Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology
-
Ann. Allergy Asthma Immunol. · Jan 2003
Comparative StudyRelationship of house-dust mite allergen exposure in children's bedrooms in infancy to bronchial hyperresponsiveness and asthma diagnosis by age 6 to 7.
Several studies have suggested that exposure to house-dust mite (HDM) allergen in infancy increases the risk of developing asthma. ⋯ When compared with other studies, we were able to more accurately estimate the level of dust mite allergen exposure through repeated sampling over a relatively long period, incorporating seasonal variations. Although HDM sensitization and asthma were concurrently related, we were unable to find any relationship between level of HDM allergen exposure in children's bedrooms in early childhood and development of BHR or physician-diagnosed asthma by age 6 to 7 years.
-
Ann. Allergy Asthma Immunol. · Jan 2003
Comparative StudyIncreased matrix metalloproteinase-9 with elastolysis in nocturnal asthma.
Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is capable of degrading elastin, whereas tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) can inhibit MMP-9 activity. We observed reduced airway tissue elastin volume density in six subjects with nocturnal asthma (NA) as compared with seven subjects with nonnocturnal asthma (NNA) and seven normal controls (NL) when endobronchial biopsies were evaluated morphometrically at 4:00 PM and 4:00 AM. ⋯ Our results from these two pilot studies suggest that increased MMP-9 and decreased TIMP-1 at night in NA may lead to reduced elastin density.