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Abstract
Background The presence of nitric oxide (NO) in high concentrations has been described in the nasal mucosa of patients with untreated allergic rhinitis. We sought to examine the role of exogenous, as well as endogenous, NO in the production of collagen type I and type III by human nasal fibroblasts. Methods Primary cultured fibroblasts derived from eosinophilic nasal polyps were exposed to NO donors (500 μM of S-nitroso-N-acetyl-d,l-penicillamine (SNAP) 1000 μM of 3,3-bis(aminoethyl)-1-hydroxy-2-oxo-1-triazene (DETA-NONOate)) and various other compounds over a 24-hour incubation period. Collagen production was evaluated qualitatively by immunocytochemistry and quantitatively by Western blot analysis. Results Maximally stimulated fibroblasts established a 2.2-fold increase in the production of type III collagen relative type I, as compared with baseline. Oxyhemoglobin, an NO scavenger, abolished this effect. SNAP (500 μM) caused a 15.68 ± 0.68% increase in collagen type I synthesis as compared with unstimulated controls (p < 0.05). In contrast, incubation with SNAP caused an increase in collagen type III production by a factor of 34.68 ± 0.32% (p < 0.05). Conclusion NO stimulates collagen expression in human nasal polyp-derived fibroblasts. This stimulation appeared to favor the up-regulation of collagen type III, leading to a shift in the ratio of collagen type I to type III production.
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Park SK, Jin YD, Park YK, Yeon SH, Xu J, Han RN, Rha KS, Kim YM. IL-25-induced activation of nasal fibroblast and its association with the remodeling of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0181806. [PMID: 28771607 PMCID: PMC5542454 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and objective Interleukin (IL)-25 has been shown to play an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. Nasal polyps are associated with chronic inflammation of the mucous membranes in the paranasal sinuses and are involved in extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of IL-25 on myofibroblast differentiation, ECM production and the expression of matrix metalloproteinases in nasal polyp derived fibroblasts (NPDFs) and to determine the molecular mechanism underlying these processes. Materials and methods A total of 40 patients were enrolled in this study for Immunofluorescence studies. Expression of IL17 receptor B was evaluated by real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in NPDFs. NPDFs were stimulated with IL-25 for 48 h in the presence or absence of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and NF-κB inhibitors or small interfering RNAs (siRNA). The protein levels of fibrosis active mediators were examined using western blotting. Fibroblast migration was evaluated with a scratch assay. The total collagen amount was analyzed with the Sircol collagen assay. Results IL-25 induced α-SMA, fibronectin, and MMP-1 and -13, which were dependent on IL-17RB. IL-25 also induced activation of NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPKs). By using the specific inhibitor of ERK, p38, JNK and NF-κB (U, SB, SP and Bay), we found that IL-25-induced expressions of α-SMA, fibronectin, and MMPs was regulated by the signaling pathways of MAPKs and NF-κB. IL-25 also induces α-SMA, fibronectin, and MMPs expression through IL-17RB-dependent pathways in NPDFs. The increased migration ability induced by IL-25 was suppressed by the specific inhibitors of MAPKs and NF-κB. Conclusion Our data indicate that IL-25 induced myofibroblast differentiation, fibronectin production, and MMP-1 and -13 expressions through the signaling pathways of MAPKs and NF-κB. in NPDFs and increased expression of IL-25 were also involved in the pathogenesis of nasal polyposis by affecting nasal fibroblasts in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soo-Kyoung Park
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Research Institute for Medical Science, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Yong-De Jin
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Yanbian University Hospital, Yanji, China
| | - Yeong-Kyu Park
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Research Institute for Medical Science, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Sun-Hee Yeon
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Research Institute for Medical Science, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Jun Xu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Research Institute for Medical Science, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Yanbian University Hospital, Yanji, China
| | - Rui-Ning Han
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Research Institute for Medical Science, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Yanbian University Hospital, Yanji, China
| | - Ki-Sang Rha
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Research Institute for Medical Science, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Yong-Min Kim
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Research Institute for Medical Science, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea
- * E-mail:
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3
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Abstract
Allergic inflammation develops in tissues that have large epithelial surface areas that are exposed to the environment, such as the lung, skin and gut. In the steady state, antigen-experienced memory T cells patrol these peripheral tissues to facilitate swift immune responses against invading pathogens. In at least two allergy-prone organs, the skin and the gut, memory T cells are programmed during the initial antigen priming to express trafficking receptors that enable them to preferentially home to these organs. In this review we propose that tissue-specific memory and inflammation-specific T cell trafficking facilitates the development of allergic disease in these organs. We thus review recent advances in our understanding of tissue-specific T cell trafficking and how regulation of T cell trafficking by the chemokine system contributes to allergic inflammation in mouse models and in human allergic diseases of the skin, lung and gut. Inflammation- and tissue-specific T lymphocyte trafficking pathways are currently being targeted as new treatments for non-allergic inflammatory diseases and may yield effective new therapeutics for allergic diseases.
