{"title":"Pulmonary gas exchange and ventilatory efficiency during exercise in health and diseases.","authors":"Luigi Panza, Daniel Piamonti, Paolo Palange","doi":"10.1080/17476348.2024.2370447","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17476348.2024.2370447","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is nowadays used to study the exercise response in healthy subjects and in disease. Ventilatory efficiency is one of the main determinants in exercise tolerance, and its main variables are a useful tool to guide pathophysiologists toward specific diagnostic pathways, providing prognostic information and improving disease management, treatment, and outcomes.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This review will be based on today's available scientific evidence, describing the main physiological determinants of ventilatory efficiency at rest and during exercise, and focusing also on how CPET variables are modified in specific diseases, leading to the possibility of early diagnosis and management.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Growing knowledge on CPET interpretation and a wider use of this clinical tool is expected in order to offer more precise diagnostic and prognostic information to patients and clinicians, helping in the management of therapeutic decisions. Future research could be able to identify new and more simple markers of ventilatory efficiency, and to individuate new interventions for the improvement of symptoms, such as exertional dyspnea.</p>","PeriodicalId":94007,"journal":{"name":"Expert review of respiratory medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141443979","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marium Naqvi, Jennifer Hannah, Alexandra Lawrence, Katherine Myall, Alex West, Nazia Chaudhuri
{"title":"Antifibrotic therapy in progressive pulmonary fibrosis: a review of recent advances.","authors":"Marium Naqvi, Jennifer Hannah, Alexandra Lawrence, Katherine Myall, Alex West, Nazia Chaudhuri","doi":"10.1080/17476348.2024.2375420","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17476348.2024.2375420","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) is a manifestation of a heterogenous group of underlying interstitial lung disease (ILD) diagnoses, defined as non-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) progressive fibrotic ILD meeting at least two of the following criteria in the previous 12 months: worsening respiratory symptoms, absolute decline in forced vital capacity (FVC) more than or equal to 5% and/or absolute decline in diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) more than or equal to 10% and/or radiological progression.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>The authors subjectively reviewed a synthesis of literature from PubMed to identify recent advances in the diagnosis and characterisation of PPF, treatment recommendations, and management challenges. This review provides a comprehensive summary of recent advances and highlights future directions for the diagnosis, management, and treatment of PPF.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Recent advances in defining the criteria for PPF diagnosis and licensing of treatment are likely to support further characterisation of the PPF patient population and improve our understanding of prevalence. The diagnosis of PPF remains challenging with the need for a specialised ILD multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach. The evidence base supports the use of immunomodulatory therapy to treat inflammatory ILDs and antifibrotic therapy where PPF develops. Treatment needs to be tailored to the specific underlying disease and determined on a case-by-case basis.</p>","PeriodicalId":94007,"journal":{"name":"Expert review of respiratory medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141750099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The latest on positive airway pressure for pediatric obstructive sleep apnea.","authors":"Natalia S Escobar, Adeline Y L Lim, Reshma Amin","doi":"10.1080/17476348.2024.2375428","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17476348.2024.2375428","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an important and evolving area in the pediatric population, with significant sequelae when not adequately managed. The use of positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy is expanding rapidly and is being prescribed to patients with persistent OSA post adenotonsillectomy as well as those children who are not surgical candidates including those with medical complexity.</p><p><strong>Areas discussed: </strong>This article provides a state-of-the-art review on the diagnosis of pediatric OSA and treatment with positive airway pressure (PAP). The initiation of PAP therapy, pediatric interface considerations, PAP mode selection, administration and potential complications of PAP therapy, factors influencing PAP adherence, the use of remote ventilation machine downloads, considerations surrounding follow-up of patients post PAP initiation and evaluation of weaning off PAP will be reviewed. The literature search was conducted via PubMed, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar databases through to March 2024.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Further research is required to address barriers to adherence. Further innovation of home monitoring devices for both the diagnosis and assessment of OSA is required, given the limited pediatric sleep medicine resources in several countries worldwide.</p>","PeriodicalId":94007,"journal":{"name":"Expert review of respiratory medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141478250","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Merna H Emam, Reham S. Elezaby, Shady A. Swidan, R. Hathout
