33 results on '"Foresi A"'
Search Results
2. Nitric oxide synthases from photosynthetic microorganisms
- Author
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Andres, Nejamkin, primary, Fiorella, Del Castello, additional, Natalia, Correa-Aragunde, additional, Noelia, Foresi, additional, Leonor, Ramirez, additional, and Lamattina, Lorenzo, additional
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
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3. List of contributors
- Author
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Akbar, Ali, primary, Ali, Shafaqat, additional, Amarante, Luciano do, additional, Andres, Nejamkin, additional, Ashraf, Muhammad Arslan, additional, Bakshi, Palak, additional, Bali, Shagun, additional, Banerjee, Aditya, additional, Banik, Avishek, additional, Barreno, Eva, additional, Benavides, María P., additional, Ben Hamed, Karim, additional, Benkő, Péter, additional, Bhardwaj, Renu, additional, Bhati, Kaushal K., additional, Casalongué, Claudia Anahí, additional, Cassia, Raúl, additional, Catalá, Myriam, additional, Cinar, Ahsen Sevde, additional, Da-Silva, Cristiane J., additional, Dhal, Somali, additional, Dubey, Arvind Kumar, additional, Expósito, Joana R., additional, Fernández, María Belén, additional, Fiorella, Del Castello, additional, Gallego, Susana M., additional, Gautam, Ambedkar, additional, Gémes, Katalin, additional, Gniazdowska, Agnieszka, additional, Gomes, Diego Genuário, additional, Groppa, María D., additional, Gupta, Anil Kumar, additional, Hazrat, Ali, additional, Hussain, Adil, additional, Ibrahim, Mohammad, additional, Iglesias, María José, additional, Ihsan, Mohammad, additional, Imran, Qari Muhammad, additional, Iqbal, Muhammad, additional, Iranbakhsh, Alireza, additional, Janicka, Małgorzata, additional, Jasrotia, Shivam, additional, Kabała, Katarzyna, additional, Kaszler, Nikolett, additional, Kaur, Rimaljeet, additional, Kaur, Ravinderjit, additional, Kaur, Parminder, additional, Khajuria, Anjali, additional, Khanna, Kanika, additional, Kohli, Sukhmeen Kaur, additional, Krasuska, Urszula, additional, Kumar, Navin, additional, Kumar, Vinod, additional, Laiq, Muhammad, additional, Lamattina, Lorenzo, additional, Latorre, Lucas, additional, Leonor, Ramirez, additional, Li, Zhong-Guang, additional, Liao, Weibiao, additional, Lopes-Oliveira, Patrícia Juliana, additional, Lukaszewicz, Germán, additional, Mathan, Jyotirmaya, additional, Mir, Bilal Ahmad, additional, Nahar, Lutfun, additional, Natalia, Correa-Aragunde, additional, Nisar, Mohammad, additional, Noelia, Foresi, additional, Ohri, Puja, additional, Oliveira, Halley Caixeta, additional, Onder, Alev, additional, Oraghi Ardebili, Zahra, additional, Oraghi Ardebili, Narges, additional, Pal, Harshata, additional, Pelegrino, Milena Trevisan, additional, Pena, Liliana B., additional, Planchet, Elisabeth, additional, Rasheed, Rizwan, additional, Reda, Małgorzata, additional, Roychoudhury, Aryadeep, additional, Sanyal, Indraneel, additional, Sarker, Satyajit D., additional, Scherer, G.F.E., additional, Seabra, Amedea Barozzi, additional, Shahid, Muhammad, additional, Sharma, Pooja, additional, Sharma, Nandni, additional, Singh, Anuradha, additional, Staszek, Pawel, additional, Terrile, María Cecilia, additional, Ullah, Abid, additional, Ullah, Syed Irfan, additional, Ullah, Sana, additional, Ullah, Atta, additional, Wal, Agnieszka, additional, Wimalasekera, R., additional, Yadav, Amit, additional, Yun, Byung-Wook, additional, Zafar, Sadia, additional, Zak, Joanna, additional, and Zhang, Jing, additional
- Published
- 2022
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- View/download PDF
4. Soil N2O emissions after perennial legume termination in an alfalfa-wheat crop rotation system under Mediterranean conditions
- Author
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Laura Trozzo, Matteo Francioni, Ayaka Wenhong Kishimoto-Mo, Lucia Foresi, Michele Bianchelli, Nora Baldoni, Paride D'Ottavio, and Marco Toderi
- Subjects
Greenhouse gases ,soil tillage ,crop residues ,nitrogen. ,Agriculture ,Plant culture ,SB1-1110 - Abstract
Agricultural activities are potential sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and nitrous oxide (N2O) is one of the most important non-carbon-dioxide GHGs. Perennial legumes such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) have potential roles for reduction of soil GHG emissions as part of crop rotation systems. However, the implications of perennial legume termination by tillage and subsequent soil incorporation of the residues for reduced GHG emissions have been poorly examined in Mediterranean environments. With the aim to assess the magnitude of soil N2O emissions (important for the definition of mitigation strategies) after perennial legume termination in alfalfa-wheat crop rotation systems in a Mediterranean environment, we defined the hypothesis that alfalfa termination by tillage with incorporation of the crop residues will increase soil N2O emissions during the subsequent wheat season. To test this hypothesis, closed static chambers were used in a field–plot experiment, using a complete randomised block design with three replicates. Soil N2O emissions were monitored across 33 sampling dates from October 2017 to July 2018, as a comparison between an original 6-year-old alfalfa field (‘continuous alfalfa’) and alfalfa termination followed by wheat (‘alfalfa+ wheat’). The soil N2O emission fluxes varied markedly across the treatments and throughout the monitoring period (from – 0.02±0.01 to 0.53±0.14 g N-N2O ha–1 h–1, and from 0.02±0.07 to 0.37±0.11 g N-N2O ha–1 h–1 for continuous alfalfa and alfalfa+wheat, respectively), generally following the changes in soil temperature. Several soil N2O emission peaks were recorded for both treatments, which mainly coincided with rainfall and with increased soil water content. In the 2 months following alfalfa termination, alfalfa+wheat showed higher cumulative weekly soil N2O emissions compared to continuous alfalfa. Following alfalfa termination for alfalfa+wheat, the increased cumulative weekly soil N2O emissions appeared to be due to asynchrony between nitrogen (N) released into the soil from mineralisation of the alfalfa residues and N uptake by the wheat. Despite these initial high soil N2O emissions for alfalfa+wheat, the seasonal cumulative soil N2O emissions were not significantly different (0.77±0.09 vs 0.85±0.18 kg N-N2O ha–1 for continuous alfalfa and alfalfa+wheat, respectively). These data suggest that legume perennial crop termination in alfalfa–wheat rotation systems does not lead to significant loss of N2O from the soil. The alfalfa termination by tillage performed in autumn might, on the one hand, have slowed the mineralisation process, and might, on the other hand, have synchronised the N release by the mineralised crop residues, with the N uptake by the wheat reducing the soil N2O emissions.
