Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology
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Maternal fatty acid status during pregnancy might influence foetal immunological development and subsequently the risk of childhood atopic diseases. ⋯ Higher maternal total PUFA and total n-6 PUFA levels during pregnancy seem to influence the risk of atopic diseases in childhood. The underlying mechanisms need to be further explored.
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Mucociliary dysfunction is a prominent pathophysiological feature of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP); however, the precise mechanisms underlying mucociliary dysfunction are still unclear. ⋯ The demonstration that IFN-γ and IL-13 both significantly reduce ciliated cell differentiation and CBF in CRSwNP patients, and IL-13 additionally induces significant goblet cell hyperplasia and MUC5AC mucin expression, as well as IL-17 significantly increases MUC5B mucin expression, suggests that these inflammatory cytokines may be potential therapeutic targets in the management of CRSwNP.
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Several clinical and experimental studies have implicated IL-33 and its receptor ST2 in the development of asthma. However, the effect of IL-33/ST2 signalling on airway responses and inflammation in allergic asthma is not well established. ⋯ In addition to promoting Th2 inflammation, we now suggest a role for the IL-33/ST2 pathway for the induction of peripheral inflammation and mucus production that causes AHR in the peripheral lung. This mechanism for inducing AHR at distal parts of the lung may be of specific importance as asthma is considered as a small airway disease.