Asbestosis

Asbestosis is long-term inflammation and scarring of the lungs due to asbestos fibers. Symptoms may include shortness of breath, cough, wheezing, and chest tightness. Complications may include lung cancer, mesothelioma, and pulmonary heart disease. Asbestosis is caused by breathing in asbestos fibers. It requires a relatively large exposure over a long period of time, which typically only occur in those who directly work with asbestos. All types of asbestos fibers are associated with an increased risk. It is generally recommended that currently existing and undamaged asbestos be left undisturbed. Diagnosis is based upon a history of exposure together with medical imaging. Asbestosis is a type of interstitial pulmonary fibrosis. There is no specific treatment. Recommendations may include influenza vaccination, pneumococcal vaccination, oxygen therapy, and stopping smoking. Asbestosis affected about 157,000 people and resulted in 3,600 deaths in 2015. Asbestos use has been banned in a number of countries in an effort to prevent disease. Statistics from the UK's Health and Safety Executive showed that in 2019, there were 490 asbestosis deaths. The signs and symptoms of asbestosis typically manifest after a significant amount of time has passed following asbestos exposure, often several decades under current conditions in the US. The primary symptom of asbestosis is generally the slow onset of shortness of breath, especially with physical activity. Clinically advanced cases of asbestosis may lead to respiratory failure. When a stethoscope is used to listen to the lungs of a person with asbestosis, they may hear inspiratory "crackles". The characteristic pulmonary function finding in asbestosis is a restrictive ventilatory defect. This manifests as a reduction in lung volumes, particularly the vital capacity (VC) and total lung capacity (TLC). The TLC may be reduced through alveolar wall thickening; however, this is not always the case. Large airway function, as reflected by FEV1/FVC, is generally well preserved.

Deep learning parametric response mapping from inspiratory chest CT scans: a new approach for small airway disease screening

Jiancheng Yang, Zhiye Wang, Jun Lu, Zhigang Li, Lin Qi, Ming Li, Bo Du, Yuxuan Sun, Ziyi Liu

Objectives Parametric response mapping (PRM) enables the evaluation of small airway disease (SAD) at the voxel level, but requires both inspiratory and expiratory chest CT scans. We hypothesize that deep learning PRM from inspiratory chest CT scans can eff ...

London2023

Novel trehalose-based excipients for stabilizing nebulized anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody

Sandrine Gerber, François Rémi Pierre Noverraz, Solène Marcelle Françoise Marie Passemard

COVID-19 is caused by the infection of the lungs by SARS-CoV-2. Monoclonal antibodies, such as sotrovimab, showed great efficiency in neutralizing the virus before its internalization by lung epithelial cells. However, parenteral routes are still the prefe ...

2022

Deep learning parametric response mapping from inspiratory chest CT scans: a new approach for small airway disease screening

Novel trehalose-based excipients for stabilizing nebulized anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody

Involvement of the M-CSF/IL-34/CSF-1R pathway in malignant pleural mesothelioma