Quantitative assessment of emphysema and bronchial wall thickness in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: comparison between the eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic phenotypes / Avaliação quantitativa de enfisema e espessamento parietal brônquico em pacientes com doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica estável: comparação entre os fenótipos eosinofílico e não eosinofílico

Abstract Objective: To perform a quantitative assessment of bronchial wall thickening and the emphysema score in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), comparing the eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic COPD phenotypes. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of patients with COPD followed between August 2018 and July 2019. The patients were divided into two groups by the eosinophil count in peripheral blood: eosinophilic (≥ 300 cells/µL); and non-eosinophilic (< 300 cells/µL). Quantitative, automated assessments of emphysema and bronchial wall thickness were performed by evaluating computed tomography scans of the chest. Results: We evaluated the records of 110 patients diagnosed with COPD: 28 (25.5%) in the eosinophilic group; and 82 (74.5%) in the non-eosinophilic group. The demographic, clinical, functional, and therapeutic variables were comparable between the two groups. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the emphysema score or bronchial wall thickness (p > 0.05 for both). Conclusion: Patients with eosinophilic COPD do not appear to have lower emphysema scores or greater bronchial wall thickening than do those with non-eosinophilic phenotypes of the disease.

Resumo Objetivo: Avaliar quantitativamente o escore de enfisema e o espessamento da parede brônquica de pacientes com doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica (DPOC) estável e comparar os fenótipos eosinofílico e não eosinofílico. Materiais e Métodos: Estudo observacional, transversal, retrospectivo, que avaliou pacientes com DPOC no período de agosto de 2018 a julho de 2019. Os pacientes foram separados dois grupos, de acordo com o número de eosinófilos periféricos: os eosinofílicos (≥ 300 células/µL) e os não eosinofílicos (< 300 células/µL). Foram realizadas avaliações quantitativas e automatizadas de enfisema e de espessamento brônquico para os dois grupos por meio de tomografia computadorizada de tórax. Resultados: Foram coletados dados de 110 pacientes com o diagnóstico de DPOC, dos quais 28 (25,5%) apresentaram perfil eosinofílico. As variáveis demográficas, clínicas, funcionais e terapêuticas do grupo dos pacientes com perfil eosinofílico foram semelhantes às do grupo não eosinofílico. Não se observaram diferenças significativas em relação ao escore de enfisema e à medida de espessura de parede brônquica entre os dois grupos (p > 0,05). Conclusão: Neste estudo, os pacientes com fenótipo eosinofílico não apresentaram menor escore de enfisema e nem maior espessamento parietal brônquico.

Clinical evolution of a severe asthmatics group in the use of immunobiological therapy in a Brazilian Public Hospital

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: A small portion of the asthmatic population (3.6%) has severe asthma (SA), presenting high morbimortality rates and demanding more financial resources than other asthmatic populations. The use of immunobiological therapy is an effective tool in controlling symptoms, decreasing the number of exacerbations, and reducing the use of systemic corticosteroids in these patients. In Brazil, epidemiological data regarding this asthmatic population using immunobiologicals and their evolution are scarce. METHODS: This is an observational, analytical, cross-sectional, and retrospective study. The sample consisted of adult patients with SA in follow-up at the pulmonology service of the Complexo Hospital de Clínicas of the Federal University of Paraná, from January 2011 to August 2019. The analyzed variables were as follows: the number of exacerbations that required hospitalization in the previous year, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and asthma control test (ACT) scores before and after the start of immunobiological therapy. RESULTS: We studied 20 patients with SA using omalizumab or mepolizumab. We observed an increase in the mean ACT score of 4.8 points, a nonsignificant reduction in the number of exacerbations that required hospitalization, and a slight improvement in the FEV1. Regarding the patients using chronic systemic corticosteroid therapy, 14.2% (n=1) of patients had the medication discontinued and 57% (n=4) of patients had the dose reduced by half. CONCLUSION: The use of omalizumab and mepolizumab as additional therapy in SA provided a significant improvement in the ACT and allowed the dose reduction of systemic corticosteroids, without significant improvement in FEV1 and in the frequency of severe exacerbations.

Infecção congênita e perinatal por citomegalovírus: clínica, laboratório e condutas / Congenital and perinatal infection by cytomegalovirus: clinical, laboratory and treatment

Racional: O impacto da infeção congênita e perinatal pelo CMV na saúde pública é muito relevante, sendo a infecção congênita mais predominante, porém pouco abordada. Objetivos: Avaliar o perfil dos pacientes com diagnóstico positivo para infecção congênita e perinatal por citomegalovírus. Métodos: Estudo observacional, analítico, transversal, com coleta de dados retrospectiva. Os dados foram obtidos segundo critérios demográficos, imunológicos, virológicos, terapêuticos e de análise dos exames de imagem.Resultados: Foram coletados dados de 35 pacientes que inicialmente receberam o diagnóstico, entretanto somente 17 preenchiam os critérios de inclusão. Conclusões: A amostra estudada foi de casos sintomáticos e reflete proporcionalmente pouco de uma doença tão prevalente. Isto se deve a dificuldade diagnóstica maternofetal; portanto, é importante enfocar e investir em pesquisa e novas ferramentas para um diagnóstico precoce.

Background: The impact of congenital and perinatal CMV infection on public health is very relevant, with congenital infection being the most prevalent, but little addressed. Objective: To evaluate, through the analysis of medical records, the profile of patients with diagnosis of congenital or perinatal cytomegalovirus infection during the stipulated study time. Methods: Observational study, analytical, cross-sectional, with retrospective data collection. The data were obtained according to demographic, immunologic, virologic and therapeutic criteria, as well as imaging exams analysis. Results: Data were collected from 35 patients who initially received the congenital or perinatal infection diagnosis during the time stipulated by the study, but only 17 met the inclusion criteria. Conclusions: The studied sample of symptomatic patients proportionally reflects little of such a prevalent disease. This happens because of the difficult mother-fetus diagnosis. Therefore, it is important to focus and invest in research and new tools seeking the early diagnosis.