{"title":"Nanofiberous facemasks as protectives against pandemic respiratory viruses.","authors":"Merna H Emam, Reham S. Elezaby, Shady A. Swidan, R. Hathout","doi":"10.1080/17476348.2024.2356601","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17476348.2024.2356601","url":null,"abstract":"INTRODUCTION\u0000Wearing protective face masks and respirators has been a necessity to reduce the transmission rate of respiratory viruses since the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease. Nevertheless, the outbreak has revealed the need to develop efficient air filter materials and innovative anti-microbial protectives. Nanofibrous facemasks, either loaded with antiviral nanoparticles or not, are very promising personal protective equipment (PPE) against pandemic respiratory viruses.\u0000\u0000\u0000AREAS COVERED\u0000In this review, multiple types of face masks and respirators are discussed as well as filtration mechanisms of particulates. In this regard, the limitations of traditional face masks were summarized and the advancement of nanotechnology in developing nanofibrous masks and air filters was discussed. Different methods of preparing nanofibers were explained. The various approaches used for enhancing nanofibrous face masks were covered.\u0000\u0000\u0000EXPERT OPINION\u0000Although wearing conventional face masks can limit viral infection spread to some extent, the world is in great need for more protective face masks. Nanofibers can block viral particles efficiently and can be incorporated into face masks in order to enhance their filtration efficiency. Also, we believe that other modifications such as addition of antiviral nanoparticles can significantly increase the protection power of facemasks.","PeriodicalId":94007,"journal":{"name":"Expert review of respiratory medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140969345","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Unmet challenges in cystic fibrosis treatment with modulators.","authors":"Federica Corrao, Mairead Kelly-Aubert, Isabelle Sermet-Gaudelus, Michaela Semeraro","doi":"10.1080/17476348.2024.2357210","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17476348.2024.2357210","url":null,"abstract":"INTRODUCTION\u0000'Highly effective' modulator therapies (HEMTs) have radically changed the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) therapeutic landscape. These novel therapeutic approaches have permitted unprecedented opportunities for quality-of-life improvement and for enhancing people with CF's (pwCF) life expectancy.\u0000\u0000\u0000AREAS COVERED\u0000The aim of this review is to describe the current knowledge gaps. A comprehensive search strategy was undertaken to assess impact of HEMT in life of pwCF, treatment challenges in specific populations such as very young children, and research needs.\u0000\u0000\u0000EXPERT OPINION\u0000HEMTs are prescribed for pwCF with definite genotypes. The heterogeneity of variants complicates treatment possibilities and around 10% of pwCF worldwide remains ineligible. Genotype-specific treatments are prompting theratyping and personalized medicine strategies. Improvement in lung function and quality of life increase survival rates, shifting CF from a pediatric to an adult disease. This implies new studies addressing long-term efficacy, side effects, emergence of adult co-morbidities and possible drug-drug interactions. More sensitive and predictive biomarkers for both efficacy and toxicity are warranted. As HEMTs cross the placenta and are found in breast milk, studies addressing the potential consequences of treatment during pregnancy and breastfeeding are urgently needed. Finally, although the treatment and expected outcomes of CF have improved dramatically in high- and middle-income countries, lack of access in low-income countries to these lifesaving and life-changing medicines highlights inequity of care worldwide.","PeriodicalId":94007,"journal":{"name":"Expert review of respiratory medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140967893","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Developments in treatment for middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).","authors":"Jaffar A Al-Tawfiq","doi":"10.1080/17476348.2024.2369714","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17476348.2024.2369714","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>An important respiratory pathogen that has led to multiple hospital outbreaks both inside and outside of the Arabian Peninsula is the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Given the elevated case fatality rate, there exists a pressing requirement for efficacious therapeutic agents.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This is an updated review of the developments in MERS treatment approaches. Using databases like PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Scopus, and Google Scholar, a thorough search was carried out utilizing keywords like 'MERS,' 'MERS-CoV,' and 'Middle East respiratory syndrome' in conjunction with 'treatment' or 'therapy' from Jan 2012 to Feb 2024.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>MERS-CoV is a highly pathogenic respiratory infection that emerged in 2012 and continues to pose a significant public health threat. Despite ongoing efforts to control the spread of MERS-CoV, there is currently no specific antiviral treatment available. While many agents have been tested both in vivo and in vitro, none of them have been thoroughly examined in extensive clinical trials. Only case reports, case series, or cohort studies have been made available as clinical studies. However, there is a limited number of randomized-controlled trials. Because cases are irregular and sporadic, conducting a large prospective randomized trials for establishing an efficacious treatment might be difficult.</p>","PeriodicalId":94007,"journal":{"name":"Expert review of respiratory medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141332744","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lucía Ferreiro, Elisa Landín Rey, María Carreiras Cuiña, Francisco Gude, José R Antúnez, Juan Suárez-Antelo, María Elena Toubes, Nuria Rodríguez Núñez, Antonio Golpe, Vanessa Riveiro, Luis Valdés