- Published
- 2020
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5. Contributors
- Author
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Ahluwalia, Amrita, primary, Akaike, Takaaki, additional, Álvarez, María Noel, additional, Alvarez, Roger A., additional, Basudhar, Debashree, additional, Bianco, Christopher L., additional, Billiar, Timothy R., additional, Bovee, Rhea C., additional, Brookes, Paul S., additional, Castro, Laura, additional, Cheng, Robert Y.S., additional, Correa-Aragunde, Natalia, additional, Cortese-Krott, Miriam M., additional, Deng, Meihong, additional, Du, Qiang, additional, Dulce, Raul A., additional, Förstermann, Ulrich, additional, Feelisch, Martin, additional, Fleming, Ingrid, additional, Foresi, Noelia, additional, Freeman, Bruce A., additional, Fritsch, Julia, additional, Fukuto, Jon M., additional, Geller, David A., additional, Gladwin, Mark T., additional, Grasemann, Hartmut, additional, Greer, Madison, additional, Hare, Joshua M., additional, Hickok, Jason R., additional, Hogg, Neil, additional, Holguin, Fernando, additional, Ichinose, Fumito, additional, Jones, Daniel A., additional, Kalyanaraman, Balaraman, additional, Kato, Gregory J., additional, Kelley, Eric E., additional, Kelm, Malte, additional, Kevil, Christopher G., additional, Kevil, Christopher, additional, Kim-Shapiro, Daniel B., additional, Koesling, Doris, additional, Kramer, Christian M., additional, Kulandavelu, Shathiyah, additional, Kumagai, Yoshito, additional, Lamattina, Lorenzo, additional, Lancaster, Jack R., additional, Lei, Zhao, additional, Li, Huige, additional, Lipton, Stuart A., additional, Loughran, Patricia A., additional, Lundberg, Jon O., additional, Mergia, Evanthia, additional, Morris, Claudia R., additional, Nagy, Péter, additional, Nakamura, Tomohiro, additional, Papapetropoulos, Andreas, additional, Patel, Rakesh P., additional, Pekarova, Michaela, additional, Piacenza, Lucía, additional, Prolo, Carolina, additional, Ríos, Natalia, additional, Radi, Rafael, additional, Rathod, Krishnaraj S., additional, Ridnour, Lisa A., additional, Rubbo, Homero, additional, Russwurm, Michael, additional, Sawa, Tomohiro, additional, Schulman, Ivonne Hernandez, additional, Scott, Jeremy A., additional, Shiva, Sruti, additional, Somasundaram, Veena, additional, Straub, Adam C., additional, Szabo, Csaba, additional, Thomas, Douglas D., additional, Toscano, John P., additional, Trostchansky, Andres, additional, Vasudevan, Divya, additional, Weitzberg, Eddie, additional, Wink, David A., additional, Winnica, Daniel E., additional, Wood, Katherine C., additional, Xu, Li, additional, Yuan, Shuai, additional, Zapol, Warren M., additional, and Zielonka, Jacek, additional
- Published
- 2017
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6. Synthesis, Actions, and Perspectives of Nitric Oxide in Photosynthetic Organisms
- Author
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Foresi, Noelia, primary, Correa-Aragunde, Natalia, additional, and Lamattina, Lorenzo, additional
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
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7. Auxin and Nitric Oxide
- Author
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Correa-Aragunde, Natalia, primary, Foresi, Noelia, additional, and Lamattina, Lorenzo, additional
- Published
- 2016
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8. Nitric oxide synthases from photosynthetic microorganisms
- Author
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Del Castello Fiorella, Ramirez Leonor, Foresi Noelia, Correa-Aragunde Natalia, Lorenzo Lamattina, and Nejamkin Andres
- Subjects
chemistry.chemical_classification ,Cyanobacteria ,Arginine ,biology ,Microorganism ,fungi ,food and beverages ,Genetically modified crops ,Photosynthesis ,biology.organism_classification ,Nitric oxide ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Enzyme ,chemistry ,Biochemistry ,Globin - Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) is a signal molecule produced in species of all kingdoms of life. In animals, NO is synthesized by NO synthases (NOSs) enzymes using l -arginine as substrate. In the plant kingdom, findings showed the presence of NOS in several algal species but none in land plants. In recent years, a singular NOS from cyanobacteria was characterized with a globin domain in the N-terminus. Transgenic plants expressing the microalgal and cyanobacterial NOSs showed gain of functions. Here we will discuss the key features of NOS expressed in photosynthetic organisms and we will reinforce the idea of a novel role for NOS, associated to nitrogen metabolism in higher plants.
- Published
- 2022
9. List of contributors
- Author
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Ali Akbar, Shafaqat Ali, Luciano do Amarante, Nejamkin Andres, Muhammad Arslan Ashraf, Palak Bakshi, Shagun Bali, Aditya Banerjee, Avishek Banik, Eva Barreno, María P. Benavides, Karim Ben Hamed, Péter Benkő, Renu Bhardwaj, Kaushal K. Bhati, Claudia Anahí Casalongué, Raúl Cassia, Myriam Catalá, Ahsen Sevde Cinar, Cristiane J. Da-Silva, Somali Dhal, Arvind Kumar Dubey, Joana R. Expósito, María Belén Fernández, Del Castello Fiorella, Susana M. Gallego, Ambedkar Gautam, Katalin Gémes, Agnieszka Gniazdowska, Diego Genuário Gomes, María D. Groppa, Anil Kumar Gupta, Ali Hazrat, Adil Hussain, Mohammad Ibrahim, María José Iglesias, Mohammad Ihsan, Qari Muhammad Imran, Muhammad Iqbal, Alireza Iranbakhsh, Małgorzata Janicka, Shivam Jasrotia, Katarzyna Kabała, Nikolett Kaszler, Rimaljeet Kaur, Ravinderjit Kaur, Parminder Kaur, Anjali Khajuria, Kanika Khanna, Sukhmeen Kaur Kohli, Urszula Krasuska, Navin Kumar, Vinod Kumar, Muhammad Laiq, Lorenzo Lamattina, Lucas Latorre, Ramirez Leonor, Zhong-Guang Li, Weibiao Liao, Patrícia Juliana Lopes-Oliveira, Germán Lukaszewicz, Jyotirmaya Mathan, Bilal Ahmad Mir, Lutfun Nahar, Correa-Aragunde Natalia, Mohammad Nisar, Foresi Noelia, Puja Ohri, Halley Caixeta Oliveira, Alev Onder, Zahra Oraghi Ardebili, Narges Oraghi Ardebili, Harshata Pal, Milena Trevisan Pelegrino, Liliana B. Pena, Elisabeth Planchet, Rizwan Rasheed, Małgorzata Reda, Aryadeep Roychoudhury, Indraneel Sanyal, Satyajit D. Sarker, G.F.E. Scherer, Amedea Barozzi Seabra, Muhammad Shahid, Pooja Sharma, Nandni Sharma, Anuradha Singh, Pawel Staszek, María Cecilia Terrile, Abid Ullah, Syed Irfan Ullah, Sana Ullah, Atta Ullah, Agnieszka Wal, R. Wimalasekera, Amit Yadav, Byung-Wook Yun, Sadia Zafar, Joanna Zak, and Jing Zhang
- Published
- 2022
10. Synthesis, Actions, and Perspectives of Nitric Oxide in Photosynthetic Organisms
- Author
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Lorenzo Lamattina, Noelia Pamela Foresi, and Natalia Correa-Aragunde
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,0301 basic medicine ,Abiotic component ,Plant growth ,Cell signaling ,Ecology ,fungi ,food and beverages ,Biology ,Photosynthesis ,01 natural sciences ,Nitric oxide ,03 medical and health sciences ,Multicellular organism ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,030104 developmental biology ,chemistry ,010606 plant biology & botany - Abstract
After the strong influence of a series of works made around the turn of the century, nitric oxide (NO) is now considered a signal molecule with broad participation in the physiological processes of plants. NO acts as a signal in plant–microbe interactions, plant responses to abiotic stresses, regulation of stomatal opening, and gas exchange between plants and environment, and it is an essential cue in plant growth and development. This chapter will highlight key aspects of the diversity of biosynthetic pathways of NO in uni- and multicellular photosynthetic organisms, as well as its metabolism and interactions with cellular components. This review will focus in particular on the biological functions of NO in plants, with emphasis on the fundamental role played by NO in hormones’ signaling. The molecular mechanisms underpinning the NO actions in plant cells will also be addressed. The knowledge of NO biology in photosynthetic organisms showed a unique growth rate during the last years. It is tempting now to think that the acquired wisdom in the plants field might positively influence research in animal systems through innovative ideas and strategies
- Published
- 2017
11. Contributors
- Author
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Amrita Ahluwalia, Takaaki Akaike, María Noel Álvarez, Roger A. Alvarez, Debashree Basudhar, Christopher L. Bianco, Timothy R. Billiar, Rhea C. Bovee, Paul S. Brookes, Laura Castro, Robert Y.S. Cheng, Natalia Correa-Aragunde, Miriam M. Cortese-Krott, Meihong Deng, Qiang Du, Raul A. Dulce, Ulrich Förstermann, Martin Feelisch, Ingrid Fleming, Noelia Foresi, Bruce A. Freeman, Julia Fritsch, Jon M. Fukuto, David A. Geller, Mark T. Gladwin, Hartmut Grasemann, Madison Greer, Joshua M. Hare, Jason R. Hickok, Neil Hogg, Fernando Holguin, Fumito Ichinose, Daniel A. Jones, Balaraman Kalyanaraman, Gregory J. Kato, Eric E. Kelley, Malte Kelm, Christopher G. Kevil, Christopher Kevil, Daniel B. Kim-Shapiro, Doris Koesling, Christian M. Kramer, Shathiyah Kulandavelu, Yoshito Kumagai, Lorenzo Lamattina, Jack R. Lancaster, Zhao Lei, Huige Li, Stuart A. Lipton, Patricia A. Loughran, Jon O. Lundberg, Evanthia Mergia, Claudia R. Morris, Péter Nagy, Tomohiro Nakamura, Andreas Papapetropoulos, Rakesh P. Patel, Michaela Pekarova, Lucía Piacenza, Carolina Prolo, Natalia Ríos, Rafael Radi, Krishnaraj S. Rathod, Lisa A. Ridnour, Homero Rubbo, Michael Russwurm, Tomohiro Sawa, Ivonne Hernandez Schulman, Jeremy A. Scott, Sruti Shiva, Veena Somasundaram, Adam C. Straub, Csaba Szabo, Douglas D. Thomas, John P. Toscano, Andres Trostchansky, Divya Vasudevan, Eddie Weitzberg, David A. Wink, Daniel E. Winnica, Katherine C. Wood, Li Xu, Shuai Yuan, Warren M. Zapol, and Jacek Zielonka
