Hypertension management research priorities from patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers: A report from the Hypertension Canada Priority Setting Partnership Group.

Patient- and stakeholder-oriented research is vital to improving the relevance of research. The authors aimed to identify the 10 most important research priorities of patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers (family physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and dietitians) for hypertension management. Using the James Lind Alliance approach, a national web-based survey asked patients, caregivers, and care providers to submit their unanswered questions on hypertension management.

A qualitative study of the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of people exposed to diesel exhaust at the workplace in British Columbia, Canada.

Purpose: To identify exposure-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of individuals occupationally exposed to diesel exhaust (DE); to reveal strengths, knowledge gaps and misperceptions therein.

Methods: A Mental Models approach was used to gather information about current scientific understanding of DE exposure hazards and the ways in which exposure can be reduced. Thirty individuals in British Columbia who were regularly exposed to occupational DE were interviewed.

Diesel exhaust augments allergen-induced lower airway inflammation in allergic individuals: a controlled human exposure study.

Rationale: Traffic-related air pollution has been shown to augment allergy and airway disease. However, the enhancement of allergenic effects by diesel exhaust in particular is unproven in vivo in the human lung, and underlying details of this apparent synergy are poorly understood.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that a 2 h inhalation of diesel exhaust augments lower airway inflammation and immune cell activation following segmental allergen challenge in atopic subjects.

PM10-stimulated airway epithelial cells activate primary human dendritic cells independent of uric acid: application of an in vitro model system exposing dendritic cells to airway epithelial cell-conditioned media.

Background And Objective: Airway epithelial cells represent the first line of defence against inhaled insults, including air pollution. Air pollution can activate innate immune signalling in airway epithelial cells leading to the production of soluble mediators that can influence downstream inflammatory cells. Our objective was to develop and validate a model of dendritic cell exposure to airway epithelial cell-conditioned media.

Anti-oxidant N-acetylcysteine diminishes diesel exhaust-induced increased airway responsiveness in person with airway hyper-reactivity.

Background: Inhalation of diesel exhaust (DE) at moderate concentrations causes increased airway responsiveness in asthmatics and increased airway resistance in both healthy and asthmatic subjects, but the effect of baseline airway responsiveness and anti-oxidant supplementation on this dynamic is unknown.

Objectives: We aimed to determine if changes in airway responsiveness due to DE are attenuated by thiol anti-oxidant supplementation, particularly in those with underlying airway hyper-responsiveness.

Methods: Participants took N-acetylcysteine (600 mg) or placebo capsules three times daily for 6 days.

MicroRNA expression in response to controlled exposure to diesel exhaust: attenuation by the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine in a randomized crossover study.

Background: Adverse health effects associated with diesel exhaust (DE) are thought to be mediated in part by oxidative stress, but the detailed mechanisms are largely unknown. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally and may respond to exposures such as DE.

Objectives: We profiled peripheral blood cellular miRNAs in participants with mild asthma who were exposed to controlled DE with and without antioxidant supplementation.

Respiratory impairment and systemic inflammation in cedar asthmatics removed from exposure.

Background: Prior research has shown that removing occupational asthmatics from exposure does not routinely lead to significant improvements in respiratory impairment. These studies were of limited duration and factors determining recovery remain obscure. Our objective was to evaluate residual respiratory impairment and associated sputum and blood biomarkers in subjects with Western red cedar asthma after exposure cessation.