A very common questionnaire, used to evaluate the health status of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients, COPD assessment test (CAT), was applied to finding correlations between the items of CAT and other tests used in the same category of COPD patients. A sample of 56 male COPD patients, aged between 51 and 74 years, mean 63.86 (�5.55), half of them receiving long-term oxygen therapy, using transparent, hypoallergenic plastic masks or nasal cannulas, answered to CAT mostly choosing single items, statistically significant correlated with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores (HADs), like walking up hills and stairs (r = 0.412, p[ 0.01), doing activities at home (r = 0.329, p[ 0.01), confidence leaving my home (r = 0.409, p[ 0.001), sleep (r = 0.277, p[ 0.01), and energy (r = 0.387, p[ 0.01), but CAT item walking up hills and stairs correlated better to 6 min walking distance (6MWD) (r = -0.581, p[ 0.01). The most significant correlations were found between 3 items of CAT as walking up hills and stairs, limitations doing activities at home and confidence leaving home in a most powerful and depression scores and 6MWD.

In patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), a consequence of the intermittent hypoxia is nocturia. The frequency of nocturia related OSA is increased because many pathological pathways are present simultaneously. The aim was to assess the prevalence of nocturia among OSA patients and to identify the relationship with OSA and its comorbidities. A transversal study determining the prevalence of OSA�s comorbidities and nocturia related OSA and smoking was assessed, from 2011 to 2015, in 2 Romanian centres of Somnology, in Constanta county. All patients suspected of sleep breathing disorders were investigated by polygraphy and all patients diagnosed with OSA were recruited. Demographic and clinical characteristics were assessed, including the onset of nocturia. The comparison between groups with and without nocturia was performed using SPSS software, using Anova for numerical outcomes and c2 test for the categorical ones. Nocturia was highly prevalent (62.75 %) among 204 OSA patients, especially in elderly (p [ 0.00001). High blood pressure (hypertension), obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), smoking exposure were more frequently reported in the OSA patients presenting nocturia (p[0.05). Type 2 diabetes and cardiac failure were also frequent, but did not reach a significant threshold of 95%. In conclusion, the nocturia is a frequent symptom and it is influenced by the OSA severity and comorbidities as hypertension and COPD. A further multidisciplinary approach in these patients is justified, especially in smokers.

Occupational chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (oCOPD) represents 15–20% of the global burden of this disease. Even if industrial bronchitis has long been known, new occupational hazards continue to emerge and enlarge the number of people exposed to risk. This review discusses the challenges related to the early detection of oCOPD, in the context of new exposures and of limited usage of methods for an efficient disease occupational screening. It underlines that a better translation into clinical practice of the new methods for lung function impairment measurements, imaging techniques, or the use of serum or exhaled breath inflammation biomarkers could add significant value in the early detection of oCOPD. Such an approach would increase the chance to stop exposure at an earlier moment and to prevent or at least slow down the further deterioration of the lung function as a result of exposure to occupational (inhaled) hazards.

Background and Objectives: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) represents a debilitating disease, with rising morbidity and mortality. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a major role in angiogenesis, vascular permeability, and airway remodeling. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between VEGF serum levels and VEGF +936 C/T gene polymorphism (rs3025039) with COPD, for the first time in a Romanian population. Materials and Methods: In total, 120 participants from Transylvania were included in this case-control study. Serum levels of VEGF were determined using an enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay and rs3025039 was investigated by high molecular weight genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Spirometric values, arterial blood gas analysis, and the Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT) outcome were also determined. Results: The serum level of VEGF was higher in the COPD group versus controls (p < 0.001), with a positive correlation with the 6MWT outcome. No significant difference was observed in the VEGF serum levels between VEGF +936C/T genotypes. There was no difference in the VEGF +936C/T genotype between COPD patients and healthy subjects (chi2 test p = 0.92, OR = 1.04, 95%CI = 0.41–2.62), but the presence of the T allele was significantly linked to the presence of COPD (chi2 test p = 0.02, OR = 2.36, 95%CI = 1.12–4.97). Conclusions: Higher VEGF serum levels were found in moderate and severe COPD and were positively correlated with the distance in the 6MWT. No significant difference was found between CC, CT, and TT genotypes of rs3025039 and the presence of COPD. The presence of the T allele was found to be linked to COPD and also to the degree of airway obstruction.

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