BACKGROUND:A study was undertaken to evaluate the usefulness of telomerase activity assay in transthoracic fine needle biopsy (TFNB) aspirates collected from peripheral tumours of the lung in predicting the malignant aetiology of lung infiltrations.METHODS:100 patients with a peripheral infiltration of the lung underwent TFNB of the focal lesion. The aspirates were subjected to standard cytological evaluation. Telomerase activity in the specimens was determined with the PCR-ELISA PLUS method. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and predictive value of TFNB were calculated for cytological examination of aspirates alone and cytological examination with additional telomerase activity assessment.RESULTS:Lung cancer was newly diagnosed in 84 subjects and benign peripheral lesions were found in 16. During the first TFNB, lung cancer was identified in 56 cases of cancer (66.7%) while increased telomerase activity was found in 61 cancer aspirates (72.6%). No subject with a benign infiltration had a false positive result from cytological examination, but in one case (6.25%) increased telomerase activity was observed. The diagnostic sensitivity, accuracy and negative predictive value of the combination of cytological examination and telomerase activity assay in TFNB specimens were significantly higher than for cytological examination alone (89.3% vs 66.7%, p = 0.0004; 90% vs 72%, p = 0.001; 62.5% vs 36.4%, p = 0.039), but a combination of the two examinations was associated with a lower specificity of TFNB (96.9% vs 100%, p = 0.002).CONCLUSION:Detection of telomerase activity in aspirates taken during TFNB of a peripheral lung infiltration should be considered as an indication of the risk of malignancy in cases with false negative cytological results.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of air pollution on pulmonary function parameters in healthy non-smoking young men. The study comprised 1,278 healthy, non-smoking young men (aged 18-23) living in Poland in regions with different levels of air pollution. The examined population was divided into three groups A, B, and C, based on low, moderate and high air pollution levels, respectively. Spirometry and bodyphletysmography at rest were performed by using of mobile lab PNEUMOBIL. Lung function parameters were analyzed and compared with respect to the level of air pollution. The mean values of the pulmonary function parameters were within the limits in all groups, but we observed statistically significant differences between the groups (lowest mean values in group C and the highest in group A). In all groups we found persons with significant airflow limitation in the central and peripheral bronchi, defined as the decrease of FEV(1) %FVC ratio <70 and FEV(1)<80 % of predicted value (central bronchi), and FEV(1) %FVC ratio >70, FEF(50)<70 % predicted (peripheral bronchi). The percentage of persons with airflow limitation in the central bronchi was in group A (0.3 %), B (0.4 %) and C (1.4 %). The incidence of flow limitation in small bronchi was as follows: in group A (1.2 %), B (0.5 %) and C (6.7 %). The majority of factors defining the capacity of lungs as well as the intensity of the airflow showed a negative correlation with the concentrations of the basic air pollution (SO(2), NO(2), PM(10)). Our study showed, for the first time, the influence of air pollution on pulmonary function parameters in healthy non-smoking young men in the Polish population.

BACKGROUND Eotaxin is one of the important chemokines that modulate allergic inflammation. In many studies a correlation between an elevated serum concentration of eotaxin, allergen exposure and allergic symptoms has been confirmed. Influence of other factors on eotaxin concentration is feebly recognized. We made an attempt to assess the influence of age and gender on the serum eotaxin level in healthy people and in patients with intermittent IgE-mediated rhinoconjunctivitis (AR). METHODS The serum eotaxin level was measured in 245 healthy people and 241 patients with AR before the pollen season with the ELISA technique (KITS, R&D USA, pg/ml). The parametric tests and linear regression analysis were used in statistical calculations. RESULTS There were no differences between the allergic group and the healthy one in the mean age (accordingly: 31.3 +/- 11.6 yrs. vs. 31.6 +/- 12.5 yrs.; p=0.1) and the mean serum eotaxin content (118.1 +/- 44.9 pg/ml vs. 116.3 +/- 34.8 pg/ml; p=0.3). A significant relationship between the serum eotaxin level, gender and age was revealed in both groups and regression models were derived. A linear correlation between age (semi-partial correlation beta = 0.47, p = 0.0000001) and gender (semi-partial correlation beta = 0.3, p = 0.0000001), on the one side, and the serum eotaxin level, on the other, was found for the allergic people. In the control group a similar relationship between the serum eotaxin level and age (semi-partial correlation coefficient beta = 0.63, p = 0.0000001) and gender (semi-partial correlation factor beta = 0.23, p = 0.000006) was observed. CONCLUSIONS Age and sex significantly influence the serum eotaxin content in healthy people and patients with IgE-mediated rhinoconjunctivitis.

