Diagnostic and Prognostic Values of Serum Selenoprotein P and Soluble St2 Levels in Pulmonary Embolism.

AIM: Pulmonary Thromboembolism (PTE) occurs as a result of occlusion of one or more of the pulmonary artery branches by thrombus and is an important cause of right heart failure and pulmonary hypertension. Selenoprotein P (SePP) and soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 protein (sST2) are two new biomarkers that have previously been the subject of various studies in heart failure. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic and prognostic potential of SePP and soluble sST2 levels in patients with acute PTE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 135 patients diagnosed with acute non-massive PTE and 43 healthy volunteers. Clinical, laboratory, and radiological patient data were recorded. SePP and sST2 levels were measured in the patient and control groups. Patients were followed at 1, 3, and 6 months of treatment via the death notification system and telemedicine. RESULTS: SePP and sST2 levels were significantly lower in the patient group compared with the control group (SePP: 17.65 ng/ml vs. 43.06 ng/ml and sST2: 10.86 ng/ml vs. 16.20 ng/ml, both p < 0.001). No correlation was found at 1, 3, and 6 months of follow-up with prognosis and mortality. CONCLUSION: SePP and sST2 values were significantly lower in patients with acute PTE compared with the control group. Low levels of these biomarkers may be diagnostically valuable.

Developing lung cancer in COPD: Possible role of carrying Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency variants.

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by persistent airflow limitation and airway inflammation, with a prevalence of 10.1%. Among the many causes of COPD, Smoking is the leading and another big cause is (AATD α1-antitrypsin deficiency)' an inherited disorder. Prevalence of COPD patients is 1.9%. World Health Organization (WHO) advice all COPD patients' AATD rate to be screened at least once during their life.The prevalence of AATD in the general population ranges from 1:2,000-5,000 in parts of Europe and from 1 to 5,000-10,000 in the United States and Canada. Case 1: An 81-year-old male patient with COPD. In computed tomography (CT) of the thorax, mass in the right lower lobe and a nodule in the right upper lobe were detected. The biopsy from right bronchial entrance via fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FB) yielded squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). AAT level was 169 mg/dL (ref. range: 90-200 mg/dL). M/P lowell allele was detected in genetic analysis. Case 2: A 45-year-old male patient with COPD. Conglomerated lymhadenomegaly in the paratracheal area was detected in CT. The biopsy from mucosal infiltrates initiating from the entrance of the right upper lobe to the anterior segment revealed SCC. His AAT level was 190 mg/dL (ref. range: 90-200 mg/dL) and the genetic analysis demonstrated M/I mutation. Case 3: A 64-year-old male COPD patient. In thorax CT, a 24 mm diameter parenchymal nodule in the left lower lobe was detected. Transthoracic fine needle aspiration biopsy from the left lung nodule showed SCC. His AAT level was 196 mg/dL (ref. range: 90-200 mg/dL) and M/P lowell allele was detected in the genetic analysis. Discussion: AAT deficiency can cause early-onset of COPD, manifested with emphysema and chronic bronchitis. It has been suggested that AATD is associated with an increased risk of many types of cancer. Although the relationship between AATD or variant carriage and LC histopathology is not clear in the literature, it was detected as squamous cell carcinoma in our cases. We infer that unmeasurable lung damage is more prevalent in heterozygous patients and we believe that sharing our results may draw more attention in this regard.

Management of recurrent hemoptysis: a single-center experience.

BACKGROUND: A successful planning methodology for patients with hemoptysis promises overall improvement in patient care. Conducted in a reference center for chest diseases, the present study aims to analyze characteristics and predictors of interventional methods in patients with recurrent hemoptysis. METHODS: The present study is a single-center, retrospective observational study. Between 2015 and 2018, 5973 patients with follow-up data until 2021 requiring more than one hospitalization due to recurrent hemoptysis were investigated. Patient characteristics, the amount of hemoptysis, baseline admission parameters, interventional procedures of bronchial artery embolization (BAE), fiberoptic bronchoscopy, rigid bronchoscopy, and surgical resections applied were analyzed according to number of hospitalizations and outcome. RESULTS: : Hospital admission numbers were higher in patients with sequela of tuberculosis, bronchiectasis and lung cancer. While lung cancer was the most frequent underlying reason in recurrent admissions, it was determined that as the amount of bleeding increased, the number of admissions also increased to the hospital, and BAE and rigid bronchoscopy were performed more frequently in the groups with less frequent admissions. There was no statistically significance between the amount of bleeding, and the interventional procedure alone or in combination with another procedure (p > 0.05). DISCUSSION: In conclusion, patients with certain diseases may experience frequent hospital admissions due to hemoptysis. Recurrent admissions may get better results with BAE and rigid bronchoscopy. We think that these procedures should be preferred in the foreground of suitable patient selection in line with available facilities and experience.

