《European Respiratory Journal》（《欧洲呼吸杂志》）简介：

The European Respiratory Journal (ERJ), the official journal of the European Respiratory Society (ERS), publishes 12 issues per year in English.

The ERJ publishes clinical and experimental work dealing with the whole field of respiratory medicine, including cell biology, epidemiology, immunology, pathophysiology, thoracic imaging, paediatric pneumology, occupational medicine, intensive care, sleep medicine and thoracic surgery. In addition to such original material, the ERJ prints Editorials, Reviews, Technical Notes, Case Studies, Cases for Diagnosis and Letters to the Editor.
最新的影响因子为：5.349

好创意！

翻译者，积分鼓励！

NO.1

Relationship between depression and exacerbations in COPD
Eur Respir J 2008; 32:53-60

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is associated with exacerbations. Some patients are prone to frequent exacerbations and these individuals have a worse quality of life, greater limitation of their daily activity and faster disease progression than patients with less frequent exacerbations.

A prospective study in a well-characterised cohort was performed and it was assessed whether depression, as determined by the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, was related to exacerbation frequency, systemic inflammation and various social factors. The associations of any increase in depressive symptoms at exacerbation were also investigated.

Frequent exacerbators had a significantly higher median (interquartile range) baseline depression score than infrequent exacerbators (17.0 (7.0-25.0) and 12.0 (6.0-18.0), respectively). Depressed patients spend significantly less time outdoors and had significantly worse quality of life as measured by the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire. Depression increased significantly in patients from baseline to exacerbation (12.5 (5.0-19.0) and 19.5 (12.0-28.0) respectively).

The present study is the first to show a relationship between depression and exacerbation frequency in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The finding that frequent exacerbators are more depressed than infrequent exacerbators is relevant, as exacerbation frequency is an important outcome measure in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

NO.2
How to quantify coughing: correlations with quality of life in chronic cough
Eur Respir J 2008; 32:175-179

Different methods are used for quantifying coughing in sound recordings, but as yet no method has been shown to be more valid than any other. In the present study, the relationships between three different units of cough were examined and their ability to predict subjective ratings of cough and cough-related quality of life were evaluated.

In total, 70 subjects (mean±SD age 55±11.7 yrs, 51 (73%) females) with chronic unexplained cough (median duration 4.8 yrs, interquartile range 2.5?10.1 yrs) performed fully ambulatory 24-h sound recordings, which were manually counted by trained observers and quantified by 1) explosive phases, 2) cough seconds and 3) cough epochs. Subjects also completed cough visual analogue scales (VAS) and the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ).

All units of cough were strongly correlated; explosive phases and cough seconds correlated slightly more strongly than cough seconds with cough epochs or explosive phases with cough epochs. LCQ scores correlated moderately with explosive phases and seconds; epochs correlated slightly less well. Cough VAS scores showed a similar pattern.

Explosive phases and seconds are interchangeable units of cough, moderately related to subjective measures and cough-related quality of life; epochs are a less satisfactory alternative.

如何翻译上文中这3个名词？
1) explosive phases
2) cough seconds
3) cough epochs

生活 wrote:
如何翻译上文中这3个名词？
1) explosive phases
2) cough seconds
3) cough epochs

试着翻译一下：
1.咳嗽爆发阶段
2.咳嗽持续秒数
3.咳嗽发作

NO.3
Outcome of community-acquired pneumonia: influence of age, residence status and antimicrobial treatment
Eur Respir J 2008; 32:139-146

Community-acquired pneumonia remains a major cause of mortality in developed countries. There is much discrepancy in the literature regarding factors influencing the outcome in the elderly population.

Data were derived from a multicentre prospective study initiated by the German Competence Network for Community-Acquired Pneumonia. Patients with community-acquired pneumonia (n = 2,647; 1,298 aged <65 yrs and 1,349 aged 65 yrs) were evaluated, of whom 72.3% were hospitalised and 27.7% treated in the community. Clinical history, residence status, course of disease and antimicrobial treatment were prospectively documented. Microbiological investigations included cultures and PCR of respiratory samples and blood cultures. Factors related to mortality were included in multivariate analyses.

The overall 30-day mortality was 6.3%. Elderly patients exhibited a significantly higher mortality rate that was independently associated with the following: age; residence status; confusion, urea, respiratory frequency and blood pressure ( CURB ) score; comorbid conditions; and failure of initial therapy. Increasing age remained predictive of death in the elderly. Nursing home residents showed a four-fold increased mortality rate and an increased rate of Gram-negative bacillary infections compared with patients dwelling in the community. The CURB score and cerebrovascular disease were confirmed as independent predictors of death in this subgroup.

