Tag Archives: lung disease

Prognostic factors for PM/DM-ILD. A dilemma of treatment intensity?

Schematic representation of the predictive prognostic factors for PM/DM-ILD.

Polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM) are idiopathic inflammatory myopathies of unknown causes. In PM/DM, interstitial lung disease (ILD) is one of the extramuscular manifestations and the principal cause of death. To improve the prognosis of PM/DM-ILD, it

The reality of latent tuberculosis bacillus?

Tuberculosis is caused by the infectious agent known Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) (Fig. 1). This rod-shaped bacterium, also called Koch’s bacillus, was discovered by Dr. Robert Koch in 1882. When a person breathes in Mtb-contaminated air, the inhaled TB bacteria

Fish gills help understand human lung disease

Persistent inflammation of the lung leads to fibrosis, a serious and poorly understood disease that causes scarring of the lungs. A poor prognosis of only approximately 3 years survival after diagnosis demonstrates the lack of understanding of

Specific danger signals associate with non-infection-related COPD exacerbations

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a progressive and chronic lung disease, leading to difficulties with breathing for the patients. This is caused by the destruction of the lung sacs (alveoli), called emphysema and by inflammation of

Back to the future – looking at COPD with new eyes

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a broad term for diffuse lung disease caused by chronic inflammation of the airways. Patients with COPD become increasingly short of breath and often start to feel as if they are