Prognostic value of inflammatory markers determined during diagnosis in patients with sarcoidosis: chronic versus remission.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of inflammatory markers determined during admission among patients with sarcoidosis with chronic and remission groups. METHODS: This study was designed as retrospective single-center study. Patients with sarcoidosis without treatment and who had at least two years of follow-up were included in this study. Patients were divided into two groups as chronic and remission. The primary outcome is to evaluate hematological parameters in remission and chronic sarcoidosis groups. RESULTS: Out of 348 patients with sarcoidosis, 142 patients without treatment and followed up for at least two years were included in this study. Groups had similar demographic features with the predominance of females (80.4 and 77.9%, respectively) and stage I disease (78.6 and 68.6%, respectively). Lymphocyte count [median (IQR) 1.7 (1.3-2.3) 109/L versus 2.1 (1.6-2.4) 109/L, p=0.034] was significantly lower, whereas neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was significantly higher [median (IQR) 2.6 (2.0-3.1) versus 2.0 (1.6-2.8), p=0.006] at admission in the chronic group. No significant difference was determined in inflammatory parameters at admission between groups. CONCLUSION: Lower lymphocyte count and higher neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio were determined in patients with chronic sarcoidosis compared with the remission group, based on monitoring of radiological staging up to five-year after the initial diagnosis. Accordingly, the identification of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio at diagnosis seems to be a potential prognostic marker in patients with sarcoidosis beside its low cost and easy determination in routine clinical practice.

COVID-19 Pandemic and the Global Perspective of Turkish Thoracic Society.

It has been more than 3 months now since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Turkey. Globally, the number of confirmed cases and deaths reached 9,653,048 and 491,128 respectively, as reported by 216 countries by June 27, 2020. Turkey had 1,396 new cases, 194,511 total cases, and 5,065 deaths by the same date. From the first case until today, the Turkish Thoracic Society (TTS) has been very proactive in educating doctors, increasing public awareness, undertaking academic studies, and assisting with public health policies. In the present report, social, academic, and management perspectives of the pandemic are presented under appropriate subtitles. During this critical public health crisis, TTS has once again demonstrated its readiness and constructive stance by supporting public health, healthcare workers, and the environment. This review summarizes the perspective of TTS on each aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic and casts light on its contributions.

Unclear Issues Regarding COVID-19.

Scientists from all over the world have been intensively working to discover different aspects of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) since the first cluster of cases was reported in China. Herein, we aimed to investigate unclear issues related to transmission and pathogenesis of disease as well as accuracy of diagnostic tests and treatment modalities. A literature search on PubMed, Ovid, and EMBASE databases was conducted, and articles pertinent to identified search terms were extracted. A snow-ball search strategy was followed in order to retrieve additional relevant articles. It was reported that viral spread may occur during the asymptomatic phase of infection, and viral load was suggested to be a useful marker to assess disease severity. In contrast to immune response against viral infections, cytotoxic T lymphocytes decline in SARS-CoV-2 infection, which can be partially explained by direct invasion of T lymphocytes or apoptosis activated by SARS-CoV-2. Dysregulation of the urokinase pathway, cleavage of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein by FXa and FIIa, and consumption coagulopathy were the proposed mechanisms of the coagulation dysfunction in COVID-19. False-negative rates of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction varied between 3% and 41% across studies. The probability of the positive test was proposed to decrease with the number of days past from symptom onset. Safety issues related to infection spread limit the use of high flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in hypoxic patients. Further studies are required to elucidate the challenging issues, thus enhancing the management of COVID-19 patients.

Lessons Learned so Far from the Pandemic: A Review on Pregnants and Neonates with COVID-19.

