Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood. It is well known that genetic variability contributes to asthma risk. One of the most replicated asthma candidate genes is ORM1-like 3 (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) (ORMDL3), which has been associated with childhood asthma susceptibility. Another asthma candidate gene is signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6), a regulator of IgE class switching. Gene coding thromboxane A2 receptor (TBXA2R),involved in chronic airway inflammation, has been associated with asthma in several genetic studies. he study group consisted of 154 children with asthma, in whom clinical parameters were measured and whose asthma control and atopic status were determined. A control group comprised 71 healthy children. Genotyping was performed using an allelic discrimination assay. The ORMDL3 polymorphism rs4795405 was suggestively associated with asthma risk. Furthermore, it was significantly associated with nonatopic asthma and asthma without rhinitis. No association was detected between the STAT6 polymorphism rs324011 or the TBXA2R polymorphisms rs8113232 and rs3786989 and asthma susceptibility. However, an association between rs324011 in STAT6 with recurrent wheezing in early childhood and a suggestive association between rs8113232 in TBXA2R with rhinitis in children with asthma were observed. Our results confirmed ORMDL3 as a candidate gene for childhood asthma susceptibility. STAT6 and TBXA2R polymorphisms were not associated with asthma risk, but they were associated with asthma-related symptoms.
COBISS.SI-ID: 28983257
Angiogenesis is a prominent feature of structural tissue remodelling that occurs in chronic airway diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the airway levels of VEGF,angiogenin, IL-8 and TNF-α in patients with COPD during the stable phase and during acute exacerbation of the disease. We analysed induced sputum samples from 28 patients with COPD. Thirteen of these patients were followed up and second samples of sputum were obtained during acute exacerbation of the disease. The two control groups consisted of 12 healthy smokers and seven healthy non-smokers, all with normal lung function tests. Concentrations of VEGF, angiogenin, IL-8, TNF-α and bFGF were measured by cytometric bead array. In the induced sputum of patients with stable COPD, concentrations of VEGF (P ( 0.001, P = 0.02),angiogenin (P ( 0.0001, P ( 0.0001), IL-8 (P ( 0.0001, P = 0.0021) and TNF-α (P (0.001, P = 0.03) were significantly elevated in comparison with healthy smokers and non-smokers. No additional elevation of angiogenic factors was demonstrated at the time of exacerbation. There was a significant negative correlation between FEV1 and VEGF (P ( 0.05, r = -0.38), angiogenin (P ( 0.0001, r = -0.68) and IL-8 (P ( 0.001, r = -0.54) among smokers (smoking COPD patients and healthy smokers). No significant differences were observed between groups of healthy smokers and non-smokers. These results showed increased airway angiogenesis in patients with COPD. Moreover, VEGF, IL-8 and angiogenin negatively correlated with pulmonary function, which suggests their important role in COPD airway remodelling. However, no additional angiogenic activation was found during exacerbation of COPD.
COBISS.SI-ID: 29451737
BACKGROUND: The mechanisms responsible for the difference between clinically irrelevant IgE-sensitization and allergic rhinitis are not fully understood.OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the humoral and cellular mechanisms that may be associated with the presence of allergic rhinitis symptoms. METHODS: We selected 26 subjects with positive grass pollen skin tests and IgE antibodies to Timothy (g6) and the major grass allergens rPhl p 1, 5b. Fourteen of those patients reported a history of allergic rhinitis. During winter, we performed a grass pollen CD63 basophile activation test using four log allergen concentrations, followed by a grass nasal provocation test (NPT). We obtained symptom scores in the subsequent pollination season. RESULTS: We showed that subjects with a positive NPT have significantly higher CD63 basophile grass pollen responsiveness than NPT-negative subjects, preferably at submaximal allergen concentrations, which represent cellular sensitivity. Moreover, basophile sensitivity positively correlated with the size of the grass-specific IgE fraction in relation to total IgE, and it was highly predictive of allergic rhinitis symptoms in the following pollination season. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Allergic rhinitis symptoms are significantly associated with allergen-specific basophile sensitivity. In vitro evaluation of basophile sensitivity should prove useful for distinguishing clinical phenotype of allergic sensitization.
COBISS.SI-ID: 29245145