Airway β-Defensin-1 Protein Is Elevated in COPD and Severe Asthma.

Background: Innate immune antimicrobial peptides, including β-defensin-1, promote the chemotaxis and activation of several immune cells. The role of β-defensin-1 in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains unclear.

Methods: Induced sputum was collected from healthy controls and individuals with asthma or COPD.

The placental protein syncytin-1 impairs antiviral responses and exaggerates inflammatory responses to influenza.

Background: Pregnancy increases susceptibility to influenza. The placenta releases an immunosuppressive endogenous retroviral protein syncytin-1. We hypothesised that exposure of peripheral monocytes (PBMCs) to syncytin-1 would impair responses to H1N1pdm09 influenza.

Differential injurious effects of ambient and traffic-derived particulate matter on airway epithelial cells.

Background And Objective: Exposure to airborne particulate matter (PM) may promote development of childhood asthma and trigger acute exacerbations of existing asthma via injury to airway epithelial cells (AEC).

Methods: We compared the response of AEC to ambient particulates with median aerodynamic diameters of <10 μm or <2.5 μm from the Sydney metropolitan region (Sydney PM10 or PM2.