There are concerns regarding the risk and the course of COVID-19 in pregnancy and in the neonates. In this review, we aimed to present the current understanding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection during pregnancy and neonatal periods considering diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and prevention. Few studies on pregnant women with COVID-19 have been conducted between December 2019 and April 2020. The majority of patients applied in the third trimester and presented with fever and cough. Ground-glass opacities and consolidation on computed tomography were reported to be common. COVID-19 was proposed to have a milder course than SARS and the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in pregnant women. Hydroxychloroquine and antiproteases (lopinavir/ritonavir) were reported to be safe; however, therapeutic efficacy and safety of remdesivir still lack evidence. As ribavirin and favipiravir have teratogenic effects, there are some debates on the use of ribavirin in severe cases. There is still no clear evidence of vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during delivery. Occupational safety issues of pregnant healthcare workers on the frontline should be considered as their risk to develop severe pneumonia is higher because of altered maternal immune response. Knowledge about neonatal outcomes of COVID-19 was based on studies of the last trimester of pregnancy. There is much to be learnt about COVID-19 in pregnant women and in the neonates, especially concerning prognosis- and treatment-related issues.

What We Learned about COVID-19 So Far? Notes from Underground.

The novel coronavirus pandemic poses a major global threat to public health. Our knowledge concerning every aspect of COVID-19 is evolving rapidly, given the increasing data from all over the world. In this narrative review, the Turkish Thoracic Society Early Career Taskforce members aimed to provide a summary on recent literature regarding epidemiology, clinical findings, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and control of COVID-19. Studies revealed that the genetic sequence of the novel coronavirus showed significant identity to SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor is an important target of the SARS-CoV-2 while entering an organism. Smokers were more likely to develop the disease and have a higher risk for ICU admission. The mean incubation period was 6.4 days, whereas asymptomatic transmission was reported up to 25 days after infection. Fever and cough were the most common symptoms, and cardiovascular diseases and hypertension were reported to be the most common comorbidities among patients. Clinical manifestations range from asymptomatic and mild disease to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. Several patients showed typical symptoms and radiological changes with negative RT-PCR but positive IgG and IgM antibodies. Although radiological findings may vary, bilateral, peripherally distributed, ground-glass opacities were typical of COVID-19. Poor prognosis was associated with older age, higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score, and high D-dimer level. Chloroquine was found to be effective in reducing viral replication in vitro. Likewise, protease inhibitors, including lopinavir/ritonavir, favipiravir, and nucleoside analogue remdesivir were proposed to be the potential drug candidates in COVID-19 management. Despite these efforts, we still have much to learn regarding the transmission, treatment, and prevention of COVID-19.

Correlation between the Diagnostic Yield from the Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Analysis and Clinicoradiological Findings in Sarcoidosis.

OBJECTIVES: The diagnosis of sarcoidosis is frequently challenging, requiring a search for less invasive, more reliable diagnostic methods. The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) analysis has been used in the differential diagnosis of sarcoidosis for many years with a wide sensitivity and specificity rates. The objective of the study is to investigate whether diagnostic performance of the BALF analysis is altered by clinicoradiological findings of patients with sarcoidosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study is a retrospective, single-center, observational study, designed in a sarcoidosis outpatient clinic in a training hospital. Patients who had undergone the bronchoalveolar lavage BAL procedure at diagnosis were included in the study. Demographics, clinical and detailed chest X-ray, and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings at diagnosis were recorded. According to the diagnostic performance, the BALF results were grouped as "diagnostic" and "non-diagnostic," and recorded parameters were compared between the groups. RESULTS: Considering the BALF analysis of all the 257 patients, the mean lymphocyte ratio was 41±17.5 (5-80), and the mean CD4/CD8 was 5.5±4.7 (0.1-24.7). The BALF analysis was diagnostic in 56% (n=145) of patients. Diagnostic performance of the procedure did not correlate with any of the demographic data, smoking status, spirometric findings, chest X-ray staging, HRCT findings, and tomography scoring. Extrapulmonary involvement was significantly more frequent in the diagnostic group (66% vs. 34%, p=0.006). CONCLUSION: BALF results signal sarcoidosis in more than half of the patients. The diagnostic role of BALF is greater in patients with extrapulmonary involvement.

Organizing Pneumonia as a Histopathological Term.

