Allergy and Respiration (Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology Book 921)

Allergy is an increasing health issue. It often targets the respiratory tract and entwines with respiratory ailments, which makes it difficult to discern the cause-effect linkage. Nonetheless, measures to counter the allergic background are a linchpin in preserving respiratory health. This book is an update on current advances in clinical and basic science on allergy and related topics. The diagnostics of allergy requires a multidisciplinary approach, including molecular examinations aimed at unraveling the intracellular control cascades. Chapters give insight into the innovations concerning modern pulmonary function tests, discuss pharmacological paradigms, and tackle the overlapping infectious aspects and clinical symptoms and markers. Environmental and genetic factors elicit a spectrum of inflammatory phenotypes linked to differential body responses to allergic perturbations. The book is intended for healthcare professionals, notably pulmonologists, primary care physicians, and medical researchers. Preface 6 Contents 8 Spirometry or Body Plethysmography for the Assessment of Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness? 10 1 Introduction 11 2 Methods 11 2.1 Subjects 11 2.2 Study Protocol 12 2.3 Questionnaire 12 2.4 Body Plethysmography and Spirometry 12 2.5 Methacholine Testing 12 2.6 Quality Control 13 2.7 Data Analysis 13 3 Results 14 4 Discussion 15 References 18 Clinical Effects, Exhaled Breath Condensate pH and Exhaled Nitric Oxide in Humans After Ethyl Acrylate Exposure 20 1 Introduction 20 2 Methods 21 2.1 Subjects 22 2.2 Exposure 22 2.3 Effect Assessment 22 2.4 Statistical Elaboration 23 3 Results 23 3.1 Complaints and Clinical Symptoms 23 3.2 Breathing Frequency 24 3.3 Biomarkers 24 3.4 Associations 26 4 Discussion 26 5 Conclusions 27 References 28 Effectiveness of PCR and Immunofluorescence Techniques for Detecting Human Cytomegalovirus in Blood and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid 30 1 Introduction 31 2 Methods 31 2.1 Patients 31 2.2 hCMV pp65 Antigen Detection 32 2.3 hCMV DNA detection 32 3 Results 32 3.1 Immunofluorescence (IF) vs. Real-Time PCR for Human Cytomegalovirus (hCMV) Detection in Blood Samples 32 3.2 Real-Time PCR for CMV Detection in Peripheral Blood vs. Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid (BALF) 33 3.3 IF vs. Real-Time PCR for CMV Detection in Blood vs. Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid (BALF) 33 4 Discussion 33 References 34 The Role of Ion Channels to Regulate Airway Ciliary Beat Frequency During Allergic Inflammation 36 1 Introduction 37 2 Methods 38 2.1 Study Design 38 2.2 Chemicals 38 2.3 Ovalbumin-Induced Allergic Inflammation of Airways 39 2.4 Ciliary Beat Frequency Analysis 39 2.5 Statistical Analysis 39 3 Results 40 4 Discussion 40 References 43 Content of Asthmagen Natural Rubber Latex Allergens in Commercial Disposable Gloves 45 1 Introduction 45 2 Methods 46 2.1 Latex Protein Extraction from NRL Gloves 46 2.2 Protein Quantification With a Modified Lowry Method 47 2.3 CAP Inhibition Assay 47 2.4 Beezhold ELISA Inhibition Assay 47 2.5 IgY Inhibition Assay 47 2.6 Statistical Elaboration 47 3 Results 48 4 Discussion 48 References 51 Thermal Sensitivity and Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) 53 1 Introduction 54 2 Methods 54 3 Results and Discussion 55 References 57 IgE Reactivity, Work Related Allergic Symptoms, Asthma Severity, and Quality of Life in Bakers with Occupational Asthma 59 1 Introduction 59 2 Methods 60 2.1 Subjects 60 2.2 Specific Immunoglobulin E 60 2.3 Asthma Control and Work-Related Allergic Complaints 61 2.4 Fractional Concentration of Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FENO) 61 2.5 Health-Related and Asthma-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL and AQLQ) 61 2.6 Statistical Analysis 62 3 Results 62 3.1 Study participants 62 3.2 Self-Assessment of Asthma Control and Work-Related Allergic Complaints 62 3.3 Specific Immunoglobulin E 62 3.4 FENO Measurements 63 3.5 Health-Related Quality of Life 63 3.6 Asthma-Related Quality of Life 63 4 Discussion 65 5 Conclusions 67 References 67 Effects of Selective Inhibition of PDE4 by YM976 on Airway Reactivity and Cough in Ovalbumin-Sensitized Guinea Pigs 69 1 Introduction 70 2 Methods 70 2.1 Antigen-Induced Airway Hyperresponsiveness 71 2.2 Cough Reflex Assessment 71 2.3 Evaluation of in vivo Airway Reactivity 71 2.4 Evaluation of in vitro Airway Reactivity 71 2.5 Cell Content in Blood and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid 72 2.6 Biochemical Assay 72 2.7 Statistical Analysis 72 3 Results 72 4 Discussion 72 5 Conclusions 77 References 78 Airway Defense Control Mediated via Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels 79 1 Introduction 79 2 Methods 81 2.1 Study Design 81 2.2 Cough Reflex Assessment 81 2.3 Evaluation of Airway Smooth Muscle Reactivity in Vivo 82 2.4 Ciliary Beat Frequency (CBF) 82 2.5 Statistical Analysis 83 3 Results 83 3.1 Chemically Induced Cough 83 3.2 Airway Smooth Muscle Reactivity (ASM) in Vivo 83 3.3 Ciliary Beat Frequency (CBF) 85 4 Discussion 85 References 87 Virological Characteristics of the 2014/2015 Influenza Season Based on Molecular Analysis of Biological Material Derived from I-MOVE Study 89 1 Introduction 90 2 Methods 90 2.1 RNA Isolation 90 2.2 Reverse Transcription PCR 91 3 Results and Discussion 91 4 Conclusions 93 References 93 Index 94 Front Matter....Pages i-viii Spirometry or Body Plethysmography for the Assessment of Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness?....Pages 1-10 Clinical Effects, Exhaled Breath Condensate pH and Exhaled Nitric Oxide in Humans After Ethyl Acrylate Exposure....Pages 11-20 Effectiveness of PCR and Immunofluorescence Techniques for Detecting Human Cytomegalovirus in Blood and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid....Pages 21-26 The Role of Ion Channels to Regulate Airway Ciliary Beat Frequency During Allergic Inflammation....Pages 27-35 Content of Asthmagen Natural Rubber Latex Allergens in Commercial Disposable Gloves....Pages 37-44 Thermal Sensitivity and Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO)....Pages 45-50 IgE Reactivity, Work Related Allergic Symptoms, Asthma Severity, and Quality of Life in Bakers with Occupational Asthma....Pages 51-60 Effects of Selective Inhibition of PDE4 by YM976 on Airway Reactivity and Cough in Ovalbumin-Sensitized Guinea Pigs....Pages 61-70 Airway Defense Control Mediated via Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels....Pages 71-80 Virological Characteristics of the 2014/2015 Influenza Season Based on Molecular Analysis of Biological Material Derived from I-MOVE Study....Pages 81-85 Back Matter....Pages 87-87