The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · Jun 2010
Exhaled nitric oxide, lung function, and exacerbations in wheezy infants and toddlers.
There are limited data assessing the relationship between fraction of exhaled nitric oxide and lung function or exacerbations in infants with recurrent wheezing. ⋯ SB-eNO level might predict changes in lung function and risk of future wheezing and holds promise as a biomarker to predict asthma in wheezy infants and toddlers.
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · Jun 2010
Human rhinovirus proteinase 2A induces TH1 and TH2 immunity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Tobacco-related lung diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), are major causes of lung-related disability and death worldwide. Acute exacerbation of COPD (AE-COPD) is commonly associated with upper and lower respiratory tract viral infections and can result in respiratory failure in those with advanced lung disease. ⋯ Our findings suggest that patients with severe COPD show T(H)1- and T(H)2-biased responses during AE-COPD. HRV-encoded proteinase 2A, like other microbial proteinases, could provide a T(H)1- and T(H)2-biasing adjuvant factor during upper and lower respiratory tract infection in patients with severe COPD. Alteration of the immune response to secreted viral proteinases might contribute to worsening of dyspnea and respiratory failure in patients with COPD.
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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.