Our estimate of rotavirus outpatient visits are lower than those

Our estimate of rotavirus outpatient visits are lower than those estimated by Parashar and colleagues [8] and [9] because a conservative ratio of rotavirus outpatient visits to hospitalization obtained from a phase III rotavirus vaccine trial cohort of 1500 children observed for two years was used in which two-thirds of children had received a rotavirus vaccine. The ratio of outpatient rotavirus gastroenteritis visits to rotavirus gastroenteritis

admission in the phase III clinical trial population was 3.75, and may have been lower because of the prompt administration of rehydration solutions at home decreasing mild or moderate disease, which points again to higher need for healthcare due to rotavirus disease than has previously been estimated. These are findings SCH727965 that must be considered as policy makers shift from impact estimation based on mortality alone to disease reduction. This study has several limitations.

First, four of the five cohorts that contributed to the estimation of rotavirus related morbidity were from a single site in Vellore. It is likely that morbidity rates and health-seeking characteristics of this population differs from higher mortality mTOR inhibitor regions of India and limits the validity of extrapolations from these geographically limited cohorts. Nonetheless, given that health characteristics and health care access in Tamil Nadu are better than most other parts of India, it is likely that the estimates based on Tami Nadu are very conservative. Second, the <5 mortality rate is the number of <5 deaths per 1000 live births in a year and does not provide a direct estimate of probability of death between 0 and 5 years required for calculating deaths averted and NNV. Third, there is limited information on the rate of rotavirus morbidity in the 3–5 year age group. This analysis assumes a constant rate of events in the 4 months to 2 years age group Bumetanide and applies an adjusted estimate to the 3–5 year age group where no or limited direct estimates are available. Similarly we applied the ratio of outpatient to inpatient rotavirus gastroenteritis

among the clinical trial participants to estimate the number of ambulatory rotavirus gastroenteritis visits. Despite there being no active referral to hospital for diarrheal episodes, free and better healthcare access in the clinical trial environment could have inflated the number of outpatient visits. This must be considered against the underestimation of the impact on society due to rotavirus disease that occurs when outpatient and hospitalization rates do not account for barriers in access to appropriate levels of healthcare. Furthermore, the increased access to ambulatory care might, by early diagnosis and treatment, prevent progression of disease to more severe presentation and thus contribute to lower estimates of mortality and hospitalization. Fourth, this analysis assumes that vaccine efficacy approximates effectiveness.

Precision was reported as percentage of relative standard deviati

Precision was reported as percentage of relative standard deviation (RSD %). Method precision had a relative standard deviation (RSD%) is 0.75 for repeatability (0.32% for retention times and 0.41% for area) and for intermediate of precision (0.19% for retention time and 0.5% for area), which comply with the acceptance criteria proposed (RSD%: not more than 1.5%). The limits of detection

and quantitation of sitagliptin phosphate enantiomers were estimated by obtaining the detector signal for the peaks and by performing serial dilution of a solution of known concentration. The limits of detection and quantitation were found to be 150 ng/mL and 400 ng/mL, respectively with the peak signal to noise ratios of about 2.3–3.6 at LOD level and 913 at LOQ level. These results suggest that the proposed LC method check details is sufficiently sensitive for the determination of sitagliptin phosphate enantiomers. The linearity of the HPLC method was evaluated by injecting standard concentrations of (S)- and (R)-SGP samples with a concentration ranging from 400 to 2250 ng/ml (400, 750, 1200, 1500, 1800 and 2250 ng/mL). The

peak area response was plotted versus the nominal concentration of the enantiomer. The linearity was evaluated by linear regression analysis, which was calculated by the least square regression BMS-354825 mw method. The obtained calibration curve for the (S)-SGP showed correlation coefficient greater than 0.995: y = 10279x − 221838, where y is the peak area and x is the concentration. The accuracy of the method was tested by analyzing samples of (S)-SGP form at four various concentration levels. Standard addition and recovery experiments were conducted to determine the accuracy of the method for the quantification of S-isomer in the sitagliptin phosphate sample. The study was carried out in triplicate at 400, 750, 1500 and 2250 ng/mL of the analyte concentration (2.0 mg/mL).

