Asthma is a complex respiratory disease characterized by episodes of variable airflow obstruction with clinical symptoms such as wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath. The classic definition of asthma as a single disease has begun to wane and the emerging concept is that asthma is an entity or a syndrome consisting of various different phenotypes, each involving different pathogenetic mech...

We have known for a long time that asthma-like symptoms in the first years of life predict later asthma poorly. Many preschool wheezers become asymptomatic by school age. A few will develop classic atopic asthma, which is likely to persist into later childhood and even adulthood, but the large majority of preschool children with asthma-like symptoms are difficult place into clear-cut categories...

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the accumulation of sticky and heavy mucus that can damage several organs. CF shows variable expressivity in affected individuals, but it typically causes respiratory and digestive complications as well as congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens in males. Individuals with classic CF usually have variants that prod...

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that is characterized by reversible airway obstruction, airway hyperresponsiveness to stimuli, variable airway resistance and flow rates, and transient increases in lung volume. Classic symptoms include cough, wheezing, dyspnea, and chest tightness [1]. Worldwide, asthma prevalence is increasing, with generally higher prevalence rates in w...

High prevalence of human herpesvirus type 8 (HHV-8) infection has been reported on the island of Sardinia. Among emigrants from Sardinia, rates of HHV-8 infection are lower than they are in Sardinia and are similar to those observed in the local population. Thus, environmental factors seem to play a relevant role in affecting the prevalence of HHV-8 infection.

by RIChARd KENdALL Using various education and census databases 1 this policy brief explores the Latino education pipeline in New York State and, where possible, uses disaggregated data to analyze the changes in educational enrollment, attainment, and achievement for Latinos between 1990 and 2000. The education pipeline represents the distribution of Latinos nrolled in preschool through graduat...

OBJECTIVES To review epidemiologic correlations between asthma and atopic dermatitis (AD), identify common features in disease pathophysiology, and review steps involved in the development of asthma therapy guidelines to assess the appropriateness of a similar process and approach for AD. METHODS A 7-member panel representing specialists in dermatology, allergy, asthma, immunology, and pediat...

Airway smooth muscle hyperresponsiveness is a key component in the pathophysiology of asthma. Although calcium-activated chloride channel (CaCC) flux has been described in many cell types, including human airway smooth muscle (HASM), the true molecular identity of the channels responsible for this chloride conductance remains controversial. Recently, a new family of proteins thought to represen...