Clarithromycin is a new macrolide that has a longer half-life than erythromycin and is claimed to reach higher tissue concentrations. We aimed to investigate whether, following oral administration, the drug and its 14-hydroxy metabolite reach levels in lung tissue that are likely to be clinically effective against common respiratory pathogens. Ten patients undergoing diagnostic bronchoscopy rec...

Methods Act-A expression was quantified in the serum, BALF (by ELISA) and bronchial tissue samples (IHC) obtained from CTRL (n=41), MMA (n=46) and SA (n=26). Act-A signaling expression (ActRIIA, ALK4, pSMad2/3) and remodeling markers (basement membrane thickness, goblet cell hyperplasia and angiogenesis) were also assessed in bronchial tissue (IHC/IF/Confocal). Moreover, naive T cells from atop...

High dose rate (HDR) endobronchial brachytherapy is a palliative treatment for symptomatic airway obstruction by malignant tumours. We report a novel use of HDR brachytherapy for treating nonmalignant bronchial obstruction. The patient had a metal stent placed in a reconstructed airway after a bronchial tear to ensure patency. Granulation tissue formation in and around the stent caused symptoma...

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is an extranodal low-grade B-cell lymphoma. Pulmonary MALT lymphoma is considered to originate from bronchial MALT and is also referred to as bronchial-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. Pulmonary MALT lymphoma is a rare disease, but it is the most frequent subset of primary pulmonary lymphoma. The median age at diagnosis of pulmonary MALT lym...

High dose rate (HDR) endobronchial brachytherapy is a palliative treatment for symptomatic airway obstruction by malignant tumours. We report a novel use of HDR brachytherapy for treating non-malignant bronchial obstruction. The patient had a metal stent placed in a reconstructed airway after a bronchial tear to ensure patency. Granulation tissue formation in and around the stent caused symptom...

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is an avian coronavirus affecting the respiratory tract of chickens. To analyze IBV infection of the lower respiratory tract, we applied a technique that uses precision-cut lung slices (PCLSs). This method allows infection of bronchial cells within their natural tissue composition under in vitro conditions. We demonstrate that IBV strains 4/91, Italy02, and QX ...

BACKGROUND It has been established that patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) often have co-existing asthma. OBJECTIVE We aimed to test two hypotheses: (i) upper and lower airway inflammation in CRSwNP is uniform in agreement with the united airways concept; and (ii) bronchial inflammation exists in all CRSwNP patients irrespective of clinical asthma status. METHOD...

Glutathione S-transferases (GST) detoxify a number of carcinogenic electrophiles including diol-epoxide metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The distribution of GSTs A1/A2, M1, M2, M3, and P1 has been studied in lung tissue from 32 subjects by immunohistochemistry using rabbit polyclonal antibodies. GSTA1/A2 and GSTP1 were found to be the most abundant GSTs in human lung, being pres...

Alveolar and bronchial epithelial cells have been shown to have regulatory functions in the maintenance of lung structure and function. Recent evidence supports the premise that these cells can synthesize a variety of extracellular matrix components in vitro, suggesting an active participation in connective tissue remodeling. Their possible role in extracellular matrix degradation, however, is ...

BACKGROUND Despite a long-standing recognition, the bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) of airway smooth muscle, in asthmatic and non-asthmatic subjects is still under investigation. OBJECTIVE In order to better understand the mechanism regulating the airway function, some results obtained with cellular physiology techniques are compared, for some non-asthmatic without BHR subjects and other ...