The percent recovery for S-isomer RG7420 was calculated and the results were shown in Table 1. To determine the robustness of the developed methods, experimental conditions were purposely altered and the resolution between sitagliptin and its (s)-enantiomer was evaluated. In all of the deliberately varied chromatographic conditions (flow rate and column temperature), all analytes were adequately resolved and elution orders remained unchanged. Resolution between S-isomer and R-isomer was greater than 3.0 in each robust condition. The resolutions between the impurities under various conditions are listed in Table 2. A new chiral HPLC method for the separation of sitagliptin phosphate enantiomers was developed and validated. The chiral separation was achieved in amylose carbamate derivatized column (Chiralpak AD-H). This method is simple, accurate and has provided good linearity, precision and reproducibility. The practical applicability of this method was tested by analyzing various batches of the bulk drug and formulations of sitagliptin phosphate.

Acute stroke provided the clinical setting to test the effect of

Acute stroke provided the clinical setting to test the effect of continuous exposure to ultrasound energy in human subjects, goal less attainable in acute coronary syndromes. The CLOTBUST trial demonstrated the positive biological effect of low intensity 2 MHz pulsed wave transcranial Doppler on enhancement of tPA-induced Selumetinib solubility dmso early recanalization. It paved the road for subsequent studies that included combination of ultrasound with gaseous microspheres [23], [24], [25], [26], [27], [28] and [29] (Table 1). Detailed analysis of microspheres

data is beyond the scope of this update since at the moment the clinical developments in the field of sonothrombolysis are focused on the ultrasound device, i.e. drug–device combination. Testing tPA combination with such a device alone is necessary in the first place before more complex combination products (drug–drug–device or drug–device–device) can be tested in clinical trials of microspheres activated with ultrasound in the presence of tPA. The main limitation of TCD technology used in the CLOTBUST trial is its extreme operator dependency and the find more need for a qualified sonographer to

be present at bedside to find, aim and deliver ultrasound beam to the thrombus residual flow interface. Our collaborative group first measured outputs of all devices used in the CLOTBUST trial [30], then designed multi-transducer assembly to cover conventional windows used for TCD examinations [31], and prospectively evaluated its safety in human volunteers [35] and ischemic stroke patients treated with intravenous tPA [36]. In these phase

I–II clinical studies, the novel operator-independent device showed no safety concerns, caused no disruption of the blood–brain barrier on sequential MRI imaging and yielded recanalization rates comparable to the CLOTBUST trial. Since this operator-independent Nitroxoline device can be quickly mounted by medical personnel with no prior experience in ultrasound, the device enables us to conduct large scale sonothrombolysis trials at all levels of emergency rooms capable of administering tPA as the standard of care. Thus, sonothrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke enters testing in the pivotal efficacy multi-national trial called CLOTBUSTER (Combined Lysis of ThromBus using 2 MHz pulsed wave Ultrasound and Systemic TPA for Emergent Revascularization, NCT01098981). Briefly, all patients will receive 0.9 mg/kg intravenous tPA therapy (10% bolus, 90% continuous infusion over 1 h, maximum dose 90 mg) as standard of care according to national labels (i.e. within 3 or 4.5 h from symptom onset). All patients with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores ≥ 10 points are eligible and after signing a written informed consent they will wear an operator-independent ultrasound emitting device for 2 h.

1) Enrollment into the second and the third groups took place on

1). Enrollment into the second and the third groups took place only if mothers had decided not to breastfeed. Infants were supposed to be breastfed or fed with the allocated formula for at least 2 months. Babies in the groups did not differ by age at

the enrollment, gender, physical and social settings. Participation in the study was voluntary with signing of informed consent by parents. This study was mTOR inhibitor approved by a local Ethics Committee. Inclusion criteria were: • Healthy term newborns with birth weight >2500 g appropriate for gestational age. Exclusion criteria: • The minimum possibility of breastfeeding (for infants randomized into the bottle-feeding groups). Growth parameters (weight, length, head circumference, and BMI) were determined at enrollment, in 2 and at 18 months. Saliva and fecal samples were taken on the day of inclusion into the learn more study and after 2 months of exclusive feeding with the selected formula or breast milk. Saliva sIgA (sIgA ELISA «Khemо-Medica» Ltd), alpha-defensins HNP1-3 (HNP 1-3 ELISA KIT) and fecal lysozyme (Human LL-37 ELISA TEST KIT) were determined by an ELISA method. Gut microbiota composition was assessed in 2 months after beginning of the study using standard bacteriological methods. Bifidobacteria, Lactobacilli and Candida fungi

have been analyzed. By the end of the second phase of the study, we compared the cumulative incidences of atopic dermatitis (AD), obstructive bronchitis, recurrent wheezing, gastrointestinal and upper respiratory tract infections

