Gut-Lung Microbiota Interaction in COPD Patients: A Literature Review

Respiratory diseases are one of the leading causes of death in the world, which is why a lot of attention has been recently paid to studying the possible mechanisms for the development of pulmonary diseases and assessing the impact on their course. The microbiota plays an important role in these processes and influences the functionality of the human immune system. Thus, alterations in the normal microflora contribute to a reduction in immunity and a more severe course of diseases. In this review, we summarized the information about gut and lung microbiota interactions with particular attention to their influence on the course of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Impact of personality hardiness on anxiety dynamics during the COVID-19 outbreak in russia

Introduction

Hardiness is a set of attitudes, providing courage and motivation to cope with stress (Maddi, 2006). The COVID-19 outbreak and the response to it caused exceptional stress and drastically changed the everyday routine, endangering many people`s psychological well-being and mobilizing coping resources.

Objectives

The study aimed to determine whether hardiness provided coping resources to deal with COVID-19 outbreak-related stressors.

Methods

949 participants from Russia (ages 18-66) voluntarily completed online questionnaires: BAI; BDI; SCL-90-R; Personal Views Survey III during the early COVID-19 restrictions (24 March - 15 May). Subsamples from four time periods were compared using ANOVA. The first dataset was collected before the official restrictions’ introduction (n=88). The second subsample was gathered during the “days off” week (n=262). The third period started with the “days off” extension and ended with the strict self-isolation announcement (n=296). The fourth dataset was gathered during self-isolation (n=303). General linear models (GLM) were used to determine the effect of variables on anxiety, depression, and general symptomatic index (GSI).

Results

Hardiness, anxiety, depression, and GSI differed significantly between the time-periods (F=4.899, p<0.01; F=3.173, p<0.05; F=8.096, p<0.01; F=3.244, p<0.022 ; F=4.899, p<0.01 respectively). GLMs showed gender, chronic diseases, self-assessed fears, and hardiness contribution to anxiety, depression, and GSI. Hardiness had the biggest effect on all models. Anxiety was additionally influenced by the time factor, which also interacted with hardiness (see Figure 1). With lower hardiness, higher anxiety arose over time.

Conclusions

Hardiness notably contributes to personal adaptation during the COVID-19 outbreak-related restrictions.

P4487Inhibition of aortic valve calcification by SNF472 in vitro

Background

Calcific aortic valve disease is the 2nd most frequent cause of open heart surgery. The valve interstitial cells (VIC) are crucial for calcification. SNF472 (a derivative of phytic acid) is a calcification inhibitor currently in clinical development for the treatment of cardiovascular calcification (Phase 2 CaLIPSO trial, EudraCT 2016–002834–59). SNF472 has been shown to inhibit vascular calcification in several preclinical models.

Purpose

1. Establish a new model of calcification in cultured human VIC; 2. Investigate whether SNF472 would inhibit calcification in this model, and 3. Study if SNF472 might inhibit ongoing calcification processes.

Methods

Healthy and calcified aortic valves were obtained from heart transplant recipients and patients undergoing aortic valve replacement due to calcific valve disease, respectively. VIC were isolated and seeded in basic growth medium, osteogenic differentiation medium (Osteodiff) alone, and with addition of different concentrations of SNF472. The following series of studies were performed: 1. VIC from healthy and calcified valves were cultured for three weeks with Osteodiff; 2. VIC from calcified valves were cultured for 3 weeks in Osteodiff media with 0, 1, 3, 10, 30, or 100 μM SNF472; 3. VIC from calcified valves were cultured for 3 weeks in Osteodiff media in total, but after 1 or 2 weeks 30 or 100 μM SNF472 was added to the cultures (n=8). Calcification was visualized by Alzarin Red staining and quantified by spectrophotometry. Statistics analysis was performed nonparametric One-Way ANOVA (Friedman and Kruskal–Wallis tests) with Dunn's post-test.

Results

Calcification was found to be 30% stronger in cultures of VIC from calcified valves as compared to cultured VIC from healthy valves (p=0.03). SNF472 successfully inhibited VIC calcification in a dose-dependent manner. SNF472 concentrations of 1, and 3 μM inhibited calcification by 7% (not significant) and 66% (p=0.08) respectively. Concentrations of 10, 30, and 100 μM completely inhibited calcification. 30 and 100 μM of SNF472 added after 1 week reduced ongoing calcification by 84% (p<0.01) and 100% (p<0.01) respectively. When given after 2 weeks of ongoing calcification non-significant inhibition was still observed (21 and 30%, respectively).

Conclusions

VIC from calcified valves have a more pro-calcification phenotype than VIC from healthy valves. SNF472 is able to inhibit the development VIC calcification in vitro. By early intervention SNF472 is also able to stop the progression of ongoing calcification. SNF472 shows to be a promising therapy to treat heart valve calcification.

Acknowledgement/Funding

EC FP7 (GA 609020), Balearic Islands Government grant (ES01/TCAI/41_2017), FEDER 2014-2020, Laboratoris Sanifit, Palma, Spain; University of Oslo

SNF472, a novel anti-crystallization agent, inhibits induced calcification in an in vitro model of human aortic valve calcification

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether SNF472, the hexasodium salt of myo-inositol hexaphosphate (IP6 or phytate): 1. Inhibits induced calcification in cultured aortic valve interstitial cells (VIC) as an in vitro model of aortic valve stenosis and 2. Whether inhibition is different in VIC obtained from healthy and calcified aortic valves. VIC from healthy (n = 5) and calcified (n = 7) human aortic valves were seeded in basic growth medium, osteogenic differentiation medium alone, or in osteogenic medium with SNF472 (3, 10, and 30 μM) and cultivated for 3 weeks. Calcification was quantified spectrophotometrically after Alizarin Red staining. In VIC from calcified valves, a complete inhibition of calcification was observed with SNF472 concentrations of 10 and 30 μM (p < .01), significantly stronger than in VIC from healthy valves. When SNF472 was added to VIC after 1 week in osteogenic medium, 30 and 100 μM SNF472 inhibited the progression of ongoing calcification by 81 and 100% (p < .01), respectively. The same concentrations of SNF472 given after 2 weeks reduced calcification by 35 and 40% respectively (not significant). SNF472 inhibited both the formation and the progression of calcification with the strongest effect in VIC from calcified valves.

[Successful prophylaxis in a pregnancy with thrombophilic states]

It has been observed that the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) is associated with a high incidence of fetal loss and this is thought to--a result from the vasculitis of placental circulation and subsequent thrombosis. A 38-year-old woman with second fetal loss had received oral anticoagulant after pulmonary embolism. APL were examined--anticardiolipin antibodies (aCA) were found. The third pregnancy was established and sintrom was stopped and replaced by fraxiparine 0.3 ml/24 h up to the end of the pregnancy even 20 days after delivery of a healthy baby.