OBJECTIVES: Organizing pneumonia (OP) is an interstitial lung disease characterized by granulation tissue buds in alveoli and alveolar ductus, possibly accompanied by bronchiolar involvement. Histopathologically, OP may signify a primary disease and be observed as a contiguous disease or as a minor component of other diseases. In this study, the clinical significance of histopathological OP lesions and clinical and radiological features of patients with primary OP were examined. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between January 2011 and January 2015, of 6,346 lung pathology reports, 138 patients with OP lesions were retrospectively evaluated. According to the final diagnoses, patients were grouped as reactive OP (those with final diagnosis other than OP) and primary OP (those with OP). Patients with primary OP were classified according to etiology as cryptogenic and secondary OP. Radiological evaluation was conducted within a categorization of "typical," "focal," and "infiltrative." RESULTS: Of 138 patients, 25% were males and the mean age was 54±14 years. Pathologically, 61% of patients had reactive OP and 39% had primary OP. All reactive OP lesions were reported using surgical specimens, and the most frequent primary diagnoses were malignancy (65%), infection (15%), interstitial lung diseases other than OP (7%), and bronchiectasis (5%). Other diagnoses included bullae, foreign body, hamartoma, bronchogenic cyst, and bronchopleural fistula. Of all the primary OP patients, 48 had cryptogenic OP and six had secondary OP. Radiological involvement was consistent with typical OP in 30%, focal OP in 63%, and infiltrative OP in 7% of the patients. All focal OP lesions were defined using surgical resections. Positron emission computed tomography (PET-CT) was recorded in 28 patients. In 11 patients, lymphadenomegaly was comorbid. The mean widest diameter of focal opacity was 2.7±1.2 (1.2-4.9) cm, and the mean the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax was 6.1±3.9 (1.7-16.7). CONCLUSION: OP lesions generally present as a minor component of other diseases. In patients with OP, cryptogenic OP and radiological focal OP is more frequently observed. Most focal OP lesions are detected using surgical resections because of malignant prediagnosis owing to elevated SUVmax.

A Rare Case of Progressive Dyspnea and Bilateral Lung Infiltration in a Young Male.

Pulmonary lymphangitic carcinomatosis (PLC) is defined as infiltration of the lymphatic vessels and perilymphatic connective tissue with tumor cells, which is secondary to malignancy. Therefore, it rarely appears as an initial finding preceding a diagnosis of malignancy. A 30-year-old male patient was hospitalized in our clinic with a pre-diagnosis of interstitial lung disease owing to the complaints of dry cough, progressive dyspnea, and acute respiratory insufficiency. He was diagnosed with signet ring cell carcinoma, which is a histologic subtype of adenocarcinoma, via gastroscopy, and lung involvement was consistent with PLC. Regardless of the patient age, PLC should be considered in differential diagnoses of progressive dyspnea, acute respiratory failure, and widespread interstitial lung involvement.

Two Chronic Granulomatous Disease Diagnosed in Adult Age.

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a rare, inherited primary immunodeficiency that is usually diagnosed at adulthood and is presented with recurrent bacterial and fungal infections. In this case report, two adult cases of CGD have been presented. A 29-year-old woman was referred to our clinic with hypoxic respiratory failure, with a pre-diagnosis of multidrug resistant tuberculosis (TB). Her lung biopsy had been reported as granulomatous inflammation, she had not responded to a 5 month anti-TB treatment. A complete medical history consisted of 4 occasions of treatment with anti-TB drugs and that her sister and brother had undergone TB therapy. However, since childhood, a TB bacilli had never been isolated microbiologically in the siblings. Patient's parents were third degree consanguineous. The patient still had a purulent drainage around the operation site. Microbiological studies of the wound drainage and respiratory tract have not encountered any specific microorganism. Investigation of an immunodeficiency has proved CGD through nitroblue tetrazolium test. Her siblings has been diagnosed as CGD as well. Second case, a 19-year-old male, has been admitted to our clinic with complaints of fever, chest pain and an abscess lesion in the anterior chest wall. His medical history comprised 3 recurrences of pneumonia within last 2 years. In physical examination, a 3 × 5 cm fluctuant swelling lesion on the anterior chest wall. Radiologically, new pneumonic consolidations were detected. Sputum specimens did not provide any specific microorganism, cultures of the chest-wall abscess fluid grew aspergillus. His parents had been living in the same village but no consanguinity was known. Due to recurrent infections, immunodeficiency tests had been investigated. He was diagnosed as CGD due to dihydrorhodamin test. These two cases signify that, in our country where consanguinity is common, etiology of recurrent unexplained infections, abscesses and granulomas should be investigated and CGD should be in differantial diagnosis list.

