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Pertussis, or whooping cough, a bacterial respiratory infection caused by Bordetella pertussis, is typically characterized by paroxysms of coughing with a whooping sound during inhalation. In Australia, pertussis is one [...]

Introduction Reported associations between World Trade Center (WTC) occupational exposure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma COPD overlap (ACO) have been inconsistent. Using spirometric case definitions, we examined that association in the largest WTC occupational surveillance cohort. Methods We examined the relation between early arrival at the 2001 WTC disaster site (when dust and fumes exposures were most intense) and COPD and ACO in workers with at least one good quality spirometry with bronchodilator response testing between 2002 and 2019, and no physician-diagnosed COPD before 9/11/2001. COPD was defined spirometrically as fixed airflow obstruction and ACO as airflow obstruction plus an increase of [greater than or equal to] 400 ml in FEV.sub.1 after bronchodilator administration. We used a nested 1:4 case-control design matching on age, sex and height using incidence density sampling. Results Of the 17,928 study participants, most were male (85.3%) and overweight or obese (84.9%). Further, 504 (2.8%) and 244 (1.4%) study participants met the COPD and ACO spirometric case definitions, respectively. In multivariable analyses adjusted for smoking, occupation, cohort entry period, high peripheral blood eosinophil count and other covariates, early arrival at the WTC site was associated with both COPD (adjusted odds ratio [OR.sub.adj] = 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.78) and ACO (OR.sub.adj = 1.55, 95%CI 1.04-2.32). Conclusion In this cohort of WTC workers, WTC exposure intensity was associated with spirometrically defined COPD and ACO. Our findings suggest that early arrival to the WTC site is a risk factor for the development of COPD or of fixed airway obstruction in workers with pre-existing asthma., Author(s): Rafael E. de la Hoz [sup.1] [sup.2] [sup.7], Moshe Shapiro [sup.1], Anna Nolan [sup.3], Akshay Sood [sup.4], Roberto G. Lucchini [sup.1], James E. Cone [sup.5], Juan C. Celedón [sup.6] [...]

Background/objectives Few studies have evaluated the effects of energy drinks on allergic diseases. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the association between energy drinks and various allergic diseases, including asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis, in a large representative Korean adolescent population. Subjects/methods This cross-sectional study used data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey collected from 2015 to 2016. A total of 129,809 participants (n = 67,056 for males; n = 62,753 for females) aged 12-18 years were included and were asked about their frequency of consumption of energy drinks such as Hot6.sup.®, Redbull.sup.®, and Bacchus.sup.®. Their history of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis throughout life and in the last 12 months were obtained. The association between the frequency of energy-drink consumption and allergic diseases was analyzed using multiple logistic regression with adjustment for various covariates. Results Age, sex, physical activity, obesity, region of residence, economic level, paternal and maternal educational level, smoking, and alcohol consumption differed significantly according to the frequency of energy-drink consumption (each P < 0.001). Frequent energy-drink consumption ([greater than or equal to]7 times a week) was significantly associated with asthma throughout life (odds ratio [OR] = 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.03-1.64, P = 0.025), asthma within the last 12 months (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.16-2.35, P = 0.006), allergic rhinitis within the last 12 months (OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.02-1.44, P = 0.030), and atopic dermatitis within the last 12 months (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.17-1.90, P = 0.001) compared to no energy-drink consumption in the full-adjusted model. Conclusions Frequent energy-drink consumption is associated with allergic diseases, including asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis, in Korean adolescents., Author(s): Jee Hye Wee [sup.1] , Chanyang Min [sup.2] [sup.3] , Min Woo Park [sup.4] , Il-Seok Park [sup.5] , Bumjung Park [sup.1] , Hyo Geun Choi [sup.1] [sup.2] Author [...]

Purpose This study aimed to investigate the association between asthma and risk of myasthenia gravis (MG) using the method of systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods Potentially eligible studies were identified from Medline and EMBASE databases from inception to July 2020 using search strategy that comprised terms for 'Asthma' and 'Myasthenia Gravis'. Eligible cohort study must consist of one cohort of individuals with asthma and another cohort of individuals without asthma. Then, the study must report relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) of incident MG between the groups. Eligible case-control studies must include cases with MG and controls without MG. Then, the study must explore their history of asthma. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% CIs of the association between asthma status and MG must be reported. Point estimates with standard errors were retrieved from each study and were combined together using the generic inverse variance method. Results A total of 6,835 articles were identified. After two rounds of independent review by five investigators, two cohort studies and three case-control studies met the eligibility criteria and were included into the meta-analysis. Pooled analysis showed that asthma was significantly associated with risk of MG with the pooled risk ratio of 1.38 (95% CI 1.02-1.86). Funnel plot was symmetric, which was not suggestive of publication bias. Conclusion The current study found a significant association between asthma and increased risk of MG., Author(s): Pitchaporn Yingchoncharoen [sup.1], Nipith Charoenngam [sup.2] [sup.3], Ben Ponvilawan [sup.4], Jerapas Thongpiya [sup.5], Thanat Chaikijurajai [sup.6] [sup.7], Patompong Ungprasert [sup.8] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.10223.32, 0000 0004 1937 0490, Department [...]