Age and residence status are independent risk factors for mortality after controlling for comorbid conditions and disease severity. Failure of initial therapy was the only modifiable prognostic factor.

NO.4
Autopsy findings in 42 consecutive patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Eur Respir J 2008; 32:170-174

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a relentlessly progressive lung disease that commonly results in respiratory failure and death. However, the cause of death in these patients has not previously been fully defined.

The current study reviews the clinical records and pathological findings of 42 consecutive patients with IPF who underwent a post mortem at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN, USA) over a 9-yr period, from January 1996 to December 2004.

The median (range) age at post mortem for the patients was 74 (46?98 yrs) yrs, which included 25 (60%) males. A total of 31 (74%) patients died in the hospital. The immediate causes of death were reported as: respiratory (64%), cardiovascular (21%), or noncardiopulmonary (14%). Acute exacerbation of IPF was the most common immediate cause of death (29%). Pneumonia, aspiration and drug-induced lung disease were identified as other causes of respiratory death. Evidence of pulmonary hypertension was present in the post mortem of 19 (45%) patients and was the immediate cause of death in two of these patients. The immediate cause of death was clinically unsuspected in five (12%) patients and IPF was diagnosed post mortem in nine (21%) patients.

The majority of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis who had undergone a post mortem were found to have died from respiratory causes. Acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis was found to be the most common cause of death whilst death from the gradual progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis was found to be less common.

间质性肺病炎的急性加重是比较新的概念，学习了！

NO.5
Nonpharmacological treatment and relief of symptoms in COPD
Eur Respir J 2008; 32:218-228

Evidence-based guidelines for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have recently been developed.

Nonpharmacological treatments have evolved rapidly as an essential part of COPD therapy. They are especially important as complementary interventions in severe or very severe disease, when there is loss in function, a reduction in quality of life and when psychological impairments further complicate the disease.

The present article discusses the most used nonpharmacological treatments for severe COPD patients (rehabilitation, long-term oxygen therapy, surgery, noninvasive positive pressure ventilation and supportive nutrition) and their evidence-based usefulness in promoting strategies that relieve symptoms.

All of these interventions are used during end-stage disease, to promote self-efficacy, relieve symptoms and prevent further deterioration. These therapeutic options support physicians and allied professionals in improving symptom management for their patients

《非药物疗法治疗和缓解COPD症状》
学习了！

学习了！！

NO.6
Phosphodiesterase inhibitors for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension
Eur Respir J 2008; 32:198-209

The pulmonary vascular bed is both a source of and target for a number of vasoactive factors. Among the most important for pulmonary vascular homeostasis are factors that utilise cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) as an intracellular second messenger. These include nitric oxide and the natriuretic peptide family (atrial, brain and C-type natriuretic peptides). In the search for therapeutic strategies that engage the cGMP signalling pathway for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), inhibition of cGMP metabolism by phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5)-targeted compounds has proven most successful to date. One PDE5 inhibitor, sildenafil, has been shown to improve pulmonary haemodynamics and exercise capacity in patients with PAH and is now an approved treatment. Others are under investigation.

An interesting, although still tentative, observation is the potential of sildenafil to reduce pulmonary vascular resistance without adversely affecting ventilation?perfusion matching. Another is the expression of phosphodiesterase type 5 in the hypertrophied right ventricle. These data suggest that phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors may have effects that distinguish them from other treatments for pulmonary hypertension and merit further study.

NO.7
Chest wall volume regulation during exercise in COPD patients with GOLD stages II to IV
Eur Respir J 2008; 32:42-52

The present study investigated how end-expiratory ribcage and abdominal volume regulation during exercise is related to the degree of dynamic chest wall hyperinflation in patients with different spirometric severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) based on the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) classification.

In total, 42 COPD patients and 11 age-matched healthy subjects were studied during a ramp-incremental cycling test to the limit of tolerance (Wpeak). Volume variations of the chest wall (at end expiration (EEVcw) and end inspiration) and its compartments (ribcage (Vrc) and abdominal (Vab)) were computed by optoelectronic plethysmography.

At Wpeak, only patients in GOLD stages III and IV exhibited a significant increase in EEVcw (increase of 454±509 and 562±363 mL, respectively). These patients did not significantly reduce end-expiratory Vab, whereas patients in GOLD stage II resembled healthy subjects with significantly reduced end-expiratory Vab (decrease of 287±350 mL). In patients, the greater the increase in EEVcw at Wpeak, the smaller the reductions in end-expiratory Vab and the greater the increase in end-expiratory Vrc.

