time points: within 14 days before ICI-Tx (T1), and 8±3 (T2), 22±7 (T3), and 43±7 (T4) days after ICI-Tx.

Results: Twenty-nine patients were divided into three groups based on IFN-γ levels in the IGR-positive control: Group-1 (n=8) with <10 IU/ml at T1, Group-2 (n=12) with a decrease in IFN-γ levels to <10 IU/ml at T3 and/or T4, and Group-3 (n=9) without changes in IFN-γ levels. Read More

Thorax 2020 Jan 30;75(1):92-95. Epub 2019 Oct 30.

Inserm UMR_S933, INSERM and Sorbonne Université, Paris, France

COPA (coatomer subunit α) syndrome is a newly recognised cause of interstitial lung disease in children and adults, frequently associated with arthritis and renal dysfunction. We report a 11-year-old girl with disease limited to major pulmonary haemosiderosis manifesting at the age of 2 years, due to a heterozygous p.(Arg233His) mutation in Her interferon (IFN) signature was elevated (10. Read More

Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2020 03;201(5):610-613

University of Illinois at Chicago College of MedicineChicago, Illinois.

J Immunol 2019 12 28;203(11):2837-2849. Epub 2019 Oct 28.

Center for Musculoskeletal Research, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642;

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a well-known extra-articular manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA-associated ILD (RA-ILD) exists on a wide spectrum, with variable levels of inflammatory and fibrotic activity, although all subtypes are regarded as irreversible pathologic conditions. In both articular and pulmonary manifestations, TNF is a significant pathogenic factor. Read More

Yeungnam Univ J Med 2019 01 15;36(1):8-15. Epub 2019 Jan 15.

Department of Pathology, Dongkang Hospital, Ulsan, Korea.

Connective tissue diseases (CTDs) can affect all compartments of the lungs, including airways, alveoli, interstitium, vessels, and pleura. CTD-associated lung diseases (CTD-LDs) may present as diffuse lung disease or as focal lesions, and there is significant heterogeneity between the individual CTDs in their clinical and pathological manifestations. CTD-LDs may presage the clinical diagnosis a primary CTD, or it may develop in the context of an established CTD diagnosis. Read More

Case Rep Hematol 2019 11;2019:8947616. Epub 2019 Sep 11.

Department of Hematology, Japan Community Healthcare Organization (JCHO) Tokyo Yamate Medical Center, Hyakunin-cho, Shinjuku, Tokyo 169-0073, Japan.

A 59-year-old man was treated for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for 12 years with methotrexate (MTX) and prednisolone. After MTX-associated interstitial pneumonia developed, he was treated with cyclophosphamide and prednisolone for 7 months. Arthritis worsened, and tacrolimus was added to the treatment regimen. Read More

Immunology 2020 01 10;159(1):121-129. Epub 2019 Nov 10.

Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.

The transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) is a key regulator of the response and function of myeloid cells in hypoxic and inflammatory microenvironments. To define the role of HIF-1α in tuberculosis, the progression of aerosol Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection was analysed in mice deficient in HIF-1α in the myeloid lineage (mHIF-1α ). We show that myeloid HIF-1α is not required for the containment of the infection, as both wild-type (WT) and mHIF-1α mice mounted normal Th1 responses and maintained control of bacterial growth throughout infection. Read More

Rinsho Shinkeigaku 2019 Oct 28;59(10):641-645. Epub 2019 Sep 28.

Department of Neurology, Aomori Prefectural Central Hospital.

A 76-year-old Japanese female who was treated with long-term use of prednisolone at 10 mg/day for interstitial pneumonia developed acute right-dominant lower limb paralysis and then upper limb paralysis with herpes zoster eruptions on the right C7-Th1 dermatomes. On admission, right predominant quadriplegia was observed with sensory symptoms; Hughes functional grade was level 4; the hand grip power was right, 0, and left, 7 kg, the deep tendon reflexes were abolished throughout without pathologic reflexes. Twenty days after the onset of the symptoms, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) revealed mild increases of lymphocytes (13 cells/μl) and protein content (73 mg/dl). Read More

PLoS One 2019 17;14(9):e0222400. Epub 2019 Sep 17.

Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is characterized by the accumulation of Langerin (CD207)-expressing histiocytes. Mutational activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway genes, in particular BRAF, drives most cases. To test whether activated BRAF is sufficient for the development of LCH, we engineered mice to express BRAF V600E under the control of the human Langerin promoter. Read More

J Vet Diagn Invest 2019 Nov 11;31(6):859-863. Epub 2019 Sep 11.

Departments of Pathology and Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (Rissi, Brown), Veterinary Biosciences and Diagnostic Imaging (Gendron), and Small Animal Medicine and Surgery (Good, Lane, Schmiedt), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA.

In contrast to pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), which is a proliferative disorder of Langerhans cells that affects the lungs and other organs of cats, LCH involving a single organ system has not been documented in cats, to our knowledge. Herein we describe a case of pancreatic LCH in a 9-y-old castrated male Domestic Shorthaired cat that was evaluated for possible renal transplantation. The cat was hypoglycemic, hyperinsulinemic, and azotemic. Read More

Clin Exp Med 2019 Nov 4;19(4):487-494. Epub 2019 Sep 4.

Respiratory Disease and Lung Transplant Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, Surgery and Neurosciences, Siena University, Siena, Italy.

Abtract: Background The pathogenetic and regulatory roles of natural killer (NK) and natural killer T-like cells in interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), fibrotic and granulomatous of unknown etiology are unclear. Objectives Here we investigated NK and NKT-like cells in peripheral blood (PB) and Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) from patients with ILDs. Method 190 patients (94 male mean age 61 ± 14. Read More

Pediatr Pulmonol 2020 01 29;55(1):190-197. Epub 2019 Aug 29.

Pediatrics and Adolescentology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine University of Pavia and Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy.

Background: Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-mediated therapeutic effects have been observed in the treatment of lung diseases. For the first time, this treatment was used as rescue therapy in a pediatric patient with a life-threatening respiratory syndrome associated with the filamin A (FLNA) gene mutation.

Methods: A child with a new pathogenic variant of the FLNA gene c. Read More

Clin Exp Rheumatol 2019 May-Jun;37 Suppl 118(3):249-251. Epub 2019 Jul 19.

Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.

Objectives: Interstitial lung disease is a life-threatening complication of many systemic autoimmune diseases with diverse clinical and histopathological features. Among them, lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia (LIP) is mainly associated with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). A case of a middle-aged man with LIP, anti-Ro/La, anti-Scl70 autoantibodies and overlapping histopathological features of pSS and systemic sclerosis (SSc) is presented and discussed. Read More

Korean J Radiol 2019 Sep;20(9):1368-1380

Department of Radiology, Korea University Anam Hospital, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Korea.

Lung cysts are commonly seen on computed tomography (CT), and cystic lung diseases show a wide disease spectrum. Thus, correct diagnosis of cystic lung diseases is a challenge for radiologists. As the first diagnostic step, cysts should be distinguished from cavities, bullae, pneumatocele, emphysema, honeycombing, and cystic bronchiectasis. Read More

Med Sci Monit 2019 Aug 29;25:6474-6481. Epub 2019 Aug 29.

School of Public Health, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, Shandong, China (mainland).

BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (LMR), and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as biomarkers in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD). MATERIAL AND METHODS Demographic and laboratory data were acquired for 198 RA and 103 RA-ILD patients and 290 healthy controls. The subjects were categorized into female and male groups and further subcategorized based on age into <60 years and ≥60 years subgroups. Read More