- Published
- 2017
12. Integrated stratigraphy and 40Ar/39Ar chronology of early Middle Miocene sediments from DSDP Leg 42A, Site 372 (Western Mediterranean)
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H. Abdul Aziz, Silvia Maria Iaccarino, Fabrizio Lirer, Gianfranco Salvatorini, A. Di Stefano, Klaudia F. Kuiper, E. Turco, Frederik J Hilgen, Luca Maria Foresi, and Geology and Geochemistry
- Subjects
Paleomagnetism ,genetic structures ,[object Object] ,Calcareous plankton bioevents ,Biostratigraphy ,Mediterranean ,Oceanography ,Neogene ,Ar/Ar ,Paleontology ,Geologic time scale ,Paleoceanography ,SDG 14 - Life Below Water ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Earth-Surface Processes ,Magnetostratigraphy ,Magnetostratigraphy, Biostratigraphy, 40Ar/39Ar, Calcareous plankton bioevents, Middle Miocene, Mediterranean ,Cretaceous ,40Ar/39Ar ,Middle Miocene ,Stratigraphy ,Cenozoic ,Geology - Abstract
An integrated magneto-biostratigraphic framework is presented for Middle Miocene sediments of DSDP Site 372 located in the Western Mediterranean. Detailed biostratigraphic analysis shows a nearly complete sequence of early Middle Miocene calcareous plankton bioevents in the Mediterranean, including the LCO (Last Common Occurrence) of the nannofossil Sphenolithus heteromorphus which has been astronomically dated in the Ras il Pellegrin (RIP) section on Malta Island [Abels, H.A., Hilgen, F.J., Krijgsman, W., Kruk, R.W., Raffi, I., Turco, E., Zachariasse, W.J., 2005. Long-period orbital control on middle Miocene global cooling: integrated stratigraphy and astronomical tuning of the Blue Clay Formation on Malta, Paleoceanography, 20, PA4012. doi: 10.1029/2004PA001129. 11 pp]. Thermal demagnetization of discrete samples revealed a characteristic low-temperature component with dual polarities despite a weak paleomagnetic signal. The resultant magnetostratigraphic record, combined with the calcareous plankton biostratigraphy, is straightforwardly correlated to the geomagnetic polarity time scale (CK95) of Cande and Kent [Cande, S.C., Kent, D.V., 1995. Revised calibration of the Geomagnetic Polarity Time Scale for the Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic, J. Geophys. Res., 100, 6093-6095] and the Astronomical Tuned Neogene Time Scale (ATNTS04) of Lourens et al. [Lourens, L.J., Hilgen, F.J., Laskar, J., Shackleton, N.J., Wilson, D., 2004. The Neogene Period. In: Gradstein F.M., Ogg J.G., Smith A.G. (Eds.), A Geologic Time Scale, Cambridge Univ. Press, pp. 409-440]. The subchrons recorded in Site 372 succession range from C5Br up to C5AAr. To confirm the magnetostratigraphic calibration, 40Ar/39Ar dating was performed on feldspar of two volcanic ash layers. The radio-isotopic dating indicates a younger age for these two ash layers compared to the magnetostratigraphic calibrated ages according to the CK95 and ATNTS04 age models. However, if the astronomically calibrated age of 28.21 ± 0.04 Ma is used for the Fish Canyon standard (FCs), the age for the older ash layer exactly matches its ATNTS04 age. Ages for bioevents were calculated assuming constant sedimentation rates between magnetostratigraphic age-tie points. The S. heteromorphus LCO has an age of 13.54 Ma and 13.63 Ma according to CK95 and ATNTS04, respectively, which is consistent with the astronomical tuned age of 13.65 Ma determined at RIP section [Abels, H.A., Hilgen, F.J., Krijgsman, W., Kruk, R.W., Raffi, I., Turco, E., Zachariasse, W.J., 2005. Long-period orbital control on middle Miocene global cooling: integrated stratigraphy and astronomical tuning of the Blue Clay Formation on Malta, Paleoceanography, 20, PA4012. doi:10.1029/2004PA001129. 11 pp]. We therefore conclude that the magnetostratigraphic calibration of DSDP Site 372 is correct and that, for the time being, this site can be considered as a reference section for the early Middle Miocene of the Mediterranean region.
- Published
- 2008
13. Acute effects of indacaterol on lung hyperinflation in moderate COPD: a comparison with tiotropium.
- Author
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Rossi A, Centanni S, Cerveri I, Gulotta C, Foresi A, Cazzola M, and Brusasco V
- Subjects
- Aged, Area Under Curve, Bronchodilator Agents pharmacology, Cross-Over Studies, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Female, Forced Expiratory Volume drug effects, Humans, Indans pharmacology, Inspiratory Capacity drug effects, Lung Volume Measurements, Male, Quinolones pharmacology, Scopolamine Derivatives pharmacology, Severity of Illness Index, Spirometry, Time Factors, Tiotropium Bromide, Bronchodilator Agents therapeutic use, Indans therapeutic use, Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive drug therapy, Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive physiopathology, Quinolones therapeutic use, Scopolamine Derivatives therapeutic use, Vital Capacity
- Abstract
Background: Evidence has been provided that high-dose indacaterol (300 μg) can reduce lung hyperinflation in moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)., Aim: To study whether low-dose indacaterol (150 μg) also reduces lung hyperinflation in comparison with the recommended dose of tiotropium (18 μg) in moderate COPD., Methods: This was a multicenter, randomized, blinded, 3-period cross-over, placebo-controlled study. Spirometry and lung volumes were measured before and 30, 60, 120, 180 and 240 min after the administration of single-doses of indacaterol, tiotropium, or placebo. The primary end-point was the change in peak inspiratory capacity (IC). The area under the 4-h curve (AUC(0-4)) for IC, 1-s forced expiratory volume (FEV(1)) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were secondary variables., Results: 49 patients completed the study. On average, peak IC and AUC(0-4) for IC were significantly greater after indacaterol than placebo by 177 mL (p = 0.007) and 142 mL (p = 0.001), respectively. Differences in peak IC and AUC(0-4) for IC between tiotropium and placebo were 120 mL (p = 0.07) and 85 mL (p = 0.052), respectively. Differences between indacaterol and tiotropium were statistically insignificant. Peak IC increased by >20% in 12 patients with indacaterol and 9 with tiotropium (p = 0.001), and by >30% in 8 patients with indacaterol and 3 with tiotropium (p = 0.001). The effects of indacaterol and tiotropium on FEV(1) and FVC were statistically significant vs placebo., Conclusions: Low-dose indacaterol has a bronchodilator effect that is similar to the recommended dose of tiotropium, but it is slightly superior in reducing lung hyperinflation., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT00999908., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2012
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14. Alveolar-derived exhaled nitric oxide is reduced in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
- Author
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Foresi A, Leone C, Olivieri D, and Cremona G
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- Adult, Aged, Breath Tests, Case-Control Studies, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, Exhalation physiology, Female, Humans, Hypertension complications, Hypertension metabolism, Male, Middle Aged, Sleep Apnea, Obstructive complications, Sleep Apnea, Obstructive therapy, Bronchi metabolism, Nitric Oxide metabolism, Pulmonary Alveoli metabolism, Sleep Apnea, Obstructive metabolism
- Abstract
Background: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is associated with cardiovascular diseases, in particular systemic arterial hypertension. We postulated that intermittent nocturnal hypoxia in OSAS may be associated to decreased fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) levels from distal airspaces., Methods: Multiple flow rate measurements have been used to fractionate nitric oxide (NO) from alveolar and bronchial sources in 34 patients with OSAS, in 29 healthy control subjects, and in 8 hypertensive non-OSAS patients. The effect of 2 days of treatment with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) on FENO was examined in 18 patients with severe OSAS., Results: We found that the mean [+/- SE] concentrations of exhaled NO at a rate of 50 mL/s was 21.8 +/- 1.9 parts per billion (ppb) in patients with OSAS, 25.1 +/- 3.3 ppb in healthy control subjects, and 15.4 +/- 1.7 ppb in hypertensive control patients. The mean fractional alveolar NO concentration (CANO) in OSAS patients was significantly lower than that in control subjects (2.96 +/- 0.48 vs 5.35 +/- 0.83 ppb, respectively; p < 0.05). In addition, CANO values were significantly lower in OSAS patients with systemic hypertension compared to those in normotensive OSAS patients and hypertensive patients without OSAS. The mean values of CANO significantly improved after nCPAP therapy (2.67 +/- 0.41 to 4.69 +/- 0.74 nL/L, respectively; p = 0.01)., Conclusions: These findings suggest that alveolar FENO, and not bronchial FENO, is impaired in patients with OSAS and that this impairment is associated with an increased risk of hypertension. NO production within the alveolar space is modified by treatment with nCPAP.