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Bachelet I, Munitz A, Levi-Schaffer F. Tryptase as an inflammatory marker in allergic disease and asthma. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2010; 1:63-73. [PMID: 20477655 DOI: 10.1586/1744666x.1.1.63] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, varying from occasional episodes of wheezing and shortness of breath, to an irreversible, life-threatening obstructive disease. While many cases are managed with relative ease, others do not respond to the traditional inhaled therapy or even to oral glucocorticosteroids. Although it cannot be cured as yet, asthma can be controlled if properly diagnosed. Usually, functional clinical parameters form the basis for estimation of the disease severity. In addition, the growing database of cytokine and mediator profiles have allowed their exploitation as molecular markers for processes underlying airway inflammation in asthma. Tryptase is a potent and versatile mediator in allergic inflammation, orchestrating both acute and chronic events by acting on a vast array of cells and tissue components. For more than a decade, tryptase has been used as a marker for allergic inflammation in asthma as well as in a variety of other airway diseases. In this review, the current advantages and disadvantages of the use of tryptase as an inflammatory marker in asthma will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ido Bachelet
- The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Department of Pharmacology, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
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Hamzaoui A, Cheik Rouhou S, Graïri H, Abid H, Ammar J, Chelbi H, Hamzaoui K. NKT cells in the induced sputum of severe asthmatics. Mediators Inflamm 2007; 2006:71214. [PMID: 16883065 PMCID: PMC1592585 DOI: 10.1155/mi/2006/71214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
To determine whether there was a specific inflammatory process in
severe asthmatics, the phenotypic characteristics of induced
sputum immune cells were analysed among patients with severe
asthma. Twenty-two induced sputa (10 severe asthmatics) were
studied. Flow cytometric analysis was performed using immune cells
of the sputum and monoclonal antibodies to CD3, CD4, CD8, CD56,
CD25, and TCRγδ. The number of NKT
(CD3+CD56+) cells was significantly higher in the sputum
of severe asthmatics compared with mild asthmatic and
healthy control groups (P < .05). CD8+CD56+ cells were
the predominant subtype of the increased NKT cells in severe
asthmatics. CD3+CD56+Vα24+,
TCRγδ+ CD56+, and CD4+CD25+ T cells were
significantly increased in severe asthmatic patients. These
results suggest that the immunopathogenesis of severe asthmatics
vary between severe and mild asthmatics, and that
CD8+CD56+ NKT cells may play an important role in the
immunopathogenesis of severe asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnes Hamzaoui
- Department of Pediatric and Respiratory Diseases,
Abderrahmane Mami Hospital, Pavillon B, Ariana 2080, Tunisia
- Homeostasis and Cell Dysfunction Unit Research
99/UR/08-40, Medicine University of Tunis, 1007 Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Sana Cheik Rouhou
- Department of Pediatric and Respiratory Diseases,
Abderrahmane Mami Hospital, Pavillon B, Ariana 2080, Tunisia
- Homeostasis and Cell Dysfunction Unit Research
99/UR/08-40, Medicine University of Tunis, 1007 Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Hedia Graïri
- Department of Pediatric and Respiratory Diseases,
Abderrahmane Mami Hospital, Pavillon B, Ariana 2080, Tunisia
- Homeostasis and Cell Dysfunction Unit Research
99/UR/08-40, Medicine University of Tunis, 1007 Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Hanadi Abid
- Department of Pediatric and Respiratory Diseases,
Abderrahmane Mami Hospital, Pavillon B, Ariana 2080, Tunisia
- Homeostasis and Cell Dysfunction Unit Research
99/UR/08-40, Medicine University of Tunis, 1007 Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Jamel Ammar
- Department of Pediatric and Respiratory Diseases,
Abderrahmane Mami Hospital, Pavillon B, Ariana 2080, Tunisia
- Homeostasis and Cell Dysfunction Unit Research
99/UR/08-40, Medicine University of Tunis, 1007 Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Hanene Chelbi
- Homeostasis and Cell Dysfunction Unit Research
99/UR/08-40, Medicine University of Tunis, 1007 Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Kamel Hamzaoui
- Homeostasis and Cell Dysfunction Unit Research
99/UR/08-40, Medicine University of Tunis, 1007 Tunis, Tunisia
- *Kamel Hamzaoui:
