AMERICAN THORACIC SOCIETY NEWS TIPS FOR NOVEMBER
LOW LEVELS OF PROTEIN RELATED TO BAD OUTCOME IN ARDS
Low levels of a calcium-dependent protein that binds to a substance called actin, which is leaked from damaged and dying cells, could be an early prognostic marker for the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). For patients in a Trauma Intensive Care Unit and the hospital, the lowest levels of the substance, gelsolin, were associated with prolonged, complicated, and often fatal outcomes. The researchers speculate whether local applications or infusions of recombinant human gelsolin could prevent ARDS from developing as a result of blunt trauma or sepsis. The study appears in the November issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
SIMPLE ASTHMA CONTROL INDEX DEVELOPED
Investigators have developed a relatively simple index of asthma control that correlates strongly with generic and disease-specific indices of quality of life. In what they call a potential first step in developing a new "vital sign" for asthma management, the investigators analyzed data from 5,181 members of a group health management organization in Portland, Oregon. The self-administered, two-page questionnaire created by the researchers was designed to identify four asthma "control" topics which could highlight potential problem areas. These "red flags" included patient perceptions of whether their asthma was well-controlled; missed activities due to asthma; nocturnal awakening from their illness; and extensive use of "quick relief" medications. The study appears in the November American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
RISK FACTORS FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF CHILDHOOD WHEEZE
Italian investigators determined that wheezing in childhood has several distinct patterns with associated, varying risk factors. After studying 16,333 children, ages six to seven, they found 1,221 had transient, early wheezing; 671 had persistent wheezing; and 918 had late-onset wheezing. The found that a family history of lower airway disease (asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)) was a risk factor for all three types of wheezing. They also found a positive association between exposure to maternal smoking in pregnancy and wheezing with onset at any time in the children. In addition, they showed that having a mother older than 35 at the time of a child's birth was protective against transient, early wheezing. The research appears in the November issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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