Inflammation and airway remodeling are two responses readily apparent in asthma and other inflammatory disorders of the airway and lungs. Both adenosine and IL-13 play critical roles in contributing pathways. A new study reveals a previously unrecognized interaction between adenosine and IL-13 that indicates a mutual stimulation that may contribute to the nature and severity of airway inflammat...

RATIONALE Increases in airway smooth muscle, extracellular matrix, and vascularity are prominent features of airway remodeling in asthma, whereas the extent of such remodeling in patients with persistent allergic rhinitis (PAR) is unknown. OBJECTIVES To test the hypothesis that upper airway remodeling is a feature of PAR. METHODS Total nasal symptoms scores, nasal biopsies, and Th1 and Th2 ...

BACKGROUND Combining inhaled corticosteroids with long-acting beta(2)-agonists results in improved asthma symptom control and fewer asthma exacerbations compared with those seen after inhaled corticosteroids alone. However, there are limited data as to whether these beneficial effects are due to enhanced anti-inflammatory actions or whether such combination therapies affect airway remodeling in...

Bronchial epithelial cells exposed to allergens typically secrete chemokines to recruit eosinophils. Persistent inflammation and repair responses result in airway remodeling and irreversible airflow limitation. House dust mite (HDM) is a common allergen causing allergic disorders. Thioredoxin (TRX) is a redox protein that scavenges reactive oxygen species (ROS). This study was to elucidate how ...

Aspergillus fumigatus is a major fungal pathogen that may be fatal to immunocompromised individuals and causes airway hyperreactivity and remodeling in sensitized individuals. Herein, we examined the role of mannose-binding lectin (MBL), a complement-activating plasma protein, during pulmonary innate and allergic immune responses directed against A. fumigatus spores or conidia. Neither group of...

We established a mouse model of asthmatic airway remodeling. To investigate the effects of different doses of 1,2 5-(OH)2D3 on airway remodeling, expression of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) and Toll-like receptors 4 (TLR4) in asthmatic mice. The female mice (BALB/c) groups consisted of a control group, asthma group and 1,2 5-(OH)2D3 low, middle, high dose group. Each group contained 10 mice...

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is critical in the pathogenesis of allergic airway inflammation in vivo and induces proliferation of airway smooth muscle cells and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression in vitro. However, the effects of NGF on chronic pulmonary diseases of allergic origin remain unknown. To investigate the effects of NGF on lung inflammation and airway remodeling, 32 Wistar ra...

Chronic inflammatory airway diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are characterized by airway remodeling with altered extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. Transforming growth factor-β(1) (TGF-β(1)) is upregulated in asthma and COPD and contributes to tissue remodeling in the airways by driving ECM production by structural cells, including airway smooth muscle. ...

Cough is the most common complaint for which patients seek medical attention. Cough variant asthma (CVA) is a form of asthma, which presents solely with cough. CVA is one of the most common causes of chronic cough. More importantly, 30 to 40% of adult patients with CVA, unless adequately treated, may progress to classic asthma. CVA shares a number of pathophysiological features with classic ast...