Calprotectin may serve as a blood biomarker for disease severity in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a new study indicates. Calprotectin blood levels are significantly higher in IPF patients and show a correlation with measures of lung function. The study, “Serum calprotectin as new biomarker for disease…
A set of rare, disease-causing variants in genes that help control both the body’s immune response and cell adhesion — the process by which cells form connections with other cells or their environment — were found to be more common in China in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)…
At-home evaluation of lung function using a spirometry device is a “feasible and valid measure” for people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) who have preserved lung function, clinical trial data show. However, further study is needed to evaluate the utility of at-home evaluations, since correlations between changes seen at…
Caring for a loved one with a rare disease, especially during these uncertain times, demands significant time, attention, patience, and dedication. To help meet that need, the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)’s Rare Caregiver Respite Program may be a helpful resource. The program seeks to give a…
Owlstone Medical has launched a new breath biomarker panel test — a “breathalyzer for disease” — to distinguish different chronic inflammatory lung diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The new panel test was designed to support research seeking ways to distinguish…
While I don’t have a medical background or degree, I have learned a lot in the past few years about idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Much of that learning comes from other patients, either via the Pulmonary Fibrosis News Forums or in conversations at events and virtual support groups. Since…
Immune cells called macrophages can stimulate nerve-associated lung scarring (fibrosis) in pulmonary fibrosis (PF), a study reports. Its findings suggest that antagonists (or inhibitors) of alpha-1 adrenergic nerve receptors may be a potential avenue for PF treatment. The study, “Macrophage-derived netrin-1 drives adrenergic nerve–associated lung fibrosis,”…
Severely reduced lung function is not closely related to walking ability in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a new study indicates. The findings also point to a need to include patients with severely reduced lung function in IPF clinical trials, researchers said. The study, “Idiopathic…
People with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) who have had a collapsed lung, a condition known as pneumothorax, are at risk of recurring collapses, and those needing tube drainage are more likely to have poorer outcomes, a study reported. The study, “Pneumothorax in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis:…
For me, the scariest part of the pandemic has been imagining one of my loved ones developing a severe case of COVID-19. Relatable statement, I know. But I don’t have to try too hard to imagine what being sick like that would look like. I have lived through a similar…
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