(URTI) at 18 months depending on type feeding in the first months of life. AD was diagnosed according to the criteria described by Harrigan and Rabinowitz [10] and Muraro et al. [11]. The diagnosis of AD was confirmed if the following features were detected: pruritus, involvement of the face, skull facial, and/or extensor part of the extremities, and a minimal duration of the symptoms of 4 weeks. Recurrent wheezing was before defined as 3 or more physician-diagnosed wheezing episodes [13]. Official medical documents and reports were used. By the end of the study, the number of children in groups decreased (Fig. 1). The main reasons for dropping out were failure to follow up, poor compliance, change of feeding type, for example, lack of breast milk or replacement of the preselected formula in the bottle-fed groups. Standard methods of descriptive, comparative and categorical analyses were used. If normally distributed continuous data are presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD) if not – as median (minimum, maximum). Two-way ANOVA or Kruskal–Wallis ANOVA by ranks and median test were used to compare continuous variables between the three groups. Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test were used for comparison of categorical (nominal) variables. All differences between the groups were considered significant if p < 0.05.

Western blot bands were visualized by incubation with chemilumine

Western blot bands were visualized by incubation with chemiluminescent substrat (SuperSignal West Pico reagent, Thermo Fisher, USA) and exposed to X-ray film (Kodak, USA). Densitometric analysis of Western blot bands was performed using software ImageJ (National Institutes of Health, USA), normalized to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) or β-actin, respectively. Total RNA was extracted from frozen PFC tissue

using TRIzol® reagent (Life Technologies, USA). The homogenate was coupled with 200 μL chloroform and then centrifuged at 12,000×g for 15 min (4 °C). Aqueous phase (about 0.5 mL upper layer) was precipitated with equal volume of isopropanol and centrifuging at 12,000×g for 10 min (4 °C). The final RNA total pellet was resuspended in 20 μL of DEPC water. Reverse transcription was performed with 1 μg RNA using M-MLV reverse transcriptase for cDNA synthesis. The sequences ATR inhibitor of gene-specific PCR primers were listed in Table 3. Real-time RT-PCR was performed using Power

SYBR Green PCR Master Mix Sorafenib chemical structure (Bio-Rad Laboratories, USA) on a Bio-Rad CFX96 Real-Time PCR Detection System. After transcardially perfused with 30 mL of normal saline (0.9%), rat brain tissues were fixed in a fresh solution of 4% paraformaldehyde (vol/vol, pH 7.4) at 4 °C for 6 h, then incubated overnight at 4 °C in 100 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) containing 30% sucrose and Thymidylate synthase embedded in Tissue-Tek O.C.T. compound (Sakura, USA) in optimal cutting temperature. Coronal sections (30 μm) containing PFC from cryofixed brain tissues were collected on 3-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane-coated

slides (Sigma–Aldrich, USA) and stored at −20 °C until immunofluorescence staining. Immunofluorescence and double immunostaining were performed on cryofixed sections, respectively. As listed in Table 2, primary antibody against NLRP3 was also used in immunofluorescence and antibodies against CD11b, Iba1, GFAP and neuronal nuclei (NeuN, as Fox-3, or hexaribonucleotide binding protein 3) were used to mark microglia, astrocyte and neuron, respectively. DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) was used for nuclear staining. Alexa Fluor 488, Alexa Fluor 555 and Alexa Fluor 647 labeled IgG were used for secondary antibody, respectively (Table 2). PFC tissue stained specimens (5 rats per group) were captured using the Olympus FLUOVIEW FV1000 Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope (Olympus, Japan). Rat PFC tissue samples were homogenized in ice-cold physiological saline and centrifuged at 12,000×g for 15 min (4 °C). The supernatant samples were collected for the determination of glutamate and glutamine levels, and glutamine synthetase activity (normalized to protein concentration) using standard diagnostic kits (Nanjing Jiancheng Bioengineering Institute, China), respectively. All data were expressed as means ± SEM.