BACKGROUND: One of the most promising markers of allergic inflammation is eotaxin, which has a selective influence on the migration of eosinophils. Its serum content significantly correlates with the intensity of allergic symptoms, so it might be interesting to know whether vaccination has any influence on serum expression of this chemokine. AIMS: Comparison of the humoral response to influenza vaccine and post-vaccination changes in the serum eotaxin level in patients with allergic bronchial asthma and healthy controls. METHODS: Forty-two asthmatics and 45 healthy individuals were vaccinated with a single dose of influenza subunit vaccine (Influvac). The serum eotaxin level and the antibody response to haemagglutinin (HI) and neuraminidase (NI) glycoproteins were measured before and after vaccination. RESULTS: A significant increase of geometric mean titres of HI and NI was observed in both groups. There were no significant differences between the groups in meanfold increase of HI and NI titres, response rate and protective level of HI. After vaccination, a significant decrease of the mean serum eotaxin value was observed in patients with asthma (149.4 +/- 71.0 versus 125.1 +/- 67.0, p= 0.0017), while no similar effect was present in healthy individuals (153.4 +/- 56.9 versus 159.3 +/- 54.4, p= 0.5). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that in patients with allergic bronchial asthma influenza vaccinations assure efficient protective antibody level and modulate the serum level of eotaxin.

The aim of the study was to compare humoral response to influenza vaccinations in healthy people and patients with bronchial asthma or COPD. Ninety-one subjects (20 with COPD, 21 with bronchial asthma and 45 healthy) were vaccinated with a single dose of influenza subunit vaccine. Antibody response to haemagglutinin (HI) and neuraminidase (NI) glycoproteins and pulmonary function were measured before and after vaccination. Influenza-like symptoms and intensity of COPD or asthma complaints after vaccination were also recorded. A significant increase of geometric mean titres of HI and NI antibodies was observed in all three vaccinated groups. No significant differences between the COPD, asthma and healthy groups were observed in mean fold increase of HI and NI antibodies and response rate to vaccination or proportion of subjects with the sufficient protection level of HI. No change in intensity of asthma or COPD symptoms was found. There were no differences between the groups in the proportion of subjects who experienced influenza-like symptoms. The results suggest that in patients with bronchial asthma or COPD humoral response to influenza vaccine and safety of vaccinations are comparable to those in healthy individuals.

BACKGROUND:Allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) is believed to be a valuable remedy in several allergic diseases; however, an accurate immunological marker of the efficacy of this treatment method has not been found yet. Cc-chemokine eotaxin, owing to its selective action on eosinophils, seems to play an important role in the pathophysiology of allergic response. The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness of eotaxin in monitoring of SIT efficacy in patients with IgE-mediated allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.METHODS:One hundred and twenty-two patients with seasonal IgE-mediated allergic rhinoconjunctivitis due to tree- (birch, n = 42; hazel/alder, n = 14) or grass/cereal- (n = 66) pollen received allergen-specific immunotherapy. Serum eotaxin levels were determined four times in every patient, shortly before immunotherapy (Evaluation 0), immediately after the treatment (Evaluation 1), in the height of pollen season (Evaluation 2) and at least 2 weeks after the pollen season (Evaluation 3). Serum eotaxin levels were simultaneously measured in 59 healthy people from the control group. Changes in serum eotaxin levels were assessed in the healthy and allergic groups. Clinical symptoms of IgE-mediated rhinoconjunctivitis were evaluated and compared with serum eotaxin concentration changes.RESULTS:Mean values of eotaxin concentrations in serum during Evaluations 0-3 did not significantly differ in the healthy subjects and the patients with IgE-mediated rhinoconjunctivitis (P > 0.05). Moreover, no statistically significant differences in the serum eotaxin levels between the visits were observed in the patients who received immunotherapy (P > 0.05); however, immediately after immunotherapy (Evaluation 1) the mean serum level of eotaxin was lowest and closest to the serum eotaxin concentration in the control group at the same visit. No significant correlation between the mean value of the serum eotaxin level in the height of pollen season (r = -0.12, P > 0.05) or mean changes of the eotaxin levels between Evaluations 2 and 1 (r = -0.03, P > 0.05), on the one hand, and the cumulative score of symptoms and drug, on the other, were found.CONCLUSIONS:The results allow to conclude that although eotaxin plays a significant role in the mechanism of antigen-specific immunotherapy, its serum expression remains a poor marker of SIT efficacy.