In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with different spirometric disease severity, greater degrees of exercise-induced dynamic chest wall hyperinflation were accompanied by lower degrees of end-expiratory abdominal volume displacement and larger increases in end-expiratory ribcage volume.

NO.8
Pulmonary hypertension in interstitial lung disease
Eur Respir J 2008; 31:1357-1367

In the lungs, parenchymal and vascular remodelling share pathomechanisms that may explain the relatively high prevalence (30-40%) of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in interstitial lung disease (ILD) patients. Notably, PH significantly contributes to exercise limitation and dismal prognosis of ILD patients. The absence of specific clinical symptoms commonly leads to delayed diagnosis. Besides clinical judgment and out-of-proportion reduction in diffusing capacity, severe hypoxaemia or exercise oxygen desaturation, echocardiography and biomarkers such as B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro-hormone BNP are potentially helpful tools in identifying PH. However, right heart catheterisation is still necessary to confirm the diagnosis. Management of PH in ILD comprises treatment of the underlying disease process and long-term oxygen therapy. Affected patients should be listed for lung transplantation without delay, when appropriate. However, due to age and comorbidities only a minority of ILD patients will be eligible for lung transplantation. In the absence of satisfactory therapies for many ILDs, and considering the clinical burden of PH in affected patients, specific vasomodulatory therapies presently approved for PAH may be promising options for ILD patients. Consequently, there is an urgent need for adequately designed clinical trials to assess the effectiveness of specific PH therapy in the context of ILDs.

间质性肺病引发的肺动脉高压确实是个问题！

NO.9
Health-related quality of life in COPD patients with chronic respiratory failure
Eur Respir J 2008; 32:379-386

The Maugeri Respiratory Failure (MRF-28) and Severe Respiratory Insufficiency (SRI) questionnaires were recently developed to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with chronic respiratory failure, although not exclusively in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the MRF-28 and SRI are reliable and valid HRQoL questionnaires in COPD patients with chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure (CHRF).

In total, 72 COPD patients with CHRF underwent pulmonary function and exercise testing, and completed the MRF-28, the SRI, the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Groningen Activity and Restriction Scale and two dyspnoea indexes.

Physical domain scores of the questionnaires correlated with exercise tolerance, dyspnoea and daily activities, while psychological domains correlated strongly with anxiety and depression. Anxiety scores accounted for 51 and 56% of the total explained variance in total CRQ and SRI scores, respectively. The emphasis of the MRF-28 was restrictions in activities of daily living (52% of total variance).

In conclusion, the present study showed that the Maugeri Respiratory Failure and Severe Respiratory Insufficiency questionnaires were reliable and valid questionnaires in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure. While the emphasis in the Maugeri Respiratory Failure questionnaire is on activities of daily living, the Severe Respiratory Insufficiency questionnaire, like the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire, is more related to anxiety and depression.

学习了！！楼主辛苦！

NO.10
Exhaled nitric oxide predicts lung function decline in difficult-to-treat asthma
Eur Respir J 2008; 32:344-349

A subset of patients with asthma is known to have progressive loss of lung function despite treatment with corticosteroids. The aim of the present study was to identify risk factors of decline in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) in patients with difficult-to-treat asthma.

In total, 136 nonsmoking patients with difficult-to-treat asthma were recruited between 1998 and 1999. Follow-up assessment was performed 5?6 yrs later in 98 patients. The predictive effect of clinical characteristics and inflammatory markers were analysed at baseline (asthma onset and duration, atopy, airway hyperresponsiveness, blood and sputum eosinophils, and the fraction of nitric oxide in exhaled air (FeNO)) on subsequent decline in post-bronchodilator FEV1.

Patients with high FeNO (20 ppb) had an excess decline of 40.3 (95% confidence interval (CI) 7.3?73.2) mL?yr?1 compared to patients with low FeNO. FeNO 20 ppb was associated with a relative risk of 1.9 (95% CI, 1.1?2.6) of having an accelerated (25 mL?yr?1) decline in FEV1. In patients with baseline FEV1 80% of predicted, this relationship was even stronger: 90 versus 29% had accelerated decline in FEV1 (FeNO 20 ppb versus FeNO <20 ppb respectively; relative risk 3.1 (95% CI, 1.7?3.4).

Exhaled nitric oxide is a predictor of accelerated decline in lung function in patients with difficult-to-treat asthma, particularly if forced expiratory volume in one second is still normal.