Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) allows identification of airway wall structures and could potentially be utilised for in vivo studies of airway thickening in asthma. The present study investigated whether inflation of the fluid-filled balloon sheath over the transducer (necessary to provide sonic coupling with the airway wall) influenced in vitro measurements. In vivo comparability of EBUS with...

Schwartz AR, Patil SP, Squier S, Schneider H, Kirkness JP, Smith PL. Obesity and upper airway control during sleep. J Appl Physiol 108: 430–435, 2010. First published October 29, 2009; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00919.2009.—Mechanisms linking obesity with upper airway dysfunction in obstructive sleep apnea are reviewed. Obstructive sleep apnea is due to alterations in upper airway anatomy and neu...

OBJECTIVE The aim of our study is to use cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) to assess the dimensional changes in the nasopharyngeal soft-tissue characteristics in children of Indian origin with repaired cleft lip and palate (CLP) and to compare the results with patients with ideal occlusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS A sample of 20 children (10 girls, 10 boys) with repaired CLP was selected. Co...

Airway inflammation is fundamental to the cause and persistence of asthma and other airway conditions. It contributes to symptoms, variable airflow limitation, airway hyperresponsiveness, and the structural changes (remodeling) associated with asthma. However, the presence and type of airway inflammation can be difficult to detect clinically, delaying the introduction of appropriate treatment. ...

It is generally accepted that halothane reduces airway and tissue resistance in lungs with preexisting airway tone. However, under conditions of resting airway tone, pulmonary resistance remains unaltered. In this study, we have determined the effects of halothane on respiratory system, pulmonary and chest wall resistive, elastic and viscoelastic mechanical properties, and related the results t...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS Drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) is used to determine surgical therapy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA); however, the effects of anesthesia on the upper airway are poorly understood. Our aim was to systematically review existing literature on the effects of anesthetic agents on the upper airway. DATA SOURCES PubMed, CINAHL, EBM reviews and Scopus (all indexed years)....

Sleep-disordered breathing is a common and serious cause of metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurocognitive morbidity in children. The spectrum of obstructive sleep-disordered breathing ranges from habitual snoring to partial or complete airway obstruction, termed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Breathing patterns due to airway narrowing are highly variable, including obstructive cycling, increase...

Bronchial asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease and is characterized by chronic airway inflammation, airway remodeling, and airway hyperreactivity (AHR). Aim of this study was to investigate the effects of mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channels (MitoKATP) on the proliferation and secretion of human airway smooth muscle cells (HASMCs). HASMCs were treated with the serum from ...

UNLABELLED BACKGROUND Airway inflammation stimulates proliferation of airway smooth muscle cell, which contributes to the development of hyperplasia and hypertrophy of smooth muscle cell. The increase in airway smooth muscle cell mass is believed to be due to an up-regulation of inflammatory mediators in the airway. It is now well recognized that chronic inflammation as well as airway hyper-...

UNLABELLED L-selectin is a cell adhesion molecule, which mediates leukocyte rolling on bronchopulmonary endothelium. Previous studies in a murine model of allergic airways disease have shown that L-selectin plays a role in the regulation of airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma via mechanisms independent of inflammation. Airway remodeling has been shown to modulate airway hyperresponsiveness ind...