The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · May 2010
Weekly monitoring of children with asthma for infections and illness during common cold seasons.
Exacerbations of childhood asthma and rhinovirus infections both peak during the spring and fall, suggesting that viral infections are major contributors to seasonal asthma morbidity. ⋯ Rhinovirus infections are nearly universal in children with asthma during common cold seasons, likely because of a plethora of new strains appearing each season. Illnesses associated with viruses have greater duration and severity. Finally, atopic asthmatic children experienced more frequent and severe virus-induced illnesses.
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · May 2010
Accumulation of intraepithelial mast cells with a unique protease phenotype in T(H)2-high asthma.
Previously, we found that mast cell tryptases and carboxypeptidase A3 (CPA3) are differentially expressed in the airway epithelium in asthmatic subjects. We also found that asthmatic subjects can be divided into 2 subgroups ("T(H)2 high" and "T(H)2 low" asthma) based on epithelial cell gene signatures for the activity of T(H)2 cytokines. ⋯ IEMC numbers are increased in subjects with T(H)2-high asthma, have an unusual protease phenotype (tryptase and CPA3 high and chymase low), and predict responsiveness to ICSs. IL-13-stimulated production of stem cell factor by epithelial cells potentially explains mast cell accumulation in T(H)2-high asthmatic epithelium.