Hospital Treatment Costs and Factors Affecting These Costs in Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

OBJECTIVES: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) accounts for an important part of hospital admissions and health expenses worldwide. The cost increases when treated in a hospital, and reports on this issue are limited in Turkey. This study aimed to investigate direct hospital costs and factors affecting these costs for patients who were hospitalized in our clinic because of the diagnosis of CAP. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The records of patients who had been hospitalized for the diagnosis of CAP were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic features, radiological features, pneumonia severity index (PSI), CURB-65 scorings, duration of hospitalization, treatments, and the results of treatments were examined. Total hospitalization costs and the expenses for intervention, medication, examinations, and additional services were recorded. The effect of data on the cost was evaluated. RESULTS: The study was conducted with 87 patients with CAP. The mean duration of hospitalization was 15.6 days and nine patients (10.3%) were exitus. The median total hospital cost was 2062 (451-11690) TL [952 euros (€), 1305 dollars ($)], and the median hospitalization expense per day was 148 Turkish Lira (TL) (68.3 €, 93.7 $). Medication expenses and total cost were higher in male patients than in female patients. Abscess/necrotizing pneumonia increased the cost depending on the infiltration that occurred either alone or with parapneumonic pleurisy. Whereas an increase in the PSI stage increased the total cost and expenses for intervention and medication, medication expenses increased in patients with CURB-65 score of 3 and 4 (p<0.05). Age, smoking, and low oxygen saturation level did not affect the cost. No statistically significant difference was found between the expenses of exitus patients and the expenses of patients who recovered. CONCLUSION: CAP can lead to high costs and result in death. In our study, it was concluded that the cost increased in male patients, patients with abscess/necrotizing pneumonia, and patients with high PSI scores.

Eosinophilic Lung Disease: Accompanied with 12 Cases.

OBJECTIVES: Eosinophilic lung diseases are a rare group of heterogeneous diseases characterized by the increase of the eosinophil ratio in airways and lung parenchyma. In our clinic, patients diagnosed with eosinophilic lung disease were evaluated with their clinical features and prognoses. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In our clinic, 12 cases that were diagnosed and followed up for eosinophilic lung disease [eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA, Churg-Strauss syndrome) (n=4), chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (CEP) (n=7), and simple pulmonary eosinophilia (Löffler's syndrome) (n=1)] were retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 12 cases, 8 were females, and the average age was 43 (28-72) years. All cases were undergoing bronchodilator therapy with asthma diagnosis (2 months-40 years). Additionally, 4 of the cases had sinusitis, and 1 had allergic rhinitis. The most common complaints of the patients were difficulty in breathing and coughing, and the duration of complaints was a median of 2 months. Peripheral eosinophilia and total IgE elevation were present during the admission of all cases; additionally, leucocyte elevation was recorded in 10 of them, anemia in 4 of them, and thrombocytosis in 4 of them. Moreover, 43% of the recorded DLCO values were lower than normal. Of the 10 cases that underwent bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), the eosinophil ratio was above 25% in 7 subjects. Of the 8 cases that underwent transbronchial biopsy, eosinophil-involving infiltration was detected in 6 subjects. Additional findings in cases diagnosed with EGPA were nasal polyposis (n=1), sinusitis (n=2), polyneuropathy (n=1), cardiac involvement (n=2), and skin involvement in biopsy (n=1). Spontaneous recovery was observed in the patient diagnosed with simple pulmonary eosinophilia during the follow-up that was performed based on the history and laboratory and BAL results of the patient. Prednisolone treatment was started for all cases, except for simple pulmonary eosinophilia, and their controls were performed. Relapse was observed in eight cases (EGPA: 4, CEP: 4); during the relapse treatment of one case diagnosed with EGPA, exitus occurred. One case rejected treatment despite the presence of peripheral eosinophilia, and the other cases are being followed-up without medication. CONCLUSION: Given that the clinical pictures in pulmonary eosinophilia syndromes are on a wide spectrum, a specific diagnosis is important. Progression may differ in each patient, and a close follow-up is necessary during and after the treatment.