Treatment options are limited for severe asthma, and the need for additional therapies remains great. Previously, we demonstrated that integrin [α.sub.v][β.sub.6]-deficient mice are protected from airway hyperresponsiveness, due in part to increased expression of the murine ortholog of human chymase. Here, we determined that chymase protects against cytokine-enhanced bronchoconstriction by cleaving fibronectin to impair tension transmission in airway smooth muscle (ASM). Additionally, we identified a pathway that can be therapeutically targeted to mitigate the effects of airway hyperresponsiveness. Administration of chymase to human bronchial rings abrogated IL-13-enhanced contraction, and this effect was not due to alterations in calcium homeostasis or myosin light chain phosphorylation. Rather, chymase cleaved fibronectin, inhibited ASM adhesion, and attenuated focal adhesion phosphorylation. Disruption of integrin ligation with an RGD-containing peptide abrogated IL-13-enhanced contraction, with no further effect from chymase. We identified [α.sub.5][β.sub.1] as the primary fibronectin-binding integrin in ASM, and [α.sub.5][β.sub.1]-specific blockade inhibited focal adhesion phosphorylation and IL-13-enhanced contraction, with no additional effect from chymase. Delivery of an [α.sub.5][β.sub.1] inhibitor into murine airways abrogated the exaggerated bronchoconstriction induced by allergen sensitization and challenge. Finally, [α.sub.5][β.sub.1] blockade enhanced the effect of the bronchodilator isoproterenol on airway relaxation. Our data identify the [α.sub.5][β.sub.1] integrin as a potential therapeutic target to mitigate the severity of airway contraction in asthma., Introduction Severe asthma affects 5% to 10% of the total asthmatic population (1, 2). This subgroup is characterized by poor symptom control including persistent airflow obstruction and recurrent exacerbations, as [...]

Population-based estimates of asthma in adults in China during the summer season are lacking. A community-based survey was conducted among adults (N = 610) selected through simple random sampling across all inner-city areas of Zunyi in the Guizhou Province of China. Data on asthma and asthma-related symptoms and selected home environmental factors were collected using a modified European Community Respiratory Health Survey II questionnaire. The studied respondents recorded a prevalence rate of asthma and asthma-related symptoms in summer (7.5%) in Zunyi. Among a variety of risk factors, asthma in childhood, kitchen in the living room or bedroom, mixed fuel stove, cooking oil fumes, secondhand smoke, mold growth, and home furnishings were associated with increased risks of asthma and asthma-related symptoms. This study demonstrates the harmful effects of indoor air pollution from indoor environmental exposure on the lung function of adult residents in summer and emphasizes the need for public health efforts to decrease exposure to indoor environmental risk factors., Introduction Asthma is the most common chronic respiratory disease, and is characterized by recurrent attacks of breathlessness and wheezing. A rapid increase in asthma in recent years cannot be ascribed [...]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of asthma hospital visits with ozone concentrations in Maricopa County, Arizona. We used time plots and distributed lag nonlinear models to achieve these objectives while accounting for some potential confounders including temperature and day of the week. A total of 90,381 asthma hospitalizations were retrieved from the dataset (daily median = 39, range: 8-122). Asthma hospitalizations were highest in 2008 (16,949), during the months of November through December, and lowest in 2011 (13,213), during the months of June through July. By contrast, the average daily ozone concentration ranged from 27.05 parts per billion (ppb) in 2012 to 30.15 ppb in 2008 and from 13.96 ppb in December to 40.58 ppb in May. The association between asthma hospitalizations (relative risk [RR/per 10 ppb increase of ozone]) start at ~1.046 (95% confidence interval [1.029, 1.064] at lag 0) and gradually decrease over several days. Our findings suggest exposure to ozone is associated with increased RR of asthma hospital visits in Maricopa County lasting several days. This study used recently developed methods that are freely available and could be used to evaluate other health events that are measured over time., Introduction Asthma is a chronic disease that affects a considerable number of adults and children. It has been a growing public health challenge in industrialized countries for the last few [...]