OBJECTIVES To assess the clinical significance of nasal nitric oxide (nNO) and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) concentrations in children with upper airway inflammatory disease. METHODS Fifteen healthy children, 30 with allergic rhinitis (AR), 10 with non-allergic rhinitis (NAR), and 30 with sleep disordered breathing (SDB) were enrolled. The FeNO and nNO concentrations were measured n...

BACKGROUND Clinical and immunological studies have consistently shown a possible link between atopy and idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS). However, whether allergic diseases occur after INS develops is unknown. METHODS From Taiwan's National Health Insurance database, 1340 children with newly diagnosed INS and 5360 non-INS matched controls were identified in 2000-2007. By the end of 2008, t...

Background: Vegetarian or non-vegetarian food and NonSteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Medications (NSAIMs) also known as NSAIDs are separate factors in causing skin allergic reactions. The study aims to investigate whether there is a change in the incidence of allergies, associated with the concurrent exposure to both factors. Methods: Patients were randomly allocated to four groups, two of each wer...

Increased viral replication and cytokine production may be associated with the pathogenesis of asthma attacks in rhinovirus (RV) infections. However, the association between increased RV replication and enhanced expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), a receptor for a major RV group, in airway epithelial cells has remained unclear. Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of mucoly...

It has been suggested that changes in dietary habits, particularly increased consumption of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and decreased consumption of omega-3 PUFAs may explain the increase in atopic disease seen in recent years. Furthermore, it seems possible that it is mainly prenatal or very early life environmental factors that influence the development of allergic diseases. It...

BACKGROUND The immune response to bacterial antigens on mucosal surfaces may be modified in individuals allergic to aeroallergens due to a maturational or genetic difference or from the interaction between inhaled allergens and bacteria at the mucosa. METHODS Plasma from children and adults allergic (n = 97) and non-allergic (n = 54) to aeroallergens were initially tested for IgG1 (Th1) and I...

On histopathological examination, nasal polyps and nasal mucosa in allergic rhinitis show different forms of pseudostratified respiratory epithelium, whereas the dominant characteristic of lamina propria is an eosinophilic infiltration. The aim of this study was to compare interleukin (IL)-5 and eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) levels in the nasal fluid of 42 patients: 12 with allergic rhini...