March 2008

Recruit a New Member to the Section
The Diagnostics Section is the best way for practitioners in our specialty to share information and connect with colleagues across the country, but too many people are missing out on these benefits because they’ve yet to join the section. This year, we’re asking all of our members to help remedy this situation by recruiting their fellow diagnosticians into the section. Joining is quick, easy, and can be done right online at any time of the year (not just during an AARC member’s annual renewal), so e-mail this link to your colleagues today and ask them to join you in the Diagnostics Section.

If you know folks who have yet to join the AARC, direct them here. They can join the Association and the section at the same time!

Breath Test May Diagnose Many Diseases at Once
A new technique called cavity-enhanced direct optical frequency comb spectroscopy may one day help clinicians diagnose conditions like asthma or cancer simply by testing a patient’s breath. Optical frequency comb spectroscopy was first developed in the 1990s by John L. Hall and Theodor W. Hansch, who earned a Nobel Prize in Physics with Roy J. Glauber for the invention. Cavity-enhanced direct optical frequency comb spectroscopy works by looking for biomarkers of disease in exhaled breath and has been tested in student volunteers. The device was able to detect biomarkers like ammonia, carbon monoxide, and methane in a single test. The technology is being developed by a team of scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the University of Colorado. A report on the device appeared in the February 18 issue of Optics Express. READ PRESS RELEASE

EBC pH May Help Screen for Asthma
Researchers from Lackland Air Force Base in Texas find exhaled breath condensate (EBC) pH may have a role to play in screening people for asthma. The investigators arrived at their findings after measuring EBC pH in 86 basic trainees with symptoms suggestive of asthma. All of the participants also underwent methacholine or exercise challenges, and 59.3% had results positive for asthma. The mean EBC pH value was lower in recruits who ended up with a diagnosis of asthma than in those who did not. However, some overlap values were seen between the two groups. The study was published in the Jan.-Feb. issue of Allergy and Asthma Proceedings. READ ABSTRACT

Pneumonia Caused by Smoking?
Korean researchers suggest acute eosinophilic pneumonia may be caused by cigarette smoking. The researchers base their opinion on the case of a young man who recently started smoking and then developed the condition. The man improved rapidly after administration of methylprednisolone. The investigators then designed a provocation test to establish a link between smoking and the pneumonia. Following the test, the man exhibited the same symptoms he had exhibited when he had pneumonia, increased sputum eosinophils, and worsening pulmonary function. “The results of the provocation test suggest that smoking may directly cause acute eosinophilic pneumonia, and support previous reports of cigarette smoking-induced acute eosinophilic pneumonia,” write the authors. The report appeared in the February issue of the Journal of Korean Medical Science. READ ABSTRACT

Plethysmography and Impulse Oscillometry Beat Spirometry in Assessing Long-Acting Bronchodilators
British researchers who conducted the first randomized, placebo-controlled study to compare long-acting bronchodilators in COPD patients using body plethysmography and impulse oscillometry (IOS) find specific airway conductance (sGaw) and IOS parameters sensitively differentiate between the effects of tiotropium and salmeterol even when FEV1 measurements are similar. The study involved 32 COPD patients who received single doses of tiotropium (18 microg), salmeterol (50 and 100 microg), or placebo in a double-blind, randomized, four-way crossover trial. The authors conclude, “Clinical trials in patients with COPD should use IOS and sGaw to assess comprehensively bronchodilator pharmacology.” The study was published in the February issue of the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. READ ABSTRACT