Pulmonary rehabilitation is recommended for patients with chronic lung diseases including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis according to international guidelines. However, data for patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) are limited. We examined the effect of an inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation on functional status and quality of life in ILD patients.We evaluated 402 consecutive ILD patients who were admitted to a specialised pulmonary rehabilitation centre (1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010). All patients performed a standardised pulmonary rehabilitation programme including pulmonary function tests, blood-gas analysis, 6-min walk test (6MWT), dyspnoea rating and health-related quality of life questionnaire (the 36-item short-form health survey; SF-36) on admission and discharge.Mean duration of pulmonary rehabilitation was 30¡1 days. 6MWT distance improved by 46¡3 m (308¡6 m versus 354¡6 m; p,0.001). Dyspnoea rating did not change. Lung function testing showed marginal improvement of vital capacity (+1¡0%; p50.002). The SF-36 questionnaire demonstrated an increase in all eight sub-scores as well as in the physical and mental health summary scores (physical 6¡1 points, p,0.001; mental health 10¡1 points, p,0.001). Moreover, patients with signs of pulmonary hypertension also benefited from pulmonary rehabilitation.In a large cohort of patients with ILD, pulmonary rehabilitation had a positive impact on functional status and quality of life. Considering the limited treatment options in this patient population pulmonary rehabilitation appears to be a valuable adjunct therapy. @ERSpublications Pulmonary rehabilitation improved functional status and QoL in a large cohort of ILD patients and appears to be a valuable adjunct therapy

Short-term comprehensive PR can significantly improve exercise capacity and HRQL in LTx candidates to a clinically relevant extent independent of the underlying lung disease. No relevant predictor influencing PR outcome could be detected. Further research is needed to evaluate the relevance of PR before LTx and its impact on clinical outcome after transplantation.

This study provides clear evidence from viable endoscopic colorectal samples that mast cell mediators were secreted during active inflammation in CD and UC. However, the extent of mast cell involvement and activation differs considerably between CD and UC. Significantly increased rates of tryptase secretion were found both in non-inflamed and inflamed tissue of UC, indicating that mast cell involvement is a typical feature of UC.

In endoscopically guided segmental lavage fluid, IgE and ECP/protein are increased in patients with food allergy. These measurements seem to offer an attractive diagnostic tool and may serve as a screening method.

Urinary excretion of the histamine metabolite UMH is enhanced in IBD. It appears to represent an integrative parameter to monitor clinical and endoscopic disease activity in IBD, which appears to be influenced most likely by mediators released from histamine-containing cells, such as intestinal mast cell subtypes.