BACKGROUND:Different forms of chronic airway inflammation may involve diverse pathogenic elements. In general, deficient defence response is a feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), whereas distorted immunoregulatory mechanisms lead to development of asthmatic symptoms. In addition to diverse effector mechanisms, the cellular and humoral elements participating in the development of immune response may appear to be different in COPD and bronchial asthma (BA) patients.AIMS:To evaluate the immunoregulatory properties of T cells and monocytes in cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and to determine the chosen cytokine profiles in COPD and BA patients.METHODS:The microcultures of PBMC from COPD and BA patients were assessed for the T-cell response to mitogens, saturation of interleukin (IL)-2 receptors, T-cell suppressive activity and monokine influence on lymphocyte proliferation. Concomitantly, the cytokine (IL-1beta, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, tumour necrosis factor-alpha, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8) concentrations were determined in the serum, the broncho-alveolar lavage fluid and in the culture supernatants.RESULTS:The T-lymphocyte reactions (response to phytohaemagglutinin, IL-2 receptor saturation, suppressive activity) were lower in BA patients than in COPD patients. Reversely, the immunogenic activity of monocytes (IL-1beta versus IL-1ra production) was higher in BA patients than in COPD patients. The highest values of cytokine concentrations were found in the culture supernatants. The concentrations of tumour necrosis factor-alpha, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-8 were significantly higher and the concentration of IL-1ra was lower in BA patients than in COPD patients.CONCLUSION:The assessments of cellular immunoregulatory properties and cytokine profiles in the cultures of blood mononuclear cells may prove helpful for diagnostic and therapeutic discrimination between BA and COPD patients.

AllergyVolume 57, Issue 10 p. 958-959 Eotaxin in IgE-mediated rhinoconjunctivitis K. Jahnz-Różyk, K. Jahnz-Różyk Department of Internal Medicine Pneumonology and Allergology Central Hospital of Military School of Medicine Szaserów 128 Street 00–909 Warsaw Poland E-mail: krozyk@poczta.onet.plSearch for more papers by this authorT. Targowski, T. Targowski Department of Internal Medicine Pneumonology and Allergology Central Hospital of Military School of Medicine Szaserów 128 Street 00–909 Warsaw Poland E-mail: krozyk@poczta.onet.plSearch for more papers by this authorE. Głodzinska-Wyszogrodzka, E. Głodzinska-Wyszogrodzka Department of Internal Medicine Pneumonology and Allergology Central Hospital of Military School of Medicine Szaserów 128 Street 00–909 Warsaw Poland E-mail: krozyk@poczta.onet.plSearch for more papers by this authorT. Płusa, T. Płusa Department of Internal Medicine Pneumonology and Allergology Central Hospital of Military School of Medicine Szaserów 128 Street 00–909 Warsaw Poland E-mail: krozyk@poczta.onet.plSearch for more papers by this author K. Jahnz-Różyk, K. Jahnz-Różyk Department of Internal Medicine Pneumonology and Allergology Central Hospital of Military School of Medicine Szaserów 128 Street 00–909 Warsaw Poland E-mail: krozyk@poczta.onet.plSearch for more papers by this authorT. Targowski, T. Targowski Department of Internal Medicine Pneumonology and Allergology Central Hospital of Military School of Medicine Szaserów 128 Street 00–909 Warsaw Poland E-mail: krozyk@poczta.onet.plSearch for more papers by this authorE. Głodzinska-Wyszogrodzka, E. Głodzinska-Wyszogrodzka Department of Internal Medicine Pneumonology and Allergology Central Hospital of Military School of Medicine Szaserów 128 Street 00–909 Warsaw Poland E-mail: krozyk@poczta.onet.plSearch for more papers by this authorT. Płusa, T. Płusa Department of Internal Medicine Pneumonology and Allergology Central Hospital of Military School of Medicine Szaserów 128 Street 00–909 Warsaw Poland E-mail: krozyk@poczta.onet.plSearch for more papers by this author First published: 18 September 2002 https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1398-9995.2002.23832_3.xCitations: 2 A relation with age and sex only in allergies. Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume57, Issue10October 2002Pages 958-959 RelatedInformation

