Key words: neurofibromatosis; renovascular hyper-ochromocytoma but had not investigated the renal tension vasculature. She was subsequently lost to follow-up. Routine biochemistry and haematology were normal. There was no significant proteinuria. Subsequent investigations demonstrated normal

BACKGROUND It has been proposed that T helper (Th)2-driven immune deviation in early life can be countered by Th1 inducing childhood infections and that such counter-regulation can protect against allergic asthma. OBJECTIVE To test whether Th1-inducing infection with Bordetella pertussis protects against allergic asthma using well-characterized murine models. METHODS Groups of mice were sen...

Airway epithelial cells act as a physical barrier against environmental toxins and injury, and modulate inflammation and the immune response. As such, maintenance of their integrity is critical. Evidence is accumulating to suggest that exercise can cause injury to the airway epithelium. This seems the case particularly for competitive athletes performing high-level exercise, or when exercise ta...

BACKGROUND Inhalational insulin was withdrawn from market in 2007 due to its potential to produce airway hyper-reactivity and bronchoconstriction. So we explored the possible mechanism underlying the acute contractile effects of insulin and protective effects of beclomethasone against insulin induced airway hyper-responsiveness on isolated tracheal smooth muscle of guinea pig in vitro. METHOD...

Airway remodelling, which is manifested by thickening of bronchial wall, is an important causative factor of bronchial hyper-responsiveness in asthma. The pathophysiological mechanism of airway remodelling is not clear. In the present study we evaluated the relationship between nitric oxide (NO) generation and airway wall thickening in patients with chronic asthma. As a marker of NO production,...

INTRODUCTION Liver X receptors (LXRs) are nuclear receptors that function as cholesterol sensors and regulate cholesterol homeostasis. High cholesterol has been recognized as a risk factor in asthma; however, the mechanism of this linkage is not known. METHODS To explore the importance of cholesterol homeostasis for asthma, we investigated the contribution of LXR activity in an ovalbumin- and...

Cisneros et al report associations between scores on the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) and three indices of bronchial reactivity (doseeresponse slope (DRS), continuous index of responsiveness (CIR) and bronchial reactivity index (BRI)), which they suggest are qualitatively different from sensitivity, measured by PD20FEV1. This conclusion is questionable. First, there are no meanin...

Asthma, a common disorder that affects >250 million people worldwide, is defined by exaggerated bronchoconstriction to inflammatory mediators including acetylcholine (ACh), bradykinin and histamine-also termed airway hyper-responsiveness. Nearly 10% of people with asthma have severe, treatment-resistant disease, which is frequently associated with immunoglobulin-E sensitization to ubiquitous fu...

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition characterized by airway inflammation and hyper-reactivity. prevalence has continued to rise in recent decades as Western dietary patterns have become more pervasive. Evidence suggests that diets emphasizing the consumption of plant-based foods might protect against asthma development improve symptoms through their effects on systemic inflammation, oxida...