Respiratory medicine
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Respiratory medicine · Sep 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialSublingual immunotherapy in children with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis mono-sensitized to house-dust-mites: a double-blind-placebo-controlled randomised trial.
Although sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) has been demonstrated to be a safe and efficient treatment in children with seasonal allergic rhinitis (AR), there is little evidence on the efficacy of SLIT with house-dust-mite (HDM) extract in children with isolated perennial AR. ⋯ The trial was registered at Anzctr.org.au number, ACTRN12613000315718.
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Respiratory medicine · Sep 2013
Comparative StudyCCL18 in serum, BAL fluid and alveolar macrophage culture supernatant in interstitial lung diseases.
CCL18 is a CC chemokine produced mainly by antigen-presenting cells, and is chemotactic predominantly for T-lymphocytes. CCL18 can stimulate pulmonary fibroblasts and increase the collagen production in vitro. ⋯ CCL18 levels in serum, BALF and AM culture supernatant are markedly increased in various inflammatory and fibrotic ILDs. However, the CCL18 level being highest in HP among the investigated ILDs suggests that CCL18 may be more profoundly involved in inflammatory immune responses.
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The prevalence of obesity and asthma has increased concurrently over the last decades, suggesting a link between obesity and asthma. However, asthma might not be adequately diagnosed in this population. ⋯ Besides overdiagnosis, there is also substantial underdiagnosis of asthma in the morbidly obese. Symptoms could be incorrectly ascribed to either obesity or asthma, and therefore also in the morbidly obese the diagnosis of asthma should also be based on pulmonary function testing.
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Respiratory medicine · Sep 2013
Multicenter Study Controlled Clinical TrialNoninvasive ventilation for acute respiratory distress in children with central nervous system disorders.
Acute respiratory distress (ARD) is a relatively frequent occurrence in patients suffering from central nervous system disorders (CNSD) and moderate to severe mental retardation. Whenever conventional therapy is little effective, noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) is the additional treatment in patients with diseases of the peripheral nervous system. However, NIV is traditionally little employed in the acute phase in patients suffering from CNSD. In the latter, either conventional therapy is maintained or invasive mechanical ventilation is instituted if the patient's condition worsens severely. To challenge the traditional view, we conducted the study to prove that NIV is both applicable and effective in the treatment of ARD also in children with moderate to severe mental retardation. ⋯ NIV is both applicable and beneficial in stabilizing blood gases, respiratory and cardiovascular parameters also in children with CNSD. Moreover its use shortens the hospital stay.
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Respiratory medicine · Sep 2013
ReviewObesity and asthma: a coincidence or a causal relationship? A systematic review.
Epidemiological data has established increasing adiposity as a risk factor for incident asthma. However, the mechanisms underlying the association between obesity and asthma are incompletely understood. In the present paper, we review current knowledge of possible mechanisms mediating the observed association between obesity and asthma. ⋯ The association between obesity and asthma is not straightforward, and further knowledge is clearly needed, as understanding the underlying mechanisms may lead to new therapeutic options for this high-risk part of the asthma population.