Transthoracic fine-needle biopsy (TFNB) is a valuable method of recognizing changes in lungs, especially suspected of cancer. Such operations are cheap, don't demand expensive instruments and are possible to perform in each pneumonology ward, especially if they are an ideal supplement for bronchofibroscoping examination. The possibility of quick and effective performance of transthoracic biopsy shortens the diagnostics considerably. From January 1997 to April 1999 there were performed 406 operations of TFNB. There were 334 people operated on (294 men--74.5%; 85 women--25.5%), average age for the whole group of patients--62.8 (+/- 10.4 years). The patients were divided into two groups considering hospitalization places: I--patients from (not transported for operation)--135 (40.4%), II--patients transported for operation from another hospitals--199 (59.6%) The examination was performed under control of rtg apparatus (7600 OEC Medical System with mobile x-ray tube on a C-arm and laser localizer). The usual complication was an pneumothorax--52 cases (12.8%); drained--16 cases (3.9%). An average depth of inserting in an early pneumothorax is 6.56 (+/- 0.73), in a late pneumothorax--8.6 cm (+/- 1.75), (p = 0.0015). An average depth of inserting in a drained pneumothorax was 8.9 cm (+/- 2.17), in a non-drained pneumothorax 7.7 cm (+/- 1.3) (p = 0.024). Patients that had to be transported for the operation had pneumothoraxes that needed to be drained considerably more often: 14 cases in 199 comparing to 2 in 135 among patients not demanding to be transported (p = 0.02). Pneumothoraxes appeared more often after indicating tumors of smaller size, from 3 cm--21.6%; 3.1-6 cm--13.3% (p = 0.036). From another complications one could notice: hemoptysis--4 cases; subcutaneous emphysema--1 case; fever and shivers--1 case; hypotonia--2 cases; cough--1 case. Those complications were treated symptomatically or vanished themselves.

Retroperitoneal fibrosis is a disease with replacement of normal retroperitoneal tissue with isolated fibrotic plaque placed around aorta and entrapping ureters. In 15% of patients an fibrotic process can be found outside the retroperitoneum. The most common localisation outside retroperitoneum is mediastinum, however, it can occur in every organ. The patient usually is diagnosed due to symptoms connected to compression of the ureters. We report the case of 41-year-old woman with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease complaining of nonspecific, dull, noncolicky pain localized to the back and abdomen. Finally we recognised retroperitoneal fibrosis. The diagnosis was proven by lumbar mass biopsy.

It was a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled comparative study of the clinical symptoms and chosen parameters of ventilation of inhaled ambroxol in patients hospitalized with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Eligible patients--30 patients (13 men and 17 women) aged of mean value 70.5 +/- 6.9 years who fulfilled the clinical traits of exacerbation of chronic bronchitis entered the study. 15 patients were treated with inhaled ambroxol and 15 were treated with placebo. Moreover all patients were treated with concomitant medications typical for exacerbation of COPD (systemic steroids, intravenous infusions with euphillin, antibiotics, Berodual nebulizations and oxygen therapy). Spirometry and data related to clinical symptoms were taken at the beginning of the study and after 1 and 3 days and after the end of the treatment. At the end of the treatment period in both groups (inhaled ambroxol therapy vs. placebo) there wasn't found statistically significant difference in the number of cough and dyspnoe attacks. There was found the difference in FEV1 and FEF 50 in both groups, but improvement in patients treated with ambroxol was statistically significantly faster, that can influence the cost of treatment. Moreover there were not found important adverse events in ambroxol group.

Lower respiratory tract infections are a heterogeneous group of disorders induced by plenty of pathogens. Atypical bacteria play an important role in the respiratory tract pathology. In our study 90 patients with acute infection of the respiratory tract were examined in serological screening test for Mycoplasma pneumonia and Chlamydia pneumoniae. It was confirmed that in 21 patients with community acquired pneumonia Mycoplasma pneumonia antibodies were detected in 38% and Chlamydia pneumoniae in 10%. In our opinion this screening serological tests are useful for early diagnosis of atypical bacterial infections of the respiratory tract.