Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic cardiovascular disease, such as coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and cardiac arrhythmias, have a strong influence on each other, and systemic inflammation has been considered as the main linkage between them. On the other hand, airflow limitation may markedly affect lung mechanics in terms of static and dynamic hyperinfl...

A 75-year-old man was admitted to our hospital complaining of a 4-year history of persistent dry cough and progressive dyspnea on exertion. Chest computed tomography images revealed diffuse reticular opacities and traction bronchiectasis in the bilateral lower lobes and emphysema predominantly in the upper lobes. He was treated with inhaled N-acetylcystein therapy, oral corticosteroids, and pir...

Predominant emphysema phenotype in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. P. Boschetto, M. Miniati, D. Miotto, F. Braccioni, E. De Rosa, I. Bononi, A. Papi, M. Saetta, L.M. Fabbri, C.E. Mapp. #ERS Journals Ltd 2003. ABSTRACT: Patients with fixed airflow limitation are grouped under the heading of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The authors investigated whether COPD patien...

BACKGROUND Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by pulmonary inflammation, airways obstruction and emphysema, and is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the contribution of these individual COPD components to this increased risk is unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the contribution of emphysema in the presence or absence of ...

Better survival in combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema than in lone pulmonary fibrosis: bias or reality? A response to Centrilobular emphysema combined with pulmonary fibrosis results in improved survival by Todd et al., Fibrogenesis & Tissue Repair 2011, 4:6.Please see related letter http://fibrogenesis.com/content/4/1/17.

Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) is a distinct clinical entity characterized by the simultaneous coexistence of both upper lobe emphysema and lower lobe pulmonary fibrosis. Although it was first described in 1990, it has not received enough recognition. Due to its unique lung function and clinical profile, pulmonologists should be aware of its existence while evaluating patients...

This study was undertaken to assess the arterial plasma levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and their relationship with pulmonary haemodynamic and gas exchange variables during exercise in patients with emphysema and interstitial lung disease (ILD). Incremental cycle ergometry was performed in all patients up to maximal capacity. At rest, arterial ET-1 levels were higher in emphysema (1.86 +/- 0.35 p...

Pulmonary emphysema results from an excessive degradation of lung parenchyma associated with a failure of alveolar repair. Secretion by pulmonary fibroblasts of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) is crucial to an effective epithelial repair after lung injury. We hypothesized that abnormal HGF or KGF secretion by pulmonary fibroblasts could play a role in the dev...

a parameter of raised systemic blood pressure during life. The pulmonary vasculature, ventricular weights, and the type and severity of emphysema in these patients were also studied. A group of 10 normotensive subjects and a group of 10 subjects with systemic hypertension were used as controls. The medial thickness of the internal mammary artery was significantly greater in the group of patient...

We investigated the relationship between exercise capacity or exercise-induced hypoxaemia and the severity of pulmonary emphysema in 20 patients with pulmonary emphysema. The patients underwent pulmonary function tests, high resolution computed tomography and incremental treadmill exercise testing. Computed tomography scans were obtained at four levels in the lungs, and emphysema scores were de...