The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · May 2015
RNA sequencing atopic dermatitis transcriptome profiling provides insights into novel disease mechanisms with potential therapeutic implications.
Genomic profiling of lesional and nonlesional skin of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) using microarrays has led to increased understanding of AD and identification of novel therapeutic targets. However, the limitations of microarrays might decrease detection of AD genes. These limitations might be lessened with next-generation RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). ⋯ This is the first report of a lesional AD phenotype using RNA-seq and the first direct comparison between platforms in this disease. Both platforms robustly characterize the AD transcriptome. Through RNA-seq, we unraveled novel disease pathology, including increased expression of the novel TREM-1 pathway and the IL-36 cytokine in patients with AD.
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · May 2015
Blood DNA methylation biomarkers predict clinical reactivity in food-sensitized infants.
The diagnosis of food allergy (FA) can be challenging because approximately half of food-sensitized patients are asymptomatic. Current diagnostic tests are excellent makers of sensitization but poor predictors of clinical reactivity. Thus oral food challenges (OFCs) are required to determine a patient's risk of reactivity. ⋯ DNAm biomarkers with clinical utility for predicting food challenge outcomes are readily detectable in blood. The development of this technology in detailed follow-up studies will yield highly innovative diagnostic assays.
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · May 2015
Randomized Controlled TrialRandomized trial to evaluate azithromycin's effects on serum and upper airway IL-8 levels and recurrent wheezing in infants with respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis in infancy is a major risk factor for recurrent wheezing and asthma. Because azithromycin attenuated neutrophilic airway inflammation in a murine viral bronchiolitis model, demonstration of similar effects in human subjects might provide a strategy for the prevention of postbronchiolitis recurrent wheezing. ⋯ In this proof-of-concept study azithromycin treatment during RSV bronchiolitis reduced upper airway IL-8 levels, prolonged the time to the third wheezing episode, and reduced overall respiratory morbidity over the subsequent year.
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The ongoing epidemic of Ebola virus in West Africa and attendant cases described in other parts of the world has focused attention on this heretofore rare disease. In this brief opinion article, we provide a short primer on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, US-based hospital preparedness, vaccine and therapy development, and control of Ebola virus disease for noninfectious disease physicians.