As noted, another limitation is that the 12-month study period wa

As noted, another limitation is that the 12-month study period was too short to adequately capture improvements in pediatric-specific parameters such as puberty (as evaluated

by Tanner stage) and bone mineral density analysis. However, these parameters will continue to be followed in extension study PB-06-006 (NCT01411228) that will capture an additional 2 years selleck chemicals llc of data for a total of 3 years of taliglucerase alfa treatment. In summary, this report demonstrates that taliglucerase alfa improves the hematologic and visceral manifestations of Gaucher disease in children. It broadens the findings to date of the safety and efficacy of taliglucerase alfa in patients with GD, pediatric and adult patients alike, and as such expands the potential treatment options for management of this genetic metabolic disorder. AZ designed the study, performed research, analyzed data, and wrote the paper; DEG-R performed research and wrote the paper; AA performed research and wrote the paper; DE assisted

check details with the research and wrote the paper; AP designed the study, analyzed and verified data, and wrote the paper; EB-A designed the study, analyzed and verified data, and wrote the paper; and RC designed the study, analyzed and verified data, and wrote the paper. None of the authors received compensation for their contributions to this manuscript. AZ receives consultancy fees from and Dichloromethane dehalogenase has stock options in Protalix BioTherapeutics and is a member of their Scientific Advisory Board. In addition, AZ receives support from Genzyme for participation in the International Collaborative Gaucher Group Registry, and receives honoraria from Shire HGT, Actelion, and Pfizer; DEG-R and AA are study investigators; DE has received honoraria from and had travel/accommodation expenses covered/reimbursed by Shire HGT and Pfizer. In addition, the Gaucher Clinic, for which DE is the site coordinator, has had clinical trial expenses reimbursed; AP, EB-A, and RC are employees of Protalix BioTherapeutics. The authors would like to acknowledge fellow

investigator and pediatrician Dr. Rene Heitner from Johannesburg, South Africa, who passed away in January 2012. The authors would also like to acknowledge Dr. Peter Cooper of Johannesburg, South Africa, who is treating Dr. Rene Heitner’s patients in study PB-06-006, the taliglucerase alfa pediatric extension trial. This study was sponsored by Protalix BioTherapeutics. Editorial and medical writing support was provided by Elizabeth Daro-Kaftan, PhD, of Peloton Advantage, LLC, and was funded by Pfizer. Pfizer and Protalix entered into an agreement in November 2009 to develop and commercialize taliglucerase alfa. “
“Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is primarily a hematological malignancy of the elderly with a median age of onset at 60 years and a poor prognosis with a five year survival rate of only 12% [1].

Valve calcification may be 5 to 10 times more frequent in patient

Valve calcification may be 5 to 10 times more frequent in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in comparison with a non-renal population (3). Prevalence of 35–44.5% has been reported for mitral valve calcification (MVC) and 25–52.0% for aortic valve calcification

(AVC) in hemodialysis (HD) patients 4 and 5. Similar data were also reported in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients (6). Heart valve calcifications are associated with other vascular pathological conditions such as atherosclerosis and vascular calcifications (7) and have also been identified as risk factors for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. MVC was associated with atrial fibrillation, stroke, and increased morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular

origin in both the general and the CKD populations 8, 9 and 10. On the other hand, AVC was reported as a risk factor DAPT price for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality (11). In spite of its high frequency and importance as a risk factor for cardiovascular mortality in CKD patients, little is known about the mechanisms and risk factors for their development. In cross-sectional studies, MVC was associated with inflammation (12) and hyperphosphatemia (4), and AVC seems to be associated with duration of HD treatment and some markers of mineral metabolism 13 and 14. However, studies about the development of new valve calcifications are not available. The aim of this study was to analyze the frequency and factors related to de novo development of MVC and AVC in incident PD patients. JQ1 A prospective cohort study was performed in ESRD patients from six dialysis units in the metropolitan area of Mexico City affiliated with the national network of the enough Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social. The protocol was approved by the Human Research and Ethics Committees of each of the participating hospitals. Patients gave their signed informed consent before enrollment in the study. Two hundred forty-eight patients initiated PD in six hospitals participating in the study in the period between October 2009 and August 2010. Of these patients, 133 (54%) met the

