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Background Vitamin D has multiple effects on the innate and adaptive immune system. Vitamin D has immunomodulation effects that are able to decrease the inflammatory reaction included in the bronchial asthma; thus, it plays an important effect in the asthma pathogenesis. Low serum magnesium level is associated with impaired lung function and bronchial hyperreactivity. Study design This is a prospective hospital-based study. Objective To evaluate serum levels of vitamin D, magnesium, and calcium in patients with stable bronchial asthma and their relation to asthma severity. Patients and methods A total of 65 adult patients with stable bronchial asthma and 30 healthy controls were included in the study. After clinical history taking and examination, pulmonary function tests were performed. Serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D], ionized calcium, and magnesium were measured in all participants. Results The mean serum levels of 25(OH)D, magnesium, and ionized calcium were significantly lower in patients with stable asthma than control participants (P

Optimal pulmonary air support is essential pre-requisite for efficient phonation. The objective is to correlate pulmonary and vocal functions in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to find out whether the reduced pulmonary function per se could induce dysphonia.In this prospective case-control study, sixty subjects with stable COPD underwent evaluation of pulmonary and vocal functions. The pulmonary functions measured include {Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC ratio, peak expiratory flow (PEF), maximum mid-expiratory flow (MMEF)}. The vocal functions were {jitter, shimmer, noise-to-harmonic ratio, pitch perturbation quotient, amplitude perturbation quotient, maximum phonation time (MPT), sound pressure level, phonatory efficiency, resistance and power. A control group (n=35) underwent the same measurements. These functions were compared between subjects and controls. Also, correlation of the vocal and pulmonary functions was conducted.Thirty five (58.3%) of COPD subjects have dysphonia. The pulmonary functions were lower in all COPD group than in the control group (P0.001 for all parameters). Also, the FVC, FEV1, PEF and MMEF % of predicted values were significantly lower in subjects with dysphonia (n=35) than those without dysphonia (n=25) with P values 0.0018,0.001, 0.0011 and 0.0026 respectively. In addition, the MPT in all subjects showed positive correlations to the 5 pulmonary functions (P=0.004 for FEV1/FVC ratio and P0.001 for the rest). Also, the phonatory efficiency showed significant positive correlations with the pulmonary functions FVC, FEV1, PEF and MMEF (P=0.001, 0.001, 0.002 and 0.001 respectively). Unlike efficiency, the phonatory resistance revealed significant negative correlations with these pulmonary functions in the same order (P=0.001, 0.003, 0.002, 0.001 respectively).Dysphonia is a common comorbidity with COPD which attributed to multifactorial etiologies. The lower the pulmonary function in COPD patients is the more likely to have dysphonia. Decreased pulmonary function was associated with reduced MPT and phonatory efficiency but with increased phonatory resistance. The reduced pulmonary functions in COPD can be the underlying cause of the altered vocal function and dysphonia. Great part of this dysphonia is functional, and hence, can be corrected by voice therapy in compensated subjects. Further researches are needed to evaluate the efficacy of voice therapy in these patients.

Background Tuberculosis (TB) remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients. A gold standard for the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is lacking. Objective The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic utility of the QuantiFERON-Tuberculosis Gold (QFT-G) test with the tuberculin skin test (TST) in identifying LTBI in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on HD. Study design The present study had a prospective design. Patients and methods A total of 74 patients with ESRD on HD without active TB and other immunosuppressive conditions were tested for LTBI by the QFT-G test and the TST. Results LTBI, as estimated by the QFT-G test and TST, was detected in 35.1 and 13.5% of the HD patients, respectively; 37.8% of patients were positive for the QFT-G test and/or the TST. There was a poor agreement between QFT-G test and TST results in patients with ESRD on HD (QFT-G test vs. TST: κ=0.25, 95% confidence interval=0.12–0.37). TST was positive in 2.7% of patients when the QFT-G test was negative, and it was negative in 24.3% of patients when the QFT-G test was positive. There was no significant difference in duration of HD or creatinine levels between QFT-G-positive and QFT-G-negative patients (P=0.08 and 0.2, respectively). TST-positive patients had a significantly shorter duration of HD and lower creatinine levels than TST-negative patients (P=0.001 and 0.01, respectively). Conclusion In patients with ESRD and on HD, LTBI cannot be simply ruled out with a negative TST result, but rather a QFT-G test is recommended. Screening and treatment of LTBI should be carried in dialysis patients, aiming to prevent progression to active TB and secondary infection of others.

Introduction The occurrence of chronic obstructive airway disease and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a popular syndrome called overlap syndrome. Aim To evaluate the prevalence of OSA in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Patients and methods A total of 86 patients with COPD (54.65% men, with a mean age of 62.065 years) were included in our study. Clinical criteria and biochemical tests were registered, and polysomnography was done. Results Overall, 38 patients with an apnea–hypopnea index more than 5 events/h were defined as having overlap syndrome (44.19%). Conclusion The results showed an OSA prevalence of 44.19% in patients with COPD. A sleep study should be considered in overweight patients with COPD, even in patients without symptoms of sleep apnea.

Objective: To assess the effect of exposure to flour dust on respiratory symptoms and lung function of flour mill workers and to estimate the additive effect of smoking on pulmonary function. Patients and methods: This study was carried out at flour mills in Sohag Governorate. Two hundred male workers with current exposure to flour dust and two hundred non-exposed male as a control group were interviewed and self designed study questionnaire was administered to them and the parameters of their pulmonary function were measured. Results: Respiratory symptoms such as cough, expectoration, wheezing, and shortness of breath, were significantly (p

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) in elderly is a worldwide problem. Objective: To evaluate differences in clinical, radiological, laboratory features, adverse antituberculosis drug reactions and TB-related mortality in elderly and young pulmonary TB patients. Results: The study included analysis of the medical history, chest radiographic and laboratory findings in 124 elderly and 124 young pulmonary TB patients, with mean age of 60.5 ± 9.1 and 31.6 ± 10.8 years, respectively (p