Psychological Stress, Lung Function and Exacerbation Risk in COPD: Is an Increase of Cholinergic Tone a Possible Link?

at a glance: On the hypothesis that psychological distress might interfere with airway reactivity in patients suffering of mild to moderate COPD through a cholinergic-mediated-bronchial reflex.

Can bronchial asthma with an highly prevalent airway (and systemic) vagal tone be considered an independent asthma phenotype? Possible role of anticholinergics.

Recently, we studied occurrence and role of non-respiratory symptoms (n-RSs) before a worsening of asthma symptoms. Some n-RSs such as anxiety, reflux, heartburn, abdominal pain, which appeared within 3 h before the onset of an asthma attack, are the likely result of an imbalance between sympathetic/parasympathetic systems with an increase in cholinergic tone. Therefore, it is likely that some of these n-RSs induced by the increased cholinergic tone might be present related with specific parasympathetic-associated respiratory symptoms such as those elicited by airway narrowing.

Treating severe allergic asthma with anti-IgE monoclonal antibody (omalizumab): a review.

Increased asthma severity is not only associated with enhanced recurrent hospitalization and mortality but also with higher social costs. Several cases of asthma are atopic in nature, with the trigger for acute asthma attacks and chronic worsening of inflammation being allergens inducing an immune, IgE mediated response. Anti-inflammatory treatments are effective for most of asthma patients, but there are subjects whose disease is incompletely controlled by inhaled or systemic corticosteroids and these patients account for about 50% of the healthcare costs of asthma.

Oxytocin: an unexpected risk for cardiologic and broncho-obstructive effects, and allergic reactions in susceptible delivering women.

Oxytocin (Sintocynon) is considered an uncommon cause of severe allergic reactions during delivery. We have recently shown that allergic sensitization to latex might constitute an important predisposing risk factor for anaphylaxis after the first infusion of oxytocin during delivery.Some oxytocin cardiovascular activities such as lowering blood pressure, negative cardiac inotropy and cronotropy, parasympathetic neuromodulation, vasodilatation etc.

Sensitization to rodents (mouse/rat) in urban atopic populations without occupational exposure living in Campania district (Southern Italy): a multicenter study.

Background: Up to now very few data on allergic sensitization to rodent allergens in Western Europe and Italy are available, and there are no information at district level.The aim of this report was to investigate clinical significance and characteristics of allergic sensitization to mouse/rat (M/Rt) allergens in atopic subjects living in Campania district (Southern Italy).

Methods: Allergists from the whole Campania district were required to report the results of skin prick tests of at least 100 consecutive subjects.

Direct and indirect exposure to horse: risk for sensitization and asthma.

Most studies on the sensitization to horse allergens in populations without professional exposure have been carried out in geographical areas where the rate of horse ownership is high and horse riding is popular. Very few studies have been carried out in populations living in large urban areas. This gap in the literature probably reflects the widespread view that prevalence of horse-related allergy is low in urban populations because the latter are not regularly exposed to horses.