Active smoking effect in allergic rhinitis.

Background: Tobacco smoke has been described as causing increased prevalence of rhinitis symptoms and decreased atopy. Furthermore, these nasal symptoms and quality of life in smokers with Allergic Rhinitis (AR) were not significantly different to non-smokers. As a result of this duality, a comparison study between the quality of life and inflammatory markers of atopy among active smokers and non-smokers having AR was put forward.

Circulating anti-galectin-1 antibodies are associated with the severity of ocular disease in autoimmune and infectious uveitis.

Purpose: Galectin (Gal)-1, an endogenous lectin found at sites of immune privilege, plays a critical role in the regulation of the immune response. Therapeutic administration of Gal-1 or its genetic delivery suppresses chronic inflammation in experimental models of autoimmunity. The purpose of this work was to investigate the occurrence of circulating anti-Gal-1 antibodies in patients with autoimmune and infectious uveitis as potential determinant factors of disease progression.

[Study of cellular inflammatory response with bronchoalveolar lavage in allergic asthma, aspirin asthma and in extrinsic infiltrating alveolitis].

The asthmatic inflammatory responses present different type of cells involved in this process, such as: Lymphocytes and Eosinophils. In experienced hands the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a well-tolerated and valuable tool for investigation of basic mechanisms in asthma and other immunological respiratory diseases. The purpose of this work was to study the different cells involved in asthmatic inflammatory responses in allergic and aspirin sensitivity patients and compared with Extrinsic Allergic Alveolitis patients (EAA) by BAL procedure.