Search results for "airway inflammation"

Cover Feature: Total Synthesis of a Partial Structure from Arabinogalactan and Its Application for Allergy Prevention (Chem. Eur. J. 3/2021)

2020

Higher serum levels of periostin and the risk of exacerbations in moderate asthmatics

2016

BACKGROUND: In asthma, exacerbations and poor disease control are linked to airway allergic inflammation. Serum periostin has been proposed as a systemic biomarker of eosinophilic inflammation. This pilot study aims at evaluating whether in patients with moderate asthma, higher baseline levels of serum periostin are associated with a greater risk of exacerbation. METHODS: Fifteen outpatients with moderate allergic asthma were recruited. Serum concentrations of periostin were assessed (ELISA) at baseline, and the frequency of asthma exacerbations was recorded during a one-year follow-up. RESULTS: Patients (M/F: 10/5, mean age of 47.6 ± 11.0 years) had mean ACQ score of 5.5 ± 4.2 and FEV1%pre…

Optimising experimental research in respiratory diseases: an ERS statement

2018

Experimental models are critical for the understanding of lung health and disease and are indispensable for drug development. However, the pathogenetic and clinical relevance of the models is often unclear. Further, the use of animals in biomedical research is controversial from an ethical perspective.The objective of this task force was to issue a statement with research recommendations about lung disease models by facilitating in-depth discussions between respiratory scientists, and to provide an overview of the literature on the available models. Focus was put on their specific benefits and limitations. This will result in more efficient use of resources and greater reduction in the numb…

Safety and efficacy of montelukast as adjunctive therapy for treatment of asthma in elderly patients

2013

Asthma is a disease of all ages. This assumption has been challenged in the past, because of several cultural and scientific biases. A large body of evidence has accumulated in recent years to confirm that the prevalence of asthma in the most advanced ages is similar to that in younger ages. Asthma in the elderly may show similar functional and clinical characteristics to that occurring in young adults, although the frequent coexistence of comorbid conditions in older patients, together with age-associated changes in the human lung, may lead to more severe forms of the disease. Management of asthma in the elderly follows specific guidelines that apply to all ages, although most behaviors ar…

Mast cells and the development of allergic airway disease

2008

Murine models have highlighted the importance of T-cells and TH2 cytokines in development of allergen-induced airway disease. In contrast, the role of mast cells for the development of allergic airway disease has been controversial. Recent studies in murine models demonstrate a significant contribution of mast cells during the development of airway hyperresponsiveness and airway inflammation. Furthermore these models have allowed identifying certain mast cell-produced mediators (e.g. histamine and leukotriene B4) to be involved in the recruitment of effector T-cells into the lung. Additionally, mast cell-produced TNF can directly activate TH2 cells and contribute to the development of aller…

TGF-β Signaling Pathways in Different Compartments of the Lower Airways of Patients With Stable COPD

2017

Background: The expression and localization of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) pathway proteins in different compartments of the lower airways of patients with stable COPD is unclear. We aimed to determine TGF-β pathway protein expression in patients with stable COPD. Methods: The expression and localization of TGF-β pathway components was measured in the bronchial mucosa and peripheral lungs of patients with stable COPD (n = 44), control smokers with normal lung function (n = 24), and control nonsmoking subjects (n = 11) using immunohistochemical analysis. Results: TGF-β1, TGF-β3, and connective tissue growth factor expression were significantly decreased in the bronchiolar epithelium…

Non-invasive markers of airway inflammation and remodeling in childhood asthma

2009

To evaluate the relationship between pro-inflammatory and pro-remodeling mediators and severity and control of asthma in children, the levels of IL-8, MMP-9, TIMP-1 in induced sputum supernatants, the number of sputum eosinophils, as well as FeNO, were investigated in 35 asthmatic children, 12 with intermittent (IA) and 23 with moderate asthma (MA), and 9 controls (C). The patients with asthma were followed for 1 yr and sputum was obtained twice during the follow-up. Biomarker levels were correlated with the number of exacerbations. We found that IL-8, MMP-9, TIMP-1 and the numbers of eosinophils in induced sputum, as well as FeNO, were increased in children with IA and MA in comparison to …

Assessing biomarkers in a real-world severe asthma study (ARIETTA)

2016

AbstractThe prognostic value of asthma biomarkers in routine clinical practice is not fully understood. ARIETTA (NCT02537691) is an ongoing, prospective, longitudinal, international, multicentre real-world study designed to assess the relationship between asthma biomarkers and disease-related health outcomes. The trial aims to enrol and follow for 52 weeks approximately 1200 severe asthma patients from approximately 160 sites in more than 20 countries. Severe asthmatics, treated with daily inhaled corticosteroid (≥500 μg of fluticasone propionate or equivalent) and at least 1 second controller medication are to be included. In this real-world study, patients will be treated according to the…

Associations of black carbon with lung function and airway inflammation in schoolchildren

2019

Background: Few studies have investigated the 24-hour respiratory health effects of personal black carbon (BC) and ultrafine particles (UFP) exposure in schoolchildren. The objective of this study was to investigate these associations with the lung function in children 10-years old with and without persistent respiratory symptoms. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in 305 children (147 and 158 with and without persistent respiratory symptoms, respectively) from three European birth-cohorts: PARIS (France) and INMA Sabadell and Valencia (Spain). Personal 24-hour measurements of exposure concentrations to BC and UFP were performed by portable devices, before lung function testing. …

Bacterial load and inflammatory response in sputum of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency patients with COPD

2019

Bruno Balbi,1 Claudia Sangiorgi,1 Isabella Gnemmi,1 Ilaria Ferrarotti,2 Davide Vallese,1 Elena Paracchini,1 Lorena Delle Donne,1 Luciano Corda,3 Paolo Baderna,4 Angelo Corsico,2 Mauro Carone,1 Paola Brun,5 Francesco Cappello,6,7 Fabio LM Ricciardolo,8 Paolo Ruggeri,9 Sharon Mumby,10 Ian M Adcock,10 Gaetano Caramori,9 Antonino Di Stefano11Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, IRCCS, Division of Pneumology and Laboratory of Cytoimmunopathology of the Heart and Lung, Veruno, Italy; 2Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Therapy, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; 3Medicina Respiratoria, Seconda Medicina Interna, Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy; 4Division of Pneumology, Aosta Hospital, Aos…