Search results for "asthma"

Higher blood eosinophil levels after omalizumab treatment may be associated with poorer asthma outcomes

2019

Alveolar nitric oxide and asthma control in mild untreated asthma

2012

Background The role of the peripheral airways in asthma is increasingly being recognized as a potential target for the achievement of optimal control of the disease. We postulated that the inflammatory changes of the small airways are implicated in the lack of asthma control in mild asthma. Objective To test this hypothesis, we measured the alveolar fraction of exhaled NO (C alv NO) in patients with mild asthma with different levels of control of symptoms. Methods Seventy-eight patients with asthma (35 men, age, 37 ± 15 years; FEV 1 percentage of predicted, 100% ± 9%) were studied. Asthma control was assessed by using the Asthma Control Test (ACT). Measurements of exhaled NO at multiple con…

Biochemical interaction between effects of beclomethasone dipropionate and salbutamol or formoterol in sputum cells from mild to moderate asthmatics.

2005

Background:  Several in vitro studies demonstrate that corticosteroids and long-acting β2 agonists may have a complementary and synergistic mode of action on the inflammatory processes in asthma. Methods:  Sputum was induced in 20 mild to moderate asthmatic patients and the induced sputum cells (ISC) were cultured with beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) 10−7 M, salbutamol 10−8 M and formoterol 10−8 M either alone or in combination, BDP plus salbutamol and BDP plus formoterol, for 24 h. We measured the levels of growth macrophages-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), released on activation normal T cells expressed and activated (RANTES) and interleukin-8 (IL-8), in the supernatant of stimulate…

Immunosuppressive treatment of rippling muscles in patients with myasthenia gravis

2000

Rippling muscle disease is a rare autosomal dominant disorder that may occur sporadically. In this report two patients presenting with rippling muscles followed by myasthenia gravis are described. Our first patient developed rippling muscles about 1 month after infection with Yersinia enterocolitica. Two years later myasthenia gravis appeared. Our second patient had a 2-year history of asthma prior to the onset of rippling muscles which preceded the myasthenic symptoms by 4-8 weeks. Acetylcholine receptor and anti-skeletal muscle antibody titers were positive in both patients. In both patients the rippling phenomena worsened with pyridostigmine treatment but markedly improved after immunosu…

Perceived Stress and Its Relationship with Chronic Medical Conditions and Multimorbidity among 229,293 Community-Dwelling Adults in 44 Low- and Middl…

2017

In this study, we assessed the association of chronic medical conditions and multimorbidity with perceived stress among community-dwelling adults in 44 low- and middle-income countries. Data from the World Health Survey (2002-2004), including 229,293 adults, were analyzed. A perceived stress score (range, 0 (lowest stress)-100 (highest stress)) was computed on the basis of 2 questions from the Perceived Stress Scale. Eleven chronic conditions were assessed.Multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted to explore the associations. All chronic conditions were associated with significantly higher mean perceived stress scores, with the exception of edentulism. The associations were pa…

Clinical presentation of patients with suspected obstructive sleep apnea and self-reported physician-diagnosed asthma in the ESADA cohort.

2018

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and asthma are often associated and several studies suggest a bidirectional relationship between asthma and OSA. This study analyzed the characteristics of patients with suspected OSA from the European Sleep Apnea Database according to presence/absence of physician-diagnosed asthma. Cross-sectional data in 16,236 patients (29.1% female) referred for suspected OSA were analyzed according to occurrence of physician-diagnosed asthma for anthropometrics, OSA severity and sleepiness. Sleep structure was assessed in patients studied by polysomnography (i.e. 48% of the sample). The prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma in the entire cohort was 4.8% (7.9% in women, …

Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of allergen-specific immunotherapy with the major allergen Alt a1

2019

Background: There have been few studies conducted on the efficacy and safety of specific immunotherapy with allergen extracts of fungi compared with other allergen extracts, and there are no data on the major allergen Alt a 1 of the fungus Alternaria alternata. Objectives: We sought to evaluate the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous immunotherapy with 2 different doses of Alt a 1 in patients with rhinoconjunctivitis caused by sensitization to A alternata. Method: We performed a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with Alt a 1 administered subcutaneously in patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis with or without controlled asthma aged 12 to 65 years. Three gro…

Mass Output and Particle Size Distribution of Glucocorticosteroids Emitted from Different Inhalation Devices Depending on Various Inspiratory Paramet…

2002

Efficient inhalation therapy depends on successful delivery of the drug to the lung. The efficacy of drug delivery is not only influenced by the characteristics of the inhalation device, but also by the patient's handling of the device and by the inspiratory maneuver achieved through the device. We analyzed the output characteristics of three different chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-free breath-actuated inhalers for inhaled glucocorticosteroids (BUD Turbohaler, FP Diskus/Accuhaler and HFA-BDP Autohaler, respectively). Mass output and particle size distribution of drug aerosol delivered by the inhalers were determined depending on different inhalation parameters in vitro using an Andersen cascade …

Sputum metalloproteinase-9/tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 ratio correlates with airflow obstruction in asthma and chronic bronchitis

1998

Asthma and chronic bronchitis are inflammatory diseases with extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and collagen deposition. Collagen homeostasis is controlled by metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). We evaluated MMP and TIMP balance in induced sputum of 10 control, 31 untreated asthmatic, and 16 chronic bronchitic subjects. We first performed zymographic analysis to identify the profile of MMPs. Zymography revealed a similar MMPs profile in all populations studied and that MMP-9 was the major enzyme released. We then measured, using enzyme immunoassay, the concentrations of MMP-9 and of its inhibitor TIMP-1 and evaluated whether airflow limitation m…

Increased Levels of Elastase and α1-Antitrypsin in Sputum of Asthmatic Patients

1998

Asthma and chronic bronchitis are inflammatory diseases associated with remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Elastin, a major component of the ECM in the airways, has been previously found to be disrupted in asthma and chronic bronchitis. This study was aimed at evaluating whether elastin disruption might be associated with an imbalance between elastase (active and total) and alpha1-proteinase inhibitor (alpha1-PI), the main inhibitor of elastase. We measured elastase and alpha1-PI in induced sputum obtained from 16 control subjects, 10 healthy smokers, 19 asthmatic patients, and 10 chronic bronchitis patients. We also assessed the possible origin of elastase, evaluating its levels…