Effect of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) on allergic rhinitis.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the upper respiratory tract. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a widely used plasticizer and belongs to environmental endocrine disruptors (EDCs). It can be entered the human body which is harmful to health.

Prevalence of allergic rhinitis comorbidity with asthma and asthma with allergic rhinitis in China: A meta-analysis.

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma are the most common inflammatory diseases of the airways. The relationship between asthma and AR is widely and clinically recognised. The concept "one airway, one disease" has been gradually accepted.

Exposure to air pollution and risk of prevalence of childhood allergic rhinitis: A meta-analysis.

Objectives: Allergic rhinitis (AR), a common chronic inflammatory disease in the upper airways. The prevalence of AR in children seems to be increasing recently, and the most significant causes of the increase are thought to be changes in environmental factors, especially air pollution. However, we could not find any meta-analysis on the risk of air pollution exposure on the prevalence of AR in childhood.

The airway inflammation induced by nasal inoculation of PM2.5 and the treatment of bacterial lysates in rats.

Particulate matter (PM) is one of the most important environmental issues in China. This study aimed to explore the correlation between PM2.5 and airway inflammation in healthy rats.

Decreased expression of interleukin‑37 and its anti‑inflammatory effect in allergic rhinitis.

Interleukin‑37 (IL‑37), a novel member of the IL‑1 cytokine family has been identified as a natural suppressor of innate immunity and inflammatory responses. The present study aimed to determine the expression of IL‑37 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with allergic rhinitis (AR), and examine the possible immunosuppressive effect of IL‑37 on inflammatory mediators and CD4+ T cells in the pathogenesis of AR. The expression levels of IL‑37 were determined in PBMCs from 39 patients with AR and 43 controls using reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‑qPCR) analysis and flow cytometry.

Association between TNFSF4 and BLK gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to allergic rhinitis.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common inflammatory disease of the upper airway. Recent evidence suggests that gene‑gene interactions between tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily 4 (TNFSF4) and B cell lymphocyte kinase (BLK) may have a synergistic effect on T and B cells in determining immunologic aberration, via the nuclear factor‑κB pathway. The present study was performed to evaluate the potential association between specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TNFSF4 and BKL genes with susceptibility to AR in Chinese subjects.

Evaluation on health-related quality of life in deaf children with cochlear implant in China.

Objective: Previous studies have shown that deaf children benefit considerably from cochlear implants. These improvements are found in areas such as speech perception, speech production, and audiology-verbal performance. Despite the increasing prevalence of cochlear implants in China, few studies have reported on health-related quality of life in children with cochlear implants.

A new floating piezoelectric microphone for the implantable middle ear microphone in experimental studies.

Conclusions: The new floating piezoelectric microphone is feasible for use as an implantable middle ear microphone in a totally implantable cochlear implant.

Objectives: A piezoelectric sensor that is driven by the acoustic vibration of the ossicles is one possible design for a microphone for a totally implantable cochlear implant. Such a new floating piezoelectric microphone has been manufactured in the lab.

Genetic risk of TNFSF4 and FAM167A-BLK polymorphisms in children with asthma and allergic rhinitis in a Han Chinese population.

Background: Asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR) frequently occur as comorbid diseases of the upper airways. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TNFSF4 and FAM167A-BLK genes have recently been shown to be associated with various immune-related disorders.

Objective: Our aim was to determine whether TNFSF4 or FAM167A-BLK polymorphisms confer genetic susceptibility to asthma and AR in a Han Chinese population.

Association between JAK1 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to allergic rhinitis.

Objectives: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an inflammatory disorder of the upper airway. Janus kinase 1 (JAK1), a member of JAK family, has recently been found to participate in the immune response and the development of allergic airway disease. This study was performed to evaluate the potential association of JAK1 polymorphisms with AR in a Chinese Han population.

High frequency of T helper type 9 cells in Chinese patients with allergic rhinitis.

Background: T helper type 9 cells (Th9) are the most recently discovered subset of Th cells, and are involved in the pathology of several autoimmune and allergic diseases. The significance of Th9 cells in allergic rhinitis (AR) in Chinese patients is unclear.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the possible role of Th9 cells in AR in Chinese patients.

Changes in circulating follicular helper T-cells in Chinese patients with allergic rhinitis.