- Published
- 2007
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15. Step-down compared to fixed-dose treatment with inhaled fluticasone propionate in asthma.
- Author
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Foresi A, Mastropasqua B, Chetta A, D'Ippolito R, Testi R, Olivieri D, and Pelucchi A
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Bronchial Provocation Tests, Cell Count, Double-Blind Method, Eosinophils, Female, Fluticasone, Forced Expiratory Volume, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Sputum cytology, Vital Capacity, Androstadienes administration & dosage, Asthma drug therapy, Bronchodilator Agents administration & dosage
- Abstract
Background: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) are an effective treatment of asthma even when administered at a low dose. Once asthma is controlled, current guidelines recommend that the dose of ICS be reduced to the lowest possible and effective dose. Although the most appropriate strategy for the stepping down has not yet been defined, quantification of sputum eosinophils and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) are indeed measures of asthma control., Objective: To compare the efficacy of step-down and fixed-dose strategies in the control of BHR to methacholine and eosinophilic inflammation patients with mild-to-moderate asthma., Methods: We performed a double-blind, randomized study to compare inhaled fluticasone propionate (FP), 1,000 microg/d, then reduced to 200 microg/d (group 1; n = 18) to a fixed dose of FP, 200 microg/d (group 2; n = 17) administered for 6 weeks and then 8 weeks in reducing the provocative dose of methacholine causing a 20% fall in FEV1 (PD20) and sputum eosinophils in 35 patients. The duration of the efficacy was also followed subsequently after 8 weeks of placebo treatment., Results: PD20 remarkably increased with both treatment strategies, but differences between groups were not significant. Sputum eosinophils (median values, percentage) at baseline and after each treatment period were not different (group 1, 16.4 to 1.0 to 2.7%; group 2, 16.7 to 2.8 to 2.8%, respectively). The percentages of patients in whom sputum eosinophilia was normalized (< or = 3%) were as follows: group 1, 69% and 60%; group 2, 50% and 57%. After placebo treatment, sputum eosinophils were still "normalized" in approximately one third of patients., Conclusion: Step-down and fixed-dose strategies with FP improved PD20 and sputum eosinophilia to a similar degree. The effect on sputum eosinophils persisted longer than that on methacholine.
- Published
- 2005
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16. Induced sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage from patients with hypersensitivity pneumonitis.
- Author
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D'Ippolito R, Chetta A, Foresi A, Marangio E, Castagnaro A, Merliniaft S, Zompatori M, and Olivieri D
- Subjects
- Adult, Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic physiopathology, Case-Control Studies, Female, Forced Expiratory Volume physiology, Humans, Leukocytes pathology, Macrophages pathology, Male, Middle Aged, Vital Capacity physiology, Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic pathology, Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid cytology, Sputum cytology
- Abstract
Background and Aim: Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is an immunologically induced inflammation of the lung parenchyma, though bronchial airways may be also involved. The aim of this study was to compare the cellular profiles of induced sputum (IS) in patients with newly diagnosed HP to that of healthy subjects, and to examine the relationship between inflammatory cells from IS and BAL., Methods: Nine HP patients and 9 healthy volunteers were studied. IS was obtained by inhalation of hypertonic saline solution in all subjects. Bronchoscopy was performed on a different occasion in all patients and in five controls., Results: IS was well tolerated and preferred to BAL by all subjects. Both IS and BAL from HP patients showed a significant increase in total cells (P < 0.02 and P < 0.001) and in lymphocytes (P < 0.02 and P < 0.001) and a significant decrease in macrophages (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001), when compared with normal subjects. In HP patients, total cells number in IS was higher than that in BAL (P < 0.02). Moreover, the percentage of lymphocytes was significantly lower in IS than in BAL (P < 0.001). No significant relationship was found between total cells or inflammatory cells from IS and the corresponding ones from BAL and wide limits of agreement were found between lymphocytes from IS and BAL., Conclusions: This study demonstrated that both BAL and IS from newly diagnosed HP patients contained significantly more total cells and lymphocytes, when compared to healthy subjects. Moreover, differential cell counts in HP patients showed that IS and BAL reflected different compartments of inflammation. Thus, IS could represent a complementary, but not alternative tool to bronchoscopy both in research and in the clinical monitoring of HP patients.
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- 2004
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17. Cardiorespiratory response to walk in multiple sclerosis patients.
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Chetta A, Rampello A, Marangio E, Merlini S, Dazzi F, Aiello M, Ferraro F, Foresi A, Franceschini M, and Olivieri D
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- Adult, Carbon Dioxide metabolism, Case-Control Studies, Dyspnea etiology, Dyspnea physiopathology, Exercise Test, Exercise Tolerance, Female, Forced Expiratory Volume physiology, Heart Rate physiology, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Multiple Sclerosis psychology, Oxygen Consumption physiology, Respiration, Tidal Volume physiology, Vital Capacity physiology, Fatigue psychology, Multiple Sclerosis physiopathology, Respiratory Muscles physiology, Walking physiology
- Abstract
To ascertain whether fatigue perception is linked to exertion dyspnea and/or to an impaired cardiorespiratory response during walk, 11 patients (8 females, age range 21-46 years) with multiple sclerosis (MS) and mild disability underwent the 6-min walk test. Ten healthy subjects (7 females, age range 25-49 years) were studied, as a control group. Patients did not differ from controls in spirometry, lung volumes and respiratory muscle strength. There was a significant difference in walk distance between patients and controls (P<0.001), but not in dyspnea perception. In patients, the walk distance significantly related to disability score (P<0.01), but not to fatigue. Compared to controls, patients had a significant decrease in oxygen pulse during walk (P<0.05) and a significant increase in the ventilatory equivalent of CO2 both at baseline and during walk (P<0.05). The relative contribution of both the tidal volume and of the ratio of inspiratory to total breathing cycle duration to the increase in minute ventilation during walk was significantly less in patients, as compared to controls (P<0.05). We conclude that in MS patients with mild disability, fatigue and exertion dyspnea are different sensations without any link and a peripheral limitation during walk can occur.
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- 2004
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18. Effect of heliox breathing on dynamic hyperinflation in COPD patients.
