The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · Jan 2012
ReviewRespiratory health effects of air pollution: update on biomass smoke and traffic pollution.
Mounting evidence suggests that air pollution contributes to the large global burden of respiratory and allergic diseases, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, and possibly tuberculosis. Although associations between air pollution and respiratory disease are complex, recent epidemiologic studies have led to an increased recognition of the emerging importance of traffic-related air pollution in both developed and less-developed countries, as well as the continued importance of emissions from domestic fires burning biomass fuels, primarily in the less-developed world. ⋯ These studies indicate that air pollution from these sources is a major preventable cause of increased incidence and exacerbation of respiratory disease. Physicians can help to reduce the risk of adverse respiratory effects of exposure to biomass and traffic air pollutants by promoting awareness and supporting individual and community-level interventions.
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · Jan 2012
Anaphylaxis in a New York City pediatric emergency department: triggers, treatments, and outcomes.
Anaphylaxis incidence is increasing. ⋯ Food is the main anaphylaxis trigger in the urban PED, although the International Classification of Diseases-ninth revision code for anaphylaxis is underused. Treatment with 2 doses of epinephrine is associated with a higher risk of hospitalization; epinephrine treatment before arrival to the PED is associated with a decreased risk. Children with Medicaid are less likely to receive epinephrine before arrival in the PED.
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · Jan 2012
Traffic-related air pollution and development of allergic sensitization in children during the first 8 years of life.
The role of exposure to air pollution in the development of allergic sensitization remains unclear. ⋯ Traffic-related air pollution exposure does not seem to increase the overall risk of sensitization to common inhalant and food allergens up to school age, but sensitization to certain allergens might be related to exposure during infancy.
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · Jan 2012
Increased expression of immunoreactive thymic stromal lymphopoietin in patients with severe asthma.
Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a cytokine implicated in the pathophysiology of asthma through 2 distinct pathways: a TSLP-OX40 ligand (OX40L)-T cell axis and a TSLP-mast cell axis. Whether these pathways are active in human asthma is unknown. ⋯ TSLP expression is increased in a subset of patients with severe asthma in spite of high-dose inhaled or oral corticosteroid therapy. Targeting TSLP might only be efficacious in the subset of asthma characterized by increased TSLP expression and T(H)2 inflammation.