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Topic Review
α1-Antitrypsin Deficiency and SARS-CoV-2 Infection
The most common hereditary disorder in adults, α1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), is characterized by reduced plasma levels or the abnormal functioning of α1-antitrypsin (AAT), a major human blood serine protease inhibitor, which is encoded by the SERine Protein INhibitor-A1 (SERPINA1) gene and produced in the liver. Recently, it has been hypothesized that the geographic differences in COVID-19 infection and fatality rates may be partially explained by ethnic differences in SERPINA1 allele frequencies.
  • 446
  • 19 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Vitamin K in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Although defined by the presence of airflow obstruction and respiratory symptoms, patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are characterized by multimorbidity. Numerous co-occurring conditions and systemic manifestations contribute to the clinical presentation and progression of COPD. Vitamin A and vitamin D have been related to COPD pathogenesis. Another fat-soluble vitamin, vitamin K, has been put forward to exert protective roles in COPD. Vitamin K is an unequivocal cofactor for the carboxylation of coagulation factors, but also for extra-hepatic proteins including the soft tissue calcification inhibitor matrix Gla-protein and the bone protein osteocalcin.
  • 499
  • 10 May 2023
Topic Review
Ventilatory Modes and Settings of Ventilators
The choice of a ventilator model for a single patient is usually based on parameters such as size (portability), presence or absence of battery and ventilatory modes. In each mode, there is always a control or independent variable, which is programmed into the ventilator and remains constant throughout the inspiratory cycle, regardless of the variability in the patient’s ventilatory pattern. The control variables are usually pressure and volume. However, there are special cases, such as hybrid modes (average volume-assured pressure support -AVAPS (Average Volume-Assured Pressure Support)- or intelligent volume-assured pressure support—iVAPS-) in which the control variable (pressure) is modified in a predetermined pressure range depending on the estimation of a parameter (tidal volume).
  • 233
  • 10 May 2023
Topic Review
Vectors in Gene Therapy for Pulmonary Diseases
Over the past decades, a better understanding of the genetic and molecular alterations underlying several respiratory diseases has encouraged the development of new therapeutic strategies. Gene therapy offers new therapeutic alternatives for inherited and acquired diseases by delivering exogenous genetic materials into cells or tissues to restore physiological protein expression and/or activity.
  • 3.5K
  • 16 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Vascular Permeability in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a disease that causes scarring and fibrotic transformation of the lung parenchyma, resulting in the progressive loss of respiratory function and, often, death. An increasing body of literature shows that pulmonary vascular permeability may play a big role in the pathogenesis of this condition. There is a search for therapeutic targets to try and modulate this vascular permeability in fibrotic lungs. One such class of targets that shows great promise is sphingolipids.
  • 268
  • 02 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Vaping-Associated Lung Injury
The lungs are exposed to a multitude of environmental agents with each inspiration. Some of these agents are toxic or cause damage to the lungs. Vaping or electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use is no exception. These devices aerosolise a liquid vapour, which is then inhaled. This vapour contains chemical compounds such as nicotine, flavourings and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Some of these chemicals have irritative, toxic and carcinogenic properties. When inhaled these can alter the immune responses critical for normal lung function and cause lung injury. The pathological manifestation of this is diverse varying from organising pneumonia or diffuse alveolar damage to established interstitial lung disease (ILD). 
  • 527
  • 29 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Types of COVID-19 Vaccines
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a highly contagious virus that emerged at the end of 2019 and has caused an upper respiratory disease pandemic, currently known as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Vaccine clinical studies are developing promptly with the aim of obtaining vaccines that are effective in suppressing the spread of the virus; however, the development of viral mutations raises concerns about the decreasing effectiveness of the resulting vaccine, which also results in the need for more in-depth studies. There have been 330 vaccines developed, including 136 clinical developments and 194 pre-clinical developments. 
  • 495
  • 12 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) present elevated levels of cytokines including interleukin-1a (IL), IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), suggesting the pre-existence of chronic inflammation, which, in turn, has been considered the major risk factor of adverse COVID-19 outcomes in many cohorts. Even more importantly, oxidative stress is a key player in COVID-19 pathogenesis and determines disease severity. It is well-known that extreme glucose excursions, the prominent feature of T1DM, are a potent mediator of oxidative stress through several pathways including the activation of protein kinase C (PKC) and the increased production of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Additionally, chronic endothelial dysfunction and the hypercoagulant state observed in T1DM, in combination with the direct damage of endothelial cells by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), may result in endothelial and microcirculation impairment, which contribute to the pathogenesis of acute respiratory syndrome and multi-organ failure. The binding of SARS-CoV-2 to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors in pancreatic b-cells permits the direct destruction of b-cells, which contributes to the development of new-onset diabetes and the induction of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in patients with T1DM. Large clinical studies are required to clarify the exact pathways through which T1DM results in worse COVID-19 outcomes. 
  • 439
  • 19 May 2021
Topic Review
Tumor Microenvironment of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare disease with an annual incidence of around 3000 cases a year in the United States. Most cases are caused by asbestos exposure, with a latency period of up to 40 years. Pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive disease process with overall survival of roughly 6–12 months after the time of diagnosis. It is divided into three subtypes: epithelioid, mixed type, and sarcomatoid type, with the epithelioid subtype having the best overall survival. Often, the treatment is multimodality with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The survival benefit is improved but remains marginal. New treatment options involving targeted immune therapies appear to offer some promise. The tumor microenvironment is the ecosystem within the tumor that interacts and influences the host immune system.
  • 237
  • 14 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Treatments under Development of SARS-CoV-2
Coronaviridae is a single-strand, positive-sense, enveloped RNA virus family, circulating in many avian and mammal species hosts. In December 2019, a patient was found to have pneumonia caused by an unknown betacoronavirus. With the unbiased sample sequencing of the patient, a novel coronavirus was identified and named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2, by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV).
  • 355
  • 29 Dec 2022
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