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Pecchiari M, Pelucchi A, D'Angelo E, Foresi A, Milic-Emili J, and D'Angelo E
- Subjects
- Aged, Bronchodilator Agents administration & dosage, Female, Humans, Male, Posture, Probability, Prospective Studies, Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive diagnosis, Pulmonary Gas Exchange, Respiration, Sensitivity and Specificity, Severity of Illness Index, Spirometry, Tidal Volume, Airway Resistance drug effects, Albuterol administration & dosage, Helium administration & dosage, Inspiratory Capacity drug effects, Oxygen administration & dosage, Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive therapy
- Abstract
Background: and objective: Patients with COPD exhibit increased inspiratory work and dyspnea due to dynamic hyperinflation caused by expiratory flow limitation. Helium-oxygen mixtures (ie, heliox) have been used in treating these patients on the assumption that, by lowering airway resistance, they might be beneficial., Methods: In 22 patients with COPD, the presence of expiratory flow limitation was assessed with patients in the sitting and supine positions using the negative expiratory pressure technique, and the effects of heliox (80% He, 20% O2) on breathing pattern, expiratory flow limitation, and dynamic hyperinflation, evaluated from the change in inspiratory capacity (IC), were measured at rest and were compared with those due to inhaled salbutamol., Results: During air breathing, 13 patients experienced flow limitation while in the sitting position and 18 experienced flow limitation while in the supine position. Neither heliox nor salbutamol therapy changed the breathing pattern in any of the patients, regardless of posture and the presence or absence of expiratory flow limitation. However, in both positions IC increased significantly in most flow-limited patients after bronchodilator administration, but not after heliox administration., Conclusions: Since heliox had no effect on dynamic hyperinflation, the use of this gas mixture, which is costly and cumbersome, does not appear to be beneficial in stable patients with COPD breathing at rest.
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- 2004
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19. Efficacy and safety of oxitropium bromide, theophylline and their combination in COPD patients: a double-blind, randomized, multicentre study (BREATH Trial).
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Bellia V, Foresi A, Bianco S, Grassi V, Olivieri D, Bensi G, and Volonté M
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- Aged, Double-Blind Method, Drug Therapy, Combination, Female, Humans, Lung Diseases, Obstructive physiopathology, Male, Middle Aged, Peak Expiratory Flow Rate, Quality of Life, Spirometry, Lung Diseases, Obstructive drug therapy, Parasympatholytics therapeutic use, Scopolamine Derivatives therapeutic use, Theophylline therapeutic use
- Abstract
We compare the efficacy including spirometry, peak expiratory flow (PEFR) and quality of life and safety of an 8-week treatment with inhaled oxitropium, theophylline or their combination in patients with mild-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We conducted a multicentre, double-blind, double-dummy randomized, parallel-group study at 29 Italian outpatients clinics. A group of 236 patients with mild-to-severe COPD (baseline FEV1 < or = 70% of predicted value) were recruited. Treatments were as follows: Inhaled oxitropium bromide 200 microg (N=75), sustained-release oral theophylline 300 mg (N=81) or their combination (N=80), taken twice daily. Spirometry (FEV1 and FVC) was evaluated every 4 weeks, and morning and evening PEFR (before and 2-4 h after drug intake) was measured daily. Symptoms, cough and dysponea, were recorded daily. Health status was evaluated at baseline and week 8 using the disease specific St George' Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). Any adverse event occurring during the treatment period was recorded on a diary card. FEV1 and FVC improved in all the groups at 4 and 8 weeks, but the difference between treatment groups did not reach statistically significant levels. Differences between groups in pre-dosing morning and evening PEFR were not significant. Post-dosing morning and evening PEFR were increased and the largest increase was seen in patients treated with both drugs. However, differences between groups was significant only for evening values (P=0.008). The proportion of patients who experienced a decrease in symptoms was high in all groups but no differences among groups were observed. SGRQ total scores decreased in all treatment groups after 8 weeks, particularly in the oxitropium and combination groups. Clinically significant change (> or = 4 units) was only observed in patients treated with oxitropium bromide whether with or without theophylline. Adverse events related to treatments were higher in the group treated with theophylline alone (P < 0.02). We conclude that inhaled oxitropium bromide alone was associated with an improvement in FEV1, PEFR and symptoms in patients with COPD that was not statistically different from that of oral theophylline alone or of the combination of both drugs. Oxitropium bromide in combination with theophylline provided a greater improvement in evening post-dosing PEFR. Oxitropium bromide alone or in combination with theophylline improved the quality of life better than theophylline alone.
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- 2002
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20. Eosinophils in induced sputum from asymptomatic smokers with normal lung function.
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Dippolito R, Foresi A, Chetta A, Castagnaro A, Malorgio R, Marangio E, and Olivieri D
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- Adult, Aged, Case-Control Studies, Cell Count, Female, Humans, Macrophages cytology, Male, Middle Aged, Regression Analysis, Respiratory Function Tests, Smoking immunology, Sputum immunology, Eosinophils cytology, Lung physiology, Smoking adverse effects, Sputum cytology
- Abstract
Cigarette smoking is the dominant risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, only 10-15% of smokers develop the disease and early changes within the airways are poorly defined. We aimed to compare cell profiles in induced sputum (IS) from asymptomatic smokers to that from healthy subjects, and to ascertain whether or not inflammatory cells in IS are related to lung function and smoking habit. We recruited 34 heavy, non-allergic asymptomatic smokers with normal lung function and 15 healthy volunteers, who performed lung function tests and IS by hypertonic saline (3%) solution. In smokers, significantcorrelation between pack-years and FEF25-75 (rs = -0.43, P < 0.02) was found. In IS, smokers had higher counts of macrophages (P < 0.01) and eosinophils (P < 0.02), when compared to those of healthy subjects. Additionally, eosinophils were found in IS of 14 out of 34 smokers, with eosinophils had a higher pack-years (31 +/- 25 vs. 13 +/- 10, P = 0.02) and lower FEF 25-75% value (78% +/- 34 vs. 100% +/- 23. P < 0.04). when compared to smokers without eosinophils. Additionally, on the basis of regression equations by stepwise multiple regression analysis, eosinophils were predicted by pack-years (r2 = 0.41). Our results showed that asymptomatic smokers have evidence of inflammatory cells in IS samples. In addition, we found thatthe degree of eosinophilic inflammation is related to early changes of lung function and can be predicted by smoking habit.
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- 2001
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21. Six-minute walking test in cystic fibrosis adults with mild to moderate lung disease: comparison to healthy subjects.
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Chetta A, Pisi G, Zanini A, Foresi A, Grzincich GL, Aiello M, Battistini A, and Olivieri D
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- Adolescent, Adult, Case-Control Studies, Cystic Fibrosis blood, Dyspnea blood, Dyspnea physiopathology, Exercise Test, Female, Humans, Male, Oxygen blood, Predictive Value of Tests, Pulse, Cystic Fibrosis physiopathology, Exercise Tolerance, Lung physiopathology
- Abstract
The six-minute walking test (6MWT) has been widely utilized to evaluate global exercise capacity in patients with cystic fibrosis. The aim of this study was to assess the exercise capacity by 6MWT, measuring four outcome measures: walk distance, oxygensaturation and pulse rate during the walk, and breathlessness perception after the walk, in a group of cystic fibrosis adults with mild to moderate lung disease, and in healthy volunteers, as the control group. Moreover, the study examined the relationship between 6MWT outcome measures and pulmonary function in patients. Twenty-five adults (15 females, age range 18-39 years) with cystic fibrosis and 22 healthy volunteers (14 females, age range 20-45 years) performed a 6MWT following a standard protocol. Walk distance, oxygen saturation (SpO2) and pulse rate at rest and during walk, and breathlessness perception after walk assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS) were measured. Cystic fibrosis patients did notdiffer from healthy volunteers in walk distance (626 +/- 49 m vs. 652 +/- 46 m) and pulse rate. Patients significantly differed from healthy volunteers in SPO2 during the walk (mean SpO2) (P < 0.0001) and VAS (P < 0.0001). In patients, SPO2 during the walk significantly correlated with forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) (P < 0.0001), residual volume (RV) (P < 0.001), resting SPO2 (base SpO2) (P < 0.001), and inspiratory capacity (IC) (P < 0.01). In addition, VAS significantly correlated with resting SPO2 (P < 0.01) and IC (P < 0.01). On the basis of regression equations by stepwise multiple regression analysis, SpO2 during walk was predicted by FEV1 (r2 = 0.60) and VAS by IC (r2 = 0.31), whereas walk distance was not reliably predicted by any assessed variables. This study showed that cystic fibrosis adults with mild to moderate lung disease covered a normal walk distance with unimpaired cardiac adaptation, but experienced a significant fall in oxygen saturation and an increased breathlessness perception during exercise. Resting pulmonary function was related to oxygen saturation and breathlessness perception during walk, but contributed significantly only tothe prediction of oxygen saturation. We suggest that 6MWT could be valuable for identifying patients who might experience oxygen desaturation and dyspnoea during demanding daily activities.