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Zimmermann N, Rothenberg ME. The arginine-arginase balance in asthma and lung inflammation. Eur J Pharmacol 2006; 533:253-62. [PMID: 16458291 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2005.12.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2005] [Accepted: 12/13/2005] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Asthma, a complex chronic inflammatory pulmonary disorder, is on the rise despite intense ongoing research underscoring the need for new scientific inquiry. Using global microarray analysis, we have recently uncovered that asthmatic responses involve metabolism of arginine by arginase. We found that the cationic amino acid transporter (CAT)2, arginase I, and arginase II were particularly prominent among the allergen-induced gene transcripts. These genes are key regulators of critical processes associated with asthma including airway tone, cell hyperplasia and collagen deposition, respectively. Furthermore, systemic arginine levels and arginine metabolism via nitric oxide synthase (NOS) can have profound effect on lung inflammation. This review focuses on the current body of knowledge on l-arginine metabolism in asthma and lung inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nives Zimmermann
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH 45229, USA
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King NE, Rothenberg ME, Zimmermann N. Arginine in asthma and lung inflammation. J Nutr 2004; 134:2830S-2836S; discussion 2853S. [PMID: 15465795 DOI: 10.1093/jn/134.10.2830s] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Asthma, a complex chronic inflammatory pulmonary disorder, is on the rise despite intense ongoing research underscoring the need for new scientific inquiry. Using global microarray analysis, we recently discovered that asthmatic responses involve metabolism of arginine by arginase. We found that the cationic amino acid transporter (CAT)2, arginase I, and arginase II were particularly prominent among the allergen-induced gene transcripts. These genes are key regulators of critical processes associated with asthma, including airway tone, cell hyperplasia, and collagen deposition, respectively. Recent data suggest that arginase induction is not just a marker of allergic airway responses, but that arginase is involved in the pathogenesis of multiple aspects of disease. This review focuses on the current body of knowledge on L-arginine metabolism in asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina E King
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
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Buske-Kirschbaum A, Fischbach S, Rauh W, Hanker J, Hellhammer D. Increased responsiveness of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to stress in newborns with atopic disposition. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2004; 29:705-11. [PMID: 15110919 DOI: 10.1016/s0306-4530(03)00100-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2002] [Revised: 04/04/2003] [Accepted: 04/04/2003] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
In previous studies, atopic patients showed attenuated cortisol responses to psychosocial stress which is suggestive of a hyporeactive hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in this patient group. Regarding the anti-inflammatory role of glucocorticoids, reduced responsiveness of the HPA axis under stress may be one potential explanation of stress-induced exacerbation of atopic symptoms. The present study evaluated whether hyporeactivity of the HPA axis is a feature related to the disposition of atopy rather than a consequence of an ongoing chronic allergic inflammatory process. Newborns with an atopic disposition (parental atopy; n=31) and without atopic disposition (no parental atopy; n=20) were recruited. To further assess atopic disposition, total IgE levels were determined in the cord blood of the neonates. Three days after birth, a blood sample was obtained by a heel prick which is part of a standard pediatric examination. Blood sampling by heel prick is well known to be a significant stressor resulting in activation of the HPA axis in newborns. Analysis of salivary cortisol indicated a significant increase of cortisol levels in the newborns after the stressor with a trend towards an elevated cortisol response in babies with a family history of atopy or with elevated levels of cord IgE (> or = 0.5 kU/l). Neonates with a positive parental atopic heritage and elevated cord IgE were found to show significantly elevated cortisol responses to the heel prick stress when compared to newborns without a parental atopic history and normal cord IgE values. Moreover, cord IgE levels were significantly correlated with basal cortisol levels and the cortisol response to the stressor. These findings suggest that atopic disposition in neonates is associated with altered responsiveness of the HPA axis to stress which may increase the vulnerability to develop manifestation of atopy in later life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelika Buske-Kirschbaum
- Center for Psychobiological and Psychosomatic Research, University of Trier, Universitätsring 15, 54286 Trier, Germany.
