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Nancy H Stewart,1 Mollie Brittan,2 Maureen McElligott,2 Michael O Summers,2 Kaeli Samson,3 Valerie G Press4 1Department of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA; 2Department of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; 3Department of Biostatistics, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; 4Department of Medicine, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USACorrespondence: Nancy H Stewart, Department of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, KS, 66160, USA, Email nstewart5@kumc.eduBackground: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are common diseases affecting millions worldwide. These two diseases have a complex relationship that is not well understood. Previous small studies suggest an inverse relationship of disease severity of OSA with COPD airflow obstruction.Objective: The aim of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between severity of airflow obstruction in COPD and severity of OSA via apnea hypopnea index obtained during an in-lab baseline polysomnogram using a large quaternary care center cohort.Methods: From November 2015 through December 2018, 273 patients with confirmed COPD via spirometry and OSA via in-lab baseline polysomnogram were included.Conclusion: No associations were noted between severity of airflow obstruction in COPD and disease severity of OSA. Given the heterogeneity of these diseases, further exploration of a relationship within disease subtypes is warranted.Keywords: airflow obstruction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obstructive sleep apnea

The cellular mechanisms of normal gastrointestinal function and the genetic and cellular pathways leading to the onset of disease and neoplasia are discussed. The genetic and cellular pathways include the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway and the TGF-beta and Smad signaling pathway.

A large body of evidence supports the idea that certain adult stem cells, particularly those of bone marrow origin, can engraft at alternative locations, particularly when the recipient organ is [...]

Background and aims: In order to establish whether extraintestinal cells contribute to the turnover and repair of gastrointestinal tissues, we studied the colons and small intestines of female mice that [...]

Background: Wnt signalling is known to play an important role in the various stages of embryogenesis and carcinogenesis; recent reports have implicated that Wnt proteins could act as growth factors, [...]

We have previously shown that transplanted bone marrow stem cells (BMSC) contribute to various cell lineages in the diseased colon including myofibroblasts, fibroblasts, smooth muscle (SM) cells, and epithelial cells. [...]

CD133 (prominin-1) was the first in a class of novel pentaspan membrane proteins to be identified in both humans and mice, and was originally classified as a marker of primitive haematopoietic and neural stem cells. Due to the highly restricted expression of CD133 family molecules on plasma membrane protrusions of epithelial and other cell types, in association with membrane cholesterol, a role in the organization of plasma membrane topology has also recently been assigned to this family. Studies have now confirmed the utility of CD133 as a marker of haematopoietic stem cells for human allogeneic transplantation. In addition, CD133 represents a marker of tumour-initiating cells in a number of human cancers, and therefore it may be possible to develop future therapies towards targeting cancer stem cells via this marker. The development of such therapies will be aided by a clearer understanding of the molecular mechanisms and signalling pathways that regulate the behaviour of CD133-expressing cells, and new data outlining the role of Wnt, Notch, and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signalling in CD133+ cancer stem cell regulation are discussed within. Copyright © 2007 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the twenty-first century, diabetic patients are likely to be one of the major beneficiaries from the advancement of regenerative medicine through cellular therapies. Though the existence of a specific self-renewing stem cell within the pancreas is still far from clear, a surprising variety of cells within the pancreas can differentiate towards a beta-cell phenotype: ductular cells, periductular mesenchymal cells and beta-cells themselves can all give rise to new beta-cells. Extra-pancreatic adult somatic stem cells, in particular, those originating from bone marrow may also be capable of differentiating to beta-cells, though equally well the beneficial effects of bone marrow cells may reside in their contribution to the damaged islet vasculature. Forced expression of the beta-cell-specific transcription factor Pdx1 in hepatocytes also holds promise as a therapeutic strategy to increase insulin levels in diabetic individuals. Embryonic stem (ES) cells are clearly another possible source for generating beta-cells, but ES cells are beyond the scope of this review, which focuses on adult stem and progenitor cells capable of producing beta-cells. Despite considerable endeavour, we still have much to learn in the field of pancreatic regeneration prior to any clinically applicable therapy based upon adult stem cells. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: The participation of circulating precursor cells in the development of experimental pulmonary fibrosing lesions in mice has been recently demonstrated. Objectives: This study analyzes whether circulating, bone marrow-derived, fibroblastic precursor cells contribute to the development of fibrosing lesions in human lungs, especially bronchiolitis obliterans. Methods: The occurrence of in situ microchimerism in bronchiolitis obliterans lesions of human lung allografts (n = 12) as well as of autologous lung tissue from patients post-bone marrow transplantation (n = 2) was analyzed using laser-assisted microdissection after immunohistochemical labeling of leukocytes followed by short tandem repeat-polymerase chain reaction-based genotyping. Combined immunofluorescence and fluorescence in situ hybridization for sex chromosomes was performed for independent confirmation in cases with appropriate sex mismatch (n = 2). Measurements and Main Results: The bronchiolitis obliterans lesions of all 12 lung transplant patients contained considerable numbers of recipient-derived fibroblasts (mean, 32%). The fibrosing pulmonary lesions of the two bone marrow-transplanted patients also displayed clear in situ microchimerism. The in situ detection methodology confirmed these results, although to a lower degree (6-16%). Conclusions: These data clearly demonstrate the involvement of circulating fibroblastic precursor cells in the development of human fibrosing lung lesions and provide evidence that these cells are most probably bone marrow derived. These results may open new venues regarding the prevention of fibrosis in lung transplants and potentially in other organs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The longevity of adult stem cells, and their potential for vast tissue regeneration, makes them a focal point of current research and debate, with future aspirations for the use of stem cells in the treatment of a number of human pathological conditions. Due to the rapid rate of cell turnover in the gastrointestinal tract, the stem cells of this tissue are amongst the most assiduous in the body, although they remain unidentified to this day due to their immature, undifferentiated phenotype. However, our knowledge of the mechanisms regulating gastrointestinal stem cell function is evolving, with the identification of putative cellular markers and the elucidation of signalling pathways which regulate cell behaviour in the normal and neoplastic gastrointestinal tract. This review describes the fundamental properties of the gastrointestinal stem cell including: (i) their number, location and origins, (ii) their primary function of deriving gastrointestinal cell lineages and maintaining tissue homeostasis, (iii) the acquisition of gastrointestinal cell lineages from adult stem cells of extraneous tissues and the consequences of this in a therapeutic context, and (iv) the genetic and morphological phenomena surrounding neoplastic transformation in the gastrointestinal tract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]