Pulmonology

   CONTENTS  

Foreword

Research Structures

Energy, Environment, and Biodiversity

Humanities and Ethics

Culture and Education

Society and Development

Information and Communication Technology

Biology and Health

Research Structures and Researchers

About

Home PUCRS TECNOPUC EDIPUCRS
Uk  Versão em Português  Uk  PDF Version  

Research on diagnosis and treatment of the respiratory diseases

Rio Grande do Sul tops the rankings for the number of smokers in Brazil, with approximately 25% of its population being tobacco users. To study and propose solutions for this and other ailments of the respiratory system, faculty from the Graduate Program in Medicine and Health Sciences make up the Research Nucleus in Pulmonology (NUPP).

Led by Professor José Miguel Chatkin, NUPP is the result of the union of two groups: Epidemiology of Respiratory Diseases and Tobacco Use and Tobacco-Related Diseases. The first group maintains regular publications on respiratory infections, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). One of the research areas is the evaluation of the effectiveness of markers of tobacco use. These tests may be useful for monitoring the smoking cessation treatment. Another project of a national and multicenter nature, called Adere (Adhere), has studied solutions to asthma patients’ low rate of adherence to medications even when they are offered free of charge. The number of patients who adhere to the treatment doubled after receiving telephone calls from a nurse specialized in asthma care.

The researchers focused on tobacco use and tobaccorelated diseases study markers for the success – or lack thereof – of treatments to stop smoking. The evaluation takes into account the patient’s phenotype and genotype, associating these with certain laboratory variables and characteristics, such as urinary cotinine (a metabolite derived from the nicotine eliminated by the kidneys) and other biochemical markers. The Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology of PUCRS is a partner in performing the analysis. NUPP also studies tobacco use among pregnant women and the elderly and especially focuses on the effectiveness of several medications used to stop tobacco use.

By means of a formal treaty, NUPP maintains scientific relationships with the University of Toronto (Canada). The group’s researchers and graduate students have regularly visited the Toronto General Hospital, with numerous joint publications.