inclusion criteria. Of those accepted, three died, one was lost to follow-up and five had valve calcification at baseline and were excluded; 124 patients (50%) of the total population were included in the final analysis. The patients were considered eligible for inclusion if they were incident (<3 months) on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) or automated peritoneal dialysis (APD). All were adults (18 years or older) without selection by gender, cause of renal disease or dialysis modality. Patients were excluded if they had pre-existing heart valve calcifications, heart failure, infections, malignancy, chronic liver disease, seropositivity for hepatitis or HIV or if they received immunosuppressive treatment.


“Long-term exposure to the environmental pollutant cadmium


“Long-term exposure to the environmental pollutant cadmium (Cd) damages the kidneys. It causes renal tubular dysfunction as assessed by increased urinary excretion of low molecular weight proteins, such as

α1-microglobulin, β2-microglobulin (UB2M) and N-Acetyl-beta-(D)-Glucosaminidase (UNAG; Jin et al., 1999, Jin et al., 2002 and Nogawa et al., 1984). Once absorbed Cd is efficiently retained in the organism and accumulates throughout life Cobimetinib chemical structure with a biological half-time of 10–30 years in humans (Nordberg et al., 2007). Metallothioneins (MTs) are low molecular weight proteins involved in the homeostasis of zinc. Their transcription is induced by various heavy metals, such as Cd. In the cell, over 80% of Cd is bound to MT and MTs play a considerable role in the shift of accumulated Cd from the liver and intestines to the kidney (Nordberg et al., 2007). Intracellular binding of Cd to MTs offers protection against cellular damage (Jin et al., 1998). Transgenic mice constantly over-expressing MT genes are also Cd-tolerant (Palmiter et al., 1993). In contrast, knockout mice with defective MT genes are more sensitive to Cd toxicity than wild-type mice (Jin et al., 1998 and Liu et al., 2000). In MT-deficient mice, renal dysfunction can be detected even at renal concentrations of Cd below 10 μg/g tissue (Liu et al., 2000). The findings of many similar studies support the notion that

MT is the main cellular determinant www.selleckchem.com/screening/natural-product-library.html of the sensitivity of mammals and cultured mammalian

cells to Cd. Cd–MT complexes accumulate in the renal cells in a low-toxicity state (Klaassen et al., 1999), and kidney dysfunction occurs when tissue levels exceed the capacity of this protective mechanism. If MT synthesis is decreased or inhibited, then serious renal dysfunction might develop in individuals with high concentrations of Cd. In previous studies, it was found that at similar urinary Cd values, workers with high levels of MT mRNA in peripheral blood lymphocytes had lower UNAG levels than those with low MT mRNA levels (Lu et al., 2001). These findings suggest that individuals with reduced expression of MT might be prone to renal dysfunction C59 nmr due to exposure to Cd. The MT genes are in a cluster on chromosome band 16q13. Two of the main MTs widely expressed in the body are MT1A and MT2A ( Klaassen et al., 1999). Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs8052394 and rs11076161 in the MT1A gene, and rs10636 in MT2A gene) have been reported to be involved in aging, diabetes and atherosclerosis, probably reflecting their role in zinc homeostasis ( Giacconi et al., 2007, Kayaalti et al., 2010, Kita et al., 2006, Mazzatti et al., 2008 and Mocchegiani et al., 2008). Of these polymorphisms, rs8052394 is non-synonymous (Arg51Lys), while rs11076161 is intronic and rs10636 is located in the 3′ untranslated region (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/snp/). Kita et al.

