The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · Aug 2014
Roflumilast N-oxide reverses corticosteroid resistance in neutrophils from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Glucocorticoid functions are markedly impaired in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor roflumilast N-oxide (RNO) is the active metabolite of roflumilast approved as a treatment to reduce the risk of exacerbations in patients with severe COPD. ⋯ RNO reverses corticosteroid resistance and shows strong anti-inflammatory effects alone or in combination with corticosteroids on neutrophils from patients with COPD.
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · Jul 2014
Comparative StudyComparison of rhinovirus antibody titers in children with asthma exacerbations and species-specific rhinovirus infection.
Asthma exacerbations are associated with human rhinovirus (HRV) infections, and more severe exacerbations are associated with HRV-C. We have previously shown that the HRV-C-specific antibody response is low in healthy adult sera and that most of the antibody to HRV-C is cross-reactive with HRV-A. ⋯ The higher total anti-HRV antibody titers of asthmatic children and their higher anti-HRV-A and -B titers show their development of a heightened antiviral immune response. The low species-specific HRV-C titers found in all groups, even when the virus was found, point to a different and possibly less efficacious immune response to this species.
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · Jul 2014
Multicenter StudyFraction of exhaled nitric oxide values in childhood are associated with 17q11.2-q12 and 17q12-q21 variants.
The fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (Feno) value is a biomarker of eosinophilic airway inflammation and is associated with childhood asthma. Identification of common genetic variants associated with childhood Feno values might help to define biological mechanisms related to specific asthma phenotypes. ⋯ This study identified 3 variants associated with Feno values, explaining 0.95% of the variance. Identification of functional SNPs and haplotypes in these regions might provide novel insight into the regulation of Feno values. This study highlights that both shared and distinct genetic factors affect Feno values and childhood asthma.
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · Jul 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialTransient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) antagonism in patients with refractory chronic cough: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.
Inhalation of capsaicin, the extract of hot chili peppers, induces coughing in both animals and human subjects through activation of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) on airway sensory nerves. Therefore the TRPV1 receptor is an attractive target for the development of antitussive agents. ⋯ This study raises important questions about both the role of TRVP1-mediated mechanisms in patients with refractory chronic cough and also the predictive value of capsaicin challenge testing in the assessment of novel antitussive agents.
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · Jul 2014
A mouse model links asthma susceptibility to prenatal exposure to diesel exhaust.
Most asthma begins in the first years of life. This early onset cannot be attributed merely to genetic factors because the prevalence of asthma is increasing. Epidemiologic studies have indicated roles for prenatal and early childhood exposures, including exposure to diesel exhaust. However, little is known about the mechanisms. This is largely due to a paucity of animal models. ⋯ We created a mouse model that linked maternal exposure to DEPs with asthma susceptibility in offspring. Development of asthma was dependent on NK cells and associated with increased transcription from aryl hydrocarbon receptor- and oxidative stress-regulated genes.