Obstractive To observe the clinical effects and safety of endobronchial electrocautery treatment for tracheobronchial obstructive lesions in inoperable tracheobronchial squamous cell carcinoma.Methods Ninety-five patients with advanced and inoperable tracheobronchial squamous cell carcinoma were included. Thirty-four patients with central airway obstruction were treated with endobronchial electrocautery plus chemotherapy ( group A) and 61 patients without central airway obstruction were treated with chemotherapy alone ( group B) . The chemotherapy consisted of cisplatin or carboplatin, plus another thirdgeneration chemotherapy agent. Results In groug A, there were mean improvements in FEV1 of 41. 1% and in peak expiratory flow( PEF) of 65. 6% . There was no significant difference in the survival rates of the patients with and without central airway obstruction. Median survival time of group A was 11. 3 months and those of group B was 11. 6 months. 3, 6, and 12-month survival rates in group A were 87% , 68% and 39% respectively, and those in group B were 93% , 76% , and 45% respectively. Conclusion Endobronchial electrocautery is an effective and safe approach for inoperable tracheobronchial obstructive malignancies with few complications.
Objective To study the effect of nontypeable Hemophilus influenzae(NTHi) strain ATCC49247 on proinflammatory cytokines expression of human A549 lung epithelial cell line. Methods Confluent A549 cells were co-incubated with NTHi, NTHi+Erythromycin(10 mg/L), NTHi+Gentamicin(100 mg/L), and NTHi+Dexamethasone(100 μmol/L),and nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB) inhibitor primed cells were co-incubated with NTHi for 24 h. Then levels of interleukin-8（IL-8） and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in the supernatant was assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) and the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1) in cells was detected by immunohistochemistry staining. Results A549 cells were transformed and died after co-intubated with NTHi for 24 h. NTHi induced A549 cells to release significantly greater amounts of IL-8, which was inhibited by NF-κB inhibitor pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate（PDTC）. Incubating of A549 cells with NTHi significantly induced release of IL-8 and the expression of ICAM-1, which was blocked by erythromycin and dexamethasone and not by gentamicin. TNF-α was not detected in all circumstances. Conclusions NTHi can increase significantly the release and expression of proinflammatory cytokines through NF-κB pathway. Antibacterial drug erythromycin also has anti-inflammatory effect.
Objective To investigate the manifestations, diagnosis and treatment of tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica ( TO) . Methods Two cases of TO were described and 76 cases in the medical literature after 2000 were reviewed. Results TO usually manifests in adults, and affects both genders. The clinical presentation of TO is nonspecific. Bronchoscopy remains the gold standard for diagnosing this condition. Hard sessile nodules arising from the anterior and lateral walls of the airway,typically sparing the posterior membrane, are classic appearance that can be easily recognized. The CT scan is more sensitive and specific, which plays an important role in the diagnosis of TO. Bronchial biopsies disclose the abnormal presence of cartilage and bone tissue in the bronchial submucosa. To date there is nospecific treatment for the disease. Only a minority of cases develop into significant upper airway obstruction and require invasive procedures to remove or bypass the obstacle on affected airways. Conclusions TO is a stable or slowly progressive benign disease. Chest computed tomography and fiberoptic bronchoscopy are thebest diagnostic procedures to identify TO.