Allergic Diseases in the Respiratory Tract

Fungi and allergic lower respiratory tract diseases.

Asthma is a common disorder that in 2009 afflicted 8.2% of adults and children, 24.6 million persons, in the United States. In patients with moderate and severe persistent asthma, there is significantly increased morbidity, use of health care support, and health care costs. Epidemiologic studies in the United States and Europe have associated mold sensitivity, particularly to Alternaria alterna...

Allergic respiratory diseases in the elderly.

In industrialized countries there has been a significant increase in life expectancy, but chronic diseases are still important causes of death and disability in the elderly. Individuals over 65 years of age have a decrease in organic functions and lungs can lose more than 40% of their capacity. Although asthma and allergic rhinitis are more common in young people their prevalence in the elderly...

Diseases of the Respiratory Tract

Allergic aspergillosis of the respiratory tract.

Aspergillus, a genus of spore forming fungi found worldwide, affects the respiratory tract in many ways [1, 2]. The spores of this ubiquitous mould are dispersed by wind in the atmosphere and inhalation is the primary route of access in almost all forms of aspergillosis. The spectrum of Aspergillus-associated respiratory disorders comprises three well defined clinical categories (table 1): alle...

Kinins and respiratory tract diseases.

Bradykinin and related kinins are peptidic hormones, formed in tissues and fluids during inflammation. Various functional sites have been proposed as mediators of the biological effects of kinins, including the B1, B2 and B3 receptors. The existence of the B1 and the B2 receptor has largely been confirmed, whilst that of the B3 receptor is controversial and needs further confirmation. The role ...