Conclusions: Changes of circulating Follicular helper T (cTfh) cells existed in allergic rhinitis (AR) patients, and the severity of disease was associated with a more severe change of cTfh milieu. These results imply that cTfh cells may play a crucial role in the pathology of AR in Chinese patients.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in cTfh cells in Chinese AR patients.

Objective and subjective evaluations of the Nurotron Venus cochlear implant system via animal experiments and clinical trials.

Conclusion: This study described objective and subjective evaluations of the Nurotron® Venus™ Cochlear Implant System and indicated that this system produced a satisfactory performance.

Objective: To observe the performance of the Nurotron® Venus™ cochlear implant (CI) system via electrophysiological and psychophysical evaluations.

Methods: A 26-electrode CI system was specially designed.

FCRL3 gene polymorphisms confer risk for sudden sensorineural hearing loss in a Chinese Han Population.

Fc receptor-like 3 (FCRL3) has recently been associated with susceptibility to several immune-related diseases. In this study, we evaluated the potential association of FCRL3 polymorphisms with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) in a Chinese Han population. Five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in FCRL3-rs945635, rs3761959, rs7522061, rs10489678, and rs7528684-were genotyped in 630 patients with SSNHL and 600 healthy controls by using a PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay.

FCRL3 gene polymorphisms confer autoimmunity risk for allergic rhinitis in a Chinese Han population.

Background: Heredity and environmental exposures may contribute to a predisposition to allergic rhinitis (AR). Autoimmunity may also involve into this pathologic process. FCRL3 (Fc receptor-like 3 gene), a novel immunoregulatory gene, has recently been reported to play a role in autoimmune diseases.

Allergen induced Treg response in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with nasal polyposis.

Background: Nasal polyposis (NP) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the nasal cavity and sinuses regulated by T cells. Regulatory T (Treg) cells are involved in controlling immune responses and inhibiting the allergen-specific effector cell response. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether NP patients had defects in Treg cells after specific allergen exposure and the possible correlation between atopy and Treg cells.

Development and evaluation of the Nurotron 26-electrode cochlear implant system.

Although the cochlear implant has been widely acknowledged as the most successful neural prosthesis, only a fraction of hearing-impaired people who can potentially benefit from a cochlear implant have actually received one due to its limited awareness, accessibility, and affordability. To help overcome these limitations, a 26-electrode cochlear implant has been developed to receive China's Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) approval in 2011 and Conformité Européenne (CE) Marking in 2012. The present article describes design philosophy, system specification, and technical verification of the Nurotron device, which includes advanced digital signal processing and 4 current sources with multiple amplitude resolutions that not only are compatible with perceptual capability but also allow interleaved or simultaneous stimulation.

Association between interleukin-27 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to allergic rhinitis.

Objectives: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an inflammatory disorder of the upper airway. Interleukin-27 (IL-27), a novel IL-12 family member, has recently been reported to play a role in some immune-related disorders. This study was performed to evaluate the potential association of IL-27 polymorphisms with AR in a Chinese Han population.

Association study between interleukin-12 receptor β1/β2 genes and allergic rhinitis in the Chinese Han population.

Interleukin-12 (IL-12) plays a key role in the protection against allergic reaction induced by allergen as well as the differentiation of T helper 1 cells in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR), exerting its biological effects through binding to specific IL-12 receptors (IL-12Rs) termed IL-12Rβ1 and IL-12Rβ2. In this study, we investigated the relationship between polymorphisms in the IL-12R gene and AR in the Chinese Han population. A total of 543 patients with AR and 749 normal controls were genotyped for IL-12Rβ1/rs438421, IL-12Rβ2/rs3790565, rs3790567, and rs6679356 using a PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.

An aryl hydrocarbon receptor ligand acts on dendritic cells and T cells to suppress the Th17 response in allergic rhinitis patients.

A predominant Th17 population is a marker of allergic rhinitis (AR). The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) exhibits strong immunomodulation potential via regulation of the differentiation of T lymphocytes and dendritic cells (DCs) after activation by its ligand, such as 2-(1'H-indole-3'-carbonyl)-thiazole-4-carboxylic acid methyl ester (ITE). The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of AhR on Th17 differentiation by investigating the action of ITE on DCs and CD4(+) T cells from patients with AR.