HIV INFECTION LINKED TO CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE

New research shows that patients who are HIV positive may be at an increased risk for developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Researchers from Yale University School of Medicine investigated the prevalence of COPD among 1,014 HIV-positive and 713 HIV-negative men enrolled in the Veterans Aging Cohort 5 Site Study. Results showed that the prevalence of COPD was 10 percent in HIV-positive and 9 percent in HIV-negative patients, as reported by ICD-9 codes, and 15 percent and 12 percent respectively, as indicated by patient self-report. However, after adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, pack-years of smoking, and injection drug use and alcohol abuse, HIV infection was an independent risk factor for COPD, with HIV-infected patients 50 to 60 percent more likely to have COPD than HIV-negative subjects. This study appears in the November issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.

VITAMIN A NO HELP FOR PATIENTS WITH EMPHYSEMA

Retinoids, derivatives of vitamin A, are being examined as a potential method for regenerating damaged lung tissue in patients with emphysema. In the Feasibility of Retinoids for the Treatment of Emphysema (FORTE) study, researchers from six institutions in the United States enrolled 148 subjects with moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with a primary component of emphysema. Patients received all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) at either a low or high dose, 13-cis retinoic acid (13-cRA), or placebo for 6 months followed by a 3-month crossover period. At the end of 6 months, no treatment was associated with an overall improvement in pulmonary function, CT density mask score, or health-related quality of life (HRQL). However, time- and dose-dependent changes in diffusing capacity, CT density mask score, and HRQL were observed in patients that
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Contact: Jennifer Stawarz
jstawarz@chestnet.org
847-498-8306
American College of Chest Physicians
13-Nov-2006