- Published
- 2001
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22. Low-dose budesonide with the addition of an increased dose during exacerbations is effective in long-term asthma control. On behalf of the Italian Study Group.
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Foresi A, Morelli MC, and Catena E
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- Administration, Inhalation, Adult, Bronchodilator Agents adverse effects, Budesonide adverse effects, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Double-Blind Method, Drug Administration Schedule, Female, Humans, Long-Term Care, Lung Volume Measurements, Male, Middle Aged, Treatment Outcome, Asthma drug therapy, Bronchodilator Agents administration & dosage, Budesonide administration & dosage
- Abstract
Objectives: This study was designed to compare the effects of a 6-month treatment with budesonide 100 microg bid (low dose) and 400 microg bid (standard reference dose) in controlling symptoms and lung function in a group of asthmatics with moderate asthma (baseline FEV(1) > or = 50% and < or = 90% of predicted values) previously treated with inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate (500 to 1,000 microg/d). Moreover, we investigated whether or not asthma exacerbations could be treated by a short-term increase in the daily dose of budesonide., Methods: After a 2-week run-in period and 1-month treatment with a high dose of budesonide (800 microg bid), 213 patients with moderate asthma were assigned to randomized treatments. Daily treatment included budesonide (bid) plus an additional treatment in case of exacerbation (qid for 7 days). Treatments were as follows: budesonide 400 microg plus placebo (group 1); budesonide 100 microg plus budesonide 200 microg (group 2); and budesonide 100 microg plus placebo (group 3). Symptoms and a peak expiratory flow (PEF) diary were recorded and lung function was measured each month. An exacerbation was defined as a decrease in PEF > 30% below baseline values on 2 consecutive days., Results: We found that that 1-month treatment with a high budesonide dose remarkably reduced all asthma symptoms. Moreover, symptoms were under control in all treatment groups throughout the study period. Similarly, lung function improved and remained stable, and no relevant differences between groups were observed. In each treatment group, the majority of patients had no exacerbations. In patients treated with the standard budesonide dose (group 1), the number of exacerbations and days with exacerbations were significantly lower than in group 3 (intention-to-treat analysis). Additionally, patients treated with low budesonide dose plus budesonide (group 2) experienced a significantly lower number of exacerbations and days with exacerbations compared to group 3 (per-protocol analysis)., Conclusions: This study demonstrates that when patients with moderate asthma had reached a stable clinical condition with a high dose of budesonide, a low dose of budesonide (200 microg/d) is as effective as the standard dose (800 microg/d) in the control of symptoms and lung function over a period of several months. Furthermore, results showed that the addition of inhaled budesonide (800 microg/d) at onset of an asthmatic exacerbation has a beneficial clinical effect.
- Published
- 2000
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23. Effect of sputum induction on spirometric measurements and arterial oxygen saturation in asthmatic patients, smokers, and healthy subjects.
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Castagnaro A, Chetta A, Foresi A, D'Ippolito R, Malorgio R, and Olivieri D
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Bronchial Provocation Tests, Female, Forced Expiratory Volume physiology, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Reference Values, Smoking physiopathology, Asthma physiopathology, Mucociliary Clearance physiology, Oxygen blood, Smoking adverse effects, Spirometry, Sputum physiology
- Abstract
Background: Sputum production induced by inhalation of hypertonic saline solution has been proposed as a technique to collect secretions and inflammatory cells from the airways of subjects with bronchial asthma or with a history of smoking. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a sputum induction procedure on spirometric results and arterial oxygen saturation (SaO(2)) in asthmatic patients, smokers, and healthy subjects., Methods: We recruited 14 subjects suffering from asthma (11 men and 3 women; age range, 18 to 49 years), 14 subjects with a history of smoking (5 men and 9 women; age range, 23 to 64 years), and 9 healthy volunteers (7 men and 2 women; age range, 28 to 54 years). To obtain a sample of induced sputum, all subjects inhaled a mist of 3% hypertonic saline solution nebulized for 5 min and repeated the cycle no more than four times. Asthmatic patients were pretreated with 200 microg salbutamol (inhaled). During sputum induction, the transcutaneous SaO(2) was continuously measured and baseline, fall, and the differences between baseline and fall SaO(2) were recorded. Additionally, we measured the duration of mild desaturation (change in SaO(2), < 4%) and of marked desaturation (change in SaO(2), > 5%) in each subject. Finally, baseline FEV(1) and changes in FEV(1) as a percentage of baseline values were recorded in all subjects., Results: We found that baseline and fall SaO(2) values for the three groups were similar. However, in each group a significant mean change in SaO(2) was evident during sputum production (asthmatic patients, 6.0%; smokers, 5.3%; healthy subjects, 6.0%). Moreover, the mean durations of mild desaturation were 7 min, 21 s in asthma patients; 8 min, 24 s in smokers; and 7 min, 16 s in healthy subjects. Similarly, the durations of marked desaturation were 1 min, 25 s in asthmatic patients, 1 min, 19 s in smokers, and 1 min, 21 s in healthy subjects. The mean (+/- SD) fall in FEV(1) was not statistically different among the three groups (asthmatic patients, 1.36 +/- 5.6%; smokers, 7.58 +/- 11.76%; and healthy subjects, 0.05 +/- 9.6%). However, one smoker did experience excessive bronchoconstriction (fall in FEV(1), > 20%)., Conclusions: This study demonstrated a significant and comparable fall in SaO(2) during sputum induction by inhalation of hypertonic saline solution in asthmatic patients, smokers, and healthy subjects. The results suggest that subjects who are hypoxemic before sputum induction require SaO(2) monitoring during the procedure.
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- 1999
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24. Induced sputum in patients with newly diagnosed sarcoidosis: comparison with bronchial wash and BAL.
- Author
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D'Ippolito R, Foresi A, Chetta A, Casalini A, Castagnaro A, Leone C, and Olivieri D
- Subjects
- Administration, Inhalation, Adult, Aged, Bronchoscopy, Female, Humans, Leukocyte Count, Male, Middle Aged, Radiography, Thoracic, Respiratory Function Tests, Saline Solution, Hypertonic administration & dosage, Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary metabolism, Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary therapy, Sputum metabolism, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Bronchoalveolar Lavage, Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid cytology, Lymphocytes pathology, Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary diagnosis, Sputum cytology
- Abstract
Objectives: Sarcoidosis is characterized by a diffuse alveolar inflammatory process, although bronchial airways are often involved. This study compares the cellular profiles of induced sputum (IS), bronchial washing (BW), and BAL in newly diagnosed sarcoidosis patients to those in control subjects, and examines whether inflammatory cell counts from IS are correlated with inflammatory cell counts from BW and BAL in sarcoidosis patients., Patients and Measurements: We recruited 15 untreated patients with stage I and II pulmonary sarcoidosis and 12 healthy volunteers. Sputum was induced with hypertonic saline solution in all individuals. Bronchoscopy was performed on a different occasion in all patients and in five control subjects., Results: Mean lymphocyte counts in IS, BW, and BAL fluid from sarcoidosis patients were significantly higher than in control subjects (9.4% vs 3.8%, p < 0.05; 12.6% vs 3.9%, p < 0.05; 24.1% vs 2.6%, p < 0.05, respectively). Moreover, total cell count and percentage of epithelial cells in IS were significantly higher in sarcoidosis patients than in control subjects (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). In sarcoidosis patients, comparison between different samples showed significantly higher percentages of macrophages in BW and BAL than in IS (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively), whereas the percentage of neutrophils was higher in IS compared with BW and BAL (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively). Finally, the percentage of lymphocytes in IS was significantly lower than that in BAL (p < 0.05) but not that in BW., Conclusions: We demonstrated that, compared with IS in healthy control subjects, IS in untreated pulmonary sarcoidosis patients contains more total cells, lymphocytes, and epithelial cells. Although the relative proportion of inflammatory cells in the three samples differed, lymphocyte counts in IS were high. This finding suggests that IS could be used as a valuable alternative to more conventional invasive techniques in clinical assessment of pulmonary sarcoidosis patients.
