ObjectiveTo explore whether nesiritide (recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide, rh-BNP) could be used to treat pulmonary artery hypertension. MethodsA 34-year-old female patient with severe symptomatic idiopathic pulmonary artery hypertension was reported, who was refractory to routine therapies, including prostacyclin. Therapy with continuous nesiritide infusion resulted in significant decrease in pulmonary vascular resistance and an improvement in dyspnea. The relevant literature was reviewed. ResultsThe clinical symptoms of this patient relieved significantly after nesiritide therapy. Literature review showed that nesiritide could increase the production of nitrogen oxides and cyclic guanosine monophosphate in the body, so as to dilate the vessels which were shrunk due to hypoxia and low down the pulmonary vascular resistance. ConclusionNesiritide is useful to treat severe pulmonary artery hypertension, and combination with phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors may be a brand new therapy of value.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical manifestation, radiological, pathological features and treatment of organizing pneumonia (OP) induced by aerosolized recombinant super compound interferon (rSIFN-co). MethodsClinical features and related laboratory examinations of a patient with OP developing after initiation of rSIFN-co for treatment of lung adenocarcinoma were analyzed, and the relevant literature was reviewed. ResultsA 48-year-old man developed cough, fevers, shortness of breath and weight loss, shortly half a month after initiation of therapy with rSIFN-co for lung adenocarcinoma. Chest high resolution computerized tomography (HRCT) showed multiple lung infection diseases. However, the anti-infection treatment was invalid. Lung tissue biopsy by bronchofibroscope was consistent with OP. After discontinuation of rSIFN-co and receiving pulse corticosteroid therapy followed by oral methylprednisolone, the pneumonic symptoms and chest manifestations markedly improved. After eight-month follow-up, the patient's condition was stable. The relative literature screening from Pubmed and Wanfangdata was implemented, but there was no report about OP caused by aerosolized rSIFN-co for lung adenocarcinoma. ConclusionThis report suggests that treatment with aerosolized rSIFN-co for lung adenocarcinoma may induce OP, a rare complication, and clinicians should have vigilance on it.
Objective To summarize the characteristics of disseminated Penicillium marneffei infection.Methods The clinical, imageological and bacteriological characteristics were summarized by reviewing one case of disseminated Penicillium marneffei infection in an immunocompetent patient diagnosed in our hospital and the related literatures. Results The patient was a 32-year-old Guangdong male, whose main clinical features were fever, cough, and the abscess of pulmonary, tracheomucosa and subcutaneous. Routine blood examination showed leukocytosis. Other laboratory examination revealed multiple lesions of heart, liver, and kidney. Multiple masses histopathology revealed inflammation, but the culture from the purulent exudates were negative and standard antibiotic therapy was useless. Bronchoscope revealed gray nodus on airway mucosa. Under the direction of bacteriologist, final diagnosis of Penicillium marneffei infection was obtained by the fungal culture from the purulent exudates and the deep sputum. Conclusions Penicillium marneffei can infect immunocompetent patients. Disseminated Penicillium marneffei infection should be considered when patients presented with multiple organ lesions and multiple subcutaneous pyogenic masses which can not explained by connective tissue disease or common pyogenic infection, and with epidemiology of southeast life history.
Objective Chronic cough is often present as increasing cough reaction to various physical and chemical stimulating factors. This study is aimed to investigate the difference of cough sensitivity and its mechanisms which are not clear among different causes of chronic cough. Methods Patients with chronic cough were recruited from cough clinic of Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases between 2005 to 2010. Using a modified diagnostic algorithm of chronic cough, common causes were identified. Capsaicin cough provocation test was also performed in these patients to assess the cough threshold. The relations between cough reflex sensitivity and duration of cough, cough severity, pulmonary function, induced sputum cell counts were then investigated. Results Through the diagnostic algorithm of chronic cough, the current study evaluated 133 adult patients, including 24 cases with upper airway cough syndrome (UACS) , 26 patients with cough variant asthma (CVA) , 31 cases with eosinophilic bronchitis (EB) , 30 patients with atopic cough (AC) , 22 cases with gastroesophageal reflux induced cough (GERC) . There were 30 healthy volunteers recruited as normal control. The cough threshold of LgC5 in AC, CVA, EB, GERC and UACS was 1.70 ±0.70, 2.12 ±0.67, 2.13 ±0.69, 1.69 ±0.73, 2.16 ±0.66, respectively. The LgC5 of the normal group ( 2.63 ±0.39) was higher than those in chronic cough groups( All P lt; 0.05) . The LgC5 of AC and GERC were lower than CVA, EB and UACS ( all Plt;0.05) . Duration and daytime score of cough showed positive correlations with LgC5( r =-0. 280, -0. 168, all P lt;0.05) . Pulmonary function and differential cell count of induced sputumwere not associated with LgC5 ( all Pgt;0.05) . Conclusions Different cause of chronic cough exhbit high cough reflex sensitivity to different extent. The difference of cough sensitivity may reflect the different pathogenesis among different causes, and may be related to the type of nerve fiber dominating the cough reflex.