This study showed that muscular forces increase with age This de

This study showed that muscular forces increase with age. This development of muscular forces may be linked to our observed time course of the development nano-structural

parameters of mineral particle orientation (Fig. 3 and Fig. 4) and degree of mineralisation (Fig. 5). The association between muscle strength and bone mass has been established in numerous studies [37], [38] and [39], and mechanical stimulation by skeletal muscles has been reported to have a dominant effect on bone gain and loss when compared to non-mechanical factors such as hormones and metabolic environments [40] and [41]. This is further illustrated by the increased fracture risk and deformability observed in patients with muscle wasting and neuromuscular diseases such as muscular dystrophy,

which implies an underlying altered bone material structure [42]. Furthermore, Selleckchem Osimertinib it has been shown that increasing muscle strength through exercise can reduce the risk of fracture and the development of kyphosis in older women with osteoporosis [43]. It has been demonstrated AZD4547 that increased fracture risk in the case of ageing bone is associated with changes in bone material [44] as well as reduced bone mass. To better understand the mechanisms in the bone material that mediate the alterations in gross fracture risk and deformability in metabolic bone disease, we have investigated mice with X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets, a disease that is associated with progressive weakness and wasting of skeletal muscle [45] Fluorometholone Acetate as well as a reduction in lowered bone mineral content. In this rachitic condition, deterioration in the skeletal muscle increases the deformability and fracture of bone. Our results

show that alterations in the nanostructure of the bone matrix – such as the direction and degree of mineral particle orientation – are associated with both predicted reduction in muscle forces and altered mineralisation in the disease condition. Hence, we propose that the nanostructural parameters of mineral particle orientation and direction may play a vital role in controlling the fracture risk and the deformability in the bone tissue. Furthermore, the nanostructural parameters like the degree of orientation and mineral particle angle could potentially be used as markers to estimate the fracture risk and the deformability in bone in metabolic and neuromuscular bone diseases. This work was supported by Diamond Light Source Ltd. UK and Queen Mary University of London (grant nos. MATL1D8R and CDTA SEM7100b) and the Medical Research Council UK (grant no. G0600702). G.R.D. would like to thank the Engineering and Physical Research Council (EPSRC) UK, for supporting the development of the beam hardening methods used in the micro-CT analysis through grant no. EP/G007845/1. “
“Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23) was discovered as a phosphaturic hormone through genetic studies in patients suffering from autosomal dominant hypophosphatemic rickets, a renal phosphate wasting disease [1].

COPD is a heterogeneous clinical syndrome characterized by a vari

COPD is a heterogeneous clinical syndrome characterized by a variety of concurrent lung and systemic manifestations. Although airflow limitation defines both the presence and stage of disease, this physiologic measurement is not always well correlated with the clinical disease characteristics or outcomes for any given patient.

For example, patients with the same degree of airflow limitation, or FEV1, have variable clinical outcomes, such as symptoms, exercise tolerance, radiographic features, and prevalence of comorbid conditions.14, 15 and 16 Although some patients have a disease predominately of parenchymal destruction (emphysema), others have more changes to their small airways (peribronchiolar fibrosis). selleck chemical Although all patients are at risk of acute exacerbations of disease, the frequency of exacerbations is not only associated with the severity or stage Selleck Copanlisib of disease. Given the great clinical variability of this disease, researchers have begun to define new ways of analyzing and categorizing patients with COPD into “clinical phenotypes,” or subgroups of patients with

similar clinical outcomes, to predict prognosis more accurately and to improve treatment.15 and 16 At a time when COPD has become increasingly prevalent among women, Aryal et al discuss the differences in prevalence, clinical presentation, morbidity, and mortality, as well as treatment implications for women in their article on COPD and gender. This review identifies what could be argued as a separate clinical phenotype because it shows women are more likely to have a clinically different set of outcomes including symptoms, comorbidities, and disease course. Although tobacco use has increased among women during the past few decades, recent studies have found that women may be more vulnerable to the adverse effects of tobacco and show more rapid decline after the onset of disease. Using research from both animal and epidemiologic studies, this review suggests multiple reasons for the differences between men

and women in COPD risk, including anatomic differences, behavioral Nintedanib (BIBF 1120) differences, as well as biologic and hormonal differences. In addition to identifying differences in objectively measured risk and disease manifestations, this review also identifies biases still held in medicine that impact both the diagnosis, treatment, and health care utilization of women with COPD. Growing research focuses on defining new clinical phenotypes within COPD that correspond to clinically different subgroups of patients with differing clinical outcomes, such as lung function data, clinical symptoms, radiographic evidence of disease, or prognosis. Reclassification of this complex disease, however, comes with many challenges of its own.