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10
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Tsoumakidou M, Tzanakis N, Kyriakou D, Chrysofakis G, Siafakas NM. Inflammatory cell profiles and T-lymphocyte subsets in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and severe persistent asthma. Clin Exp Allergy 2004; 34:234-40. [PMID: 14987303 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2004.01858.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Severe persistent asthma (SPA) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are both associated with non-reversible airflow limitation and airway neutrophilia. OBJECTIVE To compare inflammatory cell profiles and T lymphocyte subsets between SPA and COPD patients with similar severity of airflow limitation. METHODS Sputum induction and lung function tests were performed in 15 COPD patients aged (mean+/-SD) 68+/-8 years, ex-smokers, mean forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) 45% of predicted (% pred) and 13 SPA aged 55+/-10 years, non-smokers, mean FEV(1) 49% pred. All patients were on inhaled steroid treatment. Eight asthmatics exhibited irreversible airflow limitation. Differential cell count, metachromatic cell count and double immunocytochemistry for the analysis of T lymphocyte subsets were performed on sputum slides. RESULTS COPD patients had increased sputum neutrophils in comparison with SPA (P<0.03), but similar to SPA with fixed obstruction. In COPD sputum neutrophils negatively correlated with the lung transfer factor for carbon monoxide (KCO) (r=-0.462, P=0.04). SPA showed significantly increased eosinophils and metachromatic cells vs. COPD patients (P<0.04, P<0.007, respectively). Increased CD4/CD8 and decreased CD4-IFN-gamma/CD4-IL4+ cell ratio (P<0.001) were found in SPA vs. COPD. In SPA, CD4/CD8+ cell ratio correlated with sputum eosinophils (r=0.567, P=0.04). CONCLUSION In spite of treatment with inhaled steroids, SPA and COPD exhibit distinct sputum inflammatory cell patterns, although SPA with fixed airflow limitation and COPD patients have similar numbers of neutrophils.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Tsoumakidou
- Department of Thoracic Medicine, University of Crete, Medical School, Greece
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Buske-Kirschbaum A, von Auer K, Krieger S, Weis S, Rauh W, Hellhammer D. Blunted cortisol responses to psychosocial stress in asthmatic children: a general feature of atopic disease? Psychosom Med 2003; 65:806-10. [PMID: 14508024 DOI: 10.1097/01.psy.0000095916.25975.4f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Atopy is defined by the individual predisposition to develop a group of inflammatory disorders in response to certain food or environmental substances that are otherwise innocuous for the host. In previous studies we could demonstrate a reduced responsiveness of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to psychosocial stress in young and adult patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), a chronic atopic skin disorder. With respect to the important immunoregulatory role of the HPA axis, especially under stress, this observation could be of clinical relevance and may at least partly explain stress-induced exacerbation of AD. The present study was designed to investigate whether attenuated responsiveness of the HPA axis to stress represents a characteristic feature of AD or whether it can also be found in other chronic manifestations of atopy. METHODS Children (aged 7-12) with allergic asthma (AA; N = 17) and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (N = 18) were exposed to the "Trier Social Stress Test for Children"(TSST-C), which mainly consists of a free speech and mental arithmetic tasks in front of an audience. Salivary cortisol was measured in ten-minute intervals before and after the TSST-C, while heart rate was monitored continuously. In addition, early morning cortisol levels (after awakening, +10, +20, +30 minutes) were assessed on three consecutive days. RESULTS Data analysis yielded a significant increase of cortisol concentrations (F (9297)= 16.79; p <.001) and heart rates (F(32,992)= 9.16; p <.001) after the stressor with no between-group difference in heart rate responses. However, AA children showed a significantly blunted cortisol response to the TSST-C when compared with the control group (F(9297)= 2.95; p <.01). Awakening in the morning was accompanied by a significant rise of cortisol levels on all three experimental days in AA and control subjects (all p <.001) that was not different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that a blunted adrenocortical response to stress may represent a common feature of chronic allergic inflammatory processes that may be relevant in different forms of chronic manifestation of atopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelika Buske-Kirschbaum
- Department of Psychobiology, Center for Psychobiological and Psychosomatic Research, University of Trier, Trier, Germany.
