Surfactant Protein-D (SP-D): a Potential Therapeutic Target for Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis

Evidence for a protective role of pulmonary surfactant protein D (SP-D) against influenza A viruses.

We tested the hypothesis that pulmonary surfactant-associated lectins--surfactant proteins A and D (SP-A, and -D)--contribute to initial protective mechanisms against influenza A viruses (IAVs). SP-D potently inhibited hemagglutination activity of several strains of IAV as well as causing viral aggregation. SP-D enhanced neutrophil binding of IAV and neutrophil respiratory burst responses to th...

Diagnosing Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis

A further confounding feature is the presence of persistent allergic rhinitis (PAR). The symptoms for this are different, in that the nose is Dermot Ryan, honorary clinical research fellow, University of Edinburgh; chair, Primary Care Interest Group, European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common disorder which has a major impact on the lives of sufferers...

Vitamin D serum levels and allergic rhinitis.

In addition to its role in the regulation of calcium metabolism, vitamin D has a number of immunological effects. Several studies in children found an effect of oral supplementation on allergic sensitization but so far there are no population-based studies of vitamin D serum levels. We therefore examined 25(OH)-D(3) status in 18,224 adults of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination ...

Vitamin D serum levels in allergic rhinitis

Attenuated allergic airway hyperresponsiveness in C57BL/6 mice is associated with enhanced surfactant protein (SP)-D production following allergic sensitization

BACKGROUND C57BL/6 mice have attenuated allergic airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) when compared with Balb/c mice but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. SP-D, an innate immune molecule with potent immunosuppressive activities may have an important modulatory role in the allergic airway response and the consequent physiological changes. We hypothesized that an elevated SP-D production is a...