Haematological and Inflammatory Biomarkers Among Stable COPD and Acute Exacerbations of COPD Patients.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the variation in the levels of the neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet indices in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) patients and its association with GOLD stages. COPD is heterogeneous in nature. AECOPD is diagnosed clinically, which is subjective, and clinical judgement may vary from clinician to clinician. Since chronic inflammation underlies the pathogenesis of COPD, markers of inflammation have generated considerable interest in their potential to be used as biomarkers of COPD. Methods: This prospective analytical study was carried out at the Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India, from December 2018 to July 2020. A total of 64 subjects (32 stable COPD, 32 AECOPD) who satisfied the study criteria were included. Blood samples were taken from stable and AECOPD patients and were compared. Results: It was observed that the NLR, the platelet distribution width, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and the C-reactive protein (CRP) increased in AECOPD patients compared to stable COPD patients (P <0.001). A positive correlation was observed between the neutrophil lymphocyte ratio, the platelet distribution width, the ESR and the CRP (P <0.001). Conclusion: The NLR and platelet distribution width values increased significantly in AECOPD patients compared to stable COPD patients.

Pulmonary Aspergillus and Mucor Co-Infection: A report of two cases.

Co-infections or consecutive infections of mucormycosis and aspergillosis are very rare. Additionally, distinguishing between these two infections is also difficult as both these conditions have similar clinical features. We report two similar cases from Tamilnadu, who presented to a tertiary care centre in Puducherry, India in 2017 (first case) and 2019 (second case). The first case was a 70-year-old, non-diabetic male patient who presented with haemoptysis with a prior history of pulmonary tuberculosis. Computed tomography bronchial angiography revealed an air-crescent sign and the histopathological examination showed a fungal ball (aspergillus and mucor) in the right upper lobe and foci of fungal infection in the middle lobe. The second case was a 65-year-old diabetic male patient who presented with blackish expectoration and haemoptysis. A high-resolution computed tomography scan showed a reverse-halo sign in the right upper lobe. The results of the bronchoscopy-guided biopsy were consistent with a diagnosis of mixed mucormycosis and aspergillosis with angioinvasion. Both patients responded to amphotericin B with surgical excision of the affected lobe in the first case. A high degree of clinical suspicion, early surgical intervention and antifungal therapy are essential in the treatment of this rare co-infection.

Arthritis in sarcoidosis: A multicentric study from India.

INTRODUCTION: Ten to 15% of patients with sarcoidosis have associated arthritis. Chronic arthritis is fairly uncommon. There is a paucity of data on articular manifestations of the disease from India. METHODS: Case records of adult patients with sarcoidosis presenting to 11 rheumatology centers from 2005 to 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Joint involvement was assessed clinically, classified as acute or chronic depending on duration of symptoms less or greater than 6 months, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 117 patients with sarcoid arthritis were reviewed. Forty-five patients were classified as having Lofgren's syndrome. The pattern of joint involvement revealed the ankle to be most commonly affected in both the groups. Shoulder, wrist, metacarpophalangeal, proximal interphalangeal joints of hands and knee joint involvement were significantly more common in chronic sarcoid arthritis. Peripheral lymphadenopathy and uveitis were significantly more frequent in chronic sarcoid arthritis. Forty out of 49 patients with acute arthritis followed up over a median of 1.8 years had achieved complete remission. Twelve out of 16 chronic sarcoid arthritis (median follow up 2.5 years) had achieved complete remission with 15, 12 and five patients on steroids, methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine, respectively. One patient with acute sarcoid arthritis with concomitant interstitial lung disease had died due to lung infection. CONCLUSION: Acute oligoarthritis was the commonest presentation with the ankle being the most commonly affected joint. Upper limb joint (predominantly distal) and knee involvement were more common as reported in our largest series worldwide of chronic sarcoid arthritis in adults. Hilar adenopathy and erythema nodosum were common extra-articular features in both acute and chronic sarcoid arthritis. A limitation of the study was the retrospective nature of the analysis.