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12
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Abstract
While the role of mast cells in allergic reactions is unequivocal, their precise functions in asthma remain controversial. Mast cells uniquely populate all vascularized organs and tissues, including the upper and lower respiratory tree, even in healthy individuals. Histologic evidence suggests that asthma is accompanied by a mast cell hyperplasia in the inflamed mucosal epithelium and the adjacent smooth muscle. The mechanisms responsible for constitutive mast cell development have been partly elucidated. Moreover, both in vitro studies and in vivo disease models indicate that mast cells have a remarkably flexible program of gene expression, and this program can be drastically altered by the T-cell-derived Th2 cytokines relevant to asthma. Moreover, the role of mast cells in innate immunity is now firmly established, and the capacity for numerous microbial pathogens to initiate their activation in vitro and in vivo suggest mechanisms by which microbes could initiate disease exacerbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua A Boyce
- Division of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy, Brigham and Women's Hospital, USA.
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Lin YC, Su HJ, Hsiue TR, Lee CH, Chen CW, Guo YL. Levels of house dust mite-specific IgE and cockroach-specific IgE and their association with lower pulmonary function in Taiwanese children. Chest 2002; 121:347-53. [PMID: 11834642 DOI: 10.1378/chest.121.2.347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Sensitization to an aeroallergen is known to diminish pulmonary function in young children and adults; however, it remains unclear whether it produces similar effects in adolescents. This study, therefore, examined the relationship between serum allergen-specific IgE levels and pulmonary function in adolescents. DESIGN Middle-school children were invited for a physician's evaluation and pulmonary function test when not experiencing an asthma attack and for the determination of serum levels of specific IgE to common allergens. SETTING National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Taiwan. SUBJECTS Middle-school children in southern Taiwan, who had completed both a nationally administered Chinese version of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire and a pulmonary function test in October 1996. RESULTS Forty-two then currently asthmatic children, 38 children with asthma in remission (no reported attack for > 12 months), and 69 children without asthma completed the study. Children with asthma had a significantly lower adjusted forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of FVC (FEF(25-75%)) and FEV(1)/FVC than children without asthma. A greater percentage of children with asthma were more sensitized to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p), Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f), and German cockroach but not cat dander or dog dander. Children with asthma with Der f-specific IgE > 100 IU/mL, or cockroach-specific IgE > 0.7 IU/mL showed lower pulmonary function. No such association was found in children without asthma. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that sensitization to Der f and German cockroach was a critical factor for the lower pulmonary function observed in middle-school children with asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Chu Lin
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan
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14
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Abstract
The prevalence of asthma has risen drastically in the last two decades, with a worldwide impact on health care systems. Although several factors contribute to the development of asthma, inflammation seems to be a common factor that leads to the most severe asthmatic responses. In the past decade, researchers have characterized a large group of chemotactic cytokines, also known as chemokines, which are implicated in asthmatic inflammation. These chemokines control and direct the migration and activation of various leukocyte populations. Targeting chemokines should lead to new ways of controlling the inflammatory asthmatic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- N W Lukacs
- University of Michigan Medical School, Department of Pathology, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-0602, USA.
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15
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Muro S, Hamid QA. Advances in the pathophysiology of bronchial asthma. Allergol Int 2001. [DOI: 10.1046/j.1440-1592.2001.00217.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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