{"title":"Non-specific pleuritis: long-term follow-up outcomes.","authors":"Lucía Ferreiro, Elisa Landín Rey, María Carreiras Cuiña, Francisco Gude, José R Antúnez, Juan Suárez-Antelo, María Elena Toubes, Nuria Rodríguez Núñez, Antonio Golpe, Vanessa Riveiro, Luis Valdés","doi":"10.1080/17476348.2024.2368610","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17476348.2024.2368610","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The definitive etiology of nonspecific pleuritis (NSP), the influence of the type of pleural biopsy on clinical results and the minimum duration of follow-up is controversial.</p><p><strong>Research design and methods: </strong>A retrospective, observational study of patients ≥ 18 years with NSP confirmed by closed pleural biopsy (CPB), local anesthesia pleuroscopy (LAP), or video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 167 patients were included (mean follow-up, 14.4 months), of which 25 (15%) were diagnosed within one month; [15 (60%) malignant]. Of the remaining 142 pleural effusions (PEf), 69 (48.6%) were idiopathic; 49 (34.5%) not-malignant and 24 (16.9%) malignant (4 mesotheliomas and 20 metastasic). The diagnosis of NSP was established by CPB (7; median time to diagnosis, 9.4 months), LAT (5; 15.8 months), and VATS (8; 13.5 months) (<i>p</i> = 0.606). Sixty-eight patients (40.7%) died during follow-up (mean time, 12 months).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In a substantial percentage of patients diagnosed with NSP, a definitive diagnosis will not be obtained, a relevant number of patients will develop a malignant PEf. The diagnostic procedure used for the diagnosis of NSP does not seem to influence delay in the diagnosis of malignant PEf. The data obtained suggest that follow-up should be maintained for at least 24 months.</p>","PeriodicalId":94007,"journal":{"name":"Expert review of respiratory medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141328244","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Management of liver disease and portal hypertension in cystic fibrosis: a review.","authors":"Carla Colombo, Chiara Lanfranchi, Giulia Tosetti, Fabiola Corti, Massimo Primignani","doi":"10.1080/17476348.2024.2365842","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17476348.2024.2365842","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Cystic fibrosis (CF)-associated liver disease can significantly affect the quality of life and survival of people with CF. The hepatobiliary manifestations in CF are various, with focal/multilobular biliary cirrhosis more common in children and porto-sinusoidal vascular disease (PSVD) in young adults. Portal hypertensive complications, particularly bleeding from esophagogastric varices and hypersplenism are common, while liver failure is rarer and mainly linked to biliary disease.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This review explores current therapeutic options for CF-associated liver disease, presenting ongoing studies and new insights into parthenogenesis for potential future therapies.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Monitoring for signs of portal hypertension is essential. Limited evidence supports ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) efficacy in halting CF liver disease progression. The effect of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators on liver outcomes lacks definitive data, since patients with CF-related liver disease were excluded from trials due to potential hepatotoxicity. A proposed approach involves using UDCA and modulators in early stages, along with anti-inflammatory agents, with further therapeutic strategies awaiting randomized trials. Prevention of portal hypertensive bleeding includes endoscopic sclerotherapy or ligation of esophageal varices. Nonselective beta-blockers may also prevent bleeding and could be cautiously implemented. Other non-etiological treatments require investigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":94007,"journal":{"name":"Expert review of respiratory medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141499984","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mendelian randomization study on the causal effect of herpes simplex virus infection on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.","authors":"Min Zhang, Jinming Qiu, Renxi Wang","doi":"10.1080/17476348.2024.2369253","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17476348.2024.2369253","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Previous observational studies have shown that past infection of herpes simplex virus (HSV) is associated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The present study aims to identify the causal link between HSV infection (exposure factor) and IPF (outcome factor).</p><p><strong>Research design and methods: </strong>To date, the largest publicly available genome-wide association study (GWAS) for HSV infection (1,595 cases and 211,856 controls from Finnish ancestry) and for IPF (1,028 cases and 196,986 controls from Finnish ancestry) were used to perform this two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found no significant pleiotropy or heterogeneity of all selected nine HSV infection-associated genetic instrumental variants (IVs) in IPF GWAS dataset. Interestingly, we found that as HSV infection genetically increased, IPF risk increased based on an inverse-variance weighted (IVW) analysis (odds ratio [OR] = 1.280, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.048-1.563; <i>p</i> = 0.015) and weighted median (OR = 1.321, 95% CI: 1.032-1.692; <i>p</i> = 0.027).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our analysis suggests a causal effect of genetically increased HSV infection on IPF risk. Thus, HSV infection may be a potential risk factor for IPF.</p>","PeriodicalId":94007,"journal":{"name":"Expert review of respiratory medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141328243","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Understanding the role of biological sex can optimize care and drug development in asthma.","authors":"Neeloffer Mookherjee, Christopher Carlsten","doi":"10.1080/17476348.2024.2369250","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17476348.2024.2369250","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":94007,"journal":{"name":"Expert review of respiratory medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141332745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}