- Published
- 1999
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25. Churg-Strauss syndrome and antiasthma therapy.
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Frosi A, Foresi A, Bozzoni M, Ubbiali A, and Vezzoli F
- Subjects
- Churg-Strauss Syndrome physiopathology, Female, Humans, Middle Aged, Asthma drug therapy, Churg-Strauss Syndrome chemically induced, Glucocorticoids adverse effects, Prednisone adverse effects, Substance Withdrawal Syndrome
- Published
- 1999
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26. Lung epithelial permeability and bronchial responsiveness in subjects with stable asthma.
- Author
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Del Donno M, Chetta A, Foresi A, Gavaruzzi G, Ugolotti G, and Olivieri D
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adrenergic beta-Agonists administration & dosage, Adrenergic beta-Agonists therapeutic use, Adult, Asthma diagnostic imaging, Asthma drug therapy, Asthma metabolism, Bronchi diagnostic imaging, Bronchi metabolism, Bronchial Provocation Tests, Bronchoconstrictor Agents, Epithelium diagnostic imaging, Epithelium metabolism, Female, Forced Expiratory Volume, Humans, Lung diagnostic imaging, Male, Methacholine Chloride, Peak Expiratory Flow Rate, Permeability, Pulmonary Alveoli diagnostic imaging, Pulmonary Alveoli metabolism, Radionuclide Imaging, Radiopharmaceuticals blood, Radiopharmaceuticals pharmacokinetics, Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate blood, Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate pharmacokinetics, Asthma physiopathology, Bronchial Hyperreactivity physiopathology, Lung metabolism
- Abstract
Lung epithelial permeability of asthmatic patients has been reported to be similar or lower than that of healthy subjects and to be correlated or not to bronchial hyperresponsiveness. To clarify these discrepancies, we evaluated 99mTc-DTPA pulmonary clearance in a group of carefully selected asthmatic patients with mild, stable asthma (n = 13; seven women; mean age +/- SD = 27.69 +/- 6.63 years), and compared them with a group of healthy, nonsmoking subjects (n = 8; six women; mean age +/- SD = 24.38 +/- 5.15 years). Selection criteria for asthmatics were as follows: baseline FEV1 > or = 80% of predicted values, no bronchial infections, and/or no asthma attacks during 4 weeks prior to study and peak expiratory flow rate variability lower than 20%, over a period of 3 weeks. Patients controlled symptoms with beta 2-adrenergic drugs only, regularly or on demand. Mean baseline FEV1 (+/-SD) as percent of predicted was 102.38 +/- 13.97 and 112.88 +/- 18.36, respectively (p < 0.05). In the asthmatic group, bronchial responsiveness to methacholine (PC20 M FEV1) ranged between 0.55 and 28.5 mg/mL. Mean value (+/-SD) of DTPA clearance from lungs to blood (evaluated on the first 10 min out of 30 min of the curves) in the asthmatic group was not different from that of control group (68.31 +/- 21.46 and 69.5 +/- 15.73). In the asthmatic patients, there was no correlation between PC20 M values and DTPA T1/2 min of the whole lung, nor between PC20 M and inner and outer lung clearance zones. Moreover, both in asthmatics and healthy subjects, DTPA clearance of outer (alveolar) zones was significantly faster than that of inner (bronchial) zones (57.69 +/- 19.94 vs 102.08 +/- 38.19, p < 0.001, and 59.75 +/- 12.49 vs 103.5 +/- 31.86, p < 0.003, respectively). Our data show that DTPA clearance in patients with stable asthma is similar to that found in healthy subjects; it is not correlated to degree of bronchial responsiveness and occurs more rapidly in the outer zones than in the inner zones, both in asthmatic patients and in healthy subjects. Thus, to date, DTPA clearance index is not a valid tool for identifying and/or monitoring asthmatic patients.
- Published
- 1997
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27. Airways remodeling is a distinctive feature of asthma and is related to severity of disease.
- Author
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Chetta A, Foresi A, Del Donno M, Bertorelli G, Pesci A, and Olivieri D
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- Adolescent, Adult, Asthma physiopathology, Biopsy, Bronchial Provocation Tests, Bronchoscopy, Epithelium pathology, Female, Forced Expiratory Volume, Humans, Male, Methacholine Chloride, Middle Aged, Regression Analysis, Asthma pathology, Bronchi pathology, Severity of Illness Index
- Abstract
Purpose: Airways remodeling, evaluated as the subepithelial layer thickness, was compared in asthmatic patients with that of healthy subjects, and was related to clinical grading of disease, presence of atopy, and length of asthmatic history., Subjects and Methods: Thirty-four patients with stable asthma (mean age+/-SD: 26.5+/-9.2 years; 10 female) treated with only inhaled beta2-agonists and eight healthy volunteers (mean age+/-SD: 24.6+/-2.5 years; four female) were recruited for the study. Twenty-seven of 34 asthmatics had atopy. Eleven patients had newly diagnosed conditions (duration of disease < or = 1 year), nine patients had long asthmatic history (> 1 year and < or = 10 years), and 14 had prolonged asthmatic history (> 10 years). Bronchial responsiveness to methacholine (M) was expressed as provocative concentration of M causing a 20% fall in FEV1 (PC20) (mg/mL). Degree of asthma severity was assessed using a 0- to 12-point score based on symptoms, bronchodilator use, and daily peak expiratory flow variability over a 3-week period. Bronchoscopy and bronchial biopsy were performed successfully for all subjects; the subepithelial layer thickness, in biopsy samples, was measured from the base of bronchial epithelium to the outer limit of reticular lamina., Results: In asthmatics, baseline FEV1 values (percent of predicted) ranged from 75.7 to 137.0%, and PC20 M ranged from 0.15 to 14.4 mg/mL. According to the asthma severity score, 14 asthmatics were classified as having mild disease, 14 as having moderate disease, and six as having severe disease. The mean values of subepithelial layer thickness were 12.4+/-3.3 microm (range, 6.8 to 22.1 microm) in asthmatics, and 4.4+/-0.5 microm (range, 3.8 to 5.2 microm) in healthy subjects (p<0.001). Subepithelial layer thickness of those with severe asthma differed significantly from that of patients with moderate and mild asthma (16.7+/-3.1 microm vs 12.1+/-2.7 microm and 10.8+/-2.4 microm, p<0.01 and p<0.003, respectively). Moreover, in asthmatics, degree of thickening was positively correlated to asthma severity score (Spearman rank correlation coefficient [rs]=0.581; p<0.001), and negatively correlated with baseline FEV1 (rs=-0.553; p<0.001) and PC20 M (rs=-0.510; p<0.01). No difference was found between degree of thickening observed in atopic asthmatics, compared with that of nonatopic asthmatics, or between degree of thickening in patients with different lengths of asthmatic history. Lastly, multiple regression analysis revealed that asthma severity score was the significant predictive factor for thickness of subepithelial layer., Conclusions: We confirmed that airways remodeling is a very distinctive and characteristic pathologic finding of asthma. We also demonstrated that it is related to the clinical and functional severity of asthma, but not to atopy or length of asthmatic history.
- Published
- 1997
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28. Lung function and bronchial responsiveness after bronchoalveolar lavage and bronchial biopsy performed without premedication in stable asthmatic subjects.
