Immunomodulation of Allergic Sinonasal Disease

Smoking and non-allergic sinonasal disease

Background The association between smoking and lower airway inflammation and disease is well documented; however, it is not established whether smoking also induces disease of the upper airways. In a previous study, we found nonallergic rhinitis (NAR) to be associated with smoking in a dose-dependent manner; in addition, asthma and chronic bronchitis were linked with NAR. In the present study, ...

Immunomodulation by food: promising concept for mitigating allergic disease?

The importance of a properly functioning and well-balanced immune system for maintaining health has become strikingly evident over the past decades. Roughly since World War II, there has been an apparent decrease in the prevalence of "traditional" infectious diseases, with a concomitant increase in immune-related disorders, such as allergies. Causally, a relationship with changes in life-style-...

Seasonal allergic rhinitis affects sinonasal microbiota

BACKGROUND Microbes and allergens can stimulate the nasal mucosa, potentially leading to the development of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis (ABRS). This study was designed to determine if allergen exposure alters the sinonasal microbiome. METHODS We performed a parallel observational study of healthy adults with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR; grass or tree, n = 20) or nonallergic subjects (n...

Imaging of sinonasal inflammatory disease.

Changes in imaging sinonasal inflammatory disease have paralleled changes in the treatment of chronic sinusitis. As functional endoscopic sinus surgery has become a more widespread technique, coronal computed tomography (CT) has become the primary imaging modality, replacing plain radiography. Knowledge of the plethora of sinonasal anatomic variations and the inherent surgical implications is c...

Treatments in Infectious and Allergic Conjunctivitis: Is Immunomodulation the Future?