- Author
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Chetta A, Foresi A, Bertorelli G, Pesci A, and Olivieri D
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Biopsy adverse effects, Blood Gas Monitoring, Transcutaneous, Bronchial Provocation Tests, Bronchoscopy adverse effects, Forced Expiratory Volume, Humans, Methacholine Chloride, Middle Aged, Peak Expiratory Flow Rate, Premedication, Time Factors, Asthma physiopathology, Bronchi physiopathology, Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid physiopathology, Lung physiopathology
- Abstract
We evaluated tolerance, safety, and effects on lung function and bronchial responsiveness of BAL (4 x 50 ml) combined with BB (three to five specimens) performed without premedication in 13 mild and stable asthmatics and eight healthy volunteers. All subjects tolerated bronchoscopy procedures well and without serious side effects. During procedures, no supplemental oxygen was administered and no ECG abnormalities were noted. The PEFR was measured before and immediately after bronchoscopy and at 5-min intervals up until recovery. The maximal percentage fall in PEFR after bronchoscopy was significantly greater in asthmatics (23.1 +/- 13.9 percent) compared to normal subjects (7.8 +/- 8.2 percent, p less than 0.01). Changes in PEFR returned to baseline values within 120 min in all asthmatics. The tcPO2 was recorded at baseline, during and after bronchoscopy. In both groups, a significant change in tcPO2 was measured during the infusion of BAL aliquots, and persisted throughout the procedure. A significant difference in asthmatics compared to healthy subjects was evident during BB and at the end of the procedure (p less than 0.05). In asthmatics, M challenge was performed on three different days over a three-week period prior to bronchoscopy, and was repeated at intervals of 2, 6, and 24 h following procedure. The PC20 M values measured before bronchoscopy were found to have a very high reproducibility (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.93). The PC20 values measured during experiment times after bronchoscopy were not significantly different from baseline values. These data demonstrate that in mild and stable asthmatics, BAL combined with BB can be safely performed following administration of only local anesthesia. In carefully selected asthmatic subjects, transient bronchoconstriction and a lowering of oxygen tension can be induced by BAL and BB, whereas changes in bronchial responsiveness are more unlikely to occur.
- Published
- 1992
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29. Inflammatory markers in bronchoalveolar lavage and in bronchial biopsy in asthma during remission.
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Foresi A, Bertorelli G, Pesci A, Chetta A, and Olivieri D
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Asthma physiopathology, Biopsy, Bronchi physiopathology, Bronchial Provocation Tests, Cell Count, Eosinophils pathology, Epithelium pathology, Female, Humans, Inflammation pathology, Male, Mast Cells pathology, Methacholine Chloride, Methacholine Compounds, Asthma pathology, Bronchi pathology, Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid cytology
- Abstract
Bronchoalveolar lavage and BB were performed in 13 asthmatic and six healthy subjects to characterize cellular markers of inflammation in BAL and BB; to compare cellular profile of BAL with cell infiltration in BB; to examine the relationship between bronchial responsiveness and markers of inflammation in BAL and BB. Eosinophils and mast cells were increased in BAL in asthmatic subjects; eosinophils were positively correlated with neutrophils and mast cells. Epithelial shedding was present in nine asthmatic and five control subjects. Intraepithelial cells and cells in submucosa were increased in asthmatic subjects. Eosinophils and intraepithelial mast cells were higher. Thickened basement membrane was associated with more marked cell infiltration in submucosa. Ciliated cells in BAL relate to intraepithelial cells; cells in BAL broadly reflect cell infiltration of submucosa. In the asthmatic group, the degree of bronchial responsiveness correlated with ciliated cells in BAL and with intra-epithelial cells in BB. Marked airway inflammation is associated with stable asthma; inflammatory changes within bronchial epithelium may be linked to the development of bronchial hyperresponsiveness.
- Published
- 1990
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. Increase in bronchial responsiveness to methacholine and late asthmatic response after the inhalation of ultrasonically nebulized distilled water.
- Author
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Mattoli S, Foresi A, Corbo GM, Valente S, Patalano F, and Ciappi G
- Subjects
- Aerosols, Asthma drug therapy, Bronchi drug effects, Bronchi physiopathology, Forced Expiratory Volume, Humans, Methacholine Chloride, Time Factors, Water administration & dosage, Asthma physiopathology, Bronchial Provocation Tests methods, Methacholine Compounds therapeutic use
- Abstract
We studied ten subjects who had an asthmatic response after the inhalation of ultrasonically nebulized distilled water and did not show any refractory period to repeated challenge with such water. The change in responsiveness to methacholine after inhalation of distilled water and the occurrence of any water-induced late asthmatic response were investigated on separate days. All of the tested subjects showed a significant increase in bronchial responsiveness to methacholine after prior stimulation with ultrasonically nebulized distilled water, which waned within two hours in eight of them. The other two subjects showed a progressive increase in responsiveness to methacholine, and they also had a further reduction in the caliber of the airways three to four hours after inhalation of distilled water. The late responses were less severe than the initial responses and lasted four to five hours. After the spontaneous recovery, no significant increase in responsiveness to methacholine was detected. Our results confirm previous observations on hyperresponsiveness induced by ultrasonically nebulized distilled water and demonstrate the occurrence of late reactions after inhalation of such water.
- Published
- 1986
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. Provocative dose and dose-response curve to inhaled propranolol in asthmatic patients with bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine.
- Author
-
Foresi A, Chetta A, Corbo GM, Cuomo A, and Olivieri D
- Subjects
- Bronchial Provocation Tests, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Female, Forced Expiratory Volume, Humans, Male, Methacholine Chloride, Asthma diagnosis, Methacholine Compounds, Propranolol
- Abstract
This study was carried out to compare bronchial responses to inhaled propranolol (P) and methacholine (M) in a group of asthmatic subjects with mild to moderate bronchial hyperresponsiveness to M; to determine the short term reproducibility of bronchial response to propranolol; and to examine the shape of dose-response curve to P relative to that of M. Doses of M and P were given in mumoles and bronchial responses to both agents were expressed as the provocative dose that induced a 20 percent fall in FEV1 (PD20 FEV1). In 16 asthmatic patients, there was no correlation between the PD20 of the two agents. Mean PD20 M (+/- SD in log scale) was approximately nine times lower than mean PD20 P (0.64 +/- 0.96 and 5.80 +/- 1.65, respectively). This difference was statistically significant (t = 4.58, p less than 0.001). In six asthmatic patients, the reproducibility of PD20 P was similar to that of M (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.969 and 0.957, respectively). The shape of the dose-response curves to P was different from that of M in five of nine asthmatic patients when all experimental points were analyzed by double-reciprocal plot. We noticed that even small doses of inhaled P may cause a severe bronchoconstriction. Therefore, special caution should be taken to increase P doses very gradually, when studying the dose-response curve. We demonstrated that P inhalation induced a measurable bronchoconstriction in subjects with mild to moderate hyperresponsiveness and it was reproducible. However, the bronchial sensitivity to P was lower than to M. Our findings suggest that P and M have different mechanisms of action.
- Published
- 1987
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
32. Comparison of bronchial responses to ultrasonically nebulized distilled water, exercise, and methacholine in asthma.
- Author
-
Foresi A, Mattoli S, Corbo GM, Polidori G, and Ciappi G
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Bronchi drug effects, Child, Constriction, Pathologic physiopathology, Female, Forced Expiratory Volume, Humans, Male, Methacholine Chloride, Nebulizers and Vaporizers, Statistics as Topic, Asthma physiopathology, Bronchi physiopathology, Methacholine Compounds, Physical Exertion, Water
- Abstract
We compared the responses to inhaled methacholine, ultrasonically nebulized distilled water, and exercise in 25 subjects with atopic asthma. The methacholine inhalation test and challenges with distilled water and exercise were performed on three separate days 48 hours apart. Bronchial responsiveness to methacholine and ultrasonically nebulized distilled water was measured as the concentration of methacholine (PC20M) and the volume output of the ultrasonic nebulizer (PO20 UNDW) producing a 20 percent fall in the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1). The response to exercise was expressed as the percentage of fall in FEV1 from the value before exercise. Seventeen subjects showed a fall in FEV1 of more than 20 percent after exercise. Eight subjects had a stimulus-response curve to distilled water that was flat up to the maximal volume output from the nebulizer, but only four of them also showed no significant response to exercise. The response to exercise correlated better with PO20 UNDW (r = -0.66; p less than 0.01) than with PC20M (r = -0.19; p greater than 0.5) in those responding to distilled water. In all of the tested subjects, exercise-induced bronchoconstriction correlated with PC20M (r = -0.61; p less than 0.01). The mean PC20M was significantly lower in the subjects with a significant response to distilled water and exercise (p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.0001, respectively). We concluded that ultrasonically nebulized distilled water and exercise provoke significant bronchoconstriction in the subjects with more severe nonspecific bronchial hyperresponsiveness. The correlation found between the two stimuli supports the hypothesis that they act by similar mechanisms.
- Published
- 1986
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Allergy skin-test reactions and chronic airflow obstruction in children.
- Author
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Corbo GM, Foresi A, Valente S, and Ciappi G
- Subjects
- Child, Humans, Immunoglobulin E analysis, Lung Diseases, Obstructive immunology, Skin Tests
- Published
- 1987
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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